Aether returned to his bed to rest after a long day of thinking. He lay down on the bed and began staring at the ceiling of his room. The atmosphere was unusually calm, to the point where time in the castle seemed to have paused for a moment. His mind began to sink into a tangled web of thoughts, reflecting on everything he had been through recently. He thought about his situation, the family he was born into, and all the faces that made up a life trapped in an endless chaos.
"Well, it seems I'm disliked by my older siblings, and that makes them my enemies, of course..." Aether muttered to himself quietly, as he pounced on his thoughts. "And also, the sisters I haven't met much, so I can't be sure of their stance. But let's assume they are enemies too, I don't want to live on false hope. As for my mother... she sees me as a burden, just a worthless piece of trash, and that makes her a potential enemy. She might kill me at any moment because she considers me a disgrace to the family."
He then took a deep breath and continued hesitantly: "As for my father's wives, they're no different. Christina, for example, has older sons who are the more likely candidates to inherit Vlad's place in the family, so she considers me an enemy as well. As for Elena, the second wife... I don't think she's a friend to me, at least not in my best interest. I might consider her neutral, but the truth is, she sees me as a failure, another disgrace to this family."
He paused for a moment, as if recalling everyone around him. "Yes, everyone sees me as a failure, from the servants to the nobles, everyone sees me as a burden. I can say that no one in this castle likes me, and I can list them all as enemies."
Then he smiled a faint smile, speaking to himself: "But this comforts me, no one is on my side, I can deal with things as I wish. Everyone is my enemy? Good, then I can act more freely."
But in the midst of this resolution, he remembered one person who had always stayed by his side. "But there's Layla, yes, she's the only one who remained by my side. Even though they repeatedly tried to ask her to retire and work under my older siblings' orders, she refused, vehemently."
He took a deep breath and said: "She's considered one of the strongest fighters in the duchy, and she's the main reason I've survived until now. I can say that she's my only ally right now."
He exhaled deeply and continued: "Well, I'm used to living alone, and when surrounded by enemies, it comforts me, at least I know who I am."
He then shifted his focus to his weak body. "I must increase my physical strength. My body is too weak and doesn't respond well to reflexes. I need to sync my instincts with this weak body." He whispered to himself: "I can't keep going like this, I need to train harder and faster."
Aether slowly got up from his place and decided to begin his physical training immediately. He started with push-ups, stretching his muscles, but he felt extremely tired after only half an hour. His body was in a pitiful condition, panting heavily, with sweat pouring down his forehead. He collapsed to the ground from exhaustion, cursing himself in his mind: "Damn, this body is so weak, it couldn't even handle light exercises. But that's fine, it's just the beginning, I need to train faster. I have no time to waste."
He closed his eyes for a moment and then decided to use his mana to speed up his recovery. He knew that mana couldn't help build physical strength quickly, but it could assist with faster healing.
Over the weeks, he continued to train his body with various exercises, such as frog jumps, jump squats, and push-ups, exercises that improved endurance and the health of the lungs and heart. He followed this grueling routine for a full five months, noticing gradual improvement in his physical strength. He became able to perform consecutive push-ups and jumps without tiring easily.
One day, while Aether was practicing his exercises early in the morning, someone knocked on the door, and a soft voice said: "It's me, my lord. Layla."
Aether replied calmly: "Come in."
Layla entered and closed the door behind her, and when she turned around, she couldn't hide her surprise at Aether's appearance. His body had changed noticeably; he had become stronger, and his muscles were clearly defined. Layla's face flushed with embarrassment and she said: "I think you've acquired some nice muscles."
Aether smiled slightly and said: "Thank you very much, it's thanks to your care. You've always been by my side, and you gave me hope even in the hardest moments. I will never forget everything you've done for me."
At that moment, Aether felt that Layla was more than just a servant. She had become the true mother, the supporter, the loyal one. As for Layla, she was moved by his words, which reminded her of everything he had endured, and how Aether had started standing on his feet thanks to her strength and support.
Layla set the lunch table and said: "Eat your food, my lord. Don't worry about me."
But Aether smiled and said: "I don't see you as a servant, you're the best person in this castle to me. You have the right to sit here, you've done everything for me."
They sat together and ate quietly. Then Aether looked at Layla and said: "I want to ask you a question, and you can refuse to answer if you wish."
Layla was surprised and said: "What do you want?"
"With your movements and your physical speed, you seem like a skilled fighter. Were you... an assassin?"
At that moment, Aether felt a bit anxious, as Layla was noticing every little thing about his gestures. Layla looked at him intently and said: "How did you know? I thought you didn't care about training or fighting."
Here, Aether found himself in a little trouble. But after a few moments of thought, he smiled and said: "I noticed it in some of the movements you make. You don't make any sound while moving, and that made me notice."
Layla nodded and said: "You're right. In the past, I worked as an assassin under your father's command. But after your father married your mother, who had great power, your father asked me to be your guardian."
Aether looked at her in shock and asked: "But why didn't you leave that job? Why didn't you return?"
Layla was silent for a moment and then said sincerely: "Because I couldn't leave you, Aether. I couldn't leave a little boy abandoned even by his own mother. I don't see you as just a weak child, but as someone worth fighting for."
Aether's features began to change, and he felt an indescribable warmth, as if all the memories he had tried to forget returned to him at that moment.
"You are more than just a servant to me, Layla. You are like a mother to me. If I had a brother or a son like you, I would have lived a better life."
Layla answered with enthusiasm: "Well, from now on, you can consider me your sister."
Aether smiled and said: "Alright, from today I will consider you my sister."
And that moment marked the beginning of a significant change in Aether's life.
Thus, Aether continued eating while Layla watched him intently, a clear happiness on her face. Aether felt a little discomfort, then said:
"Layla, what do you think about going out for a walk around the castle? I feel suffocated here."
Layla replied:
"I understand, but isn't it dangerous for you to go out? If you do, everyone will know you're fine, and the situation will start all over again."
He replied confidently:
"I'm not weak anymore. I need to be impressive so you won't be ashamed of me."
Layla laughed and said:
"You mischievous boy! When did you learn such words?"
He answered:
"It doesn't matter where I learned them, what matters is that I'm right. Also, please call me 'Aether', because I want to leave all the old memories behind and start fresh with a new name."
Layla said:
"You seem determined to change this time."
He looked at her confidently and said:
"Yes, this time will not be like the last ones."
Layla smiled and said:
"Alright, then. I'll get your clothes. You need to change to look good."
He replied:
"Alright."
Thus, Aether changed his clothes and left his room. He then stood in front of Layla and said:
"Alright, you're my guide now, take me to beautiful places to relax."
Layla replied:
"Alright, I'll take you to the back garden of the castle so you can rest there."
He replied:
"Alright."
While Aether and Layla were walking through the castle, everyone whispered among themselves. They passed by the kitchen, and when one of the cooks saw them, he looked at them with a provocative expression and said:
"Aha, seems like the trash has finally woken up after a long hibernation like a bear."
He laughed with his friends and said it loudly.
Aether heard his words and felt deeply insulted, so he moved toward the cook, staring at him, while the cook had his back turned and was unaware of his presence behind him. The cook continued his mocking and said:
"Didn't I tell you this trash is still alive