I regressed and became the Sword Ice King

Chapter 62- Torturous Lessons

Warm ambre rays suffused through the tall majestic windows of a room, radiating a golden glow on the eccentric patterns of the four corners of the white marbled walls.

The mellow light infused the decors of the room with vitality, illuminating the prestige arts of the golden wood furniture and intricate designs of the delicate lace green curtains and plush carpet.

The four-poster bed stood magnificently in the middle, its olive curtains tied back with red ribbons. The dresser and vanity of oak wood was adorned with eccentric mystical carvings and shone with a soft luster

Similar mystical patterns of embroidered celestial beasts danced across the vermillion bedspread as a small figure slowly sat up.

Ciara stared blankly at the walls of her room, her hair tangled from sleep and her thoughts were shrouded in a haze of tiredness.

She blinked once and turned her head towards the window, soaking up the sunlight that dissolved on her porcelain-like skin when a knock echoed in her room, making her body slightly jerk.

She turned towards the door, silence filling the room once again after it was knocked a few more times.

For a short moment, she basked in the silence but then a loud thud shook the walls of her room and the door was suddenly blown open by a powerful force.

tendrils of orange-red dancing flame lingered on the edges of her door and crisp sounds slowly filled the once silent room.

She stared at the door, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she slowly looked up.

" …Good morning, Mother" She muttered, her voice raspy and breathy.

Her mother, Kira Merlin stepped inside her room while a few maids walked in from behind her to begin their task. Raven was one of such maids.

An otherworldly glow enveloped her Mother like a cloak. It suffused every direction she walked and every room she entered.

Her dress was a tight, deep, fiery red that clung desperately on her curves accentuating her feminine form. Ornamental patterns of an arcane dragon were woven in tiny bits into its very fabric. The texture, rough to the touch, like scales of a mythical beast.

Her hair danced in the breeze from an open window, a gentle dreamlike movement.

She was adorned in jewelries and her fair white skin, glowed with a soft, ethereal light in contrast with her sharp ruby eyes that would pierce daggers in the heart of any man who dared to meet her gaze.

Kira's shoulders slumped lightly, basking in the glorious view of her mother until the memories she had tried to bury resurfaced like a fountain.

Her eyes slooped and her lips quivered.

"What have you been doing here ? and I heard you didn't have your supper last night ?" Her mother asked, her voice laced with cold and detachment.

"I…I wasn't hungry" She struggled to say, ignoring the harshness of her voice.

Her mother stared at her quietly, an unreadable expression etched on her well sculpted face.

"...well, make sure you eat your breakfast at least…and we resume classes in an hour's time so be prepared".

She was about to turn around when her daughter found the courage to ask.

"where--where is….Lo–she ?". Her brows furrowed, afraid that she might have called upon her mother's wrath.

Luckily for her, she was mistaken. "Dead". Her mother replied, her tone sounding the least bit remorseful.

"It's not her fault, after all that man couldn't control himself till the end". Her gaze slowly met her daughter's, then after a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, she finally left the room.

The door sprung up and carefully placed itself back in its position in an animated motion after she left the room.

One would think it were alive if the maids were not already aware of the transcendental abilities of Kira Merlin.

The maids resumed their task in getting her prepared for her mother's lessons and during the whole process, her mind remained aloof thinking about the past and her best friend, Lora when her thoughts began to ask prickly questions once again.

'No…can I blame father for this ? I can't possibly do that. He must have had his reasons'. She struggled to come up with a reason, any logical if not illogical to explain what he had done.

Luckily for her, the answers were not far from reach but unluckily, they were not answers she wanted to believe.

"So, it was Lora, who was burned alive in the courtyard last night ?" One of the maids said with their failure of a hushed tone.

At this time, Ciara was being bathed but her ears didn't fail to pick up on their conversation.

"who could have thought that the gentleman that had been wooing her was the Duke of Merlin". Another said with a shaky tone but her excitement could not be hidden.

"You talk like you wouldn't do the same if a handsome gentleman offered you so much. Who could blame the poor girl". The first said, giggling at the thought.

"I heard her scream was so loud that the whole Castle shook".

"What ? That loud ? Oh, I wish I could have seen it in person". Another said, her tone hiding a hint of dark intent.

"Poor Lady Ciara, her best friend gone, just like that….because of a man". The last one said, the end of her statement sent ripples of sensations through Ciara's body.

She clasped her ears, trying not to hear anymore than she already had and trying to negate the already permeated negative thoughts.

'Curse these ears'. She thought to herself.

'Father made a mistake…but I shouldn't blame him'.

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She thought to herself, ignoring the rest of the conversations throughout the process.

She remained quiet, alarmingly so but only one maid seemed concerned about her erratic behavior.

The girl was dressed in a simple white one-piece dress, stopping below her knee.

Soon, an hour had almost clocked and she was quickly taken to her Mother's study after making her eat her breakfast.

Raven led her there while the rest were sent away.

They quickly got to a red door and knocked after a few seconds.

"Open". Kira's voice rang in there ears and Ciara slowly opened up the door while Raven waited outside.

She walked into a well-lit large study, closing the door behind her and glancing around carefully.

The study was like any other structure in the building, majestic.

White marble walls on the four corners and multiple numbers of large golden oak shelves lined themselves up symmetrically on both sides.

In front of her was her Mother, seated calmly on a vintage chair made from a deep, reddish--brown mahogany.

The table was just as regal as the Chair.

At the side of her desk and chair is a floating cage with a noble phoenix staring down at her.

"You have arrived". Her mother said, her gaze still fixed on her book.

"Yes mother". She replied with a somber tone in her voice but beneath that was an unyielding energy to learn.

Her mood had gotten better at one point after she woke up.

"good. Did you read all 77 texts I handed to you the previous day ?". Kira asked with an authoritative tone in her voice. Her presence was always decisive but it seemed devoid of emotions this time and she was too smart not to take notice of that but she simply shrugged it off.

"...yes mother". Ciara replied with her gaze fixed on the floor.

"...then. Let us begin". Kira flipped the book closed and looked up at her daughter, a mix of complicated emotions swirling in her thoughts. Her gaze lingered for a moment before she suddenly turned away, clicking her tongue and sayung abruptly. "you look so much like him".

Ciara had heard her clearly. Surprise and curiosity sparkled in her eyes.

This was the first time her mother had let her thoughts complicate her speech and Ciara's mind raced with possible reasons.

"...did…did you say something, Mother ?" She asked, her brow furrowed in concentration.

She flinched at her Mother's sudden reaction and wondered, What did she mean by that ?

Ciara studied her mother's expression but as usual, she couldn't decipher what Kira was thinking. Her mother's face was a mask of calmness, a cold and strict expression that refused to yield to other emotions.

"..That is none of your concern, Child". She retorted, her tone whipping out like venom. Her full lips, outlined into a wicked grin. She slowly stood up from her chair, her fingers tapping on the table and her gaze fixed on her daughter, her eyes searching for something but then she bit her lips and shook her head.

"let us begin".

Ciara nodded slowly. She's repeated this process more than enough times to be aware of what she must do and how perilous her mother's lessons were but what she didn't know was what her Mother had planned for her.

It was a simple task of reciting the magic codex and an ancient tome that had its origins from generations of past powerful mages.

Each codex was enough to grant even the most minuscule of mages, power that is well beyond their limitations but yet, Kira insisted on her 6 year old daughter to study 77 of them in a single day.

Each time she recited the wrong chant or made a small mistake, she was whipped badly by an invisible cane so she always steeled her resolve at the beginning of every lesson.

At least until now. She had not made any mistake yet but she had hesitated before remembering the next paragraph and that was enough reason for her mother to whip her mercilessly on her laps.

The little girl yelped in pain of course, but she quickly composed herself and continued but that didn't seem to please her mother.

A single mistake, a simple pause, a little distraction and she was whipped again and again miserably.

An hour had almost passed from the torturous lessons and Ciara felt like something was gravely amiss but what could it be ?