Leylin's POV
"I hate you, Leylin..." she said, running towards the house. Where she cried in front of me, I saw my earring.
I can't deny that Amity's words hurt me, but my decision is necessary if I want to continue growing ever faster.
"Excellent Leylin, you're truly impressive," declares Odalia with a satisfied face as she approaches me.
"Thank you, but don't forget about Willow. I prefer this to be resolved as quickly as possible," I say simply, picking up the earring Amity threw.
"Of course, anything for my precious," Odalia declares behind my back.
I couldn't see what face Odalia was making at the moment, but I could clearly feel that she was happy with the conclusion of this event.
I wonder how she'll deal with Willow's parents to convince them to abandon their daughter into my hands. Maybe she'll just use money.
I remember that in the original story, she offered to find Amity a better girlfriend than Luz.
In the end, I walked away from Odalia without saying another word.
This day has been more complex than I had initially anticipated, and I even hurt someone close to me for her own good and my selfish ambitions.
...
*Knock knock* Sounds of knocking at the door.
"Yes, what is it?" I say, opening the door.
"Good evening Leylin, I want to talk to you ," Emira declares with a serious expression that rarely appears in front of me without mother's presence.
"Go ahead, take a seat," I say, indicating the only free chair in my room in front of my desk.
"I bet you came about Mittens 's case," I say, sitting on the bed.
My words made her shiver slightly. It seems I guessed right.
"Exactly. I know that I and the others..." Emira undoubtedly wanted to apologize for their actions, but I just raised my hand.
"I know it's mother who's pushing you to stay away from me," I say calmly after interrupting her.
"Then why Mittens and Willow?" she questions, frowning.
I looked directly into Emira's golden eyes that stare back at me.
"I didn't take Willow from Mittens out of revenge, but because it was necessary," I say honestly, looking at her face that was clearly becoming confused.
" Mittens studies a lot, but her evolution is slow, and I've observed that she's developing an inferiority complex towards me," I say, frowning.
It was easy for me to guess why Amity and the others distanced themselves from me after gaining access to my "mindscape." It's surely mother who put pressure on them.
"I wanted Mittens to understand that she possesses all her current social status thanks to our family's power, and that this power can take everything away from her," I say, frowning as I remember Amity's fear at the mention of confronting me.
The power of this "Blight" family isn't mine or Amity's, but mother's. I want her to understand this and seek her own strength quickly.
"So you wanted her to be strong?" Emira asks, frowning.
"Yes, if she wants to protect her possessions and loved ones, then she must," I say, a half-truth, looking at the moon through the window.
*Slap* Sound of a slap.
"You hurt your sister just for that?" Emira asks, grabbing me by the collar of my shirt.
"You're her brother, it's your job to protect her if she's not strong enough," she says loudly.
She was right, an older brother protects his little sister, but what if the older brother is no longer there?
Currently, Sandra is left to fend for herself on Earth. Johnny died because of his weakness.
I don't want to be weak anymore, and I won't tolerate weakness in those close to me. I prefer to hurt them a little so they can become better.
"Emira, one day... I won't be here anymore," I declare the truth, looking into her eyes.
There are just too many possibilities open to me to stay only in the Boiling Isles.
"I don't want Mittens to become dependent on someone, whether it's a boy or a girl or me," I say, removing her hand from my collar.
"It's the same for you too, Emira. I don't want your weakness to cause you harm one day," I say, walking towards the door to open it.
"Now you know why I took Willow. It's not out of revenge, but out of necessity," I say firmly before signaling her to leave.
Emira glanced at me before crossing the threshold of the door.
"You're like mother. You think you know what's best for us and you impose your vision of the world on others," she says before leaving without another glance.
"Damn, that stings," I mutter, touching my cheek, but it stings elsewhere too.
Yes, she might be right.
I'm imposing my vision of the world on Amity, but she and Emira are too young to understand, whether it's Earth or here.
"Only power matters," I declare, looking at the moon in the night sky through my window.
"Weakness is a sin..."
...
"Where are you going, Leylin? Aren't you coming with me?" Alador asks, noticing that I wasn't following him once we arrived in town.
"No, I want to take a tour of the library," I say, smiling at him.
"Oh! Yes, I remember you were interested in that place," he says, clapping his hands.
"I'll accompany you, but you'll have to wait for me at the entrance once you're finished," he explains calmly.
I simply nodded in return. The library was a place I wanted to visit as soon as possible.
The reason is because of my mindscape. I could just flip through the pages of the book and they will be engraved in my memory, but I will still need to do experiments and train to fully assimilate this knowledge.
Once arrived, Alador paid for a subscription for me since I wasn't subscribed.
"Don't forget, you wait for me here when you're done," Alador declares before leaving.
After his departure, I went to the section that interested me enormously.
"This is where they have the books on potions," I say, smiling. It's the ideal magic category for a person currently possessing a perfect memory.
I wanted to try to create a personal assistant. Although I'll soon have Willow, I wanted a mobile being that could roam the Boiling Isles to be my eyes and ears.
"If Eda could give life to her fruits and vegetables in her kitchen and King to his stuffed animals, I think I can do the same," I say, smiling.
I'd like to create a "grimwalker," but the ingredients are too difficult to obtain by myself, and I don't want my parents to know about my future assistant in crime.
I want it to be anonymous and stay out of my family affairs for as long as possible.
I literally spent the day in a corner of the library gathering a mountain of books. It seems I could be an expert in the Potions Coven in a few months.
"I see you're like a fish in water here," Alador declares, appearing beside me.
"What are you doing here?" I say, looking at him perplexed.
"It's well past time to go home," he says with a tender smile, showing me the outside of the library.
"It seems I've become a bookworm," I say in a low voice.
"Haven't you always been?" Alador says beside me in a mocking tone.
I just rolled my eyes and started gathering the books to borrow before leaving.
(image)
Author's Note: Yes, another chapter that will anger some readers. The protagonist loves his family, but the shadow of his past persists and his desire for power is great.
So yes, he is more similar to his mother in this life, but he won't be as stupid as her.