Chapter 8: Chapter 8: No Omission, No Addition
"No, Lady Luna, you can't do that."
"Why not?" Luna retorted. "There's no rule in the house that says I can't help out whenever I want to."
The party had just been concluded and with all the guests now gone, it was up to the maids to clean up everything and return the living room to its normal state.
Luna decided she was going to give them a hand in picking up the dishes and return everything to its normal position but Aina, the third maid didn't like that idea and was doing her best to dissuade her.
A young lady with long dark hair tied back in a ponytail and emerald green eyes, Aina was probably the most polite maid in the house.
"But my lady."
"You know, Aina, I'd prefer it if you just accept my help without trying to dissuade me, it's not like I'm going to fall and die from doing a little chore," Luna remarked before picking up the last plate on the table to add to the pile she was carrying. "I'm just as capable as all of you, don't forget that."
Aina was left with a defeated look on her face as she watched her slowly make her way to the kitchen with the pile of plates.
"Why is she so stubborn?" She sighed before turning to Emilia who was standing by the side with a broom in her hand and an awkward smile on her face.
While the maids were busy cleaning up with the exception of Nicole who wasn't there at the moment, Neo was sitting on the couch with his father.
Henry seemed to be enjoying watching Luna bicker with Aina who was still insisting that she wasn't supposed to be helping them out despite what she just told her. Neo on the other hand was just staring at the floor, whatever was obviously of no interest to him.
"Hmmm," Henry mumbled before slowly turning his gaze to him. "Is everything okay?"
Neo didn't really have a response ready for that question but Henry did succeed in calling his attention as he was staring at him now, his eyes suggesting that he was quite exhausted.
"Hey, father." He called, his voice void of energy.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure." He shrugged. "It's your birthday so you can ask me anything."
He expected Neo to ask the question as soon as he said that but he wasn't quick to say anything, he slowly turned his gaze to his mother first before slowly turning it back to him.
"You're not being nice to me just because you don't want Mom to hate you, are you?"
That question was way too far from what Henry was expecting and now he was staring at his son, confused and a bit disappointed.
That question was a fast arrow straight to his heart and now he was trying to cover up his pain with a smile.
"I most definitely do not want your mom to hate me and I wouldn't do anything for that to happen if I can help it. However, that doesn't have anything to do with how I treat you." He responded. "I'm your father and fathers aren't built to treat their children well just because they don't want their wives to hate them."
'Well, I know one who's built that way.'
After relaying that message to him, Henry let out a sigh before slowly turning away from him.
"I guess I was wrong." He uttered.
"Wrong about what?" Neo asked.
"The way you would always glare at me when you were younger, I wrote it off as nothing because you were just a child but I guess even then you were judging whether I actually loved you or not." He said before taking a deep breath. "I guess you've been that mature since you were a baby which is scary, to say the least." He added with a little chuckle.
There was a few seconds of silence between the two as he adjusted himself on the couch before clearing his throat.
"I don't know what made you start doubting my love for you at a very young age but I want you to know this, whether someone actually loves you is something you judge for yourself through their actions, so I'll let you keep being the judge of whether my love is fake or genuine, you can show me the result when you're done and I'll be hoping I pass." He articulated weaving in a smile at the last part.
"That's fair enough, I guess," Neo muttered under his breath before slowly turning away from him.
'However, if you turn out to be just like him then you'll meet your end the same way he did.'
"Is that the reason why you've had that gloomy look on your face for a while now?" Henry asked before smacking him on the back. "Come on, cheer up, kid, it's your birthday."
"You didn't have to smack me like that." He grumbled.
"Hey, ladies." He called, calling the attention of Aina and Emilia. "I think it's about time you gave Neo the presents you got for him, they might work wonders for his current mood."
"Okay." Emilia nodded, looking quite excited.
"They got me presents?" Neo muttered with a confused expression on his face.
It made sense that he would be confused because the only presents he got on his last seventh birthday were from his mother and Cecilia, his father was on a business trip and the other maids couldn't care less about giving him anything. But here, everyone had something to give him.
'Maybe the positives do actually outweigh the negatives.'
_______ _______
After receiving the gifts from both of the maids who were present in the living room, he decided to retire to his room and get some rest.
"I wonder where Nicole went." He muttered as he got his foot off the last step.
"What about me?"
"Huh?"
He quickly turned to the right at that moment to see her with her back against the wall and her arms crossed.
"Looks like the others already gave you their presents." She remarked, her gaze shifting to the small bag in his hand.
"Yeah, they did." He nodded.
"I see, I guess it's my turn now." She uttered. "Hold out your right hand and open it."
"Um….okay." He replied doing as she said.
With his hands held out, she pulled out something from her pocket and put it there before closing it.
"Happy birthday and good night."
That was the last thing she said to him before she began heading downstairs.
Neo watched her head down for a while before turning back to his closed hand.
"I wonder why she didn't want me to see it immediately." He muttered before opening his hand.
What he found there was exactly what it felt like in his hand, a pendant but with a special-looking green stone.
"Hmmm, the others went through the trouble of wrapping theirs in something but it looks like she doesn't care." He smiled. "It does look nice though."
He continued moving forward with that smile till he got to his room and as soon as he walked in there, the smile on his face vanished.
He had forgotten the red bracelet was on top of the cupboard beside his bed when he left his room and it was sitting comfortably there.
'It was a gift from my mother, she said it would protect me wherever I went and now I want you to have it.'
Those were the words that resounded in his head at that moment because those were the words of his old mother, Theresa, and his new mother Luna, there was no omission nor was there any addition.
That was the real reason why he looked devoid of energy when he was sitting with his father downstairs.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone