Axel sighed as he rested his arms against the cool balcony railing, the crisp night air brushing against his skin. He turned back to glance through the grand windows of the ballroom, where the nobles swirled like a kaleidoscope of colors, their laughter and chatter mingling into a dissonance that felt both familiar and suffocating.
Just moments ago, he had been trapped in a circle of nobles, their laughter ringing hollow in his ears. Talys, his younger brother, had been a few paces away, animatedly chatting with his friends, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in Axel's mind.
"Did you hear about the new labor laws?" Baron Pendleton remarked, his voice dripping with feigned concern. "It's quite scandalous how they exploit their workers. I mean, really, how can we expect to maintain our status if we don't keep them in line?"
Axel forced a smile, but his grip on the wine glass tightened, the crystal feeling dangerously fragile in his hand. He swallowed hard, trying to suppress the urge to retort.
"Lord Axel," Count Ashford interjects, a smirk playing on his lips, "I hear you brought your troublemaker brother tonight?"
"Ah, yes," Lady Beatrice chimed in, her voice lilting with amusement. "I was wondering about that." She turned her gaze toward Talys, who was laughing with his friends, his youthful exuberance a stark contrast to the stuffy atmosphere. "He seems quaint, but rather timid, don't you think?"
A hearty laugh escapes Baron Pendleton as he pats Axel's shoulder, the gesture both familiar and condescending. "It must be hard to clean up after his messes, huh?"
In an instant, Axel's vibe dropped to icy depths. The wine glass in his hand shattered, the sound echoing through the ballroom like a gunshot, drawing the attention of nearby guests.
The nobles freeze, their laughter dying in their throats, eyes wide as they stare at the shards glinting on the floor.
"Ah," Axel looked at his hand as if he had just noticed the most mundane thing in the world. He regards the mess with the same cold detachment one might reserve for a particularly annoying insect.
The nobles exchanged glances, their expressions shifting from amusement to confusion, as if they were trying to reconcile the charming young lord they knew with the icy figure before them.
"What the...?" Lord Ashford mumbled to himself, his expression shifting to confusion. Is he the same person who was just smiling?
Axel bends down, about to clean up the mess he made, when—
"Brother!" Talys's voice cut through the tension like a knife. He rushed over, grabbing Axel's arm to stop him. "What are you doing?!"
Axel looked around, the weight of the nobles' gazes pressing down on him. A certain someone's words rang in his head:
"I'm telling you, My Lord. If you keep doing this, you might end up doing it somewhere you should not."
He closed his eyes and sighed, frustrated. 'Of all the places to remember his stupid advice...'
Standing straight, he shook off the remnants of his frustration. "Right…"
Talys studied him, concern etched on his face. "Brother," he said, pulling Axel away from the scene, his voice low and urgent. "You need to calm down."
"I'm very calm right now," Axel replied, his tone as lifeless as a forgotten statue.
"Ha, right. Only a calm person would casually break their glass from gripping it too hard." Talys glanced at Axel's hand, dripping with crimson. He couldn't tell if it was blood or wine, but the sight made him grab Axel's arm. "Are you hurt?"
Axel stared at his hands indifferently, as if they belonged to someone else entirely.
"You didn't—"
"I didn't say anything," Axel interrupted, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Really?" Talys narrowed his eyes, skeptical.
"Yes, really." Axel's tone suggested he was done with the conversation, barely containing the simmering anger beneath the surface.
Talys sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I think it's best you don't—"
"I know," Axel cut him off again, his demeanor unbothered but the tension in his jaw betraying his irritation. He turned on his heel, heading toward the balcony, seeking solace in the night air.
"Brother," Talys called after him, sensing the tension radiating from Axel.
Axel turned back, his gaze piercing yet unreadable.
"Just don't…" Talys trailed off, his voice softening as he felt a pang of guilt. He sighed, defeated. "Take some refreshments with you... They are good." With that, he started walking back to his friends, casting one last worried glance over his shoulder.
Axel watched his brother retreat, a mix of emotions swirling within him. He turned back toward the balcony, the weight of the evening pressing down on him. Without taking any refreshments, he leaned against the cool stone, letting the chill seep into his bones, hoping it would numb the frustration boiling inside.
The stars twinkled above, indifferent to the turmoil below, and for a moment, Axel felt a strange kinship with them—distant, cold, and utterly alone.
"Why do I even bother?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head. The nobles inside may be oblivious to the struggles of those they exploit.
But he won't be. He won't let them forget.