You're not my mother

Lana stands frozen, her eyes wide as she stares at the blooming peonies before her. To say she is shocked would be an understatement - this sight completely surpasses anything she has ever witnessed

Just moments ago, these flowers were withered, drooping under the sunlight, yet now they have returned to their full, vibrant beauty. Their soft petals, now a fresh shade of pink, sway gently in the breeze as if they have been granted new life

She can hardly believe her eyes. Once again, her gaze shifts to Cassius - the boy is still admiring the flowers with sparkling eyes, seemingly unaware of the strangeness of his own actions

It is not difficult to realize that Cassius is the one responsible for this

Lana swallows hard, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible

"These flowers… did you do this, young master?"

Cassius turns to her, tilting his head as if he doesn't understand why she is asking. Then, he flashes an innocent smile and points at the vibrant flowers in front of him

"They look much healthier now"

Lana lifts a hand to her forehead, trying to steady herself

'Calm down. This isn't the first time you've seen magic. Think logically - what do you know about people who can use Mana?'

She takes a deep breath, recalling the knowledge she has read about magic

'People who can use Mana usually inherit it through their bloodline. However, in rare cases, it can appear randomly… but the chances are extremely low'

Her eyes settle on Cassius's adorable face. A child only three years old - far too young to even understand what he has just done. But no matter how she looks at it, this cannot be a coincidence

'He is the adopted son of Duchess Celeste, so it wouldn't be too surprising for him to have one … But something still doesn't add up'

Lana furrows her brows, thinking more deeply

'People who possess Mana can manifest their powers at different ages. Some need to accumulate energy over a long time before their abilities surpass a threshold and burst forth. Some don't use magic until old age, while others awaken their powers as children. According to records, the youngest confirmed case was… six years old'

She freezes

'Wait. Six years old is the youngest ever recorded. That means-'

Lana's eyes widen in shock.

'Three years old - isn't that far too early? If the young master can already use magic, doesn't that mean the energy inside him has already exceeded its limit? Could this be harmful to him? I need to inform the Duchess immediately!'

She immediately kneels in front of Cassius, her expression serious yet her voice remaining gentle

"Young master, would you like to give a gift to the Duchess?"

Cassius looks up at her, his golden eyes lighting up with excitement

"I do!" He nods eagerly

Lana smiles

"Then let's make a flower crown for the Duchess. I think she would love it"

Cassius blinks

"A flower crown?"

"That's right. We'll walk around the garden, pick the most beautiful flowers, and weave them into a lovely crown"

Cassius thinks for a moment, then grins brightly

"Okay! Let's go!"

He quickly gets up, his small hand grabbing Lana's and pulling her along

Lana chuckles, letting Cassius lead her through the garden. His tiny steps are filled with excitement, as if he is embarking on a grand adventure

The two walk along the stone pathways, surrounded by countless blooming flowers. Cassius is soon drawn to a bed of pure white daisies. He crouches down, gently touching the soft petals

"Nana, are these flowers pretty?"

"They're very pretty. They'll be the perfect highlight for our crown"

Cassius carefully plucks one, then runs toward a patch of violet flowers nearby. Their gentle purple hue blends harmoniously with the white daisies, creating a beautiful contrast

After a while, they gather a colorful bouquet - white daisies, violets, lavender, and even a few small peonies

Lana sits down on a stone bench, placing the bouquet on her lap before skillfully weaving the flowers together. Cassius sits beside her, watching her every movement with fascination

"How do we tie them together?"

Lana smiles

"We use soft stems and weave them like this"

She carefully bends the flower stems into a circular shape, weaving each bloom together. Cassius also tries to help; though he is a bit clumsy at times, Lana patiently guides him

Before long, a beautiful flower crown is complete. The white, purple, and pink flowers blend together, creating a simple yet elegant masterpiece

Cassius stares at the crown, his golden eyes filled with excitement

"Nana, it's so pretty!"

Lana places the crown on his head to test it

"What do you think, young master? Will it suit the Duchess?"

Cassius grins and nods firmly

"It will definitely suit her!"

He gently lifts the flower crown, his eyes sparkling with joy

"Let's go find Mother" he says, stepping toward Lana and spreading his arms wide

"Alright"

Cassius wraps his arms around Lana's neck, pressing the flower crown between them as if afraid it might fall. Lana smiles, holding Cassius securely before beginning to walk, gently carrying him away from the fragrant garden

They follow the stone-paved path leading inside the castle, where sunlight streams through the large windows, casting shimmering beams across the marble floor

Cassius curiously looks around. Even though he has lived in the castle for some time, it still feels vast and mysterious - like a labyrinth waiting to be explored. The long curtains sway slightly in the breeze, and their footsteps echo down the quiet hallway

Lana glances around, trying to guess where Duchess Celeste might be

After thinking for a moment, she decides to take Cassius to the castle's grand sitting room. It is the place where Celeste often meets guests or discusses matters with her closest maids

The long hallway eventually opens up into a spacious and airy room. As expected, Celeste is there, engaged in conversation with Hela, the head maid

Hela, with her neatly tied hair and serious demeanor, is reporting on some matter. Celeste stands with her arms crossed, listening attentively, her silver eyes revealing little emotion

However, the moment she sees Lana and Cassius approaching, she immediately pauses, a flicker of surprise crossing her gaze

"Cassius? Why are you here?" Celeste's voice still carried its usual authority

Lana gently set Cassius down. The boy stepped closer to Celeste, his hands hidden behind his back, his golden eyes glimmering with mystery

"Mother, bend down" Cassius said, his voice small but firm.

Celeste frowned

"It's Celeste" she gently corrected him, but still lowered herself as he asked

Cassius grinned, bringing his hands forward to reveal the vibrant flower crown they had made earlier. Carefully, he placed it on Celeste's soft hair, adjusting it to sit perfectly on her head

"A flower crown for Mother" he said, his eyes filled with joy.

Celeste reached up, touching the delicate crown atop her head. Her expression softened. The cold and stern demeanor faded, replaced by a rare warmth in her deep silver eyes

She smiled

"Thank you, Cassius" Her voice carried an unfamiliar gentleness

Cassius beamed, delighted that Celeste didn't reject his gift

Hela, the head maid standing beside them, looked momentarily surprised to see the Duchess smiling

"Young Master Cassius, you truly have a talent for making the Duchess happy" Hela said with a small smile, bowing slightly to the boy

Cassius looked at Hela, then up at Celeste. He blinked once, then grasped the hem of her dress

"Mother is very beautiful" he said sincerely

Lana observed Celeste's reaction, feeling a quiet sense of relief at this rare, tender moment. But then, a sudden thought jolted her back to reality - there was something far more important that she needed to report

'Wait, I can't let emotions distract me. This is more urgent!'

Lana quickly gathered her thoughts, taking a deep breath before stepping forward

"Duchess" she spoke, her tone much more serious than before

Celeste turned to her, her expression returning to its usual calm composure

"I believe Cassius has awakened his ability to use mana" Lana said slowly"While we were in the garden, I witnessed him revive withered flowers with my own eyes"

Lana waited for Celeste's reaction. She expected the Duchess to be surprised, or at least show some sign of being taken aback by this revelation. But to her shock, Celeste remained entirely unfazed, as if this was nothing out of the ordinary

"I have known this for a long time"

Celeste's nonchalant response left Lana stunned

"You… already knew?" she repeated, almost unable to believe what she had just heard

Celeste nodded slowly, her gaze resting on Cassius as he played with the flower crown on her head. Her voice was calm, yet there was an undeniable certainty in it

"From the moment he was born, Cassius has always been using mana"