Both Leon's parents gazed straight at Leon with a shocked expression.

“Leon Fronti!!!!!! what… what do you mean by that!!!!???”

As Duke Carl realized what he just heard, he couldn’t help but shout to Leon in an angry voice. Duchess Julia watches the angry Duke with worry expression and turns back to Leon with concern.

“Leon… why… why you say that….”

Duchess Julia asks Leon with worry gazed. Her eyes were begging for Leon to explain.

“Are you insane Leo--”

“calm down darling… there must be an explanation for this… just listen first!!”

Shout Duchess Julia as she faces Duke Carl, trying to calm her husband. Duke Carl shot Leon with a flaming glare while Duchess Julia turn back towards Leon who was silent while watching her husband with determined eyes.

Sigh*

“It's just as I said before... I plan on living isolated after this… I won’t take part in the heir study anymore… I’m just gonna live in silence now… then… when I reach the age of 20 and Luis reaches his age of illegible for him to be the main heir for this territory which is when he was 18… I will… disappear from this mansion… no… from this entire territory…”

Gasp*

Silence*

Duchess Julia hold her breath as she gripped tight the armrest of her couch, while Duke Carl grip the table behind him with both of his hands. No one could say any words anymore. Both of them saw eyes of Leon at the time.

‘he means it’

‘he really wanted to….’

Hence, Duchess Julia’s eyes started to fill with glasses. She tried hard to suppress her feeling. But this time, she can’t. Tears start falling down from her eyes to her cheek. And Duke Carl who saw it, thus shout,

“do you know what you had done Leo!!!! You just make your mother cry!!!!! How cou—”

“I didn’t mean!!!-”

Stiffened*

Duke Carl stiffened as Leon cut his word. Duchess Julia cried quietly beside Leon as she watched her child speak his mind without considering her feeling at all.

“I didn’t mean to make mother cry… nor did I mean to make anyone hurt… I just… want this to be over…”

Leon wants this to be over. He is tired of all of this. He didn’t mean that he was tired of this family. But he was tired of living like this. Living in silence and isolated. His doctor says to him, to come out and stop hiding, but he knows, that he can’t do it. After considering everything, he can’t come out. Not after three years in hiding.

No one knows this, except Leon himself. He never shared this with anyone, he keeps it inside. The feeling off suffocated. 

At first, he didn’t feel anything, but when everyone ignored him. When his parents avoid him. He could feel and understand that… he doesn’t like this feeling… feeling of not being needed.

Though everyone avoided him to avoid telling the truth, he knows, he was an abandoned child, he was not a part of this family, he was adopted. But he pretended not to know, so that anybody around him, could tell him the truth.

He questioned, for months and months for an answer, for his parents to tell the truth. But they avoided it. Then he decided to keep his mouth shut and wait for months and months for themselves to tell everything, but… no one say anything. 

So that’s when he decided… ‘LET’S JUST KEEP SHUT UP TILL IT’S OVER.'

But as the years went by, and all the cries he shed alone in his bedroom, nothing changes. No one is still willing to tell the truth. 

Though he listened to his parent explanation and everything, the truth never come out of their mouth. While he talked with his younger brother and played with him, his younger brother is the only one he could be himself as he is not someone who knows the truth. 

The thing he wants the most to escape from the suffocating feeling he long felt is a sincere and truthful answer. But there’s no such thing that exists for him. 

No one wants to be honest with him. That’s why he felt like he was abandoned by everyone. He felt like everyone avoided him because he is not needed.

Though his heart knows that it’s only in his head and everyone sincerely loves him. His mind keeps heading in that direction. His mind keeps saying that they will leave you. Hence, he decided… rather than be abandoned, I should abandon them first. Rather than waiting for the answer, let’s just give them my own answer. Rather than be forced to step down from being the main heir, let’s just never stepped in for that position at all.

“what do you mean that you want this to be over??do you want to be over from this family!!???”

Cries out Duchess Julia from hearing the unbelievable words coming from Leon. Leon thus watched her painfully. He doesn’t like to see her cry. But he can’t back down now. 

On the other hand, Duke Carl observe properly Leon's expression. He could see Leon worried face towards his mother and he could also understand how weighing the words that Leon said. Despite that, Leon continues to say…

“I don’t mean to be over from this family but… father I know you will understand why I did this…”

“what do you me—”

“in nobles world… usually the heir was chosen from the performance of their sons and also the fact that the son was the eldest… but you know our family can’t do like that…”

“wha—Leo you—”

“The eldest suppose to be me… but the truth… is not me….”

And no one can refute that, so that's why the silence descends.

Duchess Julia didn't make any sound anymore, but her tears did not. As for Duke Carl, he trembled in shock. Leon's face at that same time still didn’t change. his stoic expression was still there as he ignored them and continues saying.

“fighting among siblings to take on the power as the lord can’t be avoided if it’s already taken places… but what if... we stop before it happens??? What if I disappear before it’s happening??”

Gulped*

Hearing it, Duke Carl couldn't help but gulp down his saliva.

Duchess Julia looks back and forth between her son and her husband. Duke Carl then opened up and close his mouth before trying to speak,

“that...—”

“so, let’s just do this… if I live myself isolated, my existence will slowly but surely fade from the mind of those noble’s people... then they won’t think to divide their support but instead will focus on Luis… they will support Luis back as an heir… then… there won’t be a fight breaking out between us… then.. we could live as a family for now--”

“wait….”