16 The Role of an Older Brother

(Harold's Perspective)

I was born into a Noble Household...

I guess you could say that I'm a person who already has a silver spoon on my mouth since the day I was born...Well, not that you're wrong.

Technically your correct...I've never experienced hardship ever since I came into this world, I had everything. money, authority you name it.

I also grew up being loved by all of the people around me, not because of who I am but because of my stature.

(This is the despicable truth of Human nature.)

You see my father is a Count even if it's the third to the last rankings of a nobleman. He is still a respectable individual, Why? For that reason lies on his unimaginable wealth. Even though we are a Martial Household that is centered on producing strong individuals ready at any moment to take action for their Kingdom's well being.

We are also efficient in making money through the use of all the mines that my father had created throughout our territory.

The rate of productivity in the production of gems is as high as it can get. A more well-known fact that its quality is definitely top-notch. Most of the gems from the Messiah Kingdom came from our Household they are carefully cut and polished to be transported from all over the Messiah Kingdom by Traveling Merchants.

This resulted in having everyone ask for my hand in marriage...But I was still a child at that time, Not knowing what is right and wrong I made the right choice of secluding myself from studying. I was only 5 years old, I can't afford to be naively auctioned off to be used for other's materialistic gains.

That's when I learned about the cruelty of the world I'm living in. Greed and authority are what drives people to create and do such troublesome things.

That is the truth, What kind of a person would do something for others if it's not beneficial for them? We people are all tools used for our own Personal Gains.

That is what I believed...

Yeah! I have tons of money and friends...But could I really call them true friends!? when all they do is sucks all the honey from the honeycomb and leave me with nothing but the empty shell and their heinous betrayal.

That's the start of my trust issue against others.

Yet on any other ordinary night, you came into my life and changed it all.

It was in the middle of the night when a cry so loud can be heard through the empty halls of the Mansion. A servant seemingly heard the cries of a small child and decided to investigate the cause of such ruckus under this full moonlit night.

*UWAAHHHH

The sound became more clearer as she got closer to the main door it clearly is coming from the other side of this large entryway.

She already had her assumption that it was an abandoned child.

She slowly pushed the door to find a basket with a small baby crying its heart out.

The servant quickly took the baby from the cold outdoors to a more warm and comfortable area before telling her Masters.

The servant hurriedly knocked on the Count's bedroom door announcing that they had found an abandoned child on the steps of the main entryway.

The Count and Countess proceed to go to where they had securely kept this presumingly abandoned child.

They could clearly see it looking around with his deep captivating blue eyes by the fireplace in the arms of their loyal servant. The fire's spark gives an effect on his bright platinum hair giving the view a more magisterial vibe than any other scene they have witnessed.

Countess Roselle approaches the servant who was lovingly humming a fine-tune.

"Is this the child?"

The Countess asked with a distressed tone on her voice. her watery eyes sparkle from the warmly burning woods on the pit of the fireplace as she feels sorrowful for the child right in front of her.

"Yes, Mistress." The Servant gave off a warm gaze as she looked towards her kind Mistress.

"My...what a beautiful child."

The Countess pitifully caressed the child's elegant white soft skin and chubby cheeks.

Countess Roselle carefully took the child from the servant as she begins to slowly sway her body to passionately let the child fall to a deep sleep.

"Dear"

She looked at her beloved husband with a determined and kind look on her beautiful face.

"let us take in this child..."

Count Richard momentarily lowered his head and quickly lifted it back...He looked at her beautiful wife once more with a warm expression on his face. he nodded his head to show his earnest response.

Countess Roselle looked very happy leaving a very stunning smile on her face. Her breathtaking beauty made the Count fall more in love with her as he sees his wife beaming with joy.

The next day

...

I was surprised to have heard the news that I would take on the role of an Older Brother...I've never expected this to happen because my mother can't carelessly get pregnant. She already had a hard time giving birth to me due to her frail body so I know that he's definitely adopted.

"Harold I entrust you to be a wonderful older brother to your new little brother."

"Yes, Mother...I'll do my best."

"My...What an obedient child you are."

Countess Roselle hugged Harold tightly with her earnest hope that the two would get along with each other.

His name was Xarth that was the given name that my father and mother decided on. He was a very cheerful child and a pretty boy for a Commoner. He has Bright Platinum hair, Deep Captivating Blue eyes, and Pale skin befitting for a nobleman.

I was at the age of 8 while he was only 3 when we started to play together...It was a different feeling than usual when I used to play with my so-called friends.

I genuinely can feel that he's honestly enjoying playing with me in the mansion's courtyard. Which is a feeling that deeply warms my heart that I have never felt with anyone before besides my parents.

Soon after about 2 years of spending time with one another, we became close enough to the point that we always shared the bed at night...I really did consider him as my little brother.

I thought my life would become more worse as it is because of his appearance but it definitely didn't..on the contrary, it greatly improved for the better than I had anticipated.

He lived inside the household without showing or appearing in front of anyone outside the mansion for 5 yrs before my Father and Mother decided to completely reveal his existence as the Second Son Of Count Barrows in a formal noble gathering, due to no one knowing about my mother's condition people just assumed that Countess Roselle had given birth to this boy in secret.

All their attention was focused on him leaving no one's eyes on me....it felt great but also meaningless. I promised my mother that I would be a wonderful older brother instead I made his life miserable by him not even knowing anything about those people's intentions that were currently showering him with unwanted attention.

So I decided..... to protect him by stealing all the spotlight that I despise so much. By playing the piano to garner the attention of the crowd if we were on a formal gathering or excessively butt into their conversation.

It was worth it!

In the process, our bond became much stronger. he would always tell me how much he loved me as his older brother and those words were what keeps me going to bear all those infuriating unwanted attention...Just for him to have a peaceful life.

Though that quickly changed when he reached the age of 6 when his health abruptly turned for the worse.

It started with a cold...

He was bedridden for 5 days...I would always wait in the hallway at the front door of his room when a doctor would visit him and would check on his condition.

The doctor said that he was slowly recovering and will be in great condition for the next 2 more days.

But that was not the case...

He became more sickly and weak to the point that he couldn't even stand on his own feet. black markings that can't be described can be seen all over his body causing everyone to be frightened of him. To the point that everyone started avoiding him.

This causes me and my parents to worry greatly.

My father did his best to call all the best doctor in the Messiah Kingdom, he even called in priests and magician who has the affinity of the light element.

Someone finally gave us an answer to what is happening to Xarth's body. It was the priest who specializes in getting rid of impurities and curses.

"I'm afraid your son is affected by an unknown curse."

The truth hit us like the weight of a dragon stomping his large and sharp paws on our very body.

"CAN'T YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!" I angrily replied to the priest in front of me.

"I'm afraid...I can't Young master this is a curse that I have never seen nor heard of...I deeply apologize."

We were completely devastated...it happened at a time when we recently became a proper family.

My mother cried her hearts out she was even willing to take the curse for herself...but it can't be helped.

My father assigned the priest to perform a prayer every day hoping to get rid of the impurities or the curse itself...This lasted for as long as 6 years...He was already 12 at that time while I was 17 who already has finished my coming of age ceremony.

And needs to take care of my responsibilities as the next successor of the Count's title. Due to that, I didn't get any time to visit him much often in those 6 years.

But that didn't made me gave up hope on him, I offered prayers every single day to the Gods and Goddesses hoping for a single miracle to happen.

It really did happen a miracle that was answered by God.

At the strike of the night when the moon was on its fullest and brightest point. I decided to check up on him If he was doing fine because I had time to spare.

*CREAAKKK

I slowly opened his door then out of the blue. I can't believe the sight that I'm witnessing with both of my eyes.

He was standing on his own two feet and looking through the glassed window his long platinum hair unkempt for 6 years flutter from the squall of the winds coming from the outdoors. The black markings disappeared as if it was just a long nightmare.

He shifted his gaze on me his deep blue eyes brought a much more bright glow than it used to be and started to speak.

"Who might you be?"

*CLICK

My father covered up Xarth's absence because of the curse that lasted for 6 years to just of that of health issues...And everyone bought it they taught that he was weak and ignored it and the rumors quickly died down.

Since that day we drifted apart the bond we created for those short periods of time didn't hold much longer as he has completely forgotten about me. But he didn't know that those precious days we spend together were still tied down deep within my heart.

But I didn't forget about you...You who earnestly called me Big Brother and gave me the courage to face the cruelty of human greed. You who made me experienced warmth in the times of a cold night. You who became the beacon of light that helped me overcome my shortcomings, My little Brother.

So I pledge to myself to wait silently on the sidelines for you to reach your hands out if you ever needed my help. Or in times you need support or comfort.

Because that's my Role as your Older Brother...