The shock was palpable, freezing the room in a pin-drop silence where time itself seemed to stand still, every eye wide and unblinking.
They couldn't believe what they had just heard Subaru... No longer… the heir?
The news was shocking, far beyond anything they had anticipated. Changing the heir could alter not just the fate of the Orpheus family, but the entire planet.
Though it may seem like a simple choice, the heir is strictly monitored and held to the highest standards, expected to oversee all that pertains to the Orpheus family.
With the Orpheus family overseeing the Shadowfell domain and other vital regions, any disruption to their rule could shatter the planet's already fragile balance.
To change the heir was no simple matter, to change the heir meant the original choice was unfit and did something against family rules.
"Wha— Why!" Subaru's eyes widened in disbelief, his heart pounding.
"Emily" Victor uttered, the crisp command echoing through the room.
"Yes Father" She replied, her tone measured and respectful
"Emily, what's rule 231?" Victor's voice cut through the tension, leaving no room for hesitation.
"Rule 231 states that all physical interactions, including sexual ones, are allowed if they follow certain guidelines," Emily recited, her voice steady, though a hint of unease crept in.
"Alright, what is the fourth Guideline and its stipulation" He questioned, authority lacing every word.
Even though she was confused about why that exact Guideline was important, she nonetheless explained it. "The fourth guideline covers… Ehem Intercourse between Master and Servant. The main and most important stipulation is the forbidden act of–"
Emily's jaw dropped, eyes wide with shock, as the realization settled in, leaving her utterly dumbfounded. She knew he frequently broke the family's rule but this was a whole different level.
"Emily"
Snapping to attention, Emily straightened her posture respectfully "Ehem, sorry Father I lost my composure for a bit. The stipulation states that if you are the heir to the family and not formally engaged yet it's forbidden to get a servant pregnant"
The announcement left the room in a heavy silence, the tension so thick it felt like the very air had been sucked out...
Victor's cold, stentorian voice broke the silence. "One year… I watched you disgrace this family. I allowed it because she consented. But you—" his voice hardened, "—you crossed a line you can't come back from."
Victor's expression noticeably darkened as he continued "But then instead of growing up and ceasing this behavior you instead got her pregnant and didn't even have the gull to learn that you were becoming a father from her own mouth."
Victor's knuckles turned white as he gripped the arm of the chair, his control slipping with every word. The chair creaked under the pressure, mirroring the tension in the room. His emotions teetered on the brink, years of frustration and disappointment boiling over. Finally, the chair splintered, a physical manifestation of the fury he barely kept in check.
'Crack'
The audible sound of the chair echoed in the hall followed by a gulp
"Father, is that true?" Adam inquired, his eyes narrowing in focus as he tried to comprehend the shocking revelation.
"Don't ask me, ask her," Victor slowly shook his head in resignation, gesturing towards the doors of the main hall.
Everyone in the room turned towards the door just in time as the door to the Main hall opened, A blossoming young woman walked in each of her footsteps purposeful, each gesture deliberate and well-mannered.
Her ashen hair danced behind her shimmering like silver in the dimly lit hall, and she radiated an aura of happiness that seemed to brighten the very air around her.
"Julia!" Subaru's voice filled the hall, immediate recognition etched on his face as the woman walked in.
Julia Orpheus the granddaughter of the previous head maid at the age of 2 was chosen to be the personal maid of Subaru who had just been born
"I greet the Main family and the 8th head," Julia said with a Bow, Maintaining a composed demeanor
"Julia, Demand you tell me–" Julia silenced Subaru with a fiery gaze that promised consequences if he continued.
"What you've heard from the master is indeed true" She confirmed, her posture remained respectful, but a glimmer of happiness danced in her eyes.
Lilith grinned, mischief dancing in her eyes. 'Wow, Subaru, a dad before Adam? And he's already hitched! Guess you're really setting the pace."
"Shut it" He snapped, glaring back at her
"Father if Subaru is no longer the heir then who is?" Emily asked
Everyone in the room's ears perked up they were all curious about who would be the next heir, but there was one exception.
Jaylen watched with indifference, traces of boredom creeping in. He had long since moved on from any ambition of leadership, focusing solely on his one true goal.
He even felt like just leaving it's not like his parent would care if he was here or not, So just as he was getting ready to stand Victor's voice cut through the silence "Jaylen will now be the heir"
Jaylen nodded absentmindedly, the weight of the announcement slow to sink in. 'Cool, so I'll be the heir and…' His thoughts faltered. 'Wait, I'll be the heir?'
A rush of emotions surged within him—confusion, anger, and an unsettling void where excitement should have been. Why now? Why, after years of neglect, was he suddenly deemed worthy?
Lost in his thoughts, Jaylen missed the fleeting look of resignation and defeat in his mother's eyes—an expression that would have spoken volumes had he been paying attention
Emily had been keenly paying attention to Jaylen the whole meeting, seeing him lost in thought at the mention of him being the heir, she knew he would be in no state to ask the questions he wanted answered.
Letting out a sigh She asked her parents the question Jaylen probably wanted to hear the most "Father, Mother I hope you don't mind me asking but why now make Jaylen the heir when you skipped over him in the past"
Anna who had been quietly spectating spoke "There are two reasons for our choice, The first one being that only Jaylen and Eleanor had yet to state if they wanted to be the heir, or a least the was until last year when Eleanor told us she did not want to be, leaving only Jaylen who hadn't said anything."
Jaylen could feel a slow, burning heat begin to rise from within, spreading through his veins as his anger intensified at her words.
How could he have said anything he was treated like thin air by almost everyone in the family, they were his own parents yet he could count on just one hand how many times he's talked to them outside family meetings and even worse that was when he was 5.
He wanted to stand up and give them a piece of his mind, consequences be damned. But as he began to rise, he felt a hand land on his shoulder.
Turning toward the owner he locked eyes with Adam who shook his head.
Adam understood Jaylen's feelings toward their parents and the way they had treated him. It puzzled him that their behavior was always different with Jaylen, making little sense as to why they kept him from forming a proper attachment to them.
What did they know and how was it related to Jaylen?
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{A/N} Sorry for short chapter