CHAPTER 3 : FALLING APART (3)

Daggers scratch his left neck as he bleeds. Jeremy was never on his side. Unlike the fatherly smile he shows him, Jeremy looks like a predator. Even so, he has no authority to take his life.

He can see the hesitation in the man's eyes. The cut is shallow. Blood drips from his neck, yet Louis stands tall against Jeremy. The wind blows strongly. Under the moonlight, Louis is smirking at Jeremy and thinking that the man is a fool. He is a foolish person too.

"I will protect Natalia. She is my sister. As long you shut your mouth and protect her, I will protect the secret of the Imperial." Backing away with a few steps, Louis turns his back. He reaches out for the compartment on his desk. Louis turns and looks toward Jeremy. He is holding a white handkerchief. He wipes the blood on his neck.

Something incredible happens. The blood stops flowing. No scar or scratch can be seen from the dagger's attack. Jermy believes it might be an illusion, but he can see the blood mark on Louis's clothes. It heals instantly. Like nothing has happened between them. Jeremy is backing away. Louis ignores him and continues his words.

"Grande is just an excuse so he can kill me. I know you don't obey the duke, but you obey my uncle, the Emperor. If anything happens to Natalia, Azterthizas will spread to the Holy Kingdom. You should be aware of the consequences." The Holy Kingdom is small compared to Theor Empire. But, they have enormous support from the continent. An empire like Theor will bend its knee for them.

"Please rest some more, young master. I shall take my leaves."With trembling hands, Jeremy bows his head slightly and steps away. Louis merely stares at the disappearing silhouette. He can make sure that Jeremy is going to keep his mouth shut. After all, the crown princess's strongest candidate is his niece.

Jeremy will do anything to reclaim the power of the fallen Estroana Duchy, He begins to follow his mother, but she can't do what he wishes. He tries to find the answer and help he needs from Helios, but Helios trusts no one. His only choice is the Emperor. What he is doing is giving Jeremy another path that he can choose.

"Grace, you can come out now." Louis opens the window and looks towards the roof. A black cat appears from the night. The black cat turns into a young girl from the age of five to six years old. Just like his hair, the girl has black hair. But she has a pair of blue eyes.

The child strode slowly and sat on the bed. She reaches out for the sandwich on the plate. This is the first time they meet in the 'real' world. Louis opened the wardrobe and planned on changing his outfit. He chooses to take a bath instead. He should calm his mind down for the time being.

"You can prevent her death, yet you keep your silence. Aren't you too cold? Louis?" The clothes on the hanger fall to his feet. He turns his back and looks at the child. Grace is right. He can prevent his mother's death. The novel doesn't reveal the culprit, but he can guess who did it.

"I thought God restricted on interfering with human fate." Louis merely responds with a casual attitude. He is talking as if the woman who died is not his mother. As if she was simply a regular maid. Grace didn't know whether to feel happy or scared of Louis's mindset. Louis walks towards the bathroom and disappears from her sight.

"You-" Grace stops her words. She opens her notebook and tries to recall Louis's expression the first time they meet. At that time, she thinks that Cardiane has made a mistake. But now, she once again believes that Cardiane creates a fundamental oversight. How is it possible for Louis to become a God that protects humanity if he hated them instead?

*****

Louis is lying in the bathtub while closing his eyes. He still remembers that person's words. She called herself Cardiane. Her silvery locks remind him of the scent of camellia. For some reason, a nostalgic emotion surges from the depth of his heart. The crimson eyes that keep glancing at him are too vivid. A day ago, he was simply a child who resents his existence. After waking up from the dream, Louis can get a grip on himself.

This world is merely a novel. The story is about the journey of a hero to defeat the demon king. Thinking back about the plot, Louis stares at the white siling. The current royal family is not the true Royal blood. The true Royal family is the Marquis Reano family. For a long generation, they managed to produce many swordmasters in their era. Even the Emperor is not aware of this truth.

The protagonist is the eldest son of the Reano family. He will gather his allies and defeat the demon king. Soon, the Emperor becomes aware of the secret of the Reano family. He assassinated the patriarch and claimed them as traitors. After his father perished, he would overthrow the Arcene and Diore imperial family.

Louis Arcene is one of the side villains that become the Arcene family dog. What an amusing turn of events. After everything he had done for the family, they tossed him like garbage. Louis closes his eyes. He can hear the birds chirping. It might be an illusion.

' The Histrean Library gathers all the knowledge about this world. You may use it as you wish. Though, I doubt you will change any course of this world's fate. It's all a part of your choice. But if you change them, be aware of the existence of the 'Order ' of this world.'

'The fact that you didn't get overwhelmed despite the knowledge can only mean that you do not belong to this world. I don't know. Even without this portion of blessing, I believe that you will become someone great. The 'you' in this book is predestined to die. But after Emilia's death, I can no longer see your thread of fate.'

Louis Arcene. The character will confront the protagonist and his party when they conquer the palace. At that time, Louis loses any will to live and pleads with the protagonist to take away his life. As Allen swings his sword, Natalia stops him. She asks Allen to spare her brother.

Louis can hear Helios's order. He ended up stabbing his sister and died in Allen's sword. The arc shows the saints who are praying for them. They are aware of their suffering. "Please, I hope both of you can be happy after this."

Louis looks towards his reflection in the mirror. His black hair reaches past his shoulder, covering his eyes with long bangs. He used to resent the pair of pupils similar to the man. Only the second sister has the same golden eyes as him. She told him to hide his eyes.

Louis reaches out for the drawer and takes the scissors. He looks at the scissor onetime again, contemplating whether he is making the right choice. Louis smiles softly and cuts his bangs. He needs to change himself. God tells him that he may change the fate of this world. The disappearance of an extra like him is not troublesome, isn't it?

*****

"I'm going to visit Natalia. Goodnight, Grace." Louis is drying his hair. He is staring at the lazy cat on the bed. Grace merely snorts and dismisses him. Louis walks out of the room and heads down the stairs. Despite the early morning, most of the maids and servants were up. Unlike the other family members, they treated him like a nonexistent creature.

Louis wishes they curse or resent him as his mother did. It's relatively pleasant compared to being treated as someone who did not exist in his past life.

When Cardiane gives him the blessing, Louis's memories are in shambles. He remembers the life of a young undergraduate student struggling to make ends meet. Penniless and broke. He works a few jobs a day. But he can't remember how he died. Even his memories are limited to his twenty-third birthday.

The scent of chrysanthemums caught his nose. The cottage is still bright despite the night. Natalia is still awake. This is the conclusion that he thinks of. He did not feel angry at all. Natalia's impulse that day is a mere emotional outburst. Louis walks to the door. His hands stopped on the door handle. He hesitates.

'Please, spare my brother! He did nothing wrong! Please!' He can only read a few sentences from the book, yet he can feel the sensation in the ends of his fingers. Natalia is shielding him from Allen. Her dress was coated with mess and debris. Tears stream down her face.

'Brother, it's fine. That monster can't hurt me anymore. I love you, brother.' Her warm hand glazed with her blood touching his cheeks. She keeps smiling, telling himself nothing's wrong. His hand is holding a dagger to her chest. He kills her. There is no contempt or fear in her eyes. A tint of sadness and a glimpse of relief reflected in her eyes.

'I... miss the scent of Camellias. I miss you... brother.'The camellias bloom in the winter. But the scent that she seeks is not from the flower. The camellias that bloom in winter are cold. The camellia that she craves is the warmth of her brother.

Louis strengthens his heart and walks towards the bright room. He can hear the sobbing voice of a crying girl. He should have found her earlier. Natalia hears the creaking door and rushes towards Louis. She cries harder. "I'm sorry. Forgives me, brother."

"It's fine, Lia." Louis wipes the streaming tears from her eyes and smiles gently. Louis can feel Natalia's heartbeat. It's comforting.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry. Please, don't leave me." Natalia is sitting in her bedroom embracing him. Louis is looking at the child embracing him. On the third day, Louis dares to confront his sister. She is burying her head in his chest. She keeps apologizing.

Louis rubs her head and hugs her tightly. The scent of chrysanthemums filled his nose. He knows why he cried that day. Louis realizes it late. He thinks his mother is his biggest fear. He is wrong.

His biggest fear is loneliness. His mother turns her back on him, and his father abandons him. He is scared to be alone. Louis hugs Natalia tightly. He needs to push her away. He needs her to learn there is a more significant life outside the mansion wall.

Just for tonight. Only for this night did he comfort her. Because the next day, they will become strangers.

******

The heat from the fireplace makes the entire office warmer. A man with silvery hair and emerald eyes is looking at the letters in his hand. He crumples the letter and throws it in the blazing flames.

'The child of 'chaos' has returned.'

A sudden knock caught him from his trance. Franz is looking at the door. A short blonde hair is peeking through the door. He smiles gently. "Sarah, what are you doing this morning? Isn't it too early?"

"Brother Allen keeps bothering me. I can hear the metal clashing." Because of the spiritual blessing, both of the siblings are connected. Franz reaches out his hands and hugs the little girl in his arms.

"Sarah, are you interrupting your father again?" A woman with blonde hair appears as she reaches out for the little girl. She looks calm outside, yet Franz can feel some unpleasant moods from her expression.

"Diana, it's still early. Diana?" His wife looks distracted. There are only two cases of Diana acting like this. One, she is drunk. The second one is something more burdensome. Looking at his wife's sober expression, Franz is prepared to hear the latter.

"Solaris gives me a message." Diana's words caught him off guard. Solaris directly gives her a message? Just like Lunaria? Something is wrong with the world of Eden. Franz has been feeling discomfort since the 'black funeral' day. Emilia Diore is one of Diana's close friends. Unfortunately, they cut off any contact after she marries to Arcene house.

They try to find some information, but they are merely a Marquis family. The only conclusion he can make is the possibility of Emilia's death is not 'natural' in the book of death. Someone is playing with the world's fate. That person might be the child of the 'chaos' they have been searching for. "What did he tell you?"

Diana holds her husband's hand. They know what it means as the child appears in this world. Catastrophe will come to this continent. The Reano family will be the main characters in this play."He told me to protect the child of 'chaos' the inheritor of Histrean Library."