~~~~~~~~~{ [ Chapter 3 ] }~~~~~~~~~~

Akira was silently walking through the hallway, heading towards the Grand Duke's office in the main building.

"Good morning, young master!"

"Young Master Akira! Good morning"

"Glad to see you well, young master!"

Everyone that he passes through greets him cheerfully; they seem to really adore the youngest master, which is more reason for Akira to try so hard to restrain himself from rolling his eyes from the passionate gazes he is receiving from everyone. After 30 minutes of endless walking, he finally arrived and found himself standing in front of a wide, gold-tinted double door. Above the door, there was a brass plaque attached, and the name of the Grand Duke was engraved on it.

"Hades Gaven Argyros...

Akira read the name written on the plaque barely in a whisper, but the sudden sounds of quick footsteps coming from inside the office say otherwise.

The double door was blasted open. Akira was startled. He quickly moved away and glared at the one guilty of the action.

"A-Aki?"

The man said this, looking at Akira. Worry and gladness were evident in those lavender eyes. And upon taking a glance at the man, Akira flinched slightly.

He knew the man. He clearly does... There are no memories of Shein that this guy didn't have. He is always by Shein's side.

Akira Shein's No. 1 simp

His elder brother The eldest son and the successor of the Argyros Grand Duchy

Alistair Crein Argyros

And he was one of the people

Akira Shein loathed the most

He hated his brothers, not because of something like the succession of the grand duchy,

But because his 'heroine' was trying to get close to his brothers and his childhood friends,

The pathetic reason also makes me wonder...

It was something that I don't remember happening in the game.

Shein's brothers weren't even a capture target. So why was the heroine also trying to capture his brothers?

"Aki...?"

"...."

"...Kyaah--!!"

Akira quickly covered his mouth after making an embarrassing yell.

He was suddenly carried by Alistair in a bridal style, and that shocked him.He quickly glared at his brother, who only continued to smile widely. Ignoring the deadly glares from his previous brother

"Put me down."

Akira protested, but was ignored again. Looking at the gentle smile plastered on Alistair's face. Akira flinched and quietly backed down. He felt his heart throb at the sight of it. And so he silently crossed his arms and let his brother do what he wanted. They entered the office, and Akira was surprised to see the Grand Duke sitting on one of the couches instead of his own working table. You could even see the piles of abandoned papers. Aside from the archduke, the second brother was also present, and both were looking at him being carried in an embarrassing position by Alistair with unreadable stares.

He felt his cheeks becoming hot out of embarrassment and tried to hide, tilting his head to face Alistair's broad yet milky chest. His heart almost jumped out of surprise; he forgot that Alistair was merely wearing a white shirt with an open v-neck.

Akira quickly turned away and found it better to face the other two than a bulky, exposed chest.

Alistair sat down on the couch across from the second brother while the confused Akira remained in his arms, now sitting on his lap.

"...."

"Brother, what are you doing?"

Zane, the second brother, asked, his eyes seemingly cold, directly looking at Alistair's lavender ones.

"..hmm? What am I doing?"

A huge grin appeared on Alistair's face. staring back at the other with a mocking look.

"You're making Akira uncomfortable."

But Zane didn't look offended at all; he looked calm and gave a small smile. He glanced at the youngest, who looked so uncomfortable sitting in the lap of their older brother.

"Akira, if you're uncomfortable, come and sit here," he continued, patting the vacant space beside him.

A distress Akira quickly jumped out of Alistair's embrace without hesitation. He didn't wait to see how the man would react and immediately went to sit down in the vacant seat Zane offered him.

"...What, Aki? "Why are you listening to him?"

Akira didn't respond and only watched as Alistair frowningly pointed his finger at Zane. Then the two continued to bicker with each other without any care.

Akira watched the two bickering with a poker face; his face seemingly looked cold and emotionless, but the intensity of his gaze said otherwise.

He remembered Akira Shein's route in the game. The two showed up, and they were portrayed as loyal dogs to their youngest brother, but later in the game, the two got killed mysteriously, and after that, there was the mysterious disappearance of Shein himself.

Akira sighs softly and glances at his side, and beside him, he meets the Grand Duke's dark violet eyes, also looking back straight at him. Akira can't help but flinch in surprise.

He forgot the Grand Duke's existence!

He was so occupied with his new brothers starting a verbal war that he forgot that they were in the office of their father.

Akira continued to look straight into the other person's eyes. They seem to look cold, but a hint of gentleness, warmth, and concern was found in his new father's eyes.

And Akira found himself lost looking at those.

How can that be?

Is this how a father should look at their offspring?

Akira bit his trembling lips and slowly gazed down to avoid the Grand Duke's gentle gaze towards him.

His trembling hands slowly turn into a fist, tightly keeping it cold.

'No, I shouldn't, or else I will be left broken again."

The image of his father in the previous world, looking back at him with eyes filled with coldness, hatred, and disappointment, flashed before him.

His heart went cold in an instant.

"...Aki? / Akira?"

"....."

Akira came back to his senses and quickly made a huge smile, looking up at his two brothers who called out to him, concerns laced in the tone of their voices.

"Are you okay?"

He was a bit shocked, but Akira still kept his calm face and looked at the Grand Duke who asked the question.

"Father, I have a favor to ask you..."

He said it suddenly and made a small, yet fragile smile that seemed to hurt the hearts of the other three.

They all notice the struggle and pain that was trying to keep hidden beneath those dull-like heterochromatic pairs of eyes.

They all gritted their teeth subconsciously, trying to keep their cool heads in front of the fragile boy in front of them.

"Go on and say it. I will do everything you wish for, my little bunny."

The Grand Duke softly smiled and reached out his hand to pat his youngest son's head.

Akira flinched slightly, not expecting the pat on his head that gave him a slight tingle of warmth inside his body.

He glanced up at the Grand Duke, and seeing the father, who is still willing to listen to him even though the previous owner had already stained the relationship between them, gave him a feeling of butterflies churning inside his stomach and a feeling of reliance he never thought he would feel.

Turning away for a bit and sighing softly before looking back to meet his father's eyes, Akira smiled softly.

'This is it! The first step for my freedom! '

I want to live far away from here! Please allow me to do so!

"Please allow me to leave, Father."