The Bastard Heir
Kenji Himamura was born to the House of Himamura, though no one ever let him forget that he was a bastard. His father, once famed across the continent as the Red Blade, had long since abandoned his glory. Once a warrior who struck fear into the Death Plains during the fourth campaign to reclaim it, he had crumbled after the death of his first wife. Now he was a hollow man—drunk, bitter, and given to debauchery.
The second Duchess of Himamura could only grit her teeth as scandal after scandal followed. In his haze, the Red Blade found comfort in the arms of countless whores, until one, a woman named Rose, bore him a child.
The birth caused an uproar. His father stumbled through public apologies, but they were shallow words. Rose died giving birth, and the child—the stain of his father's disgrace—was reluctantly taken in. That boy was Kenji Himamura, though to the people he was only "the Bastard."
---
Kenji's life began in a rotting estate far from the main manor. Mold crept across its walls, and the air stank of damp wood and neglect. Even at four years old, Kenji endured it with quiet resilience.
He had grown quickly, walking and speaking before most infants could stand. Words fascinated him, and books became his only companions. Though the shelves were meager—his father rarely spared coin for him—Kenji devoured every page as if the words themselves gave him warmth.
A harsh, rasping voice cut through his concentration one morning.
"HEY, BASTARD! GET DOWN HERE!"
Kenji closed his book and sighed. The name stung less with each use, but it never stopped hurting. He padded down the creaking stairs, his small frame dressed in rags patched one too many times.
At the bottom stood his maid, an aging beastkin woman with drooping ears, fur matted from years of indifference. Her face had the weary look of someone who'd stopped expecting kindness from the world. She puffed on her pipe without even glancing up at him.
"Your father says you're needed at the main house today." She exhaled smoke into his face and tossed a bundle of clothes at him. "Wash up. You reek."
Kenji caught the bundle and muttered, "...Thank you."
After a quick bath, he dressed in the stiff, uncomfortable garments and climbed into a waiting carriage. His small hands fidgeted in his lap as the horses carried him toward the grand manor he had visited only a handful of times.
---
The main hall was dazzling—chandeliers casting golden light, nobles draped in silks and jewels, the air filled with perfume and laughter. Kenji felt suffocated.
His father stood at the center, older now, his once-fiery hair streaked with grey. He still carried himself with the shadow of the Red Blade's confidence, though his tired eyes betrayed years of regret.
"Attention, attention!" His father's voice boomed, raising a goblet of wine. "I present to you my firstborn son and heir to the House of Himamura, Kenji Himamura!"
Applause thundered around the room. Kenji stood frozen at his father's side, the heat of the borrowed clothes stinging his skin. The word heir rang hollow in his ears.
"And tonight," his father continued, "we strengthen our bond with the royal line through marriage."
The crowd parted, revealing the King himself. His beard was long and regal, his presence commanding. At his side stood his third daughter—Princess Gina—a year older than Kenji, her dark hair curled neatly, her eyes wide with curiosity.
The King laughed heartily. "Yes, a union of great promise. On this day, I announce the engagement of my daughter Gina to young Kenji Himamura. When they reach their eighteenth year, they shall wed, and this bond will bring glory to the Centurion Empire!"
Goblets clinked, cheers erupted. Nobles swarmed the children with congratulations and gifts.
Kenji, overwhelmed by the heat of the room and the suffocating attention, forced a polite bow. "If you'll excuse me... I must go to the lavatory." His voice cracked as he slipped away.
---
The garden outside was blissfully quiet, moonlight bathing the flowers in silver. Kenji tugged at his collar and sank beneath a tree, inhaling the cool night air.
A voice startled him. "This doesn't look like a lavatory to me."
Kenji spun around to see the princess standing behind him, a sly smile on her lips.
"Y-you followed me?" he stammered.
She crossed her arms. "Don't tell me you came out here to do your business under the trees."
Kenji flushed red. "O-of course not! I just... needed space. Too many people, too much heat. It's quieter here."
Princess Gina giggled and plopped down beside him on the grass. "I feel the same. Those parties are exhausting." She tilted her head back to the moon. "But this place... I like it. A perfect escape."
Kenji relaxed a little. "I always come here whenever I visit the main house."
Her eyes widened. "Visit? Don't you live here?"
Kenji blinked at her. "No, I live in another house. Isn't it normal to live alone?"
"Normal?" She frowned. "How could it be normal? We're five."
"Oh." He thought for a moment. "I read in a book once—The Guide to Adult Life. It said it's normal."
Princess Gina burst into laughter, holding her stomach. "Kenji, that's ridiculous! Who gave you a book like that?"
"I... found it." His ears turned red.
She softened, studying him with a mix of amusement and concern. "You shouldn't believe everything you read. Don't you have a teacher?"
Kenji shook his head.
Her expression darkened as he spoke more of his life, his rundown house, his absent father. Finally, she reached for his hand. "This isn't right. I'll speak to my father. I promise—I'll help you."
Kenji stared at her earnest face, confused but strangely comforted. "...Okay."
A guard appeared, bowing low. "Your Highness, it's time."
Reluctantly, she stood. Before leaving, she slipped a folded note and a small ring beside where he sat.
Later, when the garden was quiet again, Kenji noticed it. He opened the note and read:
This is yours. My father said I should wait until I knew you better, but I feel like I've known you my whole life.
Kenji smiled faintly and strung the ring onto a lace around his neck. For the first time in his young life, he felt a spark of warmth.
---
Hours passed. He must have dozed off beneath the tree, because when he awoke the carriage was long gone. Panic set in as he rushed back to the manor gates, only to be shoved away by the guards.
"Not tonight, Bastard."
Shivering in the night, Kenji wandered the dark streets. He soon found himself in the slums, where foul smoke and hunger clung to the air. At the end of an alley, he spotted four children playing with wooden sticks, their laughter cutting through the silence.
Kenji hesitated, then stepped forward.
---