In the living room, which was furnished with red couches and a small dining table, they were met with Samuel feeding Heart, who was currently battling a severe cold. Her chapped, quivering lips fell perfectly in line with the frail, pale face she had.
Samuel held the spoon and motioned it toward her mouth. "Next one's ready, sis." A gentle signal to let Heart know the next bite was ready.
However, she struggled to part her lips. Her pupils constricted while her eyelids dropped with exhaustion.
Julian moved past his wife and rushed over to assist. His large hands carefully opened Heart's mouth so Samuel could feed her.
After the mixture of mashed potatoes and carrots entered Heart's mouth and made contact with her lifeless tongue, Julian manually moved her jaw up and down to imitate chewing.
"Swallow, honey." He whispered into Heart's ear, who mustered all the power she had and swallowed, her throat lumping in the process.
"Good job." Samuel, Julian, and Thea all replied in unison. Thea walked by the coffee table situated by the single red couch and crouched by Samuel, who was preparing the next spoonful.
She lightly rubbed his back and exhaled, "We are truly blessed to have a son like you, Samuel." She murmured before planting a subtle kiss on his cheek.
Julian massaged Heart's head and responded, "I second that. You've been so helpful lately. But please take it easy."
Samuel didn't reply; he couldn't. Anytime someone brought up something related to Heart, his mood would always darken. Deep circles hung below his eyes, indicating that it had been a long time since a proper sleep took place.
Julian and Thea exchanged looks. "Samuel, honey," Julian urged, "Please go to bed. Your mother and I will take care of Heart for the rest of the night."
Thea nodded in agreement. "You've got the examination coming up..." She shot a plea to her son, "It's important that you get some rest."
Samuel exhaled and reluctantly handed the spoon to his father. Wiping his worn-out red t-shirt and joggers, a conflicted expression surfaced.
It wasn't as if resentment was directed toward his parents, no. Samuel loved and cherished his family deeply, including his mother and father. It was just the sight of his elder sister that tore him apart.
As he muffled a sigh and went to his room, Thea slumped her shoulders. "That boy... He needs to take care of himself, too."
Nodding in confirmation, Julian replied, "He thinks it's his fault Heart is sick. Carrying her pain on his shoulders won't do him any good. No 13-year-old should ever bear that kind of weight." He paused in between, making sure to feed Heart properly.
"With the Protector's examination around the corner, how is he going to handle being away from Heart for that long?"
The Protector's exam was a series of tests that decided whether an individual could enlist to become one of Emperor Leopold Sorin's elite bodyguards.
Applicants must be between 12 and 17, and once they pass, a certain percentage will undergo training by the current bodyguards until they are ready to handle it alone.
To apply, you must pass an interview and a pre-written examination. Then, you head towards the Citadel of Worship, one of the largest buildings of religion in Lebrad, to take both the physical and written exam.
His Majesty, Emperor Sorin, had not left his castle since the murders ramped up significantly. Citizens have not seen their monarch in over two years.
In the early years of his reign, Sorin had been involved with Lebrad noticeably. But that stopped when the largest terrorist attack in the Western Cradle's history rattled the poor country.
The Frery Massacre was a genocide that took place exactly two years ago, only a couple of days before Leopold Sorin locked himself in the royal palace.
What made the whole mass murder worse? The number of attackers;
One.
A single man walked into Frery and, by the time military reinforcements arrived, had already disappeared. What remained was a flat wasteland. No buildings, no survivors. Just rubble.
162,212 civilians were murdered in a single, large-scale attack. The entire city, wiped out. Citizens began understanding Leopold's fear after the event took place and didn't ridicule him.
However, life has to move on. A couple of months after the incident took place, shops and markets reopened, and life resumed normally.
Leopold had not issued any message or confirmation of his status. Only high-ranking officials and other workers could enter his palace.
His absence created unease for the common folk, including the Juladee family.
Thea quietly rose and approached her daughter. As she bent down to kiss Heart on the forehead, a whisper touched Heart's pale ear. "Goodnight, my love."
Thea kissed Julian's cheek as well before departing to the master bedroom.
Julian continued feeding Heart until she finished, then gently carried her to bed. Her room was decorated with drawings, most by Samuel and some from Amariel, who was just learning how to use a crayon.
They passed by Amariel's nursery, where the one-year-old lay on her stomach and snored loudly.
Julian chuckled before continuing in Heart's room.
He laid her down, tucked the blankets around her carefully, and leaned in to kiss her forehead.
"Goodnight, Heart." "..." As Julian was just about to leave the room, a faint, fragile voice responded.
"...Go...od...nig...ht..."