The Art of Deception ( 29 )

As the dining room buzzed with chatter, Javier tried to stay out of sight, keeping his head down while shoving food into his mouth. But then it happened.

"Javier."

The sharp tone of Lord Garius's voice sent a chill down Javier spine. He froze mid-bite. Slowly, he looked up and forced a wide, innocent grin.

"Yes, esteemed father?"

Lord Garius's intense gaze fell on him. "After dinner, come to my study room. I need to talk to you about something."

Panic filled Javier's mind.

Oh crap! He's definitely going to ask me about the gravity spell at the noble gathering. What excuse can I make? I can't say I accidentally activated it... .

"Of course, esteemed father,"

As Lord Garius returned to his meal, Javier slumped in his chair. I'm doomed!

Stand behind him, Liana leaned in and gently wipe at the corner of his mouth with a napkin. 

She whispered with a teasing tone, "Here comes the troubleeeeee..."

Javier glared at her and whispered back through clenched teeth, "Ugh! Liana!"

She laughed softly, her face completely relaxed. "You brought this on yourself, young master."

"I swear, you're enjoying this too much," Javier muttered, annoyed as he pushed his plate away.

Liana smiled, stepping back to her spot behind his chair while Javier worried about his situation. For a moment, he thought about pretending to be sick to avoid the meeting, but he knew his father wouldn't accept excuses, especially from him.

Great. Dinner's ruined, Javier thought, glancing at his siblings who were happily enjoying their meal. Now I have to figure out how to explain my accidental use of advanced magic...

Francesca chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her elegant hand as she watched her youngest son squirm under his father's stern gaze. Inside, she felt amused. Now you have no excuses left, my dear son.

Javier noticed his mother's amusement and scowled to himself. Damn it. They're all enjoying this too much.

Then, an idea struck him, and a sly smirk appeared on his lips. Hehehe, I've got it! The perfect excuse.

Standing up, Javier straightened his clothes to look calm and mature. "Please excuse me, I'm going to my room now," he announced with a polite bow.

Lord Garius didn't even glance up from his meal. "Javier, don't forget to come to my study room later."

"Yes, esteemed father," Javier replied with a smile, which only made Francesca more curious.

Francesca narrowed her eyes as she studied her son. Whats with that smile? He's definitely planning something...

Liana, standing just behind him, tilted her head in confusion. Why does he suddenly look so confident? What's he up to now?

As Javier left the room, Liana leaned toward Francesca and whispered, "Madam, do you think he's up to something?"

Francesca chuckled again, shaking her head. "Oh, without doubt. But let's see to it."

In the hallway, Javier's smirk turned into a full grin.

Hehehe, they have no idea what I'm planning. Time to prepare for my grand performance.

Once inside his room, Javier quickly searched through his belongings. After a moment, he pulled out two small items and slid them into his pocket.

"Hehehe… This is perfect! There's no way they'll question me now," he muttered to himself, barely holding back a laugh. "Ehehehe…."

Suddenly, there was a knock at his door.

"Young Master, Lord Garius is calling for you," Liana calm voice came from the other side.

Javier cleared his throat, hiding his excitement. "In a minute!" he called back, quickly patting his pocket to make sure his "tools" were secure.

Inside his head, he was already rehearsing his excuse.

This is flawless. Absolutely flawless. I'll get through this without a scratch. Ekekekeke...

--

Javier stood in front of Lord Garius desk, with Liana quietly observing from the side. His father intense gaze was fixed on him, while his mother, Lady Francesca, watched with an amused smile as she sipped her tea.

"So, Javier," Lord Garius began, his voice steady but firm, "explain how you used advanced magic at the noble gathering. Even royal mages need time and chants to perform such feats."

Javier smiled confidently and pulled a small, worn book from his pocket, holding it up. "This."

Lord Garius raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "A beginner's guide to mana control? Javier, this is for children learning to stabilize their mana."

"Exactly," Javier replied, undeterred. He then revealed a small, glowing gravity crystal with a flourish.

The room fell silent as Lord Garius stared at the crystal, letting out a long sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose. "So, this is how you did it. You used a gravity crystal. Javier, these are limited—they can only be used three times at most and can be countered with simple dispel magic. They're training tools for commoners, not noble mages."

Javier scratched his head and pretended to look sheepish. "Well, it worked, didn't it?"

Lord Garius shook his head. "You have the potential to be a talented mage, yet you resort to gimmicks like this? Speaking of which…" He fixed Javier with a sharp glare. "What's the story with those two Pekkos?"

Javier straightened, clearing his throat. "Err… my pets?"

Lord Garius groaned, muttering something under his breath. "Javier, do you understand the responsibility of owning such creatures? They require resources and are hardly practical compared to horses. You've spent money on them instead of focusing on your future."

Lady Francesca struggled to hold back her laughter, while Liana stood silently, her hand over her mouth, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Javier shrugged, smirking. "Well, they're faster than horses. And cooler. Don't you think so, Father?"

Lord Garius leaned back in his chair, shaking his head . "I thought you were becoming a promising young man, but now I'm not so sure. Your actions are reckless. You have talent, Javier. Stop wasting it on trivial things like Pekkos and gravity crystals."

Javier gave his father his most innocent grin. "But Father, isn't it the mark of a great noble to use all resources, no matter how small or… unusual?"

Francesca couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing, earning a glare from Lord Garius.

"Enough," Lord Garius said, standing up. "You're grounded until further notice. And those Pekkos—keep them far from the manor. Do you understand?"

"Yes, esteemed Father."

As they left the study room, Liana whispered to Javier, "Your excuses are getting more creative, young master."

"Ehehehe," Javier chuckled. "Next time, I'll do even better."

Javier walked alongside Liana after leaving the study, feeling satisfied. His excuse about the gravity crystal had worked perfectly. His father believed him, and now the topic of his advanced magic skills was off the table.

"Perfect," Javier thought, grinning slyly.

I didn't even need the crystal to perform the magic, but it's good to have a backup. No way I'm letting Dried plum know how capable I really am. He'd have me stuck in politics and noble thing for life. Nope! I'm prefer the useless youngest son. Ehehehe…

"What are you scheming now, young master?" Liana's calm voice broke into his thoughts.

Javier turned to her with a wide, innocent grin. "Oh, nothing. Just appreciating how smoothly that little talk went, ehehehe."

Liana shook her head, a mix of exasperation and amusement on her face. 

"Anyway," Javier said, clasping his hands behind his head as they strolled down the hallway, "I think that went pretty well. Don't you?"

"If by 'well,' you mean avoiding a serious conversation about your abilities and your recent purchases, then yes, young master, it went 'well,'"

Javier chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Exactly! And now I can spend more time with my Pekkos. Priorities, Liana. It's all about priorities."

Liana sighed again but couldn't help the faint smile tugging at her lips. Her young master's antics might give her endless headaches, but they also made life with him far from boring.

( End of Chapter )