The heavy, suffocating silence of the study pressed down on the Duke of Nocte.
Standing before him was the supposed High Elf, a being of myth and Marquis Yong, who was currently acting in his capacity as Fainyx's history instructor. But the Duke's mind wasn't focused on the impossibility of the situation. His mind was entirely consumed by a phantom he hadn't faced in years.
The feeling of grief.
It clawed at his chest, cold and terrifying. He remembered his wife, Celestyne, dying in his arms. He remembered the blood, the agonizing helplessness, and the sheer, blinding rage that had followed. In that bottomless pit of despair, he had abandoned his own newborn son.
He knew, logically, that the child was not at fault for her death. But looking at the boy who had taken her life was too painful.
He had promised her, on her dying breath, that he would protect their sons. And he had broken that promise immediately.
When the physician finally revealed Fainyx's illness weeks ago, the Duke had been struck by a realization that nearly broke his mind, his son was going to die early, and it was entirely his fault for abandoning him.
Now, standing in his study, staring at a cure, the Duke's mind was in absolute turmoil.
'What if the cure doesn't work? What if there are complications? What if I kill my son by trying to save him?'
"Your Grace," Yong spoke up, breaking the heavy silence. "I know this is difficult to believe. But the child needs this. I have been his instructor for a while now, and I have taken a deep liking to him. He is brilliant, and he deserves to live. I simply want to help."
The Duke was surprised by the raw sincerity in the Marquis's voice. He looked down at his own trembling hands. He remembered Celestyne's voice, soft and desperate, echoing from the past. 'Protect them, Arthur. Promise me.'
The Duke closed his fists, forcing his trembling to stop. He looked up at the High Elf, his blue crystal eyes flashing with a desperate, unyielding resolve.
"I... agreed..." the Duke said, his voice heavy with command. "I will support whatever you need to do, as long as my son does not die early."
He raised his hand, channeling a dense wave of silver mana. A glowing, ethereal parchment materialized in the air between them. "But I am the Duke of the Nocte Family. This contract will bind our transaction, ensuring you do not betray me or my family."
The High Elf, Ruth, simply nodded with ancient grace. He and Yong stepped forward, pressing their thumbs against the glowing magical document. The contract flared brilliantly before dissolving into motes of light, sinking into their chests.
"The medicine will be ready in a week," Ruth stated, maintaining his elven persona perfectly. "The ingredients are incredibly rare. But hear me, human. Even when he drinks it, he will not be instantaneously cured. The illness will remain, but it will weaken steadily. Once his physical vessel reaches adulthood, the decay will finally halt."
Ruth's golden eyes narrowed slightly. "However, the immediate aftereffects are severe. He will violently cough up corrupted blood as his pathways forcefully flush out the dead mana."
The Duke's face paled. "Is there no way to prevent that? Can we not spare him the pain of throwing up blood?"
"No," Ruth said flatly. "That blood is the physical waste the illness has created. Filtering it out is the only way to save him. He cannot help it."
The Duke closed his eyes, accepting the grim reality. He bowed deeply to the two men, a massive gesture of respect from a Duke. "I thank you both. If you ever require the backing or resources of the North, you only need to ask."
"We do not need anything for now," Yong smiled, stepping forward to offer the Duke a firm handshake. "Just wait a bit, Your Grace."
Meanwhile, Fainyx was still sitting on his bed, wrapped in a thick blanket.
He knew the plan was working flawlessly. Ruth was playing his part perfectly, and his father was exactly the kind of man to accept a magical contract without digging too deeply into the High Elf's true origins.
But his brothers were currently a massive problem.
Liam and Adam were still hovering over his bed, looking as if they expected Fainyx to suddenly shatter.
Fainyx reached for his notebook and quickly scribbled a sentence, holding it up for them to see.
[ You both have a schedule today. You must go back to your activities first.]
"No!" Liam said immediately, crossing his small arms stubbornly. "I don't want to go to sword practice. I want to stay here with you!"
Adam nodded firmly in agreement. "The study can wait. Your health is more important."
Fainyx let out a quiet, internal sigh. He remembered the very first time he had met them in the hallway years ago. They had been incredibly cautious, almost like a stranger, treating him like a fragile, unwanted stranger. Now, they absolutely refused to leave him alone.
By the door, Estrella and the other maids were watching the interaction, whispering among themselves with warm, tearful smiles at how protective the older brothers had become.
Fainyx just wanted to be alone in his own room.
Suddenly, a deep, rumbling voice echoed directly into Fainyx's mind. It was the high-tier magical transmission spell Ruth had taught him.
-The plan was a complete success, kid. They suspect absolutely nothing.-
Fainyx gave a small gesture. He reached over and picked up a fruit Liam had brought him earlier. It was shaped exactly like a grape, but it was bright, glowing blue. Since magic saturated this world, the evolution of fruit was bizarre. He popped it into his mouth, waiting patiently.
A few minutes later, the heavy bedroom door opened. The Duke, Marquis Yong, and the High Elf stepped inside. The Duke's face was pale, but his blue crystal eyes held a profound, unbreakable resolve.
"Adam, Liam," the Duke spoke, his voice filling the room. "We have found a possible cure for your brother. The first treatment will be administered next week."
The two brothers froze. Their faces rapidly shifted from shock to absolute, overwhelming relief.
"Is it really true?!" Liam gasped, tears instantly welling in his eyes. He didn't even wait for confirmation, he threw himself forward, wrapping Fainyx in a tight, desperate hug.
"Fainyx! You hear that?! You're going to be okay! I... I won't lose you like Mother!"
Adam let out a shaky breath, stepping forward to rest a comforting hand on Fainyx's shoulder, his own blue crystal eyes shining with unshed tears.
Fainyx sat perfectly still under his brother's tight embrace. 'It seems my family has actually taken a liking to me,'
he thought, genuinely surprised. 'Even though all I do is cause them trouble and bother them.'
Over the Duke's shoulder, Fainyx saw Yong flash him a wicked smirk. Beside him, Ruth, still disguised as a flawless High Elf, looked incredibly proud of his own acting skills.
Fainyx let out a quiet sigh of relief.
At the very least, they wouldn't be looking at him with suffocating pity and guilt anymore.
"Sir Elf," the Duke turned back to Ruth, hope shining in his eyes. "If this medicine works... could it cure other children who suffer from this same illness across the continent?"
"It could," Ruth replied smoothly, playing his part. "But the ingredients are nearly impossible to acquire. It requires the dried roots of the ancient World Tree, and a remarkably rare flower that cannot be found anywhere in the natural world."
Ruth shot Fainyx a subtle, knowing smirk, though the Duke completely missed it.
The Duke's eyes widened in shock.
"The World Tree? Are you certain you will not face retribution from your kin for harvesting from it?"
"I have been granted explicit permission," Ruth lied flawlessly, his ancient voice commanding absolute belief. "I do not mind using such sacred materials to save this child's life."
'Actually,' Ruth thought to himself, holding back a scoff. 'As a dragon, the Elves revere my kind as literal gods. The moment I set foot in their sanctuaries, they fall to their knees and offer me the World Tree's roots as a sacred tribute. But the Duke certainly does not need to know that.'
The Duke bowed deeply once more. Liam, Adam, and even Estrella followed suit, thanking the High Elf profusely.
After a few more hours of medical discussion with Physician Michael, the visitors finally took their leave.
Yong and Ruth gave Fainyx one last subtle nod before exiting, and Michael left to prepare standard fever-reducing herbs just in case.
The Duke sat on the edge of the bed, gently patting Fainyx's head.
"Fainyx," the Duke asked softly. "Are you truly okay with taking this medicine? The elf warned me that the side effects will be severe. You will cough up blood."
Fainyx laughed internally. 'The effects are already happening, Father...' But keeping up his mute facade, Fainyx simply gave a firm, reassuring nod.
The Duke smiled, a genuine, warm expression that made him look ten years younger. Adam and Liam chimed in with words of encouragement, promising to be right there with him when he took the medicine.
A few minutes later, realizing Fainyx needed sleep, the family finally retreated to their own rooms, leaving Fainyx alone in the quiet.
Fainyx let out a massive sigh of relief, sinking back into the pillows. The plan was a complete success. His family was off his back, and his "recovery" was officially scheduled.
His thoughts drifted to the Adventurer's Guild. His massive reward for the impossible herbs was still waiting for him. But the sharp-eyed blonde elf lady might be waiting for him there, too. He was incredibly reluctant to go back so soon. Yong and Ruth had explicitly stated they wouldn't visit tonight, ordering him to rest.
But as Fainyx stared at the ceiling, feeling the dense, healthy mana circulating through his pathways, he knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep at all tonight.
***
Walking down the long, dimly lit corridors of the estate, the Duke stopped. He turned to look at his two older sons walking beside him.
"Adam. Liam," the Duke said quietly. "Are you both truly alright with this arrangement? Relying on a stranger for your brother's life?"
Both boys nodded without hesitation. Their eyes were completely resolved.
"The first time I met Fainyx," Liam admitted, looking down at his hands, "I was confused. I didn't know how to act around a brother who couldn't talk. But every time I'm with him... I feel safe. I feel comfortable, even in the silence. I finally realized he is my family. When I found out he was sick... I just felt pity."
Liam clenched his small fists, his blue crystal eyes burning with determination. "But I don't want to pity my little brother anymore. I just want to treat him like one of us."
Adam nodded, his expression remarkably mature for a child. "I felt the same way, Father. I didn't think he truly belonged with us at first. But the more time I spend with him... the more he reminds me of Mother."
The Duke froze mid-step, his breath catching in his throat.
"Unlike Mother, he doesn't express his emotions loudly like her," Liam added softly. "But... he has the exact same small smile she did. And his eyes... he loves reading books quietly by the window, just like Mother always used to do when we couldn't understand what she was reading."
Adam nodded in agreement.
The Duke stood frozen in the hallway. The mental seals he had placed on his own memories began to crack, pulling him helplessly back in time.
***
The grand ballroom of the Imperial Palace was suffocatingly loud. A dazzling chandelier cast golden light over hundreds of dancing nobles, but Duke Arthur von Nocte stood entirely alone. The heavy, bloodthirsty aura of the North clung to him like a second skin. As he walked through the crowd, nobles parted like the sea, terrified of his imposing presence.
Not a single person dared to greet him. Not a single soul dared to meet his cold, blue crystal eyes.
Tired of the isolation and the shallow politics, he turned his back on the festivities and slipped through a set of heavy mahogany doors, seeking the solitude of a quiet parlor room.
The room was bathed in pale moonlight. But it was not empty.
Sitting gracefully on the wide windowsill, illuminated by the silver light, was a young woman in a pristine white gown. She held a book in her hands, her lustrous hair falling elegantly over her shoulders.
Arthur stopped in his tracks, prepared to turn around and leave her to her peace. But at the sound of the door closing, the young woman looked up.
She saw the terrifying Duke of the North. She felt the heavy, freezing aura that sent seasoned knights running. Yet, she didn't scream. She didn't flinch. She didn't drop her gaze.
Instead, she smiled.
"Hehehe," a soft, bell-like laugh drifted across the quiet room as she closed her book. "Greetings, Duke Nocte."
Arthur stared at her, entirely bewildered by her absolute lack of fear.
"I am the daughter of Marquis Solmere, Celestyne von Solmere," she said cheerfully, inclining her head. "I greet the Duke of Nocte, Arthur von Nocte."
Arthur took a slow step forward, his voice a deep, resonant rumble that demanded an answer.
"Why are you not afraid of me? No one greets me. No one even looks me in the eye.... !!"
He was surprised, why did he say that?
Celestyne laughed again, the bright, musical sound warming the cold parlor. Her eyes met his blue crystal gaze without a single ounce of hesitation.
"I apologize, Your Grace," Celestyne smiled softly, tilting her head. "It is just... you look far too handsome for me to be afraid of you."
In that secluded room, a sudden, unfamiliar heat had risen in Arthur's chest. At the time, he hadn't fully understood the feeling that seized his heart.
But looking back, he knew exactly what it was. It was love at first sight.
And that's how he met that woman, looking at her in the balcony with the lights shimmering outside in the dimly lit room she looks so beautiful that day.
***
"Goodnight Father"
"Goodnight!"
The Duke snapped back to the present. He watched Adam and Liam turn the corner, heading back to their respective bedrooms, their small figures fading into the shadows of the corridor.
The Duke began walking toward his own quarters. The memories of Celestyne kept flooding his mind. For years, it had hurt incredibly to remember her, tearing at the old wounds in his heart and making him run from the child who shared her face.
But now, as he thought of Fainyx sitting quietly in his bed with her exact same smile, the Duke realized something profound. For the first time since she had passed away, remembering her actually made him happy.