Vanessa and the First Prince

Now that the big spectacle was over, Kye was mingling with the other noble children in the private room. While they were all children, nearly all of them had come of age and gained a crest, meaning their involvement in family matters was increasing. It was this reason as to why Kye even proposed the plan to the group. He found that the first prince had acted sympathetically towards the people but was still heavily rooted in Central Territory culture which heavily revolved around the nobility and their machinations.

After Kye's speech on values and responsibility, the first prince had to concede that he made some very good points about how the nobility should view the common folk. Justin watched Kye from afar as he mingled. Vanessa was standing by Kye's chair and not saying anything not looking directly at any of the other nobles. Justin looked at her and beckoned her to sit down.

"Please miss, do have a seat. I'd like to ask you some things about your master."

Vanessa thought to herself for a moment before hearing a voice in the back of her head.

'Do it, my daughter. Espouse to this man the greatness of Kye!'

Vanessa rolled her eyes internally and took the seat.

"What would you like to know?"

Justin smiled and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms into his lap. He gazed out the corner of his eye at Kye's back before turning his attention back to the divinely beautiful woman in front of him.

"Has he always been this... convicted?"

"As long as I have known him, yes. Master Kye is not one to back down once his views are challenged. I believe if I were to ask him to explain why he would say something along the lines of, 'It is only through talking out our ideas do we come to realise other perspectives. Decisions are not something to be made in a vacuum.' or something close to that."

The four nobles nodded at her words, agreeing with the sentiment. Although one would usually hold the view that the nobility were ignorant and block-headed, this prejudice was largely incorrect in the modern political climate. While this stereotype could be applied to some nobles, they were the unsuccessful ones in the long run.

There would always be a second child who could do things better that would usurp the heir should they prove to be incompetent. It was seen as extremely foolish to have less than three children capable of taking over a noble house because of this fact and was the reason why polygamous relationships were legalised kingdom-wide. Perhaps a wife would be unable to birth more than one child but if a man had several wives, then there would be no issues.

This was the main reason many pitied Frey as his first two sons proved completely incapable of running noble affairs. The awakening and subsequent dominance of Kye was not something anyone in the nobility had predicted and had ended several plans from certain families to insert their own sons into the family and rule an Archduke house by proxy through their children.

"What is he like to serve? I imagine he's got a pretty active and hectic life."

Vanessa gave a small smile.

"Life is actually quite calm for the most part. There are spurts of absolute chaos but usually, I just accompany him from the mansion to his workshop and back. I'm not really educated on higher science concepts like Master is so I'm just there to be a companion. Someone to vent to when he gets frustrated, which happens a fair amount."

Justin raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, he's rather emotional in private?"

"Yes. Master has a lot to prove to the world. It makes him put up a cold exterior but when he is comfortable, he is much more expressive. I believe he will master a balance as he matures. What he needs right now is more experience with people, which is what he will get through his probationary year in the army."

Justin nodded in understanding. Between Kye's outward appearance, his attitude when interacting with people and his accomplishments, it was easy to forget that he was just 10 years old. When Kye matured further, Justin had a hard time picturing anyone he would be prouder to call brother-in-law. As the thought of Kye marrying his sister entered his head, he decided to ask another question.

"So... Are you and Kye... attached?"

Vanessa gave a small smile at the question.

"Well... yes. I suppose we are."

Upon hearing this, Heather looked rather sad and Lucia raised an eyebrow at Vanessa. Justin gave a small laugh at hearing the news.

"Then I assume you will be taking a wife slot in the future then?"

"Oh no, I won't marry my Master."

The four nobles gave a puzzled look at this statement.

"Is it because you're a servant?" Hammel asked, unable to find a proper reason as to why Kye would not marry such a beautiful woman. Vanessa gave a cheeky smile.

"Because... angels do not need to be married to receive love from their soul-bond."

To everyone but Justin, her words were cryptic but the first prince widened his eyes. His beloved sister also had an angel servant so he knew the significance of being soul-bound to a heavenly being like an angel. It was a bond that transcended all mortal forms of vows, something that would never be broken. Justin leant over to whisper to Vanessa.

"What god do you serve?"

"Alayah."

Justin gulped and leaned back, his brain still trying to process this information. Kye had successfully entered a romantic relationship with a greater angel that served one of the prime gods. Justin gazed at Kye's back with newfound respect. He had tried, on many occasions to get close to his sister's angel yet was always refused when he offered to take her for a drink or a meal. Kye was 8 years his younger yet had managed to capture the heart of an angel. He desired to learn the secrets from him directly but thought it would be rude to pry.

Meanwhile, Kye, who was talking with someone, felt a shiver run down his spine as a strong gaze fell on him. He spun around quickly to try and see if he could catch who it was but couldn't see anything. He shivered slightly and turned back to the person he was talking to, apologising for his strange actions. He had no idea what that was about, but he felt that Vanessa was probably connected to it in some way. He would have to grill her for the answer when they returned to the mansion.