Own Time

Chapter 24

Aditya's POV

Engrossed in the monotonous task of reading and signing a mountain of unwelcome documents, my thoughts wandered to that kid who always seemed in such a rush during our mealtimes together. Since the old man had taken charge of him, his visits to my office had become rare.

"Stop worrying about your child and finish your work," Vel's voice pierced through my reverie as he stood beside me, diligently organizing my documents. I shot him a glare, only to be met with his already annoyed expression.

"That man took almost all of my child's time. I hardly see him now, and whenever I do wish to spend time with him, you, the Head Maid, and that old man always prevent me," I retorted, nearly crumpling the papers in my frustration.

"It was your idea to have Sir Lorise teach your son, which is why we constantly remind you not to let your impulsive thoughts take over," Vel remarked, snatching the paper from my hand. Using his mahika, he restored it to its original state before placing it back in my hand.

"It's not an impulsive thought. I know that old man is the right mentor for my son. Even though I always tried to escape his influence, I've always known that he is the only one capable of straightening a Krieger," I said, rolling my hands as memories of the sacrifices I made to meet his expectations flooded my mind.

"So, you're just acting this way because it reminds you of your wild past and the fact that you don't see your son as often anymore. How mature," he said, his words dripping with sarcasm. Slowly, an orange fire crept along my body as I shot him a death glare. He remained unfazed by the situation.

"If any of the documents burn, there will be a huge bucket of water flying directly at you," he warned, staring at me blankly. I took a deep breath and the fire slowly faded away as refocused on my papers.

"You are very fortunate, you know that," I said.

"I know, that's why I stayed," he replied, walking toward the shelves to file my finished papers. A small smile formed on my face as I continued reading.

.................

I was walking through the hallway with Vel following closely behind when we passed by the training ground. The sound of objects being hurled echoed through the air, drawing my attention. I glanced out the window and saw my child, surrounded by a crimson fire. The flames fluctuated in size, from twice his height to merely enveloping his hand.

"Sir Lorise must be teaching him how to control the size of the young master's fire," Vel said, smiling in amazement as he watched. I smirked and continued to observe, a sense of pride swelling within me.     

.................

Their training concluded just as dusk began to fall. We had been watching the entire time, as I found myself with an abundance of free moments. When I saw them preparing to leave, I entered the training ground and was greeted by my son's beaming smile and the old man's characteristic scowl.

"Mother!" He ran towards me, and I quickly scooped him up. "What are you doing here?" he asked as the old man approached us.

"She was watching the whole time. Do you even have work to do?" the old man said, crossing his arms.

"For your information, I'm already done. And even if I wanted to come here earlier, I wouldn't have been able to because there's literally an owl watching me twenty-four seven," I said, glancing at Vel. He responded with an infuriating smile, and I rolled my eyes before returning my attention to my kid.

"What do you think? Did I get stronger?" my son asked eagerly, his hair tousled from training. I gently stroked his hair and smiled warmly.

"Yes, after just one week of training, what I saw earlier was very impressive, especially for someone your age," I replied, hoping my praise was encouraging. He giggled and beamed at me, clearly pleased with my response.

"The young master achieved this level in just one week, whereas it took the lady a whole month," the old man interjected, earning a glare from me.

"What? I thought Mother had less time than me since she's so strong," my kid said, looking puzzled. Before I could respond, Vel interrupted.

"Actually, young master, it's true that the lady would finish her training sooner if she didn't constantly run away from it," Vel remarked with a grin. My son gave me a skeptical look.

"I hate being lectured, okay? And if this is my mentor, I would definitely run away," I said, pointing at the old man, who glared back at me.

"That's just how spoiled you are," he retorted.

"I'm not spoiled. I just dislike your teaching methods so much that I've even asked the Head Maid if she could replace you," I replied, earning another disapproving glare from him.

"But how can Griza help you? Isn't she only in charge of the mansion's attendants?" my kid asked, looking genuinely curious.

"Actually, young master, Head Maid Griza didn't start as a Head Maid originally, she's actually a..." Vel's words were cut short by the arrival of the Head Maid herself. She hurried over to us and stopped in front of me.

"Sister, what are you doing here?" the old man asked, looking at her intently.

"I have an urgent letter to deliver," she replied cautiously. Sensing something amiss, I gently set my kid down.

"If it's a letter, you could have just waited for me in my office or left it there," I suggested, but she shook her head solemnly.

"No, it's really urgent, and I think it contains something bad," the Head Maid said, her usual composure shaken.

"Don't tell me that letter came from..." I hesitated, knowing there was only one thing that could make the mansion's staff behave this way.

"I think they already found out about the young master. It's from... 

the Supreme Family."