CHAPTER 7.2 The Land of Hearth
"Young Lord, your father is insisting that you should show up to breakfast. He said he has something important to say to you." Upon waking up from a dream of his dead brother, Thorn irritatingly stared at the person who woke him up.
He reminded them last night that he did not want to be bothered in the morning and let him sleep. Then again, they do not actually have a choice in this matter. After all, it was his father who ordered them to wake him up. Between him and his father, his father has more authority over him.
"Tell him I will be there soon." The maid left his room, and he laid back in bed and started thinking about his dream. It was a dream of him and Aizen in that festival. They were very young back then, and it was the best memory they both had together. A memory that Thorn could never forget. It felt like it was just yesterday that he and Aizen were running away from the guards. He vividly remembers his father and mother yelling at him and throwing him to the Dark Forest.
It was a horrible punishment, but he did not regret taking his brother out to experience the festival. The best thing about that festival is the smile that Aizen had on his face, and if he could go back in time, he would not change a thing because that smile means everything to Thorn.
Forcing himself to get back up, he groaned and started thinking of what kind of lecture his father would tell him now. Ever since Aizen's death, Thorn had no care in the world anymore and started doing things without care. With that, his father and mother began to nag him more than ever.
"Another day, another day. I wish this doesn't have to be just another day." For once, Thorn wishes that something should happen so that he won't think much about Aizen.
Upon arriving at the dining hall, Thorn sees his father and mother have already started eating without him.
"Ah, there he is. I'm sorry, Thorn, your father, insisted that we shouldn't wait for you since you are taking your time getting ready." His mother looked at him up and down, then she continued, "and despite getting ready, it seems that you don't even know how to get ready properly now."
It has only been a month since his brother's death, and it's not even that long, and yet they are acting as if nothing has changed between them. He hates the fact that they act like this, as if Aizen's death is nothing to them.
"Who do I need to look presentable for, Mother?"
"You are the heir to this family, you represent this family, people will look at you, and they see you in that, they are going to doubt you as the family's heir." His mother said calmly, but at the same time, there was a hint of commanding tone in that sentence.
"It all goes back to our family's image, is that it? Is that why you both are acting as if nothing happened? As if we did not lose a loved one in this family? You guys don't want people to look at you guys as someone who is weak." It is evident in Thorn's voice that he is enraged at how his parents are acting. He felt that at any moment, everything he had been bottling up would burst out.
As soon as he said that, both Thorn and his mother heard a crack. Turning around to see where that came from, Thorn sees his father trying to calm himself down.
"You think that we forgot about your brother? Did you really believe we could forget about him just like that? He was our son, your brother! We loved him as much as you do. The only reason we are acting like this is that the moment we break down is the moment the culprit who did that to your brother will come to us unexpectedly." As much as they want to grieve their son's death, they cannot because they believe that once their walls are down, it is the moment their lives will be lost.
They want to cry, they want to yell, and even have a moment of grief, but they are not even allowed to when their lives are at stake. They only hope that Thorn will deeply understand the situation they are in right now.
After saying that, Thorn's father sighed and continued, "I want you to go to our border in the west. There have been reports that there are sightings of monsters wandering around." Plain and simple, it was an order, and he was not allowed to defy it.