"Fuck you, damn gods!!" Shian's voice ripped through the air, echoing off the stone walls of the Queen's castle.
From the second floor, behind a glass-paneled window, a figure stood still, watching silently as the prince raged in the courtyard below.
"Brother Hayes, what are you doing?" a voice called from behind, lazy but laced with curiosity. "Since you left the dining room early, I got a bit concerned about you."
Hayes didn't respond at first. He only shifted his cold and sharp eyes to glance at the red-draped figure behind him.
Wearing fiery robes, his crimson hair tousled like he'd run a hand through it a hundred times out of boredom, Asher stood with one brow raised. His expression was casual, but his tone carried more interest than he let on.
Hayes said nothing. His gaze returned to the figure below, the prince standing alone in the garden, screaming at the heavens like a madman.
Asher followed his line of sight.
"Aha." He let out a breath of amusement. "I hardly recognize our big bro." He leaned closer to the glass, peering down. "He's changed so much in just a week, huh? I remember what happened in the last family meeting like it was yesterday…"
His voice slowed, dipping slightly with discomfort.
"Mother literally threw a plate at him."
Hayes's voice was like ice.
"Not in a week," he corrected quietly. "He was the same coward… even just yesterday. This change happened overnight."
Asher blinked. "Huh? The hell are you talking about? Overnight?"
Hayes narrowed his eyes. "Who knows," he muttered. "For now… I'll just keep watching him."
But then, something unexpected happened.
Down in the courtyard, as if sensing Hayes's gaze, Shian turned his head.
Their eyes met.
Shian didn't flinch. Instead, with one hand on his hip and the other casually resting in his pocket, he tilted his head slightly, his expression shifting into a smug, deliberate smirk.
A smirk that said "Fuck off."
Hayes's breath caught. Without realizing it, he took a step back.
His eyes widened.
"What… the hell was that look?"
Asher tilted his head with a grin. "Huh. He really is different now, huh?"
Hayes didn't answer. He just stared at the glass, heart pounding faintly.
That wasn't the Shian Ravenscroft they knew.
However, Shian wasn't even remotely interested in those princes at the moment. He had far bigger problems to deal with.
"Let's go, Sans," he muttered, starting forward.
"…It's Hans," the guard corrected, following behind with a sigh.
Well, it wouldn't be long before the others started noticing how different Shian was. He wasn't worried. Let them notice.
The Queen's courtyard stretched far and wide, It was elegant, luxurious, and annoyingly pristine. The kind of beauty that made Shian click his tongue in irritation. It bothered him more than it should've that he didn't even have a horse to travel across this absurdly large palace.
He sighed, dragging his feet as they made their way toward his quarters.
Right now, his greatest weakness wasn't magic or weapons. It was knowledge.
Even with all the memories he carried from his past life, the timeline, the history, and the events that will unfold, he didn't know enough about the princes. He didn't know enough about Shian.
And that was dangerous.
He could act tough all he wanted, roast nobles, curse gods, glare at the Queen, but none of it would matter if he couldn't survive what was coming.
Because one truth lingered in the back of his mind, cold and unforgiving:
If I can't stand toe to toe with Hayes… none of this changes.
Well, as Faceless, starting from scratch wouldn't have been an issue. But in this new body, delicate, magicless, and unfamiliar, it was a nightmare. He'd have to rebuild everything. Power, influence, strength... all from zero.
"Sans," Shian called while walking through the courtyard.
"It's Hans," came the patient reply behind him.
"Clear my schedule starting tomorrow," Shian said, completely ignoring the correction.
Hans blinked in confusion. "Which schedule, Your Highness?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
Shian shot him a flat look. Of course, he didn't have one. The real Shian had been a royal slacker. Free all day and yet never even picked up a sword. What a joke.
Just as he was about to snark at Hans, a wave of loud cheering echoed from somewhere nearby. Shian stopped walking and turned his head, trying to locate the source. "What was that?"
"They're practicing," Hans said, also glancing toward the sound.
"Practicing what?"
"You forgot, Your Highness? It's for the Skybounder Tournament."
Shian's eyes widened slightly. Ah. That.
Back when he was Faceless, even the people in his old kingdom had participated in it. A tournament on the surface, but underneath, it was a political statement. Power, prestige, alliances... kingdoms sent their strongest. Raven Kingdom's teams had always been a threat to watch. The winners of this local tournament would go on to represent the kingdom in the global competition.
Slowly, a smile began to tug at his lips. A dangerous, amused smirk.
"Hey, Hans," he said, using his correct name for the first time.
Hans turned, slightly surprised. "Yes, Your Highness?"
"Our kids are going to get crushed so hard."
He laughed under his breath, the villainous glint in his eyes brightening. "And why am I so happy about that?"
Hans looked at him, utterly confused.
Shian just chuckled. "Yeah. This is funny."