Reborn As Papa Silva

Chapter 100 - Just Live Life

Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward towards finding the answer. - Denis Waitley

—

Early Morning, September 4, 1619

House Silva, Patriarch's Office

"...I get it... Do you need any other help, or anything else from us?"

Sebastian, illuminated by the morning sun seeping through the window, spoke gently into the gemstone embedded in the silver bracelet around his right wrist. His tone was soft and calm, yet heavy and somber at the same time.

There was a moment of silence before the gem glowed, and a tired, depressed voice responded.

"...No, not at all. Just keep what I told you in mind..."

As Draven Faust trailed off in such an uncharacteristically defeated and meek tone, Sebastian's expression shifted into one of discomfort.

Still, the head of House Silva didn't let that leak into his voice. He nodded and responded just as calmly as before.

"Alright. If anything changes, let us know. And thank you for the heads-up."

The gem glowed once more, and Sebastian could practically hear Draven nod curtly through the magical line of communication.

"Understood. Goodbye."

Without waiting for Sebastian's response, the gem's ethereal glow faded. Sebastian felt the magical resonance from afar vanish—signaling the end of the call.

Clicking his tongue, he looked across the desk, locking eyes with his wife, whose expression mirrored his own—complicated, frustrated, and somber.

They had just received word from their associates and almost friends in House Faust.

A mysterious supreme devil, whom Azazel called Aza, had appeared at the Faust mansion last night and tried to kill him. Draven and Lilith had intervened—only for things to go terribly wrong. Cimeises had perished almost instantaneously, and, according to Draven, his wife had taken it hard.

When she woke up, she had been distant. Withdrawn.

Sebastian and Acier still remembered when Lilith first introduced them to Cimeises. They could recall the pride in her voice as she revealed her devil.

It had been clear back then that their relationship wasn't a simple master-servant bond, so it was no surprise that the countess wasn't handling the loss well.

Draven needed a break from everything to be with his wife, to hopefully lift her spirits. But while he was focused on that, he had contacted Sebastian and Acier to inform them of what had transpired last night—and to seek their aid in investigating the mysterious devil and his intentions.

Draven couldn't turn to Azazel for answers. The fallen angel wasn't in any condition to respond.

It appeared that Samyaza hadn't just left the devil with some mere bruises. He had done something far more complicated.

Something that had put Azazel into what Draven could only describe as a coma.

Despite his injuries being fully healed, the devil was completely unresponsive. Draven had tried to reach him—physically and through their mental bond—but got nothing in return. Only silence.

Azazel continued to sleep.

Sebastian and Acier could admit they hadn't woken up expecting to hear something this insane.

Their friends had been attacked by an unknown supreme devil, one not linked to Qliphoth.

An actual supreme devil was casually wandering the world, despite the entrance to the Underworld being sealed.

And according to Azazel, he had brought magic and spells into this world.

Any one of those things on its own would have been a big deal.

All of them happening together?

Mind-blowing. Intimidating.

It was only natural for the two of them to be a little shaken.

Acier bit her lip, her foul mood as clear as day in the way she clenched her fist. Her mouth parted slightly before she finally spoke. @@novelbin@@

"Got any ideas who this guy is, Sebby?"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes in thought.

He hadn't mentioned it to Draven over the transponders, but for some inexplicable reason, he was reminded of something Azazel had told him just a few days ago when they'd had their talk.

What He says is law. Even in my prime, I would never dare defy Him—except, perhaps, that one time Samyaza dragged us into his audacious sins.

Sebastian didn't know why that exact sentence resurfaced in his mind so vividly—especially when he hadn't thought much of it at the time—but he refused to dismiss it as coincidence.

For all he knew, this could be the work of the one who played with and changed his fate. A roundabout way of telling him something.

To Sebastian, Aza sounded like a nickname. And Azazel definitely had some history with this Aza individual.

A history he hadn't shared with his master.

Sebastian wouldn't put it past the very likely possibility that this unknown supreme devil was once an angel—one of Azazel's own kind. Another fallen who had lost Heaven's grace.

Sebastian wanted to say this guy was that Samyaza person Azazel had mentioned, but it felt like he was jumping the gun.

So instead, he gave a curt nod and answered vaguely.

"I have some suspicions."

If Acier was curious who he had in mind, she didn't voice it. Instead, she whispered another thought.

"Do you think this Aza guy is behind the sudden appearance and attacks of those ancient demons?"

Sebastian paused. His brows furrowed deeply before he spoke, his voice soft.

"We don't have the slightest evidence to make that connection... but if you're bringing it up, you probably have a similar gut feeling."

His gaze locked onto hers once more.

"Even if he's not the perpetrator, I would bet my soul he has something to do with it."

Acier tensed at those words, her shoulders stiffening. Then, slowly, she lowered her head.

Sebastian's brow lifted as he watched her tremble, her nails digging deeper and deeper into her palms.

He let it go for all of three seconds before he had enough.

Reaching across the desk, he grabbed her shoulders and gave her a deep shake, jostling her back into focus.

She blinked up at him in confusion.

Sebastian's expression darkened.

"Why're you hurting yourself? What's wrong?"

Acier bit down on her lip harder, her gaze darting to the side.

Then, nearly incoherent, she mumbled, "...I-Is this... all... my fault?"

Sebastian froze.

Then, his expression grew livid.

Roughly grabbing her chin, he jerked her head up, forcing her to look him in the eye.

Practically spitting in her face, he hissed,

"What nonsense are you spouting, Acier—"

"This all happened because I killed Vanica!" Acier screamed, her eyes watering, frustration bleeding into every word.

Sebastian froze again as Acier's voice trembled.

"Just two or so days after I killed her, those beasts sleeping under Spade woke up and attacked Diamond and Heart. How many thousands died in Diamond alone, Sebby?!"

Her red eyes puffed up even more, her breathing uneven.

"Yeah, I'm no saint. I'm a warrior, a soldier, a killer. But that doesn't mean I can be indifferent to the deaths of countless innocent children. Families who had nothing to do with the grudges between our kingdoms!"

"And then the casualties only increased when you add in Heart—the closest thing Clover has to an ally."

"All of this happened after I killed Vanica. It can't be a coincidence! What's more, Lilith and the Fausts—our benefactors—nearly died, likely because of this! I—If I had just let—ow!"

Twack!

Acier, cut off mid-sentence, clutched her forehead in pain. Her eyes watered comically as she turned to her husband, glaring at him with unspoken grievances and indignation.

Sebastian, arm still outstretched, flicked his fingers again—this time lightly, into the open air—as he spoke dryly.

"Do you want another one?"

"Umm—nmm." Still clutching her now red forehead, Acier shook her head resolutely. She did not.

Sebastian snorted. "Then don't say such stupid things."

Acier nodded weakly, causing him to sigh, his sharp features softening.

With a flick of his wrist, his hands became bathed in a soft, water-like aura. That same glow soon surrounded Acier.

"Hah?" She barely had time to react before her body lifted from her chair, floating out of her control.

Her wide eyes widened even further as she was carried across the desk, gently placed onto Sebastian's lap, facing him.

Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs straddling him. But she didn't say a word—just stared silently into his eyes.

Sebastian ran his hand through her hair, his voice low but firm.

"Everything in existence has some cause and effect. One event can lead to another. I'm not gonna lie to your face and say killing Vanica had nothing to do with this... but at the end of the day, the ones responsible for all the loss in Spade, Diamond, and Heart are the Zogratis family. And possibly that Aza guy."

"The one who hurt Draven, Lilith, and Azazel. The one who killed Cimeises. That was Aza."

"He and they chose to do those things. You only defended yourself. You killed the bitch who was trying to kill you. The one who cursed our son. The one who threatened our baby girl."

His fingers tightened against the back of her head as he brushed their noses together. His voice was almost a whisper.

"What I'm trying to say is—anyone can be blamed for anything. By that logic, you could find a way to blame yourself for every evil under the sun. So don't even let those poisonous thoughts spiral into something deeper."

Acier's throat hitched.

"If you really feel bad about what happened to Diamond, to Heart, to the Fausts, to Cimeises..." He pulled her closer. "Then keep training. Get stronger. So one day, you can end the Zogratis siblings. So you can end that parasite. So you can end Aza."

"So you can avenge and exact justice for all the lives lost to their insanity and convoluted principles."

His voice dipped lower.

"Understood?"

Acier stilled.

Then, tearing up, she gave him a shaky, teary smile and nodded softly.

"Mmm-hmm."

Sebastian sighed, tightening his hold around her, wrapping her in a warm, protective embrace.

They stayed like that for a moment, neither speaking, just breathing in each other's presence. Then, nuzzling into his neck, Acier whispered softly.

"...Are you going to see the Pope?"

Sebastian froze.

She continued, her voice barely above a murmur. "I mean... if you want answers, there's no one better to get them from than him."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes in thought. Reminiscence flickered behind his gaze.

He remembered the things he saw the Pope do in their memory dive—the way Benedictus interacted with Lucius and Nathaniel. The role he played in freeing him. The quiet, decisive hand pulling the strings.

A grave realization settled over him.

The Church. The Pope. The whole clergy—he'd nearly dismissed them as inconsequential before his meeting with Cardinal Anslem just days ago.

But now?

They were far more complicated—and far more competent—than he had ever imagined.

Or at least... Benedictus was.

The waters within the Church ran far deeper than anyone had guessed.

And precisely because of that, Sebastian shook his head.

"No... or at least, not now."

Acier, still resting against his neck, mumbled softly. "May I ask why?"

Sebastian nodded, rubbing slow circles into her back.

"The fact that Benedictus walked away from Draven without explaining anything proves that getting answers out of him won't be easy."

He exhaled sharply.

"And besides... I don't want to have some casual, spontaneous conversation with one of my supposed 'benefactors.' I want to take the time to think about what I want to say before I seek him out."

Acier smiled. She straightened, bending back just enough to meet his gaze again. A soft chuckle slipped past her lips.

"Well... he might come to you first."

Sebastian paused, raising a brow.

Then understanding clicked.

A small laugh escaped him. He nodded.

"Yes... I suppose so."

Nozel's and Dorothy's engagement ceremony was this Saturday.

There was no way Benedictus wouldn't show up for the betrothal of the future Duke and Duchess of House Silva.

After all, even Conrad and Augustus were expected to be there, assuming all went well. The Pope had no excuse not to attend—unless he wanted to send some unspoken, blasphemous message.

Like... that he was above the pair of Kings.

Or that House Silva wasn't worth his time.

Neither would end well for him—or the Church.

As long as he wasn't on his deathbed, even if he wasn't feeling his best, Benedictus would attend.

But whether he'd talk to me...

Whether he'll give me the time of day...

Sebastian's expression darkened.

That's another matter entirely.

Unaware—or perhaps simply uncaring—of her husband's thoughts, Acier gave him a quick peck on the lips before beaming.

"Alright, enough of this heavy, mopey talk."

Didn't this all start because of you?

Sebastian fought the urge to roll his eyes and wisely kept that thought to himself.

Acier, completely unbothered, carried on with her signature smile. "So, Sebby, what're we doing today?"

Sebastian scratched his chin. "You mean besides you beating me and the others up in the gym again?"

Acier giggled and nodded. "Yes, besides that."

"Hmmm..."

Sebastian adopted a deep-in-thought expression, dragging the silence out long enough to make her tilt her head expectantly—before he finally smiled.

"Well, it seems we have a new addition to our family now. And with everything that happened yesterday, we barely even saw her... So why don't we pay her a visit and see how she's doing?"

Acier's eyes lit up. She hopped off Sebastian's lap in excitement. "Yeah! Let's go check on Vanessa!"

She practically darted for the door, and Sebastian chuckled as he moved to follow—only to stop short when she suddenly froze, turning back to face him, brows furrowed.

Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. "Something wrong?"

Acier crossed her arms, expression bemused.

"Sebby... should we really be fooling around like this? With that Aza guy on the loose? What if he comes for one of us next?"

Sebastian spread his arms helplessly. "And what can we do about that? We have no clue what his motivations are, what his powers are, or anything else about him. Attacking Spade isn't an option right now—assuming he even has anything to do with Spade in the first place... So what can we do?"

Acier's expression fell. "Nothing..." she mumbled weakly.

Sebastian nodded.

"All we can do is keep training, prepare ourselves for a confrontation that'll hopefully never happen, and cross our fingers that whatever Benedictus did to scare Aza off keeps him away from Clover—and our family—for at least a little while."

He stepped forward, resting a hand on her head and patting it softly.

"Let's not let maybes ruin the time we have with our family—and with each other. What happens, happens. What comes, comes. And besides..." Sebastian's lips curled wryly. "If Julius' behavior in yesterday's meeting was any indication, this might not even be our fight to begin with."

Acier gave a half-hearted, comedic smile and nodded. "Maybe."

Sebastian's smile brightened. He leaned forward, pressing a warm kiss to her forehead, making her blush.

"Let's go see our family."

Acier had barely begun to nod when Sebastian suddenly dashed past her and out the door, matter-of-factly calling back as he fled—

"I call dibs on Noelle!"

Acier froze.

Then, her face twisted into a pout before she sprinted after him.

"No fair! It's my turn to hold her!"

Sebastian didn't answer. He only sped up.

"Sebby! Stop being so childish!"

The Silva servants barely managed to step aside as their lady chased after their lord, each reacting in their own way—some blank-faced, some blushing as though this was some erotic game, some shaking their heads in exasperation, and others smiling softly.

Regardless, the heavy mood lingering over the Silva estate—the fear and skepticism from the sudden appearance of ancient demons, the hectic scramble to ensure every last detail of their young lord's engagement ceremony was perfect—all seemed to vanish in an instant.

Laughter and warmth filled the royal house once more.

Even if only for a little while longer.

—

House Silva, Pirate Garden

At the heart of the garden, the Silva family sat around a large, round table.

Sebastian happily pinched Noelle's cheeks like dough as she sat in his lap, ignoring the piercing glare of his wife. Instead, he turned to Vanessa, who sat nearly across from him, and spoke gently.

"So, how are you finding it here, Vanessa?"

The young witch nearly yelped at the unexpected question before offering Sebastian a genuine but slightly awkward smile and nod.

"I-It... I mean, you have a very nice house, Mr. Silva." Bigger than my entire country, she nearly added wryly.

Before Sebastian could respond, Acier cut in with a gentle smile. "And? Do you like it here? Has Dorothy shown you around?"

"That I have!" Dorothy, seated to Vanessa's right, raised her hand skyward, looking smug and proud.

Vanessa sweatdropped slightly but ignored her, turning back to Acier with a much less strained smile and nod.

"Yeah. I do. Thank you for bringing me here, Ms. Acier."

Acier reached over and patted Vanessa's head fondly, making the young girl blush. "Enough with the 'Miss' and 'Mister,' Vanessa. This is your home now, and you're Dorothy's sister—you don't have to act so distant with us. Be casual, be comfortable."

Although future Vanessa was the practical definition of carefree, casual, shameless, and nonchalant, the current Vanessa was very much the opposite—prim, proper, and meek.

Acier didn't want to force anything on her just yet, like asking her to call them Mom and Dad. She simply gave her another pat on the head and smiled.

"Sebastian and Acier are just fine."

Vanessa paused, her blush deepening, before meekly dipping her head and nodding, her heart warm. "Mmm-hmmm."

Nozel, Nebra, Solid, and Dorothy watched the scene unfold with fond smiles.

As for Sebastian, his face was blank—because Noelle had stuffed his hand into her mouth and was sucking on it like a popsicle.

Doing his best to ignore the slobbering sensation as Noelle refused to let go, he forced another smile and coughed awkwardly.

"Vanessa."

At once, Vanessa and everyone else turned to face him in near unison. She cocked her head in confusion.

"Yes, Mr—I mean, Sebastian?"

His smile softened as he let out a breath. "Sometime today, whenever you're comfortable, you'll need to visit our tailor and seamstress to get your measurements done."

Vanessa blinked. "U-Um, okay... b-but why—"

"Come on, didn't I tell you?!" Dorothy cut in once more, startling Vanessa as she slapped her on the back.

Vanessa was suddenly assaulted by Dorothy's ethereal purple and light blue eyes as her sister got up in her face, beaming with her signature playful smile.

"Your big sis here is getting engaged this Saturday! Naturally, you need a dress!" Dorothy turned her head toward Sebastian, her grin never faltering. "Ain't that right, Dad?!"

Sebastian blinked before nodding curtly.

Dorothy's smile brightened even further as she turned back to Vanessa, grabbing her hands. "Come on, let's go! I'll get you fitted into a nice pink dress—"

"Sister."

Dorothy paused and turned toward the source of the voice—Nebra. So did everyone else.

Dorothy blinked before offering a soft smile. "Yes, Nebra?"

Arms crossed, Nebra frowned. "Putting aside the fact that, like everyone else—including you—Vanessa will be expected to wear a silver dress, I will take her."

Dorothy's confusion deepened. "Huh? Why?"

Nebra's frown only grew sharper. "What do you mean, why? You and Brother still have countless things to prepare and practice—especially you. And you've been wasting the past few days on trivial distractions."

Dorothy stiffened as Nebra nearly jabbed a finger at her.

"You're not going to contribute anything meaningful to the fitting or the dress selection. Instead, you'll waste hours you should be spending rehearsing. If you don't want to make a fool of yourself on your big day, you really need to start focusing again."

Dorothy's mouth quivered before she forced a smile. "Aw, come on, Nebra, it's not that big a deal. It's only a little while—"

"Actually..."

Everyone turned toward Nozel, who scratched his chin and nodded. "Nebra's right, Dorothy. Your etiquette has improved, but your knowledge of noble customs, social cues, and traditions still leaves much to be desired."

Dorothy stiffened comedically. Nozel's almost always on my side! She could hardly recall a time he had contradicted her.

But Nozel had his reasons. He didn't want Dorothy facing more scrutiny than she was already bound to receive simply for being his partner. If she was perfect—so flawless that no one could find fault with her—then no one would dare mock her.

Before Dorothy could respond, Sebastian—still kneading Noelle's baby cheeks with one hand, pulling on them like playdough, much to the infant's visible joy—echoed Nozel's sentiment.

"They're both right, Dorothy. I didn't want to say anything before, but now that we're on the topic... you have been slacking these past few days."

"I admit much of it is my and your mother's fault, but you've also been a bit too lax. You should go with Nozel and rehearse—Nebra can take Vanessa. You two can catch up at mealtime."

Dorothy bit her lip. "B-But—"

"Is that alright with you, Vanessa?" Sebastian cut her off, his tone gentle as he addressed the other witch.

Vanessa hesitated before nodding swiftly. Then, noticing Dorothy's visible disappointment, she smiled brightly and grabbed Dorothy's hands, startling her.

"V-Vanessa—"

"Relax, Sis." Vanessa interrupted her. "I'll be fine. Besides, didn't you say this is my family too? That means Nebra's my sister! You don't have to constantly babysit me. I'd like to spend some time with Nebra and the others."

Dorothy paused before turning abruptly sheepish, nodding apologetically. "Sorry, I don't know what got into me."

Before Vanessa could respond, Dorothy hopped off her chair and patted Nebra on the head, causing the young Silva girl to blink.

"Sorry about that, Nebra. I'm counting on you."

Arms crossed, Nebra snorted—almost like a tsundere. "Hmph. It's only natural for me to lend a hand."

Almost—because, unlike a typical tsundere, she didn't blush.

Dorothy laughed softly, then hopped around the table to stand behind Nozel. Without another word, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

The two of them vanished into a swirling vortex of purple and pink hues.

Vanessa's eyes shone as she mumbled, "Dream magic is so cool..."

She couldn't understand why her "mother" had been so fixated on her when Dorothy had far more amazing magic.

She couldn't understand how her threads were ever supposed to contend with abilities like that.

She couldn't understand why her "mother" obsessed over the strings of fate while ignoring her sister.

She simply couldn't understand it.

A pat on the shoulder quickly snapped Vanessa out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, it is," Nebra said. "But come on, we have to go. Making a quality dress takes time and precision, and the ceremony is just days away."

"O-Oh, okay." Vanessa mumbled as she stumbled off her chair, hurrying to follow Nebra out of the garden.

Solid jumped up from his chair, casually bidding his parents goodbye before dashing after them. "Wait for me!"

Nebra didn't slow her stride, but she glanced back with a raised brow. "You're coming? Didn't you already get your suit done?"

Solid grinned boyishly, eyes sparkling. "Yeah, but I want to get something else made."

Nebra blinked but didn't question it. She simply shrugged, gave a nod, and continued leading the way, striking up some friendly conversation and banter with Vanessa as they walked.

Acier watched them disappear into the distance with a fond smile, thankful they were getting along.

Sebastian, on the other hand, let out a deep sigh of relief as Noelle finally had her fill and let go.

He pulled back his hand—now bare and covered in sloppy saliva—and fought the urge to cringe. Keeping his expression neutral, he coated his hand in a thin layer of water-based mana to cleanse it.

He hadn't done so earlier while Noelle was still gnawing on him. Since she had yet to awaken her own magic, exposing her to internal mana could make her sick.

As Sebastian swiftly cleaned his hand, he stiffened.

Acier had plucked Noelle off his lap and into her own.

Then she stuck her tongue out at him. "My turn."

Sebastian blinked and looked down at Noelle.

Now sitting in her mother's lap, she was perfectly content.

No biting. No drooling. No mischief.

Just a happy, well-behaved baby.

Sebastian sighed inwardly. Why is there such a difference?

—

House Agrippa

Nathan Agrippa sat at his desk, his wife beside him, both of them staring at what lay before them—a large, pristine envelope bearing the official House Silva seal, its floral design stamped in wax.

Nathan and Jonna exchanged a silent look, and without a word, Nathan reached for a letter opener and sliced the envelope open.

He pulled out a piece of expensive parchment and unfolded it three times to reveal a neatly printed letter.

Then he read it.

Then he blinked.

Then he reread it.

And blinked again.

He handed the letter to his wife, who did the same.

Jonna reread the letter, her brow furrowing as she blinked several times.

She set the letter down on the desk, then locked eyes with Nathan.

Both of them stared at each other, slack-jawed.

—

Author's Notes

[1] Just a little slice-of-life Chapter, nothing much in this one.

[2] As always, feel free to join the Discord: https://discord.gg/s3MME8X8ar