Asta Silva - Childhood and travel

Chapter 7

<Asta>

When I was in a hearing distance, I crouched in the bushes under the window and began listening.

"What does it mean, he's gone?! Find him immediately!" My Father shouted. 

He sounded completelyfurious. Wow, I wonder who they're looking for. Has someone got hurt and escaped like me? Who would be so crazy? Nobles usually whine after a small scratch, so maybe it's a criminal? In a sense thatsomeone broke in and they're looking for them before they can cause further harm?

A maid ran past me. I had an urge to come out and ask who they're looking for. Some maids are nice tome, so maybe they will tell me. Most probably they would tell me to go back to the tower, though.

Suddenly someone grabbed me by my hood and lifted me up. I won't lie, this position was very uncomfortable, mainly because of my bruised ribs, and the man that caught me had a really bad breath.

Ew.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" the man growled, putting a sword to my throat.

"I'm Asta Silva, son of Nozel Silva" I said calmly. Honestly, when I have to introduce myself, I feel shame.

I don't feel like I belong to this family. Everyone tells me I don't anyway, so I don't know why I wasn't disowned yet. The man burst out laughing.

"Nice joke! He doesn't have a son! He said it himself in an interrogation a week ago"

Ow, that hurt. Even though I expected that he would not admit to having me, it doesn't change the factthat I wasnted to cry and my heart squeezed painfully. It shouldn't hurt this much, I knew it would be thisway. 

I couldn't do anything about the tears that began streaming down my face, or about my trembling lips. I wasn't sure why I was so moved, but I had to focus.

"So, who are you? Tell the truth, and I will let you go and forget about it" 

I thought about what to say. If I insisted that I was who I was he would kill me, or take me to Father, which would anger him even more and he would officially disown me or kill me. On the other hand, if I say I'm a villager who sneaked inside, he could imprison me, or throw me out on the streets. No onewould even notice I'm gone, so I would be homeless for a while. Neither option is tempting, but if I wasthrown out I could at least start a new life, or die trying. 

I decided not to say anything. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't, because my throat was squeezing and I hadtrouble breathing.

"Asta-sama!" One of the nicer maids called out. I forced a smile. She was good, she was always nice and tried to sometimes read to me at bedtime. I didn't want her to worry. "What are you doing?! Let him go!" the apalled maid said, getting closer.

"This brat sneaked here, is he yours?" the man asked.

"What? No! He's Nozel-sama's son!"

"He doesn't have a son, he said it himself. Now, both of you stop lying, or I will do an execution on thespot" he growled.

"S-so what are you waiting for?" I scoffed with a trembling voice. I wasn't afraid of him, I wasn't afraid of him killing me. I wasn't afraid of death. That fear was eliminated years ago after many "pranks" from Solid and Nebra, which I consider murder attempts, not pranks.

"Asta-sama!"

Apparently the man didn't like my tone of voice, because he threw me on the ground. I screamed, I thinkmy ribs are broken. I don't know if he broke them, or if they were broken already. But if they were already broken, shouldn't I feel it when I was going or waking from sleep? So he probably broke them. He swung his sword, and I, not habing the strength to move, closed my eyes, waiting for death. It's not like I had something to loose. Well, maybe Liebe, but he's a spirit. He will just find a new user. I'm not special inany way.

After a while of waiting for pain, nothing came.

"N-Nozel-sama" The man said weakly.