The Villainess Returns with a System
Chapter 149: Lingering Attachments

Chapter 149: Lingering Attachments

Before the arrival of Count Albert Morgan at the Moore Mansion, Vivian and Beatrix had lengthy conversations about life, love, and lingering attachments.

Still hung up on her feelings, Beatrix was unable to let go of the many years ’ old fantasies she had developed one-sidedly toward Ian Grayson overnight.

Vivian felt as though she was trying to convince two different people with a single argument about Beatrix’s bipolar nature, racing against the next personality shift that could erase any progress made with the other. These rapid changes kept Vivian on edge, though she suspected some were defense mechanisms rooted in Beatrix’s subconscious from childhood traumas.

These personality shifts were not just out of Beatrix’s control; they were hindering her healing process, and Vivian felt compelled to play along with the madness for hours until she felt that the many parts of Beatrix were finally coming together, reaching a point of stable thinking and rationality.

There was one truth to this matter, however: unlike Vivian, who was let go by her Crown Prince fiancé, and Edith, who had a powerful enough standing and support to break her own engagement, Beatrix’s situation was much more complicated, and despite being hurt, she was still attached to something she could not simply let go.

Since the Graysons were the ones who provided for her education, they not only had a say in what she could and could not do, but they were even involved in how her magic was being developed. House Grayson was shaped by many tragedies, whether caused to them or by them, and their success in rising to the seat of the Right Chancellor was the result of a long, brutal conflict that shaped them into the ruthless northern house they are today.

This meant that being a sorceress specialized in pain was not a mere coincidence for Beatrix. But this begs the question: how could Beatrix’s spellring turn out to be exactly what House Grayson required of her?

The answer is simple, and it is related to House Morgan’s Ancestral Ring Vault, a very deep and isolated vault within the estate of House Morgan, protected with the greatest level of security the Morgans could afford, and where every spellring ever used by a member of House Morgan was stored. Once a house member dies, their ring gets deposited to be paired later with a future descendant.

This was what is known as Spellring Inheritance, where hoarding large numbers of such successful rings would be more beneficial than simply getting new rings. Once a spellring is revived with a new user, he or she would simply need to review the old research documents passed down with the ring by the ancestors who used it, and develop the ring from where they left off, a tradition that would guarantee the production of very powerful sorcerers.

In Beatrix’s case, she inherited a ring called the Heart of Thorns, a ring that was passed down through at least three users according to the surviving records. Such a ring had loads and loads of research documents, guaranteeing a smooth rise to power, and since the Morgans had to provide these documents to Beatrix, who was going to be a future member of House Grayson, the price the Graysons invested was astronomical.

That is why when Beatrix declared that she established a wardship status with Vivian Moore as her warden, the Count of House Morgan literally jumped off his chair, eyes spewing fire, as he shouted at his daughter.

"BEATRIX! ARE YOU MAD?"

Despite appearing aloof and composed, a slight shiver ran through Beatrix as her heart raced and her lips stiffened. She was as upset in her own right and as disappointed as her father, who could only see the dangerous implications of such actions.

"Do you realize what implications that immature decision has on us? You ignorant brat!" The Provost of the Royal Academy was immediately riled up and stood with anger.

Usually, such a strong tantrum from a high-ranked sorcerer would cause the magic of the atmosphere to run wild, but rather than that happening, all the pillars and corners of the Moore mansion started radiating with coral colours, causing the man to look around with a frown.

This place, it is as the rumours circulating, House Morgan said, is the most cursed place for magic, the inside of House Moore’s main mansion.

"Such a rare sight!" The one to speak this time was the sickly Count of the Moores, Lord Julian, who sat back with a satisfied smile, "Last time I saw that was ages ago."

"Daddy, the corals?" Vivian asked with an innocent look, sipping her tea.

"No, I mean Albert losing his mind," Count Moore casually replied.

"Julian, what ploy did you make this time?" Count Morgan did not like how casual Count Moore and his daughter acted, so he started pointing fingers.

"What ploy? Do you take me for some lowly schemer?" Count Moore replied with a dissatisfied face.

"You magicless pariah! I know how deep your schemes can go. You still want to sabotage the marriage between the Graysons and the Morgans just because you do not get along with them," Count Morgan made his accusation clear with a derogatory insult on top.

"Magicless pariah?" Vivian frowned at the insult she heard for the first time.

Yes, House Moore was barred from practicing magic, but that was not any fault of their own. It was just a concordat to stop the bloodshed 300 years ago. Despite that, Count Julian raised his hand toward Vivian, telling her not to take that insult too seriously, as it did not bother him.

"Moores were killing Graysons and Graysons were killing Moores ever since the Moores were Clan Mooryn of East Moravia and the Graysons were the Grays of Northford. We did for hundreds of years, and it seems we will continue doing so for a hundred years more. Think what you like, Morgan, but as you are under my roof, remember to behave."

Count Moore was as calm as ever as he said these words, before leaning back in his chair and standing up.

"I think I am too tired to continue this conversation," he said and started taking a step out of the guest area. "Your daughter is a guest of my daughter, whom I absolutely trust if she decides to take your daughter as her ward. As for your daughter, she sought asylum under my roof, so I will not send her with you unless she desires to. I have spoken."

Getting that much support from Count Julian Moore was enough to make Vivian look with total audacity at Count Albert Morgan in the eye and dare to challenge him for his own daughter. Unlike her father, she had her reasons to disallow the relationship between the Morgans and the Graysons to evolve, and she would rather ruin it at this point.

If Vivian is right, the rediscovery of Avalon, which is likely what caused the Schism of the Great Houses 300 years ago, will likely cause another situation that she must avoid at all costs. And since the Graysons are the eternal enemies of the Moores, it would be problematic for them to have such an alliance with the Morgans.

Also, if that alliance were to shift toward House Moore instead, things would be way better than she would ever have planned for. After all, she is the warden of Beatrix Morgan, and a warden has a lot of power, even with Beatrix being a daughter, and daughters are not treated well among the Morgans.

There will always be a way to steer this in her favour, and now she was standing face to face with a man equal in authority and power to her father.