Two days have passed. Louis is lying in his bedroom. Covering his face with his hand, he keeps thinking of his sister's face. The fear is real. He left the child when he discovered she might hate him. He thought everything over. Isn't it enough? Louis took a deep breath.
A knocking sound caught his attention. A woman with curly red hair is staring at him while smirking behind the fan. Her dress is made with high-quality silk. Diamonds scattered around the dress and her bracelet. She stands tall despite the heavy accessories. The second lady of the house is looking at him with 'sympathy' that screams fake.
Unlike the other rooms, Louis's room looks small. There is a little bed in the corner and a bookcase next to the window. Even the cupboard is only filled with black and white attire. Most of his pocket money is given to his mother and his sister. She might want to ask him about the budget allowance. His mother is dead. The finances will be returned to him.
"I know it's a sad occasion for you. I need someone to sign this transfer first. You will be attending the academy soon. Helios increases your allowance. He wants to meet you later." Celestia Krone is the youngest swordmaster from North. She is the mother of the first son and second daughter of the Arcene family.
Their relationship is natural. Unlike Serphia, who terrorizes him with the pretext of education, Celestia treats him like a regular human. His existence is like a useless bug that can die anytime without her interference. She usually treats him as empty air. Their conversation is unpleasant, but he can't feel disgusted.
Louis sits up and faces Celestia. Shock flashes across her pupils as she sees a handprint mark on Louis's cheeks. The handprint should be the hand of a child. She can conclude one thing. "That wench! How dare he touch the child of Arcene!"
This family is crazy about dignity and bloodline. Celestia caresses his cheeks as Louis scrutinizes her with a bored expression. Celestia is not worried about him. If she worries for him, she will stop Serphia. The trigger now is Natalia's bravery to stand against the current patriarch's bloodline.
"It's none of your concern." Louis's eyes glow golden. He glares at his stepmother with contempt. She is one of the people he finds friendly when having a conversation. It might be unpleasant, but still likable. Louis's room is located on the third floor of the manor. His room might be the highest among his siblings and stepmother, but it's the coldest and most secluded place.
He can only enter the library, garden, and training ground. The shackle that his mother gave him drives him away from authority. He can't dine with the family members. He always spends his time in his room or the Grand Library.
The food will be sent to his room. The training grounds are off-limits since his brother beat him up. The garden too. The only place he can find the speck of happiness might be the lonely Grand Library. Most of the children have their studies. The Grand Library is the only place he can dream of a different life. The books won't fear or condemn him.
But Celestia sometimes accompanies him in reading. She loves reading love story novels. She might act like a teacher when he asks for something. He knows that Celestia is okay with him around. If she tolerates his sister, they would have a better relationship. "It's weird. You only show your fang towards us because of that wench. We are your family. You can ask us for help."
"Don't interfere." For Celestia, Natalia is the problem. She respects Helios and their children. Natalia born from the betrayal of Emilia gets on her nerves. Louis pulls back and rolls to the side as he stands a meter away from her. He keeps glaring at the woman. She is looking with a question on her face. Celestia should be the first person in Arcene that aware of Natalia's weight in his heart.
Celestia laughs softly. Louis drops his guard and stands near the window. Knowing what he is thinking, Celestia raises her hands and backs away. She reaches out for documents in her left hand and gives them to Louis. "You're stubborn like him. That golden iris is dangerous. Maybe, you're a late bloomer? I never believe that you're talentless. I need your signature. Come here."
"..." Late bloomer. Only Celestia believes that he is not as useless as his father thought. Well, it doesn't matter. For him, he has to survive and protect Natalia. Walking towards the table, Louis reads the documents in Celestia's hand. All the support for his mother will be cut off.
He needs to draft a new contract with his father. Celestia is talking about the academy. The Grande Academy entrance examination will be held next week. But, all nobles and aristocrats were exempted from taking the assessment. Even the Emperor has decreed that all noble children must attend Grande Academy. Whether they are legal or illegitimate children, they must attend the academy.
If he left for Grande, who would take care of Natalia? Louis read the sentences in the documents. Louis must attend Grande Academy and graduate. At the same time, the Arcene family will support him and his sister until he graduates. The original funds have been tripled. Not to mention that Natalia has her allowance.
In exchange for everything, Louis will withdraw entirely from the succession battle. After he graduates, he can choose to stay or leave the Arcene family. The word graduate sounds easy. But they are wrong. Only a quarter of students can graduate in the third year. Half of them dropped out, and a quarter of the students will perish in accidents.
Louis signs the documents without hesitation. He has no choice from the beginning. As long as Natalia saves, he can accept his death. Celestia looks at the copies and leaves him. She smiles and leaves the room."If you have any problems, come and find me. Unlike that snake spawn, you have good manners."
Louis buries himself in the soft pillows once again. Family. Celestia treats him like like a family. What a joke. She wants him to drive Natalia away from Arcene by using him. Looking at the shining sun, Louis falls into a deep slumber.
*****
Louis woke up from a long dream. He glances at the clock on the bedroom wall. It's two in the morning. He sleeps for the whole day. A knock catches his attention. A man with a butler's suit is standing outside his room. Even if Jeremy swore his allegiance to the Duke he still cares for him. It must be because he misses both lunch and dinner.
Louis sits up and opens the door. Jeremy is standing with a few slices of sandwich in his hands. He smiles gently and greets him. Since his mother moved to the cottage, Jeremy was the servant responsible for serving him. He knows that Jeremy secretly hates his existence.
"How's Natalia's condition?" Louis eats the piece of sandwich and glances towards the dark scenery. He can only see a small light coming from the forest. The dreams keep distracting him from thinking straight. Closing his eyes, Louis tries to remember the scent of camellias. The winter hasn't arrived yet. He is going to leave this cursed place.
Jeremy nods softly as he shows a fatherly smile. At the same time, Natalia is still a child. It's normal for her to throw a tantrum. She needs some space to take a breath. "It will take some time for her to recover. But I think she needs you the most, young master."
"..." Louis laughs silently. Jeremy is too good as an actor. If he hadn't met Grace before, he would have stayed blindly and foolishly as a child. The reason why they keep him alive and follow his mother's demand is because of the secret that he knows. At first, they can kill him. But, with a broken link between the Royal family and the Arcene family, a new war will emerge.
The Royal family receives the gold mine from the Duke in exchange for the youngest princess. If both he and his sister are dead, the Royal family will use the social sentiment from the people to disregard the Duke. Louis's existence is the back door of the Arcene family to find the actual 'evil' person. It's easy to blame a child's existence instead of the patriarch or the entire family.
If Louis dies, people will begin to sympathize with him and blame the Arcene. The Royal family will find the crack and take control of the Duke. If he dies attending the academy, it will be an unfortunate accident.
Thinking that his silence might be a disagreement, Jeremy tries to convince Louis. "Young master, I know it's not enough for me to pay it with my life. Please, I know you hate your mother. But Miss Natalia is innocent!"
"Jeremy, you saw that, didn't you?" Louis is tempted to laugh. Exchange lives? He is a top actor. If he is the original character 'Louis Arcene', he will plead with the Duke and run away. He will fail and end up with a curse of subordination. In the end, he will kill his sister. Characters. His life is merely a piece of paper covered with ink.
"Young master, she-" The bastard Jeremy will do anything to make him run away. But Grace warned him. Talentless, worthless, disappointment. All the adjectives will be used to show someone's negative attributes. But Grace is a weird angel. She told him she didn't know. She says that her higher-up gives him his blessing.
" I need to get the most from the contract with my father. We are a family, yet he keeps writing contracts for everyone. He trusts no one, Jeremy. He fears that. He is a coward Jeremy. Just like I am." He will reveal everything now. The secret that he finds from Grace. It seems the Duke is not aware of the riddle.
"What secret-" Jeremy keeps his poker face and questions Louis's words.
Louis cut off Jeremy's words. This time, his golden eyes stare deeply into those emerald pupils. To make Jeremy Clause one of his people, he must show him something more the crown can offer.
Allegiance to the Duke? He is just a spy of the Imperial Family. "Isn't that why you keep following me? To make sure everything is under the covers. Do you think I didn't know? The fact that The Duke traded a mine for a princess? Or the fact that you're a double spy of Diore?"
"My allegiance is for the Lady-" Shock flashes in his eyes. Louis reaches out his hand and pushes Jeremy to the wall. He laughs softly. He needs to let this man know that someone is protecting him. At least, that's how illusions should work. How did he know all of this information? His blessing is from the upper realm. No one can guess that. He can only create faint images of Louis's genuine backer.
Louis continues to speak of the secret that only the Duke and the Emperor know of. Some elder knows this fact too."For the imperial family who lent them power, Azterthizas. Who would think the 'dark horse' is a demon contractor?"
"Young master-!" Horror flashes in his eyes. Jeremy no longer wears his calm mask. There is no way a child knows about that! Jeremy knows that neither the Duke nor the crown is aware of this. He thought Louis only learned about the Gold mine agreement!
Louis raises his head and whispers to the man's ear. A secret only a few of them know of. "And the Royal family themselves are the descendants of evil priests?"