Chapter 4: she is my mom?
Silence reigned in the great hall as the guests departed.
My mother had her eyes fixed on me; I could feel it, but I did not return her gaze. I reached for a high quality dessert on the table. Usually, I would not have the chance to eat such quality foods; my family often excluded me, claiming I did not deserve to share the same table as them.
Isolde leaned back in her chair with her icy gaze fixed on me.
After a while, she spoke.
"You did a better job than I expected. Actually, I expected you to be tongue tied or give a foolish answer, but you proved yourself at least somewhat worthy of bearing the Crossfield name."
"Thank you for your kind words, Mother."
Isolde rose gracefully from her chair and pointed at me.
"Be at the training hall this evening. Even if you can do nothing else, you will at least learn to stand properly."
Without disturbing my comfort, I raised a single hand and showed my bruised fingers.
"I would love to come, Mother, but my fingers are broken."
Isolde cut her stride short, her cold demeanor shaken slightly.
She turned to me, frowning.
It was the first time he dared to answer her directly.
"Who did this?" she asked, her voice now more determined.
"Are you seriously going to pretend you do not know?" I tried to keep my tone as calm as possible.
"Brother Eirak," I replied, locking my gaze with hers. "You know they often bully me."
Isolde's expression hardened, but not in the way I had hoped.
"That boy..." she murmured, then straightened up.
"Stay away from him. Do not provoke him or disturb him from now on," Mother said.
I clenched my fists, or at least tried to; the pain in my broken fingers cleared my mind.
"I did not disturb him," I said. "He barged into my room yesterday and broke my fingers. Just for fun."
Isolde narrowed her eyes but waved her hand dismissively.
"I will tell him not to do it again. That is the best I can do."
Her words echoed in the silence, every syllable fueling the fire in my chest.
"Is that all?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
Mother did not answer; her cold indifference cut deeper than any insult.
She turned and left the room, leaving me there, bloodied with anger and frustration.
'What was I expecting?' I thought.
Would she really care?
Would she stand up for me even once?
How foolish of me.
The pain in my fingers was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.
No one will save me.
If I want something to change, I must do it myself!
A small spark flashed in the depths of my mind, a soft whisper of defiance.
Do you all think me weak?
Fragile?
A disgrace?
Then I will show you.
I will show you all what a useless member of the family can do.
After the conversation with my mother, I walked down the corridor and returned to my room.
I moved to my bed and lay on my back, staring at the ceiling. My weak body still ached, but my mind was elsewhere.
'Fianna...' I thought.
That child truly harbors feelings for Felix right now, but I know her feelings will pass one day. When she meets the real main character of the game, she will abandon me.
'Now I understand. In the novel, she always seemed so gloomy, so distant. It was not just about her personality; it was because of Felix's death after he was drawn down the path of evil.'
My crimson eyes narrowed as I recalled the details of the story.
"She hated the Crossfield family, hated this place. She blamed his family for Felix ending up this way."
"But that changes nothing; she was just as guilty of my death as my family. Instead of standing by my side, she chose to fall in love with the main character."