Perhaps trying to drown in a one and a half meter long pool was not a successful method as it seemed, especially when the water lifted you up for some reason every ten seconds. After several futile attempts, the boy decided to just stop and relax in the water for a moment.
He looked at his clothes, which were weighing him down and pulling on his shoulders, and he removed his shirt little by little
Perhaps it would be good if your scars were not in your sight so that you would not feel upset and disgusted every time you accidentally looked at them.
But as soon as he looked at his mutilated arm, bitterness returned to his throat again
After a few moments, there was a knock on the door
Young Master, are you finished?" The servant's worried voice sounded from behind the door
The boy quietly got up and went out and started to get dressed before stopping because of a familiar feeling
He thought his pain was already over, but here he was again
Maybe this was punishment? Perhaps what he went through was not enough to justify his actions, and he deserved to go through his pain again? Perhaps this was a price for the superficial life he had previously lived?...
The door opened while the servant was standing nervously as if his death sentence would be issued in the next ten minutes
He did not realize how common this scene had been before. The only thing that gave a strange feeling of distress in the boy's chest was his knowledge that the young man's fear was not for himself, but for him. He had always been like this, the only person he felt worried about, and he paid the price too.
He left the room, and the servant quickly followed him
He didn't even have to stop to refresh his memory about this big place
He remembers everything, every spot, every moment
He finally reached the dining room, opened the door, and entered
None of the attendees turned their attention to him even for a moment
He walked over quietly and sat in his usual place
In the corner of the table
Far enough away that they wouldn't be bothered by his presence
"What, did you sleep late, lazy?" A familiar sarcastic voice sounded from the other side of the table
The servant wanted to open his mouth to protest that no more than 5 minutes had passed, but that one person was in the room
The boy didn't speak at all. Instead, he raised his head and looked at the source of the voice. It was a girl with red hair and green eyes
She wears too flamboyant clothes
Judging on her, it was definitely her maid's choice, as she was the type who wouldn't mind sitting around with training clothes and a sword around her waist.
She was there
The golden eyes met the green eyes, which turned from a sarcastic expression to a worried expression before fading away and quickly returning to the sarcastic expression
"Why are you staring? Are you dazzled by my beauty just now?" she sneered
The boy did not respond when she was about to open her mouth again, another voice spoke in the room
"Enough."
There was a deathly silence as soon as he said the word
The boy didn't need to look to realize where the voice was coming from
With his green eyes that hypnotize the viewer, and with black hair that matches the boy's hair
"You have already missed two days in a row from your classes."
The boy looked at the man who seemed to prefer staring into space rather than looking at the face of the person speaking to him
The woman next to him put the cup in her hand on the table with a tense face and looked at the boy
"There are already two weeks before the victory celebrations, and after three days we will head to the capital to begin preparations
So maybe you should try to avoid inaction again
There are more important things than following you," the man continued
'You don't need to say the things you want to say to yourself to me.'
The boy's eyes darkened slightly before he returned his gaze to the table
There was plenty of food for a few people
If these items were distributed to all the palace residents, they would be enough for perhaps two days
He did not feel hungry. Perhaps it was due to his return to this worn-out, exhausted body
Perhaps in another time, one of these dishes would have been a dream, but now it no longer means anything more than another manifestation of empty luxury.
After staring silently at the pendant in his hand for a while, the man finally got up and left the room, leaving the rest alone with the servants.
"What else? Have you started a new project to transform from a skeleton into a ghost?" The girl sneered while the body of the little boy next to the woman trembled, and he looked up shyly and looked at the boy sitting at the end of the table alone.
The little boy had eyes identical to the Duke's, but unlike the black hair, he had blonde, curly hair similar to his mother's.
The boy raised his head and looked into the girl's eyes
The girl paused for a moment before opening her mouth again
"Or perhaps the food of the Grand Duchy is no longer to your liking?"
Yes, she was talking about food
The boy looked at the plate in front of him
It was almost a masterpiece. It was not worth destroying this art to eat a bite or two unnecessarily
The boy actually got up and left the room while the girl's face behind him changed to worry and fear
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"Aren't you a little cruel to ignore Miss Elena like this?....." the servant whispered as he followed the boy's slow steps
"Why?"
"Because...because you've never done this before?..."
'Yes, of course'
This was a far cry from his past self. He would have felt alone and grateful that Elena had noticed him today and began to get a rush of hope again before it faded away days later.
But he was going to keep trying
"Okay, maybe I'll be like this from now on."
"Why?"
'Why?'
"Because I'm tired."
"Uh.....by the way, did you like the gift?" The servant tried to change the air a little
"gift?"
"The Marquis Effenhard gave you yesterday when she visited....".."
The boy's eyes opened, and he extended his hand and placed it on his neck
He remembered looking into the water when he woke up too, and there was nothing there
'Where did the necklace go?'
He stopped and looked at the mirror with a luxurious frame on the side of the corridor, looked at his neck, and stared for a while
"Are you angry about what Miss Elena said? ..She is just joking as usual.....You know right?.." The servant tried to show sincerity in his words.
The boy stopped looking at the mirror when he met his face, turning it around quickly and looking at the servant
"Bring my horse and tell the guards, I will go out."
The sound of successive footsteps echoed through the corridors of the vast palace
"but...."
"now"
"Yes"
The boy stopped and looked in the mirror next to him
'How pathetic were I?'
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The place hasn't changed at all
Loud screaming sounds, laughter
Street vendors, strange and diverse goods filling the sidewalks, and some pickpockets looking for the easiest targets.
Duchy of Gracia
One of the most beautiful regions in the Kingdom, according to most historians and writers, with its picturesque nature and ideal weather
Some of the wealthy nobles dared to describe it as a paradise
It is not possible to know whether the reason for the name was their great love for it or shameless attempts to increase the return of visitors, thus increasing the size of their pockets.
No one, whether the wealthy nobles or the ignorant commoners, realized that this paradise would turn into hell faster than they thought.
With quick steps, the boy, followed by one guard, walked and headed to the store on the corner of the road
As soon as the doorbell rang, a happy voice appeared from behind it
"Welcome….oh young master!" The woman was a little shocked and quickly made room for the boy to enter
"Welcome"
"I have already informed Ms. Grace that the clothes will arrive in two days."
"I didn't come for the clothes."
The woman was silent and looked curiously, then a smile appeared on her face
"Why don't we get a cup of tea? Please have a seat."
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Everything happened as it was supposed to happen, nothing changed
"You're not going with the young master, Ruby."
"what.... how?!"
"Enough!" shouted an old woman with a sharp face
"There are already many servants in the palace in the capital. Why would we take you?"
"But you will go..." The servant muttered in a low voice
"What, did you just compare yourself to me?!"
"That's enough." The boy finally opened his mouth
"What?"
It had only been two days but it felt like an eternity already
Nothing has changed and he can't even feel sorry in any way because he didn't even try to change it
"Shut up"
He didn't have to bear this anymore
"What?" The woman replied in a sharp voice
No one can stop him from dying anymore