Where it All Started

"To change your life, you have to change yourself. To change yourself, you have to change your

mindset."

******

'When I opened my eyes, I was laying on a bed inside a familiar room. I sat up clenching the sides of my head with both hands as it started throbbing. Memories of what happened moments ago flashed inside my mind like jumbled parts of a puzzle.

Guillotine. Beheading. Luther. Father. Eldest Brother. Dark Mage. Tristan. Killian. Second chance.

Yes, that's right!

I was given a second chance in life!

If that's the case, did someone teleported me to a safe place?

Wait! But I died! I was beheaded!

I felt the guillotine's blade slice through my neck!

Even the sensation still lingers!'

He touched the back of his neck with his left hand as if checking for a non-existent evidence.

'What really happened?'

He anxiously looked down at his right hand trying to examine the rope marks that should have been etched on his wrist but to no avail. The rope marks were no longer there.

He even examined the rest of his body for the bruises and injuries he sustained when he was tortured but there was no trace of them. Even the scar on his right shoulder that he got after his coming of age ceremony was gone. Instead of feeling tremendous pain, he was feeling rather rejuvenated.

Unable to contain his bewilderment, he quickly jumped out his bed and found himself in front of a large mirror reflecting his whole appearance.

Staring back at him was a much younger version of himself to his utter surprise. He was dressed in a wrinkled pair of blue pajamas, his golden eyes glimmering brightly under his unkempt silver bangs, and his body is a bit skinny and frail.

"What is this? I look like I haven't had my coming of age!" He blurted out flabbergasted.

"Coming of age? If I still don't have the scar on my right shoulder then, I haven't really had my coming of age ceremony yet! If that would be the case, judging from my height and facial structure, I can assume that I'm probably fifteen years old right now! Did I just went back ten years in the past?"

He pinched himself just to make sure it wasn't a dream. "Ouch, that hurts! I guess I did went back. So, the second chance in life that the dark mage was referring to was me going back in time? To think someone is capable of defying the laws of nature, how terrifying that Tristan guy is."

His monologue was interrupted by a maid who entered his room without even knocking while carrying what seemed to be a tray of 'food'. She looked at him as if disgusted of his very existence.

'I see, this is the usual thing. Servants treating me, the son of a commoner woman, like I'm piece of trash. Even if my father is the emperor, I'm still a half-blood prince in their eyes compared to my full-blooded older siblings. It's only common sense for them to give me the most unfavorable treatment.'

*

'I wasn't aware of how my mother met the emperor. All I know was that, my father should have been far long dead before I was even born.

But after my mother died from an unknown illness when I was ten years old, the emperor appeared before me claiming that I'm his son and brought me to his palace.

A lowly commoner child suddenly became the fifth prince of the empire. After knowing this, the nobles went on a frenzy and thought of me as a dark stain in the empire's noble history.

I would have chosen to live and survive on my own but the emperor insisted that I claim my rights as part of the royal family. I was still grieving over my mother's death during that time so I agreed without even thinking twice. The young and innocent me made the first biggest mistake of my life.

That's when my hell started.

Back then, I despised the emperor for all the mistreatment and neglect I experienced despite the fact that he was the one who brought me here.

I thought that he just wanted me to suffer like the other nobles do but, that was never the case. The truth was, he wasn't really aware of how I was being mistreated. His servants who should have been informed by my well-being were bribed to keep their silence.

Those people who were a poor excuse of a human being were really revolting.

From then on, I have started misunderstanding my father's intentions and ended up falling deeper in the pits of anger and despair.'

*

'Unfortunately, for those who have caused me great suffering, I am no longer the useless and feeble prince you thought me to be. As of this very moment, I'll show you how pathetically dying once can actually change a foolish person.'

"So you're finally awake. Here's your scraps. Be thankful that I even had the time to bring this to you." She slammed the tray on the bedside table spilling some of its contents.

'Come to think of it, I never really had the slightest interest in knowing the names of these disrespectful servants. That's something I should applaud my past self for.' He mentally noted while silently fetching something from the corner of his room.

The rude maid was about to leave when she felt a cold blade touching the side of her neck causing her to stop on her track. When she slowly glanced back, the young prince was holding his sword against her neck. Her heart started pounding against her chest.

"You, what do you thi-" She wasn't able to finish her sentence when she met the prince's cold and menacing eyes.

"Not announcing yourself and barging into a prince's room, serving scraps to a royalty and even committing blasphemy. Don't you think you have offended me enough to be sentenced to death right this very moment?" Liam's voice was void with emotion yet domineering.

The maid sensed the need to protect her own life and hurriedly fell on her knees before bowing her head to shamelessly ask for forgiveness. "P-please f-forgive m-me y-your h-highness. P-please s-spare m-my life."

The young prince pointed the tip of his sword at the maid's head. 'I should have done this kind of thing before. I can't believe I was such a coward back then.' He felt a bit proud of himself seeing how the maid is now cowering in fear at his feet.

"Since I am not a failure of a human being like you, I would let you off the hook this time if, and only if, you never show your horrendous face in front of me, ever again."

"Y-yes y-your h-highness! Thank y-you for your b-benevolence." She stammered out in repose before standing up and bowing her head without meeting his gaze. "I s-shall now take m-my leave."

"Wait. I need to at least have one last use for you since you haven't even served me properly ever since I came to this palace."

"A-anything for you, Y-your highness." She replied still keeping her head hung low.

"Tell Johannes to come to my chambers immediately."

"Y-yes, your highness!"

"And a final warning. If you want to keep your silly head stuck in your body, you better not mention what transpired here to anyone. Understood?"

She frantically nodded her head in agreement. "Y-yes, your highness!"

Liam threateningly pointed his sword towards her once again. "Swear on my father's name."

Terrified, she quickly responded as if her life depended on it. "I swear on the n-name of the empire's sun, Emperor Laurence Kaiser Vermillion, that I will n-not tell a soul about what transpired here." She said almost on the verge of tears.

"Good. Now leave before I change my mind."

The maid practically ran out of the door frightened for her own safety.

Liam let out a sigh of relief he was holding back. He couldn't help it. This was the first time he actually acted like a true royal prince, someone dignified, confident, and intimidating.

'It's like I've let out a part of me that has been suppressed from long ago.'

"That's one poisonous weed plucked out. But, in order to fully exterminate the evils inside my palace, I need to have all the servants fired in one full sweep. Well, all but one, and that is...

Johannes Weller.

The person that should have been my most loyal personal attendant."

<Next Chapter: The Royal Dinner Prelude>