“He will be treated like family, and…”
That’s what that old bastard said, but the reality was far from it.
I looked at Ether, kneeling beside the old man, massaging his leg with his small, fragile hands. His movements were mechanical, devoid of any life or will.
“Hmm… That’s it… a little harder, brat!” the old man mumbled, his voice thick with satisfaction as he reclined comfortably on an ice bed, not even bothering to open his eyes.
Ether’s small fingers pressed harder, doing exactly as commanded, his face a blank canvas… There was no sign of discomfort, no emotion—just an empty, hollow obedience.
I couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger, ‘Family… huh?’ I thought bitterly, my eyes narrowing at the old man who had so easily dismissed Ether’s humanity.
Turning my attention to the blue-haired man standing nearby, I noticed how stiff he appeared in the presence of the old man, his father.
It was clear who held the power in this family.
“How is my grandson doing?” the old man asked casually, his tone suddenly more serious.
“He’s doing great, Father,” the blue-haired man replied with a nod, his voice filled with respect, though his posture hinted at unease.
The old man nodded slowly, still lounging, his eyes half-closed. “Any kind of irregularities? Any disturbances or anything unusual about his character?” His voice dropped, becoming cold, even menacing.
The blue-haired man quickly shook his head. “No, Father. As I mentioned before, there’s been no sign of rejection in his body. In fact, his growth has accelerated beyond what we expected in the past two months… It’s remarkable.”
The old man let out a low hum of approval, but his gaze drifted off as if lost in deep thought.
I stood there, frowning, trying to piece together what they were talking about.
It was as though something significant had happened, something I wasn’t entirely grasping, but it all felt wrong.
The blue-haired man hesitated, clearly torn about something, before finally speaking up. “Father… what kind of curse did you receive?”
The old man’s eyes flickered toward his son, then slowly turned to Ether, “A curse that reduced my level… and has forbidden me from using Arcane energy,” he said, his voice cold and deliberate.
The blue-haired man’s eyes widened in disbelief, “Y-You mean you can’t use Arcane energy anymore? Not at all?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly as though the thought was too terrifying to comprehend.
Meanwhile, I was utterly confused. ‘What the hell are they talking about?’ Yeah, I had seen strange things in this world—magic that wasn’t used in my village—but this as I looked at the icy room… was on another level.
Still, I had no deep understanding of it all.
The blue-haired man glanced around the icy room, his brows furrowed. “Then how did you manage to create this?” he asked, gesturing to the frozen surroundings.
The old man smirked, his lips curling upward, “Because I caught a glimpse of the truth,” he said cryptically.
Curiosity sparked in the blue-haired man’s eyes, but before he could ask further, the old man’s expression hardened. “If you wish to die, I can reveal ‘The Truth’ to you,” he said, his tone deadly serious.
The blue-haired man instantly backed down, shaking his head in fear. Without another word, he quickly left the icy room.
The old man’s attention turned back to Ether, who remained kneeling beside him, still massaging his leg. “Alfred!” he called.
Out of nowhere, another old man appeared, dressed in a pristine butler’s uniform. He bowed low. “Yes, Master?”
“Make sure this one eats three times a day. Since he lost his soul during the process, he’s nothing more than a puppet now. We are the ones needed to check on him” the old man said coldly, barely sparing Ether a glance as though he were nothing more than a broken toy.
Alfred nodded but hesitated for a moment, then asked, “May I inquire about something, Master?”
The old man raised an eyebrow, intrigued, “Oh? The first time you’ve asked instead of blurting out… Hmm, Very well, what is it?”
Alfred offered a small smile, his curiosity piqued. “You mentioned that you stole his ‘Chosen One’ authority, and in the process, his soul shattered into pieces, leaving him as nothing more than an empty shell, correct?”
“Yes”
“Then why bother bringing him here at all? If he’s nothing more than a shell, he’s essentially useless, is he not?”
The old man’s smirk widened as if he had been waiting for such a question, “Ah, my old friend, it’s simple. Even if you forcibly take a golden egg from the goose, what you might see is useless at first glance,” he said, his gaze fixed on the soulless Ether, “But what I see is the flesh of the goose itself. Remember this, Alfred… Once a king, he remains a king.
That is a law of nature that no one can defy.”
Alfred nodded slowly, though whether he truly understood the cryptic words or not was unclear. He carefully picked up Ether in his arms and began to leave, but not before pausing for a moment, “Understood, Master.”
As Alfred carried Ether away, I stared at the old man, feeling something stir deep within me. Words tumbled out of my mouth without warning, “Mor…timer…” I mumbled, confused as to why I had just spoken that name—one I had never heard before.
Before I could even begin to process what had just happened, I was abruptly pulled out of the room and dragged back into the shadows.
….
…..
Kitchen Room
Alfred, the butler, stood in the dimly lit kitchen, glaring at Ether with disdain.
He pushed a piece of stale bread toward the boy on the cold, dirty floor.
“Eat it,” he ordered, his voice sharp with impatience.
Ether glanced down at the bread but made no move to pick it up. He just stood there, silent and motionless, his empty eyes staring at the food.
Alfred’s brow furrowed in anger, “I said, eat it, you filth!” He slapped the back of Ether’s head, hard enough that the sound echoed in the small room.
Still, Ether didn’t flinch or react, just kept staring at the bread on the ground.
Alfred’s frustration deepened. With an annoyed grunt, he scooped up a spoonful of rice from a bowl nearby and demonstrated, “Like this,” as he brought the spoon to his own mouth and ate with exaggerated motions as if teaching a child.
Ether, seemingly understanding, reached for the spoon and mimicked Alfred’s actions. He lifted a spoonful of rice to his mouth, only for—
Tang!!
Alfred swatted the spoon out of Ether’s hand, the rice scattering across the floor. “Not that, you useless bastard!” Alfred snarled, pointing angrily at the bread. “I said eat this! You’re nothing but a slave, and slaves don’t get the luxury of rice. Eat the bread, or I’ll make you regret it!”
Ether remained unresponsive, his gaze still fixed on the bread but his body refusing to obey. Alfred’s face twisted in rage, the veins on his forehead bulging as he raised his hand to strike.
“Some say a good beating works for ones like you,” Alfred hissed, ready to bring his hand down on Ether’s cheek.
‘Motherfuckers! Just treat him like a child!’ I screamed inside, powerless to stop the cruelty unfolding before me.
Just as Alfred’s hand was about to strike, a calm, indifferent voice cut through the tension,
“I see… some beating might work?”
Alfred froze, his hand mid-air. He turned slowly, his face paling as he recognized the black-haired woman standing in the doorway, her eyes narrowed as she walked in.
“I-I was just… I didn’t mean—” Alfred stammered, trying to explain, but her cold stare silenced him immediately.
“Before I beat the shit out of you… get out,” she said, her voice calm yet dangerous!
Without a word, Alfred turned and hurried out of the room.
I sighed with relief, but my chest tightened again as I watched the woman approach Ether. She stood over him, her eyes studying him in silence, ‘What’s she going to do now?’ I wondered, feeling a surge of anxiety.
Her hand moved slowly toward Ether’s neck, her fingers almost brushing his skin. My heart raced, ‘Fuck!’ I screamed, panicked at what she might do.
Just as her hand was about to touch him, she paused, sighed, and withdrew, “I can’t bring myself to kill a child who has not done anything… not even for the sake of a possible future,” she muttered softly, as though talking to herself.
She glanced down at the old bread on the floor and sighed again, shaking her head, “I think I’m starting to understand what is the cause…” she whispered.
Then, turning back to Ether, she offered a small smile.
“You need to eat properly,” she said, reaching into a nearby pantry and pulling out a piece of chicken. She bit off a small piece herself, showing him how to eat before holding the rest out to him. “Like this.”
Ether stared at the food, his expression empty.
The woman frowned, leaning in closer, “You can’t even move on your own, can you?” she murmured to herself, “And yet, here she is, claiming you’re going to kill us all….” Her voice was cryptic, filled with layers I couldn’t quite decipher.
With a gentle but firm hand, she pressed the food against Ether’s lips. “Eat it, boy,” she coaxed, her smile soft and almost motherly.
To my astonishment, Ether began to chew slowly.
The woman looked equally surprised but quickly recovered, laughing lightly.
“Look at you…” she said with an amused grin, “You want to be fed, don’t you?” She shook her head, her smile widening as she continued to feed him piece by piece, “You better not forget this, brat,” she teased lightly, her tone warm as though she were caring for her own child.
As she fed Ether, a strange warmth spread through me… A small smile tugged at my lips, unbidden.
!~Ding~!
[Achieved Compatibility is 93.5%↑]