Candace returned to the room a little while later with warm water and a fresh white shirt and soft black cotton trousers. It wasn't what the other nobles wore but at least it was clean and not like the rags this body was used to wearing.
He left his bedroom feeling refreshed and determined as he made his way to the dining room with Candace following behind with her head lowered.
Just as he reached the door, he felt an alarming wave of power begin to radiate from behind it. He took a deep breath and steadied himself, his mana heart pumping furiously against the power seeping from the room as if fighting against it.
Riven felt a shred of pity for the original owner of this body, that amount of magical power against someone without a mana heart must of been so uncomfortable to live with.
The servant opened the door for him and he entered the room, his eyes scanning the large ornate dining table in front of him and all of his new family that surrounded it.
"You're late." The counts tone was sharp and cutting as he spoke and all eyes swept towards Riven. "Sit."
There was an empty seat with a place setting at the end of the table which Riven settled himself in. He cast his eyes around the table, taking in the appearance of everyone there.
His eldest sister, Ember, sat to the left of the Count, her vibrant red hair cascading in thick curls around her face, reminiscent of a lion's mane. At eighteen, she carried herself with the confidence of someone who had already carved out her place in the world. Her crimson eyes didn't so much as flicker in his direction as he took his seat, as if he were invisible.
She wore a sharply tailored military-style suit, the dark fabric embroidered with gold accents. Numerous pins and badges adorned her lapel—a clear testament to her achievements. Though Riven wasn't familiar with their exact significance, he knew they marked various accomplishments earned through the prestigious Royal Magic Academy near the palace in the capital.
His stepmother sat to the right side of the count, her pink eyes glaring openly at Riven - so intensely In fact, it was as if there were real flames in her gaze. She wore an outlandish and probably over expensive gown that fluttered around her in red frills and lace. He knew from this body's memory that his stepmother hated him the most out of everyone because he was proof of her husband's adultery.
It's not Rivens fault that the count can't keep it in his pants.
His elder brother, Cole, sat to the right of Riven and to the left of their stepmother, his presence as meticulously composed as his appearance. At seventeen—the same age as Riven—he was every bit the polished noble heir. His dark wine-red hair was neatly brushed and styled to perfection, not a strand out of place. Like Ember, he wore the same luxurious military-style suit, but his was immaculate, almost untouched by wear.
And, just like their elder sister, he didn't spare Riven even a glance. It was as if acknowledging his existence wasn't worth the effort.
His father's presence was the most domineering in the room. His greying red hair was brushed back from his face and ruby encrusted patch covered his left eye. The count lost his eye 10 years ago but no one knew how it happened and the count refuses to speak about it.
He wore a military suit like his children except his was adorned with one single star shaped ruby that seemed to shimmer as if there was a flame trapped inside.
Compared to them, Rivens appearance was much more mundane. His hair was seemed almost black at first glance but in the light it had dark red glow. Because of his lack of care in the past, his hair length was just below his chest at the moment and the sensation of it was unusual for Riven. His eyes were a crystal clear blue, a colour unusual to the Counts family lineage and a clear tell of his illegitimacy. His body, which was muscular in his past life as a result of his hauling sacks of flour and grain, was now thin and weak.
But, he had plans to change that.
The count motioned for the servants to bring in dinner and Rivens eyes widened slightly as countless plates full of various meats and dishes were piling up on the centre of the table. Riven didn't hesitate as he began to pile his plate up with glistening cuts of chicken and pork, roasted potatoes and various vegetables. He ate well in his past life but never like this! It tasted heavenly.
"Disgusting." His stepmother, Etna, cringed as she watched him wolf down half of his plate in a matter of minutes.
The count cleared his throat before speaking. "I guess you're all wondering why I've invited the entire family down for dinner."
"Yes, father." Ember agreed as she began to pick at the food on her plate. "It was strange for you to summon brother and I home."
"Last night, there was a surprise attack on our northern borders." The count said and silence fell over the room.
"Was it the Danu empire?" Ember asked as she set down her fork. The Danu empire had always been on bad terms with the Solis Empire, but they had never attacked before.
"No," The count shook his head rubbed the bridge of his nose as if a headache was building. "It's…"
The count trailed off and Rivens eyes flickered between the family members as he continued to eat.
"Father?" Cole asked. "Who was it that attacked?" Even Rivens stiff elder brother seemed concerned in the counts tone.
"It was a small group of undead." The count finally said and all hell broke loose.
His stepmother gasped and covered her mouth whilst his elder brother and sister shot up from their chairs, both shouting at once.
"It can't be!"
"Father it can't be true!"
"Sit down," The count commanded and his two siblings immediately sat down again. "It's true, I've had it triple checked. They were undead."
"So the undead…" Cole sounded almost defeated as he trailed off.
"Yes, it seems like remnants of the past are coming back to haunt us." The count sighed. "The Shadow Kingdom is stirring once more."
Riven swallowed the food in his mouth before setting down the fork on his plate. He didn't really know what this all meant, but he was getting the feeling that it wasn't good.
"What has the King said?" Ember asked after a moment.
"He has demanded that all nobles attend the academy in training." The counts eyes shifted to me. "A war is coming and even a single soldier can make a difference."
"You can't possibly mean to send Riven to the academy?!" His stepmother was horrified as she began to understand what the count was saying.
"He can't even create his own mana heart father, it would be an embarrassment to let this be known to the outside." Ember finally slid her ruby like eyes to rest on Riven and he felt his hands clench.
"Dear, you can't let anyone know you have an illegitimate child! Think of what they would say about us if they found out you sired a child with a maid! And he can't even form a mana heart!" His stepmother began to weep and a flash of what seemed like sympathy flashed in the counts eyes for a moment before turning cold again.
"It's an order from the king." The count sighed. "What do you expect me to do? He knows of Riven, it's not like I can hide him away when the King himself knows of his existence."
Riven had heard enough of them speaking as if he wasn't there and stood up, loudly scraping the chair legs backwards as he did so.
"Not that any of you even bothered to check, but I did recently form a mana heart." Riven said as he wiped his mouth with one of the silk napkins. "Send me to the academy, I sure as hell don't want anyone to know I'm apart of this family so it works out for everyone."
"That's ridiculous!" Coles brows furrowed as he finally focused on Riven. "There's no way…"
The count seemed to disappear from his chair and appear beside Riven in a matter of seconds and Riven almost stumbled backwards in shock. How… did he just use magic.
"Hold still." The count commanded and Riven obeyed only for the fact that he was still shocked about what he just witnessed. The count placed one of his calloused palms against the right side of Rivens chest and closed his eyes. A humming sound filled the room and the temperature shot up. The sound of fire crackling echoed in Rivens ears as a heat began to radiate from the Counts hand and into Rivens chest.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
The counts eyes shot to Rivens and for the first time in his life, he finally seemed to see his son standing in front of him.
"It's true." He turned his head towards the dumbfounded family. "He's manifested a mana heart.