2 II. The Grandmama

Here's the secret lies deep within, only the chosen will find it.

The words were still filling his mind as Magnus was bathing in the copper bathtub that the servants were filling with hot water. He did not have the choice but to let someone, a valet as he recalled it, dressed him up after his bath. The valet informed him that his grandmamma was waiting for him in the drawing-room.

"My grandmother?" he said as Magnus was looking at the valet clearly, surprising without the help of his glasses. He was not sure if the glasses were even made in this era that he currently residing in.

What year was it now? He thought before he nodded as the valet let him do his cravat. Magnus sighed before he went to eat his breakfast that the maid, Casey, was serving him earlier. The valet was arching his eyebrow when he was asking for the maid's name. It would seem that this lord, the person that Magnus was, should not bother to know such a trivial thing.

Well, they will be seeing another thing coming from this body that he owned now.

After his breakfast, Magnus slipped out of his chambers. He was looking at the long hallway that was made up of stones and portraits that were hanging all around it. he cannot think of anything else but this body that he was in was someone of wealth.

Someone that would be known as a gentleman in polite society.

Magnus went downstairs for that was where the drawing-room usually located if he was remembering his history of the housing back in the olden days. He descended the stairs and the maids were scurrying around to avoid him. The first rule of housekeeping: do not engage with the master of the estate or you shall be relieved without any reference.

Magnus was looking at the hessian boots that his valet put on him. it was shining and well-oiled before he was taking in his black waistcoat and ruffled shirt. His breeches were black as well and his cravat was stiff and clean. Not bad for a lord, he thought before he was rapping at the door and the voice from the inside was calling after him.

"Come in,"

Magnus opened the door and he was surprised to see that the old woman who should be his grandmamma was embroidering as her hands were moving across the linen that she was holding. It was something to see an older woman without the help of glasses to do such intricate matter but embroidery? Well, that was on a whole new level of perfect eyesight.

Considering her age.

The old woman turned to look at him before she smiled. She put away the needle and the linen before she was ushering Magnus to get closer to her.

"Ah, Magnus. I see that you are up early this morning. Come, have tea with me," she said before the old lady was taking a bell and shook it. The maid from this morning—Casey—entered before she curtsied to the old lady.

"Bring tea and scones," grandmamma said before Casey bobbed her head and went out to the kitchen. Magnus was looking at her retreating figure before his grandmamma was clearing her throat.

"I hope you are not looking for troubling the young maid, Magnus. This is her first employment and I hate it if you're doing something to her," the old lady said before Magnus turned to look at the lady. He arched his eyebrow before he went to take his seat in the opposite direction of his grandmamma.

His grandmother, Magnus has to get used to it now that he was stuck in this body that he did not think it was a coincidence that his name was the same as his from the future.

"And why would you be thinking I will do anything to her, grandma? You know I am a good lad," Magnus said before he smirked at the old lady. His grandma narrowed her eyes to slits before she harrumphed.

"I know what you're up to, boy. And do not give be sarcastic with me. it is unbecoming of you," she said before the young maid entered the drawing-room with a tray of china set and scones. Magnus was still trying to look at her face but the young woman was looking at the ground. She served the tea before his grandma was dismissing her.

"Now, I know you must be curious as to why I was calling you today," his grandma said as Magnus was putting two cubes of sugar into his tea. He was a sweet tooth after all.

"No, I was more curious to know how the hell I was born again," he mumbled before he turned to look at his grandma and smiled. "No, grandma, I did not have the slightest idea why you're calling me this early today," he said before he was sipping his tea. Just how I like it, he thought before he took a sconce and ate them.

His grandmother was eyeing him with her green eyes. Shining like emeralds on her old face. She scowled at Magnus before she sipped on her tea. Then, she put the saucer down as she was smoothing her dress.

"You have come of age and I have let you have your fun, Magnus Flemington,"

He flinched as his surname was Fleming. Was this a miracle that he was named Magnus Flemington in this new body as well?

"And it is time for me to fulfill your parents' last testament so that we can uphold our bargain to the king and queen of the lands," his grandma said before Magnus snapped his eyes to her. he blinked a few times before he was putting his tea down on the table.

"Pardon? You mean to tell me that Mama and Papa—"

"Had decided to arrange a match for you. Yes, they have thought about it when you were born and this time, it is time for you to know about your engagement to Her Royal Highness, Princess Christy Donavan," his grandmother said as Magnus blinked his eyes. He never thought that he would be arranged to be marrying someone that he did not know. And now that he stuck in this body from the past, Magnus cannot think but only one solution.

He has to get back to his time.

"Wait, hold on, grandmamma. You were meant to say that I will be marrying a princess? A princess?!" he stood as he was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace before he leaned his hand on the mantle. Then, Magnus turned to look at his grandmother again.

The old woman was not bluffing. He did not know what to tell her the truth about her grandson.

Actually, I am not Magnus Flemington or whoever you thought I was. I was from the future who died on the streets that night and I woke up to be in this body of your grandson.

Magnus thought the outcome will have the old woman having a heart attack if he told her the truth. So, Magnus did not have a choice but to accept the fate of his current situation. But he's not going to back down without a fight.

Not on his watch.

Magnus looked at the crackling fire before he turned to look at the old woman. His grandmother was arching her brows as she was expecting that Magnus Flemington will shout and scream and deny the arrangement. Oh, he planned to do so but for now, he will have to play it cool.

And so, he said what was expected of him.

"When will the princess be coming to see me?"

*****

"Drat," Magnus said as he was hauling the stone across the lake that was located not too far from the estate that he resided in. perhaps it was his estate now for he was the master of the land and all the things surrounded it belonged to him now.

Magnus never thought that he would be a lord and wealthy in his past life.

In his time, Magnus Fleming was a broke Ph.D. student that relied on the scholarship money to survive and the tutoring that he'd done to get by with his rent and other miscellaneous. Magnus did not think that he will be marrying a woman, let alone a princess. He was not desirable back in his time but here, he was a catch.

Lord Magnus Flemington, Earl of Kensington.

He clicked his tongue when the rock sank before it can skip across the water. He sighed before he was rubbing his face and he was looking around the lake. It was quiet and serene, a perfect place for him to think. There was a willow tree as he went there to sit on the ground and think about this current circumstance of his life.

He was supposed to be dead but he found out that he was not. He was transported back to the olden day, but he did not know how to do it.

Was I dream walking? Is this what it was? Magnus thought before he saw the familiar figure of a maid that he was meaning to talk to. But of course, the maid would run away from the sight of him since he was the master of the house and she was a lowly maid.

Well, fuck that social hierarchy! No one can tell me who I cannot befriend with, Magnus thought and before he knows it, his feet was dragging him across the lake to the place where a young maiden with auburn hair like sunset and stormy eyes sat, not knowing what he was walking into as Fate brought them together for this moment.