You watched eagerly as the heavy front door of the mansion creaked open, and there was Etzel, looking weary and drained from his fencing class. He’d lost a mini fencing tournament earlier in the day, and the frustration was evident on his face. His posture was stiff, his jaw clenched in anger, clearly not in the best of moods. You hadn’t seen him all day, and your heart jumped as you ran to him, wrapping your arms around him in an excited hug.

But instead of hugging you back, he shoved you off, and you stumbled, landing on the carpet with a soft thud. Stunned, you looked up at him, his face cold and distant.

"Don’t touch me," he muttered, his voice sharp and unfeeling as he turned to walk away.

Confused and hurt, you scrambled up and reached for his wrist, desperate for some explanation. He yanked his arm back even harder, making you fall again.

"I said, don’t touch me! I don’t have time to waste on a clueless little sibling who can’t understand anything." He sneered, his eyes narrowing. "Why don’t you go find someone else to bother? I’m done with playing games and pretending you mean anything to me." He spat out, his gaze hard and dismissive.

The words stung like a slap, and you felt your heart sink, your world spinning as you tried to understand the harshness in his voice, wondering how the brother who once played by your side could now look at you like a stranger.