Not waking up at five o'clock for once was relaxing, the empire's Foundation Day holiday serving as my excuse.
Today was the day I'd visit the Nera Forest, find Alaric's hidden base, and get the mana stones to fix this crippled body for good, or die trying.
My heart thudded with resolve, though a shadow of unease crept in, whispering of the forest's dangers, but I had no choice but to ignore it.
It was almost nine o'clock, and I had to prepare for another breakfast with this wretched family, which I'd always skipped after the first day, using training as an excuse.
I would prefer starvation over eating with them, but offending them more than my existence already did wouldn't do me any good, unfortunately.
After a shower, the water easing my sore muscles, and putting on a fresh set of clothes, I made my way toward the main dining hall.
The luxurious halls of this palace had started to feel less foreign day by day.
The once-stark reminder of what I'd lost began to seem normal, the golden chandeliers and velvet drapes no longer jarring.
But walking around so much just to reach another room was still rather inconvenient. Was this the main reason obesity was so common in the modern era?
I made my way at my own pace for once, not dragged by someone or too tired to look around. The marble floor felt cool under my boots, each step echoing softly.
I observed the portraits hanging on the walls while walking. Many ancestors of Arventis were there, with their stoic, cold faces and the symbolic gray eyes that almost all those belonging to this bloodline carried.
What caught my interest the most was an extremely old portrait of a man, probably in his early thirties, with pale skin, sharp facial features, pitch-black hair, and eyes staring directly at me from within it.
What stood out most were the black horns sprouting from his head and the inhumane, slitted silver eyes, exactly the same as mine. The air seemed to thicken, his gaze heavy with ancient power.
He was the founder of the Arventis family, a black dragon who had come down from the higher dimension of Drigonia, and one of the main reasons for the scorn I received in this household.
These silver eyes of mine, resembling the founding father of Arventis, were called blessings from the heavens but turned into a curse that haunted Ethanial every day.
I touched my face, feeling the weight of those eyes.
Ethanial was the first in the more than thousand year history of Arventis to possess the same eyes as the black dragon, Zalozhichiel Drake Arventis, himself.
The entire house of Arventis had huge expectations of Ethanial, believing him to be the return of the black dragon. Ethanial tried his best to live up to them.
But after learning that he was a cripple who couldn't even use mana properly, there was nothing but disappointment left. The child who had received everyone's attention was left with nothing. My chest tightened, not for him, but for the chance to prove them wrong.
His sisters, who, though older and much more talented than he was, were completely overshadowed for all these years simply because he was born with different eyes, had too much pent-up frustration to take out, especially the eldest. It came out in the form of poison from her mouth.
This was the story of Ethanial, whose life was ruined because of the very same eyes right in front of me.
The only thing I could do now was use this body to prove that he wasn't worthless and show them how wrong they were.
Letting go of these thoughts, I started moving again toward the dining hall, but there was an unfortunate encounter on my way. Vivien was on the same path as me, her silk dress rustling faintly.
Just as I noticed her, she noticed me too and slowed down her pace to come closer to mine. The sharp scent of her floral perfume stung my nose.
I slowed down even further, since I had no intention of hearing her spit venom at me first thing in the morning. I was never a masochist to begin with.
But to my own bafflement, she slowed down even further. I couldn't help but think, isn't she making this a bit too obvious? Does she not have anything better to do in life?
I decided to test something and stopped walking. Not to my surprise anymore, she did too.
She even turned back and looked at me as I looked at her, and for a few moments, we both kept staring at each other. Her gray eyes drilled into mine, cold and challenging.
She looked at me as if trying to intimidate me, expecting me to scurry up like Ethanial would.
Unfortunately for her, I wasn't Ethanial, nor was I afraid of her, so I also kept staring at her right in her eyes, my own silver ones unyielding.
This staring contest continued for a few more seconds before she couldn't hold it in anymore, her face filled with disbelief and annoyance as she said, "Are you not going to move or what? Is being late to breakfast becoming your new hobby?"
I calmly replied with a cheeky smile on my face, "I'll move when I feel like it."
My straight response seemed to have surprised her further, as she did not expect someone like Ethanial would ever be able to talk back to her.
But it didn't take long for her to adapt and realize there was no point in continuing this any further. While letting out a slight grunt, she responded, "Become a statue in the hall if you want. It'll be more useful for this house than your crippled self."
I did not respond to that provocation and just kept the smile on my face. Vivien, not expecting anything further, also left toward the dining hall, her footsteps sharp.
After she was almost gone from my vision, I let out a sigh of relief.
I'd used a simple technique on her that seemed to have worked: don't react to their provocations, and they'll let go themselves. The quiet triumph warmed me, a small defiance against this family's cruelty.
It made me glad that I didn't need to tolerate hearing her rambling before even getting some food. It's much easier to ignore idiots while eating good food.
After waiting a few more seconds to make sure she was gone, I also made my way toward the dining hall.
The stairs leading to the hall came in front of me. I started going down without even bothering to look toward the dining table, the faint aroma of roasted meat teasing my senses.
I was enjoying the early morning as much as I could before it was hopefully not ruined by these people.
At last, I reached the dining table and made my way toward a seat in the corner, much further away from the three people sitting toward the other corner: the duke, duchess, and Vivien.
Lirien had already returned to the academy for her final year, so one less annoyance.
The maids on standby immediately started serving me food, the warm bread and roasted chicken filling the air with comfort.
I began to feast on it without bothering to greet or even acknowledge the presence of others in the room.
I continued eating for a few minutes in peace, but not long after, a voice came, interrupting my peaceful endeavor.
"Ethanial," the duchess said, her voice soft but strained, as if testing fragile ground. "How is your training? Are you feeling well?"
Her attempt at warmth felt hollow, a ritual she'd repeated for a while to little effect. I glanced up, catching the faint hope in her eyes, overshadowed by the duke's indifference and Vivien's hate.
Swallowing a sharp retort, I forced a neutral smile. "It's going fine."
I returned to my food, the clink of my fork loud in the tense silence. Vivien's glare burned into me, but I refused to meet it, focusing instead on the savory bite of chicken.
The duke's voice cut through the air, cold and precise. "Ethanial, a reminder for the academy trials. The House of Astrea has demanded the annulment of your engagement to Sylvia. Do not approach her. Do not speak to her. Am I clear?"
My fork froze mid-air. Engagement? Sylvia? The words hit like a blow I hadn't braced for.
I hadn't even considered a fiancée, Ethanial's memories of her buried deep under years of shame and isolation. My poker face nearly fell off, but I managed a stiff nod. "Understood."