“Young master? Where are you?”

The sun was setting on the day, lighting up the vast halls. Light artifacts flickered to life along the pillars supporting the roof above. There was a sense of stillness within the place, as the maid wandered the long hallways leading to various different rooms, searching for the young master.

The mistress had recently ordered some new flowers from the Onician Dynasty which she planted in pots around the corridor. The maid sighed tiredly. She would have given anything just to sit down and relax, taking in their sweet scent permeating through the air.

But service was never over in the palace.

The maid found the young prince to be quite odd, compared to his sisters.

They carried the same royal blood in their veins, golden blonde hair, and stunning looks, but somehow, the maid thought their eyes were different.

The young mistress was alluring, almost sensual in a way that made her heart flutter while the young miss was simply adorable. However, the prince’s languid eyes were dull.

A new game, a fascinating toy, a heated discussion.

Nothing seemed to interest him.

Of course, any Vylian in the empire would be well respected. No one would dare insult the children of one of if not the richest families on Javik, but rumours were rumours.

“Did that brat disappear again?”

Of course, she would.

The young master’s personal aide.

Her snow white hair fluttered behind her as she approached the maid, making her blush deeply.

Penelope, a child the branch family has sent as a servant to the palace.

She was two years younger than the prince, being four years old when she first entered service. Perhaps, she was the only one who had ever caught the prince’s interest, who demanded his parents make her his aide right when they met.

The maid couldn’t blame him though.

Snow white hair that fell to her shoulders, delicate nose, clear blue eyes, and graceful poise.

She was impeccable, except for her speech.

“I swear I’ll beat up that little shit when I find him.”

They could never quite fix her habit of swearing, despite the months she had spent in service.

“I’m sure he’s just hiding again so he won’t have to go to his lessons.” The maid replied with a smile.

“Whatever, I’ll look for him. Go back to your duties, Polly.”

“As you wish,” she replied with a bow before leaving.

Dinner would be served in an hours and there was a lot to prepare.

…

‘Where is that brat?’

Penny wondered as she carefully combed through each room in the palace.

‘He’s not in the garden or in the music room.’

‘Is he in his room?’

‘Damn it, people are as annoying as ever, either in this world or on Earth.’

‘I’m starting to regret making that contract with that stupid fairy now.’

She quickly ran to the young master’s room, not far from where Polly was, and knocked on the door.

“Oi, Alex! Are you in there?”

Nothing.

No reply.

Penny was fuming now.

‘Okay, manners maketh man but I don’t give a fuck. I’m going in.’

She threw the door open with a loud slam.

“Alex! Are you here?”

“I-I told you not to call by my name,” a voice whimpered.

Penny sighed, exasperated.

“Fine. Are you here, young master?” She asked, emphasizing the title out of spite.

“Yeah, j-just don’t come into the bathroom. Please.”

“Why? Are you embarrassed to have a girl look at you naked?” She asked with a grin.

“N-NO!!!” The voice yelled unconvincingly.

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Let me see that blush.”

She ran over to the bathroom, flinging the door open and she saw red…

Blood.

Alexander Vylian’s blood, dripping down his sides, with a knife in one hand and another on a gaping wound to his stomach.

“I-I told you not to look.” He said, his voice a lot weaker than before.

Penny’s mouth dropped open with horror, “What the fuck?! What happened to you?!”

“Language, P-Penny. They’ll c-cut your pay again.”

“Why would I give a damn about my pay right now?! Hold on, I’m going to get help.” She said, turning around.

However, she had barely even gotten past the bathroom’s doorstep when Alex spoke.

“Penny, stop.”

Mana.

A mystical source of energy that existed in this world.

Penny froze. The prince’s mana erupted from his body, making him seem invincible to her. His royal aura overflowing from his figure, giving authority to his voice.

“I-I’m a bit tired, wh-why don’t you wait for me outside?” He commanded, smiling weakly as he laid on the ground.

Penny’s training kicked in as she bowed. “Of course, young master. What would you like me to tell your parents?”

“T-tell them, I-I’m sorry… I-I…”

“Breath, young master. Calm down, and tell me all about it.” She said, sitting down against the wall.

“I-I was tired, Penny. Tired of all their expectations, tired of all the responsibilities.”

“Their eyes, I can’t look at them anymore Penny. The way they look at me, as if I’m some sort of god-sent angel.”

“Every morning when I wake up, I think about all the things I have to do, to learn, to understand. All ‘for the sake of the empire’.”

“B-but what if I can’t, Penny? What if I fail?”

“Will my family end up suffering because of me? Will my people suffer because of my actions?”

“I-I’m scared. I…”

Tears had long blurred his vision, but despite his impaired sight, he could feel finger pressing against his mouth.

Soft.

“Shhh, everything is going to be alright.”

He could feel Penny softly caressing his head, ruffling his hair, as she held him closely.

“Chin up my king, your crown is falling.”

…

It was way past midnight when the door to Alex’s room opened once more. Penny awoke at the sound and bowed at the sight of the two rulers of the empire.

Emperor Isaiah Vylian along with his wife, Charisse Vylian, anxiously stepped inside the room.

“Penny, thank gods you’re here.” Charisse cried out, dropping all mannerisms and status and hugging the aide.

“Is he alright?”

“Yes, the clerics just went home. They said he lost a lot of blood and that he needs to rest.”

“Oh thank you!” She sobbed.

The emperor too looked shaken when he heard of his only son’s attempted suicide.

‘Did I put too much pressure on him? Was I too harsh on him?’

Those two questions kept swirling in his mind until a stinging slap brought him to his senses.

“Penny!”

“At ease.”

Penny was being held at knifepoint, restrained by the Emperor’s Shadow Guard. At the king’s orders, they released her before disappearing back from sight. Isaiah sighed heavily, sitting down on a nearby chair before he asked,

“Why?”

“You need a four year old to tell you that?”

“Penny!”

“It’s alright, Char.” He said to his wife.

“I want to hear it in your own words.”

Penny sighed, “You are an idiot.”

“You kept pushing him, forcing him to try his hardest, even though he showed no interest in anything he did.”

“I would never do anything that cruel to anyone!” Isaiah retorted in horror.

“Oh yeah? What about all the times you asked him about how well he was doing in his studies?”

“I was giving him attention!”

“You think you're giving him attention, but that just puts more expectations on him!”

“He was being lazy, always running away and hiding when it was time for lessons. If I didn't push him, he would not have any motivation to learn.”

"Did you ever stop to think about why he kept skipping his lessons?"

Isaiah paused, trying to come up with a reason, but he drew a blank. Although they tried to shower their children with as much love as they could, it was simply impossible for the Vylians to resemble a normal family. The amount of work both the king and queen had only a daily basis...

There was a reason why everyone respected the royal family within the empire.

“I'll tell you why, because you’re never there for him. He is trying to get your attention in whatever way he can, even if it breaks his heart to see you be disappointed in him.”

“Alex is the smartest, sweetest person I know. And if you can’t even be there for him as a father and a parent, then I will!”

Cough.

Alex started coughing uncontrollably while Penny stared, her face frozen.

“...how much did you hear?” She asked weakly.

“Pretty much all of it.”

“Emperor Vylian, could I have some time off for myself tomorrow. I would like to go into the city to buy something as a get well soon gift for the crown prince.” Penny said, her voice sickly sweet.

“...fuck.”

“Language!”