"Mom! I drew a picture of you and Dad! See this? This is you, and this is dad in the middle, it's me."
A beautiful young woman wearing an apron while doing house chores cleans her hands, and takes that picture in her hands. Min-jun hadn't seen her face in years; her beautiful face had a mole under her eyes min Min-jun missed that face for a long time.
"Really?", she bends and picks up the picture from that child drawn with crayons and pens in hand, and smiles. "Oh my goodness! Our Min-jun is so talented, isn't he, honey?"
A young man dressed in moderate clothes came to the conversation. His face was beautiful, and a glass spectacles was on his face. He adjusted it and laughed at the drawing and ruffled that boy's hair. "Yeah, honey. He is very talented. Just like you," he kissed that woman on her forehead.
Min Jun missed this long time the face of his father and mother.
"I'm going to get ready fast!" he shouted. "I promised Lee that I won't be late for his birthday party!"
"Okay, hurry up, be fast, okay, we should bye a present for him too!" His mom told the boy who was running fast to go upstairs.
Young Min-jun rushed to change his clothes. He put on his favorite jacket and pants and ran downwards to the living room, "Mom, Dad, I am ready!"
But no one answered, thinking they were already inside the car. Min Jun rushed towards the car, but it was empty.
The young boy walked back inside the house. "Dad? Mom? Where are you hiding?"His innocent laughs changed to confusion and fear.
The room was empty, he searched the kitchen, and it was empty too. The stove was on flame, and no one was there, an empty house only person was the child. His eyes teared up, and he was scared. He started to cry, drops of tears fell from his eyes.
"Moooom!" he screamed. "Daaaad!Where are you? Min Jun is cared for.
He ran through every room weeping and crying, but no one answered,
He ran outside the house and screamed with all his might.
"MOOOOOOOOOOM..."
Darian snapped and awoke from his dream; his heart was beating faster, his body was sweaty, and he gasped for his breath.
The place he woke up wasn't his home world; it was the world inside the novel inside the room of the Blayland duchy's castle.
Darian places his hands on his face, burying his eyes. His breathing became normal, his heartbeat slowed, but the pain caused by the dream lingered.
"Oh, I see," speaks with a disappointed, sad tone. "It was all a dream, huh?"
He grinned with sadness. Min Jun's parents died in an accident when he was young. After that, his teenage years were spent in isolation himself with the only pleasure he had being reading novels, which was like some sort of escape fantasy.
He looked at his hands, Darian's hands, which were covered with bruises and wounds because of his brawl with Floriane.
Right, I am here now, he murmured. This is his new reality now, the past is long gone, right now he darian not min jun, and he must survive this world. There is no turning back.
KNOCK ....KNOCK.....
" Your Highness?" a familiar timid voice heard from outside the room." It's me, Reina. Can I have permission to enter?.
Darain took a deep breath and reverted to his normal persona, so she wouldn't have to see his vulnerable side. "Sure, come inside."
The door opened slowly, and the maid stepped inside, her hands carrying a baisen and a towel. Darian thought to himself, it must have been Reina taking care of me while I was unconscious.
She put the basin on the table and looked at Darian, who looked sweaty. Are you okay, your highness? Is something bothering you? Her eyes were fixed with genuine concern.to brush off her concern, Darian lied," No, I am fine. Well, my vital organs are fine, so there is no problem; it will take more than some bruises to kill me. Reina didn't smile at the joke; she dipped the cloth into the water. Cleaning the sweat on your face
Just as she was finishing, another knock sounded at the door.
"Who might this be?" This time, Darian muttered in annoyance. "Please, enter."
The door opened, and it was the duke. He stepped inside. He was in simple casual attire. He looked at Darian, who was fully covered in clothes, covering his bruises.
"I see you are breathing fine, huh?" the duke stated flatly.
Darian raised his eyebrow. What's the point? Did you come to check whether I am alive or to finish the job?"
"Still vile as ever," he sighs and takes a vial from his pocket, "here, drink it".
Darian looks at the vial with coloured liquid. "What is that poison?"
Duke speaks, "Do you think I need poison to put you in eternal sleep?"
I guess so, then what is that?
It's a high-grade healing portion. It cost me a fortune, I can't just leave my friends, son, even though he is rotten to the core, crippled, even though his actions disgraced my child.
"Huh, see, " Darian grunted. "Anyway, where is she?"
"She is training," the duke replied.
"I see I was expecting the same answer".
Darian picked up the vial and looked at it closely. "Any way thanks for the gift, Duke. I will use it if I need it so bad".
"Do whatever you seem to like," he left the room with a faint smile.
Darian opened the corked vial and smelled oh god, it smells awful. I wonder how this tastes. He chugged the entire vile in one go.
"Ugghh!.... Shit, that tasted worse than entire hits of cheap booze."
"Are you okay, Highness?" Reina asked, seeing your reaction.
Darian can feel his pain from wounds and bodyache, fatigue, and getting lower. "Duke's gift seems to work better than I thought. I can feel my energy coming back a little ".
Hearing your words, Riena replies, with a smile, "I see. Good for you, then my lord."
*Hours passed, the sun shifted from bright to orange afternoon had arrived. Darian was relaxing in his bed and then*
KNOCK.... KNOCK...
"Come in," Darain responds to the knocking.
The door opened, and the young knight Edgar Warden enters the room.
"Oh, why are you here?" Darian asked the young, rigid knight, "Is it an inspection to see whether I'm throwing a tantrum or not?"
"No! not that, your highness," he closed the door and came closer towards the bed.
"Halt, state your ordeal," Darian ordered before he takes another step.
He stopped there, and he kneeled without any hesitation. He speaks with determination, "Your Highness, I want to be your personal knight".
Darian blinked at him for a second and opens his mouth in confusion. " Personal knight?mine?" A silence followed after that question.
Darian started to laugh for a minute. "Are you not getting paid enough here?" He asked the knight while wiping his tears from his face.
"Or are you having ambition for more titles? Nobility? Or an honorary position in the capital ?"
His laugh turned to cynical mocking, "Then you choose the wrong noble sir, my reputation is worse in nobility, and my authority is non-existent if you want to swear loyalty to a royal. I have 3 more siblings who have better reputations than me. Following me is worse than jumping from a cliff."
"That is not it, Your Highness." his eyes didn't flinch. He was confident and knew the weight of his words, which made Darian more angry. "Don't fucking give me the crap, " Darian snapped with anger.
"No, highness, it's my sincere, genuine opinion."
Darian looked at his face closely. He didn't know whether he was a spy of nobles or what he said was true, or not he could even trust this person; was he an assassin or a mole? Questions filled Darian's mind, thinking again, Darian has no one to protect him, and he does need serious manpower now and for the future. I want to gamble that if he truly wants this, it might not be a bad bet. A knight trained by the Blayland duchy may be worth ten times palace knights.
Darian opened his mouth with a relieved sigh, ".....Damn. You must be mentally insane, bastered ."
"Fine, submit the resignation letter to the duke if you want, and don't expect anything more. Even if it's a low payment doesn't ask for more."
Edger's face relaxed, and a little smile spread across his face. He bowed his head with courtesy.
"As you wish, Your Highness."