Chapter 43: Burgers and fries?

While the funeral was happening, a black figure stood watching the garden through one of the windows.

Malakor’s expression couldn’t be seen behind his plain black mask, but his eyes were focused, fixed completely on a single figure.

’Who are you really, kid?’ The thought kept circling in his head, never leaving him alone.

His Lady Azelith’s words kept circling in his mind.

She had seen something while looking into the boy’s fate, a being she had called a God.

But could that really be possible?

According to her, the boy was either that being itself, taking the shape of a little boy for some unknown reason, an idea Malakor found completely impossible to believe. Or the other option was that he was being protected by that being for some reason.

The crazy part was that Azelith actually leaned more toward the first idea.

She believed the boy was somehow hiding his true identity for hidden reasons, or maybe he didn’t even know what he truly was.

Either way, it was still a crazy idea. That was exactly why Malakor had chosen to hide and watch the boy himself, hoping to find the truth on his own.

—

After the funeral ended, Celeste led Magna to a room.

"This will be your room, for as long as you stay here." She said, then added, pointing at a door inside the room. "There’s also a toilet and a bathing area in there, so you don’t have to walk far just for that."

Magna already understood they had no plan to let him leave, so for now, he set aside his plans and started looking around the room instead.

The room was just as big as Faye’s.

It also faced inward, with windows that looked out over the flower garden at the center of the mansion, and the graveyard right in the middle of it.

He figured Celeste had chosen this room on purpose, just for that view.

There was a large bed in the middle of the room, along with a huge wardrobe that looked both luxurious and comfortable.

Handwoven gray carpet covered the floor from wall to wall, and paintings decorated the walls, giving the whole space a clean, minimal look that was still perfectly designed for resting.

"You can decorate the room however you like. There will always be at least one maid waiting outside your door to serve you. Just ask her for anything you want, and it will be taken care of."

All of it felt like the kind of treatment a famous football player back in his world would get after signing with a new club. But this situation obviously had some big differences.

Magna let out a helpless sigh and asked. "So I’m basically under house arrest?"

He could already guess the maid had another hidden job, keeping an eye on him at all times.

Celeste laughed. "You really do say whatever’s on your mind, don’t you?"

It was a trait that caught her attention about the boy. Even though he was very good at reading people and understanding their real intentions, he was terrible at talking to them, terrible at softening his words, and just as bad at lying.

’He’s still a child. If he learns how to do these things, he could become a great manipulator,’ Celeste thought with delight, already starting to plan everything she wanted to teach him.

But the real reason Magna was bad at communication wasn’t his age. It was his antisocial nature.

"No, you’re not under house arrest or anything like that." She said, stepping closer to pat his head.

"You can leave whenever you want. I promise no one will stop you, and no one will come after you."

Magna felt her cold hand on his head, which he didn’t dislike, but he still gave her a suspicious look.

For some reason, whenever he looked at her, he couldn’t sense any malice from her.

Except for those moments when her whole demeanor and expression turned cold and emotionless, she almost always looked kind and warm.

"Don’t look at me like that, I don’t have any hidden intentions. You already know what we expect from you anyway." She laughed again, imitating Magna’s own bluntness, deciding it was time to just say things directly instead of sugarcoating them.

"Like I said, you’re free to leave whenever you want. But we’re also going to do everything we can to make you want to stay."

As she spoke, she reached into her robe and pulled out a small key. "This is the key to my study. I believe you like reading books, right?"

She had guessed that, since the only thing to keep him entertained back in the cave he grew up in were books.

’She really knows how to bait me,’ Magna didn’t hesitate for a second before taking it.

With books, he could learn more about this world, especially about mana and spells.

He still didn’t want to become a Shadow just to be able to use spells. To him, it seemed almost like being a slave. So maybe, just maybe, with Gaia’s help, he could find a way to become a Witch himself instead.

Celeste looked pleased, almost triumphant, watching him take the key so eagerly.

But she wasn’t done yet. She called out toward the head maid waiting at the door. "Victoria."

The maid walked in, pushing a large trolley in front of her, all the way up to the boy.

She began lifting the covers off the dishes one by one, revealing mouthwatering food underneath, filling the whole room at once with a perfect mix of smells.

Magna’s eyes went wide the moment he saw all the food.

There was a big bowl filled with fresh fruit, different from anything he had eaten in the dining hall before. There were colorful desserts, each one different from the last, and carefully prepared dishes still steaming on their plates.

Even though it hadn’t been long since he last ate, he was already starting to feel hungry again, almost starving.

His expression made Celeste even happier, and another satisfied look spread across her face.

She already knew the boy had a bit of a sweet tooth for food, especially after seeing the state of the table back in the dining hall.

"You won’t find food like this outside, you know? But here, just ask, and our kitchen will have it ready in no time." She threw out her last bait.

Magna realized this was just another game meant to tie him to the house, and he tried to hold himself back, tried not to let his mouth water.

But that only lasted so long, until his eyes landed on one plate.

’What the hell? They actually have burgers and fries?’

That was the last thread holding his willpower together, and it finally snapped.