Chapter 18: Chapter 18 - Mother's Reaction
Finally the day of departure had arrived
As I left the mansion and approached the awaiting carriage, I was momentarily stopped by one of the servants.
"Please wait, Young Lord," the servant said with politeness, bowing slightly. I couldn't help but appreciate how convincingly I appeared as a nobleman.
"What are you doing? He is our Young Master Zephyr!" I heard my butler's voice, firm and protective, as he intervened on my behalf.
The servant's eyes widened in shock as the realization hit him. "F-forgive me, Young Master," he stammered.
With a gracious smile, I replied, "It's okay; people can make mistakes." I was in high spirits today, and so, I decided to let this small incident slide.
I then boarded the carriage on my own, leaving the servants looking at me in awe, their gazes filled with admiration and astonishment. It was a satisfying feeling to see the effect of my transformation on those around me.
The carriage started moving, embarking on a week-long journey that would take me to the Ronen Duchy.
During this time, I chose not to visit Duchess Maria, as I had no intention of willingly walking into the tiger's den after having acted so confidently.
Upon arriving at the Liander Duchy, I promptly issued a command to my entourage, expressing my desire to visit my mother.
.
.
I was comfortably seated on a sofa, anticipating the priceless expression that would spread across on Kassidy's face when she saw my transformed appearance.
I had envisioned surprise, maybe a gasp or a joyful exclamation.
Yet, as I observed her, there was no hint of astonishment. Instead, she carried on as if nothing had changed, which piqued my curiosity.
Unable to contain my bewilderment, I finally inquired, "And what do you think, Mother? Do you notice anything different about me?"
Her response was far from what I had expected. With a perplexed look, she said it was a little weight,
'Just a little weight? What on earth? I went through a living nightmare to rid myself of that dreadful body, and now... this?'
I corrected her, emphasizing the magnitude of my transformation, "It's not 'just a little,' Mother. I've shed an entire 200 kilograms!"
Her reaction left me utterly flabbergasted. Was she playing a joke on me? It was like something out of those mysterious Asian novels I'd heard about.
Whatever.
'It should be enough,' a smile formed on my face as I understood that my sudden weight loss wouldn't arouse her suspicion.
It felt rather amusing how her mind worked, portraying everything as normal while forgetting that her very own son had become a villain due to her influence in the first place.
Yes, the main reason for Zephyr's flawed personality was his mother's negligence and father's overcare.
But for now, It should be sufficient for her not to investigate the reason behind my weight loss being related to an Artifact.
Once I reach the Academy, everything will be fine.