Trash Prince and Ice Queen 10th Re - Life-Chapter 122: Brotherhood : Steadfast Support

A while later, Geoffrey was still sitting on the front steps of the mansion. He was still reflecting on his entire life, which he now viewed as a lie, yet he couldn’t deny that he loved the father who had raised him and his older brother. Still, he couldn’t escape the reality that the King was his biological father. His face looked utterly bewildered and dazed; he watched the people and carriages passing in front of the mansion with a hollow, empty stare.

Suddenly, the door opened. Geoffrey didn’t look back. Then he heard the door close and felt someone sit down beside him. Slowly, Geoffrey turned his head. He saw Ard sitting next to him, rubbing his hands together and blowing on them, sending a white mist of breath into the air. Ard turned to see Geoffrey watching him and smiled. He placed a hand on Geoffrey’s shoulder but didn’t say a word, as if simply showing that he was there, and whenever Geoffrey wanted to talk, he was ready.

Geoffrey turned back to look straight ahead. The atmosphere fell silent again since neither of them spoke at all, but suddenly Geoffrey broke the silence.

"Remember when Pyria said her mother died because of her back when we were in the elf village? Honestly, I felt the same way she did. I also felt like I had killed my mother. Even though my dad... the man I’ve called my dad all this time, and my brother, said it wasn’t my fault... after finding out that my mom actually wasn’t my mom and that I have no idea who my mother really is, I feel completely ridiculous," Geoffrey muttered with a bitter smile, looking down.

"Yeah, I get it, but that’s only if you feel like your life is one big lie. Because to me, you are you—the son of the father who raised you and the brother of your older brother. Even if you are a prince of the Durnhill Kingdom, you haven’t been a prince all this time, right? So... even now, you aren’t a prince. Simple as that," Ard said casually.

"Haha... you’re right, but still, when you get news like that and see Aunt Jolene’s condition, it turns out what she said was true. According to my dad, my mom suffered from the same illness, only she couldn’t hold on like Aunt Jolene did. That fact alone made it impossible for me to deny the bombshell I just heard," Geoffrey said.

"That’s because their family is under a curse, like we discussed earlier. Now, the only person who can decide who you are is you yourself, right?" Ard replied.

"That’s true. Honestly, I can’t accept this reality. I hate Julius, who is supposed to be my brother, and I’m clearly not close with Nikolai, let alone with the man who is supposedly my biological father, King Gregorius... but for some reason, ever since I was a kid and saw how much I looked like them, I could already feel it in my gut. I just didn’t want what I was feeling to be true, but after hearing it, there’s nothing I can do except accept it," Geoffrey replied while looking up at the sky.

"Yeah, but that doesn’t define who you are. For now, just take some time to think about it. But remember one thing—like you said, we’re brothers. So whatever you decide, I’ll support you. I think the others feel the same way, so there’s no need to worry," Ard said, gripping Geoffrey’s shoulder again and looking him in the eye.

Geoffrey fell silent for a moment. He turned to look at Ard, then looked back straight ahead. His hand reached up to hold Ard’s hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks, bro. For the sake of our journey, I’ll pull myself together as soon as possible. I promise," Geoffrey said, continuing to stare blankly into the distance.

"Take it easy. Think it through carefully; there’s still time," Ard replied.

"Alright. Thanks again," Geoffrey replied.

After that, Ard stood up and turned around, walking back inside and leaving Geoffrey to his thoughts out front. When the door closed, Ard let out a sigh, only to be startled by the sight of Eva, Alicia, Mirea, Beatrice, Rosalind, Claudia, Adeline, Milia, Pyria—who was currently being Patricia—Ainsley, and Irwin standing right in front of him with anxious, questioning faces. Naturally, Ard raised an eyebrow and asked,

"Why are you all here?" Ard asked.

"We were worried," Alicia answered.

"Actually, I want to talk a lot with Geoffrey. He’s my cousin; I want to get to know him," Mirea said.

"Oh, that’s right, isn’t it? So Mirea and Geoffrey are actually cousins," Adeline muttered, as if suddenly having an epiphany.

"Yes, that’s right, they’re family," Beatrice added.

"Is he okay, Ard?" Ainsley asked, pushing up his glasses.

"He’s fine. Just let him be alone for a while. He’ll be back to his usual self eventually, I’m sure of it," Ard answered.

"Hmm... well, that’s a relief then," Ainsley replied.

"As for this... we can’t interfere. But the important thing is that whatever decision he makes—for example, returning to the palace or going back home to ask questions and no longer staying with us—we have to be able to respect and honor that decision. Basically, we have to be there for him later, no matter what he decides," Ard said.

"I agree with that," Irwin added.

"Yeah, me too. I’ve known Geoffrey since we were kids, and even though we weren’t that close because he’s a guy and I’m a girl, I know he’s not the type to get easily swallowed up by things like this... it’s natural for him to react this way. Honestly, I’d say he’s handling it well; if I were the one getting that news, I’d definitely be in much worse shape than him," Milia said understandingly.

"Agreed. I wouldn’t be able to stay as calm as him if I were the one hit with that news," Claudia said.

"Alright, let’s head upstairs. I’ll show you to your rooms," Mirea suggested.

"Let’s go. I want to get some rest too," Patricia added.

"Time to put Princess Beatrice to bed," Rosalind added.

"Hey... what is that supposed to mean?" Beatrice asked.

"Nothing, don’t worry about it, Princess," Rosalind answered, glancing at Beatrice with a sly look on her face.

They walked upstairs, following Mirea, with two maids trailing behind them. As they moved, Ard purposely hung back to walk beside Eva, who was at the very back of the line alone. Ard leaned his face close to Eva’s ear.

"Hey, has Irina left already?" Ard asked.

"She has. After hearing everything, she left immediately," Eva answered.

"Hmm... did she say anything after hearing the whole story?" Ard asked.

"She intends to speak with the dark elf chief first about the curse and let him know we’re here, so we can go in tomorrow and meet him ourselves," Eva answered.

"Huh... she wants to tell him about the curse right away? What if that just makes things worse? This is... technically a personal matter, isn’t it?" Ard asked, startled.

"According to her, it’s not a problem. She wants to try. Besides, the dark elf tribe also worships the Dragon God; maybe by relying on their faith, the chief might soften up. Grudges and old problems shouldn’t have to eat away at the heart forever, right? Hopefully, the chief can let go of his anger, because Mirea’s generation—her great-grandchildren—had nothing to do with what happened to him," Eva answered.

"Hmm... that’s true. Holding onto a grudge and all that anger for this long must be painful. Let’s just hope the chief comes to his senses," Ard muttered.

"Right. That’s why we wait, and then tomorrow we can head over there," Eva replied.

"Hmmm... alright, we’ll wait for news from Irina. Let’s hope she succeeds," Ard replied.

"Of course she will succeed if she invokes the name of the Dragon God," Eva replied confidently.

"Oh, that’s true," Ard replied with a smile.

After that, they continued chatting casually while walking down the second-floor hallway, and then everyone headed into their respective rooms, with two people sharing each room. Once inside his room, Ard lay down on his bed. He looked at the empty bed next to him, which had been specifically prepared for Geoffrey whenever he decided to come back in.

After that, the atmosphere grew quiet again and the noise from the girls faded away; it seemed they had already headed down to the baths. Ard stood up and walked to the window to look out at the city. Suddenly, "blam," his bedroom door swung open. He saw through the reflection in the window glass that Geoffrey was standing behind him, right in front of the door.

Ard turned around and immediately smiled because Geoffrey’s eyes looked focused again, just like they used to be, as if nothing had happened before. With a steady stride, Geoffrey walked over and stood in front of Ard after closing the door. He looked Ard straight in the eye with a serious expression, yet his face seemed bright.

"You’re right, bro. I’m Geoffrey, and no matter what happens, I’m still Geoffrey. So, to hell with my identity, to hell with this kingdom, and to hell with my family. I’m going to keep following you. Sorry I needed some time to digest everything before I could accept it," Geoffrey said, holding out his hand and smiling.

"Got it. I’m glad to hear that. Welcome back, bro," Ard replied, shaking Geoffrey’s hand.