Sitting opposite of each other, Amelia didn't answer his question. She studied his appearance from top to bottom silently.
"Tea?" She asked abruptly.
"Sure." He wasn't thirsty, but he felt drinking something would make him feel better. Amelia's gaze was very invasive and made him very uncomfortable. He had no idea what she wants. Did she discover something about him and want to dig out more secrets?
Amelia had no idea what was going on in Leon's mind as she clapped her hand twice and a servant brought a tray with a pot of tea with some sweets and poured them a cup each.
He took his cup and drank the tea to ease his nervousness. He was expecting some impressive tea, but he was left disappointed. It was just ordinary tea. Any spirit tea in the Divine Realm was better than it by a large margin.
And then there is the legendary divine tea if some wasteful eccentrics was willing to use their divine herbs to concoct it.
"How is the tea?"
"Very ordinary." He said bluntly. He was sure where this conversation was going. He felt like he was being reviewed to see if he was a potential son-in-law.
Amelia took some sips of her tea as she continue to observe him and become deep in thought intermittently.
Indeed it was just normal tea. There was no sugarcoating it. But she got would be showered with compliments when she ask the same question to all her previous guests. They didn't mind spouting nonsense to get in her good books, but what they didn't know was it had the opposite effect. She didn't like fake people. She was quite pleased with Leon's honesty.
"You're right. It's very ordinary." She agreed.
"And you should not be drinking it." Leon added.
"Oh? Why?" She was intrigue by his words. She didn't understand why it was a problem.
"I can see that you have not been sleeping well. This type of tea keeps you awake. Drinking this tea will not help you, but instead aggravate your sleeping problems."
"Ah...you see there is a reason for that and I'm stuck in a helpless situation. However... you might be able to help me solve the problem." Amelia stated. The search for the prince had bumped into a dead end. Leon was probably her last hope at finding the missing prince.
She had been observing Leon's facial feature very carefully. She had already noticed that he did share some resemblance to the king and queen, but there was a larger part that felt foreign to her.
She couldn't put a finger on what it was so she did not want to jump conclusions so quickly. She didn't want to hand a fake son over to her sworn sister. It would make the queen lose faith in her.
Leon had started divine practice and the act of remoulding his body so whatever she was trying to find in him, she would not be able to so easily due to the changes his body had already undergone.
"Is that why you wish to speak with me?" Leon asked. Did the Duke's family already figured out he was an exceptional doctor? So she hope for me to cure her insomnia? That doesn't seem right. Only a select few knew he was a doctor. He seems to be forgetting something important. But her next words unveiled his doubts.
"Yes, I heard you grew up in an orphanage until you were 5."
Leon nodded. So it was matters relating to the missing prince.
"Do you still keep in contact with anyone from that orphanage?"
"No. Since I was adopted, there was no further contact." Leon shook his head. His childhood memories were blurry and not much could be remembered.
Amelia was disappointed by his answer, but didn't give up.
"Was there anyone else in the orphanage that was born in the same year as you?"
"I seem to have been the youngest...? The others were at least 2 years older." Leon's tried hard to recall. He couldn't help but feel the doubt in his heart grow bigger.
Born in same year and have the same circumstance as the missing prince. He had pushed the matter behind him because he was satisfied with what he had. He did not want to be conceited to think he was the one out of so many orphans and orphanages. The bigger the expectation, the bigger disappointment.
But now that the matter was brought up again, he felt incredulous about everything. Why was he reborn on such a barren land? Why did his memories awaken? Why was he equipped with such overwhelming advantage in life? Why does humanity have such a bleak future on this world?
One had to know that in the Divine Realm, humanity was one of the ruling races.
He felt like the hands of fate guided him here to lead them out of their predicament and there was no easier position to lead them then to become the ruler of the guardian kingdom.
Leon subconsciously traced the jade pendant he always wore around his neck.
Gasp* He felt Rachel's mother quickening her breathing and looked up.
"Are you wearing something around your neck? Can I have a look at it?"
Seeing no reason to reject, he took the jade pendant off for the first time and handed it over.
Rachel's mother accepted the jade pendant with shaky hands. Her expression turned to one of excitement when she recognised the jade pendant. It was the other half for the Phoenix Jade, the Dragon Jade pendant.
"Where did you get it?" She had lost her bearing and elegance as she grabbed onto his shoulders and asked him in a hurry. "Quick! Answer me."
"I always seem to have had it on me? You ask me where I got it, but who do I ask?" Leon was taken aback by her loss of composure.
Leon's words confirmed her final suspicion. It was apparent that the missing prince had been sitting right in front of her all along!
"Come, follow me." Rachel's mother grabbed his hand and took him to her study room.
Although he had already guessed the answer, he was still surprised be her sudden rise of intimacy.
Inside the study room, Amelia pulled out the draw and took out the Phoenix Jade that was in the sandalwood box inside. When she put the two jades together, there was a magnetic force that pulled them together.
The Dragon and Phoenix Jade became whole again as it glowed with a pale purple light before fading back to normal. It seemed quite mystical but nothing special happened.
"It turns out you were the prince all along." Amelia made a comment. She felt very relaxed as the burden has been lifted off her shoulders. The task has been completed.
Amelia circled around Leon as she inspected him again and gave him approving nods. Leon felt a bit helpless as he stood there like a piece of art on display.
She was very satisfied with her son-in-law. She had heard that he was a fire-user, which made her almost cross him off the list of suspect before, but thankfully she found him in the end.
It didn't bother her that Leon wasn't a metal-user. Although it was rare, it wasn't impossible to awaken with a different element. His mother was a perfect example.
She had no intention of informing Elizabeth her son had been found right away. She wanted to bring Leon directly to the palace and surprise her.
Her expression at that time would be something to look forward to.
"Come, tell your mother-in-law about your life until now." He was helplessly dragged back to the parlour to recap his life.
His family seemed to have grown bigger.
Time passes by Leon became familiar with his new mother-in-law...
"I see. You also have an engagement with the flower of the Cromwell family. Not a problem. You are the future king of the Crawford Kingdom. Great men would always have a number of women. However, I won't forgive you if you let my daughter suffer grievance." Amelia narrowed her eyes. Her strength billowed out for the first time and she was a...9th step awakener, the same as the Duke. What a scary pair of couples.
She sounded quite accepting of Leon having multiple women as long as her own daughter doesn't suffer, but if her own husband dares to look for other women then they would be entering a cold war.
"Ugh...don't worry. I won't let that happen." He assured but he wasn't feeling confident. His beautiful friend had suddenly turn into his beautiful fiancee.
As a man, he should be happy but he doesn't know how he should feel. Their friendship was pure and hadn't progressed in that direction yet. He would have to take things as they go.
"Remember those words. A man's word is worth his weight in gold."
Leon nodded.
Awhile later Rachel came back with Mia as she ran to Leon with happy faces. Clearly, they both had a good time, while not so much for him.
"What are you happily talking about, mother?" Rachel asked curiously.. She came back because they have been talking for hours. Even if they had lots to talk about, it should go for that long right?