Free Web NovelChapter 2: I’ll Go²
I walked past a high window overlooking the inner courtyard. Knights were training in the snow;
I paused for a moment.
I watched two boys fighting with wooden spears, my third Uncle’s twin sons. I had bullied them for a while, at one point trying to recreate the novels, as I was determined back then to make them the heroes of the story and myself the chief antagonist whom they had to trample on to get ahead. But what can I say? They lack the aura of the main character
They didn’t seem to have the dramatic character needed to be novel heroes, and the terrifying thing was that they looked at me with sparkling eyes and greeted me with the utmost respect, as if I were their role model in life or their mentor. So I felt a shiver run down my spine and abandoned them and the whole project of creating heroes at that moment
And imagine this: the two of them camped outside my door for a day and a night, apologising to me for whatever mistake they’d made that had made me angry with them
The older twin took advantage of a moment when the younger twin was distracted; for some reason, he seemed to sense my gaze and looked towards the window, so he received a direct blow to his arm that made him sit down and cry.
I smiled with satisfaction; even though I’d abandoned the project, that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy their suffering.
What a lovely sight to start the day with...
"Lars..."
The voice came from behind me.
I turned to find my eldest sister, Seraphine, standing at the end of the stairs in her heavy black cloak. Her hazel hair was like our mother’s, and her cold eyes resembled our father’s, but unlike his black eyes, hers were pink. She looked at me coldly, exuding an air of gloom like the ghost boss dwelling in the ruins of abandoned cities
I greeted her with a smile, like a dutiful younger brother, opening my arms, longing for her to slap me so we could start a fight
"oh... sis. You’re shining today like the black sun of the north."
But she frowned and raised her fan to cover her face as she descended the stairs
"Are you drunk?"
"Nope."
I replied, flustered, even doubting myself for a moment at her reaction. Do I smell bad? ... It hasn’t even been two hours since I had a shower!
She ignored me completely as I checked myself, muttering under her breath, slightly annoyed.
"Don’t open your mouth too much in the hall today."
"Now I’m sure I will."
She paused for a moment, then glanced at me
She looked a little worried.
"Sigh... I’m serious, things are really bad, Lars."
"then...?"
She didn’t reply, and that killed my fun straight away.
I continued walking with her towards the throne room. The closer we got, the more gloomy the room seemed. If we weren’t actually in the reality, I’m sure I would have been able to see the famous black aura of gloom emanating from the doors of the throne room.
The knights at the doors greeted us and then opened the door.
Only my sister and I went in, whilst our servants and the knights remained outside the door once it had been closed behind us.
The Duke was seated on the throne, and below him stood my siblings and uncles with sombre faces.
Has someone died?
Given that everyone is actually present, and even Seraphine is standing beside me... am I the one who’s dead?
Right, joking aside, let me introduce you to my siblings. Don’t pay any attention to my four uncles; they’re just old men you’ll only see once every five years, like side characters who barely appear except to die....
My eldest brother, Cassian, heir to the duchy, is twenty-nine
and, by the way, a bit of trivia: Seraphine is twenty-four, younger than Cassian and older than the twins.
The twins, Lucien and Julian, are twenty
and little Evelyne is two years younger than me, so she’s fourteen
and my new choice for the heroine, because, to be honest, although I had given up on the idea after my twin cousins disappointed me, this girl embodies all the potential of a tragic leading character to such an extent that she has reignited my passion to return to my project once more
She radiates the aura of the main character so intensely it almost blinds me, and she is very beautiful; when I say beautiful, I mean it, because although she is fourteen—which is considered the worst stage of a person’s life from an aesthetic point of view—she is already regarded as the second most beautiful beauty in the empire, and according to the statistics of the obsessed, when she grows up she will be the most beautiful flower in the empire, without rival.
If beauty isn’t the most important indicator of a main character, then I know nothing...
And given that she has a happy and good start, being a princess of one of the three great houses in the most powerful empire, loved by everyone—even the cold-hearted duke smiles at her—I can actually see huge red flags fluttering in the air....
But the reason I haven’t done anything is precisely because she doesn’t need me to move forward.
this is the biggest red flag in any main story that begins with a loving family.
hah...
It seems the time for this household to collapse is near... I even shared my brilliant prophecy with her once, but that idiot ran off crying and complained to the Duke, so I was reprimanded by the Duke and our entire lineage.
"Who died?" I asked as I stepped forward
No one laughed. And, strangely enough, no one scolded me
Ah.
So the situation is worse than I expected. Is this the legendary beginning of the end?
My gaze returned to the Duke, seated on his throne, looking straight at me coldly. When our eyes met, he scolded me... Or he meant the girl beside me?
"You are late."
Beside me, the foolish girl bowed to him, apologising
"I apologise, Your Grace. I was outside the palace at the Trade Centre because one of the southern guilds wants to open a branch in our capital, and I was conducting the negotiations. I returned immediately upon hearing the summons."
"Have you finished your work?"
"Not quite. The negotiations aren’t over yet, but I’ve instructed some of the servants to look after them. I shall receive them tomorrow at the palace, if you’ll permit, Your Grace."
He nodded to her, then turned his gaze to me for a second, but he didn’t wait for any excuse from me; instead, he got straight to the point, looking at everyone, which left me feeling a little disheartened. freewebnovёl.ƈom
I know I’m the outcast son, but isn’t this a bit much?
