Decision of Harts

"I will ask you again. Should your older sister, Eden Hart, be banished from this family?"

Elias Hart, the Archduke, sat in his throne before his children. Though the ceremony had already started minutes ago, two of them were still not before him.

"My answer is still the same, Father.'

The third child, Avion Hart, raised his gaze and met the Archduke's.

"I believe Eden Hart should be banished to preserve our name as a lineage of swordsmen."

As the second child, Clover Hart, was married to a noble family on the sixth continent, his rights for succession had been rebuked. 

Thus Avion became the second-in-line in the succession of the family, next to Eden. 

And so, if Eden were to be banished, it would benefit his position.

"Bastard! When did you start caring about our family's name?"

The fifth child, Mervin Hart, replied. He was still an academy student, and without Eden in the family, no one could stop Avion among the siblings.

Before Avion could reply, Clover cut his words.

"Silence. Don't taint the ceremony with your vile tongues."

He was lean, smart, and democratic. Normally, someone like him was fit to be the next Archduke if not because of love. 

The Archduke remained silent, watching his children. 

As of now, four out of six have voted, excluding Eden.

Tie.

Yes had two votes, Avion and the twins whose vote only counted as one, Zachi and Zach.

And for the no, there were Clover and Mervin.

A tie would mean the Archduke had to make the decision himself, whether to banish Eden or not. 

But there was still Seven Hart and… his fourth child, whose presence was banned inside the estate for a reason. 

Creak.

And as luck would have it, the door creaked open and Seven entered. 

"You're late, Seven—"

The Archduke couldn't complete his words after seeing Seven's appearance. The case was the same for his children, including Eden.

Seven wore clothes that were elegant, along with a hair neatly tousled. Even the way he confidently walked.

Though it took a lot of practice on the way here, given that he was a shut-in back on Earth, and being confident was his weakness. 

But he did it well. 

Seven also vowed to completely abandon his loser's ideology, and would not consider himself as a shut-it anymore. 

Today was the starting point. 

"Apologies, Archduke. I overslept."

The Archduke didn't reply. Instead, he just gave a quick nod and gestured for him to join his siblings on the line. 

And then, he asked him to step forward.

"Seven Hart. You are already aware that your elder sister has awakened magic."

Standing abruptly, the Archduke walked towards the stained-glass window overlooking the estate. 

Sunlight spilled through the panes as he clasped his hand behind his back, his silhouette stark against the light.

"Now, tell me. Should she be banished for tainting the name of our family?"

"Staining our name? You speak as if magic is a curse, but wasn't it the very foundation of this family's rise?"

Seven clenched his fists at his sides. It wasn't a direct answer, but it was the best option at the moment. 

"If the first Hart, the founder, stood here now, would you call him a stain too?"

The siblings exchanged murmurs. For them, not only Seven's appearance had changed, but he had a boldness that wasn't there before. 

Turning his head around, the Archduke locked his gaze at Seven.

"You dare lecture me on the legacy of this house?"

The Archduke strode towards Seven. Each step echoed across the marble floor before halting just in front of him.

Again, the first Hart was the first-ever swordsman that has awakened magic. 

"Do you think I've forgotten our history?"

Seven didn't reply. No, he couldn't. The sheer pressure of the Archduke's aura froze him in place.

Sigh.

With a sigh, the Archduke walked back towards the throne and sat. 

Creak. 

And as he did, the door creaked open. A man dressed in dark blue livery wearing a mask that concealed his face entered. 

He walked forward before the throne and kneeled down. 

"I greet the Archduke."

"Speak." 

"The reply from the fourth child, Ivy Hart, had arrived."

The man extended his arms forward, presenting a sealed letter. 

Ivy Hart.

Fourth child of the current Archduke. Someone whose name was rarely spoken in the household. 

The siblings exchanged uneasy glances. The only memory they had with her was the day when the halls of the mansion turned red. The day where every servant who crossed paths with a five-year-old Ivy met their ends. 

A psychopath.

After all, standing in the middle of bloodshed, there was no hint of remorse in her expression. 

She simply laughed.

After that event, the Archduke ordered for her exile. She wasn't punished, nor disowned. She was simply sent away into a place where only he knew. 

Now, after more than a decade, her presence returned in the form of a letter. 

Slowly, the man unfolded the letter. 

Everyone was tense about the content. As of now, two are in favor of banishment while three were against it. 

The man began to read it aloud. 

"I am against Eden's banishment. You speak of stains, as if my existence isn't already one. Eden is a masterpiece, right next to the founder of Harts."

The man paused, as if unsure to read the second part. 

But he did it anyway.

"Ahh… I can't wait to paint using Eden's blood and—"

"Stop."

The Archduke interrupted, as he already knew what the remaining lines were. 

Bowing his head, the man carefully folded the letter once again and placed it on the floor.

"I have delivered the message, Archduke. I humbly request permission to take my leave."

"Granted."

Bowing his head one more time, the man disappeared into thin air. Instantly. 

For a moment, there was only silence. But it was broken by the rhythmic sound of the Archduke tapping his fingers against the armrest of the throne as he surveyed his children.

In the end, his gaze landed at Eden.

"Eden, your siblings speak in your favor."

"Thank you, Archduke."

"The ceremony is over. All of you may now go."

His gaze landed at Eden.

"Except you."

One by one, the siblings bowed before turning to leave, excluding Eden who was still kneeling down.

Seven was the last to leave. 

Just like the others, he offered a quick bow before turning his heel. 

But before he could take a step, the air grew cold. 

"Seven."

The Archduke called, and Seven turned to face him. 

Activating Theia's eye, the hall shifted in his perception. He could see it, the intense aura currents radiating from the Archduke's body. 

Six gates.

The amount of aura gates the Archduke had opened, matching the sic black bracelet tattoo on his wrists. 

Only a step away from reaching the pinnacle. 

"Yes, Archduke?"

"What do you want as a reward?"