Question (1)

   He woke up with a jolt, blinded by the golden sunlight filtering through the swaying canopy above. A sharp breeze rustled the leaves, accompanied by the persistent chirping of birds that had ruined his nap. Blinking away the haze, he realized he was sitting upright on a thick branch high off the ground. Resting heavy against his lap was a leather-bound, hardback book he had apparently been reading before drifting off.

   ...What am I doing here?

   Before he could gather his thoughts, a sweet, delicate voice echoed from the base of the tree—one that felt oddly familiar, carrying an underlying weight he couldn't quite place.

   “Young Master! Please come down this instant! It’s time for your sword training with Ulbert!”

   He leaned over the branch and peered down. Standing on the grass below was a young girl in a crisp maid dress. She had striking, luscious white hair, pale skin, and bright, ruby-red eyes that were currently fixed on him in an expression of pure annoyance.

   “Lumi...”

   That’s right. She's my maid, Luminatia.

   He leaped down from the tree, landing in a smooth crouch in front of her. “You look pretty annoyed.”

   “Of course I’m annoyed! Do you have any idea how long I've been searching for you, Young Master?” she fumed, folding her arms.

   Young Master... right. My father is a Duke. That makes me a Young Master.

   “Ulbert has been waiting for ages at the training grounds. Let’s go, Young Master,” she added with an exasperated sigh.

   “Sorry, Lumi. I dozed off,” he said meekly. “You’ll forgive me, right?”

   “Sigh... What am I going to do with a Young Master like you? Give me that.” She took the book from his hand, her harsh expression softening just a bit.

   They entered the grand mansion together. Lumi went off to return the book to the library, while he headed straight for the training grounds. There, a boy with short dark blue hair and striking blue eyes was furiously attacking a straw dummy with a wooden spear.

   Right, that’s Ulbert, my best friend. Honestly, isn't he a bit too handsome to be a commoner?

   “Ulbert, I’m here,” he called out, grabbing a wooden sword from the corner rack.

   Ulbert hacked off the dummy’s arms and head with a sharp flourish before turning to look at him with wide, serious eyes. “Young Master, you’re late.”

   “Sorry, sorry, I dozed off for a bit,” he replied, giving his arms a quick stretch with the sword. “Lumi already gave me an earful.”

   “Miss Lumi always has to go out of her way because of you. Why don't you try being a little more considerate, Young Master?” Ulbert dropped into a fighting stance and thrust his spear forward in a quick test jab.

   “Come on now, that’s no way to speak to your liege!” he laughed, effortlessly deflecting the strike.

   Ulbert pressed forward with a surge of speed, driving a rapid flurry of strikes that left him no room to counter. After trading several fierce blows, he spotted a split-second opening in Ulbert's guard and thrust his wooden sword forward.

   Ulbert deftly caught the blade on the shaft of his spear, leveraging his weight to drive the weapon down with frightening speed.

   “I think I win, Young Master,” Ulbert grinned, watching his opponent desperately force both hands onto his hilt to block the descending strike.

   The sheer force drove him down to one knee, but he merely smirked back. “Are you sure about that?”

   With a quick twist of his wrists, he parried the heavy spear aside, rising smoothly with the momentum. The shift in force caught Ulbert off balance—and in a single fluid motion, he executed a full three-sixty spin, sweeping his sword around until the dull wooden edge rested firmly against Ulbert's neck.

   Now, it was Ulbert who found himself kneeling on the turf.

   “I believe I’m the one with the upper hand,” he grinned. “Do you yield?”

   Ulbert clicked his tongue, suddenly spinning his spear with a quick whip of his wrist to knock the sword away. Standing up, he sneered playfully, “Of course not.”

   Regaining his stance, Ulbert thrust forward with even greater force. They clashed a dozen more times, wood slamming against wood, neither willing to yield an inch.

   “Young Master, Ulbert! Take a break and have some of the refreshments I brought,” Lumi’s voice called out from the sidelines.

   Both boys halted immediately, sweating and panting heavily from the exertion.

   “Since when have you been standing there?” Ulbert asked, wiping his brow with his sleeve.

   “Since the exact moment you thought you had won,” Lumi replied with a polite, teasing smile. She turned to the young lord. “It seems your swordsmanship has grown sharper, Young Master.”

   “Yeah, but Ulbert’s still a monster,” he replied, slinging a playful arm around Ulbert’s neck. “If he were using his Eidon, I wouldn't have lasted half a minute.”

   “Don't worry, you’ll awaken yours soon enough, Young Master,” Lumi reassured him softly.

   “Of course I will,” he grinned.

   “Young Master, the Duke has arrived.” An elderly man wearing a crisp butler's uniform and small wire spectacles appeared silently behind them, offering a low, respectful bow.

   “Ah, Leo! Father is back?” He nodded. “Alright, I’ll head over to greet him.”

   He, Ulbert, and Lumi fell into step behind the butler as they made their way back toward the estate.

   “Luminatia, go and escort the Duchess,” Leo instructed as they crossed the threshold into the mansion. “She will surely wish to welcome the Duke as well.”

   “Understood,” Lumi nodded, departing down the right wing.

   Mother... ah, right. Mother is sick, isn’t she?

   “Leo, how is Mother doing?” he asked softly, glancing at the butler. “Has her condition shown any turn for the better?”

   “I am deeply sorry, Young Master,” Leo answered with polite solemnity, “but I am afraid the Duchess has shown no signs of recovery yet.”

   “I see...” He let out a quiet sigh, his head hanging low.

   “Don't worry, Young Master. You know how strong the Duchess is—she’ll recover in no time,” Ulbert assured him, patting his shoulder.

   They reached the central landing of the mansion, where the other servants had gathered in neat rows. Lumi was already descending the grand staircase, gently supporting a young woman who looked terribly frail. She had long black hair styled in a loose braid over her shoulder and wore a flowing purple gown.

   He quickly rushed forward, offering his arm to support her other side as she took each step.

   “Ah, you’re here, my son.” She offered him a weak smile, her silver eyes kind but glassy with fever.

   “Yes, Mother. How are you feeling?” he asked softly.

   “A little better, knowing your father is finally coming home after so long,” she murmured, letting out a soft sigh.

   At that moment, the heavy double doors of the estate swung open. A broad-shouldered man in a dark blue suit stepped inside, followed by an entourage of guards and the Knight Captain.

   “Welcome back, Master!” All the servants—including Lumi and Ulbert—bowed and greeted in unison.

   The Duke gave a firm nod as he walked into the foyer.

   “Welcome back, Father.” He gave his father a respectful bow.

   “Welcome back, my dear.” His mother smiled weakly.

   The Duke pulled her into a gentle hug, resting a hand on his son's head. “I’m back.”

   “You’ve cut your hair,” the Duchess noted, inspecting his short crimson locks.

   “Yes, I thought it had grown a bit too long during the hunt,” he murmured, raising her hand to kiss the back of her knuckles. “Do you not like it, my dear?”

   “No, it looks handsome—” The Duchess suddenly cut off, gasping as a violent coughing fit seized her chest. Blood spattered across the floor.

   “Mother!” he cried out.

   “Take her to her room, now!” the Duke barked, his calm facade shattering. “Fresia, bring the Zolton’s blood we acquired straight to her quarters! Ulbert, fetch the doctor. Hurry!”

   “Right away!” Ulbert shouted, turning on his heel and sprinting off.

   “Yes, Master!” Knight Captain Fresia—adorned in an ornate uniform and a formal military cap—saluted with a fist over her chest before dashing out of the mansion.

   Moments later, they all gathered in the Duchess’s bedchamber. He and the Duke frantically wiped the blood from her lips as they laid her across the mattress. She had stopped coughing, but her breathing was shallow and ragged.

   The door burst open, and Ulbert rushed in with the family doctor in tow. Dr. Himmel was widely regarded as the finest physician in the realm—a man whose medical genius could not be bought with any amount of gold.

   “Move! Let me check her vitals!” Himmel barked, rushing to her bedside as the Duchess groaned in sharp pain.

   “Himmel, is... is it too late?” the Duke asked, his voice trembling violently. “Was I too late...?” Tears welled in the powerful man's eyes.

   Dr. Himmel checked her pulse and peeled back her eyelids before speaking grimly. “One more day, Duke, and you would have been too late. She is nearly at thirty-five percent assimilation, where a normal person would’ve turned into a Zal-Kesh.”

   Fresia burst into the room, carrying a sealed glass container. “Here! I brought the Zolton’s blood!”

   Himmel snatched the container from her hands and immediately began mixing reagents. Working with practiced precision, he synthesized a thick, pungent green liquid and gently coaxed it down the Duchess’s throat.

   Standing beside the Young Master, Lumi quietly took his trembling hand, squeezing it to offer comfort. He glanced at her and took a deep breath.

   Yes... Himmel will save her. After all, he brought me back from the brink of death, too.

   Within minutes, the Duchess's harsh gasps eased into a slow, steady rhythm, and the pain line between her brows smoothed out. Himmel let out a long breath and checked her pulse once more.

   “Phew... She has stabilized for now. But you know this is merely a reprieve, Duke. She must stabilize her Law soon. She lasted this long purely due to the unique nature of her Law of Causality.”

   “Thank goodness...” The Duke exhaled a massive sigh of relief, sagging with exhaustion.

   “Now, everyone out of the room. The patient needs absolute rest,” Dr. Himmel instructed firmly.

   One by one, the servants and guards trudged out, quietly praying for the Duchess’s recovery. The Duke gave his wife one last lingering look before exiting as well, leaving only his son, Lumi, and Himmel inside.

   “Don't worry, Young Master. The Duchess will surely recover her health,” Himmel said softly, offering a comforting look. “Do you not trust my abilities?”

   “I do trust you, Himmel. But... I’m worried,” he admitted, looking at the physician with troubled eyes. “You mentioned before that this didn’t seem natural. Does that mean someone intentionally inflicted this upon Mother?”

   Himmel let out a heavy sigh, his expression darkening with regret, running his hand through his light blue hair. “If it were up to me, Young Master, I would send you somewhere far, far away from troubles like these. When an Eidon is formed, a person's Law is shaped by their core personality and the desires they grew up with.”

   He shook his head gently. “There is no evidence suggesting this was caused by an outside force. After all, no human can directly interfere with another person's Eidon like this. Have faith—the Duchess is bound to make a full recovery.”

   Himmel gave his shoulder a gentle nudge toward the door. “Now go along and rest. Your father must be famished after his journey—go share a meal with him.”

   Lumi gave his sleeve a soft tug, leading him out into the quiet corridor. “Don't worry, Young Master. The Duchess is powerful. She will not yield to a trivial illness like this.”

   He nodded silently, and the two walked side-by-side down the dimly lit hallway toward the dining hall. Inside, the Duke was already sitting at the head of the table, his face buried in his hands. He looked up wearily as they entered and gave them a weak nod.

   They ate dinner in absolute silence, and soon after, everyone retired to their quarters.

   He lay in bed amidst the heavy silence of his room, completely unable to sleep. After tossing and turning for nearly an hour, he decided to take a walk to clear his mind. He wandered the shadowy corridors until he found himself standing right in front of his mother’s bedchamber.

   A sudden thought crossed his mind: he had planned to inspect their lands tomorrow alongside Lumi and Ulbert. He usually served as the acting Duke while his father was away, but with the Duke back at the estate, he wasn't sure if he should still lead the patrol. He decided to ask his father first thing in the morning.

   Standing outside her door, he hesitated. Dr. Himmel was likely inside—it was his strict policy to remain at a patient's bedside until they woke in good health. Taking a deep breath, he gently turned the handle and stepped into the room.

   A thick, coppery stench of fresh blood immediately hit his nostrils, forcing him to cover his nose and mouth with his sleeve. His eyes widened in absolute horror as the scene unfolded before him.

   Himmel was sprawled on the floor, his glassy, lifeless eyes staring straight toward the doorway. A gaping hole had been carved into his chest where his heart should have been, and his wire-rimmed glasses were spattered with crimson. He was already dead.

   His gaze whipped frantically toward the canopy bed—and the air completely locked in his throat.

   There lay the Duchess, a gentle smile frozen on her pale face... but her body had been torn to pieces. Her limbs and head had been severed, and a heavy iron spear was impaled straight through her torso, pinning her to the mattress.

   His knees buckled, and he keeled over, retching violently onto the floor. Tears streamed down his face, but his throat was so constricted by terror that he couldn't even make a sound.

   “Ah... A-Ahh...”

   His whole body trembled uncontrollably as he scrambled backward on his hands and knees, struggling to draw air.

   “Young Master?”

   A soft voice behind him made him flinch. Lumi stood in the doorway, wearing her nightgown and clutching a plush teddy bear to her chest. She let out a small, tired yawn, rubbing her eyes. “What are you doing up so late...?”

   Her words died in her throat as her eyes landed on the carnage.

   Lumi let out a bloodcurdling scream, dropping the doll as she sprinted forward and threw her arms around him. She pulled his face tightly against her shoulder, shielding his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at the nightmare on the bed.

   “It’s okay... It’s okay...” she whimpered, her hands trembling as she stroked his back. But suddenly, her voice hitched.

   The temperature in the room plummeted. Chills raced down her spine as something caught her eye in the shadows.

   On the far side of the Duchess’s bed stood a figure who hadn't been there a second ago.

   He wore a smirking jester mask, a black top hat, and a pristine three-piece suit, leaning lazily on a polished black cane.

   “Now, now~,” the stranger purred, leaning forward over the body of the Duchess with a theatrical tilt of his head. “What do you think will happen to this story now?~”