Red

"What…? My head is bleeding?" I said in disbelief.

"Isn't that why your hair is turning red?" Alberu pointed at my head.

Vivid images started flashing through my brain as I suddenly remember the sight of my white hair being dyed red from bathing in my own pool of blood. I remember the satisfied cheers of the citizens that nearly made my ears go deaf. I remember the apologetic tone that prince Owen, the one that had taken away my precious swords had spoken to me with, apologising that he didn't let me execute myself. Now thinking about it, I felt sick from the thought of taking my own head. Then, I remembered Alberu shouting and screaming in protest. Amongst all the yelling and noises, he was the only one who was screaming for me. He was the most loyal person that I've ever met and known. Now that I have a chance to change things, I will definitely give him what he deserves.

"Felix?" Alberu said in a questioning tone which snapped me out of my thoughts. I engulfed him in a hug which made him even more confused but nonetheless, he still returned my sudden hug, wrapping his small, warm arms around me. His body temperature was warm unlike the fire that he had burned the capital with.

Eason was able to take everything that I've ever earned or had while it or they were right in my reach except for Alberu and Marcus Infermel, the man who had taken me in. It was now clear that the reason why I thought Alberu and I weren't close in Eason's body was because Eason was deliberately pushing Alberu away, to officially leave me with nothing and no one, though it didn't work because Alberu was different than the people who surrounded Eason; he wasn't influenced by Eason's 'hero halo' and dad would never listen to someone who he'd never met before. It is certainly a power halo indeed however in the end, it's still just a cheat!

"Red?" a voice scoffed, "your white hair is already an abomination, and now it's red too?" Both Alberu and I turn our heads to look at a boy similar looking to Alberu except he had blue eyes and an arrogant face. It was Royce Infermel, Alberu's older twin brother.

Royce is the heir to the Infermel family since he's older than Alberu and I am not blood related to dad. Unlike dad and Alberu who treats me with kindness, Royce is a bitch to me. In the future, he'll also become a member of Eason's team who I call 'a group of motherfuckers', but can I really call them a group? Well, they are a group, but Eason wouldn't be a part of it. The ones in the group are just chest pieces for Eason to use. Oh, but it's ok though. After all, everything the 'hero' does is for 'justice', I thought sarcastically.

"I think red suits Felix," Alberu defended me, "and aren't you trying to become friends with a blue haired abomination (Eason) yourself?" He's not wrong. If blood red and white are weird hair colours, then baby blue hair must be weird too. Well, it'd true if it wasn't Eason. Heck, Eason could have every colour of the rainbow in his hair, and everyone would still call him handsome.

"Well, he's different. Didn't you hear Alberu? The crown prince himself said that he acknowledges Eason Jarle. Even if you won't become the next head, you should watch who you're close to," Royce then turned to look at me, "father probably adopted you from pity, so don't think you're special." He then left, leaving me and Alberu in my room.

Alberu turned to look at me with his big round eyes full of concern, "are you ok Felix? Don't mind what Royce just said." It was fine. I didn't take any words Royce had told me to heart. I had become immune to these things after living in this world for years.

I touch my neck. It was completely intact, but I felt like there was a line around my neck that indicated where I was cut. "I'm fine," I reply without looking at Alberu, but when I turn back to look at him, his eyes were widened. What had happened to make him show that kind of expression?

"Felix, the red in your hair started spreading," he said. I immediately moved my hand away from my neck. Alberu looked like he was questioning my actions, but he didn't ask. Instead, he took off to my bathroom and came back with white new bandages.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he started to wrap the white bandages around my neck.

"Don't worry, you'll be ok!" he said, "you look afraid of your own neck, so I'll help you." Oh, so he noticed my reactions towards my neck. Was it that obvious?

After he was done, I thanked him and got dressed, leaving to the academy. When I got there, many students were pointing at me and whispering. Most likely it was because of the bandages around my neck that I kept on and my white hair that was slightly red.

Now that I think about, why was my hair slowly turning red anyways? Since time was reversed, my hair should be completely white. Not only that, but time was supposed to be reversed to a day after Eason used the relic, not years before he used it. Does Eason… remember anything at all? Maybe this time, it's only me who remembers.

"Really?" said a girl with blond hair and violet eyes, "bandages around your neck and slightly red hair? Is that supposed to be some kind of fashion style?" It was Emilia.

"It's not a fashion style lady Rosia. I am not trying to look flashy or have any intention to do anything like that. I'm not an attention seeking whore but," I looked Emilia up and down, "from the amount of accessories and make up you're wearing, someone might think you are one," I replied with a 'polite' smile, but it was quite clear that I was mocking her. She gasped and her eyes widened in shock. It was the first time I talked back to someone.

She stormed away, knocking a girl over in the process, but she didn't even turn around to help the girl up or apologise. I sighed and walked over to the girl, extending my hand to help her up, but she just slapped my hand, got up, and walked away. I was left there in the middle of the hallway while others gossiped about me.

This felt similar to a situation I was in at the age of nine. After I was adopted in the Infermel family, I once came across a homeless person who was starving and in need of help. I offered him money, but he only slapped the money out of my hand and shouted at me. Everyone looked at me in disgust, even though I was only trying to help him. Eason then appeared and offered the homeless man the same thing. This time, the homeless man smiled, thanked Eason and took the money. It was completely different to when I tried to be kind VS when Eason was only doing things to taunt me. That just showed how strong the law of fairy tales ran here. A villain's kindness, dreams and effort didn't matter because they weren't the hero. No matter how helpful they're trying to be, they'll only be shunned.

"He's right there!" Emilia pointed at me, Owen trailing behind.

"I heard you were bullying lady Rosia Felix. I think you should get a punishment for doing such a mean thing," said Owen. He extended his hand out and I was hit with a water spell, falling to the ground from the impact. Yeah, it sounds dramatic since it's just water, but the royal family has strong magic and a lot of mana.

The people around me gasped but it wasn't from the shock of me getting attacked and I know that, so it made me confused. I look at a window nearby to see my reflection and I too was shocked. My hair was almost completely red with blood seeping through the bandages around my neck. Why is there blood? I checked earlier and there's no cuts or wounds on my neck.

The sounds of heels clacking against the floor made its way towards me, but I didn't look behind me. It was most likely just another person who's going to make fun of me. I realised that I thought wrong when a familiar coat was thrown over me. The coat had the scent of wine all over it and I instantly knew who it was.

"Oi, do you not recognise the red hair?" said the woman with brown hair who appeared before everything was reversed, except she didn't have a scar going down her right eye at this point of time. She is 'Wren Arla', one of the strongest in the nation of Kassiel.

"Lady Arla, what does red hair have to do with anything?" asked Owen.

"As the crown prince of Kassiel, how can you be so uneducated?" I quietly snickered at Wren's statement. "Red hair is seen as the awakening of Cyrus, the first head of Esper," said Wren. I snapped my head to look at Wren with a questioning look.

Everyone was completely silent from shock.

"Do you know what that means?" questioned Wren.

"It means he's the heir of Cyrus," a deep voice spoke. Everyone aside from myself and Wren bowed down.

It was the king.