Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son

Chapter 304  Heart Of Yggdrasil [Prelude]

"Hmm♪ hmm♪"

In the garden sprawling below the World Tree Yggdrasil, a breathtaking high elf paced gracefully through the garden, her soft humming filling the air.

Her long, cascading hair—a delicate blend of golden blonde streaked with subtle olive—gently cradled a tiny baby in her arms.

"Uwaa," the baby's soft cry broke the serene melody, his small hands reaching out.

"Are you awake?" Nerissa whispered, her voice warm as she leaned closer. "Morning, sleepyhead."

"Uwaa."

"It's Mama~," she crooned, her tone teasing as though coaxing him to speak. "Can you say 'Mama' for me?"

"Uwaa."

"Are you still asleep?" Nerissa gently asked, bringing him close to her. "Will a kiss wake you up?"

She gently kissed his head and cheek.

"Uwaa."

The baby boy giggled softly, making Nerissa kiss him more.

"Liam~," she called his name sweetly, savoring the way it rolled off her tongue as if trying to embed it into his tiny heart.

Pausing for a moment, she mused aloud, "You know, I almost named you Himmel. It would've suited you perfectly... my little piece of heaven."

Gently rubbing his cheek, she continued, "But your father wanted your name to be Liam."

The boy giggled as her finger brushed past his face.

Nerissa smiled gently as she looked around.

Her gaze drifted to the corner of the garden, where a young boy with vibrant purple hair was playfully wielding a slender branch from the World Tree.

"See him, little one?" she whispered, gesturing toward the boy.

"That's your big brother, Azariah. He'll look after you... maybe not as much as your sister, but he'll try."

"Azariah, come here," she called out, her voice carrying a gentle authority.

Azariah quickly ran toward her, throwing the stick aside.

"Yeah?" he said, his voice filled with caution.

"Do you want to hold him?" Nerissa asked softly, kneeling to his level.

Azariah's eyes sparkled as he asked, "Can I?"

"Be careful, though," she cautioned as she gently transferred the baby into his arms.

Azariah cradled the infant tenderly, his lips unable to stop smiling.

Not even a second passed before she grew cautious about her child.

"Okay, that's enough," she replied, gently taking her child away from Azariah's hands.

She smiled, gazing at her giggling child.

She blinked.

Her smile faded.

Her expression crumbled.

Her vision turned blurry, tears trickled down as she tightly grabbed the blood-soaked cloth in her hand.

Her child was gone.

.....

.

.

.

"—day."

"—y lady."

"My lady!"

Nerissa turned her vacant gaze toward the source, finding a gray-haired man in a butler's uniform standing beside her, his face etched with concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking at her.

She took in a deep breath as she looked around, finding herself standing outside a teleportation portal.

"Where is Nymeria?" she asked, turning to look at her trusted aide.

"She departed with the rest of the family," Fredrick replied with a slight bow. "You'll reunite with them in Lumina."

"I see," Nerissa whispered, lowering her gaze to her trembling hand.

She slowly walked inside the portal room, Fredrick trailed behind her.

His gaze briefly shifted to her stiff shoulder.

It was as if she was carrying a heavy burden with her.

Fredrick sighed in pity.

The smallest coffins are often the heaviest. ******

[Tamriel Kingdom, Alfheim] [Lumina] "Hah, this feels nice," I muttered, stretching my arms as I emerged from the teleportation portal.

The air felt nice while the grand interior of the hall greeted me like an opulent masterpiece.

Gleaming marble floors stretched endlessly, reflecting the golden chandeliers above.

Tall, arched windows lined the walls, flooding the room with natural light and revealing the lush greenery beyond.

Elves filled the place, walking around.

Some stood poised, waiting for the students.

"Walk faster!"

I turned my head just in time to see Zenith stride out of the portal behind me.

"Stop dragging your feet," she said, shoving me lightly.

"After you, milady," I teased, stepping aside with a slight bow.

"Humph, better," she replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder with a smug grin.

I turned around.

My gaze landed on the students of the second-year class walking out of the portal.

Except for a few strong beings, others had an uncomfortable and nauseous expression after the teleportation from Akasha.

The sweet scent made me inhale deeply as I looked forward again.

"You seem happy," Elijah walked toward me with a smile.

"Oh, really?" I replied, tilting my head.

He nodded. "Yeah, you are smiling for once. Did something good happen?"

"I don't know." I shrugged, suppressing my smile. "Maybe something did happen."

"Tell me," Aimar chimed in as he stood beside me.

"No," I replied as a few elves walked toward us.

"Alright, everyone!"

Wilhlem clapped his hands, grabbing everyone's attention.

He walked forward, standing with elves who had trays in their hands.

"Come forward one by one and put these on," Wilhlem instructed, holding up a handcuff. "Fail to comply, and you'll die a painful death."

The expressions of the students around me tensed up.

"Huh? Why should we?" one of the arrogant students asked. "Isn't it disgraceful for us—"

"Ethereal mana is different from mana in Lumina, you fool," Wilhlem barked, glaring at him. "If you're not careful, you'll die from mana poisoning."

The knowledgeable students nodded their heads.

It's one of the reasons Forsaken families are called prisoners of the moon.

If they are not Overlord rank, they can't move freely in Lumina.

The difference in mana between them makes it hard to live in Lumina without a filter.

"Now come here and pick one," Wilhlem

 said, gesturing toward the handcuffs.

The students started to walk toward him and pick one by one.

I glanced down at my own cuff, identical in design but with a reverse function compared to theirs.

"Should we take it out?" Aimar mumbled, looking at me.

"We should," I replied, as I touched the green button on the side.

With a soft click, the filter deactivated.

"Hm?"

The air around me shifted almost instantly. The mana trembled, rippling like waves breaking free from a dam.

A small gust swirled around me, carrying a faint hum as if it were alive—happy to return to me.

"Huh?"

"What's happening?"

The intensity of the mana's reaction quickly drew every gaze in the room toward me.

[<Make it stop!>]

'I am trying.' I clenched my fist and willed the mana around me to return to normal.

It listened to me, returning back to it's natural state.

"Ahem." I coughed awkwardly, feeling their stares bore into me. "It's just… uh, my handcuff malfunctioned."

My lie seemed reasonable to them as they returned to their work.

I quickly stole a glance at Wilhlem.

'Fuck.' And just as I expected, he was looking at me suspiciously.

"What was that?" Elijah asked, and Aimar leaned closer.

"Nothing," I replied as I glanced at Siersha walking toward me.

Elijah and Aimar instinctively backed off as she reached me and grabbed my arm.

I tilted my head in confusion.

"Come with me," she ordered, dragging me toward the corner.

"Don't you want to avoid rumors about us—?"

"What just happened?" she cut into my words.

"Nothing," I shrugged, feigning indifference. "Why do you care, anyway?"

She glared at me with her crimson eyes before sighing heavily.

"Anyway, I want to warn you," she began, looking at me seriously. "Be careful of Harper."

I frowned. "Who the fuck is Harper?"

"Are you talking about me?" a voice echoed from behind me.

I turned to face a tall man with a neatly trimmed beard.

His jet-black hair, piercing crimson eyes, and unnaturally pale skin marked him as a vampire.

Ah.

Right, that guy who liked Yenna.

He gave me a fake smile. "Were you just cursing me?"

I smiled back, just as insincerely. "Was I?"

His gaze shifted toward Siersha. "What are you doing with him, niece?"

"Nothing, Uncle," she replied coolly. "And if you could—"

"This is our first meeting, isn't it?" Harper interrupted, his focus back on me. "Himmel, right?"

"...."

"I've noticed you visiting Lady Yennefer's office every day—"

"Get to the point," I scoffed, looking at him.

He stepped closer, bringing his lips close to my ear.

A heavy pressure of mana bore down on my body, trying to suppress me.

It was enough to rupture a normal person's internal organs.

"Stay away from Yennefer," he whispered softly. "If I catch you near her again, I'll kill you."

I stood unmoving, staring back in silence.

Harper took it as agreement. A smug smile curled his lips as he stepped back, patting my arm.

"Keep it in mind."  He said, turning around.

"Oy, bloodsucker," I called out, making him halt. "Did you just threaten me?"

"Himmel?" Siersha squeezed my arm softly, trying to stop me. "Let it go, please."

Harper turned slowly, his expression twisting with unrestrained anger.

Shrugging off Siersha's grip, I took a step closer to him.

"Kill me?" I tilted my head, feigning curiosity. "What makes you think you can, parasite?"

"Himmel!"

"Don't fucking shout." I scoffed. "Even your fucking father would show me respect. Who do you think you are?"

Our commotion brought everyone's attention toward us.

Wilhlem and Lirien were already moving toward us.

"What did you say about staying away from her?" I leaned in, lowering my voice to a chilly whisper.

"I dare you—try touching her. I'll make sure even your father won't save you."

Harper's fist clenched tight as he swung it toward me—

BOOM!

Wilhlem's hand caught Harper's arm mid-air.

"Are you insane!?" Wilhlem barked, shoving Harper back. "Attacking a student? Have you lost your mind?"

Harper's chest heaved as he glared at me, his crimson eyes burning with fury.

I smiled brightly just to irritate him more.

With a frustrated snarl, he turned and stormed off.

"Alright, show's over. Move along," Lirien

 said, waving the crowd back to their business.

Wilhlem cast me a warning glance before walking away, leaving me and Siersha alone.

"...."

She stared at me in silence.

"What?" I asked, looking at her.

No reply.

She kept on staring at me with her crimson eyes.

"If you've got something to say—"

"You don't respect me one bit, do you?" she interrupted, her voice quiet, almost hurt.

"What are you—hey!"

Before I could finish, she turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, baffled.

The fuck?

"Himmel!"

I turned at the sound of my name, spotting a blonde-haired woman striding toward me.

"Daina?" I blinked in surprise as she stopped before me. "What are you doing here?"

"Let's go," she said briskly, grabbing my arm and leading me toward the exit. "The meeting is in a few hours."

"Where's Mariam?" I asked, following her as I motioned for Elijah to stay behind.

"She'll be here in an hour," Daina replied, guiding me to the basement where a sleek black car awaited us. "Until then, you're meeting the royal family."

"I see," I mumbled as she opened the door of a black car.

"We need to hurry," she said, starting the engine.

"I know." I settled into my seat. "You brought my suit, right?"

"Yes, of course."

She quickly navigated the car, taking it out of the dim light of the basement.

I squinted my eyes as the sunlight filtering through the windshield hit me.

"Hm?"

My eyes narrowed further as I noticed a dark point in the sunlight.

I leaned forward to get a clear look.

"Daina," I mumbled.

"Yeah?"

"There is a huge tree branch coming toward us," I mumbled what I was seeing.

"What?"

"Brace yoursel—!"

My words cut short as a tree branch slammed into us.