The Redo of a Novel's Villain: Moira - Chapter 24: Chapter 24

That evening atop the ancient clocktower with the moss of time etched between the crevice ended in tempestuous serenity. Their voices died down and Nicholas' eyes softened ever so slightly dipped in sorrowful relief. The blonde walked towards and past him, standing just at the ledge overlooking the vast distance, a step away from severing the line between living and death. The wind rustled their hair and Huey gulped as he gazed at the other, so close yet so far from that horrid alternative.
Nicholas' back faced him, the youth's green eyes pooled with settling conflict, like the dying embers of a bonfire, raging, growling, dying. His body swayed and he stepped back, resting his head beside Huey's ear.
"Alright."
Huey felt blonde hair move against his neck as Nicholas walked away, leaving him to stare at the magenta mahogany clouds.
He sighed, "I should've done this since the beginning."
—:･ﾟ✧ —
Kayson threw a candy in his mouth. "So what you're saying," he crumpled the wrapper. "Is that the both of us help Nicholas?"
Huey nodded. "Yup, but not entirely. In the past and my first life, he had power that came from being associated with my family but that's flawed and short-term. I want him to aggrandize using his own power, but his standing doesn't easily allow it. So I thought it wouldn't hurt if we gave a couple encouraging nudges." Blood supremacy was still a large belief within high society despite the royal family and academy's attempts to give commoners the same opportunities. To fornicate with a commoner and keep the bastard child was in and of itself, taboo. Nicholas' continued existence was a miracle with a curse attached, and when every other option shuts you out you can only reach for those just like you. Two outcasts yet in two completely different worlds.
The pink haired boy straightened his back as a light bulb lit up over his head. "Oh! I get what you're getting at now!" He chewed the candy with an audible crunch and swallowed it (Huey cringed). "Basically, you want us to connect him with branches and families he normally wouldn't be able to connect with."
"Bingo."
"That does sound good, but it's broad. Barely anyone at school would willingly talk to us three and the most viable connections we can build here is that of friendship. I doubt many of the others would want to do that." He continued, "Also not just noble connections, he also needs to build them with merchants and get a grasp on other circles."
"Which is why we won't be acting during school, we'll take him to a place perfect for circle building."
Kayson's eyes glistened in sudden curiosity. "Which is?"
"Melissa Roseri."
Immediately his nose scrunched up as he spat, "Her? But she's so..."
"She constantly acts like she has a stick up her ass and the typical cliche arrogant rival I know." Huey rolled his eyes.
"Then why?"
"Mid term break will start soon and it just so happens her birthday lines up with the break. With her father being the prime minister no doubt there will be a grandiose party. It's there where Nicholas will begin building connections."
"And we'll be there to introduce people and keep rude dipshits in line!"
"Exactly!" They clapped, a loud resounding noise erupting from their palms accompanied by their pained yells.
"Why'd you clap so hard?!"
"Why'd you?!?"
—:･ﾟ✧ —
Celine tinkled with a vial, raising it above her head. Next to the window with sunlight gently streaming in it refracted the vial's contents and cast a veil of teal. Her bay blue eyes gazed up at the sloshing liquid inside of the small glass vial pinched between her gloved fingers. Air bubbles rising and falling within. She placed the vial down, slotting it next to many others alike with different colours.
"What are you making?" A voice came from the side, recognizing it a soft smile bloomed on her face as she twirled around.
"Kade! You're here!" She connected her fingers and bounced towards him.
Quickly, the prince shot out a palm and exclaimed, "Stop! Don't do any of.. those things you've been doing!" He shot down Celine's advances as she retreated with a tearful smile.
She whined, "But you're so cute when you get flustered."
Kade gaped, words lodging inside his throat as his cheeks heated up. Sputtering, he lowered his gaze and rubbed his nape, grumbling. "Don't say it so loud..." He then pointed at the multi-colour arrangement of phials beside Celine. "In any case what are those?"
Celine turned around, her gaze landing on the rainbow tubes sitting under the sunlight. "Oh! It's a new experiment me and a couple others are doing. By combining mana stones and childerlain flower stems, these potions are supposed to boost a person's magic input for other elements to be on par with their attributes upon consumption. The theory has already been developed but we wanted to tinker with it more on the magic structure on which channels were predicated." She clenched her fists excitedly, introducing it like it was the coolest thing in the world..
Kade smiled, albeit not understanding a single part of that verbose explanation, seeing Celine so happy was pleasant enough... but something couldn't help but irk him. He crossed his arms. "Supposed to?"
Cutting the fuse of excitement, Celine curved in on herself as she chuckled. "Ehe.. we haven't tested it yet."
"And you're positive it's safe for consumption?" Golden eyes narrowed.
"Uhm, probably.."
"..."
"Yes...?"
The prince sighed and pinched his glabella. "Just, don't kill anyone." He shook his head, signalling a much needed topic change.
Celine peeled off her gloves and set them to the side. "Kade, what are you planning to do for the break?"
He shrugged. "Nothing much, go back to the palace, eat, sleep, work, attend social gatherings, repeat. You?"
"That sounds boring, I'll be going back to town to visit my folks and hang out with my friends. I miss the tarts the bakery near my house made. They were heavenly."
"Bring some for me when you come back." He chuckled, Celine nodded her face slightly flushed.
"Definitely! While we're on the topic of break, Melissa's birthday is during the break right? What should I give her.." She pursed her lips in thought. Melissa's an aristocrat of high standing and wealth, what could she, as a towns girl, give her?
"She invited you?" He looked a bit taken aback, understandable since the one-sided feud between Melissa and Celine weren't exactly obscure.
Suddenly a waft of spring notes of lilac subtly tickled his nose. Following the appearance of the scent was a beautiful girl with long lavender hair and eyes. The patent characteristics of the future prime minister. "Of course I did, how could I not invite my rival? This could be the perfect chance to show my superiority."
Melissa stood imposingly beside them, glaring at Celine. The target of her ire on the other hand bounced forwards with a large smile as her eyes sparkled.
"Bring it on Ms. Rival." She laughed completely contrasting against the sneer Melissa had on her face.
"Preposterous, to speak so frivolously..." Her eye twitched, her face dusted pink, and she swiftly turned around back facing Celine. "Your Highness," She breathed, calming herself.
"I am here to inform you that the theme for my birthday ball is masquerade, it's stated in the invitation but seeing your trend of ignoring such themes I've come to personally remind you."
Kade hissed at the blatant call out, he cringed. "Thanks for the reminder?"
He saw Melissa open her mouth to say more when abruptly a shrill yell disturbed the peace. The three whipped their heads around and gawked at the source of the noise.
Kayson fretted next to his phial, correction, his burning phial which was growing bigger and bigger. A couple heads turned but quickly went back to their own thing, not minding the incident. The poor youth fritted around the thing as he panicked. "What do I do?! Do I douse it in water??"
Hearing that Huey piped in with a nonchalant expression. "No you dumbass, that's a chemical fire, do not douse it in water."
"Then what do I do??"
"It's a combustion reaction using cornologs, it's supposed to be that big. Just wait for the reaction to calm down. This is why you fail in science."
"Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"
"I thought you knew."
"I didn't!"
Melissa sighed, "They're at it again.."
"Was it always like this?" Celine poked her head through between them and peered at the marvelling sight of their playful bickering.
Kade shook his head. "No, the two normally wouldn't even be found in the same room but now they're attached by the hip anytime I see them. I don't know what happened over the break, not sure I want to know."
Melissa shut her eyes close and groaned, placing her hands on her hip. "All I hope is they don't cause too much of a ruckus at my ball."
"They're going too?" Celine asked, not minding the way Melissa scoffed.
"Obviously," She stated as though it was the most obvious fact ever (it was). "One's the second son of the Nevoid Household and the other's an Astaseul. What more do you need?"
The heroine tapped her chin in ponder. "Hmm, you know I haven't really talked to them all that much. Maybe we can all become friends at Melissa's birthday party?"
Melissa clicked her tongue at the girl's affable outlook. Both she and Kade turned their heads, witnessing the two boys circling the ever growing fire as Huey's face became progressively more concerned and Kayson's more smug.
Red eyes reflected bright orange flames with tints of pink licking the glass phial. Huey scowled as he fixed his safety glasses. "Why is it still not going down..."
"I told you something was wrong." Kayson harrumphed, evading a hit at his side and giggled with a shit-eating grin.
Ignoring the sudden but not unexpected vociferations Melissa bit the inside of her mouth. Purple met gold as they looked at each other, a silent connection forming between them. Knowing Celine was still patiently waiting for an answer, they simply gave a wry smile.
"Maybe."
"We'll see."
—:･ﾟ✧ —
"Do you have everything packed?" Kayson peeked from the doorway, luggage in tow just in time to see Huey zip up his bag. The crisp sound slicing through the air filled with anticipation. He hefted it over his shoulder, nodding.
"Everything that I need." He headed out their shared bedroom, casting one last cursory glance at the space. The beds were made, clothes put away, space aired out, and items laid neatly in their respective spots, a perfectly clean spot for them to return to in a week. After making sure he didn't forget anything, Huey followed after Kayson and shut the door.
The walk to the gate was slow and leisure, appreciating the stroll amongst many others chatting peacefully away amidst the autumn breeze. The scent of rain and fallen leaves made his nose twitch keenly, the coming of winter carried in the wind. Kayson rubbed his goosebumps down, breathing out cloud breaths.
Despite the cold he was in a good mood. Not just from the prospect of no school but from the fact he could hang out with his family. In Kayson's memory each break his brother would take him out to hunt game and practice the way of the sword. It was always an enjoyable experience, one that saved itself as a core memory each time. That was why he was excited to experience it for himself this time outside of implanted memories.
However, he peered at his friend. Huey's family would never take him out on trips like those just for fun. He'd most likely just be stuck at home outside the need of appearance for the sake of formality. Sighing, he patted the youth's shoulders sympathetically much to the other's confusion.
Little words were exchanged between them, content to just listen to the birds still idling about on amber trees. In the distance they could see the main gate where many horse drawn carriages ranging from plain to luxurious and even a couple families surrounded the area awaiting the students.
Huey exhaled upon seeing the familiar caravans of the dukedom. Even more so upon seeing the scarlet blazers of his cousins whom he barely ever saw nor spoke to during the academy stay. Once he got in that carriage the first thing he needed to do was report back to his uncle with his cousins. An unwilling feeling surfaced at the very thought.
A nudge on his arm made him turn his head, catching Kayson's signature smile.
"I'll see you in four days."
Pushing the dread away, Huey matched Kayson's smile and nodded. "En."
They bade farewell and approached their respective caravans, Huey climbed into the cart devoid of people, setting into the seats in comfort. From outside, he could hear a muffled whip sound and the clattering of hooves followed by the moving carriage as it glided across the gravel. He exhaled, clenching his fingers into a fist.
Watching the passing scenery he could already see the Astaseul Manour through those long vast stretches of forests and mountains. Past the streaming rivers and plains, and stardust in the air.