Devil Of Light | Attack on Titan x Male Reader

Chapter IV

As the carriage moved along the cobbled streets toward the Reiss estate, Y/N was in full flow, excitedly discussing his latest inventions with his father. Marcus adored his son but was overwhelmed by the torrent of ideas.

"And then I added a lever to the kitchen mixer so Mama doesn't have to turn it all the time. It saves her energy for baking," Y/N explained, his eyes with the joy of problem-solving. "And for Elisse, I made a small device that lines up all her threads by color and thickness. It's like a tiny shelf that moves on a track I installed under her sewing table!"

Marcus listened, pride in his heart but also fear. "Son, shh, remember what we talked about—speaking of this outside home?"

Y/N's brow furrowed slightly in thought. "Oh right! About not talking or the scary men will come making questions!" he recalled, his tone turning serious.

Marcus facepalmed, silently praying that the Reiss family's driver was as unobservant as he seemed. He quickly changed the subject to distract his son. "So, it's the first time this new year you're seeing Princess Frieda, aren't you excited?"

"Who's Frieda, Papa?" Y/N asked.

Marcus sighed deeply, his son's fleeting memory never ceasing to amaze him. "Frieda, the princess we've visited a few times since you fixed her clock. Remember, she really likes your inventions... and your company," he explained, trying to refresh Y/N's memory.

"Oh, right! Frieda!" Y/N exclaimed, finally remembering. "She's nice."

Marcus chuckled. "Yes, she is. And she's quite fond of you, you know." His tone was light, but inwardly he wrestled with the implications of their visits to the Reiss family. As a merchant, Marcus had been 'employed' not just to sell goods but to spy on potential troublemakers and dealers of technology deemed too advanced or threatening to the fragile peace maintained by the crown.

The irony was not lost on him that the very same inventions Y/N developed casually at home—innovations that could take grown men years to conceive—were the types of advancements he was supposed to report. Y/N's brilliance, so innocent and freely given, could be perceived as dangerous in the wrong hands.

As the carriage approached the grand gates of the Reiss estate, Marcus felt anxious. He glanced at Y/N, now staring out the window lost in thought about possibly his next great invention.

"Today, let's just enjoy the visit, Y/N? Maybe you can show Frieda some drawings if she's interested, but let's keep the details between us," Marcus advised, his voice firm yet gentle.

"I'll just talk about normal stuff... like pie!" Y/N agreed, his face brightening at the thought.

"Perfect, pies are always a safe topic," Marcus replied, managing a smile as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the large doors of the estate. As they were ushered inside, he held Y/N's hand a little tighter than usual.

 It was a small greenhouse, long forgotten and overrun with vines and flowers.

Inside the greenhouse, Y/N had spread out his tools and components on an old wooden table, the surface scratched and worn from years of neglect. His latest project was a small, device—a miniature automated watering system tailored specifically for Frieda's favorite flower bed in the estate gardens. It consisted of tiny pipes and valves, designed to draw water from a nearby basin and distribute it evenly across the plants.

"Frieda, I need the small wrench now... and then the pliers," Y/N instructed, his head ducked under the table as he connected a tiny pump to the system.

Delighted to be involved, Frieda searched through the toolbox she had taken away from the estate's maintenance shed. "This one, Y/N?" she asked, holding up a wrench with a grin.