Golden Carnation

Chapter 0: Accident

The male bit his lip as the blinding light made contact with his closed eyes. As he felt the sting from its burning sensation, he covered his face with his shaking hand.

'W-what happened...?'

Driving to the company just a while ago was the only event he could recall, before walking out from that stressful conference.

His sense of sight is nearly gone, only able to decipher the color white that seemed to be slowly consumed by darkness. Not one part in his body he was able to move, as if he completely got paralyzed. The male still tried to, yet every movement only felt excruciating in pain.

The warm sensation flowing from behind his head soon hit, a metallic scent dripping. A sharp pain then followed, the static sound from both
his ears increasing in volume.

At that point, he already realized what had happened.

★

"Castel, what are your plans after this project?"

"Is it true that you're retiring?"

"Sir, would you be willing to perform one last time before your retirement?"

Several cameras flashed and flickered in front of me as questions about my retirement flooded the conference. I smiled warmly, hiding my annoyance.

I've always hated doing things like these. Along with the surge of interviewers asking such ridiculous queries, I always have to keep my actions in mind as they could easily be villainized by the masses.

I remember being part of a scandal not-so-long ago. Although I only exchanged words with a coworker out of formalities, rumors came up suggesting that we were more than that. The company eventually caught wind of the rumors, denying the fake scandal the fans had created.

Clearing my throat, I calmly fixed the position of the microphone before me, slightly leaning towards it while opening my mouth.

"Unfortunately due to some circumstances, I have to retire early. I have nothing further to say about this matter."

I said with a cold tone, still keeping my warm smile. My statement only riled up the reporters and increased the number of questions they spewed.

There was nothing that could please them. No matter how I answered, questions would always come up. It's their only purpose in these meetings, prying on celebrities' information under the pretense of getting to know them well.

It was time for me to leave. The reporters started shoving one another while pleading for my reply. Ignoring them, I headed straight to the exit with my bodyguards.

'Good grief.'

Being guided to the parking lot, there were paparazzi following me towards the car. Have they got no sense of privacy? As the bodyguards who were with me prevented them from coming close, I entered the vehicle from the backseat with no struggle.

The life of a solo idol is difficult, having to put up with it since I was a child up until now pushed me to my limits. People kept stalking me wherever I went, stolen photos of myself always spreading on the internet; every movement I made seemed to be monitored. There were times that I encountered people breaking into my apartment, taking pictures of me while I was asleep.

Eventually, it drained me. My eagerness upon performing on stage or being cast into my desired films gradually faded. People's obsession only caused anxiety and fear of what they were capable of doing against me. I sighed, reminiscing about the haunting memories whilst resting my head against the window.

My phone then vibrated in my pocket. Bringing it out, I saw the notification which sent word of a newly uploaded chapter in the manhwa I used to read. Apparently, this update will be their last.

It was one of the series I enjoyed reading to pass time. The main character, Vinn, is an illegitimate child from the Holester family, a duke household. Though children born from affairs are still treated the same as the official members of the family, he still suffered from prejudice. He had to go through all sorts of obstacles, being framed multiple times and subjected to fighting off assassination attempts.

In some sense, I could somewhat relate to him, especially in the experiences he had during his academy years. Vinn's past was ever so slightly mentioned throughout the story, but it was enough for the readers to get the gist of how it contributed to his principles.

Undeniably, he first piqued my interest with his personality, being one of the few main characters who didn't have a harem or any female leads. Another reason why I became a devoted reader of this manhwa was because of his coldness and objectivity, which I'm fond of as a characteristic of a main character. The presence of romance or the protagonist showing romantic affection within a certain piece of fiction disgusted me.

In the latest update, the main character had finally beaten the Crowned Prince, the main antagonist. He was executed for treason and harming not only Vinn but also the Emperor. Upon scrolling through, one particular scene that they included left me disappointed.

'Really?'

The last panel of the chapter displayed the two figures, Vinn and his closest aide, Dame Cara, kissing.

I unknowingly frowned. There was no development between them at all, the ending felt rushed. No one would've guessed that he'd end up with her.

Sighing whilst I turned my phone off, I noticed the surroundings of my car. The path the driver took seemed different from where we usually went. Suspicious of the sudden change, I asked a question.

"Are you sure we're heading the right way?"

Not one noise came out of their mouth, the question was left unanswered. As my anxiety grew, my heart beat faster; the speed of the car was increasing consequently.

"Stop the car!"

"Stop it!"

A flashing light then blinded my sense of sight. The shards from the front window's glass pierced my skin, blood flowing from the places I was hit as I felt something warm from the back of my head. Feeling the impact of the seat in front of me and the current state I was in, I slowly faded into unconsciousness.