The wizard is reincarnated last Time

Chapter 2

“Young Master, you were here!”

Before I could even react to the return of the “father” I had no memory of, the plump housekeeper appeared suddenly from the hallway and spotted me.

Mrs. Amara quickly crossed the library and effortlessly lifted me.

Startled, I grabbed onto the windowsill, but I couldn’t resist her strong grip.

I was completely captured in Mrs. Amara’s arms.

“My, what’s all this?”

Mrs. Amara frowned, seeing the books scattered across the library floor.

“I’ll clean it up.”

Shuren, the black-haired boy, clicked his tongue and began to tidy the books.

He was only five years older than me, but he easily lifted the book I had struggled to pull out and placed it on the desk.

“How did you even get that out? You couldn’t have reached it.”

“With a chair…”

“And you’re covered in dust, Young Master.”

Mrs. Amara brushed the dust off my hair.  Her firm touch made my head bob, and I felt disoriented.

“We must get you ready before it’s too late. Shuren, come along.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Held in Mrs. Amara’s arms, I was carried out of the library. I felt like I was being held captive, unable to escape.

Shuren followed behind Mrs. Amara with an excited expression.

His green eyes shone unusually bright. He was overflowing with energy, even though he’d just come from sword practice.

He was the second son of the Eldrian family’s butler and lived in this house with us.

My mother had hoped Shuren would become my friend, but unfortunately, our personalities were very different.

He believed books were only to be read in front of the tutor, and he enjoyed swinging a sword under the scorching sun, covered in dirt and dust.

It was a hobby I couldn’t comprehend.

However, Shuren was the closest thing I had to an older brother, and he always tried to look after me.

Most of his day was spent looking after me, but Shuren today was… incredibly restless.

As we walked down the hallway, he kept glancing out the window, clenching and unclenching his fists, unable to contain himself.

Was it really something to be so excited about?

Noticing my gaze, Shuren grinned.

“Madam, I’ve brought the Young Master.”

Mrs. Amara opened the door to the room at the end of the hallway and entered.

“Liv!”

Inside the bright, spacious room, my mother, with her flowing golden hair, approached with a bright smile.

Only then did Mrs. Amara put me down.

“Where have you been?”

My mother was a young and beautiful Luoir woman with light golden hair.

Elegantly dressed in a white dress, she knelt on one knee and met my gaze.

Her arched eyebrows and emerald green eyes overflowed with joy and excitement.

My mother’s slender, white fingers gently combed through my hair.

Her touch tickled, but it felt pleasant.

“He was in the library.  With a book bigger than himself spread open…”

At Mrs. Amara’s words, my mother smiled.

“There are only difficult books there.  Your father will be pleased to know you love books, even though you’re still so young.”

As she spoke, my mother looked happier than ever.

“We must get ready quickly. Amara, please.”

“Yes, Madam. Come along, Young Master. We must change those dusty clothes. You too, Shuren.”

Father…

I thought as I was led to the room by Mrs. Amara.

I only had vague memories of my father.  I had heard that he was doing important work somewhere far away, so important that he couldn’t leave his post.

Whenever my mother said this, she wore a very lonely expression.  Even when she read me books or smiled kindly, there was always an empty space at the end of her gaze.

I obediently sat in the chair as Mrs. Amara instructed.

I was dressed in soft, white clothes and a coat with exquisite embroidery.  Mrs. Amara skillfully tied a black ribbon around my collar.

From my room on the second floor, I had a clear view of the garden and the main gate of Merrirose Manor.

Guards and maids bustled around, tidying up, and the head butler was busy giving instructions to the servants and gardeners.

Everyone in the manor was abuzz with the news of my father’s return.

Except me.

I stared intently at the young boy reflected in the clear glass window.

Liveric Eldrian, a boy of only seven, looked even smaller and younger than his age, even considering he was a Luoir.

His light golden hair, shimmering in the sunlight, was like his mother’s, and his watery blue eyes were inherited from his father.

And within them resided the soul of an insidious mage, clinging to memories of the past…

I tilted my head slightly.

Simultaneously, the boy in the window tilted his head in the opposite direction.

“Ah. He’s here!”

Shuren, now changed into clean, new clothes, pressed himself against the window.

There was a commotion near the main gate.

Mrs. Amara, who had rushed over, looked out the window, and with a flushed face, she quickly waved her hand.

“Quickly, Shuren, go downstairs. I’ll escort the Young Master.”

“Yes, yes, ma’am.”

Shuren, also excited and nervous, fidgeted as he left the room.

I was carried downstairs by Mrs. Amara.

Many people who worked at the manor were gathered in the entrance hall, waiting for their master, my father.

My mother, dressed in an elegant emerald green dress, couldn’t hide her excitement, fidgeting and clasping her hands together.

It was the first time I had seen my normally calm and composed mother so elated.

“Liv, come here.”

As soon as Mrs. Amara put me down, my mother pulled me forward and held my hand tightly.

I could feel her trembling excitement through her fingertips.

The sounds of hooves, the guards’ loud greetings, and a man’s voice responding in return reached us from the garden.

The trembling in her fingertips intensified.

I squeezed my mother’s hand, and she smiled happily, stroking my hair.

The head butler opened the front door.

As soon as the long-awaited person stepped into the entrance hall, everyone working in the manor bowed their heads in unison.

“Welcome home, Master.”

The man seemed slightly surprised but soon smiled with pleasure.

“Thank you. It’s heartwarming to be greeted like this, despite my sudden return.”

His smooth, baritone voice was surprisingly familiar.

I quietly looked up at the man’s face.

A young Luoir man with light brown hair.  His features were well-defined, with thick eyebrows. His clear blue eyes looked kind, and a gentle smile played on his lips.  He was well-built, taller than my mother, and he wore a knight’s uniform with blue embellishments and a cloak with blue tassels.

At his waist were two swords…

The moment I saw them, I realized they reeked of blood.

“Priscilla.”

He said my mother’s name, his voice laden with emotion.  He strode towards her, his eyes fixed on her.

“Jaden.”

My mother embraced him with a moved smile.

Even the surrounding people watching the two of them seemed to share their happiness. Mrs. Amara covered her mouth and giggled.

I took a step back and observed the unfamiliar scene.

This person is my father…

It still didn’t feel real.

He lightly kissed the back of my mother’s hand, then stepped back and looked down at me, standing off to the side.

“Liveric, Liv. Our son. You’ve grown so much.”

He smiled brightly and embraced me in a hug, despite my hesitation.

The smell of blood.  The ominous, sinister aura intensified.

I froze, unable to breathe. My stomach turned cold…

“I can’t understand how you could leave for years with a family like this, Jaden.”

Another voice came from the entrance.

A man who looked to be around my father’s age and three younger people appeared.

They were the guests my father had brought. They all exuded a similar atmosphere.

“I don’t know either. Four years… no, three years and six months, I think.”

My father lifted me onto his forearm and stood up.

I remained frozen, trapped in his embrace.

“Priscilla, this is Luwen Klaus. This is Erner Beliwood, who’s been helping me with my work.  And Laillin and Joel are my students.”

While my father introduced his guests, I clung tightly to the hem of his blue cloak.

My mother smiled brightly and welcomed them.

“Welcome. I hope you make yourselves at home during your stay here.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Eldrian.  You’re even more beautiful than Jaden described.”

The man named Luwen offered his thanks on behalf of the group.

He was a mage with brown hair tied back and wearing a long, black robe.

My mother blushed.

“You flatter me. It’s the first time he’s brought anyone home… Are you all from the Prius Knights?”

“Yes.  We are returning from a mission nearby.  I can’t understand why Jaden is only now returning home. How could he leave such a beautiful wife and young son?”

At Luwen’s teasing words, my father frowned, and my mother chuckled softly.

As Luwen stepped closer to get a better look at me, I shrank back further.

He carried the same stench of blood as my father.

Moreover, perhaps because he was a mage, the surrounding air shimmered uneasily.

These people… They came straight here after hunting demonkind and magical beasts…

The remnants of that battle vibrated all around, but I was the only one who noticed.

“They say a Luoir child is like a jewel.  Truly…”

Luwen, reaching out to me, stopped mid-sentence, bewildered.  My father, looking at my face, was equally surprised.

My whole body trembled, and I felt breathless.

Tears streamed down my face, and I struggled against my father, reaching for my mother, trying to escape from these strangers.

“M-Mother…”

My startled mother’s eyes widened.

She quickly took my hand and lifted me from my bewildered father’s arms.

“Liv, it’s alright.”

I buried my face in my mother’s shoulder.

The pungent smell of blood gradually faded, replaced by her warm, gentle embrace.

I felt a deep sense of relief.

Tears still fell, but as my mother whispered soothing words and gently stroked my back, I quickly calmed down.

“…It seems I’ve been away for far too long.”

Hearing my father’s melancholic words from behind, I slowly closed my eyes in my mother’s arms.