Chapter 28
_Chrysanthemum Hill
* * *
Knock, knock, knock!
"Mother, are you in your room?"
The boy waited patiently for a full two minutes before he finally heard the door opening...
"I thought you'd leave if I didn't answer... Damian."
As the door opened, a beautiful woman with dark gray hair and pale jade-green eyes appeared. She spoke with a sigh.
The boy pressed his lips together for a moment, then chuckled softly, giving a little shrug.
"I knew you'd open the door for me."
The Archduchess shook her head helplessly and stepped aside, letting him in without another word.
Damian entered with his chest held high and a broad smile on his face. Once he was inside, she closed the door and took the chair opposite her son.
A few moments of silence passed before Damian broke it.
"Mother, I want to ask you for something..."
"Have I ever refused you anything?"
"Sometimes, when it's something serious..."
Damian replied, scratching his cheek with one finger. When his mother raised an eyebrow, he quickly waved his hands in front of her, his eyes and mouth wide open.
"What I'm asking for now isn't serious..."
"..."
"I mean, you said you'd grant any wish I made for my birthday..."
"Yes, I did. So, get to the point."
Damian frowned slightly, then sighed. Looking at his mother with drooping eyebrows and the pleading eyes of a little puppy, he said:
"Mother... it's simple. I just want Elyon to move into the main palace."
He blurted out the words in a single breath, squeezing his eyes shut and lowering his head. When no answer came, he cautiously opened one eye and glanced at her. Perhaps he had spoken too quickly, and she hadn't heard him properly...
"Mother, did you hear what I said?"
"I heard you."
"Then..."
Before he could finish, the Archduchess rose to her feet and turned her back to him. Gazing directly out of the window, she spoke quietly.
"Damian, have you ever considered... that perhaps this child might take everything away from you?"
Damian stood and wrapped his arms around his mother from behind.
"If Elyon is going to be the next Archduke, I don't mind..."
The Archduchess gently removed her son's arms and turned to face him completely. His smile was bright and genuine, and he seemed perfectly pleased with the idea.
She looked at him in bewilderment.
"Why? Isn't it your right?"
Damian pursed his lips into a straight line, resting one hand beneath his chin. A few seconds later, he smiled.
"Elyon is responsible, brilliant, and kind... My little brother is amazing."
The Archduchess gave a hollow laugh before bending slightly to meet her son's eyes.
"You are wonderful too. You'll grow into a fine and powerful lord."
"Hmm... Perhaps. I'm your son, after all."
The Archduchess laughed until tears welled in her eyes. But as her smile gradually faded and her laughter died away, Damian fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Mother, I won't bring up my circumstances again because I know how much it hurts you. But let me give my little brother what he deserves with my own hands, so he won't ever think he's taking something away from me."
The Archduchess stared at her son with a blank expression for a moment. But Damian, quick to recognize his mother's feelings, put on a cheerful face.
"You know what? Perhaps I'll live a long life, but I'm terrible at politics. I should take up a hobby instead... Painting? No... My drawings are awful. Perhaps I'll learn to play an instrument..."
The Archduchess couldn't bring herself to say anything. She simply pulled her son into an embrace.
After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"Very well. He can live in the main palace."
Damian tightened his arms around her. His excitement was unmistakable as he replied:
"I'll go tell him! Good night, Mother."
He released her and hurried out of the room.
The Archduchess sighed as she watched her son's retreating figure. Her worries had not disappeared. If anything, new ones had taken their place...
Damian made his way towards his room, his entire body practically buzzing with excitement.
He was going to tell his little brother that they would no longer have to worry about being separated whenever they wanted to see each other...
---
"So, you're the son of that maid who died."
Elyon lowered his head, his small body shrinking in on itself. He tried to open his mouth, but his jaw had stiffened. Clenching his teeth, he cast a glance at the man standing before him, then at the assistant behind him.
The assistant remained quiet, while the man wore a smile.
Although the man resembled his older brother, even his smile seemed terrifying to Elyon.
At last, he managed to speak, his words stumbling over one another.
"I... I'm El—"
"Never mind that. Tell me, how did you end up here? You're still quite young, aren't you? Yet you seem ambitious..."
Elyon had a feeling that there was something unpleasant behind those words. Despite the man's smile, his tone was unmistakably mocking.
He tried to speak again, but to no avail.
The man glanced towards the staircase for a moment before looking back at him.
"Did the physician tell you that your presence was good for that boy? He'll die regardless... A useless child."
Elyon's eyes widened. He stared at the man, his fists trembling, his lower lip quivering.
But the man seemed to be enjoying himself.
"You're like a tonic to him. That woman is making use of you, plain and simple. If you can't be useful, then I have no need for you. You must play your part, or you'll be nothing more than a parasite."
He turned towards his office, seemingly uninterested in the matter. But before continuing, he paused and cast Elyon a brief glance.
Then, as he walked away with his assistant, he asked:
"What was the child's name?"
"Elyon, Your Majesty."
"Well, knowing his name makes no difference. He's still nothing but a leech."
The Archduke made no effort to lower his voice, nor did he seem concerned that Elyon was still standing behind him. He simply walked away, as though he hadn't just unleashed a storm.
Elyon remained frozen in place, his eyes fixed on the man who had passed before him.
He didn't understand what the man meant, but something inside him was trembling. It felt as though he were slowly drowning...
"Elyon?!"
His head turned towards the voice.
Damian was hurrying down the stairs, his eyes narrowing as he spotted his little brother. Elyon, however, hadn't moved an inch.
"Are you all right?"
When Damian finally reached him, he felt Elyon's arms tighten around his waist. The little boy's entire body was trembling.
Damian glanced towards the corridor leading to the office, then gently patted his brother's back.
"Your big brother is here..."
He carefully loosened Elyon's arms and gave him a reassuring smile.
"Would you like me to carry you on my back?"
Elyon shook his head.
"I'm still sick..."
Damian took his little brother's cheeks in his hands and gave him a playful frown.
"You're still sick, but I'm stronger than you."
Elyon looked into his brother's eyes. Their warmth was enough to make the terrible encounter from moments ago begin to fade.
---
"Shall I prepare your bath, young master?"
"Shhh!"
The maid immediately pressed her lips together, watching the boy as he adjusted the blanket covering his little brother.
"Elyon has very sharp hearing. Let him sleep a little longer. I'll take my bath instead."
The maid nodded and went off to attend to her duties.
Damian's smile vanished as soon as she left. He looked down at Elyon, his eyes heavy with concern. Gently stroking his brother's hair, he then left the room...
By the time Damian finished his bath, the red-haired maid was helping Elyon get dressed.
"When did you wake up?"
"The maid told me you were bathing."
"I like taking my time in the bath during summer."
Elyon frowned slightly, making Damian laugh.
"Only cats hate water. Are you a cat?"
Elyon puffed out his cheeks.
Damian smiled and poked one of them with his finger.
"Adorable..."
When he noticed his little brother frowning even more, Damian hesitated.
"Umm, well... You..."
The maid turned towards him and bowed her head.
Damian calmly asked:
"What's your name?"
The maid lowered her head respectfully.
"Julia, my name is Julia, young master."
"Thank you for taking care of my brother."
Julia's gaze shifted between Elyon, who was smiling shyly, and Damian, whose smile was as bright as the spring sunshine. She bowed her head again.
"It is my great honor to be entrusted with the care of the second young master."
"I appreciate it."
Damian nodded. Julia then helped Elyon settle into a chair at the breakfast table in Damian's room before taking her leave.
"Would you like some eggs?"
"Thank you..."
Elyon accepted the eggs Damian offered him and ate them with a healthy appetite.
Damian glanced around to make sure they were alone, then leaned closer and whispered:
"Would you like me to show you somewhere special?"
Elyon's eyes widened slightly. After a moment, he nodded.
Damian began eating with even greater enthusiasm, a smile never leaving his face.
Unfortunately, his excitement didn't last long.
His tutor, Mr. Winson, had decided to hold a lesson at eight in the morning, and it was scheduled to last three whole hours.
Damian dragged his feet after breakfast, his face twisted into a disgruntled frown.
For more than an hour, Elyon wandered aimlessly around his brother's room, despite Damian having told him he could read any book he liked.
Click!
At the sound of the door opening, Elyon sprang up from the sofa, thinking it was Damian.
But instead of red eyes, he was met by the emerald-green eyes of a woman in her mid-thirties.
Elyon's jaw relaxed as he stared at her quietly.
After exchanging glances for a few moments, she finally spoke.
"It has been decided that you will live here."
Elyon nodded.
The woman let out a small sigh before continuing.
"I haven't assigned you a room yet, so you may choose whichever one you like."
Elyon nodded again and quietly followed the Archduchess out of the room.
As they walked along the third-floor corridor, the Archduchess spoke without taking her eyes off the path ahead.
"The rooms on the third floor are rather small and ordinary, with the exception of Damian's room, mine, and the Archduke's private chambers. There are a few decent rooms, but even those are barely suitable. What do you think about moving to the second floor instead?"
Elyon glanced at the Archduchess, then at the doors lining the third-floor corridor.
He remained silent for a few seconds before pointing towards a room closest to Damian's.
"May I have this room?"
The Archduchess turned to face him completely. She looked at the door, then back at the child.
"But that room is meant for a personal attendant..."
"I want to stay near my brother."
The Archduchess sighed and opened the door, perhaps hoping that seeing the room's size would change the child's mind.
It was less than a quarter the size of Elyon's former room in the tower. It had only one small window and a private bathroom.
The Archduchess glanced at Elyon. His gaze remained fixed on the room, his expression utterly unreadable.
"Let's choose another room."
"No. This one is fine... It's close to my brother's room."
The Archduchess opened her mouth to say something, but stopped before a single word could escape. In the end, she simply nodded.
"Very well. I'll have the servants prepare it."
"Thank you."
The Archduchess took a deep breath and left the room.
Elyon followed her, returning to his brother's room to wait for him...
---
"The young master certainly seems happy."
"I've finally done something I've wanted to do for a very long time."
"I'm happy for you."
The middle-aged tutor was about to resume the lesson, but Damian looked at him with pleading puppy eyes.
"Mr. Winson, would it be possible to finish the lesson early?"
"I understand that the young master's health—"
"It's not because of my health."
Damian interrupted him politely.
He hesitated for a moment before explaining:
"I want to spend more time with my little brother so he can get used to living in the main palace."
Winson smiled warmly and nodded.
Then he leaned closer and whispered:
"But keep it a secret."
"I promise, sir."
Damian quickly bowed to his tutor before hurrying towards the door.
He made his way to the third floor. When he saw that there were no servants around, he lightly leaped from the middle of the first-floor staircase to the top of the third-floor stairs.
Using magic was fun, and he wanted to show his little brother a few amusing tricks...
When he reached the corridor leading to his room, he spotted several servants carrying pieces of furniture and cleaning supplies. They were going in and out of the room next to his.
"What's going on here?"
The servants bowed as soon as they heard his voice.
One of them stepped forward hesitantly.
"We're preparing a room for the second young master."
Damian had forgotten that his little brother would need a separate room. However, he couldn't recall there being any decent rooms nearby.
He stepped inside and was shocked by how far the room fell short of anything he would consider suitable.
He could practically feel steam rising from his head as he stormed back out.
Before he could take more than two steps, he found his mother standing before him.
His brows knitted together, and the words he wanted to say seemed to catch in his throat.
But the Archduchess looked at him calmly and spoke before he could utter a word.
"He chose the room himself."
"But..."
"Ask him why. Didn't you say you understood him better than anyone else?"
Damian's expression softened. He let out a sigh.
"All right..."
He left his mother standing there, watching his retreating back in confusion, and hurried into his room.
Elyon was reading one of his books when Damian entered. He had heard the door open, however, and immediately smiled at his brother, setting the book aside.
Damian exhaled and locked the door.
When Elyon narrowed his eyes slightly, Damian laughed and raised a finger to his lips.
"Shhh. We're sneaking out."
Elyon watched, almost spellbound, as Damian approached one of the paintings hanging on the wall. It looked perfectly ordinary at first glance, but Damian rotated its frame, revealing a narrow opening that resembled a doorway.
He winked at Elyon and beckoned him over.
"Take the sweets and put them in that box. There's a bottle of water in the drawer, too. Hurry!"
Elyon quickly did as he was told while Damian carefully pulled at the hidden door, trying to keep it from making a sound.
Just as Elyon approached, Damian finally managed to open it.
A distinct creaking sound escaped from the hinges.
Damian frowned briefly, then returned to his mischievous smile.
"Come on..."
The two boys rushed through the doorway. It closed behind them, revealing a descending staircase.
"Hold on to me. You might fall."
The stairs were illuminated by faint magical stones, their dim glow just bright enough to reveal the path ahead.
As the staircase gradually became less steep, Damian spoke.
"There are several secret routes leading outside. This is one of them."
"Outside?"
Damian's lips curled into a mischievous grin.
"Yes, outside the palace. This passage actually has two exits. One leads outside the building, and the other takes you beyond the palace walls..."
"..."
The astonishment was plain on Elyon's face, from his wide eyes to his slightly parted lips.
Seeing his reaction only made Damian more eager to continue.
"I'll show you every hidden entrance and secret passage in the duchy!"
"How do you know about them?!"
"Let's just say I stole my father's secret map..."
"...?"
Elyon tilted his head at a sharp angle.
Damian's eyes widened slightly. He raised his eyebrows, gritted his teeth, and smacked his forehead.
He had just realized how wrong that sounded.
"Umm... Listen, stealing is wrong. We shouldn't take things that belong to other people..."
"All right..."
Elyon nodded, while Damian shrank back a little.
They continued in silence for nearly fifteen minutes until the passage finally began to approach its end.
Another staircase appeared, this time leading upwards.
Damian held out his hand to his brother.
"Come on."
Elyon grasped his outstretched hand tightly.
The stairs were steeper than before, though much shorter.
At last, they reached what appeared to be a dead end.
Elyon turned towards Damian, who began tracing a few marks across the door.
A few seconds later, it opened.
Instead of another luxurious room, a cluster of enormous trees appeared before them.
When Elyon turned to look back at the entrance, he was astonished to discover that the door had been hidden inside a gigantic, ancient oak tree.
He looked at Damian, who smiled and gently patted his head.
"These are some of De Walter's special magical tricks. I'll teach you every single one of them."
Elyon nodded, a smile spreading across his face.
Damian felt his chest swell with pride.
He took a breath and crouched until he was at eye level with his little brother.
"I'll make you the Lord of De Walter."
Elyon fell silent for a moment before looking at him.
"But you're the heir..."
"I don't want it. I'm not suited for that much responsibility."
"But..."
"I know it's selfish of me to place my own responsibilities on your shoulders, but I know my little brother is better suited for them than I am."
"Umm, I don't know... But I'll never let my big brother down."
Damian breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, eager to change the subject, he spoke excitedly:
"Come on! I'll show you my special place."
Elyon nodded as Damian turned his back to him.
When it became clear that Elyon wasn't climbing onto his back, Damian glanced over his shoulder.
"Your feet are still sore. I'm perfectly fine, and this isn't the first time I've done this."
"Brother..."
"Climb on."
It was the firmness in Damian's voice that finally made Elyon wrap his arms around his brother's neck and climb onto his back.
After walking for about ten minutes, Damian took a small breath and spoke quietly.
"What I suffer from is a problem with my magic and the way my body is formed. That's why I get sick. It's nothing serious... So don't worry."
Elyon tightened his embrace around his brother.
"I don't want you to suffer..."
Damian's eyes softened, and a faint sideways smile appeared on his lips. He kept his voice gentle, though it trembled slightly.
"It hurts when my little brother refuses to listen to me..."
Elyon shook his head.
"I promise I'll never disobey you again."
Damian paused for a moment before asking quietly:
"Do you know what a promise means?"
"I do. It means I'll keep it until the very end."
Damian laughed and resumed walking, his voice bright with renewed energy.
"Look at how quickly my little brother is growing up... I trust you."
Warmth spread through Elyon's heart as he hugged his brother.
Damian could easily feel just how happy the little boy was.
They crossed the forest, then continued across an open stretch of land, walking for another twenty minutes or so.
The sunlight was warm, and the summer breeze gently brushed against their cheeks and tousled their hair.
"Brother, when will we get there?"
"Another ten minutes."
"Hmm..."
"I usually ride my pony, but I hadn't planned on coming here today."
Elyon rested his head against his brother's shoulder.
"You're tired..."
"No. Aside from being sick, I'm actually very strong."
Damian's tone was perfectly sincere, making Elyon sigh.
Damian laughed.
At last, they began climbing a small hill. After several minutes, they reached a tall fence surrounded by numerous warning signs.
DANGER. KEEP OUT.
Other warning symbols were scattered across the fence as well.
Damian lowered his brother from his back, while Elyon looked at him with narrowed eyes.
"Brother..."
"I put all of these up myself. Heh."
Damian grinned, showing his teeth.
Elyon relaxed, and the two of them passed through a narrow entrance, one so small that they had to crawl through it.
Once they were standing upright again, they were greeted by a breathtaking sight.
White flowers stretched across almost the entire field, covering the hill like a blanket of snow.
It was a beautiful sight, one that could capture anyone's heart.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Damian shrugged and smiled as he looked at his brother.
Elyon nodded, his eyes never leaving the hill.
"I heard this place used to be a princess's palace..."
Elyon turned towards his brother, who led him to a spot where several rocks lay scattered across the ground. Damian sat down on one of them and gestured for Elyon to join him.
"A princess's palace?"
"Look at those ruins over there..."
Elyon turned and noticed the remains of what appeared to have once been a palace. They were hardly noticeable until Damian pointed them out.
"Was it destroyed?"
"Perhaps. The story dates back a thousand years... I heard it has something to do with the history of De Walter."
Elyon's eyes were fixed on his brother, filled with fascination.
Damian smiled, knowing just how curious his little brother could be.
"They say a beautiful princess once captured the heart of a monster..."
... To Be Continued ...