"a toast for the sun of our empire" the duke declared to the guests
"a toast" the nobles reply raising their glasses to their beloved ruler
the castle was large and pristine everything was made out of expensive materials and each of every detail was handcrafted by famous artisans
"your majesty" her servant call out to her as she whisper her report
"it seems like dirty weeds really are hard to kill" she bite her lips
seeing her distorted expression the emperor held her hand, "dear, if you really hate him why did you not kill him from the first place?"
the empress then intwined her fingers with him, "Klien he was a man with many secrets when i arrive to cut his head off along with the others he didn't struggle nor beg like those bastards instead he open the gates for me and embrace my sword"
"how mysterious" the emperor mumbled as he look back to the crowd
----
"have got anything else to say?" she look at her prisoner who only look at her in silence
"don't trust anyone not even yourself" Klien said his eyes shown deep worries
----
when i married my husband i thought it was a match made in heaven he was always there when i need someone to help me when i lost my right hand man Julius and when i lost everyone
he was always there for me he never complain one bit and just stuck around with me that's why it's suspicious it was too good to be true
i muster up the most geniuine smile i could master and show it to him, "i love you"
"i love you too" he respond back to me
i love you so much Olaine and at the same time i also want to strangle that pretty neck of yours
...
"wednesday!" i call out to my oldest little duckling, "i'm glad you understood the letter" i embraced him into my arms
after seeing him blush out of embarassment i quickly pull away from him, "ah my bad my bad your all grown up now"
it was just like yesterday when i met this boy he was only twelve at that time now his seventeen..is this how parents must have felt when they saw their children grow up
what is the saying my father told me before
'the hardest part of being a parent is time'
hmmn i guess this is what they mean about that
"i brought some meat today" wednesday said dropping a bag to our makeshift table slash bed
"oh it's red" Monday said in excitement
"i go buy some seasonings let's do some stew" Friday said running out of our small bamboo cottage
"hurry up!" i yelled out after him
meat~ my mouth waters just thinking about it it's been a long time since i tasted meat i never really gotten to eat one in the past as my diet is strict and when i became klien i was broke to buy one
"let's save up the broth too" i instructed Tuesday who was fanning the flames to our fire
"meat~" all of us watch every little movement the meat did inside the pot as the smell filled the air
"i should have brought more" Wednesday click his tounge
"No it's alright we gotta save up remember?" i reasoned to him
"okay" he responded to me
"just a little more we can finally save up to buy a house of our own then we can start a bussiness by then you don't have to go away very farm everytime"
"but i can handle it" he protested
"your still a kid Wendnesday this is something you should't try to carry" i gave him a pat in the shoulder, "let me handle it and also i'm really sorry i wasn't able to gave none of you any proper lifes after all i'm just a beggar"
he then shook his head, "no mister please don't think of yourself that way you save us" he defended
"you save me no you save us" he said and soon my little duckling start hugging me one by one
really they are all grown up now
the 7 year old gil suffering from syphilis
the burned child who is only 10
the abandoned child who just turned 11
and lastly the small 12 your old kid who tried to rob me one night
all of them was all grown now i hug them back
"noo thursday don't drink all the broth!" Tuesday nagged as the big sized house cat continue on drinking the broth
"it was cooked finally" Tuesday said placing the pot in the tabble and once she lift off the lid the delicious smell alarmed our stomach
after the delicious meal we call it a day and with a dull stomach i find myself dozing off
but a loud sound woke me up rubbing my eyes i quickly went to check the noise
fuck..why is he here?
"i finally find you Klien" he said with a smile
"how did you?"
how the fuck did he find me? did he tailed Wednesday? i must have been so focused on hiding from the empress i forgot one more fucking death flag was around the corner
"who's there?" Wednesday ask me
"oh~ it seems like my adorable sibling made couple of friends along the way"
"who are you?" Wednesday snarled at him
he then proceed to do a light bow and introcuded himself to wednesday in a noble manner, "greetings my name is Quiran von Julien. i am Klien's brother"
"step brother" i added
i then cross my arms, "what are you doing here?"
this is how klien talk to him right?
"i was actually running some errands from father when i find out my adorable little hamster lives here~"
"i'm sorry but theres no hamster here, now if you excuse-" before i can even close the door in his face i notice a feet was placed blocking me
"i wasn't done talking yet tho~ it was already dark aren't you afraid your sibling might get attack by some monsters or mean thugs?"
ugggh his voice sound so annoying wtf..
your guilt trip won't work on me mister better luck next time
i then proceed to close the door multiple times but his feet won't budge
"go away!" i shooed him away but all the words that left my mouth fell in deaf ears as he remain to stand there
seriously what's up with this lunatic?
from the novel it is said Quiran was a very powerful man he runs the strongest information services the Red Goblins it is said he was as strong as the protagonist himself he was a chaotic neutral person who just wants to have fun
since he runs an information services he must have known i was alive all this time and even struggling as a beggar yet he didn't help instead he just find interest because i use my power yesterday
just for the sake of fun huh? he kinda reminds me of my fake best friend Anthony he runs a fund campaign for my operation and got thousands of dollars but i recieve none of them
i then later found out he waste them all to his friends and his new car
"oh come on it's fun" that's what he always reasoned to me and my dumb ass followed after his requests i can't believe i didn't dump him after he send me to hospital multiple times
"do you want to go home with me?" Quiran questioned me breaking me out of my trance
i then stop closing the door and look at him in the eyes, "the fuck is wrong with you?" i blurt out
Quiran then slam the door open getting me by
surprise after opening the door he then scan our makeshift cottage
"it must have been hard wasn't it? how about this you come home with me and you can bring them along with you?"
i furrowed my eyebrows at him
what's is this bastard up too ans why wouls i trust my adorable little ducklings to your hands hell no
"winter is coming soon are you sure you had what it takes to survive it?" he ask me
i then start to calculate our funds in my head, "we ca-"
"i heard there was an oil spill in harbor because of that some fisheries was destroyed and some shipping was delayed because of that the price of goods would double and even triple"
shit..he got me..
"what do you want from me?" i question him
"what do you mean shouldn't siblings help each other~" he respond with his annoying smile
hearing his response i then scoff, "if you really are oh so kind you could have help me from the very beggining. what do you want?"
he then drop his smile and said, "cause i'm bored honestly i wish this empire just burn down in flames but if that happens i be even more bored" he reasoned
yep i'm fucked this guy is crazy
"i go with you in return i want two conditions one is you would never lay your hands on my ducklings nor force them to do anything you want"
if i add myself to the conditions he would surely not comply so the only thing i can do is make sure my kids are safe
2 years maybe that's enough to save up enough money and i'm sure he be bored by me at that time
according from the novel he was never violent but he can get into your head you would only fall to his trap if you let yourself get comfortable by his presence
first he would love dump you and drown you in so much love and luxuries he would treat you like the most fragile and most beautiful thing in the world then once he got bored he tear all of this away
it was like giving a pretty lady a beautiful gown out of expensive silk ans jewelries mad out of diamonds and then strip it from her body in front of a crowd
"deal" he complied to me