…

For the next four and a half months, Agatha ‘taught’ Fate many things with her ‘unique’ methods. For Fate it was agony, but for Agatha, it was just another hobby. She and her husband were now sitting in the garden having a cup of tea.

Issac: “How’s your tutoring of our little genius coming along, my Agate?”

Agatha: “...”

Agatha did not respond, she merely stayed silent while carefully sipping her tea.

-How could he think that thing was a genius? It’s just a monster hiding in the skin of my own child or some premonition of terrible events to come, I’m sure of it!

Issac: “My Agate?”

Agatha: “Hmmm? Ah, yes the child! I...He is doing well, his ability to...learn is truly astounding! I’ve taught him...many words of...respect.”

Agatha had drilled it into her son that he was a dog in front of them and would continue to do so until he couldn’t help but revere her and, her husband like a king and queen. That was the sort of ‘respect’ she desired from one so young, or so it seemed.

Issac: “Words...of respect? You are teaching him the values of filial piety then?”

Agatha: “...Among other things, yes.”

-It must never defy me, it must stay out of my way, and it must do nothing I do not tell it to do. After all, what use does something like that have aside from a dog?

Agatha clenched the teacup she was holding, tighter.

Issac: “I hope that I am not pushing too much onto you. I am trying my best to abstain from any further combat, at least for a while.”

Agatha: “...You never can help it, huh?”

Issac: “Hm, did you say something, my Agate?”

Agatha: “No, no, nothing of the sort.”

Agatha gripped the handle of her cup even tighter, small cracks beginning to form at the handle.

Issac: “...I see, well if you need help with our child, you can always ask one of the staff to take care of it. Or maybe I could just take some time away and leave someone else to deal with the king!”

Agatha: *sigh* “Beloved, his majesty will not like it if you do not face him yourself. If you truly wish for time away from the battlefield, then fight with all your heart to get it and do not try to weasel out of it like a coward…”

-I know my husband’s personality, though he is like this now he will never cease his assault if he knows the enemy is within range of his sword. I barely get any time with him as it is, but he needs to be able to make time for me...and not just for that thing!

Issac: “I believe you’re right, my Agate. Well then, I will be off to get a leave of absence from the battlefield as swiftly as I can!!!”

Issac charged off down the hall. He was like a little toy soldier that had been wound up to the limit and let run amok.

Agatha: “Why must he care about that thing?!”

*crack!*

The cup she had been holding splintered at the handle, broke apart into pieces, and smashed onto the ground, spilling the remaining tea within it.

Agatha: *sigh* “Jacob.”

Jacob suddenly appeared from thin air.

Jacob: “My lady, what is your command?”

-I suppose…

Agatha: “I will be waiting in the study, have it dressed and bring it there. I will be waiting, but you had best not take long.”

Jacob’s gentle smile distorted for a moment from Agatha’s cold tone, while his body quivered. He regained his composure in a split second before responding.

Jacob: “Yes, my lady.”

…….

-I don’t want to keep doing this…

While the ‘learning’ sessions every day were treated as a hobby by Agatha, Fate treated them as if hell had risen from the earth to swallow his happiness in a torrent of flame.

-She won’t stop digging her nails into my neck when I get something wrong, insulting me egregiously, and trying to force me to walk upright while picking up a book every time I fall. That last one is just a psychological attack, but she has me with all the sh*t she’s been doing to me!

Fate: “M-my speeech-h is c-clearer than b-before.”

Indeed, throughout these lessons, Fate had been painfully taught to correctly pronounce words and could now enunciate at least a few, perfectly. However, he would constantly stutter as if merely speaking was forcing him to relive the entire experience.

Fate: *Sigh* “Journal.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Name: Fate
• HP: 21.77/24.09
• MP: 2.65/2.65
• Level: 0
• Race: Human
• Age: 10, 1/2 months old (19+ years old)
• Job: None
• Previous Jobs: None
• Titles: 【Familiar of Fate】

--------------------------------

• Stats:
  • Strength: 3.249
  • Endurance: 5.176
  • Wisdom: 3.5
  • Intelligence: 3.57
  • Stamina: 3.966
  • Agility: 1.9
  • Fortune: 1.0
  • Magic: 0.823

---------------------------------

• Passive Skills: None
• Active Skills: None
• Unique Skills: None
• Equipment: Fate’s Journal(Soul-bound)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-My stats have been going up a fair bit and now my 【Intelligence】 has gone beyond wisdom, though I’m not sure whether I should be happy about that.

Fate’s stats had increased a fair bit, his 【Endurance】 most of all. Though he wasn’t sure of the average stats for a child, he guessed that he was a bit on the pathetic side. After all, he had been born with 1 HP and that didn’t seem like the vitality of a newborn child, it seemed more to suit a stillborn at the cusp of death.

-It doesn’t mean I’m grateful to Mother though. Still...if my【Wisdom】stat isn’t going up, then I’m just not finding ways to get the best out of my situation.

【Wisdom】went up whenever you made a wise decision or in other words, when you got the most you could out of whatever binds you were in. However, Fate was too stricken with fear during those lessons to understand what he could get out of such pain and torture.

-Alright, that’s it! I’m going to focus and find whatever I can gain from this terrible dilemma! And if possible, find a way to discontinue these lessons since I’d like my suffering to be at my own hands, not hers...that sounded a little wrong, but let’s go with that!

*knock* *knock*

Jacob: “Young master, I am here with your clothes.”

Since their ‘lessons’ began, Jacob had been speaking to him whenever he came to the door. It was essentially obedience training and if Fate didn’t give the answer that Jacob wanted, Agatha would ‘discipline’ him harshly.

-Ughhh….

Fate: “....Y-yes, come in.”

*creak*

The door creaked open, right on cue. Jacob walked through holding his clothes and a small jar of the flavorless jel that he had become accustomed to eating.

Jacob: “Your answer lacked conviction, young master. I shall have to tell the Lady of this.”

Fate: “B-but…”

Jacob: “...Young master, do refrain from taking a defiant tone...or I will have to take other measures besides bothering the Lady. Please, do not force my hand.”

-Dammit

Fate: “Yes.”

Jacob: “Very good, now let us get you dressed and we shall be away to the study at once.”

Something seemed wrong with his statement just then. Of note, was that Jacob had not mentioned the jel at all. This had become common practice as a punishment for his repeated ‘mistakes.’ They were occasionally starving him.

…

Sometime later, Jacob once again stood in front of the large wooden door of the study. Though it was called a study, it was more of a library that the Lord or Lady of the mansion would visit once in a while.

*knock* *knock*

Agatha: “Enter.”

*creak*

Jacob pushed the large wooden door forward as he had done so often by this point, once again exposing the vast library and Agatha sitting at her usual couch.

Jacob: “I have brought the child, my lady.”

Agatha: “...”

Jacob: “My lady?”

Agatha: “Set the child down and leave.”

Agatha spoke in a cold tone, just as she had when Jacob saw her after her tea time with the Lord.

Jacob: “Yes, my lad…”

Agatha: “Lock the door and gather all the staff in the garden for a celebration in appreciation of their hard work in recent years.”

Jacob: “M-my lady, what do you intend to…!”

Agatha: “That is none of your concern! Now, fulfill your orders and make sure no one disturbs me.”

Jacob: “Yes...my lady…”

Jacob sat the child down and quickly left the room. Minutes passed by with silence continuing in the room while outside, a commotion was occurring. However, the commotion was soon replaced by quiet cheers and the noises drifted away from the room, leaving that part of the mansion in complete silence.

Agatha: “Now then…”

Agatha left her seat and walked slowly over to Fate’s position. Her fingers flickered with some sort of glow, flashing a pale blue and then back to her normal, pale skin color within a split second.

Agatha: “Today...I will show you the strength of my god. For, I will not let you steal the affection of my beloved!!"

She drove two fingers into Fate’s neck, drawing a crescent through his flesh.

Fate: “AGGHHHHHHHAAAAGHHH!!!”

Agatha: “Why must he care for you?! With my strength, I shall bind you to servitude and never allow your filthy presence to come close to my own!!!”

The mark she made radiated with a pale bluish-white glow that filled the study as Fate screamed.