Another year passed, and Vivian had turned nine. Soon, he would step into the age of ten.

During this last year, he had been betrothed to the only princess of the Indrath Empire, Charlotte von Indrath.

Vivian did not want to get tangled with that evil princess at all.

Sadly, she never gave him a chance to refuse.

Without even trying hard, she convinced everyone, and the matter was settled just like that.

On this day, Vivian was in the training hall with his little brother Edward, who had just turned five.

The two brothers were swinging their swords through the air again and again.

Their clothes were soaked, and sweat ran down their faces, showing how hard they had been training.

The air echoed with the sound of wooden swords cutting through space.

Vivian's eyes were sharp and focused. Every swing was clean and steady.

Edward stood beside him, copying each move carefully.

His small hands trembled a little, but his eyes shone with pride and admiration as he watched his older brother.

After a while, Vivian finally stopped. He lowered his sword and took a deep breath.

"That's enough for today," he said calmly.

Edward froze for a moment, then smiled widely, breathing hard as he looked up at Vivian, clearly happy to have trained by his side.

Vivian then reached out his hand toward his brother.

Edward quickly handed him the sword he was holding.

Vivian took both swords and placed them back where they belonged, along with the other training gear.

After making sure everything was in its place, he returned.

Edward grabbed Vivian's hand, and the two brothers walked out of the training ground together.

After they exited, they headed toward the main palace, where their family should be waiting for them.

As they walked, Edward looked up at his brother and asked, "Brother, do you think you can reach the fourth star before you turn ten?"

His eyes were filled with hope and admiration.

Hearing this, Vivian rubbed his chin with his left hand and thought for a moment.

Then he said, "I only reached the third star recently, but… I think I can."

His tone was calm and relaxed.

There was not even a trace of pride or arrogance in his voice.

Edward, however, felt very differently.

His chest filled with pride and strong determination.

As he looked at his brother, a thought formed in his mind.

'My brother is really a once-in-a-generation genius… no.'

He clenched his small fist slightly.

'He is not just once in a generation. He is one of a kind.'

With that thought, Edward held Vivian's hand a little tighter as they continued walking toward the palace.

While talking, the two brothers reached the main palace in no time.

As soon as they entered, they noticed something strange.

Servants were running around in a hurry, moving from one place to another.

There was clear urgency on their faces.

Vivian found it a little weird, but he did not ask anything.

It was morning, and servants were usually busy at that time of day.

Instead of going to the main hall, where their mother should be waiting for them for breakfast, Vivian led Edward toward the stairs.

Both brothers were hungry, but their clothes were soaked with sweat.

They knew they needed to take a bath before eating, so they quietly went to the bathroom.

Inside, they washed themselves properly.

Vivian helped his little brother clean up, making sure no sweat was left behind.

After a while, they stepped out of the bathroom.

Their hair was still damp, and drops of water fell onto the floor as they walked.

"Brother, I'm hungry," Edward said, his voice soft, as Vivian dried Edward's wet hair with a towel.

"We'll eat soon. Just wait a little," Vivian replied, gently rubbing Edward's head.

After a moment, he removed the towel from Edward's head and began drying his own hair.

With slow steps, the two brothers started walking down the stairs, ready to finally have their meal.

As they neared the main hall, sounds of laughter reached their ears.

Vivian's brows knitted together slightly.

At this time of day, his mother should be alone.

His father was usually busy in the administrative office and rarely joined breakfast.

It felt strange to hear her laughing like this.

Edward, however, thought differently. His face lit up as an idea crossed his mind.

"Father!" Edward shouted happily and ran ahead with a bright smile.

Vivian did not run. He walked forward with steady steps.

Just then, the laughter stopped.

A girl's voice echoed from the hall. "Edward, come here."

Vivian stopped.

That was not his mother's voice.

The voice sounded familiar, too familiar.

His heart sank.

Vivian quickened his steps, and within moments, he reached the entrance of the main hall.

The instant he stepped inside, his body froze.

Cold sweat appeared on his back as his eyes locked onto the figure standing there.

"This is for you."

A girl with red hair and red eyes bent slightly as she handed a gift box wrapped neatly in paper to Edward.

Edward took the box with both hands. He looked nervous as he bowed a little.

"Th-thank you for the gift, princ—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

"I told you to call me sister, didn't I?" the girl said.

She smiled and gently patted Edward's head.

Then her gaze shifted.

She noticed Vivian standing there awkwardly.

The moment her eyes landed on him, they lit up.

"Vivian, did you finish your training?" she asked cheerfully.

Vivian forced a bitter smile. She was the last person he expected to see here.

After what happened last year, he was not fond of her at all.

Still, in front of her, he had no choice but to act polite.

"It's been a while, Princess Char—" he began.

"Tsk…"

Charlotte clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed.

"How many times have I told you not to call me princess?" she said, crossing her arms slightly, her eyes fixed on him.

The air in the hall felt strangely heavy as Vivian stood there, knowing this morning was about to become very troublesome.

Seeing all this, his mother, who had been smiling quietly, finally spoke.

"Vivian," she said, "Charlotte came such a long way to see you, and you are still behaving like this?" Her voice was firm, yet filled with warmth. "Come. Sit beside her."

Vivian let out a small sigh.

"Yes, Mom," he replied.

He walked forward and was about to sit beside Charlotte when—

His head shook.

A sudden, unbearable pain exploded in his chest.

"Cough—cough—cough!"

Vivian bent forward as his eyes widened in shock. The sudden pain felt as if his lungs were being crushed by invisible hands.

"Cough! Cough!"

"Vivian!"

"Vivian!"

Charlotte and Elena rushed toward him at the same time, panic filling their faces.

Edward, who had been sitting beside his mother, also jumped down and ran toward his brother, not fully understanding what was happening.

Charlotte and Elena bent down, trying to hold him steady, but—

"Guh—!"

Vivian vomited a mouthful of black blood onto the floor.

His face turned pale in an instant, and his body shook weakly as the hall fell into stunned silence.

"Cough—cough—cough!"

Vivian kept coughing, his body shaking violently. His face grew even paler, almost lifeless.

"Vivian, are you okay?" Charlotte asked in panic.

Her own face turned white as fear took hold of her.

She tried to support him, but no matter what she did, his coughing did not stop.

Black blood stained the floor, and his clothes were soaked with it.

"Son… what's happening?" his mother cried.

Her voice trembled as she grabbed his hand tightly.

Her fingers shook, but even with her holding him, the coughing did not ease.

"Br… brother…"

Edward stood frozen for a moment.

He did not understand what was happening, but he could feel it, his brother was in terrible pain.

Tears poured down his face as he ran closer, his small hands trembling.

"Brother… please stop…" he cried helplessly.

The hall, once filled with laughter, was now drowned in fear and panic.

Vivian's coughing echoed again and again, each sound heavier than the last, as everyone around him felt their hearts sink.

"Cough—cough—cough!"

As Vivian kept coughing out blood, his heart trembled violently.

It felt as if his lungs had shrunk around his heart, squeezing it tight and stopping it from beating properly.

"Cough—cough—cough!"

His vision blurred. The voices around him faded until he could no longer hear the shouting or crying.

"Guh—!"

He spat out another mouthful of black blood.

The world in front of him turned dark, and all the strength drained from his body.

His legs gave out.

Vivian collapsed onto the ground.

And when he collapsed the pool of blood formed from his own blood splattered in the air as the drops fell on the faces of Charlotte, Elena and Edward's faces.

"Vivian!!"

The shout echoed through the hall, filled with fear and despair, as his small body lay still on the cold floor, surrounded by blood and terrified faces.

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