Emperor's Reckoning

"Maria Myris?" Vivi asked as she furrowed her eyebrows. She had never heard of the name that Cecile had just uttered.

"Are you going to ask who is this person?" asked Cecile as she crossed her arms and raised one of her eyebrows.

"Tch! No," said Vivi.

"Alright," Cecile nodded. "Do it then."

"What? Right now?" asked Vivi. "Don't you want your lovey-dovey husband to be here?"

"No," Cecile shook her head. "There are some things that even you fortune-tellers shouldn't meddle with."

"Don't mock me," said Vivi as she smirked. "Do you know how rare it is for fortune-tellers, to come and give her service to the world? At least give me some respect."

Cecile smirked. "Alright, miss fortune-teller, can you humbly accept my request?"

"That is not sincere, never mind," said Vivi as she lightly pouted.

The lady fortune-teller slowly closed her eyes as the surroundings turned silent. Her senses slowly closed one by one. No touch, no taste, no sound, and not even a tiny bit of smell from her cute nose did she capture. Her mortal body was standing as the red oblong jewel on her forehead slowly shimmered.

Cecile had her eyes turned sharp as she saw Vivi sink into a deep epiphany. She could feel with her skin that the surrounding mana had shifted to a gentle stream surrounding the ethereal beauty in front of her.

(Her soul and mind is not here, not bad for a fledgling I suppose) said Cecile inwardly.

Cecile furrowed her eyebrows as she saw the slight twitch from Vivi's eyelids.

"Hm!" Cecile immediately noticed little pebbles slowly raised and hovered in the air. (This is...).

She averted her glance back and looked at Vivi's figure that was now hovering slightly. The mana surrounding her enlightened as she turned more radiant with a white glow.

(Can she do it?) thought Cecile as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Ngh?!" Vivi's eyes snapped open and her pupils shrunk to a dot before she puked out blood. The radiant instantly dissipated before she fell down along with the thuds of the small pebbles.

Cecile quickly moved and grabbed the back of her robe. She caught the lady fortune-teller like a mother's tiger carrying her cub.

She smiled before she raised her eyebrows, "Ah, she is unconscious."

---

Meanwhile back in the restaurant of the Sverine Inn.

Lyon has had his jaw slacked open as he saw what was in front of him. A Mountain stack of used plates was visible as a little stain of glistering chocolate sauce could be seen on some. He made a harsh gulp without even blinking his eyes as he averted his glance from the monstrosity to the person that was responsible for it.

The latter was patting her lips gently with a clean white napkin before she put it down on top of the table that was adorned with a green royal tablecloth.

Lyon had not yet blinked as he slowly move his head to the side and saw only two stacks of used empty plates. (How is that little mouth devoured such load? Heh, that's funny) thought Lyon as he smiled at his own words.

"What seems to be amusing?" asked Lumina as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Hm?" Lyon turned to face her before smiling, "Nothing, you won't get it."

"Is it about me?" asked Lumina as the curtain of her eyes fell only half.

Lyon pressed his lips together with his cheeks slightly expanded as he nodded.

"Must be something dirty right? Knowing you and all," she muttered as she slightly raised her chin.

"You are one hundred percent correct," said Lyon as he grinned and rapidly nodded with a snort of proudness.

"You..." Lumina sighed.

"Was I like this when I met you?" asked Lyon with a smile on his face. He pressed the edge of the chairs with his hands as he excitedly anticipated her answers.

"Huh? Oh.." Lumina slightly pondered before she answered. "Pretty much, still the same, no matter how experienced you were back then, you are still the same, Though..." She smiled.

"Though?" Lyon smiled as he raised his brows.

"Were you not that assertive, we wouldn't have met in that lone island," Lumina smiled.

"I guess being a perverted young man is also my positive than," Lyon laughed.

"No," Lumina flat-out answered. "It is perhaps your only drawback."

"Ouch!" exclaimed Lyon as he pressed his chest. "You think so?"

"I don't need to think for that one, there have been many complaints of missing undergarments," said Lumina as she crossed her arms. "I wonder who."

Lyon smiled wryly as he scratched the back of his head, "I wonder wh-who, hahaha."

"Even when we fight on that island," said Lumina. "You were after my clothing rather than dealing some serious damage."

"Oh, t-that's just coincidence," said Lyon as he laughed. (Damn! Women really do love to bring everything to the table).

"But," Lumina smiled. "Who cares, the fact that you are here right now within my reach, none of that whimsical thing matters."

(Whimsical huh...) thought Lyon as she smiled inwardly.

"Oh right," Lyon suddenly said.

"Hm?"

"I recall that you know me in the past right? I mean after I left that island for a really long time, I think you once said that I was ' The Emperor Lyon'.

Lumina furrowed her eyebrows before she nodded. "What of it?"

"Can you tell me more about who I was?" asked Lyon as he grinned.

Lumina exhaled a long snort before she looked at Lyon. "No."

"Eh? Why not?" asked Lyon.

"You must experience your past yourself, you must not listen to what others describe of you, as some may not be the truth about you, though I highly doubt if they even..." Lumina stopped there.

"Even what? Even what?!" asked Lyon.

Lumina shook her head, "No it's a no. You must open your own memories, see it for yourself, how they unfold right before your eyes."

Lyon let out a sigh, "Alright, I understand."

Lumina raised her eyebrows in a slight surprise. "Good."