It was a rainy night; the sizzling of wheels scraping against the asphalt was a sound that could be heard even from acres away while I was slouched beside a tree. It could be due to my other senses slowly fading or my mind sharpening more and more, but that wasn't something I cared about at the moment. All that went through my head was the fact that I was about to die.

Over the years, I've gotten into numerous troubles because of my sense of justice. I think it was due to various factors that shaped my personality during my childhood…

'Khaugh! Khaugh!'

I shouldn't have gotten involved where I wasn't wanted… I guess I completely messed up by not being prepared for this kind of threat. How stupid to die for defending your values and what is just!... Well, the dead don't talk, so they don't have opinions, hahaha.

As I mocked my situation condescendingly, my line of thought slowly began to slow down until it finally came to a complete halt.

…

[Year 2194 - North Columbia District]

A fresh breeze entered through a large window where rays of amber light filtered through the curtains. At the back of the room, by the entrance door, there were various bookshelves filled with books in frames of all sizes. In the middle of the room, as if it were some kind of bizarre joke, there was a sofa directly beneath a large holographic screen that would make anyone question the owner's aesthetic tastes. The same owner had also decided to place a double bed just to the right of the room.

In front of the large window, there was a rectangular oak table against the wall. On top of it were a pair of feet, one on top of the other, extending diagonally towards a young man eating an apple with little enthusiasm.

His wallpaper-colored eyes were vacant as he stared at the sunset in front of him. He had dark brown hair that was accentuated even more by his pale complexion. His mouth was slightly open as drool slowly made its way to his chin.

'What was I— Guak!?'

In an unexpected lurch, the boy lost his balance and couldn't avoid falling to the floor beside the chair he was sitting on. He slightly bumped his head and quickly began to curse himself ironically.

'Hahaha… it seems problems are always drawn to me. Am I the kind of person that the god of bad luck likes? If such a god even exists?'

As I was in my most schizophrenic moment, soft knocks sounded at the door of my room.

Knock. Knock. Knock

For a few seconds, there was no sound. When I regained my senses, I adjusted my vocal cords and said:

'You can come in, Elisa'

The door opened gently, and the young woman with black hair and dark brown eyes entered my field of vision… clearly, in reverse, as I was still lying on the floor pathetically.

'Your Illustriousness… are you… alright?'

She tilted her head slightly at the sight of me lying on the floor. It was clear she was in shock from the scene before her eyes.

'Your Illustriousness!'

She quickly composed herself and was startled by the sight before her eyes.

'Are you, are you alright? Do you need medical treatment?'

She asked with a glassy look in her eyes, almost indicating that she hoped I would agree.

I jumped up, thinking about what was happening, and very shamelessly tried to change the subject so she would forget what had just happened.

'Ahem! Elisa, how long have we known each other?'

Elisa's eyes looked at me in shock at the sudden question, and within a few seconds, they changed to curiosity.

'Hasn't it been since you were 5 years old?'

I looked at her and nodded my head.

'That's right'

Looking at me perplexed, she couldn't help but ask.

'Your Illustriousness, if I may ask, why the question?'

With an annoyed look, I quickly responded.

'My question is because even after all this time, you still use honorifics when speaking to me!'

'That's…'

Without giving her a chance to respond, I cut her off.

'Why do you respect me? As far as I remember, you don't use them with any other family members, so why with me?'

A smile emerged on Elisa's face. She opened her mouth but immediately closed it again.

'Well?'

Elisa opened her mouth again, but this time everything she said seemed to be a tease.

My mouth quickly tightened. I crouched down again, picked up the chair, and sat back in the same position as before.

Intentionally, as I did all of this, I pretended to ignore Elisa's presence.

As if it were the last part of our conversation, I raised my hand.

I turned my head to look at Elisa's face, but at that moment, I lost my balance again from the shock.

As I looked at her suspiciously, she looked away, and I could only hear her innocent voice, free of any sin.

I murmured under my breath, almost ready to curse Elisa when I remembered why my mother had left home.

I stood up elegantly and brushed off my clothes.

She nodded gently with her head.

She nodded softly.

Elisa turned toward the oak door, and when she was less than a meter away, the door lifted, clearing her path. At that moment, she stood to the side, bowing her head, indicating that I should proceed according to aristocratic norms.

I walked forward. A wide corridor stretched before me from right to left, where on both sides, a broad crimson carpet stood out against the wooden flooring.

Step after step, to distract myself along the way, I glanced diagonally to my right. Wide windows and various hunting decorations were all that filled my thoughts. It was a sight I saw every time I left my room. Even though it was a regular view, all I could think of at that moment was, "Really expensive…" leaving my face with a look of astonishment. It felt like something new to me.

Not wanting to have these feelings, I quickened my pace toward the end of the hall. After a good walk, I reached the door. My mother hadn't arrived yet, contrary to what Elisa said, but that was likely because they had notified her beforehand.

Minutes passed, and after a while, a young-looking woman entered. Her pale complexion blended perfectly with her dark brown hair, almost as if it had been dyed by the shadows of a forest at sunset. Beneath her gaze, the yellowish palette of her eyes, like that of an ancient tapestry bathed in golden light at dusk, carried an air of aged elegance and a captivating depth, even though she physically appeared to be in her twenties.

Beside her was a figure that looked similar to her mother, the only differences being her jet-black hair, which extended down to her elbows.

The small figure, who was in a sleepy state, set her eyes on me, and for a few seconds, she was stunned.

'Bro-Brother?'

Without saying a word, I approached my little sister and placed my hand on her small head.

'Hello, Lotte. I see you came tired, right?'

'Could you tell your brother how it we—?'

Before I could finish the sentence, a warm hand reached out and rested on my forehead.

'Adrian, are you sick? Did something happen while I was away?'

A concerned look, accompanied by a furrowed brow, stared back at me. It was the face of a mother worried for her child. At that moment, the little girl who had just been under my hand slipped away and positioned herself right behind her mother.

In front of the grand door in the foyer, I tried to open my mouth to say a few words. Unfortunately, after letting a few seconds pass, I closed it again, only to retreat into my thoughts. Only when I regained my senses from seeing my mother's face did my mouth open once more.

'I've been thinking lately. I believe I should spend more time with my family.'

At that moment, I saw my mother's face, surprised by what I had said. She surely hadn't expected her antisocial, apathetic son to want to spend time with them again. At the same time, when I looked down, I saw my chubby little sister's face, looking at me confused, not knowing what was going on.

After looking at me for a good while, my mother finally spoke.

'Well, if you want to spend time with the family, you can start by coming down to dinner with us tonight. How does that sound?'

'That's fine, mother. That way, we can also catch up a little.'

With a wide smile, I turned around and bid them farewell, heading back to my bedroom.

...

In the garden of the mansion, in a charming marble gazebo of white and blue with a floor adorned with mosaics, a woman sat. She was positioned right in the center, where a metal table held a cup of black tea and a small plate. With two hours still to go before dinner, she thought it would be nice to enjoy a cup of tea while reflecting on what had happened upon arriving home.

As she gazed into the depths of her rich tea, she couldn't help but let out a weary sigh.

"I suppose his rebellious phase is over," she murmured.

A soft smile curved her lips as she looked fondly at the blooming flowers in the garden.

"How lovely the flowers are in spring."

She lingered a while longer in the garden until darkness fell. As the chill began to set in, she made her way inside.