I returned to my room after eating a satisfactory meal with my grandfather.
It was so tasty that I wasn't able to hold back. I ate pretty much without any etiquette.
'Etiquette, huh?'
It's been a while since I took those classes. In the first two months, the head maid, who clearly didn't like me, taught me etiquette classes. She would often step on me when she was teaching me to dance.
I was not dumb enough to know that my siblings were more lovable than me. A kid from an orphanage coming to live in a
I returned to my room after eating a satisfactory meal with my grandfather. duke mansion they only dreamt of created jealousy and hatred against me.
I made my way to a certain object kept near the window.
I stood in front of the mirror they provided me. Honestly, I had long stopped looking in the mirror.
I believed that would demotivate me when I was to interact with the Kralier siblings.
It would be my biggest lie if I said that I wasn't jealous of the Kralier family.
They had the looks, talent, and everything else that I had dreamt of.
In contrast, what do I have?
I blew the dust on the mirror to finally see how I looked.
Black hair, black eyes, and an honestly normal face that people would forget.
In my orphanage, the caretaker often told me children should act innocent and charming.
However, what is defined as innocence?
When I asked this of him, all I could see was him widening my eyes and shouting at me to go to my room.
Charm?
I don't even have that.
But the man who introduced himself as my grandfather told me I looked cute. What is cute about me? My face? Mark looks cuter and more beautiful than me.
Theresa? She looks like those models I have seen in magazines.
Even though I was thinking all of that, a part of my heart felt a calming sensation.
I saw my face form a small smile involuntarily, out of control.
********************************
"You want to take Noah out on a trip?" asked my son, Samuel.
"Yes, didn't you hear it the first time clearly?" I retorted.
Currently, I was sitting in my son's office, eating a green apple that was cut by the chefs and seasoned with spices.
"Why? Noah probably wouldn't even accept this arrangement. Secondly, he is much safer inside the household."
"That's not for you to decide. Secondly, I have seen how safe he is inside the household. Have you seen how he is living? He is wearing something that looks like it hasn't even been laundered properly!"
Samuel widened his gaze and kept his silence. To be frank, I have raised my son to be the perfect man. I didn't want him to face the difficulties I faced in my youth.
I raised him pretty comfortably but kept him aware of the dangers lurking in the world.
After he awakened his lightning talent, just like his mother, he soared to greater heights.
He married the love of my life just like I did and settled pretty comfortably. He fought in the war valiantly and received praise from numerous leaders across the world.
I was naturally proud of him. But when he lost his first son, my own grandson, Leonard, he lost his light. His responses were monotone and lacked emotion during the calls I had with him when I was collecting intelligence at the border.
I really wanted to be there for him, but I couldn't. I believed my wife would take care of it, and she sure did. He is replying like the old Samuel, I know, but something felt off.
I asked the question I was holding back so much in the calls we had over the previous years.
"Why did you even adopt him?"
Silence prevailed over the surroundings for a brief moment of time.
After a while, he replied with a shaky voice.
"I wanted someone to replace Leo... I desperately needed someone to hold my family together."
I couldn't reply to anything. I wanted to assure him that I'm there for him. But I couldn't.
My son has made a mistake. He adopted a child for selfish reasons and even went as far as to say he's just a replacement.
I sighed and finished the last slice of apple. It tasted horrible and not better, like Noah said in the restaurant.
"I understand. It's your choice. But don't you think at least he deserves some attention? I have raised you to be better than this."
When Samuel was about to reply to something, the office door was knocked on gently.
Samuel and I looked at each other. I sighed again and nodded slightly.
"Come in," said Samuel as he got himself together and maintained his poker face.
"Master Samuel and Master Marcus,"
The man who just came in was Riventon. A butler who's been serving this family for 23 years straight. He still remained the same as ever.
White hair with a white beard is coupled with a monocle and a butler suit. The costume made him naturally look like a respected person among his peers."
"What is it?" my son asked.
"The Evaron family has sent a formal invitation for a tea party among their children and our families' children."
"Reject them," said Samuel without hesitation. The Evaron family was one of the important branch families supporting us financially.
Even though this is a known fact, my son rejected it ruthlessly, not because he hates them but due to his children's safety.
"I understand," said Riventon, who was starting to leave the room.
At this moment, I had an idea.
"Wait, Riventon," I ordered.
Riventon obliged and returned to his position.
"My grandchildren will go to the tea party." I said it with a smile.
"Wait, what? Dad, what are you spewing!?" shouted Marcus, losing his composure.
"Riventon, get out for now," said Samuel.
"Stay here, Riventon."
We had a silent clash with eye contact for a brief moment before Samuel sighed.
He probably realised how overprotective he was of their children.
"Abide with my father's instructions," said Samuel with a sad gaze.
"As you wish, sir. I will inform Young Miss Theresa and Young Master Mark about the party," said Riventon.
'Ah, this fucking guy...'
"Hey. Are you fucking kidding me?" I asked with a hint of authority and anger, which I rarely show.
"Sir?" asked Riventon, with a hint of confusion.
"Don't say you forgot my grandson, Noah Kralier."
"Ah... that..."
"Don't fuck with me. Noah will go to the party. No matter how stupid you guys are, at least you taught him etiquette, right?" I asked, turning my head to Samuel.
"He was taught etiquette, dad," said Samuel, like it was obvious.
"Noah is not experienced enough to handle noble people, Master Marcus," said Riventon, as if he were explaining a matter of fact.
"Since when did you start making decisions for us? Did working in my family make you overconfident in your position, Riventon? For a butler like you, you should address him as Young Master Noah, not fucking Noah!" I shouted as I stood up and started walking towards him.
"I'm sorry, Master Marcus!" said Riventon as he bowed down.
I stopped and took a look at my son. Even though all of this was happening, he didn't interfere. Probably he didn't do anything, even when they addressed Noah wrongly.
This led me to the conclusion that my son didn't even pay attention to his adopted son's affairs in the household.
'What mess have you become, Samuel?'
"Theresa Kralier, Noah Kralier, and Mark Kralier will attend the tea party. Is that clear?" I asked as I increased my voice when I said Noah's name.
"Yes, sir!" said Riventon, who left the office quickly.
I took one last look at my son.
"I'm taking Noah with me. I don't care what you say. If you object to this, be ready to face me."
I said my words and left the room. The aftertaste of apples tastes so horrible to me right now.
****************
Two days ago
(Theresa's POV)
I once again caught up with the head maid's useless ramblings.
I honestly wanted to remove her from the room, but her title makes it difficult to do so.
I had to listen to her since she suggested how I and my siblings should act outside the household.
I don't want my father to think that I entered my rebellious phase just as many noble young ladies do.
"Young lady, I know you don't want to hear more of this rumour," said Miss Berly at last.
"Yes, thank the gods, you finally understand!" I exclaimed while ruffling my hair with frustration.
"But..."
'Ah, I want to kill this bitch...'
"If you do not believe in the rumours, you can ask him yourself."
"Ask him myself." I muttered. It was an absurd idea, whichever way I see the suggestion Miss Berly made.
"No, I won't do it," I said firmly back at her.
She was silent for a while. She kept looking at the floor and suddenly looked up at me with a grin that almost teared apart her face.
"You leave me no choice, brat."
"What the hell are you spouting?"
Miss Berly disappeared, and the next second, I saw myself being bit by her neck.
I tried to struggle with every ounce of my strength, but I couldn't resist.
'She's a fucking vampire!'
I slowly fell into a darkness that seemed too comforting. I tried calling out for my parents, the guards, and my brother Leo.
But only one word popped out of my mouth.
"Help...Noah"
*****************************
(Present)
"Circuit rupture syndrome...?" I asked back with reluctance.
The doctor, or better to say, the royal doctor of the kingdom of Inhart, looked at me with sympathy.
"Yes. What I have said is not to be taken as a joke. You have circuit rupture syndrome," said the doctor while he conjured a hologram of the human body.
"There are 28 nodes and 36 internodes of circuits in an average human body."
"No, cut the complicated part," I said with annoyance.
"How does it affect my livelihood?"
The doctor seemed hesitant. I theorised that this guy must have been using straight-forward logic to explain the diseases he diagnosed first to the patients and making himself some time to prepare to tell the hardest part of the conversation.
"Mr Kralier..."
"Don't beat around the bush. Don't call me Karlier, and don't use honorifics. I clearly said that my name was Noah Jones from the start," I said with annoyance.
"Then, patient Noah Jones, by the best of my abilities, I have an idea of how long you will live, due, to this disease. No, it is better to call it a curse." said the doctor with a heavy voice.
I waited for his answer patiently. After all, I wanted to see how the world looked for at least a few seconds before I was informed of my life expectancy.
"You will die inevitably in 4 years."
My mind went blank. I looked at the heavily designed green-coloured carpet in the doctor's room. Somehow, it made me want to wrap it around my body and never get out of the embrace of the carpet.
I thought about everything I've done in the span of my life. I will probably have only my grandfather and his friends come to my death. Probably the Kralier's since I still bear their name, it is their responsibility, and they have no choice.
I wish I would have made different choices along the path that led to this dreaded room.
"Let me guess. It's inoperable, right, doc?" I said it with a voice that's trying to cheer me up.
The doctor looked at me with pity. The man must have seen his fair share of deaths because there is no way he can make the face of pitying someone in such a short amount of time.
"Yes, it is inoperable. In the span of this world's medical history, the world has only seen three people get this curse, and none of them survived. They just simply...vanish."
"They simply vanish?" I asked back, surprised. What kind of disease or curse would make a person vanish?
"Yeah. People vanish, says patient Noah Jones. Especially if it is a curse from the death god," said the doctor with a serious expression.
'Death god...'
I just decided not to think of the complicated matter now. I looked at the doctor again and asked the most important question yet.
"Do I have to inform my family?"