Vincent used to indulge him so much. From childhood, Lambert had been ostracized because he had black hair while all his older brothers had golden hair. He was constantly bullied over the smallest things, left bruised and battered, until Vincent came along and made his life a little better.
Though Vincent always wore a cold expression, he was the best way to keep the other brothers at bay. For some reason, they all seemed to hold him in awe.
Lambert followed at his side, as though he had finally found someone to rely on.
As Lambert grew older, he went through a rebellious phase. He played pranks on the brothers who had once bullied him. The pranks were never done openly, but they were enough to keep Lambert happy for days.
Sometimes he was found out. Vincent always appeared at just the right moment, and then that was that. Lambert still remembered Vincent saying, “No matter what you do, I’ll always be on your side.” Vincent had been as icy as ever when he said it, but those words were enough to move Lambert for days. Gradually, the brothers who had bullied him became busy with their own lives, and none of them acted as childish as they had in their youth.
Lambert’s features gradually matured into a handsome face. His black hair no longer made him feel inferior; instead, it emphasized how different he was. His body grew tall and lean, too.
The noble girls began boldly asking him out. At first, he was flattered, and eagerly shared the happy news with Vincent. Vincent clearly wasn’t interested. He would just quietly watch Lambert, then offer a perfunctory “Hmm...” This left Lambert feeling disappointed.
That was hardly surprising. By then, Vincent was already everyone’s dream guy. Lambert would hear noble girls describe him in all sorts of ways, always as handsome, dashing, and gentlemanly.
His dark green eyes seemed to hold a bewitching power, always making the elegant young ladies shriek. He was the favorite topic of conversation among them after meals.
Someone like that could probably be forgiven even for doing something unforgivable, Lambert thought at the time.
And so Lambert became a thorn in his brothers’ sides. Then, when he was fifteen, he died on the road during an outing. None of it seemed real.
