Page 138 of Koroleva

be. Adriano wanted to kick the enemy out of the house and was planning every strategy meticulously.

Of course, I also felt angry; no one likes being attacked by an eagle or falling down a slide without a float. However, I began to glimpse the spirit of my family in him, and a hint of pride ignited within me.

Once in the director's office, Romeo justified my actions. He threatened to file a complaint if they didn't apologize to me for endangering my life. Seeing the stature of my husband and his thug-like appearance, the poor man almost begged. He endured the onslaught, drowned in apologies, and gave us a pass to visit the park anytime it was open.

After the incident, my nephew didn't want to stay, and he spent the return trip in silence, staring out the window.

Upon arriving home, my husband received a call from Dante, apologizing because he absolutely had to attend to some matters at the bar. To his surprise, I volunteered to stay home with the child and talk to him about what happened with the eagle. R thought I wanted to comfort him, without suspecting that what I really wanted was to confront Adri without him present.

54

Korolev Pact

As soon as R left, I went looking for my nephew, who was locked in his room, lying on the bed staring at the ceiling.

It was a child's bedroom, clearly set up by my husband for him. The walls were painted sky blue. There was a mural at the head of the bed with the image of a motorcycle, a large desk, an area for him to play comfortably, and light-colored furniture that added warmth and brightness to the room.

Before entering, I knocked but received no response, so I decided to let myself in.

When the door opened, he merely grunted, "You didn't have permission to enter," to which I responded that I didn’t need anyone’s permission because it was my house and he was a minor.

Instead of confronting me as I expected, he just stared at the colored plaster.

"Did you have fun today?" My confrontational tone made him redirect his gaze towards the door without saying anything. He frowned. "What’s wrong? Didn’t like how your eagle prank ended?"

"You didn’t have to kill it!" he exclaimed.

"Right, it would have been much better for it to perforate my skull. What on earth were you thinking putting salmon in my hair?" My nephew shrugged, not even denying it.

"I thought it would be funny. I figured you’d get scared and run off trying to shoo it away, not kill it."

"A Korolev never flees," I reflected aloud, "we face the enemy to the bitter end. It's in our nature, whether it’s an animal, a person, or an imaginary being. We act; we never stand by idly, like you’re doing with me, even if you make mistakes, because I'm not your enemy."

"You are!" he spat angrily.

"No, I'm not, I'm your aunt, and you need to learn to distinguish those things. The greatness of a Korolev lies in being a great strategist, having a critical eye, knowing when to enter a battle or when to wait and, above all, choosing your opponents wisely. Being a good observer is also a trait of our family."

"I'm not from your family!"

"You are. Like it or not, you're my nephew, my brother's son, and the sooner you accept it, the better for everyone."

"And if I don’t, what will you do? Send me to a boarding school? I know I annoy you, you want me out of this house, you can’t stand me."

"You’re not exactly a devotee of my presence either," I countered. "Look, nobody told me I was going to end up with a kid in my life, I have nothing against you, it’s just that I'm not good with anyone under eighteen."

"But your sister is sixteen."

"But Sarka is very mature for her age and doesn’t pull harmful pranks." Adriano crossed his arms.

"I understand you're upset with life, even with the decisions of the man you consider your father, but let me tell you something that perhaps others haven't because they think you're too young to understand." I looked at him seriously as he

fixed his brown eyes on mine. "Life isn't fair." He snorted.

"Are you telling me or complaining?" he replied disdainfully.

"Both. You need to internalize it because it will do you good. I’m sorry you lost your mother; it shouldn't have happened, just like I shouldn’t have lost your father or mine. But life took something from you and in return gave you a place among people who have made room in their lives for you, people who didn’t have to do it and yet, they are there, they've protected, cared for, and respected you. I can’t deny that, no matter how Capulet they are. And now, your real family, the one you truly belong to, is also here. My sisters, my mother, and I, we are where you belong."

"You are nothing!"

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