Chapter 18 - Mother's Reaction

Finally the day of departure had arrived

As I left the mansion and approached the awaiting carriage, I was momentarily stopped by one of the servants.

"Please wait, Young Lord," the servant said with politeness, bowing slightly. I couldn't help but appreciate how convincingly I appeared as a nobleman.

"What are you doing? He is our Young Master Zephyr!" I heard my butler's voice, firm and protective, as he intervened on my behalf.

The servant's eyes widened in shock as the realization hit him. "F-forgive me, Young Master," he stammered.

With a gracious smile, I replied, "It's okay; people can make mistakes." I was in high spirits today, and so, I decided to let this small incident slide.

I then boarded the carriage on my own, leaving the servants looking at me in awe, their gazes filled with admiration and astonishment. It was a satisfying feeling to see the effect of my transformation on those around me.

The carriage started moving, embarking on a week-long journey that would take me to the Ronen Duchy.

During this time, I chose not to visit Duchess Maria, as I had no intention of willingly walking into the tiger's den after having acted so confidently.

Upon arriving at the Liander Duchy, I promptly issued a command to my entourage, expressing my desire to visit my mother.

.

.

In the vast and opulent mansion of the Liander Duchy, a woman was deeply engrossed in her official duties. She meticulously sifted through a multitude of documents, her unwavering focus helping her weed out the traitors that had infiltrated her estate.

"Duchess, Young Master Zeph has arrived," her aide informed her, a hint of hesitation in his voice. He had been about to mention the remarkable change in Zeph's appearance but swiftly remembered his master's prior instructions.

Her head snapped up at the mention of Zeph's arrival, her usual composed demeanor momentarily shaken by the surprise. Without missing a beat, she ordered, "What? He's here? Bring me where he is immediately." Her aide, taken aback by her sudden urgency, hastened to carry out her command.

Kassidy's POV

As I heard about Zeph's arrival, I wanted to meet him despite being busy with my work.

However, I couldn't just admit it; Zeph would think I was making excuses.

I arrived at the guest room to find a man with black hair seated there.

"So, why have you come to see me now, son, after causing such a commotion in Ronen Duchy?" I inquired, looking at my son with a hint of curiosity. Oddly, his expression seemed surprised, which puzzled me.

"Mother, You don't see any changes in me" he said as his face was full of surprise

"Oh,yes,I think you did loose some little weight" I stated, thinking perhaps he had been on a diet or fasting. His face twitched strangely, and then he uttered something even more bewildering.

"Just a little weight, mother. I lost a total of 200 kg."

I was utterly shocked by his words. Why on earth would he lose so much weight? Had he bumped his head or something? What was going on with this child?

.

.

Zeph's POV

I was comfortably seated on a sofa, anticipating the priceless expression that would spread across on Kassidy's face when she saw my transformed appearance.

I had envisioned surprise, maybe a gasp or a joyful exclamation.

Yet, as I observed her, there was no hint of astonishment. Instead, she carried on as if nothing had changed, which piqued my curiosity.

Unable to contain my bewilderment, I finally inquired, "And what do you think, Mother? Do you notice anything different about me?"

Her response was far from what I had expected. With a perplexed look, she said it was a little weight,

'Just a little weight? What on earth? I went through a living nightmare to rid myself of that dreadful body, and now... this?'

I corrected her, emphasizing the magnitude of my transformation, "It's not 'just a little,' Mother. I've shed an entire 200 kilograms!"

Her reaction left me utterly flabbergasted. Was she playing a joke on me? It was like something out of those mysterious Asian novels I'd heard about.

Whatever.

'It should be enough,' a smile formed on my face as I understood that my sudden weight loss wouldn't arouse her suspicion.

It felt rather amusing how her mind worked, portraying everything as normal while forgetting that her very own son had become a villain due to her influence in the first place.

Yes, the main reason for Zephyr's flawed personality was his mother's negligence and father's overcare.

But for now, It should be sufficient for her not to investigate the reason behind my weight loss being related to an Artifact.

Once I reach the Academy, everything will be fine.