23. A very strong wind against a soft gentle breeze

The Marquessate of the Vandross family was located inside the empire's capital. It covered hectares of land and was directly adjacent to the west part of the imperial palace. The family used to be the most respected and renowned highly-ranked noble of their class.

Known for being the home of wind elemental magic users, their generations had been part of the imperial's army. Being the wind as their primary power, their agility, and speed greatly increased and helped them in becoming sword masters.

Therefore, there has never been an offspring of them that did not become one of the squadron's commanders. Their lineage from generation to generation had inherited their power and had become a constant aid to the imperial family.

Not until the only daughter of the Vandross family was born.

Laina Zephyr Vandross.

Despite being the only child of her parents, she strived to become deserving of being their successor. She was a woman respected by her peers, envied by even men, and greatly sought by most of the promising bachelors of her time. Her beauty was like the flower in full bloom, and her elegance was like the breeze gently swaying them.

But to her horror, her magic that should have evolved into a wind element did not occur. She practiced hard and tried everything to awaken the power that runs in the blood of a Vandross but to no avail. Her mana stopped increasing, and her magic reached its limit.

Like a withering plant, the proud lady was eaten by her anxiety and depression. Her parents showed great disappointment in her. Her name which was once at the top of most sought women was slowly forgotten. Her confidence declined. And she grew graver and gloomier each day.

The family that once exalts her began neglecting her. All because she failed to continue their legacy. To do so, her parents arranged for her to be wed to a wind magic user. Her dream of marrying the man of her own choice had vanished. And to spite her parents, she ran away, and met another man, but she only came back to them in the end.

She married the man her parents chose for her. A man of lower class, but wields the same magic her family had. That man got everything she had worked hard to achieve. The title of a marquess, the position of a squadron commander, and the beloved and preferred child of her parents.

Even after marrying him, she was still cast aside. Ignored and forgotten. No more than just the wife of a dignified imperial knight.

So, when the heavens gifted her a child, she did everything to make the child inherit their legacy. She would pray every day and give offerings to the temple. She would do volunteering and feed the unfortunate children of the slums.

And at last, the heavens did grant her wishes. She gave birth to a child that will be her salvation.

Her only beloved child.

"Madame, the young marquess had just arrived."

Laina looked away from the newspaper she was reading. Her face glowed with obvious joy at the news.

"Tell him to come find me immediately." Though her excitement to see her son cannot be contained, she remained sitting and waited for him instead.

But her waiting did not even take a few minutes. The arrival of the man she was anticipating was abrupt.

"No need for that." A dark-sounding voice loomed in the room. Followed by the figure of a tall man with dark bluish hair and greyish eyes, the same eye color as hers.

"Ah, Gayle! It was sweet of you to travel here from the capital to see me." She rushed and embraced the man standing stiffly at the entrance.

Luven, showing no affection nor deep emotions at the reunion with his mother, who was settling at the villa owned by the Vandross family outside the capital, did not move at the warm welcome.

He declared his purpose instead.

"You said you'll return and beg forgiveness once she came back." His icy words stunned the mother. "She's back."

She let go and looked up at her son glaring at her, then burst into a fit of laughter.

What forgiveness?

She had never done her wrong!

Her actions are reasonable! It was for her own sake!

Those are what she believed and will keep believing no matter what.

Luven, seeing his mother laugh at his words and the obvious implication of it, made him seethe in anger. He balled his fists and shouted angrily.

"Have you truly lost your mind?!"

"What worth will my begging do? That girl was no longer her!" She shouted back. Quite taken aback by the outburst of her son.

Luven harshly grabbed his mother by her shoulders and shook them.

"You won't say that if you met her! Even if that woman keeps saying she wasn't Luna, I can't completely believe her!"

His mother rested her hands over his and looked at him sadly. The sight of his beloved son despairing continuously for the loss that had already gone on for years pained her motherly heart.

"It's been two years, son. Luna was gone." She said in a forlorn sound.

But Luven only slapped her hands away.

"You won't say that if you met her.... she was still Luna, my sister..."

"The holy nation had already acknowledged her death."

With her words, Luven's eyes flared with anger. He gripped his mother's shoulders which made her flinched but did not complain.

"How could you?! You could have stood with her! Or you could have informed me of what she's dealing with...!" Without restraint, his eyes poured water. "So, I would have come back and saved her! Not met her not recognizing me.... not like this, mother."

The image of the woman she met at the province was no doubt his sister. The aura and even the speech. What changed only was eyes that seemed to become expressive and transparent.

He regretted leaving the empire to pursue foreign education. He regretted not noticing his sister's letters were magically forged. He regretted being at ease that everything was fine on her side. When it's clearly not fine from the very beginning.

Luven harshly let go of the woman he called mother. He wiped his face aggressively and bellowed at his mother.

"Why does it that you were her mother...? You don't deserve her at all...!"

He turned back to leave, but the fragile and pale hands of a woman clung to him.

"How long are you going to push me to my last remaining sanity, son?! Do you know how this mother of yours greatly regrets her actions and longs to be forgiven as well?!"

Luven looked back and saw his mother's teary eyes, yet his heart had already hardened at any of her words. He had no doubt she was only acting, just to placate his anger.

He already expected this, but somehow in his heart, he wished to see his mother react differently.

He laughed bitterly. Realizing he was no different from her older sister.

Still not giving up, despite being fed up.

He turned his way again after snatching his arm back and started walking ahead. From the room he left, he could hear the pleading shouts of his mother begging him to stay longer.

But Luven never paid any attention. He harshly opened the entrance door and stepped outside the place he had never once dreamed of visiting again.

This villa holds plenty of his memories with Luna. The place where she was locked up, neglected, and abandoned. And the place he would always spend his vacation, just to be her companion.

A place where, whenever he would feel troubled and pressured, would be his first destination to free all his bottled emotions. Because Luna would always welcome him with an expressionless face, yet gentle eyes and a warm embrace.

And yet his mother dares to settle here. For what? Self-condemnation? Her reproach to all her actions? What for, when she believes that Luna is already gone?

'Does she think she'll be forgiven if she cages herself here?', he thought.

Luven strode past the gate and mounted his horse, then without looking back, he headed the path to the capital.

The wind blew past him and realized the zephyr that once cradled him to sleep now stings his eyes and heart.

He remembered its remorse and gritted his teeth.

"No amount of repentance can earn forgiveness from the dead." He uttered.

But deep in his heart, he believed his sister still existed.