Vol 1 Chapter 7: Protect My Beloved Big Sister

Mikael Stronghold's Encounter with Nahyu Elbaf

POV: Mikeal Stronghold

It was no ordinary morning at the Imperial Palace.
The sun hadn't yet risen, but the white marble corridors were already aglow with soft reflections of light filtering between the bronze pillars carved with symbols of power. The smell of scrap metal and oil lingered in the air, mingled with the scent of lavender from the palace gardens. Beneath all this beauty, there was something frozen. Something silent and cold.

My small footsteps sounded loud. The clink of shoes on the floor was like the sound of a gavel in a court of the gods. I—Mikael Stronghold, crown prince—walked alone among the magnificent pillars. But as always, never truly alone.

The servants bowed. The guards stood at attention. Their faces were frozen in respect, but I knew... they saw me not as a fourteen-year-old boy, but as a shadow of the empire's destiny. The shadow of my deceased father. The shadow of my mother, frozen in love with the throne.
I returned their greetings with a light head, then continued my walk toward the Main Hall.
Then I saw him—the hard stone that always appeared in my path:

Nahyu Elbaf.
The son of the duke of the Elbaf family. At first glance, he looked like a fairytale prince: tall, dashing, gleaming in a luxurious robe embroidered with golden lions—the symbol of his family that venerated power. But behind his smile, I knew… what lurked was a snake.

"Good morning, Prince Mikael."

He said, bowing.
But his eyes never truly lowered.

I replied flatly. Formality.
But he, as usual, wanted more than just a greeting.

"Wow, Prince Mikael, you're here early.
You seem unusually diligent…"

I knew what he meant. A subtle sarcasm.
I responded like a sword-fencing stunner with a cold laugh.

"Of course, this is my house.
Do you mind, Lord Nahyu?"

He smiled falsely.

"Of course not, it's good.
I wish you were this diligent every day…"

Each word was like a slow, slicing laugh.
But I remained calm.
I knew his game.
He wanted to stab me through the mirror of politeness.
Then he mentioned… my older sister.
I tensed.

“You’ve been too busy with your older sister.
Otherwise, you’d be coming to the palace so often.
You have followers, guards, and servants.”

My older sister.
The only light I knew in a world consumed by power and betrayal.

He kept talking about how I should hand over my older sister to the servants, to others, to him.

“Why not hand over your sister’s affairs to them?” he said lightly.
Then… “Or… to me. I’m ready to 'take care of her' as best I can.’
You know that, right?”

Suddenly, the world went still.
The morning air turned to ice.
My heart pounded against my chest like a hammer.
I glared at him. My eyes couldn’t hide my anger, not because he insulted me...
But because he dared to covet my older sister, the only light that shone in my life.

“What do you mean, hand her over to you?”

My low voice carried an invisible thunder.
I clenched my fists, wanting to smash his ego to the floor of this palace.
But I stood my ground.
My voice remained composed.
Yet cold as steel, honed by suffering.

“You think I’m incompetent?
You could be arrested for lese majeste.
You know that, Lord Nahyu?”

He smiled. Apologetically.
But he didn’t really back down.

“The prince will grow up, get married, have responsibilities…
Will you take care of your older sister forever?”

Of course.
Forever.
Because she’s the only one who never forced me to be a prince.
Because she’s the only one who called me “little brother” selflessly.

“I can take care of my older sister myself. Without your help.”

My words were the end for him.
I walked away without looking back.
But I knew, as I walked away, he was staring at my back.
And in his heart, the snake murmured.

“We’ll see, Prince. Eventually, I will have your big sister…”

The palace corridors were quiet again.
But beneath this golden ceiling,
I know… the battle has already begun.
Not with swords.
But with tongues.
With ego.
With unseen ambition.
And I… I must protect the only person who still calls me human:
Sophie.
My beloved big sister.