Clandestine Dealings

Lawrence attempted to drift off to sleep but found himself unable to do so. Although he doubted anyone could rest peacefully after waking up in the body of someone who died in an unfamiliar world.

The fatigue still made its presence known as he floundered off the bed and landed on the ground with a heavy thud. The impact woke him up enough to revitalize himself with enough energy to stand. His legs felt like spaghetti, but he pressed on to examine the other things he had missed in the room.

Faint moonlight poured through the windows, as thin white sheets covered them.

On the nightstand, there was a lamp with a switch. Activating it revealed a warm, orange light that enveloped the room while retaining some dark shadows in the corners. It exuded a slight aura of energy that seemed almost magical, emanating from the small blue stone at its center.

Is this mana? I’m surprised Jacob managed to turn magic stones into alternative power sources for everyday appliances, rather than coal or steam.

With his newfound energy, Kaede stood up and approached the bookshelf against the wall, taking a random book and flipping it to the cover.

The Darkness That Awaits Within…Robert Downing. He flipped to the first page, where it detailed a summary of the current era of the world and its background. “Six hundred and forty years ago, the Age of Darkness came to an end, and the pinnacle of our species emerged: the Age of Humanity, a golden age of prosperity. But as any arrival of zenith, also comes evil.”

Lawrence turned to the next page, which outlined a list of various occult groups and secret orders that existed.

“The Chaos Sect, the oldest of them all, is said to have persisted very shortly into the next era from the Age of Darkness. Much information about them has disappeared, but they have since perished. However, there are still very few who worship the evil known as Chaos and its Madness.”

There were many runes and different symbols underneath the paragraph, none of them familiar to Lawrence. He glossed over them as he continued to read.

“The Undead, the mere existence being a putrid blasphemy against Assiah, the Sol Renaissance. Necromancy is no less heretical than communing with the spawn of Gevurah.”

Lawrence could tell the author of the book was clearly a devout worshipper of the Church from his tone, causing him to chuckle softly to himself. “It doesn’t take a genius to see how biased this writing is.”

“Followers of The Dark Moon, anarchists who razed the previous Jaktan Royal Household to the ground before another noble family took their place. Many went into hiding shortly after, and many still believe they exist, although that Night of Embers took place nearly two hundred years ago.”

The low light of the lamp made it difficult for Lawrence to continue reading. Deciding to take a break, he took a nightly stroll through the Blackwood Mansion to continue his self-guided tour.

But before that, he searched the dresser for a clean shirt, briefly observing the torn one lying on the floor nearby.

Exiting the room, he noted the decor was utterly alien to the previously middle-class Japanese teenager. He passed by a pair of knights in armor standing facing each other on both sides of the hall. One had a red feather on its helmet and held a spear. The other looked more like a Templar knight and held a long sword.

Entering the large foyer and descending the stairs, he heard his footsteps echo throughout the empty mansion. Most of the housekeepers were in their quarters, so the only noises that occupied the air were the faint chirps of crickets.

“Master Lawrence…?”

The young noble heard a soft female voice call out from the hall below the stairs.

The female was a young maid who seemed to be around Lawrence's age. She had long brown hair and caramel-colored eyes that glistened under the light of the lamps standing in the middle of the hall.

“Yes?”

Without another word, the maid rushed towards him and hugged him tightly, wailing like a child as her grip on his shirt became tighter. “Master Lawrence, I’m so glad you’re okay…!”

He felt tears begin to wet his shirt again as she dug her face into her chest, shuddering as she continued to cry.

I hope this doesn’t become a normal thing…

“I was out running errands when I heard the town talk about you being alive…” The maid began to speak, her words coming between sobs. “...A miracle…it’s a miracle you’re still here.”

It’s incredible how contrary Lawrence and I are. Our hobbies may be similar, but socially, we’re as far apart as we can be. Could I have been him if I weren’t so narrow-minded to hate the world?

Living this new life, breathing this new air, seeing a new sun—all of these things made Kaede realize something: He wasted all of the chances life gave him because of some self-resentment.

I may still hate the circumstances I was born into, I may hate my parents, and hell, I may hate myself, but I won’t let this second chance go to waste. With any luck, I can grow stronger to find a way back home and ask Kana why.

“I’m sorry.” It was all he could say as he hugged her for reassurance.

As they embraced, he felt himself forcefully pulled into another memory.

~

Lawrence remained in the foyer, but it was midday. His height had shrunk significantly, and when he looked down, he realized he was a much younger version of himself, around eight years old. In front of him were Jacob and Aria, who stood with what appeared to be a younger version of the crying maid that had probably completely soaked his shirt by now.

“Lawrence, this is Corinne, my niece. Starting now, she’s going to be your maid.” Aria introduced.

“H-hello…” Corinne greeted timidly, unable to hold eye contact for long.

“A pleasure.” He replied half-heartedly, uninterested, as he walked away and made his way toward his room.

Wow, younger Lawrence was kind of an asshole…

Closing the door behind him, Lawrence approached his desk and picked up his journal, filled with notes, personal research, and brief entries about how his day was going.

He heard the door creak as it swung open. Corinne entered, her hands clasped. She gazed at the ground, patiently waiting for instructions.

Sighing, he closed the journal and set it back down on his desk as he acknowledged her presence. “Corinne, since the Conways have served the Blackwoods for a hundred years, I’m sure you know we all share a dark secret.”

He crossed his legs and swiveled the chair around to face her.

“Y-yes…” She continued to speak timidly, but he ignored her manner.

“Do you know what my secret is?” He interlaced his fingers, patiently awaiting her response.

She remained silent for a few moments before being stumped and shaking her head.

“I don’t blame you since it’s a closely guarded secret within the family. Not even our extended family knows.”

Leaning back in his chair, he exhaled slowly to gather his thoughts. The muffled sounds of the housekeepers throughout the mansion prevented the silence between them from being awkward.

“The Curse of Black Thorns.” He revealed.

She tilted her head in confusion, unfamiliar with the name, remaining silent as she waited for him to continue.

“A curse inflicted upon the first son of each generation of the Blackwood Family that prevents them from ever using magic.”

He looked at his new maid, who had no visible reaction, but he could see in her eyes that she was shocked beyond belief. “My oldest uncle was the previous cursebearer, then my grandfather, all the way to the first progenitor, Edward Blackwood’s first son.”

Corinne shifted a bit. She wanted to speak but was unsure if it was her place. He motioned with his hand, granting her permission.

“How was the curse given to the family?” Her tone of voice was still soft and apprehensive.

“Well…” He started again, stopping as he shifted his legs and swiveled in the chair a bit from side to side. “Since it’s such a closely guarded secret, we’ve lost the full truth about it. But, from what my father has told me, it was because the first progenitor bargained with the demon Urgan, King of Thorns. However, our founder’s reasoning is unknown.”

“And in exchange, the family has suffered…” She surmised, beginning to speak more comfortably with him.

“Indeed. So now you know you’re serving a useless and powerless noble.”

He shrugged, already having accepted his fate long ago.

“W-what do you mean…?”

“My father’s legacy vastly outshadows me, who was the previous Paladin, and my younger sister, Lucy, who is already proficient in Infernidius magic, like him.” He regretfully recounted the feats of his family. “Even as a maid, you’ll soon feel ashamed for serving such an inept master.”

Corinne furrowed her brow a bit, seemingly unappreciative of his words. “I don’t think that’ll be the case.” She gainsaid.

He narrowed his eyes. This time, he tilted his head a bit in confusion. “What do you mean?”

She opened her mouth slightly, attempting to speak with confidence. “My mother…used to say anything is possible with the right amount of determination. So…I believe you’ll find a way to remove the curse.”

There was a moment of silence before a smile crept onto his lips, causing him to chuckle slightly. Corinne immediately blushed in embarrassment and looked away from Lawrence.

“Perhaps you’re right, Corinne. I like how you think. It’s very similar to your aunt and a fresh perspective from the usual depression that occupies this mansion.”

~

Lawrence blinked a few times as he adjusted to the darkness of the foyer. The memory ended, but many more returned, granting Kaede a broader perspective on Lawrence’s life.

Corinne eventually let go of him, wiping away her tears with her wrist and sniffling a bit.

“Feeling better?” He lightly patted the top of her head.

She sniffled again and nodded her head with a pained but relieved smile on her face.

“What are you doing up so late? Everyone else has gone to bed.” He asked, looking at her in her uniform as she adjusted her white headdress.

“To be honest, I was going to check up on you while you were asleep.” She admitted sheepishly.

“You could’ve done that in the morning.” He lightly chopped the top of her head, making her fix her headdress again as she bemoaned.

“Can you blame me? Only a day after you supposedly perished in that awful village fire, your uncle was already in talks of selling this mansion to fund Blackwood Industries’ operations further.”

My uncle? Lawrence recalled Aria speaking reproachfully of his uncle and now Corinne, which made his impression of him even more disreputable.

“Since I’m still here, that means I’ve inherited everything my father left behind.”

“I’m glad. I was afraid the family was going to relocate me to someone in the extended family.” She sighed with relief, resting her hand on her chest.

If nobles in this world were like any in the Old World, many were corrupt or evil. If that were true, the Blackwoods would be the anomaly. However, Lawrence could not speak for Jacob or Lorna, as Lawrence’s memories of them remain fragmented.

“As long as I’m here, you’re safe now.” The words startled him because they were out of character, at least for Kaede. Was it the memories of Lawrence mixing with mine that compelled me to say that?

As much as he hated his old life, it scared him to think that Lawrence could slowly be erasing who Kaede was. If he weren’t careful, he could lose his sense of self.

I must vow never to forget the past, which shaped who I am, whether for better or worse.

Before he could open his mouth to speak, a soft crash was heard in a different room, making both of them jump a bit.

“What was that?”

Corinne was a bit on edge from the sudden noise. Lawrence slowly made his way towards the origin of the sound. She held onto the back of his shirt tightly, closely following behind.

They neared the entrance to the piano room and peered around the corner. When they discovered the perpetrator of the noise, they let their guard down and laughed a bit.

“Mreow…” Oscar, the family cat, spoke as he sat next to a broken pot, looking at them with curiosity.

He resembled a British Shorthair with a white underbelly and black and light brown back fur.

“Oscar!” Corinne scolded as she quickly approached and picked him up with both hands.

The mischievous feline accepted his fate and meowed again as she moved him out of the way. Oscar made his way towards Lawrence and rubbed against his legs as he scratched the cat’s head.

He meowed again, wanting Lawrence to pick him up. Indulging him, he held the soft kitty in his arms, and he purred loudly.

“I’m sorry for the mess, Master Lawrence. You should get some rest." His maid suggested, as she planned to clean up the mess in his absence.

As she said that, He forced out a loud yawn and leaned back to stretch his legs a bit. “Perhaps you’re right. Good night, Corinne.” He began to leave, Oscar still in hand.

“Good night, Master Lawrence. Sleep well.”