In a medieval graveyard, a young boy knelt before the twin headstones of his parents, tears streaming down his face.
His long silver hair was tied in a ponytail, and his obsidian eyes were puffy. He was only twelve but had lost his family.
The relatives, clad in mourning clothes behind him, had no care for the boy. They were all busy arguing about who would inherit his dead parents' money.
The boy's aunt stepped forward.
"I will take care of our Yizo. His parents' property shall go to me. I am his aunt!"
The boy's distant cousin scoffed.
"We all know our Yizo favors me more! My husband and I are more capable of taking care of the count's estate for Yizo!"
It was at that moment a handsome, lean young man with blood-red eyes and short, dark hair arrived at the scene in a carriage.
As he stepped out, all eyes turned to him, captivated by the tall, stunning man with a hint of evil charm who had just appeared.
Soyun unbuttoned the cuffs of his suit. An aura of icy aloofness emanated from him, making it difficult for others to approach.
An old butler and a few knights in armor arrived behind him to stand quietly.
His lazy crimson eyes easily found their way toward the boy crying in the distance.
'707, is that crying young boy the villain I need to save in the first digital world?'
He asked in his head and immediately a mechanical voice responded in his mind.
'Yes, host! That's the villain Yizo! The one who we need to save in this world! 707 is compiling the storyline since it changes every time and will tell you in a minute!'
Soyun eyed the villain's relatives. His red eyes startled them enough to back away.
He approached the villain who was still crying. Removing the white glove off his right hand, he placed it on Yizo's shoulder.
"It will be fine. So cry as long as you want."
Yizo flinched at the icy touch. He raised his eyes to meet those inhumane red eyes. Yet they didn't scare him; instead, he saw pure laziness and indifference in them.
"You are...?"
He wiped his tears, sobbing. His voice sounded hoarse even to his own ears.
Soyun's eyes dropped below to meet the obsidian ones. He wanted to go and sleep, but he had already accepted this mission. As a divine being, he couldn't back out of his words, or else he would lose karma.
"I'm the son of your dad's distant friend's son. I'll look after you from now on."
Hearing him, Yizo's distant relatives, who had fallen silent upon his arrival, snapped out of their stunned silence. They were livid. Yizo's aunt, a harsh-faced old lady, stepped forward, her gaze accusatory.
"Who are you even? Why would you take care of our Yizo? I, his aunt, am enough!"
Yizo's distant cousin shouted after her, the young man's voice dripping with venom.
"How dare you! You arrived suddenly. Do you think we don't know you want to steal the money Yizo's parents, the count and countess, left behind? Dream on!"
The air buzzed with many complaints, a chorus of disgruntled voices. Soyun felt a wave of annoyance wash over him, as if he were dealing with a swarm of pesky flies. If he were back in the divine realm, he could have simply released his aura to shut their mouths, but for some reason, his powers were severely limited in this digital world.
He shot a look at his butler, a stoic figure with a lifetime of experience etched on his face. The old man, clad in a tailored dark suit, turned to the crowd and barked.
"Silence!"
His voice boomed, and a hush fell over the crowd as they felt the pressure emanating from his old body. The butler continued.
"Do you think His Imperial Highness, the Third Prince of this massive Empire, needs the money of a mere count? How dare you disrespect His Highness so blatantly! If you don't want to be thrown in a dungeon, shut your mouths and disappear!"
The crowd gasped in unison, shocked by the revelation. Their eyes darted toward the crimson-eyed man. Was he really the Third Prince of the Empire? But wasn't the Third Prince a sickly and weak man who couldn't even leave his bed chambers? So, how on earth had the prince managed to reach the outskirts of the capital city, and why did he appear so robust, so vibrant?
The crowd's questions hung unanswered in the air, and they instinctively retreated as the knights flanking the prince advanced.
Soyun glanced at the old butler, a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes. To think this world, which is just made of a collection of data, had such competent people.
'Interesting. The humans technology have advanced in the time I was sleeping.'
He looked down when someone tugged at his pants, meeting puffy, dark eyes.
Yizo hurriedly let go of his pants when he noticed what he had done and stuttered.
"W...ill... you re...ally take care of me?"
Soyun's eyes crinkled softly. He had a soft spot for kids. They should be happy, and no one should destroy that happiness. After all, he himself had a rough childhood.
"I will. Come here."
Yizo was dazed for a second, seeing the faint smile in the lazy crimson eyes as he absentmindedly reached out to take the hand Soyun was extending towards him.
His hand felt a bit cold to the touch, but it gave him a strange warmth he liked.
Soyun turned to the old butler.
"We are heading back to the Royal Castle. Turn the carriage around."
"Yes, Your Highness."