Somewhere in the Brown Barony, a pleasant evening was unfolding. A young man, barely past his teens, was sprinting down the street with an expression of pure terror—the kind of look one wears when they believe being even a second late will result in a catastrophe.
Glancing up at the thickening dark clouds, Leon knew he had to reach his destination before the sky opened up. If the rain began to pour, the laundry hanging outside would be soaked, and his mother would be furious. She was a force of nature; even the Lord of the Barony knew to steer clear when she was angry.
His mother's parting words rang in his ears. She had reminded him and his brother to bring in the clothes before the rain started. But Leon was cursed with a selective memory. There was the time he went out for onions and returned with garlic. Then there was the infamous incident where he went looking for a missing kitten and accidentally brought home a tiger cub—an event that caused city-wide chaos when the mother tiger showed up in the village looking for her "lost" baby.
Eventually, he skidded to a halt at the drying racks. To his horror, someone was already there, calmly gathering the clothes. Leon froze. He was too late. Realizing the battle was lost, he tried to melt into the shadows and sneak away.
"Leon!"
He thought about running, but when his cousin Asha shrieked his name, he stopped dead in his tracks. When it came to Leon, she was a professional snitch. Now that she had caught him red-handed, he felt his life was over. His mother, who was fully aware of his lazy habits, turned and smiled at him. It was a warm, disarming smile—the kind that drained the color from Leon's face.
As Leon's mother stepped forward, Leon instinctively retreated. Just as he was about to bolt, something heavy anchored his leg.
"Helga!" Leon called, looking at the girl who was now hugging his leg tightly with eyes full of determination, but her chubby cheeks made her look so cute to Leon. But right now, she was a trap.
Unlike Herold, who had vanished the moment their mother appeared, Leon was now stuck.
As he was thinking of what excuse he should make, he saw a red-haired witch- no, a red-haired girl walking next to his mother. For everyone in the village, Asha was a well-mannered girl, but to Leon, who knew her personality well, she shouted.
"Mom, run! There is a witch behind you"
Thinking this momentary distraction was his chance, Leon scooped his little sister up, tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and spun around to flee.
He didn't even make it a full step before a heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Caught you!" an adult male voice announced proudly. Jon held fast, a victorious grin on his face.
But what scared Leon most wasn't Jon. It was Asha, wearing a wicked smirk, her grin sparkling like a crescent moon.
Looking at Asha's mouth, stretched fully toward her eyes, only one word came to Leon's mind: "Devil," and now he was dead.
To his despair, a joyful voice came from directly behind his head.
"Mom, come here! I caught big brother!" Helga cheered, her voice ringing with absolute delight, dripping saliva.
How did Asha persuade my sweet little sister to join the dark side? Leon wondered frantically. The little girl was too innocent for this! He was certain Asha had used sweets to bribe her.
"You know, Leon, for someone who runs as fast as you do, you have a remarkable talent for sprinting straight into a dead end," said Asha
While walking towards Leon, who was now held by Jon and Helga, Asha stretched her hands toward Helga and ruffled her hair like she was appreciating her.
"Great job, Helga! Today, you, Herold, and I will take your brother on a delightful adventure to Ron's bakery."
"You... you are a witch." Unable to do anything leon barked.
"A witch, Leon?" his mother asked, her voice dangerously sweet. "Is that any way to speak about your cousin? Especially when she was kind enough to help do your chores? And "Did you just wake up?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
Leon shook his head instantly.
She reached out, touching his collar. "Then why is your shirt on backward? You haven't even buttoned it properly."
"She's a wolf in sheep's clothing, Mom! Don't let the polite bowing fool you!" Leon pleaded, throwing his hands up—careful not to drop Helga in the process. "And besides, where is Herold? Why am I the only one taking the fall here? We were partners in crime!"
"I... I was just meditating!" Leon blurted out. "I even asked Herold to remind me about the chores."
His mother sighed. She knew exactly what Leon meant by "meditating." "Leon, don't blame your little brother. It's because of Herold that we got here before the rain."
Leon spotted Herold standing behind their mother, wearing a proud, saint-like expression. The betrayal stung.
Moments Earlier...
As the clouds gathered, Herold, the responsible brother, walked home to remind Leon about his chores. He found Leon sitting by the window with his eyes closed, lost in his usual meditative state.
This lazy fool, Herold thought. He knew that if he just reminded Leon, he would end up doing the work too. He needed a way to tell on his brother without getting blamed.
Just as he was thinking what he should do with his older brother, he saw his mother approaching in the distance. A mischievous smile formed across Herold's face. He walked to the door to "remind" Leon.
As Herold neared the door, Leon, sensing a presence, opened one eye. "Herold? Why are you back so early? Did you get into another fight? You know Mom will be mad if her 'little Herold' is causing trouble again."
Herold took a deep breath. The one who causes all the trouble all over is lecturing me?
"Brother," Herold said, his voice dripping with fake concern. "Do you remember what Mom said about the clothes? They're drying near Father's hospital."
Leon's face went blank. "Did she say that?"
"Brother, don't tell me you forgot. I think today Mother will definitely send you to Grandpa's house."
"Grandpa's house." To Leon, it was one of the scariest places. Immediately, he jumped from his chair and knelt at Herold's feet. "Little brother, please help me! You might be younger, but you are the true eldest in this house!"
"Okay," Herold said heroically like he was going to do a favor. "When Mom comes back, I'll 'talk' to her. Just get to the hospital before it rains!"
Trusting in Herold's words, Leon sprinted away, fueled by hope. But he had no idea that by "talking to Mom," Herold meant giving her a full report on Leon's laziness.