The whole kidnapping ordeal ended with Deruth forcefully pinning the fault on the nobles. The Sten Marquessate was unable to keep up with Deruth's moves. Without concrete evidence, the Henituse cannot sue the Sten Marquessate yet.

Deruth has his ways.

Returning home from the capital, Deruth sees his twins sleeping soundly under the tree with their younger brother tucked in between them. It's a good afternoon for a nap. It's cool and bright.

"It'll soon be their ninth birthday," he said quietly. He sat near them and brought a few of his works with him.

The gray-haired and blonde princes broke the silence.

Deruth wishes to murder these two individuals right now.

"I'll be returning to the Mogoru Empire now, Lord Deruth," Adin said, smiling at the twins, "It's good they're back together..."

"I'll be returning to the capital as well," Alver said.

"Yes, please be careful on your way." And don't ever come back.

"I didn't think Rowoon's future sun would be moving as well, but thanks to you, I can rest assured that the Ubar waters will be safe with the patrol guards you hired with the Viscounty."

"How can this measly sun be compared to the great and mighty Mogoru prince; you were the first to be able to eradicate the black towers that even the underworld finds troublesome."

Deruth frowned at the shittiness displayed by these two princes.

They're both glib bastards who have abandoned their sentiments.

"You'd better keep your first wife's seat, little Sun..."

"I didn't think the Imperial Prince could be so petty... It's the only thing I'm number one in... Does being a concubine protect your pride?"

Deruth wished he could kick these two out of his territory right now.

"Sunny bastard."

"Mogo bastard."

"If you're going to fight here, get out of my damn house now," Rok said sternly. Cale frowned and moved closer to his brother, who was currently making a pillow out of Bassen.

"Husband." Alver smiled as saintly as possible.

"Tsk," Adin exhales, flicking Rok's head, "well then, I'll miss you little rock, and I'll see you soon."

"No, don't come back."

Adin snorted, but was overjoyed. He waved goodbye to Rok before departing with the rest of his men.

"I'll definitely keep the First Wife's seat," Alver said to Rok.

"You know... you should go to a mental hospital," Rok says as he pats his brothers' heads that have taken a liking to his belly right now.

Alver chuckled and walked away.

Of course, Rok turned to face his father.

"Sleep."

"I have work."

"No... I'm telling you to take a nap."

Rok ignored his father and patted the part of the blanket he used to lean on. Deruth sighed and scooted over to where Rok had directed him to sit.

Deruth was initially perplexed, but when Rok leaned on him, he realized what he was after.

It was a moment when his heart was overflowing.

Cale's gaze shifted from Rok's to his lap. He even brought Bassen to his other side and slept through it.

Deruth was at a loss for words. He just listened to their soft snores and small movements. It was at that point that he let go of his work and basked in the warmth provided by his boys.

He has to work hard if he wants to keep them safe by his side.

.

.

.

"Ugh... why are there love letters from those bastards, and why me?" Rok crumples the paper that Adin and Alver had been sending him.

[Dear Rok,

You stood in the dark one fateful night, called my name, and ran away. You have no idea how perplexed I was when I saw those rubies in the dark. How I relaxed my guard when I heard your voice... I'm not sure how I missed it... That's how I like it... How I missed you calling my name. It would never sound right unless it was your voice I heard.]

Yuck! These crammed letters are too much! Did they swallow gallons of sugar? Or a truckload of cheese? Rok trembles at how shady things have turned out to be.

[Rok,

Hearing you say, "Which type? Well, I am very much attracted to my Alvery," my heart thumped so hard, the long-held desire. The restraint I was struggling to keep in place was shattered. I wish it was all true... I wish you were mine. But I have a chance. I can be with you again. I can protect you. I can make you happy. I will never, ever regret it. I like you.]

Cale couldn't stop laughing as he listened to his brother recite all these truckloads of cheese. Anyone could get diabetes from them!

"Why are they only sending these to me? Aren't you the same?"

Cale was wheezing and asked, "Well, who drunk confessed to Alvery?"

Rok was deafeningly quiet.

"And who said that Mogo Bastard should be changed for the better?"

Rok fixed his gaze on him.

"Hyung-nim, as much as I want to support the chaos you want to create, this kind of chaos is the best for you!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."

"But—"

"I'm sorry, Hyung-nim... I'm not into high-end aristocrats for fuck's sake!"

The way his bastard brother is laughing irritates him the most. Rok tosses the pillow to his twin and groans, burying his face in Bassen's stomach. It made the child laugh.

"I am never going to get drunk again nor save anyone! To hell with these letters! Ron burn them!"

Rok, their super fast moving servant, chuckled. He's not going to burn them, they're good blackmailing materials in the future, so he might as well keep them in somewhere safe.

Soon, Violan entered the parlor with few teachers following her.

"Who are they?"

"They'll be your teachers..." Violan said and patted their heads, "it's time for you to learn what noble children should learn."

Rok: I'm not interested in studying.

Cale: It's a pain.

"I know what you're thinking, but please accept my apologies... You should learn from the best." Violan smiled at them and looked at the teachers, saying, "Please take care of them... My children are bright."

My children.

Rok and Cale noticed the nobles who would be teaching them. They can't help it. Violan used such a strong word. She's implying that they'll be able to meet their expectations.

Cale: they must have felt extremely threatened.

Rok: Who?

Cale looked at him: the Henituse County branch families.

Rok was aware of what Bassen and Cale had endured in their previous lives. If they're moving right now, it means they're one of the people who worked with Sten Marquessate.

Cale looked at Rok. Rok shared the same gaze.

"We'll be in your care!"

They'll clean them good in one swift move.

.

.

.

"ARGH!" The prisoner from the black tower cried.

Adin watches them squirm while the torturer's continued their onslaught.

"Who gave the order?"

"We... we're members of Arm too... why are yo— ARGH!!!"

"We both are... But White Star and I had an agreement over the Henituse twins." Adin stood up and chuckled darkly, "Do you want to live? Or I'll end you're miserable life?"

"A... Arsen Henituse!"

The loud pwuck echoed at the same time the mage's head rolled on the ground.

"Won't you be incurring White Star's wrath?" the Bell Tower's leader asked.

"We made an agreement. He can't raise his arms against me, who had this." Adin smiled wickedly at the dark mana around him.

Arsen Henituse, huh? Adin smiled. He's Deruth's cousin and a direct descendant of the Henituse Bloodline.

"My twins will surely destroy that bastard," he smiled, "my entertaining and fascinating twins."

.

.

.

"Do you believe mobilizing troops for your illegitimate children will help our reputation?"

Deruth clenched his teeth. This is how they intend to attack him.

They've been waiting for him to make the wrong move.

"Given your ruined reputation and you illegitimates, I believe we should suspend Deruth for the time being; any further actions he takes may harm the Henituse's reputation."

"Haha," Deruth laughed, "Arsen Henituse... Are you seriously proposing that?"

The Patriarch and the Henituse Council are the County's leaders.

Deruth now knew who to put in their places.

If I want to protect my children, I have to place these bastards in their places.

Henituse County will change.

"You can try." Deruth raised his head, his chin coming out in the front, a clear indication of him, looking down on all of them.

"That is... if you can."

Take my seat if you can. I'll definitely pay you a hundredfold.

He smiled and waits for the thing that he was waiting for a very long time.

TBC