A Fresh Start - Chapter 1 Part 2

The bed where I sleep is quite comfortable, unlike the cold street floor. I could get used to this; I like sleeping in it forever. "Today, I think I'll spend the day sleeping," I said to myself before being interrupted by someone.Suddenly, the door swung open, abruptly interrupting my sleep.[César] - Good morning, young master! Did you sleep well? Hahaha.An elderly man around 55 years old, elegantly dressed in a servant's suit with a monocle in his eye and a mustache protruding from his appearance, was the one who woke me up.The man approached the bed and quickly lifted me up, opening the windows and letting the sunlight stream directly into my freshly awakened eyes.[Neo] - Ha... I could only sigh, as I couldn't be annoyed. Although I'm already used to this routine, my parents wake up early every morning, leaving me to sleep in silence, at least for a few minutes, until he comes. Every day, at the same time, he comes to wake me up.The man in question is César, head of all the servants of the Leone mansion. He is in charge of organization and assistance, cleaning, and maintenance of the mansion, apart from giving and assigning each servant a task.But right now, more than being the head of the servants, he's like my nanny. Although his personality is very lively for someone his age.[César] - Time to get up, young master hahaha.[Neo] - "Mmm I just want to sleep."[César] - Please, young master, don't look at me with those cold eyes, it will make my poor old heart sad.[Neo] - "I don't know what you're talking about; this is my normal look that I always have every day."César took me out of bed and changed my clothes. He usually dresses me quickly, but on this occasion, I don't know what got into César.César brought out several boxes of clothes with different styles, and as expected, he already knew what would happen, that I would try them all on.[Neo] - "It will be a long morning, but I can't complain, it's my fault for not being able to hide from him..."[César] - Hoho, this one suits you very well, young master.[Neo] - "Like a sailor."[César] - Hoho, this one also looks good on you with your golden curls and your sky-blue eyes.[Neo] - "Like a servant."I changed from one outfit to another, seeing which one looked best on me.[César] - NO, this one definitely suits you better - he smiled cheerfully as he looked at me dressed.[Neo] - "Like... I don't even know what this is" - it seemed like some kind of costume? Pajamas? The shape resembled that of an animal I had never seen before, with horns and a tail and wings.And so, one after another, I tried on each outfit until César finally chose one for me to wear for the rest of the day; he chose the sailor outfit in the end.Grrr...[César] - Oh, and that sound! - Upon hearing the sound, César looked at me intently and smiled.[César] - He's hungry, young master.[Neo] - "Of course, I'm hungry; we've been at this for two hours" - still, I couldn't say it; every word I tried to say just sounded like babble. And I just nodded my head.César carried me in his arms to the dining room. On the way, I observed my surroundings.The hallway is always decorated, the windows clean and shiny, and the occasional servant cleaning. Looking out the windows, I can see a training ground where knights train with swords and spears.It was to be expected that they would be training, as they are knights in service and have to maintain a good physique for combat.Apart from the training ground, everything else in the mansion is finely decorated and filled with peace....Arriving at the dining room, they make me sit in a high chair. The table is full of delicious dishes that I must assume are delicious, as I cannot taste any of them. Instead, I have to eat puree. I looked at the puree, while on the other hand, the smell of the dishes around me whetted my appetite.[César] - Here comes the dragon.My face was covered in puree after emptying the plate...This is my routine almost every day. In the morning, César wakes me up and feeds me. After that, I go back to sleep. With the body of a baby, I tire quickly and spend most of the day sleeping. Upon waking up, my mother or father are there watching me sleep with a smile on their faces, although I still don't know why, but it's not like it bothers me or anything.Usually, my mother and father come to play, or at least try to.[Lucius] - "My dad's face" - father tried to make me laugh by making funny faces.[Annet] - Haha, look Neo at your father's silly face, haha - mother followed my father's lead, or at least I think so, but it seemed like she really enjoyed seeing the silly faces my father made.[Neo] - ... - my face remained expressionless despite my father's attempts at humor.My father burst into tears like a little child when he saw that I didn't laugh.[Lucius] - "Sniff!" I'm a failure as a father; I can't even make my son laugh "Sniff" - he complained as my mother tried to console him.Once they give up trying to play with me, they stay watching me or talking to me until I fall asleep again, or they stay hugging me until I fall asleep in their arms.I don't know the reason why they do it... well, I think I do, but I just don't understand it.I'm not used to this kind of interaction, or maybe it's because I don't know how to feel......The days go by, and I learn more and more about the mansion and the Leone family, things that the novel didn't provide information about.On a balcony overlooking the front yard of the mansion, I was with my parents, who were sitting taking in the fresh air, watching the yard. I, in particular, was in my mother's lap when she said with a sparkle in her eyes and a kind smile: - My little Neo, you're finally awake -, as she hugged me too tightly.My father was present, and seeing her hug me so tightly, he exclaimed: - Dear, you're going to suffocate him if you keep hugging like that!I thought to myself: - "Hmp! I think I'll be reborn if she keeps doing that." Quickly, my father took mother by the arms to make her let go of me.Annet apologized laughing foolishly: - Ho ho, sorry, I was just excited that my little one woke up.[Lucius] - Yes, but he's just a baby, you can't hug him like that.After they let go of me, I looked at my parents and became curious about how they ended up together. The novel doesn't say much about them. On one hand, my mother is a great warrior and matriarch of the family, recognized by the kingdom and the family. On the other hand, my father is... well, just a father.If they were in my world, their interaction might be something like:[Annet] - Darling, I'm back from work.[Lucius] - Welcome, my beloved. Do you want to eat or shower first?[Annet] - I love you, doll - as she hugged him and looked at Lucius affectionately - "nom nom".Or at least that's what I think, that's the mental image I have of them, at least something similar to what I saw on a show passing through the store TVs while looking for food on the streets.It didn't matter to remember the past, just thinking about it made me sleepy. I yawned silently as I felt my parents shudder.After finishing yawning, it seemed like I was smiling.After pretending to smile in front of my parents, they stopped fooling around.[Annet] - Did you see that, honey? - she turned her head to my father with a sparkle in her eyes and a smile.[Lucius] - Yes! It's Neo's first smile.What are they saying? I'm confused by what they're saying. Did I smile? They didn't see wrong, I just yawned. But they got so excited and happy to the point they wanted to throw a party for my smile.[Annet] - We must throw a party to celebrate Neo's first smile, dear![Lucius] - Right away![Neo] - "Wait, don't you think it's too much for just a smile? Besides, they just saw wrong".Both of them were so excited and happy about this that they almost threw a party, if it weren't for...César entered the room with his characteristic contagious smile, and his monocle was shining with the reflection of the morning light. His movements were elegant and precise, demonstrating the grace of a man who had been serving the Leone family for many years.He entered the room, overhearing what my parents were planning.[César] - Sir, madam, what do you think you're doing planning a party for the young master's smile?[Annet] - Oh, César, it's you. What's wrong with throwing a party... - Mother stopped talking about the party when she felt and saw César's gaze on them.While looking at my parents, César adjusted his monocle and a silence fell over the room.[César] - Oh, so you want to throw a party for his smile, he hasn't even made his debut yet, which is today, and you already want to throw another party - César exploded at that moment - YOU FOOLS, I HAVEN'T TAUGHT YOU TO RESTRAIN FROM THROWING A PARTY FOR ANYTHING![Neo] - "My what? I couldn't hear what César said clearly".[Lucius and Annet] - But, César, we just wanted...[César] - But nothing!, you heard.César hit them both on the head, making them kneel down, and gave them a sermon, while holding me in his arms.[Lucius and Annet] - We're sorry, César - they said while putting on a puppy abandoned face.Lucius and Annet looked at each other, feeling the weight of César's reprimand. They bowed to him humbly, their hearts filled with shame for their lack of consideration.[César] - I'll take the young master for a walk. Meanwhile, you must continue kneeling for another hour as punishment.Lucius and Annet exclaimed: - Another hour like this?!César turned around and, with a single look, made my parents stop complaining.[César] - Do you want me to give you two more hours? - he threatened.Lucius and Annet quickly responded: - No, sir! We're fine with an hour, sir.César nodded with satisfaction and said with a sparkle in his eyes.[César] - Very well, let's go, young master.I remained silent about my parents' performance in front of this man, especially about how he treated them like little children despite being renowned individuals. However, they obeyed his orders instantly. What kind of servant is César that made my parents act like this?This man is César, the head of the Leone family's servants. At 55 years old, he seems well preserved for his age, with an energy and joy that mix with a serene calm in his tone when speaking to me.As soon as we left the room, César took me to the garden and started chatting with me. Unlike my parents, César is a calm man, or at least I thought so.[César] - Oh, my little young master! You are indeed quite cute and resemble your parents in their childhood. I hope you don't end up like them, always so rowdy. Do you understand?His words made me understand that my parents and he had known each other since childhood, and that César was their personal butler, a detail that the novel didn't reveal. Although I didn't understand why they seemed happy to see me smile, even though I didn't smile, I just yawned, but to go to the extent of throwing a party for a smile was... something inside me began to tremble without me understanding why....César carried me in his arms, leaving the room and walking down the corridor. We continued walking and passed by servants who always greeted us when we passed.[Servant] - Good morning, young master, Mr. César - bowing their heads every time we passed by the corridor and rooms, although they always did, I wasn't used to receiving this kind of treatment, but over time I started to get used to it little by little.César interrupted my thoughts saying - Young master, today must be a great day for you.[Neo] - "Special? Now that I remember, I heard César mention something when he scolded my parents, something that was going to happen today." But César didn't mention anything else regarding today being a special day.We continued our way to the inner garden.