Chapter 38: Mystic Manifest

The percentage of Gris' feelings was enough to make Lux uneasy, thinking of the worst possibilities.

"Are you uncomfortable with me?" he nervously fidgeted with his hands. "Perhaps you have heard strange rumors about me..."

Gris sighed. "I just want to be alone."

"Oh, is that the case? I apologize for bothering you. I'll go ahead and take my leave."

With weak legs, Lux dragged himself to the door. But Gris' shout held him back.

"Your Highness, your behavior irritates me. If someone behaves like I did, you should make your position clear!"

Lux looked over in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Her Majesty asked you to accompany me. It was rude to refuse you, and I just did. You should have reprimanded me," Gris elaborated, folding his arms across his chest.

"But you said you wanted to be alone."

"And you just agreed to it? This kind of behavior might lead to difficulties in the future, especially considering your position as a member of the imperial family. Isn't your status higher than mine?"

This was the first time someone spoke bluntly to Lux other than his half-siblings. His swordsmanship tutor did not even dare to say anything when his progress was slow, even though the tutor looked exasperated.

'Is it because Young Master Gris harbors such intense hatred and anger?' Lux pondered, still reeling from the realization that Gris had disliked him at the start of the meeting.

Rhetoric Dominance did not accumulate the target's feelings before Lux received the skill. He wondered about the cumulative weight of Gris's current feelings when combined with those from before.

"I'm not sure I follow. Your opinion is valuable to me, and I respect it," Lux remarked after regaining composure.

Gris approached Lux, his gaze openly conveying a sense of disdain. "You must have heard that I'm often unwell. It frustrates me that you have access to everything I desire, yet you can't make use of it."

"What do you expect from me?"

"It's clear you wanted to establish a connection with me, perhaps for a reason. However, when I declined your company, you simply gave up."

"That's true. I do want to get to know you better. It's just that I value your desire more."

"When you really want something, those kinds of considerations don't apply," Gris sniggered. "You shouldn't have simply given up. It shows that I'm not someone worth fighting for in your eyes."

Lux did not understand Gris' attitude. The young master was acting as if he wanted to talk to him, but his original feelings kept ringing in his mind.

Because Gris hated him, he had no motivation to continue with his plan. It was difficult to approach people with negative feelings towards him.

"You don't seem to have much interest in me, so I gave you your freedom," Lux felt uncomfortable as Gris gave him a piercing look.

Gris turned around to return to the prayer seat. "Didn't you give that freedom for yourself?"

Without realizing it, Lux followed Gris out of curiosity. He looked at Gris, who had returned to his chair. "I really don't understand why you're acting like this," he uttered.

"Indeed, I don't hold affection for you, and you've discerned that. With you removed from my presence, you're freeing yourself from the disturbing thoughts that usually arise when someone doesn't want you.

"You're not granting me freedom but to the two of us. Am I mistaken, Your Highness?"

Lux was not sure if his silence was due to those words or because of Gris's smile, which did not quite match her cold gaze.

Taking the seat beside Gris, Lux replied, "You're correct. I avoided facing you because I didn't think it would be easy to confront someone who doesn't like me."

"Do you want to know why I don't like you?"

"I would appreciate it if you were willing to share."

Suddenly, Gris burst out laughing. "Do you think people who dislike you will explain why? You just have to accept that not everyone will be fond of you."

"Once again, I fail to see the purpose of this conversation."

"True liberation comes from acceptance, not rejection. Even if you deny access to people who dislike you, you'll never be free from the discomfort thought of them.

"As a prince, you have a social responsibility. Don't let other people's negative feelings dictate your path."

Gris glanced back at the painting of the Goddess Amarthia. "Didn't you mention wanting to join the prayer? I've already finished, so I'll take my leave now."

"Wait," Lux grabbed Gris's hand. "Don't you dislike me? Why are you giving me advice?"

"To show you that reality is sometimes not as bad as your imagination. You had a bad imagination in your mind, so you chose to avoid me. But in reality, my attitude is not as bad as in your imagination, is it?"

"..."

The grip on Gris's hand was released, and he could leave freely. He waved his hand at Lux. "Let's meet again next time, Your Highness."

Lux replied with a nod. For a while, he just daydreamed and did not start his prayer.

Somehow, Gris' demeanor reminded him of his father. Gris also behaved as if he had known him for a long time.

"He's really weird..."

On the other hand, Gris asked a priest to escort him to Blayz. The incident at the shrine still shocked him.

Rhetoric Dominance would not work if Lux put his complete trust in the target. Diminution was accumulated before he received the divine blessing.

That was why the skill did not work against Solnisca; Lux trusted her more than anyone else in the Palace.

The author managed to make Lux and the readers trust Solnisca again when she behaved suspiciously several times.

Gris would be affected by Rhetoric Dominance since he had no diminution, so he tried to avoid Lux before more of his feelings were collected. But strangely, his mind forced him to talk to Lux at the shrine.

'What the hell is that? Was that Griswalden's real feeling? But he never met Lux before.'

Automatically, Gris' gaze fell on the strange symbols engraved on his right wrist. When he was transported to this new world, he believed it was magic that caused his heartache.

He immediately linked it to his death in his previous life. At that time, his heart had been squeezed tightly by a mysterious force before it finally stopped beating.

'I have to find out about these symbols when I arrive at the academy. Since I'm still living with Blayz, I can't be free from him.'

Gris stopped thinking when he saw Blayz walking towards him.

"Her Majesty the Empress is leaving due to an urgent state. Let's return home," Blayz explained the situation. He thanked the priests for purifying his son before leaving.

In the carriage, Gris could not avoid the silence and his noisy thoughts. This time, he could no longer hold his curiosity.

"Father, what exactly happened to me? I have strange memories of an experiment."

Blayz's eyes narrowed, sharpening with intensity. "What are the things you remember?"

"It's vague. And then, I remember you were saying something about an experiment in the lab. Could you tell me about that?"

"It's best you don't find out about it unless you're prepared to risk going crazy or worse."

Gris nodded, sure that Blayz would not reveal the experiment at any point. But giving up was not his way.

Once he got away from Blayz's supervision, he would find a way to access information about the Silverth family's experiments.

Blayz's assistants were definitely at the academy. But Gris already had a plan. He could use other people for this.

***

[Mystic Manifest's secret channel]

[Enigma Mage: Hey, I got some new info. Griswalden came to the Palace for purification.]

[Serene Savior: Damn it. He didn't hurt Lux, did he? It's annoying. First that bitch Solnisca and now Griswalden.]

[Blueprint Maestro: I once made a greenhouse for the Silverth Mansion. Griswalden wasn't strange back then. Has he transmigrated recently?]

[Serene Savior: Stupid architect! You didn't open the channel because you were busy being a builder. The others already know that someone is possessing Griswalden.]

[Chaos Conjurer: We have Gemini Mind to solve this problem, right?]

A person with the nickname Gemini Mind read the messages that appeared on the notification screen. He turned his attention when a voice called out to him.

"Can you get some rags for me?" Gris, having just finished his afternoon training, approached Declan with his body dripping with sweat.