A/n: that's sort of how Elis would look. I don't know what manhwa it's from sorry.
"...."
"Come again?"
"Ahem," Elis cleared his throat, "Tonight, we will be hosting the Henituse Family for dinner,"
Rok Soo stared blankly, "Didn't the Count and Cale only get back from the capital yesterday?"
"Yes, actually this was requested last week but the Count asked if we could host after the banquet," Elis explained.
"...why is this happening?" Rok Soo looked at Siwan.
Siwan smiled, "As you know we're trying to expand to other territories. Our reach in the North East is unmatched but the other territories, especially the Western part of the Roan Kingdom, is basically untouched,"
"Due to the gallery, the Nyphan Family have worked directly with the lord of the territory and the person managing basically anything art related," Elis added on, "To expand, it would be good to have some support and use the Henituse name as leverage,"
Rok Soo crossed his arms in front of him, "Oh, so it's a business meal,"
"Yes,"
"But why are the children coming?"
"Oh, well, Young Master Cale is your friend so he's naturally invited," Siwan shrugged, "But it's rude if we outcast Second Young Master Basen and Lady Lily,"
Rok Soo sighed, "Right, of course. And if we're inviting the three children and the Countess, the Count should naturally join as well,"
Elis and Siwan nodded with matching smiles.
Rok Soo scowled, "Cale didn't have to come,"
"Hm? But don't you want to see him?" Siwan tilted her head.
"No,"
Elis smiled, "You must've missed your first friend a little,"
Rok Soo glared, "I did not,"
His older siblings smiled again.
Rok Soo's eyes twitched.
~~
Cale adjusted the rings on his hand, speaking to Ron as they walked towards the front of the Henituse Estate, "We just got back and we're working? Why am I working? Ron, why am I going again?"
"Because the Nyphan Family invited, young master,"
"Ugh. That jerk. I'll kill him,"
Ron smiled, entertained by the grumbles.
The two of them passed through the front doors of the Henituse Manor, finding the four brunettes waiting for them. Cale looked at the single carriage and kept his face neutral. His eyes moved towards Deruth upon hearing him speak, "Cale, have you everything you need?"
"Mn,"
"Ron, please look after the manor," Deruth smiled.
"I will, my lord,"
Cale looked at Ron, "Ron,"
"Yes, young master, I remember,"
"It's important,"
"This butler shall make sure it is done well,"
Cale gave a small nod of approval.
"My dear, shall we leave?" Violan speaks softly.
"Yes, let's go,"
Deruth enters the carriage followed by Violan. Cale stoically enters after, sitting near the window and on the other side of the carriage, opposing his Father. Basen files in after, sitting opposite to Violan. Finally, Ron helps Lily enter and the young girl sits in between her brothers. She grins, clapping her hands as the carriage begins to move, "We're going on a trip!!"
Basen smiles, while the count and countess laugh. Deruth reaches forward and gently pokes Lily's nose, "Unfortunately, we're not going that far,"
Lily tilts her head, "Huh? Where are we going?"
"We'll be having dinner with the Nyphan Family. You remember them, right Lily? You met them when we saw all the paintings?" Violan explained.
Lily looked like she was thinking before her expression brightened up. She looked at her eldest brother, "Oh!! Orabeoni's friend!!"
Cale, who was simply staring through the gap between the window and the curtain, ignoring the situation, jolted, head whipping around to stare at Lily, eyes wide. Basen, who clearly remembered that Cale had asked them to not tell anyone, sweatdropped and reached over, laughing awkwardly, "Haha, Lily. What're you talking about?"
Lily looks at Basen innocently, "Huh? Basen Oppa was there too? Orabeoni was carrying me because my foot hurt! And we saw paintings- and Orabeoni talked with the person with black hair and eyes like orabeoni!"
Basen paled and he lifted his eyes to stare at Cale, who's stoic expression was cracked as he stared at Lily in disbelief. The second young master then looked at Violan and Deruth, who were looking between the three of them.
Cale suddenly inhaled and muttered a low, "Lily..."
Lily perked her head up, "Yes?"
Cale went speechless. How does he handle this? He looked up staring at Basen who met his gaze with an awkward expression. Clearly, Basen didn't know what to do either.
"...Cale,"
Cale flinched at Deruth's voice. He swallowed, "Yes, Father?"
"Cale? Are you friendsâ"
"No," Cale lied through his teeth, "She's confused. We just talked,"
"But Orabeoni was laughing and smiling?"
'This little sister of mineâ?!' Cale froze in his seat.
Deruth turned to Lily, "Pardon?"
Lily grinned, looking excited to speak. Before she could, Cale touched her head gently, careful not to ruin her hair. He speaks as softly as he can, "Lily. We only talked with him,"
"Yes! But Orabeoni liked talking to him!"
Cale's eyebrow twitched and he removed his hand with a groan. He grumbled, "Children..."
"Cale, there's no need to hide it," Deruth smiled, but his eyes were confused and peering into Cale as if trying to gouge him out, "If you're friends with the Young Master it's fine. I don't understand why you'd want to hide it from us,"
But Cale didn't want them to know. He wanted somewhere safe and out of his Father's influence. The Nyphan Estate was the only place that Cale had. The shops, the bars, the galleries, the manor, all of it would eventually filter up to his Father. Outside of the Nyphan manor, Cale was the short-tempered first heir to the county who had begun to drink. Inside the Nyphan Manor, he was just Cale.
Cale wouldn't ever admit that he enjoyed putting down the facade. He'd rather die than admit to anyone that letting his walls down after so many years was so...liberating.
If his Father knew he was close to the Nyphan Family, he'd have nowhere to go again. Furthermore, it'll cause trouble with the Nyphan Family if they knew that they were close with the useless trash of the Henituse Family.
Cale spoke curtly, "I already said I'm not friends with him. Why would I be friends with him?"
"But Orabeoniâ"
"Lily," Cale looked at her, softening his tone a bit but keeping an edge to it, "You're mistaken. We are not friends. I was being polite,"
Lily pouted and Basen reached over to poke her cheek, "Yeah, Lily. You're right that Hyung enjoyed the conversation but that doesn't mean they're friends,"
Cale nodded in approval, "Exactly,"
"I see," Deruth hummed, before chuckling, "Of course it makes sense,"
Cale speaks suddenly, "Of course it does. Plus, don't you tail me every other day? If I had been friends with him wouldn't you already know?"
Deruth let out a cough of surprise. Violan looks at her husband, "You tail him?"
Cale is suddenly confused, "Was this not something you both agreed to?"
Violan shook her head, staring blankly at Deruth, "Why're you tailing him?"
"I'm just looking out for him," Deruth explains, "Cale never takes a guard with him,"
"I don't like the guards,"
"Cale, the guards wouldn't hurt you,"
'As if,' Cale gave a blank stare, 'Those guards wouldn't interfere if I was being beaten to death'
Deruth suddenly smiled oddly, "Really, where did your sudden disliking for the guards come from? You used to adore them and you'd follow the captain with your sword, mimicking his moves,"
Violan smiled softly, a small chuckle. Cale's expression darkened and he looked at his Father coldly, "Hah? Where did this come from?"
Naturally, Cale had once trusted the people of the estate. But that was before his life was ruined by a single carriage ride.
Deruth smiled, "It was very funny. He'd mimic me when I practice sword too,"
Lily bounced in her seat, "Wow! So Orabeoni's a swordsman!"
"Tch," Cale clicked his tongue, "As if,"
"I've seen hyung use a sword,"
Cale looked at Basen in confusion, "Huh?"
Basen nods dumbly, "You looked really cool hyung-nim,"
"Well- I-" Cale frowned, "When did you see me?"
"Um, four years ago maybe," Basen looked at Lily, "Hyung-nim's really good,"
Cale's mouth parts in confusion, "What?"
'What is he doing? Why is this conversation happening? No, wait, why are any of you paying attention to me?!'
Lily whipped around and stared at Cale. The oldest of the three children felt chills go down his back as he stared at the starry eyes. He coughed and looked away, unaware his cheeks were flushing in embarrassment, "That's such crap!"
"Orabeoni! Orabeoni! Orabeoni!"
Cale curiously glanced at his sister upon feeling her suddenly repeatedly tug at his sleeve. From the corner of his eyes he could see Deruth staring with a smile and Violan looking slightly nervous, but also...hopeful? No, that can't be right. It's probably fondness over her daughter.
"Orabeoni!!"
"Ah, yes, yes," Cale answered tiredly.
"Teach me!!!"
"What?" Violan and Deruth chorused.
"Huh?" Cale said at the same time.
Basen smiled. When Cale and Deruth had gone to the capitol, Basen spent some time with his Mother and sister. Naturally, Lily asked about the banquet and how long they'd be gone. From that discussion, Lily had asked a few things about Cale.
Now, here's the thing. Basen doesn't know...well...anything about his brother. Violan even less so. The extent of their knowledge is basic information such as his name and age. It's...shameful, to be honest.
They were supposed to be family, but they're all basically strangers. They'd learned small things, such as Cale, like sweets, recently, but in the endâ it wasn't enough to call themselves a family. Even if they weren't blood related, they should know something. But the reality was they knew nothing.
Lily was naturally curious and bubbly, and she was always curious about the brother she sees sparsely and is mostly kept away from by servants. The brother who everyone avoids like a plague and is gone from day to night, rarely joining them for meals. Her questions started off simple, about the sweets. Then she asked about other things she did know. "Is he really busy?" "The servants tell me not to bother him too much" "How come I don't see him a lot" "What does he like?" "Does he like swords?"
That's what led Basen to recall a few memories about Cale.
Those memories made him a bit mournful. When they were younger, Cale was more approachable, kind even. He hadn't actively hung out with them, but they'd shared conversations and meals. He'd even assisted Basen with getting familiar with the manor at the beginning.
Basen was honestly quite sure his brother's downfall was because of his and his mom. Violan sometimes felt it too. They didn't talk about it, nor think about it, but Lily was curious about her oldest brother so they couldn't help but talk a little. Very little. After that conversation, Lily had asked Basen if Cale could teach her sword. It was off handed and shocked Basen so much he didn't answer. Lily had blabbered on about something else that had come to mind and the sentence was forgotten.
That's what led Basen to keep talking about Cale when the topic arised now. He wanted to get close with his brother, even if just a little. He understood his brother didn't like him, but he wanted to at least be able to talk with him. That was enough. Basen would not push Cale's decision. Cale's feelings were all reasonable.
Basen was the brother Cale didn't want and the son his Father had brought home a year after Cale's mother passed away. Why wouldn't Cale dislike the two that were suddenly called his family?
"Sword!! Orabeoni! Teach me sword! I want to be a knight!"
"Iâ"
"Lily, let go of Cale's coat. And ask politely," Violan scolded softly. She looked at Cale, pausing at the confusion and surprise in his eyes. She'll think about it later, "Cale, you don't have toâ"
"But Mother!" Lily frowns, letting Cale go. She pouted up at Cale, "Please Orabeoni! I want to get closer with Orabeoni too!"
The atmosphere seemed to stutter.
Cale's expression turned cold and it looked like he shut down. Basen bit the inside of his mouth, watching the slight emotions melt away into a cold slate. His eyes flickered over to his parents who both seemed unsure of how to handle this...no, his Mother seemed regretful and worried, while Deruth just looked unsure of what to do. But his eyes remained on Cale.
'Ah...this...' Basen worried, 'How do I handle this?'
Cale turned away, eyes hard and hands crossed over his chest. His voice was stern, "You're out of your head, Lily. Why don't we just get through dinner. Your excitement is confusing you,"
Lily tilted her head, "Huh?"
Basen swallows and leans forward, "That means you should ask him another time,"
Cale's eyes shifted towards Basen, cold and glaring, "Just what are youâ"
"Ah! Okay!!" Lily beamed and Cale faltered at the utter innocence.
He stared at her before turning away and grumbling, "Everyone's gone crazy. What the heck is going on..."
A knock startled all of them.
The five heads perked up and they all stared in surprise as the carriage door opened and a young man with a dark colored cloak at his back and sword at his waist bowed. He motioned forward, "Welcome to the Nyphan Estate, your excellencies,"
'We're here?' The family thought blankly.
Cale recovered first and he cleared his throat, "You should wait for us to answer before opening the carriage door. We didn't even realize we'd stopped moving,"
The guard, who actually recognized Cale, simply smiled at the cold tone, "Oh my, you're correct, Young Master. Please excuse me, the estate is rather nervous at such prestige visiting us,"
Deruth gathered his bearings and stepped out of the carriage, smiling warmly, "No need to worry. Be at ease,"
He held out a hand for Violan to take, carefully leading her out from the carriage. Cale was quick to follow with Basen and Lily behind him. When Lily landed, she bounced forward and grabbed the tail of Cale's coat. The red-head glanced down blankly before saying, "Let go,"
Violan must've heard him because she glanced over and quickly called, "Lily, dear. Come here,"
"Oh!" Lily quickly ran to her mother, reaching up and holding her hand firmly.
The five of them walked forward, approaching the entrance of the three-story estate. Basen gasped at the fountain while Lily giggled and babbled to Violan about how pretty it was. Cale had seen it numerous times that he simply ignored it, walking quickly. He wanted to get inside.
Thankfully, getting inside was easy.
Once they passed through the front, they opened up into the main staircase that connected the first and second floor. Descending from those stairs were the three Nyphan members. Cale's boredom curbed at the sight of familiar faces and he relaxed, straightening up slightly.
Deruth noticed the shift, but said nothing just thinking his son was relieved to be inside.
"Count, Countess!" Lord Elis greeted warmly, as the three siblings bowed, "I am honored you accepted our invitation,"
"Thank you for having us, Lord Elis," Deruth smiled, leading the greetings from Henituse County.
"The servants informed us they're prepared to host us in the dining hall, shall we?"
"That would be wonderful,"
As they walked towards the dining hall, Cale strayed to the back of the group. As if with the same mindset, Rok Soo managed to join himâafter a polite and short interaction with Basen. The moment the two were walking side by side, Rok Soo lowered his voice, "You've worked hard,"
Cale was confused, "What?"
Rok Soo mumbled, "The package?"
Cale's eyes widened and recalled what he had delivered. He smiled at the earlier praise, "Thank you,"
Rok Soo also couldn't help but smirk, "It's smart. You've been thorough,"
"Naturally," Cale shrugged, "I am the son of a Count, this much is easy,"
Rok Soo shook his head with a soft sigh, "Tell me about everything later. And about the banquet,"
Cale snorted at the mention of the banquet, "I have quite the news for you,"
Rok Soo immediately felt chills. He narrowed his eyes, "You punk, what did you do?"
Cale didn't respond and Rok Soo glanced ahead before kicking the younger lightly in the shin. Cale stumbled a bit before glaring at Rok Soo with wide eyes. The older played dumb, "Walk properly,"
Cale's eyebrow twitched, "This old manâ"
Rok Soo smiled at the familiar nickname. He patted Cale's head softly, "Welcome back,"
Cale's anger dwindled and he was left with warmth. His ears heated up at being treated like a child and he moved his head, grumbling, "Yeah, yeah,"
Rok Soo smiled again, 'Hmm seems the trip went fine,'
The two families passed through the dining hall doors and the servants inside all bowed deeply. Elis smiled at the servants giving them all a nod, "At ease,"
As he sat down at the head of the table, he spoke to the Count who was on his right, "Count, we assumed Lady Lily would sit beside the Countess. Is that alright?"
"Oh, that's perfect," Deruth nodded.
Siwan sat down to Elis's left while Violan and Lily followed Deruth. Rok Soo discreetly pulled Cale to sit beside him and Basen settled beside Lily, across from them. Siwan gave a small smile to Cale as her brother sat them down. A friendly greeting but a quiet one. Cale was surprised but smiled and bowed his head.
He hadn't interacted a lot with Rok Soo's older siblings but they'd bumped into each other a few times. That's why the casual greeting was odd, but welcomed enough. It meant that the Nyphan Family had no plans to reveal their connection with Cale. That itself made Cale relax.
Once the servants had placed all the food out, Elis motioned for them to leave and invited them to start eating. Quiet chatter began to focus the room, the two lords almost jumping straight into business. Rok Soo and Cale tuned them out.
Siwan and Violan spoke across the table for a bit before joining the lords in their discussion. That left the younger ones to their own. Lily and Basen were used to quiet meals so they were basically silent. Cale also remained silent, simply eating as quickly yet politely as he could.
However, his eyes landed on a glass not too far from him. It belonged to Rok Soo and was filled with wine, unlike his own which was simply water. Glancing at Rok Soo, who had been called by his sister to answer some question about something to do with finances, Cale quietly switched their glasses.
Basen looked at him across the table and Cale simply lifted a finger to his lips, his eyes glinting with mischief. Having never seen the look and slightly happy to see a bright expression on his usually cold brother, Basen made a 'zipping' motion across his lips, mouth twitching into a smile. Cale smirked and nodded in approval.
The two pretended nothing happened and continued their meal.
"Oi,"
Cale hummed as Rok Soo suddenly spoke, turning his head. The older stared unamused, "Give it,"
"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything," Cale shrugged, placing another piece of smoked salmon in his mouth.
Rok Soo blankly reached forward, taking the cup of wine. Cale immediately frowned, "Why are you taking my drink?"
"I have explicitly ordered the servants to not give you alcohol," Rok Soo deadpanned and Cale winced.
He asked quietly, "Just a sip,"
"No,"
"Please?"
"No,"
"I'll really only take a sip,"
"No,"
"Why're you being so cruel to me?"
"No,"
"A super small sip!"
"Over my dead body,"
"I have a knife,"
"..."
Rok Soo actually eyed the knife in Cale's hand. He then narrowed his eyes, "You probably had alcohol in the capital,"
Cale's silence was a confirmation. Rok Soo shook his head, switching their cups back. He then humored, "I can get you cider if water isn't your taste. Pretend it's champagne,"
Cale blinked, "Cider?"
"We have a good peach cider, hold on," Rok Soo raised his hand and motioned a servant who was attending them over.
"Get Cale some peach cider," Rok Soo says, "Water's not suiting him,"
The servant nods before turning to Cale and informing, "I shall get you a whole bottle!"
"I just want to try it first,"
The servant smiled mysteriously, "Do not worry, Young Master. I believe it will suit your taste,"
The servant rushed off and Cale frowned. Elis, noticing it, asked worriedly, "Dongsaeng? Everything good?"
"Yes, I was just getting Caâ" Cale kicked him hard under the table and Rok Soo hissed in pain.
Everyone stared at him and Rok Soo quickly mumbled, "My apologies, I added too much salt on the last bite. I was getting Young Master Cale some cider,"
"Cider?" Deruth blinked.
"Ah, one of my friends sent us bottles of peach cider," Elis informed, "It's quite nice, would you like some?"
"Hm- oh my, is that it?"
The servant from before has returned carrying a bottle. Cale immediately zeroes in and asks with surprise, "That's quite the bottle!"
The servant smiled, "It is rather large,"
The servant poured Cale a glass of the very lightly orange drink. Cale immediately took a sip, lowering the glass only a little bit in surprise. His eyes widened and he mumbled, "Huh? How can something without alcohol be this rich?"
Another sip.
Cale blanked out and turned to Elis who was pouring a cup for the others, "Lord Elis,"
"Yes, young master?"
"Your friend. The person who makes this. I want their name," Cale pointed to the cup in his hand.
Rok Soo smiled secretly.
Deruth quickly mended the rude tone, "I'm sorry for his tone, Lord Elis,"
Cale wilted slightly but Elis laughed, "No, no! What tone? He's excited! I'm glad to know the young master enjoys it so much!"
Cale perks up again and Rok Soo speaks up, "I'll send you a package, young master,"
Cale grins and the Henituse family freezes for a second. Rok Soo smiles, seeing the joy, before Cale seemed to remember where he was and cleared his throat, killing the expression that lasted for a few seconds. He nodded, "Good. I still want their name. I'll buy them a whole warehouse if they need it as long as they keep producing this,"
"They'll be glad to hear that," Elis smiled warmly, "You're very kind, young master,"
Cale didn't respond, just turning his head and taking another sip. Rok Soo scolds softly, "It's not good to just fill your stomach with drinks. Finish your food as well,"
Cale mumbled, "I'm eating. Your chef is almost as good as Beacrox,"
Rok Soo pretends to not know who that is, "Beacrox? Is he your chef?"
"Yeah,"
Lily perks up here at the familiar name, "Chef Beacrox makes really yummy food!"
Rok Soo looks at her and hums, "Oh, how interesting,"
Cale glanced at him, smirking. He makes a mental note to drag Beacrox with him tomorrow.
Rok Soo feels the back of his neck chill up. He immediately glances to the side to see a glint of mischief in Cale's eyes. Rok Soo turns his head right away.
'Let's not think about it'
~~~
The rest of dinner was uneventful. The food passed and passed, soon being replaced with desserts and fruits. Lily was playing some sort of game with Basen beside her as Violan and Deruth were intensely discussing work with Siwan and Elis. This left the two young masters of the respective houses to their own bubble. Neither of them could talk freely due to the will of keeping their connection a secret from the rest of the County. But Rok Soo could see Cale beginning to fidget.
Unlike Rok Soo who could sit still and do nothing for hours, Cale seemed to enjoy a bit of movement. Rok Soo wonders if that's because Cale's entire life has centered around moving around and causing ruckus to, god knows why, ruin his reputation.
Though, if Rok Soo was honest, he was getting a headache from the numbers and business talks happening right beside him. With a sigh, he pushed his chair out a bit, grabbing attention without him knowing, and turned to Cale, "Come with me, C- young master,"
Cale blinked in confusion, "...huh,"
Rok Soo gave a bow and Elis gave him a questionable look, but nodded slowly, 'What's he doing?'
Rok Soo bowed to the Count and Countess, "My input won't be needed until a bit later in the process, so I'll take my leave,"
"That's fine," Violan smiled, "It's understandable to have work,"
"Let's go," Cale stood up, giving a simple bow, "I need to move around a bit, excuse us,"
Rok Soo gave one more bow before leading the way out of the hall, Cale following close behind him. Once the doors shut, Deruth glanced over to Lily and Basen, "You both are free to leave as well, just bring a guard and servant with you,"
Siwan nodded, "Yes, we invited you but we didn't think about this part. Our apologies,"
"Oh not at all, it's fine," Violan waved her off, "Basen, why don't you take Lily to roam,"
"Just ask any of the servants for anything. They'll know what to do," Elis assured.
Basen smiled and rose from his seat, Lily following him. The two bowed before leaving. Elis motioned for one of the guards at the door to guide them, before turning back, "Right then, what were we discussing?"
Meanwhile, Cale and Rok Soo had practically fled the moment the doors shut. Cale had grabbed Rok Soo and burst into a run, forcing Rok Soo to grunt and run to keep up. Rok Soo sent a withering glare towards the younger, "You fucking bratâ stop running!"
"Bedroom or study?"
Rok Soo quickly used his free hand to smack Cale on the head. The younger promptly stopped, running yelping in protest, "What the fuck?!"
"Let's hang out at my study," Rok Soo led the way up the stairs.
The servants that were finishing up duties for the day all smiled when they saw the two. Immediately a flurry of greetings echoed towards Cale, who startled and sputtered in confusion.
"Oh our Young Master Cale is back!"
"Welcome back young master Cale!"
"I hope your trip went well, young master cale!"
Cale nodded his head a few times, muttering responses before sticking right beside Rok Soo and practically hiding behind the taller. Rok Soo glanced back at him curiously, "What's up with you?"
"I...the Henituse servants probably wished I died on the road. What's up with this welcome? Why is it so warm? Is this how a functioning household is supposed to work?"
Rok Soo frowned, "Rumors are lost causes within our manor. If your servants aren't doing their job properly, fire them,"
"They do their jobs fine," Cale sighed, "They just don't act like...this,"
He added after a moment, "Although, in their defense, it is my fault,"
'What defense? Half the rumors are wrong? No, half of them don't even make sense if you spent a day with Cale??'
Rok Soo shook his head, opening the door to his study. Walking inside, he quickly turned on the lights before sitting down on the couch. Cale shut the door behind him before plopping himself right next to the older one. The two let out matching sighs of relief.
Rok Soo leaned back, resting his neck against the backrest and closing his eyes. 'It's so nice not to be stuck listening to those workaholics'
Cale perked up after a few moments of silence, "Do you want to hear about the banquet?"
"Wasn't it just a bunch of nobles and the royal family mingling about?" Rok Soo yawned, keeping his eyes shut.
"Yeah, sure. I almost committed murder though..."
Rok Soo smirked.
His eyes cracked open and he looked over at the younger aristocrat, red eyes glinting with amusement, "Of course you did..."
Cale defended himself, "I had a good reason!"
Rok Soo sat up, giving his full attention, "Tell me,"
Cale happily burst into a story about the events at the capital.
The one thing that suited their relationship was that when Cale was comfortable, he talked. And he talked a lot. Rok Soo was content and pleased to just listen. Also, Cale was basically free around him so the redhead usually told him information and gossip in the most engaging ways.
When Rok Soo heard Cale recite the interaction with the heir to the Tolz Family, he frowned in displeasure before smiling madly at Cale's response, "Good job. Tolz is such a dick,"
Cale faltered for a moment, before agreeing, "Yes! He was so annoying! It's a relief I kept my cool and calmed down by the time I ran into Princess Jaylee and Crown Prince Alberu!"
"You did what?" Rok Soo stared at him.
"Ah..."
Cale defended himself, "They both approached me. I'm pretty sure there's going to be rumors about me and the Princess for a while...ugh. If the vassals hear this the County is going to flip upside down,"
Rok Soo shrugged, "I'm sure you can handle it,"
Cale's gaze turned serious, "Of course I can handle it. But Mother and Basen? Out of the question,"
Rok Soo furrows his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"
Cale looked away, giving a wave of his hand, "It doesn't matter anymore. Anyway, after meeting the Princess, I stepped out to the garden and was just resting. Crown Prince Alberu and I met there, he approached me to build a sort of connection since I'm first heir and the Henituse family is a neutral faction,"
"And how did that go?"
"Oh, I just brought him to my father to deal with. I told him I didn't have the power to sway the neutrality," Cale explained. He then suddenly exclaimed, "But that prince! He's such a bastard?! His entire facade and sweet talking made me want to throw up!!"
"Pfftâ"
"Are you laughing old man?!"
Rok Soo laughed a little louder before shaking his head, "How did you manage to do all the things I told you to be careful about?"
Cale pouted, "It wasn't my fault! Everyone approached me!"
Rok Soo was amused, patting Cale's head twice, "Right, of course. Our Young Master Cale is not a troublemaker whatsoever,"
Cale grinned, "Hehe! Of course!"
~~~
Deruth shook hands with Elis, smiling, "Lord Elis, I think the Nyphan Family will soon have an official title,"
Elis laughed, shaking his head, "I doubt it. Plus, I'd rather manage our business than a territory. The Count-nim is always working hard,"
Siwan nodded, "Yes, it's true. The Henituse Family has always taken good care of the land. It must be a ton of work,"
Deruth released a soft laugh but didn't stretch the conversation.
Currently, the four of them were walking and looking for the four children. Violan smiles as they pass through the beautifully decorated halls, "Are all the pieces works of the family?"
"Oh, yes. Most things are indeed relics of our history,"
"I enjoy the decor. Each piece is beautiful," Violan couldn't stop smiling as her love for the arts bled through.
Elis and Siwan smiled at this, the blonde cheering, "The Countess has a wonderful set of eyes!"
"Oh, Mother? Father?"
The four of them looked ahead to see Basen walking with Lily on his back, her head resting against his shoulder. Violan quickly stepped forward, carrying the youngest of the Henituse children in her arms, "Did she fall asleep?"
"Mm," Basen nodded, "I was going to head back to you because I felt that I'd sleep too,"
Deruth glanced at his watch, "Goodness, it is quite late,"
Elis also looked down at his wrist, before frowning, "Oh god, my apologies. We seem to have gotten lost in work,"
"No, it was a fruitful conversation," Deruth assured him, "I'm glad we talked about all we did,"
Siwan turned towards the guards that were behind them, "Go have the carriage ready for them. Bring it to the front here,"
"Yes, my lady,"
"Basen," Violan looked down, "Do you know where Cale is?"
"Oh, one of the servants mentioned that they were in Young Master Rok Soo's study," Basen covered his mouth as he yawned, mumbling a soft apology.
Siwan and Elis shook their heads, "Courtesy can be dropped at such a time, Second Young Master. You're still young,"
Basen simply hummed in response.
"Where is the study?" Deruth asked.
"Oh, it's upstairs,"
Violan spoke up, "I'll bring Lily and Basen to the carriage,"
Siwan smiled, "I'll walk you out,"
The group split at the foot of the stairs, Elis and Deruth heading up. As they approached the study, they saw a butler walk towards them. He paused and bowed immediately, "My Lord, have you come to retrieve the young masters?"
"Balint," Elis greeted, "Yes, are they in Rok Soo's study?"
Balint straightened up before clearing his throat, "Yes,"
"...but?" Elis raised an eyebrow.
Balint motioned them forward and carefully opened the door. He then stood to the side, holding the door open as the two lords stepped inside.
"Ah"
"Oh,"
On the couch, the two young masters were fast asleep. Cale's head was resting against Rok Soo's shoulder while Rok Soo's head fell forward to almost rest on top of Cale's. The two of them were fast asleep, their usually stoic expressions smoothened into a gentle calm.
Elis chuckled softly, before turning to the Count, "Count Deruth, would you like to stay the night?"
Deruth smiled but declined, "No, it is probably better if we return,"
He then walked over and gently moved to separate the young masters. Cale let out a soft groan, head falling to rest against Deruth's chest, while Rok Soo seemed to stir, head lifting and body flinching into fight or flight. Elis quickly moved, resting a hand on his brother's shoulder, "Rok Soo, it's not comfortable to sleep in the study,"
"What?" Rok Soo blinked sleepily, before his eyes focused into alarm, "Cale! Cale was with meâ where'sâ"
"Shut up, you're too loud,"
Everyone in the room stared at the redhead who had grumbled. Rok soo blinked a few times, before bowing to Deruth, "Count-nim,"
Deruth smiled, "At ease. I apologize for waking you,"
Rok Soo yawned softly, "Mhm, no. It's good. I'd rather sleep in my bedroom,"
He then reached over and gave Cale a firm nudge, "It's good to wake him up too,"
'It'll cause a situation if Cale has one of his dreams while asleep around the Henituse Family'
Deruth moved to speak but froze as Cale seemed to groan again, flinching at another firm shake. He hissed, lifting his hand to rub his eyes, "Piss off Ron..."
"Cale," Deruth called, "We have to head home,"
Cale was silent for a moment before his eyes cracked and he looked up blankly, "Father?"
Deruth smiled, "I apologize for disturbing your sleep,"
Cale looked around, eyes fixing on Elis and Rok Soo. Once his brain had caught up with him, he pulled away from Deruth and rose to his feet, "Mmph, are we leaving?"
Rok Soo also rose to his feet, as Elis smiled, "Thank you for coming, Young Master Cale,"
"Hmm..." Cale nodded, "Send me the cider information,"
Elis laughed and Rok Soo cracked a sleepy smile, "Of course,"
Cale smirked for a second before beginning to walk, the other three following him. They didn't speak until they were outside, Cale quickly entering the carriage. He stared at the sight, noticing that both Lily and Basen were asleep. Violan informed him, "Basen fell asleep the second he sat down,"
"It is quite late,"
Deruth sat beside Cale, after exchanging goodbyes and pleasantries. The door clicked shut and the carriage was jolted into moving. Deruth noticed the sight and asked, "I'll bring Basen to his room,"
Cale released a yawn, covering his mouth quickly. He groaned in frustration, prying his eyes open again, "Ugh..."
Deruth glanced at him and spoke cautiously, "Cale, you can sleep too,"
Cale leaned his against the wall of the carriage, mumbling, "No need...I'm not a child,"
He mumbled, "Basen and Lily are sleeping. You have to take care of them. You can't handle me as well,"
"That'sâ" Deruth paused, unsure how to respond to the statement.
Violan immediately felt her heart twist and looked down, "I apologize,"
Cale frowned, peering at her oddly. Even with his tired eyes, the confusion was apparent, "What crap are you saying? They're children. Children get tired and need sleep. What crazy person would ask for an apology because of that?"
Violan's eyes widened for a moment. She raised her head again, "I simply...felt bad,"
Cale narrowed her eyes at her sharply, "Don't bother,"
He turns away, "A little drowsiness never killed anybody,"
Deruth and Violan both could've refuted the statement but remained silent. The three of them fell into another awkward pause. Deruth cleared his throat, "Then...shall we keep talking? As to keep us all awake for a little longer?"
Cale finger twitched. He gave his Father a flat look, "And what exactly do we have to talk about?"
Neither responded.
They had nothing to talk about and there was no reason to talk. Cale clearly didn't want to talk and both Deruth and Violan were too hesitant to try. It was the same as every other day.
Cale pulled back the curtain of the window, letting his eyes take in the sight of Rain City as it passed by. Hearing no further comments from his parents, he released a quiet sigh. He's talked with them quite a bit today. Cale wonders with a bitter smile if this is the longest he's ever actually interacted with all of them.
Isn't that utterly pathetic?
'Well, it's my fault anyway, so who cares?' Cale shoved the topic away, 'I'll hit the Nyphan Estate tomorrow with Beacrox and Ron to discuss the web and my weapons training,'
Soon, the silent carriage arrived at the main entrance of the Henituse Estate. The door was swiftly opened by a guard, who bowed. Deruth motioned for Violan to step out first, so he could hand her Lily. Cale was patient, watching silently as his younger sister was carefully passed off as to not rouse her.
Deruth pauses, thinking about how to get Basen out.
Cale rolls his eyes, "Go outside,"
Deruth glances at him and Cale scowls, "What?"
Deruth steps outside slowly. Cale sighs and moves forward. Cale still had quite a bit of height on Basen and the training he had been doing with Rok Soo had considerably increased his strength. Cale gently arranged Basen, picking him up by leaning his head against Cale's shoulder and tucking his arms underneath the younger. Cale grimaced as he moved slowly, lowering down as Deruth reached forward to take the brunette.
The second Basen was passed off safely, Cale ordered, "Move, I'm tired,"
Deruth smiled and nodded, stepping aside, "Sleep well, son,"
Cale didn't say anything back, simply exiting out of the carriage and heading straight into the manor behind his brother and Father. Once they were inside, he walked around the two and walked straight to his room. Ron seemed to have already been waiting, setting out some clothes on his bed.
"Welcome back, Young Master-nim,"
Cale peeled off his coat, already slipping the accessories off and unbutton his shirt, "I want to sleep right away,"
Ron bowed and no further communication was needed. Once Cale was dressed in his night clothes and moved to lay down, he told a small statement, "I'm bringing Beacrox and you with me to the Nyphan Estate,"
"As you wish, young master,"
"Hm. You're dismissed, Ron,"
"Sleep well, Young Master Cale,"
"Mn"