THE CROWNLESS HEIR

PART 4: A WORLD THAT HATES

Nicholai awakes, his eyes open slowly. His sleep now is more comfortable than before in his life. Of course it is because now Nicholai can sleep on the very soft bed, not like before when he still lived together with Alicia or in his mother’s house. The view he sees is now much clearer and cooler. Everywhere is clean. The maids always clean all the corner in this house without excepting.

Nicholai’s hand takes a phone which is on the table besides his bed. The new phone which was given by Ivana yesterday. Naturally, the phone is from a renowned brand, one that is a long standing favourite of the Blackwood Family.

Five in the morning, that is what is displayed on his phone screen. It is too early for conglomerates to wake up. However, it is too late for Nicholai to wake up. Usually, Nicholai always woke up at three morning and prepared to go to work. It is truly saddening. But, is not that what poor people are supposed to do—go to bed last and wake up first to work more in order to pay all the bills and debts?

Nicholai is busy scrolling his new phone for a few minutes. He can’t believe that this luxury phone which was Nicholai only can sew it from an advertisement on the billboard now he can have it. The last time Nicholai had a phone, it was not from the luxury brand, then he sold it to buy Alicia a luxury bag as a birthday gift of that woman. Ah, even Nicholai still remembers how Alicia whined to have that bag bought for her.

Nicholai comes out from his room after a few minutes scrolling his phone. He walks out, go to the garden which is full of flowers. So beautiful.

“Young Master, you already awake?” An old man who is a gardener there comes and says hi to Nicholai.

“Are you Mr ….” Nicholai tries to remember the name of the workers here.

The Blackwood Family has so many workers and it is not easy for Nicholai to remember the name of them.

“Joshua, my name is Joshua, Sir. And please, call me only Joshua. I am your worker, so you do not have to call me so formal.” Joshua says.

“Oh, okay, Joshua.” Even though it is so weird for Nicholai, but Nicholai follows what is the rule in this house.

“Anyway, why did you wake up so early, Sir? Nobody from The Blackwood Family awakes so early like you. They will always wake up at nine or ten morning.” Joshua asks.

“I am used to wake up so early. You know that I come from the poor family. I always wake up so early—even earlier than today—to work.” Nicholai says.

“I think you are a hard working man, Sir. You will be the best leader in BW Tech.”

Nicholai just smiles. Ah, knowing that he got a high position in a big company, gives Nicholai a headache. Nicholai still does not know how to do.

“Do you want to see the horses and deer?” Joshua asks.

“There are horses and deer?” Nicholai asks surprised.

Joshua nods. “Come on!”

Nicholai follows Joshua. They walk to another garden. Nicholai just knows that this house is much bigger than he thought before.

Nicholai’s eyes wide in shock. He does not believe that there are some horses and deer in this big and beautiful garden. They run from one corner to the other happily.

“Jack!” Joshua calls a man who takes care of horses and deer.

“Hey, Joshua!” A man named Jack replies. He comes to Joshua and Nicholai. “Oh, Young Master.” Jack is surprised. He bows, paying his respects to Nicholai.

“Eh!” Nicholai is surprised. He is still not used about it.

“I am Jack, I am a herder of horses and deer here. Nice to meet you.” Jack welcomes Nicholai.

“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Jack.”

“Why do you call me so formal?” Jack is surprised.

“Mr. Nicholai needs time to process about it, Jack. So, do not be surprised when he calls you so formal. He will be used soon.” Joshua tells.

“Oh, I see. It is okay. Oh, anyway, what makes you want to come here so early, Sir?” Jack asks.

“First because I used to wake up so early. I walked out and I met Mister—sorry, I mean Joshua—at the garden. He asked me to see horses and deer. Can I see them closer?” Nicholai asks.

“Of course. Come on!” Jack brings Joshua and Nicholai to look at horses and deer closer.

A horse approaches Nicholai, Nicholai welcomes it happily.

“Claire loves you, Sir.” Jack laughs.

“Claire?”

“This horse, her name is Claire.”

“Wow, your name is so beautiful, Girl.”

“Do you want to ride them, Sir?” Jack asks.

“May I?”

“Yes, of course.”

Then Jack brings a male horse to Nicholai. “His name is Baldwin. He is the strongest and biggest horse here. You can ride him.”

Jack helps Nicholai to sit on Baldwin, then leading that horse slowly so Nicholai can enjoy it.

“Joshua!”

Nicholai who enjoys riding the horse also Joshua and Jack who accompany him, they are surprised when a woman which maid uniform screams and walks towards them. She is Mathilda.

“What happens, Mathilda?” Joshua confused.

“Young Master, Madame Ivana looks for you. She asks you to get breakfast together before you will go to the office of BW Tech.” Mathilda says.

“Today?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Let me help you, Sir.” Jack helps Nicholai to get down.

“Thank you so much for bringing me here, Joshua. And thank you so much for helping me to enjoy my time with horses and deer, Jack. I am so happy. See you.” Nicholai says and leaves them, walking with Mathilda.

“He comes.” Roberts says with a sarcastic tone. He looks do not like Nicholai so much.

“I am so sorry, I—”

“How sad is your life that you hang out with them?”

“What?” Nicholai does not know what Ivana said.

“Only the lower classes who hang out with the lower classes. You are so lucky because your status was elevated because of my husband’s death. But hanging out with an herder and a gardener, sure, I never see my sons do it.”

Nicholai is silent, he still does not know about Ivana’s sentences.

“Nevermind, Mom, talking to him only make us piss off. Hey, you, what is your name?” Robert replies.

“Nicholai.”

“Yes, it is. Today you have to go to BW Tech’s office to introduce yourself to the workers there. Be kind and do not be rude!” Robert says, then he finishes his bread and leaves the table.

After finishing his breakfast, Nicholai prepares to go to the office.

Nicholai looks at himself in the mirror several times, occasionally tidying up his appearance.

Today is his first day of work. He will meet the workers there. Not as a fellow worker, but as a leader. Really, it makes Nicholai nervous. Moreover, Nicholai never had experience as a leader.

“You can do it, Nick.” Nicholai tries to convince himself.

“Are you ready, Sir?” A black suit man asks.

Nicholai nods. He walks towards with him to the parking lot.

“Which car would you like to go in, Sir?” The black suit man asks.

Nicholai looks thoughtful as he stared at the rows of luxury cars in the parking lot, which, to him, were all the same. No matter how luxurious the cars, would not the route they would take be the same?

“That one.” Nicholai points to a car in a corner.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Why?” Nicholai asks.

“That is the car Mr. Alexis usually used.”

“Is it true?”

“Yes, you are really his son.”

Nicholai just smiles, then gets into the car he had chosen.

Along the way to the BW Tech office, neither Nicholai nor the driver speak much. Nicholai occasionally makes small talk, asking the driver’s name and where he was from. The driver is Benedict, from France. His late father had even worked for Alexis Blackwood for decades.

They finally arrive at the BW Tech building after about a 15 minute journey. The building is not very large, looking very modest for a well known company.

“Good morning, Mr. Benedict!” A security guard on duty says hello.

“Good morning. Today I have Mr. Nicholai Blackwood with me.”

“Good morning, Mr. Nicholai Blackwood. Welcome to BW Tech.” The security guard peeks his head into the car and greets Nicholai, who is sitting in the back seat.

“Good morning.” Nicholai says kindly.

Benedict parks the car in the special parking lot for BW Corp’s top brass, then takes Nicholai to the 12^th floor, where Nicholai would meet his employees.

“Why is it so crowded?” Benedict is stunned when he hears the loud noise of people coming from the meeting room.

“Welcome, Mr. Nicholai Blackwood!” A young man and woman around 25 years old welcome Nicholai’s arrival.

“Let me introduce myself. I am Arnold and this is Jessica – your secretary.” They shake Nicholai’s hand and introduce themselves.

“Please, come in, Mr. Nicholai, everyone has been waiting for you.” Jessica invites Nicholai to enter the room.

Nicholai is surprised to see far more people than he expected. Not only that, but there are even reporters overing the event. It is like a press conference.

“Hi, Nick. Finally you come!” Robert welcomes Nicholai warmly, even he hugs Nicholai. Very different from his attitude at home.

“I know that an illegitimate child like you is being elevated. However, a person born with an education is different from an illegitimate child who is elevated. So, try to be our equal and do not act like a country bumpkin! Do you understand?” Robert whispers directly into Nicholai’s ear.

Nicholai nods. His face grows increasingly tense. Although Nicholai manages to maintain his composure, he fears that whatever he does would appear unsophisticated and bring shame to the Blackwood Family.

“Everyone, let me introduce you. This is Nicholai Blackwood. Although he is the son of another woman, he is still a Blackwood descendant. As written in my father—Alexis Blackwood’s will, Nicholai will lead BW Tech starting today.” Robert speaks loudly in front of everyone present.

Nicholai grows increasingly tense and embarrassed, especially when Robert mentioned that Nicholai was the child of another woman. His words seemed to undermine Nicholai’s self-esteem.

Sure enough, the sentence caught everyone’s attention. Reporters approach, their cameras snapping photos and videos of Nicholai every second.

“Mr. Nicholai, have you met late Mr. Alexis before he passed away?”

“Did your mother tell you everything about you, Mr. Nicholai?”