The Fairest of Them All

XIII. Neglection

Chapter 13

Yui stared at the woman for a moment, awestruck as she emitted an extravert yet cold demeanour, before she noticed the little boy sitting silently beside her, his head buried in a thick book. Her eyes widened in recognition. '...Reiji?'

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The diligent boy was reading a book far more advance for his age, and yet he read it with ease, his eyes brightening with interest upon every word. A barking noise pierced Reiji's ears, the interruption causing him to lift his head up in displeasure. Below the wide, concrete steps stood his elder brother, Shuu, whose captivating sapphire eyes and sunlight painted hair were inherited by their mother. He appeared blissfully carefree as he held a puppy in his hands.

Reiji repressed a sigh, pushing his rectangular glasses as it began to slip. His attention shifted towards him mother, who abruptly stood up from where she sat. The fabric and sewing kit were placed on the wooden table with a light thud before she begun making her way towards his elder brother, wearing a stern expression.

"Shuu, what are you doing?" Her tone matched her facial features.

Her hooded eyes grew colder once they landed on the brown puppy in his arms, but the boy seemed unfazed as he continued laughing along with it. Shuu then looked up at his mum and held the puppy out towards her.

Its little tail was wagging giddily when he said, "Look, a friend just gave him to me!"

Then, the puppy released a small bark, before its black nose began twitching. A sneeze followed soon after, shaking its tiny body.

The mother's icy expression didn't waver. "Release him at once."

Shuu ignored her words and gazed at the puppy with adoration. It then licked his cheek, causing him to shut an eye as he giggled. "Hey, that tickles!"

Reiji's opened book was left unread in his hands as he stared at Shuu with brows furrowed in displeasure. To further emphasise his discontentment, he released a barely audible growl from the back of his throat.

"Shuu!" Being one of the rare moments, the mother's voice was raised. She paused to take breath, and continued once she regained her composure. "You are the eldest son, and therefore the next head of the family. You must learn how to conduct yourself at all times."

The elder butler behind her nodded in understanding before he began advancing towards Shuu, attempting to remove the puppy from his grasp. Shuu immediately resisted.

"What are you doing?!" he exclaimed, tugging the puppy away from the butler's clutches. "No! I promised Edgar I'd take care of him!"

Reiji's eyes still reflected distaste as he observed the scene unfolding in front of his eyes, as his mother silently walked down the steps. She now stood in front of Shuu, not a single word uttered. Shuu turned, and upon seeing her criticized glare, he stopped and was forced to weaken his grasp on the puppy. The butler seized the moment to confiscate it.

With empty hands, Shuu buried a hole on the ground with his gaze, his eyes quivering as they blinked back tears. He dashed off a second after, ignoring the stares that stabbed his back.

Reiji's sour expression went away when he saw that his mother had returned to his seat like before. Her perfect posture sagged, and she had to take another deep breath to straighten into her usual, solemn demeanour. Her eyes remained closed as her second son spoke.

"Mother," Reiji said, a hint of desperation. "I have finished memorizing this entire book."

The mother simply looked down at her lap, before picking up her materials from the table and continued to sew. Upon the neglection, Reiji's magenta eyes dulled, shifting back to the pages that now seemed bland.