Chapter 4

author’s note:1

A serious chapter. There’s a bit of depiction of violence(child abuse). Cautions for vulnerable readers.

Bam!!

“Waa”

At the moment, my body crashed against the wall from the recoil of the punch I received.

When I returned home, I was called to the study only to get this treatment. Maybe my head hit hard, I felt fuzzy. I can’t stand still, so just like that, I sank down to the floor.

“Fania-sama!”

The butler, Zile2 , rushed towards me.

“Don’t protect him!”

Glaring at me with a domineering attitude was the master of the household, Duke Arginia, my father.

“You bastard, do you know what you’ve done? You caused His Highness Prince Alfred to be injured, I can’t believe you!” He continued to glare at me, still boiling in anger; as if he could punch me two or three more times.

”

”

To think that the information had reached him even before I returned home, was so incredible. Did he plant some spies in the inner palace?

“It’s not like I was the one that hurt Alfred-sama. It was an accident.”

While borrowing Zile’s hand, I somehow managed to stand.

My left cheek that was punched feels hot. The pain was tingling. The taste of iron spreads through my mouth.

“I don’t mean that! But it did happen because of you, how should I apologize to His Majesty? You are such a disgrace to the House of Arginia3.”

Father threw a crystal paperweight that was on the work desk. It seems that he didn’t intend to hit me with that, thus the paperweight smashed the display shelf from a distance from me, and made an ear piercing sound. Well, if that solid paperweight did hit me, I would’ve not been alive by now.

“The royal palace kindly invited you, and what a mess you’ve caused! Do you want me to lose face?”

“Alfred-sama fell when he wanted to climb the tree. I didn’t even touch him. I was not even close to him.”

“What a talker! Hold your tongue. How dare you to talk back at me. Can’t you do as you’re told? So worthless!”

Father had no intention to listen to me in the first place. He just wanted to vent his anger.

“……..Oh, just do what I’m told, huh? Don’t make me laugh.”

I spat out the saliva accumulated in my mouth. It made a red puddle of blood on the carpet by my feet. This squashy carpet was certainly an expensive luxury item, but who cares.

“I don’t ever remember you telling me anything, or even talk to me at all!

So let me ask you. What exactly did you tell me? Let me hear the words that you said you told me, will you?”

Looking at me shouting, my father and Zile were stupefied. They would’ve never thought in their whole life that I would ever retort this way.

That’s natural. The ‘Fania’ until now would only look down and let out tears while shuddering. He would hold his breath and remained still to wait until his father finished his rants and raves till he was satisfied.

The little Fania could not even say anything in his defence. In that situation, there was no way that he could. The reason he became so shy and withdrawn was exactly because of this shitty father who had always yelled and pressed down his head.

My left cheek was tingling and it burned; I think it had swollen now and it was hard to talk. No matter if it was swollen or painful, it doesn’t matter anymore. This revolting wrath inside me was blowing up, and was about to spew out.

“You’ve never ever told me anything. Not even an instruction, nor any advice, nothing, none, nada!

You’ve only yelled at me. And just rant and rave non-stop. There’s nothing that you actually have done for me!

Then, what do you expect me to do? You told me nothing at all, so how can you expect me to understand even a single thing that you want!”

“You’re noisy, shut up! Yapping and talking big.”

My father walked a step forward. The distance between my father and I became closer. He might’ve thought of hitting me right then and there, his hand clenched into a fist.

“Just what do you want to do? You want me to fawn upon the prince? Or you want me to whisper to the prince that Duke Arginia is such a great man?

Are you that important? You even use your son as a pawn in order to ingratiate yourself to the royal family, is that it?”

“You bastard! When I let you talk…”

He grabbed me by the collar, and swung his fist towards me.

I’m going to get hit…

“Please, please stop…!”

Zile moved from where he was and he jumped in between my father and I, helping to separate me from my father.

“Get away, Zile. Are you saying you are defending this trash? Know your position.”

“Master, please restrain yourself. There’s a message calling Fania to come to the royal palace tomorrow. At this rate, Fania cannot possibly go to the royal palace.

Please, please consider it, Master.”

Even when he’s angry, when he heard the word royal palace, my father slowly calmed down.

“You hear me, Zile. Don’t stand up for people who are not worth it. Really, he has grown up to be so useless. If only he wasn’t called to the palace, I’d have pinned him down and re-educated him entirely.”

Father took a glance at me provokingly, and left the room.

All my strength had left me. My legs unknowingly swayed.

“Fania-sama, are you alright? Ah, it has become swollen so bad. I’ll call the doctor right away.”

Zile supported me as I staggered.

In the BL game, there was no account about the relationship between ‘Fania’ and the servants in the mansion. Nothing about whether there was anyone who cherished him, or anyone close to him. Or even if he was hated by anyone. After he was convicted, he was immediately sent to the labour camp, so he never returned to the mansion. It was unknown what was the reaction of the servants in the house.

The current me is too young, so I don’t understand the nature of the servants yet.

“Zile, thank you.”

Before, Zile used his own body to protect me from my enraged father, so I believe he holds ‘Fania’ dear. Inside my heart, I felt warm.

“Zile, I’m so happy that you protected me. But, that scumbag father of mine. I don’t know what he’ll do. Your position might become worse because of me. I don’t want that. So Zile, it’s better not to be involved with me.”

I don’t want someone who actually is fond of me to be put in a difficult position. Much more I dread it if it’s because of me.

“Fania-sama……”

Zile opens his eyes wide at what I said. And then he delightfully smiled.

“Fania-sama. Fania-sama is still young. A young child. A child does not have to think about such things. Come on, we should get your wound treated. Let’s go to your room.”

Zile said that to me as he bought me out of the study.

The servants who saw me walking to my room with a swollen cheek, one by one worriedly called out to me.

So ‘Fania’ doesn’t seem to be hated by the servants. Everyone’s warm attitude overwhelmed me with happiness.

I discovered that I do have a place, I do belong in this mansion.