High Priest Thesser was the only one who performed the blessing while the rest of the priests prayed to Goddess Eir.
Unlike the first time when she felt an electric charge run through her body, as High Priest Thesser held her hands, Angelica felt a warm sensation envelop her.
The sense of holy power differed from person to person. For some it felt like the gentle breeze of the wind, for others, it was the warm embrace of the sun, and so on.
For Angelica, it was much like the feeling of being kissed by the first rays of the sun.
The holy power was far more intense compared to before yet at the same time, it was soothing in its own way.
Angelica opened her eyes that she had unconsciously closed. For what seemed like minutes holy power channeled toward her heart, and before she knew it an entire hour had run by. At the end of which she sensed a weight being lifted off from her body.
'So this is holy power'
Angelica stared at her empty hands in disbelief. As someone who had been on death's more than once, she could understand the significance of holy power in this world.
With enough holy power, a person on the verge of death could be brought back to life much like herself.
"I had a mana outbreak. I know I did. But... I don't have any mana. At least I didn't until that day in Parthellam"
Angelica clenched her fist and turned her gaze toward High Priest Thesser.
"How is that possible? Can mana manifest like that? Just out of the blue?"
"Hmm..."
High Priest Thesser stroked his beard thoughtfully. His brows creased into a frown as if he was contemplating what to say.
"Mana manifests from the soul just like how holy power flows through us clergymen. It is the very essence of life. Even if the vessel changes, the soul perseveres through each cycle of life and so does the essence in it from one incarnation to another"
"So you are saying... I had mana the entire time? Genie in the bottle?"
Angelica did not appear convinced by his response. Rather, she had more questions than before.
"That is correct. Though I do not know about the genie you speak of" High Priest Thesser elaborated,
"The amount of mana within a soul may vary. For example, for some lifeforms mana is like a droplet of water, mages have mana that could amount to a lake or a river. But yours on the other hand is more akin to an ocean. The possibility of your mana manifesting out of the blue as you said is closer to impossible than any other"
'Akin to an ocean?'
The thought of her mana being compared to an ocean did not sit right with Angelica. If she had such a vast quantity of mana, would she not have been a mage by now?
It was a known fact that mages were held with high prestige in Orion. A person with such a high intensity of mana would have long been coveted by the mage tower.
Moreover, from childhood to adulthood, Angelica was surrounded by people with deep roots in magic. Thus, one way or another, it would have been discovered.
Angelica felt a pit in her stomach. Since this was not a topic to be discussed with the priests she barely knew, she chose to end the discussion there.
"I understand"
However, the gloomy look on her face did not go unnoticed by High Priest Thesser.
"Do not worry my child. Wounds of the heart need time to heal"
He patted her head like he was appeasing a child. The war in her mind was evident on her face.
"Give it time. Time heals everything"
"..."
Angelica wondered about the depth of his reassuring words whether he meant it in a literal or symbolic sense. Regardless it helped ease her thoughts.
Maybe her broken heart needed time to heal.
"Thank you High Priest Thesser"
After the priests left, Angelica was alone with a lot of free time on her hands. In her current state, there were only a limited number of activities she could do. So she decided to take a stroll in the garden she had been admiring from the window.
As soon as she stepped in, Angelica could hear the sound of birds singing. The small fountain was placed in the middle of a beautiful garden filled with flowers of different kinds. And as she got closer, she could see the birds playing in the water without a care about the world.
However, when she reached the fountain the birds began to fly away startled by the presence of the large group of people who guarded her.
As she saw the birds fly into the cloudy sky, Angelica recounted the conversation she had with High Priest Thesser.
It was by no means a coincidence for Edward to acquire a relic that could neutralize a mana outbreak. He must have been aware of her constitution to be able to procure an artifact that could counter its effects. But how?
And if she had mana the entire time, what could have been the reason for it to explode at that exact moment in Parthellam when it could have happened at any moment throughout the years? What was the trigger point?
No matter how much she speculated she only drew a blank. She needed someone trustworthy and at the same time knowledgeable to answer all her questions.
Suddenly the image of a certain ill-tempered individual popped at the back of Angelica's mind.
'He might know'
At that moment a bird flew before Angelica's eyes so close that it could have scraped her. Surprised, when she blinked her eyes and looked up, the bird was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, she saw the clouds that had momentarily covered the sky vanish leaving behind a clear blue sky with the sun shining beyond it.
Angelica turned toward one of the Knights following her a step behind.
"Is there a library around here?"
Hands folded, I stood in front of a section of the library with long rows of books as far as my eyes could see, each book thicker than the one before it.
When I informed the librarian who was visibly surprised by my sudden appearance of the reason for my arrival, he quickly led me to a section of the library that contained a vast collection of books with information on mana outbreaks.
He went as far as to hand me a book to start my research with and suggested a few more to take a look at.
"The Dynamics of Mana Dispersal"
I read out the name of the book in my hand. Just from reading the title of the book, I could guess that I was in for an exhausting ride.
'I hate studying' I inwardly groaned.
With the book in hand, I sent the librarian away and looked around the empty library for a bit before settling down on one of the tables. This was a part of the library I had not been to before. The books placed here were on an advanced level compared to the ones I read back in the day.
Remembering how I got sidetracked to a different genre midway through research, it makes sense that I never made it to this section.
Of course, this was not how I wanted to spend my precious time. I wanted to go out of the Frost Estate but was not able to due to obvious reasons. Because...
'Apparently I'm a criminal'
The information I needed could be acquired faster if I was outside. But based on what High Priest Thesser said, it seemed like there was a big spectacle after I fell unconscious.
Edward did not share any specific details on the aftermath, but I now know that he wasn't joking about the part of there being multiple cases on me.
Any sane government will not allow a person capable of destroying it within a moment's notice to walk on their streets unrestrained, especially since there is no guarantee when it could happen again.
Even without taking the mana outbreak into account, we had caused considerable property damage whilst fighting with the masked assassins.
Now that I think about it, should I not be in the mage tower or the Imperial palace? The tower with its plethora of people specializing in the field of magic should have been where I must be taken after the mana outbreak. So...
'Why am I bedmates with the male lead?'
Ah... I know the answer to that question without thinking much. I keep forgetting Edward has a lot of influence in the Imperial court. All that blackmail material must amount to something.
So, the trip to the library has to settle for now.
One hour after flipping through the pages of the book, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and accepted the truth.
'I can't understand a single thing in this book'
For a book that was full of technical jargons related to the study of mana, it was unnaturally thick that I needed to borrow a dictionary to translate words I couldn't understand.
Be in this world or the one prior, I was never fond of reading minding-numbing academic books. There was nothing that could make me doze off like a theoretical physics class first thing in the morning. Despite my wishes, the situation required it.
I have never missed the internet as much as I do at this moment. All you need to do is type the thing you are looking for and boom the browser does its magic.
'God I miss that normal'
Now that I'm in a world without the internet I have to find what I want in the traditional way of book surfing.
As soon as I stood up, the Knights stepped forward to follow me inside the library. Immediately I stopped them by pointing out where we were.
"I'm only going to pick a dictionary. I'll be fine"
The two Knights looked at each other, then headed to my request and stayed back. I refrained from calling the librarian since he seemed nervous to be around me for unknown reasons.
After a minute of walking around, I found the section I was looking for at the edge of the second floor and slid out of view from prying eyes.
'Finally some peace and privacy' I sighed and leaned my back against the shelves.
Apart from the two knights waiting by the entrance of the library and the other two standing in the seating area on the first floor, the rest of my private patrol was dispersed for the time being.
At first, the Knights were not fond of the idea of sending the maids away. They eventually relented after I insisted that I needed a quiet space to read.
"It's barely been two days since I've been here and I'm already losing my mind"
I don't like being under constant watch or being followed around wherever I go. It was the same back when Edward was cursed. I didn't have the best experience from it, because even past all the measures they took to keep me alive there were multiple attempts on my life.
Still, I can't be gone for too long or the Knights might come looking for me. So I went back to looking for the book I was here for.
Unlike standard dictionaries, the kind I wanted contained words specific to mana. I used to have one when I was a kid to translate a few common terms.
The catalog said it should be on the third shelf...
'Oh! There it is'
I was about to pull the book from the shelf when I heard a whisper behind me.
"?"
When I looked around there was no one there. Even after I searched through the hedges between the books there was not a single soul in sight.
Still, I could hear at least three female voices talking one over one another in faint whispers.
Curious, I followed the direction of the voices to a window at the corner of the library. As I walked over I checked the Knights who had followed me from the balcony to find them standing planted in the seating area.
'Phew... they're still there'
The window itself was only partially open with the wind carrying the voices through the quiet library.
Making sure not to make any noise, I cracked the window wide open and peeked out to see who was talking.
Over the curve, two maids were mopping the floors while two more were dusting the ceiling with theirs back to me. They seemed to be engaged in a serious conversation.
"I saw the Madam today. She looked well"
"Oh! I saw her too when I was going to the kitchen. She didn't seem sick at all like Misty said"
"She looked soo healthy. Misty must have gone blind from seeing holy power all the time"
'Oohh... gossip'
For an estate as big as the Frosts, news had traveled at the speed of light among the servants.
I leaned on the window sill while staying out of site so as to not spook them. The shadow from the sun will hide me enough for them to not notice.
"Can't believe she lost her memory. It's such a pity" A maid commented, dusting the ceiling while standing on a stool with a cobweb duster in her hand.
'I lost my memory?' I frowned at the absurd statement.
I may forget a few things here and then. Humans are forgetful creatures by nature. Not to mention I have a dark history of forgetting important things. Otherwise, I'm sure I have not lost my memory.
A bit confused, I continued to listen.
In contrast, the voices of the maids were full of excitement.
"I thought the Madam died three years ago. I was so scared when the headmaid told everyone in the dorm she returned. I was relieved when I saw her feet when I went to take out the laundry in the bath"
"There you go with the ghost stories again. I told you the west wing is not haunted. You saw your own shadow!"
"Shadows don't wear white gowns. I know what I saw!"
"Well, I heard from the horseman that after the Madam was attacked, she fell into the ocean and was saved by traveling gypsies. His neighbor's friend was a gypsy too so he knew right away it was true"
"Yes. It was fortunate they found her on that stormy night. It's not a surprise she lost her memory"
"If I was attacked by bandits and pushed into the raging ocean I would lose my mind too"
'Wait a second. Isn't that my story?' My jaw dropped.
Although it took me a moment to grasp, I knew I had heard this narrative before. It was only natural that I recognized it because it was mine!
After all the most believable stories are the ones laced with truth. Given the right amount of facts, even the most absurdest of lies could be made believable.
This explains why everyone I see looks at me with dewy glazed eyes like I'm the most pitiful creature they have ever seen.
"That bastard! That was my idea. My intellectual property. Can't he even be creative and use his brain for once without stealing mine... Oh!"
I was in the middle of passionately cursing Edward when one of the maids came over to my side. Before I could be discovered, I dropped to my knees and hid under the window.
"I'm finished with this side. You can start mopping there" She said to another maid, before climbing on the stool right beside the window I was in.
'That was close'
Staying down, I cautiously peeked out again and clutched the window to scope out.
Fortunately, all of the maids were too busy with their chatter to pay attention to their surroundings.
It was right then that I heard them say something, that made the blood in my body boil in wrath.
"All this while His Grace has been searching for her and no one knew. He must have somehow known the Madam was still alive. How did he though?"
"Oh! I know I know. My mother used to tell me 'When two people are in love. Their hearts are always drawn together wherever they are, I hope I find my love soon..."
"It was well known how much the Madam loved and took care of His Grace when he was cursed. Her true love must have reached him beyond the curse"
'Oi oi... this is getting out of hand'
I can't believe that the groundwork I so meticulously put out three years ago for a safe exit is backfiring at me big time. I facepalmed.
"And to stumble into her in Velven after all these years when he went there as an envoy. Haah..."
"It must be fate"
"No, it's not" I blurted out unable to control myself any longer. But then swiftly returned to my spot before the maids noticed.
"What did you say, Sarah?"
"What? I didn't say anything"
Sarah, the maid who was dusting the ceiling near me asked in confusion but was quickly forgotten by the squealing sounds of the one who was mopping.
"Stop squealing Cindy. We all know how your 'true love' changes every week"
"Anyway as I was saying. It must be true love that brought them together"
"Indeed. It is a romantic story"
'Nope, it's a thriller' I wanted to correct Sarah badly.
What is up with this start-crossed lovers nonsense? To think he would spin the story in an absurd direction. Not only is he manipulative he is also crazy.
"It is romantic. But I still feel a bit surreal from time to time"
"Some of may be new here. I've seen her years ago when the Madam was newly married. This is her. Their love brought them together"
"Yeah. How can you say that, Elise? The Madam looks just like the portrait"
'Portrait?' I was about to interrupt them once again when the arrival of a new person made me retreat.
"Sarah, Elise, Cindy, Maitry you are all still here? Enough with the gossiping. We have to finish cleaning the hallway and start with the east wing before the sun sets. Get back to work"
""Yes Eve!!"" The maids answered simultaneously and scurried away in each direction.
'That maid... Hmmm' I thought as I watched the receding back of Eve.
I remember now. She's one of the two maids who accompanied me in the carriage that night. Also, she was the one who came to Edward's room when I first woke up.
'Nathaniel you sly snake...'
He must have sent her to check my reaction. No wonder he popped in right after I feigned innocence.
After Eve disappeared from view, I went back to the seating area pretending nothing happened, and spent the rest of my morning reading till it was time for lunch.
However, the portrait the maids mentioned stayed in my mind.
After a quick lunch in the dining hall, I felt uncharacteristically sleepy owing to the visit to the library. I was on my way to the bedroom to take a midday nap when I caught a glimpse of the said portrait.
"What in the name of hikkidy hoppidy is this..." I muttered staring at the large portrait with skeptical eyes.
There on the wall in the hallway leading up to Edward's room was a giant portrait of me placed majestically next to Edward's own.
In the portrait, I looked younger and more vibrant as I smiled at the people before me.
I remember the day this was drawn. Clive and Chirpy started fighting over who was going to have the last piece of cake Uncle Malcolm brought. It ended with Chirpy emerging victorious by sitting on top of a defeated Clive.
'He started howling into Clive's ears just to spite him'
I placed my hand on the portrait. The smile in this portrait was as real as anything could be.
It was from a time when life was simple. A pleasant memory I can always look back to.
I took my hand back and began walking away from the portrait in the opposite direction. I was going back to the library.
I may not know what was going through Edward's crooked mind. But one thing is for sure...
'If it's a fight you want. It's a war you're gonna get'
Meanwhile on the southern wing of the Frost Estate.
"Then I shall withdraw"
Nathaniel bowed and exited the room with a polite smile. As the doors closed behind his back, the expression on his face crumbled.
'This is troublesome'
The days have become hectic since the Young Duchess of Frost returned. He had spent his entire morning standing on thin ice keeping matters at bay.
Nathaniel regained his composure before striding toward the end of the hallway where the Head Maid was waiting for him.
"They must never cross paths. We must make sure of it"
Nathaniel narrowed his eyes at the path he walked from.
"Under no circumstances"
********
Welcome to 2024!!
NOTE: Credits to the artist. This picture does not belong to me. This is a close depicture of Angelica as I imagined. Enjoy!!