Chapter 3
Leon did not expect his mother's death to bring him more pain, but he knew her funeral would be different. On that day, no one from the Rinaldi family attended—not his father, nor his wives, nor his brothers. The place was empty, as if she had never been a part of this family.
But what suddenly broke the silence was the arrival of his mother's family. A large procession of luxurious carriages arrived, bearing the crest of his mother's family, the Valderic, one of the noble families known for their power and authority.
Three of her siblings emerged from the carriages, accompanied by three sons. One of the sisters had a young daughter with her, while the eldest son of the third sibling did not attend due to his duty guarding the borders, fearing movements from the neighboring empire.
When these men and women saw Leon, their gazes were harsh, filled with disgust and contempt. To them, Leon was a symbol of weakness and shame, just as they viewed his mother.
The Duke's Arrival
Amid all this tension, suddenly, Duke Arden Rinaldi appeared. He stood there with dignity, but did not spare a single glance at Leon, as if the child did not exist.
One of Liana's siblings said, "We came to take her. We will hold her funeral at our home. Our mother is ill and cannot attend."
The Duke did not hesitate for a moment. He agreed immediately, turning toward the palace without looking at his wife's body or even his son. His words were cold, as though the matter meant nothing to him: "Take her. No one will object here."
Leon stood there stunned. How could his father abandon his mother so easily? How could he be so heartless? He cried out in a trembling voice, "How can you do this?! This is impossible!"
But the Duke did not stop. He continued toward the palace, leaving behind a broken child and hundreds of unanswered questions.
A Desperate Attempt
Leon's mother's siblings and their children began removing the body from the palace. The rain poured down heavily, as if the sky were crying with them.
Despite his weakness and fear, Leon ran toward them, trying to stop them. He stood in front of the body, shouting, "I won't let you take her! She's my mother!"
But the sons of his mother's siblings were stronger than him, and more ruthless. They looked at him with disdain, then claimed that he attacked them. They used that as an excuse to beat him mercilessly.
Leon fell to the ground, his body groaning in pain, his eyes watching them slowly move away with his mother's body. He tried to stand, but he couldn't. Everything around him seemed to spin, as if he were drowning in darkness.
An Unknown Voice
Before he lost consciousness completely, he heard a strange voice. He did not know its source or what it had said, but he felt something strange inside him, as if he were not entirely alone.
When he opened his eyes again, the rain was still falling heavily, and darkness surrounded him. At that moment, he realized a bitter truth:
"There is no place for me here."
Inner Struggle
Leon sat there, drenched by the rain, his body aching, his heart heavy with anger and sorrow.
"I'm a failure... I couldn't even manage my mother's funeral. I was beaten by younger siblings. My relatives humiliated me. My father didn't even look at me once."
This was the day Leon realized that he had to stand alone. There was no more room for weakness or relying on others. He had to find his own path, even if it meant standing against the whole world.
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End of Chapter
This is the beginning of the journey that will change Leon's life, the start of his struggle against injustice, and his search for the power that was denied to him since birth.