I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 491: Notes

”After I finish escorting Lyra, I’ll be traveling to Caeloria. The King has a dispute with Krogar that needs to be resolved, and I agreed to handle it. I’ll be gone at least six months.”

Octavia’s expression shifted to concern. ”Six months is a long time, brother. Are you certain...”

”I’m certain,” Jack said. ”The trip to Lyra’s shrine is two weeks. The Caeloria situation will take longer, but it’s necessary. Political capital with the King, strengthening our family’s position, ensuring the Empire remembers that the Kaisers are assets, and most importantly, Rhys.”

”Mother won’t be happy about you being gone that long.”

”Mother is never happy when any of us takes risks,” Jack replied with a slight smile. ”But she’ll understand the strategic value. And Father would approve.”

He left the study before Octavia could raise further objections, moving through corridors toward the gardens where Seraphina had said his mother was working.

The gardens were extensive. Acres of carefully cultivated plants arranged in patterns.

Medicinal herbs were cultivated adjacent to ornamental flora, and botanical specimens with less benign applications grew interspersed within the foliage.

Lady Genevieve stood near the center of the garden, examining a plant with leaves that gleamed with an oily sheen.

She wore practical clothing rather than noble finery, her hands dirt-stained from working directly with the soil.

”Mother,” Jack called out, approaching across the stone path that wound through the garden.

Lady Genevieve’s gaze ascended, and her countenance underwent an immediate transformation. A succession of emotions, including relief, joy, and the intense protectiveness that had led to her moniker ”Lady Mania,” swiftly traversed her features.

”Jack,” she said, abandoning the plant to close the distance between them. Her hands gripped his shoulders, eyes scanning his face for injuries or changes. ”You’re back. Unharmed?”

”Completely fine,” Jack assured her. ”The dungeon was cleared without incident. Rhys performed well under pressure.”

Lady Genevieve’s eyes narrowed as they studied his face. ”Your eyes are different.”

”Octavia mentioned that,” Jack replied. ”Side effect of extensive mana usage. Nothing concerning.”

His mother’s expression conveyed a degree of skepticism; like Octavia, she possessed the discernment to recognize when further insistence would be unproductive.

”As you deem appropriate. Nevertheless, should you exhibit any unusual physiological transformations, I anticipate prompt notification.”

”You’ll be the first to know,” Jack promised with a gentle smile.

Lady Genevieve let go of his shoulders, stepping back to give them some space. ”Seraphina said you’re leaving again in two days. Taking Lyra to her shrine?”

”Yes,” Jack confirmed. ”And after that, traveling to Caeloria on the King’s behalf. I’ll be gone approximately six months, give or take.”

His mother’s jaw tightened, her expression carrying displeasure she didn’t bother to hide. ”Six months is excessive, Jack. The family needs...”

”The family requires political influence with the Crown,” Jack interjected gently yet firmly. ”Father is currently deployed for a short period. He will return, but this opportunity will secure Kaiser Holdings’ future in the capital. Furthermore, I anticipate forging valuable connections with the elves and orcs should everything proceed favorably.”

Genevieve’s expression softened slightly. ”You sound like your father when you talk strategy.”

”I learned from the best,” Jack replied.

His mother observed him intently for a prolonged period, then assented. ”Agreed. Six months. However, you are to return unharmed, or I will personally retrieve you from any afterlife that accommodates errant offspring who cause their mothers distress.”

”Understood,” Jack said with a slight smile.

They stood there in the garden as afternoon light began to fade, the mountains in the distance casting long shadows across the estate.

--------

Jack woke to sunlight streaming through his chamber windows, the morning already well underway.

He’d slept more deeply than intended. Weeks of constant combat in Tartarus Spire had accumulated a debt his body finally demanded payment on.

He dressed in comfortable noble attire, nothing too formal but appropriate for spending the day on the estate.

The bracelet on his wrist pulsed with warmth as he fastened his shirt, a reminder that today would test his willpower more than any fight against floor bosses or blessed ones.

Jack made his way downstairs, moving through corridors bathed in morning light.

The estate was bustling with activity. Staff members diligently performed their duties, the faint sound of Celeste’s laughter resonated from a distant part of the grounds, and the aroma of breakfast emanated from the kitchens.

And Aurora was walking about in the garden.

She stood among the flowers his mother cultivated, her long golden hair catching sunlight, making it seem to glow.

She wore a simple blue dress and held a small notebook, sketching one of the flowering plants.

The bracelet’s warmth intensified the moment Jack saw her.

Heat spread up his arm, flooding through his chest, making his heart beat and his pulse quicken.

The curse Zephyros had placed on the bracelet amplified every attraction, every desire, turning what should have been mild interest into something that demanded immediate attention.

As Jack approached, Aurora’s expression changed noticeably. A playful smile, evident in her eyes, appeared as she placed her notebook aside.

She moved toward him quickly, and Jack found himself meeting her halfway.

They halted two feet apart, allowing him to discern the individual golden strands in her hair and the way her eyes meticulously followed his face with the intensity of someone who had anticipated this precise moment for quite some time.

Aurora’s hand moved to her chest, then gestured at Jack, then back to herself. The meaning was clear even without words.

”I missed you, too,” Jack replied, and the admission came easier than it should have.

The bracelet pulsed again, encouraging more, pushing him to close the distance, to touch her, to give in to impulses that grew stronger with each passing second.

Aurora pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket, unfolding it to reveal words written in elegant script: How was the dungeon? Are you hurt?

”The dungeon was fine,” Jack assured her. ”Rhys performed well. No injuries, nothing concerning.”

Aurora’s expression conveyed a degree of skepticism, yet she acknowledged his statement with a nod. She then indicated the garden path, suggesting a joint stroll.

They moved through the carefully maintained greenery, side by side.

The distance felt like miles despite being mere inches.

Jack’s awareness of her presence was overwhelming. Every movement she made, every breath, the way sunlight caught in her hair when she turned her head.

The bracelet’s influence was building, exactly as Zephyros had promised.

The initial warmth escalated into an intense heat that permeated Jack’s entire being, imbuing every interaction with an unwarranted significance.

Aurora produced another note: Seraphina said you’re leaving again in two days. You’re taking Lyra to her shrine?

”Yes,” Jack confirmed. ”Two weeks there. Then I’m traveling to Caeloria on behalf of the King. Resolving a dispute with Krogar.”

Aurora’s eyes widened slightly, concern evident despite her inability to speak. She wrote quickly: That’s dangerous. The border territories are unstable.

”Less dangerous than what I’ve been doing in dungeons,” Jack replied with a slight smile. ”And politically necessary. The Kaiser family needs to maintain influence with the Crown.”

Aurora unconsciously bit her lip, a gesture that the bracelet immediately highlighted for Jack.

He found himself observing the movement, contemplating how easily he could bridge the distance between them.