Riddles of Lenia

Chapter 9

AN: This time you get a quick glance at Vincent's real personality! There's also a closer look at magic. I hope you like it!

Annoying.

Boring.

Futile.

Those are the three words I used to describe the world.

There was never one instance in which I've been allowed to be a child.

Something like playing or reading picture books...

That wasn't a part of my life.

The only thing I've been allowed to do is prepare to take over this useless duchy.

Everyday, I study a pointless amount of subjects. I train in magic. I eat. I sleep. I repeat.

My whole life has been entirely dull.

There's only been one exception.

The one thing in the world to brighten my gloomy day.

That would be the way my sister's eyes sparkle looking at my magic.

My sister had the pleasant misfortune of receiving the dark fairy king's protection. It's good that she's safe from danger, but she's been utterly abandoned by this ridiculous family even as an infant. 

My cowardly mother refused to nurse her. She went as far as to dissolve the cosmetics business she owned to decrease the number of times she needed to leave her room.

Really, a weak woman like her isn't suited to the position of duchess of Canmore.

My father was even worse. If he was going to abandon her, he should have just done so. Instead, he built a business-professional relationship with Viola. They only spoke when there was an issue at hand, and he never openly acknowledged her as his daughter. Mother just ignored Viola, but Father forced her to meet him.

This only reinforced Viola's mental image of being hated.

I can't be too cruel towards my parents, though. At first, I was just like them. I had never met Viola, and I never intended to. It's not like meeting her would make my life any less boring.

At least I thought so.

That changed around the time I turned six years old.

I was at my personal training grounds, practicing magic late into the day, as per usual. I was so absorbed in practicing that I didn't even notice how the sun had almost set. I say that, but I actually couldn't get my flames to manifest at the time. I could summon magic circles and distribute light, but I couldn't ignite anything. 

I spent all of my mana everyday as I tried to release my fire magic. That day, I was especially tired. I was so exhausted by everything. I couldn't stand my suffocating lessons or my cowardly mother or my emotionless father or this god-forsaken magic that would never manifest. I had decided that day that if I couldn't make a flame, I would give up on magic.

But that little girl saved me.

I was failing and suffering, and I didn't know how to maintain my honor. I was only a child, but I had to succeed. But before I could continue my self-hatred, I had heard a giggle from not far away. When I turned to look, there was a toddler with white hair, white skin, and a white dress. In my family known for possessing darker features, I had never come across such a thing. 

Of course, there was no way my six year old mind could recognize that girl as my sister just by looking at her. I wasn't even sure if she was human. That small child that I couldn't quite register was staring at my failed magic circles as if she found the door to the holy land.