Chapter 1: Trash of the Count's Family
"I lived a life of luxury as the eldest son of the count. By the natural order of life, I became the heir, and I was closer to my father's heart than my younger siblings were, to the point that they would put my interests ahead of their own."
"Because of this pampering, I grew up wasting money on buying anything that crossed my mind, and I spent my nights in taverns and beside street women."
"I executed anyone who spoke about me and burned their houses down with the help of the gang I had secretly founded, and I held parties in taverns without my father objecting to my actions."
"So I became known in the village and the neighboring villages as the trash of the count's family. As I continued my behavior, my siblings disowned me and asked my parents to find a solution to stop me from wasting money and playing around at night."
"I did not expect any move from my parents against me. I went out to the tavern, held a huge party, and spent more than I ever had before. I fed everyone and bought them liquor and wine with my parents' money."
"When I returned to the mansion at dawn that day, the guards stopped me from entering. I shouted at them and threatened to execute them, but they did not move a single inch. I threw money at them, and they still did not move a single inch."
"I shouted at the top of my lungs, calling for my father. My father stood behind the gate and did not order the guards to open it for me. Instead, he ordered them to expel me beyond the village limits and into the forest, and he said to me words I will never forget: 'You are no longer my son. Leave, or I will order the guards to kill you here and now.'"
"I do not know how he learned about the gang I had founded, but I assume he sent a servant after me."
"I went out into the forest with the guards behind me. They took all the money I had and gave me only one sword to defend myself in the forest against monsters and wild beasts, in addition to some permanent scars on my face."
"After nearly a week of crying where I was, and because of hunger, I decided to head to the opposite side of the forest. I killed small animals to eat as food, and I fled from predatory beasts and monsters. Because I was so weak, I did not even try to face them."
"And on one occasion, while I was fleeing from a ravenous lion, two brothers saved me from death. I became friends with them, and they introduced me to their older sister, who was two years younger than me and was 24 years old."
"After a year had passed since what happened to me, I decided to propose to her. She accepted me, and we became an official married couple."
"Years later, her father died of illness. As the eldest daughter, she inherited her father's shop, a small store selling food and drinks."
"I worked in the shop and let my wife rest at home. The years passed, and my wife gave birth to my eldest son, Terras. In later years, my wife gave birth to three more children, exactly the same number as my siblings."
"While I was carrying my youngest daughter, Christie, I remembered my siblings, and I remembered my father's last words to me."
"Sorrow struck me as I imagined how they must have felt about me, their rebellious son. I became afraid that Terras would grow up and become rebellious like me."
"I found myself afraid of the unknown future. I decided to take up a pen and write the story of my life, so that it could become a story my son would read and learn a good lesson from."
"I helped those in need and took part in rescue operations for villages struck by disasters. I spent my money on the poor. Everyone in the village came to speak well of me, and the village count became my dearest friend in my heart. Yet in my heart, a feeling of guilt still flowed. I still hear the screams of those I burned alive in my heart. I still hear the screams of that woman whose little child I burned before her eyes."
"It took me two years to write my book, which I named 'Trash of the Count's Family.'"
"Before I went to the library to publish the book, I said goodbye to my wife and my new family, fearing that they would hate me after learning about my actions."
"On that day, in the morning, I went to the library and gave them my book. They told me to wait three days for someone to read the book and verify its authenticity. I told them to publish it immediately if they liked it."
"I still remember the last thing I wrote at the end of my book. I wrote my ending as being executed in the capital before all those who hated me."
"I went into the forest and hid until the three days ended, but I remained hidden in the forest until two weeks had passed after those three days."
"My guilt grew stronger as I went to the library, and I did not mind being sent to prison."
"I entered the library and found the village count in front of me, with the police beside him."
"I surrendered to reality and went to the count with my hands out in front of me, ready for a public execution after my imprisonment."
"I saw the count running toward me while crying, saying, 'You fool.'"
"My book became famous across the country and became the best-selling book in the world in just two weeks after its publication."
"People from the higher ranks of the government demanded my execution, while others demanded that I be saved, until the king decided to read the book and put an end to the argument over my fate."
"The king decided that I was a repentant man and deserved a new life, and that surrendering myself was proof of my sincerity."
"I was released from prison by order of the king and returned to the embrace of my family."
"Nearly half a year after my release, a letter came to me bearing only a few words, with no sender's address written on it."
"I made sure my wife was safe with her brothers and hurried to my father the count's castle. As I approached the village, I found it burning in flames, with sounds of crying everywhere, and curses spreading through the air."
"I entered the castle and found bodies scattered everywhere. The bodies of my siblings, the bodies of the woman who had raised me when I was little, and the body of my father holding my mother's body beside him."
"When I approached my father's body, a letter flew into the sky. I caught it and opened it to read it, while my emotions were killing me."
"'I am sorry. I loved you. I wished you had never done what you did. I was always watching you. I would not have let you reach this state. I expelled you and secretly sent two guards to follow you for your protection. When you married Relana, I was already present at the wedding, watching you. You can return to the castle. Your siblings took this matter to me. Stephen was the first person to ask for your return, even though he would lose the inheritance if you came back. We all wish to see you again in your true home.'"
"I cried where I stood while I heard the sounds of curses from the survivors. I could hear the voices coming closer and closer to me: 'Damn you, Medis.'"
"The survivors were cursing me. I did not know why, and I kept crying on the ground beside my parents' bodies."
"I heard footsteps approaching me. The sounds came toward me and then moved away."
"Until I was the only one left in the place. The ones who approached me were the people who cursed me. After they found me in this state, they left me out of pity."
"I left the village after gathering my composure and returned to my family in the other village. When I arrived, I found the village destroyed and burned by fire. I hurried home."
"I smelled the scent of blood in the village as I ran. I passed by the count's house and saw his little son crying alone in the middle of the flames."
"I stopped running to my own home and went to embrace my friend's son. I carried him on my shoulder and left the castle for my home."
"I opened the door of the house while the count's son was on my shoulder, and I found my wife and all my children dead..."
Silence filled the tavern, and all the patrons fell quiet, waiting for Lumin to continue speaking, until the innkeeper Trebin laughed. "Hahaha, yesterday you were collecting corpses, and now you're the family trash who lost everything after improving his personality?"
Clack. Barsni slammed the table of Lansot Inn with all his strength, the wine glass still in his hand, and shouted, "Let us drink to Lumin, the trash of the family!"
The inn's patrons laughed at Lumin. Lumin ignored their laughter, turned his gaze toward Barsni, and a sinister smile appeared on his face.
Lumin stood up and walked toward Barsni on the other side of Lansot Inn. He approached his face, and their eyes met.
The two stared at each other for more than a minute and a half until Barsni closed his eyes.
The patrons laughed at Barsni for losing, while Lumin picked up Barsni's wine glass and shouted, "Let us drink to Barsni the loser!"
The patrons laughed and the noise rose in the inn. Lumin noticed that two people were watching him near the stairs leading to the rental rooms. They were seated at a round wooden table. Lumin formed an impression of them: the first was a well-built man with broad shoulders, with a handsome face that did not match his appearance, and black-gray hair combed back and falling to his neck, with no facial hair.
In front of him was a beautiful-faced girl with a sculpted body and a slim waist. She had red hair tied in a fishtail style, falling down her back. The girl had a small beauty mark under her eye, which made her even more beautiful.
Lumin approached them and asked, "Did you like the story?"
The man, whose name was Don, replied to Lumin's question, "You have the potential to become a writer."
Lumin smiled and shouted to the innkeeper Trebin, "Trebin, bring three cups of grape wine."
Trebin replied, "It will reach you in moments," while sighing to himself, 'New victims.'
Lumin took a gray-covered book from under his vest. Written on the book in the Foden language was: Trash of the Count's Family.
He extended the book to Don and said, "I wrote a book about Trash of the Count's Family and published it six months ago in the Force Library."
Don extended his hand and asked, "May I look through it?"
Lumin handed the book to Don and waited for him to browse it. He turned his attention to the girl and asked, "Madam, may I ask your name?"
The girl looked at Lumin and glanced at him, before Don intervened and said, "My apologies, Sir Lumin. Her throat hurts today, so she cannot speak."
He sighed before continuing, "My name is Don, and this is Jinka."
Lumin wiped his forehead with his hand, then lifted his index finger toward the sky and said, "May the moon heal her."
Don wiped his forehead and raised his index finger toward the sky, saying, "May the moon heal her."
Jinka wiped her forehead and raised her index finger toward the sky without speaking.
"So, what do you have in the village?" The two had heard Lumin's name from Barsni earlier, so he asked first instead of introducing himself to them.
Don spoke and replied to Lumin, "We were on our way to the Lancot Empire. We decided to wait here because of Jinka's sore throat. She might fall ill if we continue traveling there."
Lumin looked at Jinka, nodded, and said, "All right, I understand the reason completely now. What do you think about letting me show you the best places in the village?"
Don looked at Jinka and remained silent for a few seconds before looking at Lumin and saying, "Thank you, but we do not need that right now. We will stay here for a night or a few nights until she recovers, and then continue on our way immediately. What do you think about doing that after we return?"
The tavern innkeeper Trebin came to the table, holding the handles of two cups of grape wine in his right hand and the handle of one full cup of grape wine in his other hand.
He placed a cup in front of each of them and turned his gaze to Lumin. Lumin smiled and winked at the innkeeper Trebin.
Trebin nodded and walked away from the table. Lumin watched him leave until he heard Don ask, "Do you intend to sell this writing of yours?"
Lumin adjusted his seat and took a sip of the wine before saying excitedly, "Well, I will wait for your return. Normally I would sell it for no less than five silver philas, but I can sell it for three silver philas for your sake."
Don fell silent, took three silver philas from his wallet, and gave them to Lumin. Lumin took the book and placed it on the table near his hand.
The yellow-haired Barsni shouted, "Lumin, you trash, come here!"
Lumin looked at Don and then at Jinka before saying, "Excuse me. It seems someone wants to be beaten."
Lumin took the wine cup from the table and went to Barsni.
Don and Jinka enjoyed their cups of wine. After finishing their drinks, Don looked at Jinka and said, "Did you notice that?"
Jinka spoke in a low voice and said, "His soul is red. Something has happened to him."
Don sighed and said, "Shall we return tomorrow?"
Jinka nodded. Don noticed that her gaze had shifted to someone behind him. He turned his head and noticed the tavern innkeeper Trebin.
Trebin approached Don and said, "Sir, we will close the tavern soon. Would you prefer to pay for the wine now, or shall I put it on the room number?"
Don was shocked by what the innkeeper said and turned his head, searching for Lumin, but failed to find him.
...
Lumin took a small key from his trouser pocket and opened the house door. A creaking sound echoed through the house, and Lumin entered. He went to the open kitchen overlooking the living room and took a piece of meat from the upper shelf of the kitchen.
He held the piece of meat and went to the guest room beside the door. In the room, he found nothing but red sofas and a rectangular wooden table in the middle.
He left the guest room and went to the stairs after passing through the empty living room and his parents' closed room. He went up from the ground floor to the first floor, ignored his own room, and went to his sister Raheel's room.
He knocked on the door and waited a few seconds before entering. A creaking sound was heard, and Lumin entered the room.
He found a huge white female dog lying in a small dog house in the room. He approached the dog, placed the piece of meat on the floor, and rubbed the dog's neck, which made her wake up.
Lumin hugged the dog after she woke up and said, "Raheel, forgive me. I went out and forgot to put the meat for you."