♰
MAX STARES AT THE food on his plate, his mind in a different place while his body sat still, making the people sitting around the table stare at him with worry and confusion.
"Maximilian, your food will get cold," a low voice suddenly calls out, and Max finally snaps back to his senses, making him realize that he's actually in the dining room eating dinner with his brother Marcus and his father, Denzel.
"My apologies. I've just been preoccupied lately," Max answers, glancing at his butler Étienne, before finally grabbing his fork and taking a bite of the steak on his plate.
"Are you nervous that you're going to transfer to St. George Academy tomorrow?" Marcus asks him, and Max chuckles and shakes his head, dismissing the assumption.
"No, not really. I'm just bumped out about the fact that I became Rank 5, yet no one knows about it besides my friends," Max answers, which was, in fact, true.
The Elites only called out to him last week and suddenly announced that he was now the new Elites' School Representative. It should be a wondrous occasion, but unfortunately, President Ian and Sir Barron explained that this announcement must remain hidden for the time being. Of course, the white uniforms will eventually find out that Max was sent as a representative for the exchange program, but the Elites explained that they'll have to lie and tell them that Max is only sent as a suitable representative and not as the 5th highest ranking student of J.S High.
The reason for such secrecy is still unknown, but for the time being, Heaven J. Carter, who is now supposedly ranked 6, will have to pretend like he's still the School Representative whether he likes it or not.
"To be honest, I don't know why they're hiding it from everyone. The brotherhoods already know about it anyway," Marcus explains, and Max nods his head to agree to it.
"But seriously, we should—" As Marcus continues his conversation with his little brother, their father, Denzel, suddenly clears his throat to catch their attention, instantly making the two of them stop talking.
"I apologize, Father. Is there something you would like to say?" Marcus asks, while Max just ignores him while taking a bite of his mashed potato.
"The company's 332nd anniversary will be on the 31st of March. I want you both to be there as we will be inviting important guests. Especially you, Maximilian. As the heir, you must properly converse with the major families. It's important that you keep a good relationship with them for future transactions," Denzel suddenly explains, almost making Max laugh because it was only two months ago when Denzel announced that he renounced his title as his heir, and now they're all acting like all that never happened.
"If it's keeping a good relationship with people, then there's no need for you to worry about it. I'm good at being kind, unlike others," Max answers, and Denzel instantly looks at him seriously.
"I'm not starting any unnecessary argument with you," Denzel tells him, making Max chuckle.
"Of course, my apologies. I was just teasing," Max says, and Marcus kicks his leg under his table, finally making Max stop with the sarcasm.
Max kicks Marcus's leg as payback before clearing his throat and looking back at Denzel. "I already asked Étienne for the master list and invited a few more companies to attend. I've also talked with the general manager of our hotel in Campion and coordinated with the organizers. I know someone who can help with the food and beverages, so I hope you don't mind that I handled it on your behalf," Max explains, surprising Denzel while Marcus smiles at him proudly.
"As always, you have exceeded my expectations, Maximilian. Well done," Denzel suddenly says, now surprising Max this time.
When he heard his father's sincere compliment, something suddenly stung his chest, immediately making him look away. Was this the first time his father ever acknowledged his hard work? Or has he been saying it all this time, and Max just hasn't been paying much attention?
"O-Of course. This anniversary is important to the Lemieux family, after all," Max explains before grabbing his water and taking a drink.
The room falls silent after Max's statement, making him realize what he just said. If you look at it, this anniversary isn't about the Lemieux anymore. After all, the company is now named and run by the Sinclaire family. This is supposedly more important to them.
"Marcus, are you done with your dinner?" Denzel suddenly asks.
Marcus, who is actually still eating, drops his utensils with no question and immediately stands from his seat. "Yes. I'll head to my room first. Thank you for the dinner, and good night," Marcus says as he walks to his little brother to kiss his head before walking out of the dining room.
As soon as Marcus left, Étienne looked at the maids standing on the side and signaled them to leave the room as well. Without any hesitation, everyone leaves, and Étienne bows to his masters first before closing the door and leaving the father and son alone together.
"Maximilian..." Denzel starts while cutting his steak with a gold knife, making Max sigh and look at him.
The room falls silent for a couple of seconds, but soon after, Denzel tells him, "During the anniversary, I will officially announce my marriage to Edith."
Denzel's words instantly made Max's chest ache, but he knew it was going to happen either way. Though he had a different reason why he took Max's inheritance in the past, it was still clear that he really wanted to marry Marcus's mother, and that was something that Max had no right to disagree with or control.
"Really? Then congratulations, Father. When is the wedding?" Max asks with a fake smile as he looks down on his plate. He takes a bite of his food again while avoiding his father's eyes, but Denzel sighs and puts his knife down, forcing Max to look back at him again.
"That's not the only thing I'm going to announce," Denzel then says, surprising Max.
"What are you talking about?"
Denzel stares at his son for a while. After taking a deep breath, he finally reveals to him, "Apart from my marriage, I'm also going to announce that I will now be stepping down as the chairman of the company."
"What?!" Max asks as he drops his utensils, his reaction surprising Denzel because this isn't how he thought he'd react. "What do you mean you're stepping down? You may be a shitty father, but you're the chairman for a reason. You helped bring the company back on top, the people at the company respect you, and you—"
"Maximilian," Denzel calls out, instantly making Max stop talking.
"I appreciate your praise, but let's not act ignorant here," Denzel says, making Max gulp. "I know that you are aware of why things came to be. It is true that Luna almost made the company fall, but during her time as the chairman, I was also her CEO, yet I was not able to help her. It was clear that the board of directors only wanted to remove her, and Luna knew that, so she grabbed the opportunity to turn the tides. She gave the directors what they wanted and made me the chairman. She wanted me to be her puppet, and that was supposed to be my only role," Denzel explains, making Max furrow his brows in confusion.
"W-Why are you suddenly telling me this?"
"When Luna died, my family...the Sinclaire family, especially my mother, took advantage of the situation and got into the directors' good side until we had full control. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I got greedy too, and became desperate to put our name out there. It's true that I got jealous of Luna and her family, and I wanted the Sinclaires to rise higher. But when I watched you grow...and when I saw how you reclaimed your inheritance, I knew that I made a lot of mistakes that I completely regret. That is why before my marriage with Edith, I want to give Luna the last remaining love I have for her so I can finally live in peace," Denzel explains, making Max's chest feel even tighter than before.
This was the last thing he ever expected his father to tell him.
"There are only three months left before your birthday, which means you will soon inherit all the riches that the Lemieux family left behind for you. During the company's anniversary, as I announce my marriage and my departure...reclaim your company, and bring its name back to the Lemieux's. That is my final task to you. That is my final gift to you and to your mother," Denzel says as he stands from his seat, immediately making Max stand as well.
"A new era is about to begin, Maximilian. That is all that I have to say. Now I heard you will be staying in St. George's dormitory for an entire month. Do well, Maximillian," Denzel then says as he finally walks his way out of the dining room.
Max takes a step forward but stops as he stares at his father's back. But as he watches Denzel walk away from him, an image of his father suddenly flashes before his eyes.
"Father!" He remembered calling out, and Denzel immediately turned back to him with a smile, squatting down as Max ran to him to give him a tight hug.
"Did you and mother fight again?" Max asked, immediately making Denzel hide the scratch on his arm that he thought his son wouldn't be able to notice.
"No, you don't have to worry. Your mother was just in a bad mood. So for now, we both have to remain quiet to not anger her, is that understood, Maximilian?" Denzel asked as he grabbed the young Maximilian from the ground so he could carry him.
"Yes, Father, I will be very quiet," Max whispered, making Denzel laugh as the two of them walked away.
The sudden memory made Max's chest ache even more, but as he looked back at Denzel, he finally moved his feet, running out of the door as he chased after him.
"Father!" He shouted, instantly making Denzel stop walking. "Why are you doing this now? Is something going on? Is there a catch? A selfish request?" Max asks, and Denzel, who couldn't even turn around to face him, takes a deep breath and gives out a small smile.
"A selfish request?" Denzel asks back with a chuckle. "Maybe there is one," he then says as he turns his head over his shoulder to look at Max for one last time. "I only want you, my youngest son, to attend my wedding with a smile. That is my selfish request," he says as he finally walks away, leaving Max standing in the middle of the hallway in disbelief.
But as he was standing there, Max suddenly bit his lower lip and reached out to wipe the tear that uncontrollably streamed down his eyes. "You really are a selfish old man. You always decide important things without me," Max whispers.
Étienne, who has been standing outside just beside the door, walks towards his master and gives him a handkerchief. Max stares at it for a while, but he eventually takes it to wipe his tears away. Afterward, Max turns to his butler and suddenly punches his shoulder. "You did not see anything. Understood?" Max demands, and Étienne smiles and takes the handkerchief from Max's hand so he can wipe the remaining tears left on his cheek for him.
"Understood, master," he then answers, and Max stares at him before finally looking away.
"Anyway, I should head back and arrange my things. This is my first time living in a dorm. I don't want to be underprepared," Max says as he walks away from his butler.
Étienne doesn't say anything as he looks at his master with a warm smile. "You may never say it out loud, Leigh, but you've always loved your father more," he whispers under his breath before following Max to his bedroom so he can help him pack for his first day in the House of Bishops.
...
"What could they have talked about? I'm so curious," Marcus asks as a maid helps him with his black uniform. After putting on his coat, Marcus turns to the mirror to adjust the brooch on his collar. First, he adjusted BND's brooch, and then he adjusted the crown brooch that represented their new title.
Other than the fact that today was the day that Max was going to transfer to the House of Bishops, today was also Marcus's first day as a prince. The white uniforms were given a three-day break, while all the brotherhoods were given a week, which was just enough since most of them were badly injured.
Marcus still prefers to be a Duke, but since they're already given this opportunity, they'll just have to make the most of it, especially while Max is trying to find the mastermind behind the incident that happened during the Brotherhood Reranking.
"Your cape, sir Marcus," the maid then says, and Marcus turns around and spots the maid holding a half cape, making him sigh.
"I don't know how PHD does it," Marcus comments as the maid helps put the cape on for him. Afterward, Marcus looks at his reflection and stares at himself again with a dissatisfied look.
"Do I look like a prince to you?" Marcus then asks, making the maid flinch.
"P-Pardon, sir Marcus?"
"I mean, do I look anything like a prince?" He asks again, and the maid instantly looks flustered before looking down at the floor to answer, "Absolutely, sir Marcus. You look like a real prince," she says, making Marcus smile.
"Thank you," he replies as the maid looks back at him. "But please don't say that aloud. The royal family might actually end up killing me."
"O-Of course, sir Marcus," the maid then says with a bow, and Marcus finally steps out of his bedroom, walking his way to where Max is. After all, other than the fact that Max is transferring to a different school, he's also going to stay in a dormitory for one month, which means Marcus won't be able to see him both in school and in their house. And as an overprotective brother, that's a big deal.
"I can't believe my little brother is moving out. I never knew this day would come," Marcus says to himself as he walks closer to Max's room. But when he got there, the doorbell downstairs suddenly rang, making Marcus stop his hand from knocking on Max's bedroom door.
"Who on earth is knocking this early in the morning?" Marcus asks as he walks his way downstairs.
The butlers rush to open the door. And as soon as Marcus got to the lobby, his jaw instantly dropped when he found 4 familiar faces: Kris Hyusen, Hans de Vries, Charles Justin Mills, and River Hansen. Following behind them were Aristotle Faulkner, Felix Campbell, and Ervin Walker. They also wearing their black and white uniforms, which means they planned to visit before heading to school.
"What are you guys doing here?!" Marcus asks as he runs to where they are.
"So this is the Sinclaire residence," Cj says, completely ignoring Marcus as he starts looking around the mansion. "It honestly looks like a hotel. But I'm not even surprised considering how crazy rich you all are," he then adds, immediately making Marcus grab his arm and pull him towards him before he could enter another room.
"Where's Max?" Krist asks next.
"You never really invited us over. And here I thought you were embarrassed by where you live," Hans then says.
"Really? We've been here before," Ari answers.
"Thank you for having us, Marcus," River says after.
Marcus was starting to get confused as to why they were all here, so he immediately walked in the middle of them and shouted, "What the fuck are you all doing here?!"
Everyone finally stops talking, but after a while, they all turn to Marcus and answer in unison, "We're here to see Max off."
"We're obviously not here for you," Ari adds, making Marcus reach out to pinch him, but Ari immediately runs to Ervin to hide behind him as a defense.
"So where is he?" River then asks, and before Marcus can even answer, Max finally arrives, walking down the stairs like a princess who's attending a royal ball.
Everyone stares at him as Max heads downstairs with his butler. As soon as he appeared, the leaders and his dear friends immediately had smiles on their faces. Max was finally wearing St. George's uniform. And even though some are bitter about it, they couldn't really deny the fact that Max looked good in his new uniform.
"Max!" Felix shouts, running to his dear friend to give him a hug.
"How is this fair? Why do you look good in that too?" Ari complains.
"It's because Max looks like an actual saint while you look like a sinner," Ervin then adds, and the two of them start arguing again.
Max smiles at everyone in front of him, pleasantly surprised by his protectors' and friends' appearance despite how busy they are themselves.
"I can't believe you guys are actually here," Max then says.
"Heard from the Elites that you'll be driving straight to the House of Bishops, so we decided to visit before you leave. After all, you'll be gone for a month. J.S High will feel a little boring without you," Krist says, and everyone nods their head in agreement.
"But don't worry, while you're away, we'll handle everything as the new princes and keep a close eye on the Revels," Hans then says, instantly making Max smile even wider.
"Thank you, guys. I mean it," he says as he pats Felix's head before walking up to the rest of them. "I'll work hard and make our house proud. I promise," he declares before reaching out to touch his collar, which did not have a single brooch.
The leaders looked at each other before turning to Max.
"We actually came here for something else as well. We apologize if the location isn't in a formal setting and if we're the only ones here, but this is the best we can do since we're a little tight on schedule," River explains as Ari, Felix, and Ervin move aside while the rest of them approached Max one by one.
"Good luck, little toy. If anything happens, just give us a call, and we'll send them a Jack-in-a-box," Master Joker says as he starts removing his crown brooch, surprising Max. "Make us proud," he then adds as he finally pins his brooch on Max's collar.
"I know we had a rough start, but let the House of Bishops know why you won Mr. Brains & Brawn," Hans then says as he does the same thing.
Soon after, Cj approaches Max with a grin. But before pinning his own brooch, he removed Jokers's brooch first and moved it a little so their brooches wouldn't stick too close to each other.
"Hey!" Krist complained, but Cj just ignored him as he simply said, "Give them hell, you sly little fox."
Finally, River, AKA Siren, approaches Max with Felix standing beside him as the right-hand of Crazy 8. Felix removes the brooch on River's collar for him before handing it to his leader.
"As the last brotherhood you conquered, I hope you return with another when we meet again. Prove to everyone why you bare the crown brooches of four of the strongest brotherhoods in the House of Kings. Let them stand as witnesses in the victories you will lay upon them and become the very symbol of J.S High. Good luck, Maximilian Leigh Sinclaire. We will all be waiting for you on the other side..." River says as he pins the last brooch on Max's collar.
As soon as River moves away from him, Max looks down at the brooches and swallows the lump in his throat. For others, these might just be brooches, but for Max, this was a symbol of his strength, achievements, and brotherhood.
Hopefully, someday, he'll also be able to wear the brooch Kim Hee-Joon made him keep. But until then...
"I will return with PHD and serve their rightful justice. And when that time comes, I will definitely conquer all."
- END -