Rok-Ah, where are you? Beacrox's a bit scary to be with. Save me.
Rok ignored his twin's whines and continued cleaning the library. The Henituse brat he went to have a brawl was nowhere to be found.
Rok-Ah... Head Butler Rey said I should work with you... I'm on my way. Finally!
The whole county believes that twins shouldn't be separated – so they're doing everything they can to keep them by each other's side. However, there are some situations they're forced apart. Cale just finds it difficult to be with Beacrox in the kitchen the most.
"Maybe I should switch with him?" he pondered and waited for his great younger sibling.
Moments later, Rok heard the door opening, and he can hear some light footsteps. He turned to the noise and found a golden-haired boy, dressed in such a high-end coat.
"How may I help you?" Rok asked. He went down the stairs and faced the older boy. if he is correct the boy is ten to twelve years old.
"nothing... I am just sightseeing."
After hearing that, Rok ignored him and resume his work. The older boy took a book from the stacks of books he has not wiped yet. He didn't say anything so he won't say anything either.
"how old are you?" the boy asked.
"I am five." He replied.
The boy nodded, his smile was bright and endearing, "you are quite eloquent at your age. I am Alver... what's your name?"
The boy casually stood near him and offered his hands, "let's be friends?"
Rok knows that he shouldn't accept the offer. "I am Rok, Young Master." He politely bowed his head, ignoring the hands that reached out to him.
"You won't accept my greetings?" Alver looked at him chidingly.
"I won't." he replied, "this one is commoner, Young Master."
He turned back to his work and continued, "a commoner and noble friends would be sacrilegious." For this world that they are living in right now. The gold-haired man smiled at him bitterly. He looks like a golden retriever. Rok thought.
"HYUNG-NIM!" Cale's loud shout echoed inside the library. The golden hair boy looks at Cale while he resumed his work.
How cruel! Ignoring your brother! Cale froze in his place after seeing the blond man in front of him, Hyung-nim... did you offend this person?
Huh? Why?
This is Rowoon's soon-to-be crown prince.
Rok immediately looked at his younger brother.
"Hi... I am Alver... nice to meet you... you two are identical..."
Cale steps back and greeted, "Nice you meet you too..."
Rok, Young master! Young Master!
Playing innocent? Cale asked. He saw his brother nodding.
He smiled, "Young Master..."
The distance was great, the blond child is not even smiling now.
"both of you are different," Alver said and sat down on the couch. Cale approach Rok and tried his best to keep himself close to him. They can hear light chuckles from the older man, "how cute."
CUTE?! The twins alarmingly cried.
"This is my first time seeing twins... a stuck up and stoic older brother and an easy go, lucky young brother."
This prince has not seen anything yet.
Cale and Rok ignored the great prince and continued with their work. The prince just stayed there silently while reading some book. Rok was again reading books when Cale slumped beside him with a book in his hands too.
"Hyung... this one is good." This is the sole fantasy novel in the library.
Really? Rok let go of the history book he was reading and lean over his brother who shared the book with him. Alver who was curious too sat beside them.
"I want to read too."
The twins shared the book with him too. They were too engrossed in reading the fantasy novel to the point they did not notice Deruth with another golden-haired man entering the library.
"you made friends?" the golden-haired man ask Alver. That's when the twins finally looked up. They stood up and bowed their heads.
"continue with what you're doing... I just came to tell you that we will be leaving Alver since we're going to go somewhere for business." The golden hair man said. He looked at them and reaches out something to the twins. It was a bag of sweets. "take care of my son until I come back, alright?"
"yes." The twins chimed with a smile on their faces.
Deruth glanced at them with pride and left with the golden-haired man after patting their heads. But the older man made one good discovery... Rok has sweet tooth while Cale did not. He noted this and planned on giving the kid some more when he comes back. It was good seeing him smile.
No one bothered them in the library after that.
**
Evening came and all the servants of the estate were given the next day off. Alver was sitting beside the twins when he should've eaten at the dining hall. The great prince refused and even ate what the servants were eating. The entirety of the hall knows him as the weird noble young master who would dine with the servants.
Cale sat beside Rok with two glasses of some red juice.
Rok, What's that?
It's liquor.
Rok, You do have a strong tolerance.
Even if I drink the entire day, my mind's still clear after that.
Rok, Did you try how much your tolerance goes?
Yes... it took me another two-third day.
Wow. Just wow. Since they're brothers, they might have the same tolerance.
Give me on glass too. Rok said. Cale gave him the other glass, clinking their glass and chugging the contents together.
"phew! That hit the spot.
"hic!"
Cale looks at his hiccupping brother. Rok's face was beet red and flushed.
"hic! Damn this *hic!*"
Cale laughs at his twin. He handed him one skewer, "we're going to get caught."
"your fault." Rok whine. He's dizzy and everything's spinning. He turn to Cale, raised both his feet, and hugged his twin brother, so as not to fall. "hic!"
Cale giggled and patted his older brother's head.
You're not made for liquor.
But it was delicious.
Rok groans and buried his head on Cale's shoulder. Cale continued drinking the wine while letting Rok cling to him tighter.
Alver noticed this awkward situation and said, "what happen?"
"he's drunk."
"WHAT?" Alver cried and took the glass from Cale. "You're drinking liquor?"
The servant's all stopped and looked at the twins.
"kid shouldn't drink. How much did you drink."
"On~e!" Rok continued hiccupping and grinning at the servants. All the servants had their hearts thumped so loud at the sudden cute attack. Rok rarely smiled!
"This is my fifth glass. Still clear head!" Cale childishly replied. "delicious!"
The head butler could see that the twins are drunk. "you should be drinking milk."
Beacrox rose from his sit and took the twins in his arms, "I'll bring them back."
"I'll follow!" Alver throttle after the drunk twins.
Rok instinctively buried his head over Beacrox's shoulder while Cale slumps like some bad sulking kid.
"swe~et." Rok sings, too drunk to even think now. Beacrox tilted his head to the side and said, "behave."
"but smells sweet... like cand~y."
"Rok-ah... don't... he's scary..." Cale slurs. His body couldn't hold his liquor yet.
Rok giggled and went to sleep after.
"hey... Rok... don't ignore this little brother... don't go to sleep yet."
Meanwhile, Alver was grinning widely with the childish remarks from the two.
"hey...!! ROK THAMES!" Cale cried kicking his brother.
"Sleepy!" Rok snarls back and glared at his brother. "you should sleep, Cale Thames!"
Cale laughs while Rok grunts and buried his head on Beacrox's shoulder.
"Both of you should sleep." Beacrox couldn't help but tell them to sleep.
"it's quite comfortable." Cale replied, "being carried by vicious Beacrox-hyung!"
"you're drunk... behave..." Alver said patting Cale and Rok's heads while following from behind.
"Feels like being carried by Mom." Rok did not hesitate to say this. He's too drunk to even care what he's saying now.
"really? I don't have a mother... what's your mother be like?"
The atmosphere dropped. Beacrox's face went from nothing to stern. Alver just had a smile on his face while asking like he didn't lose his mother.
Cale giggled, "a ray of sunshine!"
Rok, "brazen woman. What about you, Beacrox?"
Beacrox's step went from fast to slow, "she's a strong woman."
Rok, "all moms are strong."
"a bold woman then."
Alver, "mine's a sweet person."
The twins giggled once more.
Alver asked, "what's your mother's name? she must be a wonderful woman."
"she is!" Cale replied.
Rok slurs, "Jour. Mom's name is Jour."
But... Not far from them, a shocked Deruth stood blankly. His eyes prod on the twins.
"how about your father?"
Cale and Rok had fallen silent and unison, "we can't speak his name."
"why? Is he... a noble?" Beacrox asked.
"hm..."
Cale was the one who answered, "we... can't be part of his life..."
"yeah... that's for sure." Rok seconded. "this is the best."
Rok and Cale yawned after they answered. They melted into Beacrox's arms and let the older boy take them back to their room.
Beacrox stopped when the count came to their view.
"must be heavy."
Beacrox shook his head. He was taken back when the Count took Cale from him. "where is their room?"
"I can bring him to count!" Alver followed but Deruth smiled at him, "your father is also waiting for you... you should go."
When Deruth and Beacrox were left alone, Deruth finally spoke, "Thames... it's the name they called each other."
Beacrox was confused why the count was acting like this.
"their mother is Jour..." he had a smile and tears forming in his eyes.
"can you... take care of them and keep them safe?" he asked.
Beacrox replied, "we're not close."
"I know..." Deruth gritted his teeth, "but I can't still protect them the way things are."
That sentence made it clear for Beacrox – the relationship between this little runt and the Count.
"I can't take them in yet... not when everyone wants them dead..." Deruth pleaded, "please... protect them... I will make sure, that you and your father, will live peacefully in this place..."
Beacrox didn't say anything but his silence was an affirmation.
Deruth spoke, "thank you very much."
THE NEXT MORNING ~
"My head hurts," Rok complained.
"Hangover tea?" Ron, their guardian for the day hands over a cup of tea.
Don't drink that!
However, Cale's warning fell on deaf ears. Rok drank the tea and almost spat it out, but Ron made him drink that without spitting it out because of fear.
"So? will you be drinking again?"
The twins pouted and shook their heads.
"good..." Ron said, too emersed in making them miserable.
"sorry."
"eat properly now. Kids should drink milk."
"Okay."
This old coot is a son of a bitch! Rok cried in disbelief.
I told you. He hasn't served you that pure lemon tea yet.
They looked at each other and swore, "we will never get that damn thing ever!"
TBC