In his room, Rodion lay on his bed, seeming to be in deep thought about what had happened earlier.
Suddenly, a knock reverberated on his door.
"Young Master, your dinner has been prepared." A female voice rang outside.
After hearing the word food, Rodion's attention was caught. He got up from bed and hurriedly ran towards the door and swung it open. A female servant was standing outside, somewhat surprised to see Rodion abruptly open the door.
She softly cleared her throat and gained her composure before bowing her head slightly and starting to leave.
Rodion quickly followed behind. The antique wall lamps that hung on the wall made his eyes light up as they trailed their way to the dining room. It did not take them long to reach the dining room.
He briskly opened the door and entered. As he stepped inside, he saw three people at the dining table. Sensing his presence, they paused on their food and simultaneously glanced in his direction.
"…What?" he blurted out in pure confusion, still standing by the entrance.
Am I not supposed to eat here...?
"Brother! It's you!"
A young boy jumped off his chair and ran towards him, "I was planning to go ahead and visit you in your room before I go to bed. Brother, I missed you so much!"
Rodion immediately bent down, as if his body were being controlled, and carried the young boy into his arms. He shared the same eye color as him and his short, curly, dark brown hair made his face refreshing and irresistible. He had a fair complexion compared to him.
He's like an angel!
He softly smiled at the kid and ruffled his fluffy hair, but before he could open his mouth, a cold, stern voice rang in the entire room. It carried a mockery and contempt.
"Look who has decided to go out of their way to eat dinner with us."
A sudden emotion tugged within his heart as he went stiff on his feet the moment he heard the voice. Rodion glanced over the table and saw a woman glancing at him. She sat at the edge of a long table, wearing a black dress. Her dark eyes stared at Rodion's, piercing through his confidence like a hammer shattering glass, and without further explanation on his part, he knew that the real Rodion had a relationship problem with his own mother.
"Mother…" he murmured, almost in a gasp.
The woman's raven black, straight hair fell fairly on the side of her neck, her impassive eyes didn't even spare her son a warm greeting.
"Your father had to end an important discussion with the Viscount after a report that you headed to that old and abandoned manor of the King again."
She went back to her meal while she talked, her black painted long nails held the steel fork and kitchen knife, cutting the meat on her plate.
"Vitya, get back to the table and finish your food," she called out.
Viktor, his younger brother, pouted as Rodion put him down and went back to his seat. He sat beside a girl whose wavy hair was the same color as that of their mother, but she also bore the same eye color as Rodion's. She sat indifferently as if there was no tension happening between her mother and brother.
"What are you standing up there for? You look stupid. Get in here and eat." his mother's stern voice once again rang through the entire room.
It made him almost shudder in fear, but he got a hold of himself. Although, he mostly felt annoyed by the original Rodion's mother.
This woman is a mother? She sure has a terrible personality! Tsk.
Taking a step toward the table felt like an ordeal; his strides echoed in the sudden silence, amplifying the awkwardness of the moment. His heart protested with each step as if screaming in defiance. When he finally reached his designated seat, he hesitated beside it, feeling out of place. With every tick of the seconds, the pressure mounted, urging him to turn around and flee through the door.
Although he didn't feel unwelcome, being near his mother stirred a rebellious urge within him. He wanted to dissent and make mistakes in front of her—pulling his chair with a loud scrape or slumping into it defiantly as if to prove he wasn't afraid of her. It was a way to satisfy the petty rebellion that was bubbling up inside him.
Why am I feeling on edge right now?
Still, he managed to behave himself and refrain from acting like a spoiled brat. As he sat down, he caught his sister's gaze across the table. Her dark eyes held his for a moment before she returned to her food.
His mother, clearly dissatisfied with his presence and slow movements, broke the silence with her stern voice. "Get your act together. Have you gone stupid?"
For reasons he couldn't quite understand, anger surged within him. He abruptly stood up, pushing his chair with force, and it tumbled to the floor, shattering the stillness of the room.
"I was expecting father to be here. I'd better go to his office."
He immediately headed towards the door and left the dining room. He didn't know what had gotten into his head, but he was glad he had left the room immediately. He couldn't stand another second to listen to his mother and be with her in the same room.
Walking his way along the corridor, he couldn't help but mumble in annoyance and had a meltdown after a confrontation with his mother. He was fuming with so much indignation that he couldn't tell if it was him or the original Rodion that was influencing his emotions.
"I want to live a life free of drama, why do I have to deal with this guy's mother's awful attitude… she's kind of scary, too!"
He was so absorbed in talking to himself that he failed to notice the light emanating from an open door from a considerable distance ahead of him.
A man peeked out of the door and curiously glanced in his direction through his glasses.
"Son?"
Rodion halted and gazed at the person ahead of him, trying to make out the figure.
"F…Father?"
He quickened his pace and arrived in front of the man who looked exactly like a copy of him, except that the man had a gentle and warm visage. The line under his eyes could be seen despite wearing reading glasses. The fatigue on his face ruined his handsome face. He looked older than his age.
Rodion experienced a sudden sense of empathy for his father, who was evidently overworking himself. He suddenly felt the need to care for him.
While he stared at him, his father examined his face as well.
"Are you alright? Did something happen? I'm sorry, I've been busy with some paperwork since we arrived. Have you eaten yet? Let's talk inside."
If it wasn't for his father who managed to locate him, he would have spent the night outside the old scary manor, starving.
Rodion slumped himself on the sofa and sighed. His father, who sat back at his desk, briefly observed him before returning to his work.
"Is it your mother?"
As if ignoring his father's question, he trailed his eyes at the empty plates and half-empty glass of water on the center table before he looked at his father at his desk. Papers were piling up, and he saw two empty cups on the side of his table.
He trailed his eyes to look at his father, his voice was that of concern. "You should take a rest, father… you look exhausted."
His father stared at him before he removed his reading glasses and sat up straight. He stretched his arms and muscles as he spoke, "You're right. I haven't had a good and long rest in a while."
The Baron stood up from his seat and walked toward the oriel window, clasping his hands behind his back. He gazed at the moon outside, giving Rodion the chance to study his father. The Baron's long, dark brown hair was tied in a low ponytail, and despite his age and constant fatigue, he still possessed a handsomeness that drew the attention of anyone who found him attractive, regardless of their gender.
"How have you been? It has been roughly five months since your previous visit."
Rodion paused at his father's inquiry before hesitantly uttering, "Great... I eat a lot."
"That's a relief."
Silence prevailed between them. Sank on the sofa, Rodion sat upright and glanced at his father.
"About that old manor, father, can you tell me what you know about it, and that person living in it?"
The Baron looked at him over his shoulder before he went back to his seat and sighed.
"Rodya, how bad are you with directions? That was the third time you lost your way in there."
The sudden question prompted Rodion to blush out of embarrassment and immediately tried to avoid any potential misunderstanding. "Please don't blame Mishka, I insisted on going on my own."
"I won't. However, I don't think you got lost this time. You went there on purpose, didn't you?"
He wanted to refute it, but he couldn't find the right words to do so.
I genuinely lost my way and in fact, I had no idea which way to go to reach this manor on my own. Sigh, I'm still adjusting to this new life and figuring out this guy's personal life. I'm bound to make mistakes…
"I'm sorry, father." He sincerely apologized.
It'd be a problem if I caused serious trouble to this family.
However, to his surprise, he saw the baron softly smile at him.
As if reminiscing, a subtle laugh escaped from his father's lips. "Rodya, I'm neither mad nor upset. I know how terrible you are with directions and still couldn't figure out which is right and left. It's even useless to give you a map."
That's a little surprising, I am no better than in my previous life; I don't know if I'll feel relieved because I don't need to find excuses if I'll get lost again or be more depressed about this news. Even in the second life, I can't escape this terrible trait…
Back to the topic at hand, Rodion looked at his father inquiringly as well as to avoid the embarrassing topic of being stupid with directions. He wished to uncover his curiosity about the old manor and the person living alone there. His father was likely to possess significant knowledge about it.
The baron stared into his eyes before he resigned to his seat. "I suppose there's no problem telling you about it a little earlier than I intended to. That manor is, in fact, a secret that the Royal Family keeps from being known to ordinary people." He began, prompting Rodion to fall silent right away.
"The person who lives in that manor is the forefather of the current King. That manor has been built for generations solely for him for a reason. He was the younger son of the first King here in Sosoya Kingdom."
Rodion's attention was focused as he listened intently to his father.
"And for still unknown reasons, that person has lived until now. This line of history of the Royal Family is extremely classified. The Royal King had assigned our ancestors the responsibility of taking care of this person from day one in exchange for this vast land and the title of a Baron."
His father gazed at him and saw his mixed reaction, but surprise and disbelief were more palpable on Rodion's face. Before he could pose a question, his father continued his story.
"When the youngest prince, Nikolai Alexandrovich, reached the age of 25, he went sick from an unknown disease and was put in a coma for more than a month and when he woke up, that's when the changes started. And to everyone's apprehension and confusion, he didn't exhibit any indication of aging. After the second emperor, the older brother of Prince Nikolai died, the royal family decided to place him in a separate house in a secluded area and hide him from people to discover."
Rodion's lips parted as if he wanted to protest. "That's…that—" He wanted to voice out his reaction, but he chose to shut his mouth instead and let his father continue.
"In addition to providing military aid to the kingdom, our family's primary responsibility is to secure Prince Nikolai's identity and make sure his existence remains in history."
He remained silent and struggled to articulate his thoughts. His father examined his face before he stood up and strode his way to the sofa and sat next to him.
What he had just revealed carried the weight of their ancestor's great effort to keep the royal family's secret. If things went wrong and got out of hand, loyalty wasn't a guarantee to save a life.
"Only limited people are aware of Prince Nikolai's existence in the present day, your mother, me, and Mishka. I am afraid for your safety and seeing how you have seen the Prince a few times now, it could lead to an unforeseen event and if that happens, I can't possibly imagine what the Royal King will do."
Finally, Rodion opened his mouth and asked what he was most curious about. "Did they figure out what caused Prince Nikolai's long life?"
"They long ago gave up on finding out the cause of Prince Nikolai's long life span. As they have decided to hide him, they thought it'd be reckless to disclose the problem. Either it's the work of the devil or a warlock; no one can tell. It remains a mystery and no one has bothered to uncover the reason." His father answered.
That is kind of lonely…
He turned silent as he moved his eyes away from his father. He doesn't know what to say, nor does he have any idea how to react to the information. If he were the real Rodion, how would he react?
"I need you to be extra careful. Prince Nikolai is proven safe and not dangerous, but we couldn't be complacent about it." His father seriously stated.
*
Walking in the same corridor back to his room, Rodion was once again deep in thought. He didn't know what to say or how to react to such a revelation from his father. He was a transmigrator himself, which alone carries the same level of surprise if made known to others.
Taking a turn, he spotted his sister and younger brother standing outside his room. Viktor, his younger brother, knocked on the door, while their sister held a tray piled with food. They waited patiently in their pajamas for their older brother to open the door.
"Why's he not answering?" Viktor wondered, his voice innocent.
"He must have run away again through his window." His sister briefly answered and stared down at the tray with the food she was holding.
The thought of their brother running away again, the two fell silent. It'd meant another several months before they could see him again.
"But he said he'd be with father, but that's from a while ago. Are they not done yet?"
"Perhaps."
"What should we do with his food then?"
"Put it back in the kitchen."
Rodion cleared his throat, which startled his siblings.
I'm hungry! I can't let you have the food delivered back to the kitchen!
As he approached, the kids turned to glanced up at him. Viktor's face lit up, and he ran toward his older brother, while their sister remained silent, watching Rodion lift Vitya into his arms. Rodion looked at her and smiled before gently patting her head.
"Anya," he greeted with a soft smile.
His sister, with her amber-colored eyes, stared at him. Smiling, Rodion glanced at the tray of food in her hands. Anna blinked before shifting her gaze to the closed door of his room. Rodion quickly opened the door and stepped inside, cradling little Vitya in one arm. Anna followed him in, placing the tray of food on the coffee table in his spacious room.
Viktor crawled down from Rodion and ran to his bed.
"We brought you food because you did not eat earlier!" Viktor chirped and threw himself onto the bed, "We missed you, brother! And Mother doesn't know we are here..." he hushed down on his last sentence.
Before he could say anything, Anna threaded her way back to the door to leave.
"You're leaving already?" He asked as he turned to her.
"Don't worry, the servant will be here to clean after you eat." She briefly stated. Her voice was reserved and precise, the complete opposite of Viktor.
"Stay for a while, do you not want to chat with your older brother for a while?"
Rodion strode towards the sofa and signaled for his sister to join him. Viktor happily jumped off the bed, ran to the sofa, and settled himself next to him.
"Look, sounds like Vitya is still full of energy. Join us, Anya." Rodion insisted once again.
He couldn't comprehend his current emotions, but he knew that it was what the original Rodion felt for his siblings. He had already forgotten the bitterness he felt for his mother and was looking forward to spending a little time with Anna and Viktor.
Without further hesitation, Anna calmly made her way to the sofa and sat opposite them.
Viktor, clutching his arms on Rodion's like a koala, chirped once more, "Rodya, did you know? Anya ranked 1st on their overall ranking at Royal Academy!"
"Vitya, let go of his arm. He can't eat if you cling to him." Anna suddenly reprimanded her younger brother, as if to immediately avert the topic.
"I'm sorry..." The little boy pouted, it accentuated his chubby cheeks, before he let go of his brother's arm, still leaning his body against Rodion and looking up at him, "I just miss Rodya so much, you've been gone long."
The two stopped and looked at their younger brother's face.
He's so adorable! I want to squeeze his cheeks!
Rodion ruffled his little brother's hair and chuckled, "I missed both of you, too. And I should eat now, I'm starving."
Though against his will, Viktor scooted away a little from his brother so he could eat without any hindrance. Rodion couldn't help but deepen his smile at the small gesture of Viktor before he turned to Anna.
"Congratulations, Anya, on ranking first, that's amazing."
Anna felt heat on her ears, relieved that she had her wavy hair fall down naturally and was covering her ears under it. She watched him begin to eat.
"I'll be heading back to the Royal Academy the day after tomorrow… Will you be heading back to Katerina Makarovna's tomorrow?"
Rodion quickly threw her a glance, his furrowed brows gave Anna the idea that he was in a bit of confusion, so she explained further, "Mother wants me to attend summer class. She said that I would be noticed by the higher-ups at school if I showed diligence and hard work on my studies."
What?... That's bullshit!
"Does that mean I'll be left alone again?"
Anna and Rodion turned their eyes to their little brother, the little man was pouting again, sad about the thought of being left alone by his older siblings once again.
"That'd be lonely… Again…" He added in a low voice as if only to remind himself again, staring down at his dangling feet.
Rodion paused his meal, gently setting down his fork and knife. Confused, he sensed that staying at the manor wouldn't feel quite right, no matter how much he might want to.
If he wanted to live the new life he was offered, there are certain things he shouldn't set aside, and ignore his own for the sake of others. Viktor was just six years old and disregarding his emotional needs was certainly a cruel thing to do. Yet, what could he do? Perhaps it was the lack of a real connection to them that made it easier for him to think this way.
I think the original Rodion might have chosen to stay away and refuse to visit them for this reason… but who knows? Emotions are the scariest thing to face head-on.
He picked up the boy and sat him on his lap. "You can play with Mishka." he suggested, "Don't be lonely, Vitya. How about if, we play tomorrow? The three of us." He continued.
The offer was tempting for the little six-year-old boy and made him excited for tomorrow. Viktor still couldn't shake off the feeling of sadness, but he still smiled and nodded his head.
"I'd look forward to it!" He once again chirped, hugging his brother and burying his face in his chest.
Why is this kid so clingy? You are making me feel bad…
The three of them began once again with their conversation and as the minutes passed by, Rodion successfully made their relationship and interaction a lot more natural. Despite Anna's tendency to remain silent, she nonetheless expressed herself without holding back.
They spent the night together catching up, especially Rodion. It was not his intention to take over someone else's life and to make up for it, he wanted to heed the most intense emotions that were tugging at his soul.
****
A little guide for the characters' names mentioned in the chapter:
Rodion's Parents:
Andrei Mikhailovich – Official / Seryosha – Short name
Anastasia Andreyevna Dolgoruky – Official Name / Nastya - Short name / Nasten'ka, Nastyusha, Nastyona - Her husband called her by these nicknames
Rodion's Siblings:
Anna Andreyevna (14y/o) – Official Name / Anya – Short name
Viktor Andreyevich (6y/o) – Official Name / Vitya – Short name