Chapter 319

15 years ago.

On a winter day when white snowflakes were falling.

"..."

Lucas looked down at the corpses of his parents who had died in a crash.

The overturned carriage had rolled off the bridge and fallen below.

It was winter, and the river under the bridge had dried up completely. There was no chance of surviving by falling into the water.

The carriage was shattered into pieces, and his parents were crushed to death.

Just before the carriage rolled off, Lucas was the only one who survived, thrown out by his mother.

However, Lucas couldn't immediately hold a funeral for his parents. He wasn't even given time to collect their bodies.

"You're Lucas McGregor, aren't you? The eldest son of the McGregor family."

A cold voice reached Lucas's ears as he looked down at his shattered parents below the bridge.

It was the Capital Defense Force, who had rushed there after receiving a report of the accident.

For them, escorting the surviving Lucas to their 'destination' was a priority over recovering the corpses of the McGregor couple.

"Please come this way. His Highness is waiting for you."

"But, my parents..."

"We will handle the recovery. Now, hurry."

The soldiers, seemingly unfazed, sat Lucas in a new carriage.

Lucas was led away, leaving behind the corpses of his parents.

It felt so unreal that he couldn't even shed tears.

Shocked by the death of his parents and covered in dirt and blood from the accident, Lucas was taken to the imperial palace.

To be exact, a minor palace.

It was the residence of the second prince, Fernandez.

***

"It's unfortunate that the head and the wife of the McGregor family died in an accident. My deepest regrets."

Tap. Tap.

Light footsteps resonated, coming closer to Lucas, who was kneeling.

Numbly staring at the ground, Lucas slowly raised his head.

"I was planning to strengthen the bond between your family and mine upon introducing myself today. It's unfortunate this happened."

A boy with glasses perched on the tip of his nose stood there.

His shiny black hair had a red hue flowing through it, and his pitch-black eyes also held a fiery red light.

Fernandez 'Ember Keeper' Everblack.

He was the twelve-year-old second prince of the empire.

Seven-year-old Lucas shivered as he looked up at the prince. He had no clue what was going on.

Fernandez gave a gentle smile. Although his red eyes were not smiling at all.

"We should also talk about the repayment of debts."

"Debt...sir?"

"Yes, debt. As you will become the head of the McGregor family, you should know."

Fernandez's explanation was simple.

The McGregor family was in financial ruin, they had to take on debt to survive, and Fernandez had lent them money based on the family's name.

However, the McGregor family had failed to repay on time, and the interest had snowballed.

"I had called your parents today to discuss that debt... this is a headache."

Lucas, who was just seven years old, couldn't fully understand Fernandez's complicated words.

However.

"Even if it's unfortunate and pitiable, we can't just forget about the debt, can we?"

He was perceptive enough to realize that this conversation was a matter of life and death.

No, not just for him but for everyone left in the family.

He instinctively understood that the fate of the McGregor family rested in the hands of the boy standing before him.

"...I'll do whatever it takes."

And so, Lucas bowed his head.

"Just... please spare us."

As he looked down at Lucas, Fernandez whispered with a faint smile.

"Good timing, Lucas."

"Huh...?"

"I have a task that suits you. Moreover, you've lost your parents and become an orphan, which makes you even more appropriate for this job."

Fernandez bowed slightly, locking eyes with Lucas, who was visibly trembling. 

"Complete this task successfully, and your family's debt will be a thing of the past."

"What is the task?"

"You know my younger brother, Ash, right?"

The Third Prince, Ash 'Born Hater' Everblack.

Lucas swallowed hard. How could he not know? In the empire, there were only three princes, and...

...everyone was whispering that this was the child fated to bring ruin to the nation.

"He's about your age. I'll take care of the formalities; all you need to do is enter his palace and become his friend. And then..."

Fernandez's fingers tightened on Lucas' shoulder.

"Monitor his every move and report back to me."

"..."

"So, can you do it?"

"Yes, yes, I will do it...!"

"Good. You're reliable, just like one would expect from a McGregor."

Thump. Thump.

The sound of Fernandez's footsteps faded away, followed by the light scraping sound of a chair against the floor.

When Lucas cautiously lifted his head, he saw Fernandez sitting at the head of the table, looking down at him.

"Now, swear an oath to me, young McGregor."

Sitting like a ruler was the prince, while looking up from his kneeling position was the fallen noble.

"Swear an oath of unchanging loyalty to save your family."

The hierarchy was clear, and the gap seemed insurmountable.

And so, Lucas slowly bowed his head.

It felt as if he had been bound by invisible chains.

That day, Lucas, at the young age of seven, became the next head of the McGregor family.

At the same time, he became a puppet dancing to someone else's tune.

***

Right after his parents' funeral, Lucas left his home.

He rode in a carriage to an unknown destination. Once again, the carriage entered the Imperial Palace.

The carriage stopped at a palace even smaller and more modest than Fernandez's.

Lucas stepped down, clutching a bag that was as big as he was, filled with his few possessions.

"Are you Lucas McGregor?"

The man who greeted Lucas looked stern. With neatly groomed hair and beard, his eyes were narrowed, emanating stubbornness.

"Uh, yes, but..."

"Welcome. I am Alberto, the chief servant."

Alberto's once-stiff face softened skillfully as he took the bag from Lucas' hand.

"I heard you'll be staying in this separate palace starting today. Give me your things and follow me."

"What? Oh, okay..."

Caught off guard by the sudden shift in mood, Lucas nervously followed Alberto deeper into the palace.

When they reached a well-maintained garden, a woman was standing there, waiting for them.

"My, you must be Lucas!"

The woman looked strikingly different from everyone else in the palace.

With messy gray hair, sun-tanned, brown skin, and freckles...

She looked like someone you could encounter in the marketplace, not in a palace. She introduced herself with a bright smile.

"I'm Dustia."

"Ah!"

Realizing who she was, Lucas immediately bowed.

"I am honored to meet you, the Second Empress...!"

"My, aren't you polite? I wish my son were half as courteous."

Dustia covered her mouth as she laughed, then reached out to gently stroke Lucas' head.

"But there's no need for such formality, Lucas. This place isn't that strict. You can be more at ease."

Dustia spoke warmly, but Lucas remained stiff as a board.

Sending a smile filled with compassion and affection toward Lucas, Dustia took one of his hands and led him inside.

"We've all been eagerly awaiting your arrival for quite some time. Come on, let's go!"

Dustia's hand was rough but warm. Lucas silently followed her touch, unsure of how to react to the unfamiliar warmth.

In the courtyard of the Star Palace, a girl and a boy stared in their direction with wide eyes.

Bringing Lucas before them, Dustia clapped her hands.

"Alright, kids, listen up! As I told you this morning, starting today Lucas will be living here with us. He's younger than you both, so you'll need to take good care of him, got it?"

Dustia then introduced the two to Lucas.

"This is Serenade! She's three years older than you and frequently visits the palace, so you'll have plenty of chances to say hello. Serenade, this is Lucas. You're the eldest among the three of you, so please look after him."

"Yes, Mama."

The girl with hair like water, Serenade, bowed deeply toward Dustia, then gave Lucas a shy smile. Lucas awkwardly averted his eyes.

"And this here is my son Ash! He's a year older than you."

At Dustia's gesture, the boy with black hair dashed behind Serenade to hide.

Serenade chuckled briefly as if tickled, and Dustia let out an incredulous laugh.

"Ash? Oh, boy. Hiding behind your sister again? Come out and greet Lucas. What are you so wary about?"

"..."

"You were so excited yesterday, talking about how happy you were to get a new sibling. Now you're shy when you finally meet him? Can't even greet him? Should I do it for you?"

"No, no, I can do it..."

The boy with black hair—Ash—timidly emerged from behind Serenade.

"Hem, hem, ahem!"

Glancing around nervously, Ash then rubbed his tiny hands on his pants and extended one for a handshake.

"Hello!"

"Ah... Hello, Your Highness."

Lucas awkwardly reciprocated the handshake. Ash looked at Lucas with fascination.

"So you're really going to be my bodyguard?"

Lucas had been appointed as Ash's exclusive bodyguard, being the successor of the McGregor family. It was under this pretext that he was allowed to reside in the Star Palace.

"Yes! Your Highness, I may still be lacking, but I promise to train diligently so that I can adequately serve as your guard...!"

Lucas shut his eyes tightly and recited the lines he had memorized beforehand.

And the rest just slipped out.

"I'll definitely become the strongest knight in the Imperial Capital...! To uplift the honor of the McGregor family, and also...!"

It was always the same refrain from his parents.

You must become stronger than anyone else, they'd say. To revive the fallen McGregor family.

His parents had been drilling that message into him until the very moment their carriage plummeted off a cliff.

Lucas, who had been speaking rapidly, suddenly caught himself and halted.

Watching Lucas with wide eyes, Ash responded with a beaming smile.

"You don't have to be the strongest knight, Lucas."

"Huh?"

"I may never become an emperor, but my dream is to become the coolest guy in the world."

Ash's big, round eyes sparkled like the moon, and he smiled brightly.

"So, as my bodyguard, you should aim to become the coolest knight in the world."

Not the strongest knight, but the coolest knight.

"Got it?"

"..."

It was the first time Lucas had ever heard such a story in his life.

The most splendid knight?

What was that about?

Dazed, Lucas nodded hesitantly. Ash grinned as if satisfied.

Just then, Alberto came into the garden carrying a tray filled with a teapot and snacks.

"I've brought tea and refreshments, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, Alberto. Well, kids, shall we eat and chat?"

Ash and Serenade chirped an affirmative 'Yes' and gestured to Lucas to join them.

Unsure of what to do, Lucas took a seat at the table, following his brother and sister's lead.

Ash and Serenade bickered over what tasted better and fed Lucas some snacks.

The second empress of Dustia watched the children's interactions with a smile.

Though it was winter, the garden at midday even had a warmth to it.

In Lucas's life, no— 

In the lives of Lucas, Serenade, and Ash, the warmest and most peaceful days began just like this.

- Keep an eye on that child's every move and report to me.

And at the same time,

Days harboring poison also began.