Death Flag 3

Wilfrid trembled.

Internally, he was incensed.

In his mind, his head reddened as veins popped up in anger.

Thankfully, he trained to manipulate even his facial expression.

Nonetheless, he was betrayed by his body.

He kept trembling as the insulting words that Luke spat kept surfacing inside his mind.

'Pig.'

'Heavyweight in the family.'

'Acts out of his place.'

'Deserves to be slaughtered.'

Luke was basically saying that he was a pig, a heavyweight in the family because he hadn't made any great contribution yet, aside from entering the Royal Academy, which he won the invitation without competition.

Furthermore, to say that he acted out of his place implied that he didn't belong to the household.

He even ended his insults that deserved to be slaughtered.

How could he not be furious?

'Just wait, I'll have a present for you later. You might survive, but not from the trauma.'

He comforted himself, yet he was still trembling.

After all, as if his mind loved to play tricks on him, it kept playing Luke's insults endlessly.

To add salt to the wound, the last last words were the most repeated.

'Remain as it is for the rest of his life…

Remain as a pig for the rest of his life…'

He gritted his teeth silently – with mouth closed – but bones still appeared on his jaw.

…

Oh! The hysteria.

To humiliate those villain people… not talking about myself, but those who commit vile acts for innocents, was fulfilling to see them embarrassed.

If only I could make them eat the same medicine they gave to others.

Sadly, I didn't have sufficient power yet.

I'm helpless as a lamb despite the fact that I'm residing in a castle filled with turrets to protect me.

I'm so helpless.

However, it would not be long before I could protect myself.

"I see, I also think the same thing, brother," replied Wilfrid with a forced smile.

It seemed he had finally composed himself.

I smiled back.

"Right? I've been trying to become wiser, not just be a genius.

For instance, I've written a single-stanza poem. You want to hear it?"

"I-I I think I'm-"

"So, you want to? All right, here's how it goes."

I ignored his attempts to speak anything to stop me as I quickly recited the poem.

"A pig shrieks, trembles a few,

Others try to escape, now acting out of place,

I include those behaved, for they think the same,

As their colors remind me of hue."

…

Silence ensued.

Wilfrid was so silent, but he completely erupted inside.

I couldn't gauge what he was thinking; nonetheless, it wouldn't be wrong for me to assume he was imagining different ways to kill me.

This guy is smart, I know.

My last word, since I uttered it, was intended to be misunderstood.

Since "hue" and "you" have the same vocal words, even an idiot would know that I was referring to him.

"So…" Wilfrid gazed at me with narrowed eyes, yet his lips curved upward.

So creepy.

"I just want to ask what you mean by your last words. Can you spell it?"

"Oh." My eyes and mouth turned O. "No problem.

So, it's actually Y, ah, I mean, H-U-E."

"Hue, you know, the gradation of color and something."

"I see." Wilfrid nodded.

He motioned both hands backward as if repositioning himself, but I saw his maid glancing at it on his lower back and saw her horrified expression.

Of course, he was clenching his fist.

He was obviously incensed.

"But, it doesn't make sense on the last line, no? I mean, as their color reminds me of hue? It would make sense if it was Y-O-U, instead?"

"H-Huh?" I gasped in disbelief. "W-Why would I-

Ah! Why would you think like that, brother?"

"It's cousin."

"Oh, cousin. I mean, did you really think I would insult you?

How could I be?

I mean, why would even I?"

He stared at my natural panicky expression and was in deep thought.

Who could really know what he was thinking?

However, I should drop another bomb again.

"I mean, are you a pig, b-cousin? You wouldn't be offended if you misunderstood, right? After all, how could you be-"

"Let's stop here. You need to go somewhere."

Without even waiting for my reply, he passed by me silently.

He even seemed to forget the existence of my maid, staring at him with extreme hatred.

After all, if he tried to teach a maid a lesson, especially a maid of mine, the conflict would escalate.

He couldn't afford to even offend my maid.

Regulus must have declared Sophie's importance in the house – to me.

I'm glad just by thinking about it.

A minute passed, and while I was in deep thought, a restrained chuckle echoed behind my back.

I couldn't help but smile.

"What was so funny, Sophie?"

"Everything, Young Highness." 

She stuttered after she was trying to reply while chuckling.

"A pig." She chuckled for a while and continued, "A pig, indeed. I didn't know you could compose a poem, Young Highness."

"Don't underestimate me," I smirked. "It's easy to write a poem if you're inspired."

I remember it was my hobby to write poems.

When I was still in high school, I ended up in a circle with a deep interest in literature.

Hence, interested as I was. I was into poems before.

And well, writing poems would only be easy once you are inspired.

 "Let's proceed now, Sophie. You have your fun."

"Right, Young Highness."

With that, we have finally arrived at the ground floor with no pigs obstructing us again.

***

Earlier, after Wilfrid passed by Luke, when he couldn't take his insults and tricks anymore, he halted.

Without hesitation, his face twisted in a contorted manner as he turned around and punched the maid in the stomach.

The maid anticipated it would happen, but it was still unexpected.

She held her stomach, dropped to her knees, and coughed out blood.

It tinted the pristine floor.

"Clean your mess."

With that, he ignored the maid and walked towards the window side of the hallway.

There, he saw many buildings filled with people.

However, the picturesque view was not on his mind.

He was consumed with unknown deep thoughts.

He soon grinned.

"Indeed, a genius without madness is not a genius.

Well, I let him be for now.

I wonder how Reid is doing?"