"What? You're just going to ignore me? You didn't miss me at all?"
Before Gian can react, someone wrapped his arms around his neck and rubbed his head roughly, making his hair a huge mess. Gian gathered his strength to push that person away from him. Fortunately, that someone released Gian and let out a laugh.
"Ungrateful brat. You don't even miss your brother? Such a heartless kid."
Gian did not say anything. He just stared at the person laughing in front of him. How many years did he last heard this person laugh like this? Hearing his brother laugh happily brought back those melancholic memories to Gian.
In Gian's past life, when the Royal Guards were marching towards their mansion, the remaining knights who remained loyal to them chose to guard the mansion and protect it will cost their own lives. Viel Cres Val, Gian's older brother, lead his remaining troops outside their mansion and faced the large numbers of Royal Guards fearlessly.
Viel is an outstanding person in every way. At a young age, Viel started to show his talent using his sword. He has all the qualities that a knight should have. After some years of training, Viel was promoted as the youngest knight who joined the Red Tiger Knights, the third battalion of knights who served the Royal Family. After that, he brought a lot of glory to the kingdom until he became the leader of the Red Tiger Knights.
But when the Royal Family accused the Cres Val family of joining hands with the neighboring country to raise a rebellion against their own country, Viel, who was an image of a good and reasonable leader, was automatically condemned by the people around him. There were still people who did not believe the accusations towards them but still turned their backs on him to avoid being accused of being an accomplice with their family. Viel gave up his position before the Royal Family gave an order to ceased him. Viel will never allow anyone to touch and hurt his pride, especially if it was because of a baseless accusation.
A few numbers of knights who remained loyal and faithful to their leader followed Viel and tried to help him clean their family name. But the Royal Family are all ruthless. Before Viel can even start his investigation, he received news that the new King sent an order to the Royal Guards to execute the Cres Val Family. They should not let a single person alive.
Together with the remaining loyal knights to the Cres Val Family, Viel leads them and put a vanguard to their mansion. The last time Gian saw his big brother Viel was when he fearlessly walked outside their mansion as he unsheathed the sword on his waist. When Gian woke up from his coma, he heard that Viel's head was displayed outside the barracks to show it as an example for the nobles who still dare to commit treason.
His father, elder brother, and the people who believe in their family. They were all accused of a sin they didn't even dare to commit. Because of it, they were all brutally killed.
"Hey? Gian? Are you sick? Don't tell me you are getting crazy?! This is an emergency! Butler Del, this is an emergency that concerns my brother's health!" Viel said in a loud voice while acting like a fussing woman in the street.
"You're the one who's sick! Can you stop acting like a child?!" Gian complained.
Hells...
How can he forget? Although Viel is an outstanding man in high society, his family is the only one who knows the truth. For Gian, Viel is acting like a person with a mental disability in their mansion. Viel childishly played tons of pranks towards Gian which made him irritated and mad at Viel most of the time. And to think that Viel is five years older than him!
"That's a good reaction! But you should give me a better reaction next time."
As much as Gian miss this big brother of his, he still hates Viel's childish ways to deal with him. After glaring at him for a while, Gian turned around and left Viel alone. But how can Viel miss his chance to annoy his younger brother? So Viel followed Gian quietly like an obedient chick following its mother hen. Gian immediately noticed it and stopped walking.
"Can you stop following me?" Gian said.
"Give me a good reason why should I do that." Viel said in a challenging tone.
"It's because you're too annoying!"
"I'm annoying? You dare to call me...annoying?!"
Then Viel put his hand on his chest and acted as if someone shot him on his chest. He even stepped backward exaggeratingly as if Viel will fall anytime soon. Gian looked at him with obvious disgust, but Viel just ignored it.
"Why? I'm your brother! How can you call me annoying without even feeling guilty at all?! How could you?!"
"Not only you're annoying. You're also childish and abnormal!"
"Aahh! It hurts! It really hurts!" Viel complained while clutching his chest with his hand.
Seeing Viel acting like this, Gian was finally convinced that he really traveled back in time. If Viel can still act like a silly person like this, then it was still the year where everything is peaceful and quiet without showing any dangers anywhere. If Gian is not mistaken, Viel just became the leader of Red Tiger Knights three months ago and everything with his work was good.
Without saying anything, Gian left his brother who still wanted to act like a silly man in the hallway. When Viel didn't see Gian anymore, he stands up straight as if his previous actions didn't happen. Butler Del, who was hiding behind a huge pillar, looked at Viel with a warm smile on his face. Then Butler Del gave the sword he was holding to Viel carefully.
"Gian seems fine to me physically, but you're also right. Gian is acting a little strange today." Viel said as he combed his finger through his jet black hair.
When Viel arrived at the mansion earlier, he heard from the head butler that his younger brother seems odd today. Trying to check what's wrong with Gian, Viel purposely waited for Gian to finished talking with their father and pestered him.
While purposely making Gian irritated at him, Viel noticed Gian's gaze towards him. Gian looked at him as if they had never met for a long time. But that's weird because they had met last night during dinner. He even pestered Gian before he left him without bothering with his antics last night.
"Did something happened with Gian today?" Viel asked Butler Del.
"I'm not really sure about it. Young Master Gian stayed in his room after eating his breakfast and do his usual routine. He also received a letter from the eldest daughter of Viscount Cladeu today."
"I see." Viel murmured. "Maybe Gian is just tired of reading a lot of books. Bring him a tea that can calm his nerves later. Also, make sure to check if Gian is drinking his medicine on time." Viel instructed the Head Butler.
"Yes, Young Master Viel." Butler Del said before bowing his head.
-//-//-
Gian entered a huge room located on the left-wing of their mansion. It was the personal library his father gave to him when he discovered Gian's passion for reading books. Thousands of books were placed on the bookshelves in his library. Gian already finished reading almost half of the books in this library.
Gian gently glided his fingers on the book placed on the upper shelf. He was currently reminiscing. When Gian was living as a commoner, having a single book was already a luxury for them. A book was sold for two small gold coins in the marketplace. The amount of it is enough to feed at least three normal families for a whole year. Gian can't afford to buy a book so he can only look at it and kept his desire to read it all by himself.
Gian plucked a thick book from the bookshelf and mindlessly turned its pages. Gian was not in the mood to read a book so he planned to return the book in his hand back to its place. But before he can return it, Gian noticed something was stuck on the deepest part of the bookshelf. Gian put his hand on the small space on the bookshelf and grabbed the thing stuck on it.
Gian glared at the thing he got from his bookshelf. It was a long, black metal stick with a smooth surface outside. On the upper part of it is a silver-colored button. When Gian press it, he heard a soft clicking sound and a small, metal nib showed on the lower part of it.
"What is this thing?" Gian asked himself. While thinking of what to do with this weird thing, he suddenly heard the voice of a man.
"Dude, do you really live on Earth? You don't know what a pen is?"
Gian was surprised to hear someone's voice in this library. Gian knows that no one Is allowed inside his library aside from his family and the butler who was responsible for cleaning this place.
"Who's there? How dare you step inside my library?"
Gian scanned the library with his eyes. He wanted to know who was the person who dared to follow him inside the library.
"Mother of pearl! You can hear me?! Hey! Hey, you! You can hear me, right?! Oh my gosh! This is a miracle!"
Still, Gian can't see anyone in the library with him.