Slight Annoyance

I quickly snuck back into my room through the balcony. It is currently a quarter before eight, exactly fifteen minutes before Mother normally wakes up. I took off my disguise and washed myself off as silently as I could. With that out of the way, I tucked myself into bed as the clock struck eight.

Right on cue, I heard Mother's alarm go off, which was then followed by her footsteps in the hallway. Just like every other morning, she makes her way downstairs and starts cooking breakfast.

I feel bad for lying to her, but she would never approve of what I do. I despise the High Order. I despise the coatsmen and how they 'enforce the law' in the undercity. It's deplorable. I'm no saint, but I'm not one to stand by and watch it happen. Now that I know of Nelia's history, my resolve has only strengthened.

A couple of minutes later, Mother called out to me. "Sol! Awake?"

"Yeah!" I replied just enough for her to hear.

I lifted myself off the bed and got dressed. Since I had already washed up and done my daily routine, it didn't take me long to meet Mother downstairs.

"That was certainly faster than usual," she chuckled. "What's the occasion?"

"Just trying to get the day over with," I said.

"The day just started..."

"And I already want it to end."

"Ah, where did I go wrong?"

I laughed at her exaggeration. Mother and I weren't always this close. Following Nelia's death, I cut myself off from everyone except for Caelus. When he went off to join the expedition unit, I couldn't bear to watch Mother suffer alone anymore, so I made the effort to close the gap between us. I'm glad it paid off.

Mother slid a plate to my end of the table with my signature breakfast choice. I grabbed a fork and began eating.

"Did you hear?" Mother asked. "The High Order will be hosting a parade in the Jeweled Sector. Your father will be at the forefront."

"So what?" I grumbled.

I didn't mean to say it with an attitude, but it happens whenever Father becomes the topic of our conversation. For some reason, Mother still loves him unequivocally. Maybe it's because they've spent so much time together that she's willing to look over his transgression now.

Not one visit... not even a letter. And now that I've found out that he covered up Nelia's death, my hatred towards him has only grown worse. Mother, on the other hand, still sees him as her husband. I can't let her know what Calypso told me. It would only reignite her suffering.

The pain that I bear will be my own. I'll shoulder it all if it means she can live in peaceful bliss. However, I'm just one person. Even someone like me can suffer. As such, there was something I had to get off my chest.

"Mother... I..." I gulped, mentally preparing myself for what was to come. "I've been to the undercity."

She lifted her brows while her mouth slightly opened. That's not something I wanted to tell her, but I should at least explain why I'm so against the High Order. She's my mother, after all.

"I've seen what the coatsmen do to innocent people minding their own business," I continued. "The way they push their agenda in the name of law and order just... pisses me off. So what if people don't wanna augment their bodies? Is that not their right to choose as a human being?"

Mother said nothing. I basically just outed myself as a defect right in front of her. I wonder... how she'll react.

Suddenly, her face shifted to that of a beautiful smile, one that I've only seen her make when she's sad.

"Going against the High Order would mark you as a defect," she said. "I don't want them to hurt you, but I won't condemn you either. Your feelings are your own, and I just so happen to feel the same way."

"Mother...?" I gasped.

She feels the same way? Even though Father is a general of the High Order, she herself has beliefs that go against his. If Father ever found out... what would he do? I don't even wanna imagine it.

"So don't feel bad, my dear," she smiled. "Like I've always told you, live your life the way you want. Just don't do anything rash, hm?"

I bit my tongue. That's right... Above all else, she has always been my mother. Unlike that fraud who poses himself as my father.

"Yes, Mother," I replied diligently.

"Good," she giggled. "Now, finish up and run along. You have a long day ahead of you."

I finished my breakfast and made my way to the front door. After exchanging farewells, we parted ways.

I'm sorry, Mother, but I can't say that I won't do anything rash. At this point, I'm as defective as they come. I've seen too much. My resolve is too strong. I can't stop, not until I tear the High Order apart.

And now for the worst part of the day: school.

My school life has become a spiraling mess ever since the news came out that I was General De Leux's son, which made no sense to me. I've worn my nametag every single day. It literally says, "Solas De Leux," but I guess people don't really pay attention nowadays.

The situation was made worse when rumors began circulating that I was going out with someone named Ange Cross.

No matter how many times I deny it, a new face shows up every other day to ask me about it. There's also the fact that I have yet to meet this girl. For all I know, the entire campus could be pulling a prank on me.

After gathering my things from my locker, I left through a side door of the main halls and walked along a secluded path. It's small and surrounded by thick bushes and trees. Not many people use this path, which is why I like it.

My first class is in a building separate from the main halls. I take this path every morning, and never once have I run into another face. However, it seemed that someone was waiting for me this time.

Standing alone beneath a towering tree was a girl. A sagging beanie adorned her head of straight, golden hair. Her sharp, hazel eyes tilted over to me when I approached her. She wore a thick hoodie to combat the frosty breeze of the winter season. Wrapping around her waist was a short skirt, which didn't seem that conventional for this kind of weather. I suppose the leggings underneath offset that, but I wonder what the point is.

When I attempted to walk past her, she said, "A moment of your time, please."

Not another one. It's too early in the morning to be dealing with this.

I turned my head around. "Can I help you?"

"You're Solas De Leux, no?"

"And if I am?"

"Then I would kindly ask you to stop spreading those rumors about me and you."

Had I not restrained myself, I would've gagged out loud. I took a slight peek at her nametag. It's hard to see from this angle, but I'm pretty sure it says, 'Angelica Crosselle.'

That looks awfully similar to 'Ange Cross.'

I then looked back at Angelica's visibly disgruntled face. Oh...

"You're Ange Cross?" I asked.

"Was that not obvious?" she scoffed as she flicked her hair back.

No way that just happened right in front of me. I knew she was popular given how everybody is talking about her nonstop. I didn't expect her to be like this, though. Looks like the popularity has gotten to her head.

"No, actually, it wasn't," I said a lot more dismissively than I intended. "And I'm not the one who spread those rumors."

"Hah, sure," she scoffed. "Then why the hell would those rumors be circulating? You really expect me to believe you?"

"Believe me or don't. It doesn't matter to me. All I know is that I had nothing to do with it. Take that as you will."

Obviously, she wasn't satisfied with the answer I gave. A part of me thought that she was the one who spread those rumors upon hearing of my lineage, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. If not her, then who in the world did it?

Tsk... I already have a lot to worry about. Something dumb like this being added to the plate is not ideal, to say the least.

"Keep this up, and I'll have my mom at your doors to give you a nice chat," Ange said in a threatening manner. "She's the head of the GD coatsmen division three."

"And?" I scoffed. "Am I supposed to be afraid?

"What? Are you being overconfident just because you're General De Leux's son?"

If we weren't on school grounds, I might've killed her on the spot for that remark alone. It's been eight years since that old bastard left, and I still get riled up upon hearing his name.

I began walking up to her. Maybe it's because of her status, or perhaps she knows that her mother's got her back, but she didn't even flinch. That is until I looked down on her with the most anger I've felt in a while.

"General De Leux? I honestly couldn't care less about him," I muttered harshly. "My name's Solas De Leux. That's all you need to know about me. I have nothing to do with that man, and from here on out, the same goes for you. Do not bother me again."

She said nothing, so I took that opportunity to walk the opposite way. Thankfully, it seemed like she was heading for the main halls, so we won't be bumping into each other any time soon.

"Oh, and one more thing," I said as an amused smirk appeared on my face. "You said your mother is a chief or whatever, right? Sorry, but I don't have that much respect for coatsmen, so it never would've worked out between us anyway."

"W-what...? Who the hell do you think you are?!" she screamed, but I ignored her and continued onward.

These days have been getting louder, and with it, my tolerance for annoyance shrinks. I have too much going on in my life to worry about school drama. I need to contain myself, lest I turn my bloodied hands against someone for the wrong reason.