Chapter 13: duchy of inferna [4][Amalgam]
A new morning had dawned after an eventful day.
I had woken early.
I settled into the chair on my balcony to watch the sunrise.
The reflection of the light on the snow was so enchanting... it was impossible to describe with words.
For someone who had spent their life within four walls, this view was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
It was impossible to tear my eyes away.
A soft knock on the door pulled me from that magical moment.
Trying to keep my voice as normal as possible, I said, "Come in."
The young maid I had seen yesterday entered. She held clean clothes.
She paused for a moment upon seeing me on the balcony. Then bowed respectfully.
"Lord Cassian," she said, her voice gentle. "Duchess Seraphina sent me to help you prepare for breakfast. If you are ready, I can escort you to the dining hall."
Breakfast?
With the Duke and his family?
This was the last thing I expected after my confession last night.
Somewhere inside me, the familiar, cold serpent of suspicion reared its head again.
Was this a show of kindness?
Or the beginning of a new game?
Had the emotional story I told yesterday—half-truth, half-shaped by the instinct to survive—truly sparked a sense of pity in their hearts?
Or was this a strategy designed to observe me more closely?
To find my weaknesses. To understand what they could turn me into.
I would find out the answer sooner or later.
For now, I had no choice but to play the game by their rules.
I changed into the clothes the maid had brought—made of a comfortable yet high-quality fabric.
I followed her.
The palace corridors were even more silent and magnificent in the early hours of the morning.
As my footsteps echoed on the polished marble floor, I felt the eyes of the noble portraits on the walls following me.
Each one was a silent witness to this family’s power and deep-rooted history.
When we arrived at the dining hall, a massive, long table greeted me.
It was so large, it could have generously seated dozens of people at once.
The table was laden with dishes I had never seen before. Their very aromas whetted my appetite.
Golden-brown breads.
Steaming meat dishes.
Desserts adorned with fresh fruit.
And drinks I couldn’t identify in silver pitchers...
Duke Kaelan sat at the head of the table with the dignity of a king on his throne.
Beside him was Duchess Seraphina with her elegant posture. And next to her was Iris, whose energy seemed to light up the entire room.
The moment Iris saw me, a wide, sincere smile spread across her face.
She pointed to the empty chair beside her.
"Cassian! Good morning! Come, sit here!"
Before accepting her offer, I remembered the rules of etiquette the maid had instructed me on in the hallway.
I took a few steps forward. I bowed slightly before the Duke and Duchess.
The gesture felt so artificial, so foreign... I laughed inwardly.
In my entire life, I had only learned two postures: curling into a fetal position in the corner of a cell, or lunging forward while fleeing a monster.
Bowing in respect was completely outside the equation.
Duke Kaelan gave no reaction to my greeting.
He didn’t take his eyes off the silver goblet in front of him, but I knew he saw me. That he was recording my every move.
His face again held that unreadable expression. As blank as a sky before a storm.
Duchess Seraphina, in contrast, returned my greeting with a warm smile.
"Good morning, Cassian. I hope you slept well."
"Yes, Lady Seraphina. Thank you for your hospitality."
As the words left my mouth, I felt as if I were reading from someone else’s script.
This way of speaking was so foreign to me. But in the struggle for survival, even the smallest advantage was vital.
If playing the role of this polite and obedient boy would buy me time, I would play it to the best of my ability.
When I took the first bite, I had to fight to keep my eyes from welling up.
Everything I tasted created an incredible explosion of flavor in my mouth.
This wasn’t just eating.
It was an experience. A discovery.
Iris watched me eat with a happy, almost proud smile on her face.
Her gaze made me a little uncomfortable.
I wasn’t used to someone looking at me with such open and unconditional affection.
The part of me that searched for a motive behind every glance, every smile, couldn’t make sense of Iris’s behavior.
So, I said nothing to her.
I just focused on my food.
When breakfast was over, Iris jumped up impatiently.
"Let’s go!" she said, and before I knew what was happening, she took my hand.
I flinched at her sudden physical contact but didn’t pull my hand away. Her fingers were warm and soft.
She quickly pulled me out of the dining hall. Dragged me toward the back of the palace.
The place we arrived at was a wide, bustling area where the snow had been cleared—unlike the snow-covered valley I had seen from my balcony that morning.
It was a training ground.
In one corner, muscular men, bare to the waist, produced dull thuds as they struck wooden swords against each other.
In another section, cloaked figures muttered as they raised their hands, forming colorful orbs of light at their fingertips.
There was a sharp mix of sweat, steel, and ozone in the air.
And in the middle of the grounds, standing as still as a statue in her practice armor with her arms crossed, Elara was waiting for us.
"Good morning, Elara!" Iris called out in her usual cheerful tone.
Elara’s gaze shifted from Iris to me. There was neither hostility nor friendship in her eyes.
Only a professional curiosity.
"Good morning, Iris," she said, her voice as sharp as the morning frost. Then she looked at me. "And to you, Cassian."
Iris turned to me excitedly, as if revealing a great secret.
"You’re wondering why I brought you here, aren’t you? I actually got permission from my father this morning for you to train here too! So now we can train together!"
She looked so happy as she said this that for a moment, I felt I should share her enthusiasm.
Training?
The serpent of doubt in my mind whispered again.
Are they planning to use me? To measure my power, to control it, and turn me into a weapon for the Duchy...
That was probably the plan.
But still, that would work to my advantage.
Learning how to properly use this uncontrollable, destructive power within me was what I needed most right now. That sudden burst of rage in the Frozenwood Forest that turned the Silverback to ash was as much a demonstration of power as it was proof of how dangerous and unstable I was.
For survival, control was more important than power.
Iris continued, "Actually, since Elara is a sword master, she can’t train you in magic. She’s my teacher. But don’t worry, we have many talented mages here. Father said that Archmage Lyra could take you on. You can train with whomever you want."
A mage?
Was I a mage?
Yes, I had used flames.
But among the fragmented memories in my mind, there was another image. That final, bloody battle with Dr. Aris...
I remembered attacking him with a sharp piece of metal I’d found. Instinctively strengthening my body in that moment.
That wasn’t something only a mage would do.
The words that left my mouth weren’t meant to surprise either Iris or Elara.
It was simply a fact.
"I can use a sword."