322 Confrontation
Leaving the bar, Amelia and I made our way toward the Wolf's Den.
We remained mostly silent during the walk but as the Morningstar Manor grew closer, Amelia struggled to suppress her curiosity.
Finally, with our destination just in sight, she couldn't hold back any longer.
"So, what's your plan now?" she inquired.
I spared a brief glance in her direction before answering, "Obviously, I'm going to confront my mother."
Amelia hesitated briefly, then placed a hand on my shoulder, saying, "Lucas, please try to talk to her calmly. There might be a reason behind what she did."
I jerked her hand off my shoulder and turned around, retorting, "What reason could possibly justify her blocking my memories?! For all I know, she could also be the one who manipulated me!"
Amelia attempted to cool my temper. "That's precisely my point. Speak to her calmly and ask for her reasons before jumping to any rash decisions."
Listening to her advice, I managed to regain some composure and exhaled deeply.
I nodded and said, "You're right. I'll try to stay calm."
With that, I resumed walking.
"Now, come along," I said to her.
Suddenly, a confused frown crossed the black-haired beauty's face. "Eh? What do you mean, 'come along'?"
I halted, turned around, and shot her a puzzled look. "Well, if I don't like her answer then I might need your help to kill her."
Amelia stared at me blankly for a moment before exclaiming, "Huh?! What happened to staying calm?"
"I said I'd try!" I retorted with a shout.
Exasperated, Amelia rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh.
"You're going to get us both killed, aren't you?" She said before following me inside the manor.
Walking inside, a fleeting thought crossed my mind. It was regrettable that I couldn't use Enigma Sightstone on myself.
But I could still use it on Amelia, right?
Maybe I could use it to peer into her memories and gain insight into what Sofiana's warning truly meant.
However, unfortunately, as soon as that notion occurred to me, another thought crossed my mind.
If I were to use Enigma Sightstone on her, trapping her in an illusion to look into her memories, she would undoubtedly realize what I did when I'd free her.
She would know that I had used a relic on her. How would I explain my actions then?
No, I couldn't afford to gamble with her trust on the slim chance that a vampire's warning held truth.
Coming to that conclusion, I let out a sigh and ironed my resolve. It's fine. I'll take one step at a time.
First, I will confront Yennefer and demand answers for what she did to me. I'll decide on my next course of action after that.
†
Inside the mansion, in her office, Yennefer sat amidst a towering stack of paperwork spread across her desk.
She had her silver hair tied up in a high bun. In front of her, a holographic tab and keyboard were being projected.
She frequently glanced between the paperwork and the virtual screen in front of her then tapping away on the virtual keyboard.
The position of Lady of the West surely came with its advantages, but it left her no room for a moment's rest.
Right then, a faint knock echoed on the door of her office. Before Yennefer could respond, the door swung open.
Almost instantly, a young man with shiny silver hair rushed in, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Yennefer.
Behind him, an enchanting young woman with jet-black hair and eyes as vibrant as a lush forest on a sunny day followed.
Following behind the duo was a flustered butler, his face drenched in cold sweat as he said, "Young Master Lucas! You can't just barge in here like this! Lady Yennefer is busy—"
Before the butler could complete his sentence, Yennefer raised a hand, halting him in his tracks.
"It's fine," she said, motioning for the butler to leave the room.
After the butler reluctantly exited her office, Yennefer turned her attention to Lucas.
Her lips curled into a faint smile as she parted them to speak, "What brings you here, Lucas?"
Lucas remained silent, his gaze fixed on Yennefer in a momentary silence, before he spoke up, "Why did you do it? Was it because you favored Adel? I suppose you always preferred him over me, didn't you? You wanted him to be the heir, right?"
A deep frown marred Yennefer's ageless face, her bewitching eyes clouded with confusion.
"What do you mean?" she questioned, uncertainty lacing her voice. "I don't understand–"
Before Yennefer could complete her sentence, Lucas strode up to her desk and slammed his hands down upon it.
Thwaaam–!!
"Do not feign ignorance!" He raged, prompting Amelia to place a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Calm down," the black-haired archeress whispered to him in a hushed tone.
Lucas rolled his eyes, took several deep breaths, and managed to quell his anger even for just a moment.
He then dug his hands into his pockets, took a handful of crumpled paper slips, and threw them in front of Yennefer.
The elven woman gave her son a quick glance, the frown on her captivating face deepening even more. "And what is this?"
Lucas remained silent and kept staring at her with cold animosity. An uneasy feeling began to settle in Yennefer's heart.
With heavy hands, she picked up the paper receipts and glimpsed at their contents.
For a moment, her eyes slightly widened, and her heart raced within her chest. But she did a good job concealing her panic.
In the next instance, with an even tone, she turned her attention to Lucas and inquired, "Where did you get this?"
Lucas still kept his silence, the look of cold hatred in his eyes faltered and gave way to one of anguish.
His tone, however, still remained detached as he finally answered with a question of his own:
"Does it matter?" He asked. "It was you, wasn't it? You meddled with my mind and blocked my memories, didn't you?!"
Yennefer reclined back in her chair and undid her bun, letting her long silver hair flow down. She let out a weary sigh and nodded.
"Yes," she confessed, her dull, unfocused icy eyes fixated on the ceiling. "Yes, it was me."
After a brief moment of silence, Yennefer stood up from her plush chair and moved around the desk in front of her, eventually leaning against its edge and faxing Lucas.
She locked eyes with her son and began to speak, "Yes, I blocked your memories. I influenced your mind using Arcane magic. I—"
"Why?!" Lucas erupted, interrupting her as tears of fury welled up in his eyes. "What did I ever do to you?! Why would you do this?!"
"Lucas, there are things in this world that you can't even begin to comprehend as you are right now," Yennefer explained while barely holding back her voice from breaking.
"And that justifies what you did to your son?" Amelia interjected, her voice carrying the same hostility as Lucas'. "You turned him into a villain in the eyes of the public. I despised him for what I thought he did, but it turns out he wasn't to blame. You were!"
Yennefer inhaled a shaky breath and rubbed her face wearily. "Neither of you truly understands what we're dealing with. You don't know what's at stake here. But believe me, I took the actions I did for a very good reason."
"Oh, so it was for a good reason!" Lucas scoffed. "Well, that explains a lot! Thank you, Mother dearest! Now tell me, did Father know about this as well?"
Yennefer stayed silent and avoided eye contact, which Lucas took as confirmation, prompting him to scoff again.
"Of course, he did!" Lucas snapped. "He disowned me knowing it wasn't my fault! Tell me, was it so Adel could become the heir?!"
Yennefer vigorously shook her head. "I wish it were that simple and selfish, Lucas! Oh, how I wish there was another choice!"
"There's always a choice!" Lucas roared, his fists clenched. "And you made yours! But what I need to know now is why! Why did you make such a choice if it wasn't to favor Adel?"
Yennefer shook her head once more, stumbling as she did so. "I-I can't... I can't tell you. Not right now."
Lucas frowned, regarding Yennefer with disbelief. "Are you kidding me right now? You blocked my memories, manipulated me, and now you're refusing to even tell me why?!"
Before Yennefer could respond, a gentle yet authoritative voice resonated in the office.
"I will tell you."
All eyes in the room shifted towards the source of the voice, revealing a towering man with broad shoulders and a ripped physique standing by the door frame.
It was General Reynold Morningstar.
"But dear—" Upon seeing him, Yennefer quickly voiced her concerns, but Reynold shook his head at her.
"You were correct, Yen. It's beginning," he said before looking at Lucas. "He should at least have some idea about the situation."
