Alfred (1)

Alfred Winford hated his father.

He had his mother, who was by his side all the time when he was young. The late duchess cared for him deeply, and she did everything in her power to make sure he felt love.

They went on walks in the mansion together. They had three meals together, which was rare to a noble family, especially theirs. The higher the position, the more work imposed, even more so when his mother was both an elven princess and the duchy's madam.

Mother was beautiful, smart, and kind. She was rational, and she did not let her feelings affect her work. Even the emperor was pleased with her performance.

She only made one mistake her entire life: she fell in love with the duke.

His father, Duke Charles, ignored her, but he came to her room once in a while. He beat her love to the ground mercilessly, yet gave her meaningless sweets when he felt like it. Mother never talked ill about him, but the young Alfred could see the sorrow in her eyes at times.

She knew she should not cling to him. She was the Elven King's most beloved daughter. One word from her, and she could have returned to her kingdom. Her father, his grandfather, never wanted her to endure.

But she had fallen too deep.

Before he turned seven, Alfred thought his world was wide enough. He never left the castle, because everything he needed was already there. The duchess hired the best tutors to teach him and he exceeded everyone's expectations. He excelled at both academics and martial arts.

He was what the noble circles referred to as "the golden son" - Winford's pride.

Alfred did not like his father ever since he was a child. The duke's face never contained even the slightest of parental love when he looked at him. Alfred did not know what the emotions in his father's eyes were called even though he was a prodigy. He knew all the vocabulary, but as a small child, he did not know how to interpret human emotions properly.

He later found out that it was called jealousy.

'I don't like father, but mother loves me.' Alfred thought.

Mother was pregnant, so he would have another person who would love him for him. The servants were nice, and the knights treated him not only with respect but also with care.

What if his father hated him forever? Everyone else loved him, and that's all that mattered. Alfred did not expect anything from the duke, to begin with.

Or so he thought.

His mother, the wise but lovesick duchess, passed away a week after giving birth to his younger sister. The young Alfred locked himself in the room and grieved for days. His mother's last words were, "Protect your sister" and "Do not trust your father, ever".

How ironic. She loved him, yet told their own son not to trust him.

When looking at his mother's face one last time at her funeral, Alfred thought he should do something. He inherited the royal elves' ability, after all. He could create a magnificent fire above her coffin. It would not burn anything on the ground and would only hover above.

Fire was the elves' way to greet a royal one last time. His mother's funeral was held in the duchy, without any of her family present. It was not because the elves did not want to attend, but they did not know. They never knew their princess was dead up until the end of the funeral.

So Alfred thought he should do it.

However, right after the first spark of light was lit up, the duked growled furiously.

"THAT BOY, GRAB HIM."

The duke's personal knights carried him away according to duke Charles' instructions. He was both curious and angry when the duke appeared.

"Father, why did you do that? You kn…"

Smack.

His father hit him. The seven-year-old Alfred was shocked.

"Are you stupid? You did not know it was basic knowledge not to show supernatural abilities to the public? Even some nobles did not know the existence of high-tier powers, much less commoners."

"…"

"All those flatteries about you being a genius was a lie, wasn't it? What did those tutors stuff into your brain? For you not to know such common sense."

"…"

"Say something."

'Ah. This is disappointing.'

"…I didn't know. No one taught me that. No books mentioned that in the library."

'Did I really have expectations?'

"Hah. Then there's no other choice. Your father will teach you."

The duke's tones were full of mockery. Alfred could even hear a tint of emotions within. He finally knew what it was.

'Pride. He's happy.'

That was not how a parent treated their child.

"The public only knows about powers that are more perceivable, including enhanced speed, senses, strength, the ability to fly, and the like. Even the artifacts for those abilities are expensive. What would people think when you produce an elemental phenomenon? You think I could cover for something you do on a whim?"

"…"

'I'm naïve.'

"Grow up, will you? Those people did not know your mother's an elf."

"…I'm sorry."

'Now I really have no expectations left.'

He changed a lot from that point. Not physically, but mentally.

Alfred turned his attention towards artifacts and supernatural abilities that day. He found out about the signed treaty between humans and other races of not exposing the existence of high-tier abilities to the common public.

The purpose was to prevent humanity's greed from expanding endlessly. It was also a restraint that human nations put on themselves so that they could trade and co-exist peacefully.

They lived in a world with not only humans, but elves, dwarfs, and certain kinds of beast-men after all.

Alfred was mature compared to kids his age. He lost his mother because she gave birth to his younger sibling, but he did not despise her. Instead, he took care of his sister devotedly on top of his busy study and training schedules.

To Alfred, that little baby called Adelaide was the only family he had left.