Proper Greetings

Before they knew it, the boy muffled a small sigh of contentment as he turned to look at Inanna.

It surprised her when their eyes met with one another. Specifically, seeing the color of his eyes. The amber iris she gravely expected to see.

His black matted hair from before, was now gone. The boy's hair was short. The haircut you'd see on a fresh and newly joined military soldier.

His identity was now confirmed for her. The abused boy in her mother's arms is Knox Hakken. A circumstance she didn't ever imagine she'd encounter in this lifetime so early on.

Observing their eye-contact, the beautiful and elegant woman smiled as she called her immobilized daughter over.

"Inanna, sweetheart. Why don't you come over here and introduce yourself to this lovely boy."

The Duchess spoke. Her voice was melodically soothing to the ears. A fact anyone would vouch for without a second thought.

It's no wonder why the child in her arms instantly became compliant.

"He told me his name. It's quite a lovely name. I'm positive that the both of you will get along extremely well. After all, a mother's intuition never lies."

The Duchess cheered with bright eyes.

For a moment, Inanna could only stare at her mother in admiration. Her beauty and grace were like no other. Stunning to the eyes.

From the platinum-blonde hair that shined rich under the sun's beaming rays of light. To the soft lavender colored orbs they both share, yet her eyes are more vibrant than the two children that inherited them.

Her mother's aura was one of a kind. It was hard to describe and put into precise words, but she deemed it was charming and captivating. Always feeling the need to be around her.

An influential noblewoman that nobody could ignore by just her mere presence. A title befitting of a Duchess.

"Good morning, dearest mother. You're right. I have yet to properly introduce myself to our newly guest."

Inanna greeted her mother as she approached both of them with a warm smile.

Swiftly, she picked up her fluffy dress from the sides as she faced the boy. She bent a knee in a ladylike manner—a formal social gesture shown in the aristocratic circle.

"Greetings, Inanna Bessa and youngest daughter of the Duke Bessa Household."

She introduced herself before creating eye-contact with him once again.

"It's a pleasure to meet you and being able to welcome you properly this time. I hope we can get along from here on out."

Her eyes were radiant and clear.

The boy in the Duchess's arms, solely stared at the radiant girl with his amber eyes.

Shortly, he turned his face away in the blonde woman's direction. Looking at her, the beauty smiled his way to encourage him to greet the scarlet-haired girl.

Hesitantly, the boy introduced himself in a quiet and timid manner. Different from the outburst and alert behavior he displayed beforehand.

"Yes... i-it's a pleasure."

This time, when he spoke, his accent was evident in his shy tone of voice. Still, his words were loud and clear enough to understand.

Everyone's heart softened at the sound of it. Feeling for the child who was not from their empire and taken from his home.

Abused and sold because of humanity's greed for power and money. Mainly, because of the child's bloodline that carries powerful mana. The mana him and his ancestors manipulate in their veins.

Desperate to get their filthy hands on his kind. A clan killed many years ago. Seen as a dangerous threat to the nobles of the Magna Empire.

A fact Inanna recalls from her first life before returning to the past. Reading it in a history book about the Magna Empire when she moved to the capital as Kavin's fiancee.

Almost every afternoon, Inanna would have a warm tea at the imperial family's private library. A privilege she had access to as the Crown Princess.

Educating herself about their empire's history and the historical events of the other nations. Since back then, she would hold a huge responsibility and duty as their empire's future empress.

Useful information she could properly utilize in her second life.

"If you don't mind, I would love to know your name as well. Mother says it's quite the lovely name."

Inanna smiled as she patiently waited for him to 'reveal' his name to her.

It took moments before he uttered the name she anticipated.

"Knox... my name is Knox."

He murmured like a soft whisper to the ear, yet his expression said otherwise. He seemed displeased about something.

His reaction was unusual.

However, Inanna was thrown off by something else. Particularly, the way he excluded his last name when he introduced himself to her.

She thought for a brief second.

'Could Kavin have given Knox his last name? Or is he hiding his true identity? Waiting for the right time to reveal it?'

She didn't know, but she was positive his entire clan shared the same family name. A significance to their people as honor and respect dedicated to their ancestors.

Still, she found it quite odd.

"You don't have a last name? Only Knox?"

The boy hesitated before he nodded his shaven head as a response.

"I see..."

Inanna didn't push him further as she stretched out a hand for him to hold.

'Whatever the case may be, I must try to get on his good side. It could possibly benefit our family in the near future when he meets the crown prince.'

"Knox, from today onwards, we're friends. We can skip formalities with one another and simply address each other by our names."

Inanna assured while offering him a friendly smile.

Seeing this, the boy felt a strong urge to be near her, so he swiftly slipped out of the Duchess's gentle embrace.

Before she knew it, he approached her short figure accompanied by steady steps as he took her hand with his own. Carefully grasping her tender skin before getting on his knee and kissing the knuckles of her soft hand.

Seconds after, his amber irises stared deeply into her shocked lavender ones. Doing so, he gained a sudden courage to speak in a very benign and polite manner to her.

"It would be a delight and honor, My Lady. No... Inanna."

He corrected himself as he emphasized her name. He maintained his kneeling form and gaze upon her as if the beauty of her lavender irises hypnotized him.

Inanna could only stand there in shock for a second time of the day. Her tender-heart slightly quickening at his actions.

Thankfully, her mother's brief melodic chuckle snapped her out of her frozen state, but it didn't stop her cheeks from flushing pink.

It was then, she remembered they weren't the only ones in the room—Lucy and the head maid being present as well.

She didn't have to look at the two women behind herself to know they held the same giddy expression as her mother.

"R-Right.."

Swiftly, she composed herself and turned to speak to her mother, the Duchess. Sliding her hand away from the now sullen boy, who lost skin contact with her warm one.

"Mother, would you care to join us for tea?"

"Of course, sweetheart. It would make me more than happy to join the both of you for a cup of tea."

The blonde woman beamed. Her eyes curved as they gave the impression that they were smiling on their own.

Truthfully, the Duchess was entertained by how the adorable boy broke her daughter's usual collected demeanor.

It was a norm to witness her cheerful daughter being the one to make the boys her age bashful, not the other way around.

'How adorable. I can't wait to see what the future holds for these two. The special bond they'll hold in the future.'

Almost immediately, the head maid instructed the rest of the maids to proceed with their given tasks. That being so, the maids in charge of tidying up the boy's appearance stood timidly before him as they awaited his approval to tend him.

Understanding their slight hesitancy, the Duchess spoke on their behalf as she carefully approached the uncertain boy and held his tiny, roughen hands.

"This time, will you be a good child and let the ladies finish tend you, sweetheart?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

The boy complied as he replied politely, showing respect to the influential woman before him.

During their interaction, something caught Inanna's attention.

Particularly, the elegant and formal method he's used to interact with them so far. The way of speaking and mannerism one would only ever witness from a noble.

An individual from a noble family, who is taught and educated at a young age about the etiquettes of the aristocratic world. A strict, common practice for the high-class of noble birth.

'Something doesn't quite add up, but what could it be?'