Like a plague.

.

.

.

"What did you want to talk about?" Lydan signed curiously.

Ayrton looked toward Lydan who was gaping back at him. "The first time when I saw you in that garden I felt like I was not myself anymore, all I could do after leaving your kingdom was to think about the glimpse I saw of yours all day and night to the point of frustration," Ayrton said in a serious tone as he looked toward the table in the middle.

Lydan gripped the edge of the chesterfield while looking at Ayrton: "And when I saw you with professor Gage, an uncontrollable fire erupted in me, I tried to control my feelings with all my might and barely managed to do it." Ayrton went on.

Lydan stayed silent, still looking at Ayrton, "But today when I saw your pendant, it was glistering, and then suddenly all the feelings that kept making me frustrated, vanished like they didn't ever exist in the first place" Ayrton continued while looking down.

Lydan let go of the chesterfield's edge and clasped one hand with the other. "I couldn't understand and that is why I left and now that I think about it, I remember you behaving as if you knew what were my emotions, you always tried to push me away too," Ayrton said as he eventually halted while looking at Lydan.

Silence breathed there...

"I should tell him" Lydan thought to himself as he tried to gesture while swallowing his slaver.

Ayrton saw Lydan's attempt to gesture. "It's ok if you don't want to say anything," Ayrton said, giving an assuring look.

"It's not that" Lydan hastily signed.

"You can tell me whenever you're ready," Ayrton said as he tried to stand up.

"It's a charm" Lydan signed before Ayrton could stand up.

"Charm?" Ayrton asked.

"I had this strange charm since childhood, it attracts anyone who laid their eyes on me and makes them feel the emotions you felt, some could fluently control their feelings, and some..." Lydan signed as he stopped in the middle.

"When I was little, my mater gave me a separate place to reside with only one menial and banned all the other retainers to not raise their eyes in front of me" Lydan continued to gesture.

"Then the one menial with you?" Ayrton asked curiously.

"He is Ellen, he was with me since I was five because my charm strangely did not work on him and that is why he was given to me" Lydan signed.

"Oh," Ayrton blatted.

"If I inaptly passed from the areas of which I was interdicted to enter,

all the retainers avoided me like a plague, even if I am in trouble." Lydan signed again.

"I would call that a curse rather than a charm," Ayrton murmured with woe.

Ayrton was paying attention to his gestures, "You saw me on the day when I sneaked out to the apple garden from my palace after a long time—that is why you got like that," Lydan signed as he gave a bitter smile.

"So the pendant wards other eyes from your charm?" Ayrton asked as he sat straight on the chesterfield. "I think that is why I got better again"

Lydan nodded while smiling "I apologize if that discomforted you" Ayrton said.

"No, I should apologize for being harsh to you" Lydan hastily signed.

"That was an ineluctable response, please do not apologize," Ayrton said as Lydan nodded while slightly smiling.

Ayrton stood up from the chesterfield and extended his hand toward Lydan. "Thanks for telling me, Lydan," Ayrton said.

"No, thanks for getting better" Lydan signed as he smiled warmly.

"Let's get along well," Ayrton said as he smiled back.

...

"So that is what his pendant's power but why do I feel like there is more to the pendant than being just an aegis? Who knows?" Ophni said while smirking as he leaned forward from the wall outside the main hall and walked away after hearing everything.

...

"What do you think, Gage?" Richard said, seated on the chesterfield in his office, as he was pulling out the feather from the pillow that was in his hand.

"What?" Gage asked for an explanation in response to Richard's question as he stood beside the divan.

"Did you find out why they did that?" Richard again asked.

"No, sir" Gage responded.

"I still can not believe that my favorite pupil is over to something," Richard said while gaping at the newly made door.

"I am not following you, sir," Gage said.

"They all are up to something, do not tell me that you want me to believe the explanation that Ayrton just gave and left," Richard said as he looked at Gage on his right.

"But you said you believed him," Gage blatted.

"Gage you know it better than me that they aren't what they seem no matter how good they bear in front of their cousin whom they just met," Richard said while grinning.

"Sir...that..." Gage stutter.

"I know you do not have to remind me," Richard said as he stopped pulling out the feather from the pillow. "Make it dark outside. I want to have a rest"

"Certainly, sir," Gage said as he walked toward the door when he halted.

"Gage" Richard called.

"Yes, sir?" Gage replied without looking back.

"Find out what those royalties are up to" Richard commanded.

"I will look into it, sir," Gage said as he left the room.

...

"What kind of spell did Gage cast on Feron? he hasn't woken up in two days" Lynorr bayed as she closed the book with a jolt that was placed on the table in front of her.

"The croaker said that he'll wake up soon," Arlo said as he flipped the page of the book in his hand.

"You're saying it like you you did not hear him saying the same thing on the first day," Lynorr said as she rolled her eyes while swapping a new book with her chair, which was behind her.

"Why do we've to read this damn history of powers and these rusty spells?" Ophni bayed while ruffling his hair in frustration—his legs were on the table as he leaned toward the chair.

"Did you get stuck at something again?" Ayrton asked.

"I just can not read like this, there is no beautiful decor to look at, these white fog walls can not just motivate you to read sh ***" Ophni again lumbered.

"It's a good excuse," Arlo said while ogling.

Lynorr was seated at the study table that was placed beside Arlo's president followed by Ophni, Ayrton, and Lydan's presidents. "Look at Lydan—he has completed all the books, unlike someone," Lynorr said sarcastically while gaping at Ophni.

"Someone wants their head blown," Ophni said blatantly at Lynorr.

To be continued...