Take the Chance [RED SON] ☆COMPLETE☆

4 So she was right

Wednesday 8:00 AM

A cup of coffee and the act of opening the windows in his room greeted Red Son’s morning. Though the scenery outside their home was a never-ending expanse of desert sand, the quietness and stillness of his surroundings made him feel calm and steady.

Red Son didn’t do much that day, aside from folding his blanket and keeping his pillows neat. He woke up feeling surprisingly fresh and fine.

Huh. What should I do today?

He thought to himself, staring at the ceiling while lying on his bed. There was nothing particularly urgent to do, and he wasn’t in the mood to fix any machines or gadgets. The thought of walking outside only made him feel lazier. He decided he was much happier staying in his room, doing absolutely nothing but staring at the ceiling.

“Let’s just hope Mother doesn’t call me to do something.”

That’s when his gaze landed on the book Emily, the librarian, had recommended to him. It rested on his messy desk, slightly out of place amidst the chaos. He blinked.

Should he?

Red Son wasn’t exactly fond of novels, let alone what he assumed were childish tales like Pinocchio or Cinderella. Yet, there was a strange urge, one that was undoubtedly tied to his growing interest in Emily. Against his better judgment, he grabbed the book. Sitting cross-legged on his bed and hugging a pillow, he hummed thoughtfully.

The cover was elegant, bound in a pleasing hardcover that gave it an aesthetic charm.

“I guess it won’t hurt to read it,” he muttered.

Flipping through the pages, he was surprised to find an intricately drawn map of the book’s world and small illustrations of its characters.

“Okay, this is something,” he thought, and without realizing it, he had started reading the prologue.

---

Meanwhile, Princess Iron Fan sat in the living room, sipping her tea with a slight frown.

“Hmm... That boy hasn’t left his room all day.”

Her husband, the Demon Bull King, looked up from his newspaper, equally puzzled.

“This is strange,” he said. “That boy should be walking around by now, either complaining or scrutinizing his minions’ work.”

Princess Iron Fan nodded. It was indeed odd. Normally, their son’s explosive personality and perfectionist tendencies filled the fortress with noise. His absence made their home strangely peaceful.

“Should we check on him?” the Demon Bull King asked, setting his paper down.

Princess Iron Fan smirked knowingly. “No, let’s leave him be. I have a feeling I know what this is about.”

Her husband raised a brow but didn’t press further. “Very well,” he said, returning to his reading.

---

Red Son, meanwhile, was entirely engrossed in the book. What had started as a curious glance turned into hours of uninterrupted reading. He had intended to read just two chapters to gauge whether Emily’s recommendation was worth his time. Instead, he found himself biting his nails in anticipation, his eyes scanning each page with a fervor he didn’t know he possessed.

“What?! Woman, you’re not supposed to follow him! Can’t you see he’s suspicious?!” he muttered, glaring at the book as though it had personally offended him.

Still, he was careful not to damage the hardcover, flipping to the next page with surprising restraint.

“At least the male lead has some sense of humor,” he grumbled, shifting his position for the fourth time. He moved from the bed to the floor, then to his desk, squatting with the book in hand.

Hours later, he closed the book with a deep sigh, his face unusually calm. He stared at the cover, his expression unreadable.

“I’m an idiot for not reading novels sooner,” he mumbled, as if admitting a long-held secret.

He placed the book on his desk, stretching his arms with a satisfied groan. Yet, as he stood there, a strange feeling crept over him—a sense of emptiness now that the story was over.

“The librarian knows her stuff,” he muttered under his breath.

Still dressed in his nightclothes and with his hair a mess, he left his room and wandered into the living room. His parents stopped their conversation when they noticed his disheveled appearance.

The Demon Bull King raised a brow, while Princess Iron Fan barely reacted, sipping her tea nonchalantly.

“Mother, if you’re going to ask why I’ve been in my room all day, don’t,” Red Son began, his tone defensive.

“Oh, really? You can’t be threatening me like that now, can you?” his mother replied with an amused smirk.

“Mother, seriously—”

He sighed in defeat. “Fine. I was reading a book. Happy?” he grumbled, crossing his arms.

Princess Iron Fan hummed knowingly. “Was it the librarian who recommended it to you?”

Her teasing grin struck a nerve, and Red Son’s face turned pink. “S-shut up! It’s just a book, okay?!”

His father squinted suspiciously. “An interest in a girl, perhaps?”

The color in Red Son’s face deepened as he spluttered, unable to form a coherent denial.

“Oh, indeed,” Princess Iron Fan giggled. “Our son is smitten. Let’s leave him be.”

Demon Bull King chuckled but didn’t press the matter.

“Well, Son?”

“I-I'm going out!” Red Son snapped, stomping out of the living room in a flustered huff.

The couple exchanged amused looks, smirking at their son’s reaction.

Red Son, meanwhile, grumbled under his breath, trying to suppress the truth of his growing fondness for Emily. Yet, deep down, he knew there was no denying it.

-Take the Chance