[A/N: Please give your powerstones and golden tickets and let the novel be in the rankings. Thank you.]
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Felicia arrived a little after two in the morning.
By the time Vincent came downstairs, three wooden crates had already been placed inside one of the manor’s receiving rooms.
Felicia stood beside them in her travelling clothes.
"The goods Lady Vanessa sent, young master."
She opened the nearest crate.
Several monster-rat corpses had been wrapped individually and preserved using medicinal powder. Their bodies were mostly intact, just as Vincent had requested.
"Good. Have them stored somewhere secure. Nobody is to cut them open until I say otherwise."
Felicia nodded.
"It will be done."
Vincent sat down and rubbed his tired eyes.
He had originally called Felicia because he wanted her moving throughout D’Arc County, investigating problems and keeping an eye on the former Knight Order.
Unfortunately, karma had suddenly become much more important.
"There’s something else."
Felicia quietly waited.
Vincent gave her a vague explanation.
He did not mention Fate Authority or anything complicated. He merely told her that there were people throughout the northern region who currently owed him for things he had personally done, and for reasons he could not explain, he urgently needed those people to genuinely believe their debts toward him had been settled.
Felicia listened without interrupting.
When Vincent finished, she asked, "Would monetary repayment suffice?"
"Yes. Even one copper can work if both sides sincerely accept that the debt is settled afterward."
Felicia thought for several seconds.
"Then give them two choices."
Vincent looked at her.
"Pay or work."
Her tone remained pleasant.
"Anyone capable of paying may provide a token amount. One copper, one nickel, or whatever denomination the local administration considers appropriate."
"And the people who cannot?"
"They work."
Felicia continued calmly, "Copper Town requires supplies moved, streets cleaned, shelters maintained, drains inspected and warehouses organized. Their labor can be assigned a value and recorded as repayment."
Vincent nodded slowly.
That was considerably more useful than simply collecting coins.
"What about children?"
"They can pay as well."
Vincent stared at her.
Felicia smiled faintly.
"Children possess coins too, young master."
"And if they don’t?"
"Then there is always work suitable for small hands."
"..."
Felicia continued as though she had said nothing strange.
"They can sort supplies, fold cloth, count nails, carry light messages or help inside kitchens. Nobody needs to be injured."
Somehow, that last sentence made Vincent think, ’It’s good this isn’t Earth or we both would’ve been arrested for child labor.’
Vincent rubbed his forehead.
"The important part is that they actually consider everything settled afterward," Felicia added.
"I understand."
Felicia pulled out a small notebook.
"They will be informed clearly that the payment or assigned labor constitutes complete repayment to Lord Vincent D’Arc for whatever direct assistance created the obligation."
Vincent blinked.
"That might actually help."
People were strange.
A copper coin might feel meaningless.
A stamped receipt saying DEBT SETTLED might not.
Felicia seemed to arrive at the same conclusion.
"Those who refuse both payment and labor will simply remain indebted."
"That’s fine," Vincent felt not much could be done for it.
Felicia’s pen stopped.
"And those who insist that one copper or a few hours of work cannot possibly repay what you did for them?"
Vincent leaned back and felt tired. He didn’t know what could be done about it.
Felicia could see him struggle and answered her own question.
"Then they may work longer."
Vincent looked at her.
Felicia’s expression remained perfectly pleasant.
"They can continue until they feel satisfied."
’Hm... that works too, I guess.’
’Wait...’
Vincent suddenly imagined an overly grateful farmer telling Felicia that he could never repay House D’Arc.
He could almost see Felicia smiling before handing the man another shovel.
The farmer would work day and night until his body gave up or he agreed that the favor was repaid.
Vincent felt pity for the imaginary farmer and hoped that people weren’t so stupid to fall into such a situation.
He agreed to her plan and said,
"Start with Copper Town."
Felicia nodded.
"I directly interfered with a lot of things there, so most of the problem should be concentrated around that region. Once that’s done, move toward Gold Town and the other northern areas."
"Understood."
"I can tell whether the problem is disappearing, but I can’t tell you exactly who every person is."
"That will not be necessary."
Vincent raised his eyebrows.
Felicia closed her notebook.
"We have relief records, evacuation records, employment lists, railway manifests, hospital registries and local administration reports. Anyone who personally benefited from your direct orders can be approached."
Vincent stared at her for a moment.
"...Right."
Felicia bowed lightly.
"It will be done."
That was it.
No questions about how long.
No complaints about travelling throughout half the northern region.
No concern regarding how absurd the request sounded.
She simply accepted it.
Vincent found her quite competent.
Vincent watched her leave and briefly wondered exactly what the people of Copper Town were about to experience.
Then he decided he was better off not knowing.
...
A maid had left tea for him.
Vincent drank it while walking upstairs.
The earthy bitterness followed by a faint citrus sharpness immediately told him what it was.
Redthorn tea.
’Great.’
He had wanted to collapse beside Anastasia and sleep.
She didn’t come downstairs as she said she was in pain and could barely walk.
Vincent took it as a compliment and was now about to go sleep with her, but the tea rapidly dragged his consciousness back from the dead.
Vincent stopped halfway down the corridor as a notification rang in his mind and text appeared before him.
[Ding!]
[New Entanglement formed.]
[Subject: Felicia]
[Entanglement: Friction Link(unstable)]
Vincent: "..."
’What did I do to get this? And she’s a potential girl for me too?’
Vincent found hitting on his sister’s maid a bit troublesome, but then shook his head.
’Fuck it, we ball.’
’First I’ll fix my relationship with my sister and then think of romance with her and then about her maid.’
Vincent then turned around and decided to not go to sleep yet.
Since he was awake anyway, there was something else bothering him.
Cultivation.
He knew about it due to the explanation from his mother, Linda, and Anastasia in the past iteration, but that was the past, and it hadn’t happened in this iteration yet.
He clearly remembered the drama that happened due to him knowing of cultivation beforehand and asking his mother about it.
This time, he won’t make the same mistake and just ask her about it.
The scene should’ve happened tomorrow but Vincent had no time for it. He might as well complete it now.
He started walking toward the end of the corridor.
A minute later, he stopped outside Vivienne’s bedroom.
Knock. Knock.
"Mom, it’s me."
There was silence.
A few seconds later, the door opened.
Vivienne stood there in a thin black nightgown with her long hair loose over her shoulders.
She looked considerably less imposing without her hat, jewelry and perfectly arranged clothing.
Also considerably sleepier.
Vincent stared at her.
"Were you sleeping, mom?"
Vivienne looked at him calmly.
"No, my dear. I simply changed into my nightgown, extinguished the lamps, climbed beneath my blanket and closed my eyes because I find pretending to be unconscious very relaxing."
"..."
Vincent smiled awkwardly.
"Sorry."
Vivienne ruffled his hair and stepped aside.
"Come in."
Vincent entered.
Only one bedside lamp remained lit. Pale moonlight filtered through the curtains and spread across the carpet.
Vivienne returned to bed.
Vincent pulled a chair closer.
Before he could sit, Vivienne looked at him.
"You came to your mother’s bedroom at this hour and intend to sit all the way over there?"
Vincent looked at the chair.
Then at her.
He quietly moved toward the bed.
Vivienne lifted the blanket.
Vincent climbed beside her and rested against the pillows.
Almost immediately, Vivienne wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer.
Vincent did not protest.
Her body was warm, the room was quiet, and compared to everything that had happened tonight, cuddling with his mother felt extremely normal.
Vivienne gently ran her fingers through his hair.
"So, what has brought my busy son here?"
Vincent relaxed against her.
"I have a question."
"Hm?"
Vincent looked up.
"Mom, what’s cultivation?"
Vivienne’s fingers stopped.
She stared at him.
Vincent stared back.
Several seconds passed.
"Did Anastasia not explain it to you?"
"No."
Vivienne remained silent and slowly leaned back.
Her expression suggested she had just realized something extremely troublesome.
"This is going to be a long night."
"It’s alright. I drank Redthorn tea."
Vivienne looked at him.
"That explains why you are bothering me at three in the morning."
"Love you too," Vincent chuckled softly.
Vivienne sighed, but there was faint amusement within her eyes.
She adjusted the pillows and pulled Vincent more comfortably against herself.
Vincent could feel the thin fabric, and the warmth of his mother’s body.
He wondered whether this was even appropriate for the serious conversation they were supposed to have.
He was glad that it was dark and he could only see whatever the moonlight allowed him to see.
Vivienne glanced at him and said, "Before we proceed, don’t you think there’s something you haven’t informed mother about?"
Vincent focused on the word ’mother’. His mother usually referred to herself as mommy but now it was mother?
Was there something serious that he forgot to inform her?
Vincent thought deeply about it.
Vivienne raised an eyebrow in amusement, then gently flicked his forehead.
"Mister, you just had your first night and you didn’t tell mother about your experience."
"..."
The silence was loud.
’Is this... like is this even a conversation one can have with their mother?’ Vincent felt slightly sweaty.
He coughed lightly and said, "It was good."
Vivienne pressed herself against him. "Was it? You didn’t get to do it in the right place, so was it even a good experience?"
Vincent’s lip twitched. "Mom, I don’t think this is an appropriate conversation for the relationship we share."
Vivienne gently pinched his nose. "My dear, after what happened yesterday, do you still think there’s any boundaries between us?"
Before Vincent could respond, Vivienne continued, "It’s three hours past midnight, you’re in a lady’s chamber, and in bed with her. The said lady is your—"
"Alright. Alright," Vincent waved his hand. Things were getting too embarrassing and it was better if he just answered and took control of the situation before his mother got more ideas to tease him.
Vincent looked her in the eyes and said, "So you don’t mind if I tell you the details, right?"
This was the first step toward taking control.
Vivienne nodded in response. She didn’t mind. In fact, she looked forward to knowing more about her son, especially now that he had lost his memories and was navigating through everything without prior experience or her teachings.
Vincent, instead of answering, put his hand on his mother’s big boobs, making her look at him curiously.
Vincent met her gaze and said, "I feel a hands-on explanation will help you understand everything better. Do you want me to proceed?"
Vincent then brought his face close to hers, almost to the point of kissing her.
Vivienne felt her heart skip a beat.
Vincent continued, "I might get very handsy. There’s still time to say no."
A sense of fascination spread through Vivienne as she saw the new colors of her son.
She was not only fascinated but also proud, knowing how confident he had gotten now.
Before, he wouldn’t even look her in the eyes, and now, he was threatening to touch her inappropriately.
For Vincent, his touches might be inappropriate , but Vivienne did not share the same mindset. She was a mother, and she was of the belief that no mother would hate it if their son tried to bond so closely with them.
Appropriate-inappropriate were moral and societal constraints. Immortals and gods were way above it, and did not believe in as such.
Vivienne raised her eyebrows slightly.
Vincent thought finally his mother was flustered and would reject him.
He backed away a little, only for Vivienne to say, "Go on. Let’s see what my dearest child wants to explain."
"..."
Vincent stopped right where he was and looked at his mother for a solid few seconds.
His eyes looked around the room, as if wanting to find a hidden camera.
’If it’s a prank, it’s a well made one...’
Unfortunately for Vincent, cameras hadn’t been developed yet.
Vincent took a deep breath and looked at Vivienne.
"Fine. Don’t blame me for what happens next."
The corner of Vivienne’s lips curved faintly.
"Mommy has never blamed you for anything, and there will never be a future where it happens either."
Vincent clicked his tongue. His mother sure had her way with the words.
"I’m starting..."
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