The Goddess of Winter

Something had noticeably changed Belladonna since that day.

They already became reclused to society but Bella acted more reclusive than anyone else.

She only stayed in her room and no longer play around with her toys anymore. She speaks less than before and seemed to have taken a page of Ronin's book when it comes to being quiet and aloof.

She doesn't ask for more clothes or ribbons or to have her hair styled by Cholie. This worried Duke Taevas into buying her more gifts, and she just politely thank him for it, and never use them.

She always stays in her room. That was the main issue. She would lock it and just stay there for long periods, only coming out for meals or when she wanted to read a book from the library.

Ronin did not care about his sister's strange behavior at all. It went on for three years like that.

Over the course of 3 more years, Ronin had only reached to Level 5. No powers yet besides activating very small and minor runes.

His mind-reading ability was now 5 meters and 75 centimeters, but it still felt so slow. His levelling up still felt slow, and he was now a pubescent boy of 11 years old.

And so, he could only care about thinking and researching of ways to level up faster than caring about Belladonna's sudden change....

Until he heard a certain passing thought.

(My friend is coming again today. How wonderful!)

He turned around and realized it was Belladonna, who was bringing along a thick textbook to her room.

"A friend?" He frowned and followed after her.

No one visits House Zafeiri after the incident, so who could this new friend be?

He passed by Duke Taevas talking with Mavretri on the living room.

"She doesn't bring hailstorms anymore. Which I know I should be grateful for... But by the gods, this isn't my Bella." He overheard Duke Taevas complain while having tea.

"Children grow up and change, Your Grace. I remember Cholie also underwent the same change at her age." Mavretri answered calmly. "And that incident... It might have been a catalyst for that change."

"Perhaps. Zeuxis really doomed us all. I hope this does not mean she lost her Mage Focus forever." Duke Taevas sighed while bringing his teacup to his lips. "What news have you heard about him?"

"He has been staying with Maellan, Sir. Yet Maellan strangely did not tell us about it." Mavretri replied.

"It's to be expected of Maellan." He just sighed again. "My two eldest children are now rebelling against me, while my two youngest cannot even show their faces outside and behave so strangely. Ah, what cursed fate indeed."

"Zeuxis was not able to pass the test to get into the Academy, I hear. But Maellan pulled some strings to allow him to be in some sort of special arrangement." Mavretri continued to report. "His apprenticeship in the Spire of Scholars must be doing well."

"That Professor favors him very much. Vyrill Krustal." Duke Taevas said bitterly. "Must have taken him in like a son."

"He had already graduated 2 years ago yet chose to stay there. They must really be doing some magnificent, elaborate research or experiment." Mavretri guessed.

The butler then carefully asked while setting down his own cup of tea. "But, my lord....."

"Don't you think it's time for you and Maellan to reconcile? It had already been 8 years. He is an adult man now, surely, he can forgive you for the past and recognize you as family?"

Duke Taevas put his cup down a bit harder than Mavretri. "Forgive me?"

He said coldly: "I have nothing to ask forgiveness for. I was doing what was best for him, but he stayed hard-headed like Zeuxis."

Mavretri can tell that Duke Taevas was still not ready about this conversation yet even after all these years. He smiled sadly and decided to change the topic.

"Well then, about the prices of goods in the market today, I noticed that...."

Ronin did not listen to this anymore and slinked away to continue going to Belladonna's room.

The door was not locked. In fact, Belladonna seemed to have forgotten to close the door due to so much excitement, and Ronin can peek inside.

She was having a tea party.

With no one.

But Ronin can also sense something else. On the chair in front of her, she had laid out pretty porcelain cups filled with tea and some biscuits on a plate. She was also talking to this chair.

"Truly? Oh, that does sound terrible." She said with a chuckle.

Ronin tried his best to gauge if there was another presence in the room using his mind-reading skill. But he could only hear Belladonna's thoughts, which could mean two things.

She was talking to no one and had gone insane due to spendng so much time alone in her room. Maybe it was an imaginary friend or something similar.

Or.....

She was talking to someone whose mind could not be read.

And Ronin remembers one such 'person'.

"Goddess Bezirze." He recalled.

But the presence he could feel was not like Goddess Bezirze. And so, it must be another god or goddess that Belladonna had somehow befriended and can communicate to.

"Your tea is getting cold. Or do you like it cold, friend?" Belladonna said.

"Oh, no. I was just waiting for our other visitor to join our tea party."

Ronin froze at this voice. It sounded like the voice of a refined elderly woman.....

And she did materialize as such in that empty air.

He pushed open the door. "You were expecting me, Goddess."

"Indeed. Ronin Zafeiri. I have heard many good things about you from my good friend here. So many good things... for a man." She winked at Belladonna.

The girl grinned back at her. "Brother is one of the few exceptions."

"Truly? Well, he is in an exception in many ways." She sipped her tea. "For one, I could only sense his presence and not read his mind."

Ronin raised his eyebrows at this. He keep a mental note of this revelation that gods can also read minds...

But somehow not his.

"Do sit down with us, Ronin." She offered another seat beside a stuffed blue rabbit. "Have some tea and chat about life."

"Thank you for this great honor, Goddess." He bowed his head, scanning her for any weapon and her overall appearance.

"Oh please. We are all friends here." The old woman said. "Call me Freja."

Freja. Ronin knew who she was. She was Bezirze's mother.

The Godess of Snow and Winter, Beauty and Womanhood. The transition of a girl to a woman.... that is her domain.