“No.”

Both the duke and the duchess answered at the same time.

“He is my son.” Duke Taevas stood up again with a mix of a defeated slump yet fierce determination in his eyes.

“I acknowledge that his curse is my undoing. But I will not allow him to be taken away from this household no matter what his future may be. It is I who shall seek on how to reverse his curse.”

“And I am his mother, Goddess Bezirze.” Duchess Akasa had also stood up from her bed, beads of sweat still on her azure forehead from all the tension and her labor.

“Have you ever met a mother who will allow her son to be taken by several women in the woods under seclusion, far away from the civilization where he belongs? Perhaps you had, but I am NOT that kind of woman.”

She continued: “He is my flesh and blood. You said it yourself, he may be born with a Coal heart. But the blood of a Zafeiri runs in his veins.”

“And with the Zafeiri is where he belongs.” Her husband went to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder as support._.

The Goddess observed them both. Perhaps to see if they were being truthful, or gauging how to convince them. But Ronin could not read her mind at all, so he could only make assumptions.

In the end, she gave a soft sigh.

“You two would rather have him suffer a terrible fate….. and for what? For pride? For your claim over his blood?” She spoke not with malice, but with some deep-rooted sadness.

Like she had expected this response already.

“No. We want to keep him out of familial love.” Duchess Akasa answered. “At least, I do. Please return my son to my arms, goddess.”

Bezirze observed her once more with that pitying look. She then turned to Taevas. “You would not say the same thing?”

Duke Taevas clenched his fist, but reluctantly sighed.

He was not used to displaying affection compared to aggression, but that doesn’t mean he was incapable of it. “Even with his dark skin, I will try to accept him as my own. I will raise him just as I have raised my two elder sons, and find a way to atone for my sins that have caused his malformity.”

The Goddess does not seem to be completely pleased by his words, but she must have seen something behind them. So, she became considerate.

“I believe you. Therefore, you must understand the consequences of this decision. This is my one last plea.” She told them.

“If you chose this path for this child, he will walk a road full of trials and grief. Every step he takes will result in either his own suffering…or that of others. I ask you to reconsider, and avoid this destruction.”

The Zafeiri couple looked at each other and answered at the same time once more.

“No.”

Goddess Bezirze looked at the child once again. Ronin stared back blankly at her. She drew closer….

And blew a wisp of smoke on his face.

Ronin merely scrunched his tiny nose and glared at her.

The goddess chuckled. “A blessing, little one. I may be the one who called for your curse, but may you have this blessing. Though there would be times where you will be the object of hatred by many, may those who know your true heart be able to see past that and accompany you in your difficult journey.”

She gently floated over to hand the swaddled baby back to his mother. “I trust your words, Akasa. May your love remain until the very end. Raise him with such love, and it may wash away his suffering.”

She then turned with a more stern expression to the father of the child. “As for you, Taevas… If it is redemption you seek, may this be a lesson that fate warns you several times before it reaches its verdict. Eleina did not deserve your treatment, and neither did the other girls who you stomped on like some pebble at your feet.”

“Your answer lies in your own change…… I hope you achieve that for the sake of your son.”

She waved both hands at them and smoke that billowed from the markings on her skin coalesced as she did.

She regarded the three commoners that remained bowing, and let the smoke waft towards them.

“The four of you shall find peace and prosperity if you continue to serve the third young master diligently, and bring him no harm. May your families reap the fruits of your labor.”

“Yes, Goddess Bezirze!” They answered solemnly.

Now that she had given her parting message to everyone in this room, she wore her cloak once more and took her owl cane. Waving it a few times, more smoke rose and rose into the air…

Until she had become smoke herself, and vanished.

Duchess Akasa could almost faint from everything that had just transpired. But she has her son back in her arms now, and that was what matters.

She regarded Ronin with much motherly affection, which the former system was not amused with.

He just stared blankly as always, only thinking of how much he wanted to grow older and bigger already so he wouldn’t have to be held by these people all the time. His eyes wandered anywhere except for her without care.

“I shall name you Ronin.” She said. “He who is adrift. Your eyes are restless and always drifting away even from your own mother.”

“He who is adrift in his fate bestowed by the gods.” Duke Taevas rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Ronin Zafeiri, third son of the leading House of Sapphire. And yet his heart is made of Coal. I dread for his future the most.”

He gave the boy an apologetic look that was also filled with shame. The former system inhabiting this body mockingly thought:

‘Ronin Zafeiri, the boy born of dread. Clever.’

He wondered if it would have been possible to change his origin story at all. What could have happened if they have agreed to let Bezirze take him to the sisterhood?

Would it avoid him from being Ronin Dreadborne? Probably not. And even if it did, even if they try to raise him to avoid his cursed fate….

He will always harbor a hatred for the one named Cermin Drychspiel. He was born with it.