Class had ended.
Lumiel walked out of the academy gates alongside Skye and Lady Nishia, the three exchanging casual goodbyes as they split off in different directions. Behind them, watching in silence, was Cliffhard—his arms crossed and his expression sour. He didn't say a word, but the irritation in his eyes was loud enough.
A sleek, black car rolled up to the curb. The Vortigale family crest gleamed on the doors. The passenger door opened, revealing the ever-composed butler.
"Sir Cliffhard, it's time to return home," Rei said.
"Tch..." Cliffhard scoffed before getting in. The door shut hard behind him. "Hey, Rei. You said you'd take care of Lumiel, but I saw him walk into school this morning—alive. Not a scratch on him! Not even a bruise! What the hell happened?!"
Rei continued driving, his posture unchanged. "I deeply apologize, Sir Cliffhard. It seems the assassins I hired were unable to complete their task. I failed to fulfill your wishes. If you seek punishment, I will accept any consequence... even death."
There was no fear in his voice. Just conviction.
Cliffhard leaned against the seat and sighed, biting his tongue. "I'll let it go this time. But next time you fail—there won't be any mercy."
"Understood, Sir Cliffhard," Rei said with a bow of his head, still focused on the road.
Silence took hold between them. The world outside the window blurred, trees and streetlights flying past. But Rei's thoughts were elsewhere—drifting back to the day it all began.
---
He remembered the first time he was assigned.
"Rei," said the head butler of House Vortigale. "From this day forward, you are to serve as personal butler to the young master, Cliffhard Vortigale."
A six-year-old boy stood behind another butler, peeking out nervously.
"This is your new caretaker," the head butler said, gesturing to Rei. "He will attend to you until the day you enroll in the Gifted Academy."
Rei stepped forward and knelt respectfully. "It's an honor to meet you, Sir Cliffhard. I am Rei—a Civilian, trained to serve your family with my life."
The child flinched slightly, stepping further behind the other man.
"I-It's nice to m-meet you too, Rei," Cliffhard said, voice trembling.
Before meeting the boy, Rei had been told the truth.
"Listen closely," the head butler had warned. "The young master... he's a forgotten child. His parents hardly acknowledge him. Every time he asks to see them, we're ordered to say they're too busy. He doesn't know he's already being prepared to be cast out—once he turns sixteen, he'll be moved to a smaller estate near the Gifted Academy."
Even now, remembering those words sent a cold chill down Rei's spine. What kind of parents could ignore their own son?
---
Time passed.
Days became weeks. Weeks became years. Cliffhard's birthday came and went without celebration—just another reminder that he was a step closer to being discarded.
Eventually, he grew old enough to notice. To question. To understand.
"I'll become strong," Cliffhard once said, voice full of determination. "I'll become smart—so they'll finally look up to me. I swear it."
Rei remembered that day well. Cliffhard was fourteen when he received the news.
"Sir Cliffhard," Rei said carefully, "your parents are visiting the estate today."
"Really?!" Cliffhard's eyes lit up. "Are they finally coming to see me?!"
"They're coming," Rei hesitated, "because their daughter, the young lady Alice, wishes to meet her older brother."
"Daughter?" Cliffhard blinked, his excitement fading. "I have... a sister?"
The family arrived in a luxurious carriage, the mother and father stepping out first—then a bright-eyed girl, younger than Cliffhard, with silvery hair and an innocent smile.
"Brother!" Alice shouted. "Where are you, brother?!"
Cliffhard stepped forward slowly. Alice ran to him, throwing her arms around his waist.
"There you are! I've always wanted to meet you!" she giggled. "I'm Alice, brother!"
He stood frozen, overwhelmed. Then his gaze shifted behind her—to the man who had ignored him for years.
"What's the meaning of this, Father?" Cliffhard asked, his voice cold. "You never told me you had another child."
The man said nothing.
A butler soon entered and announced dinner.
At the dining table, Cliffhard sat alone on one end. His parents and Alice sat together at the other, smiling, chatting, a picture-perfect family. A silent barrier divided the table—on one side, warmth and laughter; on the other, a forgotten shadow.
Rei stood behind Cliffhard, his hands clasped behind his back. He said nothing. But inside, he was hurting for the boy.