Last Chance [Extra #2]

Part 25

After Celosia explained her abilities to Cassian, he was more than curious to see them in person. For now, he would have to be satisfied with the 'summoning' ability as Celi called it. She could bring out absolutely everything from her so-called inventory and everything she saw would immediately be replicated there. It was definitely a useful skill to have, but at the same time it must have been annoying as well. How many things does a person see during a thousand years? Billions, hundreds of billions even, and to replicate all of them and store them somewhere must have been exhausting, to say the least.

At least, that was what Cassian thought. Had Celosia stored those items in a physical place, it would have been difficult to fit them all, but the inventory, as she liked to call it, was just a space created separately, it had no limit as to how many things can be stored inside. It expanded as her collection grew, and it didn't affect Celosia in any way.

What affected her was the childlike look Cassian was giving her, filled with curiosity as he waited for her to showcase her ability to him. It was so cute to see him gaze at her like that.

Deciding to tease the man a bit, she summoned a dress that would fit her status as the Grand Duke's fiancee, but instead of bringing it out in her hand, she got it right on her body. There was never a restriction that the item summoned had to appear in her hands or somewhere else. She could very easily change her clothes that way, simply by summoning them right onto her body.

"Celi!" Cassian turned away to avoid doing something inappropriate, but it was too late. Celosia was already wearing a dress and not his bathrobe. "Are you decent now?" He asked, embarrassed.

"I was decent to begin with. I didn't have to take off the robe to put on the dress, you know."

"Still, how could you just undress in front of me?" Cassian whined quietly, the tips of his ears red from the thoughts that went through his mind when Celi untied the robe. He didn't catch anything, but the mere action was enough to awaken an unexpectedly dark side of him.

"I didn't undress. Look, I'm fully covered."

Cassian dared a glance at her over his shoulder, sighing with relief that she was fully dressed. Her dark red dress was something women in the Empire hadn't worn, at least as far as he knew, but what surprised him was that she put it on with no effort at all. All the laces were tied, there was no thing that was out of place, and she did it without the maids helping her.

'So that's what she meant when she said that this ability is the most useful one...' he thought, nodding to himself.

"I can also put on my shoes that way," Celosia sat back on the chesterfield, lifting her leg slightly to reveal her foot then summoned a pair of black and gold high heels that appeared directly on her feet.

"Fascinating. I saw summoners during the war, but they always needed a magic circle to use magic and the supplies they summoned appeared solely in that circle. Yet you have absolute control over it without as much as a spell. How?"

"I don't know. I've always been able to do it like this. After I died for the first time, I went from one life to another, without anyone to teach me magic, so I had to figure it out myself. It wasn't as difficult as one may think. It's like... I instinctively know how to use my power," Celosia explained as Cassian led her down the hallway. She was sure the dining room was in another direction, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she asked a different question, "Aren't you put off by me being able to use magic? I thought you disliked magicians..."

"I do dislike them, however you're not a magician."

Celosia could only scoff at that. Where did that conviction come from?

"Why do you think so?"

"Because I've seen magicians, fought against them even, and what you're doing is not the same kind of magic they use."

"How is it different?" Celosia asked curiously. Even Edgar, who used to be an Imperial knight could tell her anything about magicians, but Cassian seemed knowledgeable in the subject.

"For one, you don't use mana stones to borrow their power. Secondly, you have no need for magic circles to control the magic. And lastly, your power does not come from your surroundings but from your soul."

"How do you know that?"

"As you can tell by my black hair, I am maladaptant to magic. Meaning, I can't use it. However, even though I cannot use magic, I can still sense mana. It's something all members of the Imperial family are born with. Those with Imperial blood in them can see the traces of mana. When you used your ability earlier, I could see that trace leading into your soul. Your power is an integral part of you, something you were born with, and the magic that regular magicians use comes from the mana stones. Ordinary objects possess too little mana to be used as a source of power, but mana stones contain condensed mana that is shared with the magician. Magicians have their own mana as well, but it's only meant to catalyze the stone's mana so it can be harnessed."

As Cassian explained everything he knew about the magicians, Celosia felt a sense of familiarity. It was like she had learned it before but something made her forget. Was it an aftereffect of living for too long? Perhaps. But one thing bothered her. How did Cassian know so much about this?

"I can see you're curious," Cassian smiled softly. "When I was younger, my mother explained a lot of this to me. There are also countless books on magicians in my library. My father took them from the Imperial Palace when he was exiled by the current Emperor, who wanted to destroy them. They are the last record of all the atrocities committed by the Imperial family over the centuries, including the genocide of the mages ordered by the first Emperor. My father once told me that he couldn't let those records be destroyed, as it would be like washing off the sins committed by the Empire."

"May I see those records?" Celosia asked hopefully. Maybe she could find information about the Eastern mages that Edgar had talked about. He was sure she was one of them, but with how little memories Celosia had of her first life, it was impossible for her to confirm it.

Now she could try to find out who she really was.

"Of course, Celi," Cassian grinned from ear to ear, leaning down to look her in the eyes. "Once you become my wife, everything that's mine will be yours as well."

"How are you so sure I'll be your wife?"

"Don't you remember? Yesterday, you told me you accepted my proposal. While you were sleeping, I've already filled in the necessary documents. All I need is your signature."

"You mean, Elena Heroux's signature," Celosia scoffed bitterly.

"No," Cassian vehemently denied. "Yours. I am not taking Elena Heroux as my wife, but you, Celi."

Celosia didn't say it out loud but the admission made her feel incredibly warm inside. The way Cassian separated her from Elena felt nothing like the way the Count and his wife did it.

She made the right decision to come to him. At least he didn't despise her for taking Elena's place.

When the two of them finally reached the dining room, thanks to Cassian taking the longest way possible there under the guise of showing Celi around the palace, they were met by Stefan's gleeful smile and the maid's curious but happy looks. Why were they so happy, Celosia didn't know. Cassian did, however.

They were all happy to finally have a Madam to serve. After Elizabeth's betrayal, they lost all hope to see their master happy, and seeing his smile whenever he was with Lady Heroux, they held hope that she could brighten his otherwise dark world.