The grand hall of the Atheris mansion was bustling with activity—or so it seemed. Arc stood at the center, hands on his hips, surveying his newly minted family. His voice boomed with authority, which he fully intended to establish as the head of the household.
"All right, everyone! It's time to settle down and get to work!" he declared.
His newly created parents, Victor and Eleanora, who had been standing with regal poise, nodded in perfect synchronization. Their expressions were calm, almost unnervingly so, as if they had always been part of Arc's life and knew exactly what to do.
"We understand completely, Arc," Victor said, his deep voice radiating authority.
Eleanora smiled warmly, her serene presence making Arc feel, for a fleeting moment, like he might have actually nailed this family thing.
But as soon as they stepped out of his line of sight, the composure crumbled.
"I've missed you, my darling rose!" Victor exclaimed, grabbing Eleanora's hands dramatically.
"And I, my stalwart oak!" Eleanora replied with equal fervor.
The two dashed off toward their room as if the world outside no longer existed. Arc blinked, staring at the empty spot where his parents had been standing.
"Did they just…?" He turned to Seraphina, who was leaning against a pillar, barely suppressing her laughter.
"Abandoned. So easily abandoned," she said between giggles.
"Great start," Arc muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Really inspiring leadership."
Before he could dwell on his so-called parents' priorities, his eldest uncle, Reginald, and his wife, Matilda, began what could only be described as a theatrical argument.
"I told you, Reginald, that land near the capital is critical!" Matilda snapped, slamming her hand on the table.
Reginald crossed his arms, his brow furrowed. "And I told you, Matilda, we can't afford to look desperate. We must let them think it's worthless first!"
"You fool! If the Crown Prince gets his hands on it, it'll be too late!"
"And you think I'll let that pompous peacock outsmart me?" Reginald countered.
Arc rubbed his temples. "Excuse me, are we planning to take over the Empire or auditioning for the villainous version of The Real Housewives?"
But Seraphina's eyes sparkled as she watched the couple argue, leaning forward with uncharacteristic excitement. "Oh my stars, they're amazing! Look at the power play! The scheming! They're naturals!"
"You're… you're a fan of them?" Arc asked, baffled.
"Who wouldn't be?" she said, gesturing dramatically. "They're so committed to their villainy!"
"Sure, but they're also my family, and maybe they should—"
"Shhh! Don't interrupt their moment!" Seraphina whispered, completely engrossed.
Arc sighed. "I can see who's really in charge of this operation…"
As if the parents and dramatic couple weren't enough, the chaos quickly escalated. Adrian, Arc's eldest younger brother and self-proclaimed magical genius, adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.
"I've made a decision," Adrian announced.
"Oh, joy," Arc said flatly. "Do enlighten me."
"I shall conquer the Magic Tower," Adrian declared, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "They've rejected my research for too long. It's time to show them the might of the Atheris intellect!"
Before Arc could respond, Lucian, his second younger brother and martial arts enthusiast, cracked his knuckles.
"And I'll be heading out too," Lucian said with a grin. "I need to train my mercenaries. Can't let the family down when it comes to raw strength."
"Hold on a second," Arc said, raising a hand. "When did this become a choose-your-own-adventure story? You're just going to run off?"
"Bye, big bro!" Lucian called as he headed for the door.
"Catch you later, Archduke!" Adrian added, already halfway gone.
Arc stood there, dumbfounded. "Are they serious right now? They can't just—"
But his younger sister, Isolde, interrupted him with a delicate cough. She twirled a strand of her black hair and looked up at Arc with an innocent smile.
"Big brother," she said sweetly, "I've decided to host a tea party. You'll help me send the invitations, won't you?"
Arc stared at her. "A tea party. You want to throw a tea party. In the middle of all this?"
"Of course!" Isolde said, clasping her hands together. "We have to maintain our social image, after all. I'll make the guest list. You'll handle the delivery."
Arc opened his mouth to protest, but Seraphina's snort of laughter cut him off.
"Oh, this is priceless," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "The great Archduke, reduced to a messenger boy!"
"This isn't funny," Arc grumbled.
"Oh, it's hilarious," Seraphina countered.
Meanwhile, Arc's unmarried uncle, Damien, was sitting quietly in the corner, gazing lovingly at his sword. Arc approached him, desperate for someone in the family who wasn't a complete handful.
"Uncle Damien," Arc said carefully, "how would you like to be the Commander of the Atheris family knights? The Swan Knights."
Damien looked up, his eyes shining with pride. "I would be honored, Arc."
Finally, Arc thought. Someone reliable.
But then Theresa, his unmarried aunt, sauntered over, holding out her hand.
"Money," she said simply.
Arc blinked. "What?"
"I want to start a business," she said. "You're the Archduke. Fund it."
"Do you have a proposal?" Arc asked, narrowing his eyes.
She huffed. "Who needs a proposal? It's me, your fabulous aunt! I'll make it work."
"No proposal, no money," Arc said firmly.
She scowled and muttered something about stingy nephews, but Arc held his ground.
"I'll wait," Theresa said, smirking. "You'll cave eventually."
Seraphina, still watching the entire debacle like it was the best play she'd ever seen, finally took pity on Arc. She conjured a glowing bag of gold and tossed it at him.
"Here," she said. "Two billion Ros. Use it wisely."
Arc caught the bag with a raised eyebrow. "You could've done this earlier, you know."
"And miss all the entertainment? Not a chance," she replied, smirking.
As if things couldn't get worse, Arc suddenly realized that two of his cousins, Rowan and Freya, were nowhere to be found.
"They ran off while you were talking to me," Seraphina said helpfully.
"What?" Arc exclaimed.
"They're like you," she added. "Independent and troublesome."
Before Arc could form a coherent response, his remaining cousin, Clara, walked by. She gave him a small nod, radiating elegance, and left without a word.
"Where are you going?" Arc called after her.
"To practice being mysterious," she replied, vanishing around a corner.
Arc:...???
Arc sighed, rubbing his temples. The final straw came when he spotted his triplet children—or rather, two of them. Ethan and Evelyn were playing tag in the courtyard, laughing gleefully.
But Elijah stood nearby, tears brimming in his blue eyes as he clutched a stuffed animal.
"Why are you crying, buddy?" Arc asked, kneeling down.
"They left me," Elijah sniffled, pointing at his siblings. "I don't have anyone to play with."
Arc's heart cracked just a little.
"It's okay," he said, pulling Elijah into a hug. "Papa's here."
From the doorway, Seraphina let out an exaggerated sniff. "I'm not crying. You're crying."
"Oh, shut it," Arc snapped, though a small smile tugged at his lips.
For all the chaos, maybe this family wasn't so bad after all.