"So Elara, where do we go now?"
Elara blinked, the wisp of smoke fading, and quickly collected herself, though her cheeks remained a fiery red.
"O-oh! Yes, Young Master! We should proceed to the dining hall. Your breakfast should be ready by now."
Her voice was still a little flustered, but she managed to maintain her composure.
Elara then led the way out of her young master's bedroom and down a long, exquisitely carpeted hallway.
Sunlight streamed through tall, arched windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air and glinting off polished armor suits standing guard in alcoves.
The distant clatter of dishes and murmur of voices grew louder as they approached.
"Young Master, it looks like the King, the Queen, the First Princess, and your younger brother and sister siblings have already begun eating."
Elara said, her voice soft but clear as they neared a set of imposing double doors.
"King? Queen?"
The words hit him like a physical blow, a sudden, sharp shock that momentarily threatened his composure.
He remembered the Aethelgard Online lore that there are only four major kingdoms in the entire human territory, each governed by a king.
This meant his new "parents" weren't just powerful nobles.
They were essentially rulers of one-fourth of the entire human domain, of second only to the Emperor who holds supreme authority on the whole human territory.
The scale of this realization was dizzying.
He instinctively froze for a split second, a gasp almost escaping his lips, before his instincts kicked in.
He quickly suppressed his shock, forcing his features into a neutral, almost bored expression.
He couldn't afford to raise suspicion that he is not the real prince, not now. Then he suddenly remembered a mystery that is still left unsolved.
"Wait, if I am a prince then why did I woke up like a mess earlier?"
As they neared the imposing double doors, Ethan paused. A frown touched his brow.
"Elara, what exactly did I do last night to end up in that state? I... I don't remember anything."
Ethan asked, his voice low, a genuine puzzle in his tone.
Elara flinched subtly at the question, her eyes widening with a flicker of fear before concern softened them.
She hesitated, her gaze dropping for a moment before meeting his again.
"Young Master."
She answered hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You... you had another one of those nights where you just drink so much and caused a scene."
"What? And a scene?"
"Wha-"
Before Ethan could ask why would he drink so much that he ends up in that state and what scene did he caused, the heavy doors that leads to the dining hall open as guards are letting out some of the household servants.
As the heavy doors open, a dining hall that could rival a royal court is revealed, Ethan remembered that his parents are a king and queen, ruling one of the only four kingdoms in the human territory, his mind was shocked.
"One of the four kingdoms... No wonder this place is so ridiculously lavish. I'm practically royalty!"
"This changes everything... everything I thought I knew about the game and my situation."
"I will just think about what to do later, for now lets try not to get caught by my royal family."
He took a deep breath, the scent of roasted meats and fine tea filling his nostrils, as he entered the grand space.
The room was vast, easily the size of a small ballroom.
A massive, polished mahogany table dominated the space, laden with a staggering array of dishes, from steaming platters of roasted meats to bowls overflowing with colorful fruits and pastries.
Sunlight streamed through enormous stained-glass windows, casting the scene in a warm, vibrant glow.
At the head of the table were two grand chairs, noticeably larger and more intricately carved than the others, with rich velvet upholstery that hinted at their importance.
This is where the King and the Queen are sat.
The Queen was a kind and soft-faced woman, her eyes holding a gentle warmth that spoke of deep affection, radiating the aura of a good mother and a benevolent ruler.
Beside her, the King possessed a similarly soft and understanding gaze, his presence exuding a quiet strength and fatherly care that completed the picture of highly regarded and compassionate leaders.
A striking, elegant young woman was seated their side, engaged in a quiet conversation with two younger children, who were more focused on the food than the decorum.
All conversation ceased as Ethan and Elara entered, every eye turning towards him.
As Ethan noticed the gazes of the family on the table, he maintained his composed expression and slowly walked towards a vacant chair.
It was positioned on the King's side of the table, directly facing his older sister and the younger prince and princess twin siblings who sat across from him.
A brief, awkward silence settled over the grand dining hall, broken only by the gentle clink of silverware from untouched plates.
Then, the Queen, seated at the head of the table, was the first to speak.
Her deep crimson-red hair was elegantly styled in an intricate braid that cascaded down her back, yet managed to look effortlessly regal.
A tiny amount of makeup enhanced her features, giving her a natural, radiant look, complemented by a lighter shade of red lipstick.
Her earrings, though clearly expensive, had a simple, subtle design that suited a casual day rather than a formal event.
She gazed at her son, a genuine, happy smile gracing her lips, a clear warmth in her eyes.
"Did something happen, my dear?"
She asked, her voice soft and melodious, carrying a hint of pleasant surprise.
"You look different today. You look... better."
Before Ethan could even begin to formulate a reply, his sister, the First Princess, spoke up, her voice sharp and carrying a hint of frustration and undeniable provocation.
She was the striking, elegant young woman he had noticed earlier, her gaze now fixed on him with barely hidden anger.
"What?" she scoffed.
"Mother, you know what happened last night.
"You already know what he did, as he always does all the time."
"He drank a lot again and caused a scene at the party we held last night."
Her eyes narrowed at Ethan.
"And hey, what did you do again early this morning, huh?!"
"The servants have been saying that your maid has been going in and out of your room cleaning broken shards of glass, a lot of blood left on rags, and the bedsheets covered with alcohol, vomit, and blood as well."
"Did you torture your maid again early in the morning?!"
"I saw the amount of blood, you've gone too far this time!"
Ethan's eyes widened, genuinely shocked, not just by the accusations, but by the sheer amount of hatred that's coming from his sister's words.
It wasn't just frustration but a deep-seated animosity that caught him completely off guard.
While this tense exchange was happening, Ethan's gaze drifted to his "siblings" across the table then his eyes landed on his very angry sister herself.
Her long, silky black hair flowed almost to her waist, and he noticed subtle hints of crimson red, blending seamlessly into the darker strands, just like their mother's.
She appeared to wear no makeup, but the fumes of rage were almost visibly emanating from her forehead, a clear sign of her intense fury.
"Wait a minute... long black hair, crimson highlights, noble family, First Princess, and that furious, passionate demeanor..."
A sudden, jarring memory clicked into place.
"This is... Is it really her?"
Even though she looked significantly younger than he remembered, the features, the aura, the very essence of her rage, were unmistakable.
He finally remembered one of the main heroines from Aethelgard Online.
Her name echoed in his mind with stark clarity: Vivi.
No, more specifically, her full, official name from the game's lore:
Vivienne Claire Noxhaven.
"Wait... I've been playing Aethelgard for at least seven years now. In the game she is the queen of the Noxhaven Kingdom!"
"I never once came across or knew that Vivienne had an older brother."
"Who... Who the hell am I, then?"
Before he could manage his thoughts, the two young children next to the First Princess, a boy and a girl, began to tug frantically on her blouse.
"Sister, please stop!" the young prince whispered, his voice urgent.
"Don't be mean!" the little princess added, her eyes wide and pleading.
The Queen quickly intervened, her gentle expression momentarily clouding with a hint of parental admonishment.
"Please calm yourself, dearest," she said to Vivienne, her voice still soft but firm.
"We are at the breakfast table. You are in front of the food."
Ethan, now armed with the shocking revelation of his sister's identity and the heavy weight of the previous young master's reputation, finally found his voice.
He cut through the commotion, his tone firm yet carefully controlled.
"No."
Ethan stated, his voice carrying just enough authority to draw all eyes to him once more.
"I did not torture anyone."
He paused, taking a moment to choose his words carefully, trying to sound genuinely apologetic while also maintaining his façade of a hangover.
"I... I woke up with a truly terrible hangover this morning."
"I wasn't able to control myself, and I... vomited on the bed."
"An opened bottle was also soaking the bedsheets."
"The shards from the broken glass were from a cup I knocked over last night while drunk, and that's where the blood on the rags came from.
"I have several cuts in both of my feet when I forgot about the shards when I woke up and stepped on them."
"Elara was simply helping me clean up my own mess."
His answer momentarily made his family speechless.
***
/I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If its alright, please drop a comment or a powerstone to help me keep making this world bigger!