The morning sun gently filtered through the tall windows of the Altavis mansion, casting golden lines across the dining room. The low murmur that usually filled the house had disappeared, replaced by a heavy silence that seemed to weigh down on everyone there.
From the living room, a commotion had erupted earlier, voices raised and tension thick in the air.
"Mom, please! Not now! Tomorrow, okay?" Kazien had pleaded.
"I told you, DON'T PROTEST!" Duchess Larina's sharp voice echoed through the halls, full of authority and unyielding resolve.
The boy had immediately fallen silent, realizing that protesting further would only worsen his predicament. The force of his mother's anger was unlike anything he had experienced before. Kazien's heart thumped in his chest, and for a fleeting moment, he wondered how one person could command such fear and respect at the same time.
By the time Duchess Larina led him back into the dining room, the family had already gathered, all eyes turning toward Kazien. He lowered his head instinctively, feeling the weight of their gazes. It was then that Alvin noticed the red mark marring the boy's left cheek.
"Mom, why is his face red?" he asked, concern knitting his brows together.
Duchess Larina's eyes blazed. "Because he is a coward who refuses to admit his mistakes. I slapped him hard on the cheek!"
The room fell into stunned silence. No one had expected the Duchess to physically reprimand her youngest son. Alvin's anger softened immediately, replaced with sympathy for Kazien, who had been punished so severely.
"And next month," Duchess Larina continued, her tone decisive, "you and Kazien will not be merely engaged—you will be married!"
A collective gasp rose from the room.
"Larina! He's only thirteen! That's… impossible! You can't just ignore the rules like—"
But Duchess Larina cut her husband off with a piercing glare. "Rules? What rules? He's already breaking the rules simply by choosing to marry a man. What rules do you speak of?"
The tension in the room became palpable, almost physical, like the air itself had grown heavy. Kazien shivered, his young heart racing at the weight of the situation.
"Elgard! Do you want our son to grow up a coward who can't prove his sincerity to Alvin?" Duchess Larina demanded, her voice rising once again.
"I… I understand! Calm down! Look at them! All our children are scared because of you!" Elgard raised his hands, attempting to restore calm. Slowly, the oppressive heat in the room subsided as Duchess Larina's anger tempered.
Alvin, sitting across from Kazien, spoke up quietly, his voice tinged with earnestness. "Mom, I won't force him. If he wants to be engaged first, I can accept that. But please… don't make Kazien even more depressed."
Duchess Larina's gaze softened slightly, though her sharp eyes remained fixed on her son. "Why are you like this, Alvin? I never wanted him spoiled. What is the point of understanding his feelings if he doesn't understand yours?"
"But mom," Alvin countered, "I want him to propose to me willingly, not because he's forced. I want him to choose me himself."
Duchess Larina exhaled slowly and reached out to hold Kazien's face. The boy's body trembled beneath her grip, and he could feel the intensity of her gaze pinning him in place.
"You heard yourself, right?" she said softly but firmly. "He was sincere, yet you played with his feelings. Do you really mean to be this cruel to the one you have chosen?"
The words struck Kazien like a physical blow. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but no sound came out. His mind raced, attempting to find an explanation, a justification, anything to ease the growing weight of guilt pressing down on his chest.
After a long pause, he finally found his voice. "I swear to the Goddess, I never intended to hurt him. I didn't want to tarnish his purity. I do want to marry him, but… I'm still thirteen!"
Duchess Larina's tone hardened again. "What's the difference? If he were a girl, I could wait until you were sixteen. But he's a boy. If you are serious about choosing him, do not be a coward. I never raised you to be that kind of person."
Kazien's heart pounded violently. He wanted to marry Alvin more than anything, but he was still a child in the eyes of the world. How could his decision be understood? What would the society say if a thirteen-year-old boy married someone? Yet, seeing his mother's unwavering expression, he could not deny the truth of his feelings.
"I will marry him," he said finally, his voice quivering, "but not at my age. I don't want to ruin the purity of his cute face."
Duchess Larina's eyes softened, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Do you understand what that means?"
"Yes," Kazien replied with quiet determination. "I do not want to marry Alvin under duress. I want to choose him because I love him."
He turned his gaze toward Alvin, who had been watching silently, a mixture of hope and anxiety in his mint-green eyes. Before Kazien could say another word, Alvin reached out and hugged him tightly, anchoring him in place.
"Why are you holding me? Please… let me go! I don't want to provoke you anymore!" Kazien protested, a mixture of embarrassment and panic flooding him.
"I won't let you go," Alvin replied. "I love you, and I only want to be with you forever."
"But we're not married yet!" Kazien protested softly. "When we are, I'll be happy to… to be with you properly. Can't you wait?"
Alvin's grip tightened, and he leaned closer. "Is it just about my innocence that you keep refusing me?"
Kazien's chest constricted. "Yes… your purity is more valuable to me than my own desires. Please… let me go!"
"But, apologize to your mother! Do you want to make her think of you? I, who have lost a mother figure, can no longer hear her voice."
Alvin's words immediately stunned him into silence. The absolute future that would soon come to him flashed back in his mind. Kazien relief washing over him as he turned toward his mother, kneeling before her.
"Mom… I'm sorry for shouting, for causing chaos. Please punish me if you must, but don't force me into something I'm not ready for."
Unexpectedly, Duchess Larina embraced him. "I am sorry too, my son, for pushing you and for even striking you. Let us forgive each other."
Tears welled in Kazien's eyes as he hugged her tightly, understanding the weight of responsibility, love, and trust she placed on his shoulders.
After a few moments, he approached Alvin, holding him gently. "I'm sorry if it seemed I was playing with you. Be patient with me. I will marry you in time because that is my choice, my will, and my love."
Alvin smiled softly, mint-green eyes glistening with unshed tears. "And I'm sorry for my childish anger. I will wait until the day we are wed."
The two embraced, the tension between them melting, and the family exhaled in relief. But Kazien's thoughts wandered to Alvin's parents, long gone. He pulled the boy gently toward Duchess Larina.
"Hug her," he whispered. "I want you to feel a mother's warmth again."
Alvin complied, burying his face against Duchess Larina's shoulder. Warmth, security, and love enveloped him. He remembered his biological mother's embrace, lost to time, and now he could feel it once more in the arms of this second mother.
"Sob… sob…" Alvin's quiet crying filled the room, and Kazien stood silently beside him, offering comfort without words.
"Alvin," Kazien whispered, "do you remember your mother?"
"Yes," Alvin replied, voice trembling. "I miss her… I remember the warmth, the love. I'll never feel that again—until now."
Duchess Larina stroked his hair gently. "As long as I live, you will always have me. You can hug me whenever you need."
"But… it feels suffocating," Alvin murmured. "Now I understand what Kazien has felt all this time. That shadow of the future, the fear of losing each other—it haunts me too."
Kazien and Rosalia exchanged a glance. The young girl had been watching in silence, curiosity and concern knitting her brows.
"It seems," Kazien said softly, "I can't hide the truth from you any longer. You need to know."
"What is it?" Rosalia asked, eyes wide with anticipation.
"Alvin feels suffocated because he fears we might be separated by death," Kazien explained.
Rosalia's eyes widened. "Aren't we all going to die someday?"
"No." Kazien said firmly. "Death will never touch us. We are immortal—Alvin and I."
The three girls—Rosalia, Raliana, and Ritalia—gasped in unison. Shock, awe, and disbelief painted their faces.
"Are you serious?" Ritalia asked, voice trembling.
"Would I joke about this? Even if we wanted to die, it would be impossible," Kazien replied.
Rosalia finally understood why Kazien spent so much time with his family, even with Ritalia. His immortality made their bond eternal, and his heart wanted to protect his loved ones, now and forever. However, she also thought that Kazien carried a very heavy burden because of his immortality.