BXBX NOVEL Chapter 61: The Escape
Not only that, but Ezekiel also became wary of other people\'s touches, and he didn\'t want to be alone with strangers, even to his family members that it seems like Ezekiel didn\'t trust them, but he tolerates their presence a little bit, unlike Felicity who, had a striking resemblance to their mother, who assaulted him.
The First Young Master couldn\'t blame Ezekiel for that. Who wouldn\'t be?
\'At least he tolerates both me and Harrison\'s presence, well, barely though, since I could that whenever Ezekiel was alone in any of the two of us, he always trembled in fear and sometimes, I noticed him flinch several times. A huge trauma still left within the shadows, and it will take time for him to recover.\'
An example for that was when Ezekiel suddenly received an invitation in the form of a golden envelope and when the First Young Master learned that an envoy arrived within their estate without a warning, Altron\'s expression was darkened at that time.
He wasn\'t mad when Ezekiel seemed to receive a Royal summoned from the palace but what he was mad about was when the Royal Palace dared to ignore the customs that every noble household and as well as the royal family should follow.
However, at that time, Altron knew that the Emperor wouldn\'t dare to outright disrespect the Chevaliers, lest he wanted to endanger his throne since the Chevaliers were one of the pioneer households during the establishment of the Empire.
Also, the Marquis (Grand Duke) Chevalier household are on the neutral side and never participated in the succession battle for the throne.
Why?
Because whoever the Chevaliers supported a prince, that prince could guarantee his way to the throne.
That\'s why Altron wouldn\'t be surprised if the ones who summoned Ezekiel to the Royal Palace is that b*stard of a Crown Prince since the First Young Master knew how sly that b*stard was.
Although he didn\'t like the Crown Prince but as one of the nobles of this Empire, he needs to maintain a friendly façade while facing those people.
As for Ezekiel meeting the Crown Prince for the first time, well, technically, Altron wouldn\'t know if that was the right term since Ezekiel never bothered to looked up when they were in the presence of the Crown Prince when he was invited to his Palace and the First Young Master remembered how his youngest brother trembled in the presence of the Crown Prince that he would most likely fainted if Altron wasn\'t there to accompany him.
The First Young Master was thankful at that time because even though Ezekiel only tolerated his presence whenever he was around, at least, his younger brother trusted him to accompany him to the Royal Palace.
\'An improvement, at least.\'
"C-can you…. P-please…. Reduce the number of the knights…. And the s-servants who would accompany me? I-I…. don\'t want to drag some attention to myself…."
Right now, as Altron looked at Ezekiel\'s seemingly timid appearance, compared to the once bad-tempered personality of his or the calm and indifferent one, the First Young Master\'s heart seems to warm because of that.
But there are times when he needs to appear intimidating for everyone to know that just because they were now favoring the Third Young Master, it doesn\'t mean those people, especially those rotten ones, would have the nerve to stain the Chevalier\'s reputation just because of this.
However, Altron wouldn\'t never pressure his youngest brother that\'s why when he heard what he said, he gently put his both hands into the youngest\'s shoulder and he immediately noticed how he flinches right away and Altron had a bitter expression plastered on his face.
\'At least, he didn\'t dodge like how he usually did but I admit it hurts when Ezekiel would avoid their simple touches but who am I to complain? It\'s the Marchioness\' fault for leaving such trauma to this child.\'
The First Young Master didn\'t know how to face his own mother because of what happened. Altron had a complicated feeling about this situation and sometimes he didn\'t know what to do.
Since his father is nowhere to be found, Altron took up the mantle temporarily until his father came back from wherever he went.
According to one of the trusted subordinates of his father, who were the ones guarding the Marchioness\' quarters, at the first week of her house arrest, she makes a fuss about this matter and demanded to speak with father personally but those trusted knights from his father manage to subdue the violent Marchioness.
Even though he is the temporary head of the household, he wasn\'t that so stupid to release the Marchioness to her confinement and he didn\'t try to visit the Marchioness as well since it was his father\'s direct order that no one should visit the Marchioness to her quarters or tried to communicate with her during her house arrest.
The servants would only deliver food to her quarters and nothing else.
It\'s the direct order from the Marquis and the Patriarch of this household and no one dared to defy those orders from the Marquis, even if he wasn\'t around because Altron knew that within the shadows, the trusted subordinates of the Marquis are watching everyone\'s back in this manor if their Master wasn\'t around.
\'Of course, I\'m not that stupid to defy my father\'s orders and I still couldn\'t accept the fact that mother—er… the Marchioness have done that to Ezekiel. I couldn\'t look up to the Marchioness like how I used to be.\'
The image of the dignified Marchioness that etched through him since childhood suddenly vanished because of what he witnessed.
He wouldn\'t admit but when he was still a child, Altron often heard about the rumors about the Marchioness\' vulgar reputation, but he never paid attention to those rumors but sometimes, he couldn\'t help but wanted to defend her mother\'s honor but whenever he tried that, his father would stop him and for that, he just remained silent.
He snapped from those thoughts from the past as he remembered what Ezekiel asked for him and smiled at him gently.
"Little three, this is for your own safety. It\'s much better for you to have these knights guarding you until you reached the academy since inside the academy, nobles or royal family members, aren\'t allowed to bring their own servants and knights."
Altron saw how Ezekiel flinched when he said those words while fumbling his fingers as he looked down and didn\'t meet his gaze.
The First Young Master could tell that his youngest brother wanted to protest more but he just keep quiet about it, which makes him sighed in frustration.
\'There are times that I prefer him to be that bad-tempered and ill-mannered child, at least, he could voice out his own opinions but right now, because of the trauma that etched to him for a long time, he became like this.\'
Plus, the First Young Master had a nagging feeling these past few days after he dreamed about that so-called future event and since Ezekiel is highly involved, Altron didn\'t want to risk anything from here.
That\'s why he prepared everything he needed and provide a level of security for this journey since Ezekiel is the Third Young Master of this household and if something happens to him, Altron won\'t be able to forgive himself for letting his younger brother to get hurt.
"O-okay, i-if that\'s what the First Young Master decided then."
Altron sighed in relief but still had a bitter smile plastered on his face; \'Up until now, Ezekiel didn\'t want to address me as Big Brother, even with the others as well. I just hope that one day, he will warm up with us and we\'ll do our best to compensate him, at least.\'
"Now, go on to the carriage because you and the others will depart soon."
After that, Altron went back to the others to finish everything and a minute later, everything had been set and the carriage had left for the journey to escort Ezekiel to the academy.
Altron didn\'t get to see Ezekiel since he was already inside the carriage and the other servants were in the other carriages since he knew Ezekiel wouldn\'t want to be with someone because of his trauma.
\'I just hope that there was someone with him in that carriage to accompany him, but I\'ll respect his decision if he wanted to be left alone for now.\'
After he saw the silhouette of the carriages and the knights disappear within his sight, he sighed in relief and prayed for his younger brother\'s journey.
As he goes inside when everything was settled, Altron met Felicity at the hallway and the First Young Master sighed as he smiled at his little sister because he knew what she wanted to ask.
"Don\'t worry, Felicity. We already provide the best for him and I\'m sure he would be safe then."
He didn\'t wait for her response as he passed by and walked back into his office to finish everything that left behind.
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< FEW DAYS LATER…. >
LOCATION: CHEVALIER MANOR
HEADMASTER\'S OFFICE
*BANG!
"FIRST YOUNG MASTER! APOLOGIES FOR THE LACK OF MANNERS BUT…. BAD NEWS! THE THIRD YOUNG MASTER WENT MISSING!"