A tense silence followed the Young Master's explanation.
Vivienne's furious expression remained etched on her face, her eyes still narrowed in disbelief and accusation, though she remained silent for a moment, perhaps processing the sudden shift in his demeanor and words.
She glanced quickly at her mother, then back at him, a flicker of something unreadable, a mix of skepticism and perhaps surprise, in her gaze.
The Queen's soft face showed a flicker of concern, her kind eyes now tinged with a familiar weariness at the mention of her son's 'terrible hangover,' but also a subtle hint of relief.
The King, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, his understanding gaze fixed on his son, gave a slow, almost imperceptible nod.
His expression softened slightly, a hint of paternal concern replacing the calm authority he usually exuded.
The two younger children, the Prince and Princess, looked at their older brother with wide, innocent eyes, their initial distress at Vivienne's outburst replaced by a mix of curiosity and slight confusion.
They seemed to absorb his words, their small faces losing some of their tension.
The immediate atmosphere in the dining hall, while still strained, shifted ever so slightly, a fragile calm descending after the abrupt confrontation.
The Queen broke the silence, her gentle voice carrying a note of hope.
"Well, my dear, it sounds like you truly had a rough night."
"But... you've never apologized for such a thing before."
Her gaze was soft, searching.
"Are you feeling quite all right, truly?"
The King placed a reassuring hand over his wife's.
He looked at his son's, a hint of a smile, small and uncertain, playing on his lips.
"Indeed, son. We are glad to see you well."
"Your sister was merely concerned, though her expression of it is... enthusiastic."
He gave Vivienne a subtle, knowing look, which she met with a glare before looking away.
Vivienne, however, was not so easily swayed. She scoffed again, though quieter this time.
"Please, Mother, Father. You fall for it every time. He's just trying to avoid punishment."
"Rough night, yeah, I've seen him after far worse. This is just a new tactic."
Her eyes darted to the young master, still sharp and mistrustful.
"What's the real reason you're acting like this? Are you ill?"
"Did someone finally knock some sense into you last night?"
Before anyone else could utter a sound after Vivienne's biting questions, while looking at her parents, she pointed an accusatory finger directly at him.
"He is clearly lying!"
Her voice ringing out sharply, cutting through the heavy silence that followed her words.
"There's no way anyone would believe what you just said."
Her gaze then snapped to her mother, then to her wide-eyed younger brother and sister, sweeping over each of them.
She seemed to be checking their faces, searching for any sign that they might actually be buying into his sudden change of heart.
"There's no way he wouldn't do anything bad, right after what he did last night while wasted."
Vivienne thought fiercely to herself, her mind ablaze with certainty.
"He is clearly lying."
"Our poor maid, Elara, must have been suffering for so long now after being appointed as his personal maid."
She declared, her conviction was absolute, a thick wall built from years of disappointment.
Then, her eyes, still blazing, fixed on the line of household maids and butlers standing discreetly against the far wall.
"Elara! Please..."
She commanded, her voice cutting through the tension.
"!!"
Elara, who had been standing humbly among the other staff, flinched visibly but quickly stepped forward, her hands clasped nervously in front of her.
She approached the table, bowing respectfully.
"Tell us, Elara."
Vivienne demanded, her voice hard.
"Tell us exactly what happened in the his bedroom this morning."
"Did he... did he hurt you? Did he torture you as he does often?"
All eyes, including those of the King and Queen, turned to the young maid.
Elara swallowed, her gaze flickering to the young master for a brief moment before settling on Vivienne, her expression earnest.
"No, Princess Vivienne."
Elara stated clearly, her voice soft but firm, a surprising strength in her tone.
"The young master... did not harm me."
"There were indeed broken glass shards and blood, but it was from his own accident, as he explained."
"And yes, there was...a mess from the alcohol, but he was the one who asked for the rags and helped me clean."
"He was... very different this morning."
A ripple of surprise, subtle but palpable, passed through the dining hall.
The Queen gasped softly, her hand flying to her mouth.
The King's eyes widened, a flicker of profound astonishment replacing his usual calm.
Vivienne's jaw, however, dropped.
Her furious expression morphed into one of utter disbelief, her eyes darting between Elara and her brother.
"Are you lying Elara?"
Vivienne accused, her voice tight with disbelief, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at the maid.
"Are you being tortured to lie? Did he blackmail you? Did he threaten you to not tell the truth?"
"Do you need help, Elara?"
"You can tell us, you don't have to suffer in silence."
Elara quickly shook her head, her response immediate and firm.
"No, Princess Vivienne! He did not, Your Royal Highness. I am telling the absolute truth."
"The Young Master did not do anything to me. He truly was different this morning, he was very calm and considerate."
The Young Master, seizing the unexpected and firm confirmation from Elara, and sensing the shift in the room, decided to act quickly.
He didn't want to drag this out further, especially with the newfound, fragile hope in his parents' eyes.
"Thank you, Elara."
He said, his voice calm and steady, giving her a reassuring nod.
Then, he turned to his parents and Vivienne.
"Mother, Father, Vivienne, I sincerely apologize for disturbing your breakfast with this... spectacle, and for my behavior last night."
He bowed his head slightly, a gesture of respect and remorse that was utterly foreign to his family.
The Queen's eyes widened further, her hand trembling slightly as she reached out towards him instinctively, but stopped herself.
The King's brow furrowed, his gaze intense, searching for any sign of deception.
Vivienne's expression was a mixture of utter shock and complete bewilderment.
He pushed his chair back slightly.
"Would it be alright for me to finish my breakfast in my room? I still feel a bit unwell."
The Queen, still reeling from Elara's testimony and now this unprecedented apology, looked at the King, who now had a small, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.
He nodded, a clear sign of approval.
"Of course, my dear."
The Queen said, her voice gentle.
"Please, do as you wish. Elara, please ensure my son has everything he needs."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Elara replied, bowing.
Ethan rose from his seat and turning to look at his maid.
"Elara, please bring my breakfast to my room."
As he prepared to leave, the Queen called out, her voice softer now, tinged with genuine concern,
"Alright, my dear. After eating, go rest and get well soon, Kilian."
Ethan stopped walking for a second after hearing what seems to be his new body's name. His mind reeled.
"Kilian? Who the hell is that?"
"I don't think in my seven years of playing Aethelgard Online have I stumbled upon a character with that name."
"Hwoo..."
He took a slow, deliberate breath, letting his gaze sweep across the table one more time.
He saw the doubt, the concern, the lingering hope.
Turning back, Kilian walked towards his room, the echoes of the strained breakfast fading behind him.
His mind raced, a whirlwind of questions demanding attention.
"I need to know everything about this world, he thought, his brow furrowing."
"This is nothing like the game I was playing anymore. There's a lot of changes the I don't know about."
"What about this place? The of Noxhaven Kingdom. It's supposed to be Vivienne's."
"Who am I? Kilian? I've never heard that name in all my years of playing Aethelgard Online."
"And my family... The king and the queen? My parents? A furious sister who's a main heroine?
"What the hell happened to me before I woke up in this body?"
He knew he couldn't afford to make any more mistakes.
This wasn't a game where he could just reload a save.
"I have to make sure my reputation don't go any lower but I can't get caught to be the fake Kilian. This is going to be tricky."
"I need to be smart, fast, and careful about how I figure this out."
The stakes are too high. His very existence, and potentially his survival, depended on understanding this new reality.
---
As Kilian and Elara left the dining hall, a heavy silence settled over the remaining family members.
Vivienne immediately turned to her parents, her disbelief palpable.
"Mother, Father, do you really believe any of that?"
She questioned, her voice sharp with exasperation.
"Have you forgotten what he usually does? What he did last night? He's just trying a new tactic to avoid consequences!"
Her father, the King, sighed, his gaze thoughtful.
"He explained himself, Vivienne, and his maid did not look like she was being forced to confirm it."
"Even if it's not entirely true, we can't do anything about it if his own personal maid confirms it."
Then the young Prince chimed in,
"Brother was quiet, sister. He didn't even yell."
The little Princess nodded earnestly,
"And he looked sleepy! Not mad."
The Queen nodded, her eyes soft with a fragile hope.
"He was different today, Vivienne. Calm and considerate. He even left to let us continue eating properly."
"I think you should talk to your brother and apologize."
"He always pushes us away, but today, Vivienne, you were the one who pushed him away today."
The King then added, his voice firm but gentle,
"And Vivienne, if you think he is doing something wrong, you should be the one to try and find it."
"Confronting him like this is not the right way."
"If you actually catch him doing something bad again, then you can stop him."
***
/I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If its alright, please drop a comment or a powerstone to help me keep making this world bigger!