PT | Chapter 3.1

The twenty-fourth morning was gloomy and even gloomier. Aubrey, exhausted by the endless cycle of regressions, even began to feel fear about his own condition. The reality of waking up in the same time and situation, with the same outcome no matter what he did, sent chills down his spine.

If he had known this would happen, he would have climbed to the highest place in the mansion and thrown himself off the moment he woke up during the twenty-third regression. He thought maybe dying right from the start would change things, but instead, everything stayed the same. The dull sound of his head smashing into the hard floor echoed vividly in his ears. Aubrey, who had felt the sharp shock of that moment in his body, groaned heavily when he woke up again.

It wasn’t until ten days later, after struggling with a sudden chill and high fever, that Aubrey regained his senses. Even after waking, he was still engulfed by a lingering sense of depression, and he didn’t even respond when someone spoke to him.

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His father, who had secretly been proud of his son’s intelligence compared to his peers, was visibly troubled by the change in Aubrey. He immediately summoned doctors from across the Toroso Empire to inquire about what had happened to his son, and their diagnoses were all quite similar: extreme depression had drained his energy.

A perfectly healthy child suddenly developing depression?

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The Marquis, of course, didn’t believe it and immediately employed every method he could think of to cure Aubrey. But for the next couple of months, Aubrey spent most of his time in bed. As time went on, the Marquis’ interest in him gradually faded.

The room the Marquis no longer visited seemed colder than ever.

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Even with a thick quilt filled with goose feathers, Aubrey was shivering, curling up as a chill ran through his entire body. And there was that annoying Gray, the Marquis’ eldest son, who never missed an opportunity to appear.

“Hey, you don’t have long to stay here. Wait. After we kick that bastard out, you’re next.”

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“….”

“Those filthy, unlucky bastards who were rolling around in the streets, and now they’re crawling into a place like this.”

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Yeah, keep talking. I’ve had enough of this life, repeating over and over like a hamster on a wheel, fighting with you as much as I could, so I don’t even have the energy to argue anymore. But whether then or now, I still don’t want to hear that voice.

Aubrey, irritated, pulled the quilt up over his head.

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“Where the hell are you talking from, acting so cocky while I’m talking…”

“First Young Master, what are you doing here?”

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Gray, who was about to storm into the room with his usual temper, was caught off guard when the butler appeared just in time. Looking uncertain, Gray quickly dashed out of the room. The butler, letting out a sigh, approached Aubrey’s side and called out softly, “Fourth Young Master.”

“Are you going to stay in bed like this again today? It’s not good for your health.”

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Despite everyone giving up on him, Aubrey was grateful for the butler’s care.

Feeling a little weak in the heart, Aubrey found himself on the verge of tears, but he weakly lifted his head. Seeing his pale face, the butler muttered, “How could you have gotten so thin… If you keep this up, something terrible will happen. Even if it’s hard, try to get up and move around. The master has brought in someone who could become a friend for you.”

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Aubrey stiffened immediately. He didn’t need to ask who the ‘friend’ was.

When the Marquis first brought Lennock to the mansion, the staff had probably not realized he might become a young master. For the first month, they thought he was just a child brought in to be trained for some purpose, though Lennock was dirty and ragged-looking.

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Why would the Marquis bring in a kid who seemed like he might collapse any minute? But it was the Marquis’ decision. No one in this mansion could question him—not even the Marquis’ wife, who would die soon enough.

There were times when Aubrey struggled to hold back the urge to speak of everything he knew. But once those words left his mouth, he knew what kind of chaos would unfold, so he steeled himself and kept silent.

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The butler, noticing Aubrey’s stiff expression, looked a little uncomfortable.

“Apologies, I seem to have said something unnecessary.”

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But that wasn’t the reason for Aubrey’s change.

Aubrey silently clenched his hands under the covers.

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“Where is that guy now?”

“That guy…?”

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“The kid who’s supposed to be my friend.”

Seeing Aubrey finally show interest, the butler hurriedly spoke, thinking this might be the key to getting him out of bed.

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“He should be in his room now, so…”

Aubrey slowly sat up. Had he been lying down for too long? Even sitting up caused him pain, and he exhaled a long breath with his head bowed.

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“Young Master, please don’t strain yourself. Lie back down.”

If he lay down again, he was sure he wouldn’t want to get up.

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This damned seven-year-old body always made him feel depressed when he returned, but this time was worse than ever. Perhaps it was because he had ended his previous life with suicide before he could even do anything. Aubrey thought, as he crawled out of bed, that maybe that was why he felt so dark.

“Why the hell is this filthy rat here?!”

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“Since you came here, my mother’s health has gotten worse! It’s all because of you! Die! Just die!”

Aubrey didn’t even need to go where Lennock was.

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As soon as he stepped out of the hallway and stood in front of the stairs, he saw a scene he’d known all too well: the boy being dragged by his hair toward the front door. Dressed in something that looked like a rag or cloth, Lennock’s arms and legs were like twigs—thin and brittle. Even when Gray had his hair yanked or when Jill kicked him, Lennock didn’t resist. He just squirmed feebly.

Gray and Jill, the two ruffians among the Marquis’ three sons, never cared for anyone else. They did whatever they wanted, and their violence knew no bounds. Aubrey knew well that if this continued, Lennock’s arm or leg would end up broken and he’d be thrown into a storage room. He had seen it happen before, even joining in on the fun.

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“Oh my God…”

The butler, following Aubrey, was stunned and hurried downstairs, but he couldn’t stop what was happening. He could only shout at them not to do this. But what the butler didn’t know was that if he interfered, Gray would only escalate the violence.

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Gray was enjoying tormenting a five-year-old boy, and when the interruption came, he wasn’t pleased. Looking down at Lennock, who was curled up and trembling like a bug, Gray grinned, stretching his leg back to kick him with full force. Just as he was about to strike, a loud crash echoed through the air.

“……!!”

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Gray staggered in shock, the sudden impact sending him reeling. Jill, who was watching, turned pale and asked, “B-Brother? Are you okay?”

Aubrey, still calm, raised an eyebrow at them as he stood there, unfazed.

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Gray seemed like he was about to say something, but he froze, his hand going to the back of his head. He looked at the blood dripping onto his palm, then turned, feeling the chill run down his spine. Standing there like a ghost was Aubrey.

“…Why is the corpse-like kid here?”

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Aubrey’s voice was half-raspy, as though it had been stuck in his throat for too long.

Gray, realizing what had happened, looked at the broken flowerpot on the floor, his face contorting in realization.

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“This crazy bastard…”

Gray collapsed, his words cut off as he stumbled backward.

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“Brother!”

“Young Master Gray…!!”

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The people who had just stood by as Lennock was dragged off in agony were now in chaos. They rushed to Gray’s side, calling for a doctor, while Jill, enraged, charged at Aubrey. He was furious that the bastard brought in by the Marquis had dared to strike his brother in the head with a flowerpot.

But Aubrey wasn’t the type to back down either. As Jill lunged at him, Aubrey kicked him in the stomach, and with a single weak blow, Jill crumpled to the floor, clutching his belly, trembling.

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“Young Master Aubrey, you shouldn’t…”

The butler, flustered, rushed to stop him, but before he could reach Aubrey, the Marquis appeared.

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“What is going on here?”

The moment the Marquis spoke, Jill, who had been groaning on the floor, suddenly quieted. His face stiffened as he looked up at his father standing at the top of the stairs.

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Jill, who had never been a son who satisfied the Marquis, trembled in fear. With great effort, he managed to rise from the floor, ready to complain about Aubrey’s actions.

“This crazy bastard suddenly appeared and hit my brother with a flowerpot and kicked me! We’re older than him! I’m his brother!”

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As Jill began to complain about Aubrey, he looked furious, but his words were laced with embarrassment.

Jill glared fiercely at Aubrey, but it wasn’t scary—it was just laughable. Even amidst the chaos, Aubrey remained calm, staring up at the Marquis. The Marquis’ cold eyes made it clear that the situation had completely changed.

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Aubrey spoke calmly, his voice as clear as ever.

“But shouldn’t I have been able to stop my brothers from bullying me?”

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“The Young Master says ‘brothers’…”

The butler, who had been watching, was now deeply surprised.

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When the Marquis first brought Lennock into the mansion, he had never mentioned who the boy was. At first, Aubrey thought Lennock might be an illegitimate son from outside, but there were no rooms prepared for him, no instructions on how to treat him. That’s why the butler had cleaned Lennock up and given him a small room in the servants’ quarters. But if Lennock truly was the Marquis’ son, this would be a huge problem.

Everyone, now tense, glanced toward the Marquis, who was frowning deeply.

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The Marquis hadn’t expected this situation. He had brought Lennock in because of a deal with some alchemists, but it was always a practical decision. He hadn’t paid much attention to Lennock at first, but now, with everything in chaos, Aubrey could tell that the Marquis was deeply displeased.

Aubrey knew the Marquis was trying to figure out what to do, but the interruption had forced him to make a decision prematurely. Aubrey, with a steady expression, moved forward, standing next to Lennock, who was still curled up.

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He really was small.

The ones who showed up at the end of his life were always bigger, taller, and stronger.

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But here was Lennock, so tiny and pathetic. How could someone like this grow up and set the world ablaze?

As Aubrey looked at the shattered flowerpot pieces from Gray’s head, an idea struck him. He could use those shards to strangle Lennock’s fragile life right then and there. But that would only cause more chaos.

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Aubrey placed his foot gently on Lennock’s stomach, pushing him down flat.

The boy, whose arms had been covering his face, slowly let them fall. Aubrey could see his pale face, his tangled golden hair, and his tear-filled eyes. He swallowed, feeling something bitter rise in his throat.

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“Get him treated too. He’s my father’s guest, so at least treat him like one.”

Aubrey smiled at the Marquis, who was still staring at him in disbelief.

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“Isn’t that right, Father?”

“….”

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The Marquis, caught off guard by Aubrey’s sudden change in address, furrowed his brow. He had only ever been called ‘Father’ before, but now Aubrey called him ‘Father’ with cold finality. Aubrey knew the truth: after everything, the only person he despised more than anyone was his own father, Johan Wiidin.