BXBX NOVEL Chapter 280 Big Brother (2)
"Your Highness!" Just as Little Leon prayed, the Emperor's butler noticed what the two were doing.
Hastily calling the other servants, he took Little Leon in his arms and asked what happened. "Your Highness, Second Prince, what happened to you and His Highness Third Prince?"
The butler's voice was kind and respectful, he did not look at Leon with contempt or sympathy. Instead, he looked at the two of them with worry.
Leon felt like everything that happened on that particular day was all warm and gentle. He thought that it must be because of his favored big brother. Nevertheless, for someone other than his mother to worry about him, the feeling was not bad.
"Butler, butler! It's like this, my little brother felt frightened and ran blindly until he bumped into me! Look, he has so many wounds!
The teacher said that a prince must take care of the Empire's people, that's why I took care of my little brother! He is so clumsy!
But I did not leave him alone and carried him to the doctor! Butler, butler, did I do everything right???"
Young Antoine's bright blue eyes sparkled as he told the tale of their adventure while they proceeded into the chambers to let Leon be tended to by a doctor.
The butler listened gently and he patted Young Antoine's head and praised him with a kind smile, "Yes, Your Highness you did well! His Majesty will be proud of your good deed!"
After hearing the adult's praise, Antoine's chubby face carried a happy grin. There was even an adorable dimple that formed on the corner of his lips. It was so charming and cute at the same time.
"Now, can Your Highness accompany His Highness Third Prince for a moment while I have the servants summon the doctor?" The butler gently coaxed Antoine, who in turn nodded excitedly in response.
"Un! Un! I'll watch over brother while you call the doctor, don't forget to let him bring good medicine for little brother's wounds!" Antoine determinedly nodded his head as he climbed on the big bed to sit beside the bewildered Little Leon.
"Alright then, your highness second prince, third prince, this servant will soon come back." The butler bowed and exited the chambers.
When there were only the two of them, Young Antoine looked at the dazed Leon with a proud and assuring look on his face,
"See that? The butler said that I did well in taking care of you! From now on, whenever you are outside, always stay with me, your big brother! For I surely know how to take care of you!!!"
Little Leon felt pressured by Young Antoine's enthusiasm, he wanted to respond but he couldn't find the right words to say.
"What do you say? What do you say? From now on you must call me Big Brother! If you don't want to, just call me Brother! That's fine too!"
Antoine leaned closer to the lying Leon. His big chubby face with his sparkling blue eyes was brighter even though the fiery orange light of the sunset was already invading the room.
"B-brother…" Little Leon succumbed to his second brother's enthusiasm and had no choice but to call him as such.
From then on, the tale of the two brothers had officially started.
At every end of the class, Young Antoine would run to the Solace Garden to look for Little Leon, who would then shyly wait in the secluded corner of the garden.
Young Antoine would grab his tiny hands and drag him into the gazebo so that they would play with the sword while enjoying the food that he had the servants prepare for them.
He would tell the tales he had learned from the class while Little Leon would listen. He would smuggle a wooden sword from the training grounds and take Leon to learn the basic moves he had also recently learned from his swordsmanship class.
Because Little Leon was still four and too young to carry the weight of the wooden sword, he would often tease him for being clumsy and too weak.
But Leon did not take it to heart, because he knew that Antoine's intent of saying those were because of affection as an older brother and not as contempt.
Along the way, he had also got to know the gentle and loving First Queen, Lucia, who, like Antoine, did not look at him with ridicule and contempt.
Slowly, Leon's heart became at ease and he started to look forward to spending time with Antoine after his classes day by day.
The gloominess and fear he had for himself and his mother because of the adults who did not like them, would be washed away by Antoine's affection.
Whenever Antoine would go, he would clumsily follow with his short pair of legs while affectionately calling him, "Brother! Big Brother!"
"Big Brother, do you think I will also have a good aptitude like you and the first brother?"
"Of course, you are our sibling, your first brother is a caster, I am a summoner, for sure you would also have high talents on any one of the constitutions!"
"Big Brother, do you think I will also do well in class, just like you?"
"Of course! Because I taught you the lessons in advance! Don't tell me I am not a good teacher????!"
"Big Brother, do you think I can do well in swordsmanship?"
"Hmm.. well you are indeed clumsy. But if you try harder, probably you'll get as good as me, your Big Brother, in the future!"
This and all other childish talks would never tire the two brothers of each other's presence.
On his fifth birthday, he received his first-ever gift from someone in the imperial family other than his parents. Antoine gifted him a little wooden sword, which he had specially carved for Leon to wield.
Leon treasured it so much that he would always carry it during their playtime and hug it during the night. Every night from that day, he thanked the Creator in heaven for not neglecting him and letting him meet people who could treat him kindly.
The wholesome relationship between the second and third princes soon spread throughout the palace. While Antoine was praised by his mother Quen Lucia and Father Valentin, he would receive a glance of contempt from his older brother Kazimir.
Sometimes, Kazimir would come and disrupt their playtime, telling Antoine to stop being pretentious and caring for Leon who was of lowly origins.
Antoine would then fiercely fight and shoo Kazimir away with his equally prideful and haughty character. While Leon would just desperately cling to his second brother's sleeve, trying to stop the two from fighting.
Kazimir seemed to have found satisfaction in seeing Leon cowering in fear while mundanely trying his best to stop them from fighting. From then on, he would occasionally disrupt the two's playtime and act as the bully who wanted to see Leon crying in fear.
However…
These seemingly dynamic interactions of the young princes of the Seirende Empire would soon crumble like a sandcastle during the day of Leon's aptitude assessment.
That day, everything that Leon looked forward to started to disappear one by one.
He had long wanted to see his mother, father, and big brother be proud of him after knowing his talents…
But he learned that he had a poor aptitude in magic, Class D, which was not even acceptable for any descendant of the noble house.
He had longed to finally make a way for the adults to recognize him…
But then, the disdain and contempt only increased after knowing the results of the assessment ceremony.
He had longed to finally let his mother be at peace because of the threats she was dealing with inside the imperial family…
Well, he finally did. Because somehow the assassins and plotters finally let his mother rest - at the cost of the rest of his childhood.
Finally, he had longed to stand on equal terms with his big brother and even his elder brother, the first prince…
But then, on that very same day he had lost his only good relationship in the palace.
"Do not call me brother anymore!!! You have no right to be my brother!" He heard his big brother Antoine say it with a cold expressionless face.
Those words…
Were even more devastating to hear than the humiliating results of his assessment…
…
It was probably because of the passing of time, or because of the impact of having Eli and Little Han in this life, that the wounds of his childhood seemed to no longer cause a searing pain in his heart.
Even after remembering those treasured yet tragic times, his heart was at peace.
It was probably why Leon, who had been disowned by his second brother for no reason, who had been openly treated with contempt and disdain by his brothers, could say right now…
"Big brother… The First Queen, Lucia, was waiting for you… Your wife and son too.
Father Emperor had been disheartened by your condition…
First Brother Kazimir was also devastated by your sacrifice, up until now he was still blaming himself for what happened.
And I… longed to see you open your bright blue eyes again…"