No one is telling them anything. Cale and Rok exchanged glances.

"Do not forget," Rok said, "this resentment, Cale."

Cale looked at him and said, "I am you... You are me."

"We will get back to the people who took our world away," the twins said, looking at each other.

[***]

It is time for breakfast, but the twins have not arrived yet. He had waited a long time and had decided to pay them a visit after eating when the doors opened. Two redheads were solemnly looking at each other.

He can not help but feel dejected when the usually cheerful twins dress in black and wear solemn expressions.

He stood up and gave them a heartfelt smile. They both held each other's hands and his. He could not help but feel helpless as these two clutched his hand tightly.

He looked at Violan, who nodded at him. The children need him more than they need him. She knew that Jour sent them here for a reason and this was it. It was to keep them safe and sound, as free as everyone else.

Deruth knew that staying as is wouldn't be able to protect these children much. If he wants to keep them safe, he has to work hard and make it so that no one will be able to touch them.

Of course, he didn't leave them alone. He was always with them the day they finally come out of their room. He watched them reading and reading, training to make their bodies strong and their smiles vanished.

Deruth didn't know what to do. He wants to see them with their usual chaos, their usual mischievous expression, their usual antics. He want to see them happy.

But he can't say anything.

He could only kiss their forehead, unsure what to do. Nonetheless, he hoped that by tomorrow, they would be smiling back at him.

He arrived at the royal palace for the usual aggravating meeting. Zed Crossmans had been hurling daggers at him. In the conference hall, the normally neutral and antagonistic Count remained silent. He could not care less about these messed-up nobles. He really wanted to go back home and be by his children's side right now.

"Deruth Henituse," he stood up blankly and sighed.

"I know you have some problems in the county but don't bring them here in the conference."

"Then, Your Majesty," he asked honestly, "what must I do to restore a child's smile on their face?"

Everyone was silenced by his question.

"No matter what I say, the nobles will not be listening anyway. Why bother wasting my time in this kind of work when it is all for their self-service?" he admitted honestly, "You know... Seeing how my twins lived before they came to my side, they're far happier than they were with me. It is the same with the people of Rowoon."

They're better off by themselves than when the Nobles interfere.

Deruth realised why he was the Henituse Household Patriarch for the first time.

Jour's adversaries could be nobles or someone more powerful.

He did nothing to secure the county, which is why she died in his backyard. Without anything left behind, without anything to place in that empty casket.

It got to the point where she just vanished, leaving nothing behind.

He made the wrong choice by doing everything for the people.

He should've made the choice with his family at the center of everything.

"Weston City will not participate in Rowoon's politics. I, Deruth Henituse, the Northeast, shall make it so my land will flare on its own."

What is he afraid of? He lacked power and influence in the royal palace. He believed that by having one, he could protect his people, but he was mistaken.

Too wrong.

He should have built himself and his city so that they could stand on their own.

"I will be leaving right now, Your Majesty."

He exited the hall in complete disarray.

He returned to the Northeast as quickly as they could.

But he never imagined his twins standing in the rain in front of their mother's nameless graveyard.

His heart grieved so hard as they looked up to wash their tears away.

His heart hurt so much seeing them holding each other's hands tightly as they silently cried.

He steps forward, wearing a sad expression on his face. He kneeled down and embraced his children from the back.

"It's okay to cry," he whispered.

The twins flinched.

"It's okay to grieve. It's okay to cry and shout. I'll listen to it all. So, don't keep it in..."

He thought they'd be denying it, but he looked at Cale, who had now fallen on his knees, crying in tears. He was screaming, inconsolable crying all the pain he's feeling right now. Betrayal, loss, heartbreak.

He all watched his miserable state, as he cried so hard, screaming in agony. While Rok continued to stay silent with tears streaming down his cheeks.

A child who lost his mother twice, a child who lost his family twice.

Cale is the kind of person who bottles up things in his heart. Rok is one who never expected anything.

And now that it's all broken, and the holder of their heart has vanished, all the pain and sadness he had been keeping, were all revealed in this agonizing scream-like cries in pain.

He stood there watching them beat themselves up. Punching their chest in an attempt to alleviate the pain. Cale continued to hit his chest several times, so hard and loudly, as he cried and screamed as if it were the end of the world. Rok's hands were gripping his brother's hand tightly, while his other hand bled from the tightness of his grip.

He had no right to console them. It was not him who was the world they desired; it was their mother. Nonetheless, he is the one who is currently with them.

Even though Jour entrusted him with their care, he and his family have no right to console a broken heart with a broken trust.

He clenched his teeth until he—

"Cale, Rok..."

Deruth loosened his grip on them and forced them to face him. He intervened to keep them from injuring themselves. The three of them embraced each other, taking the hit and desperate grabs from them. His children wept as he listened to their somber cries.

He kept holding them with his hand to keep them from hurting themselves.

That's all he can do.

The rain continued to fall. The melancholic atmosphere doubled the pain he was feeling.

How long will they be sad? How long will this take before it ends?

Whether they had a little bit of pain in their hearts. He has no right to tell him to stop.

Isn't this man crazy? Because, despite what he thought, they are still in love with that person.

"I am here, Dad is here, and Dad will always be here."

Deruth felt their grips loosen as their heads rested on the crook of his neck. Their cries came to a halt, with small sobs echoing. He can feel their breath on his neck and a kiss on his chin as they cry on his shoulder.

Deruth had the impression that his children were opening up to him right now.

He can not help but be happy.

"Mom will not be happy if she sees you like this," he said, "because she loves how our Cale smiles and how scummy our Rok looks."

Saying the words he never thought he would say.

"Live... Live the life she wished for you, so she can be truly happy knowing she is always watching over you."

Until then, Deruth will make certain that no one touches them.

That way, when the time came when they decided to fly with their wings, they would be free of the world's shackles.

"So... get back on your knees and smile again; Dad is still here."

He muttered.

He felt their weights on his shoulder and soon realized they would fall asleep. He rushed back to the county and took care of them.

"Go, be with them," Violan says, looking at him.

Deruth's heart began to flutter. He deserved neither Jour nor Violan.

They are simply too good for him.

"Be with them... this is the time when they most need you."

"Thank you," he said.

"Always..." Violan patted his cheeks and kissed him lightly.

He entered the twins' room and slipped inside the blanket. He embraced them both. They instinctively moved closer to him, cocooning each other in a very comforting position. Deruth embraced them tightly, with intention to greet them first thing ing the morning.

.

.

The twins looked at each other the moment they woke up. Rok was comfortably settled on Deruth's body while Cale pillowed Deruth's arms.

The twins gazed at their father, looking exhausted but still holding them tightly. They looked at each other and laid their heads back.

Rok: This is nice.

Cale: Yup.

They smiled at each other. They went to their mother's nameless graveyard yesterday after their grandfather left. Cale was truly bitter after everything Luke had told them. Rok can not help but feel befuddled.

They had both lost the person who treated them without regard for their circumstances. Jour loved them both equally, even though she was aware of their secret.

They were even surprised when Deruth came to comfort them. The man who used to weep for their mother appeared and held them as tightly as he could. He may not have been a proper father in the previous timeline, but he came to their aid this time.

Rok felt a light pat on the back. He raised his head and looked Deruth in the eyes.

"Good morning," Deruth said with a smile.

Rok locked his gaze on him for a long moment. He could not help but smile as he said, "Good morning."

Deruth kissed his cheeks and Cale's head before slowly rising up.

Rok and Cale sat quietly in the space between Deruth's legs. They stared at their father, who was as loving and serene as ever.

"Are you feeling fine?"

They both nodded and leans on him.

"Dad..." Cale start, "Don't leave us too Dad."

Don't treat us indifferently again.

Deruth smiled and kissed both their heads once more.

"I wont..." It's the last thing he had in his mind right now. "I'll always be by your side."

A loud and clear promise.

Both of them looked up and kissed Deruth's cheeks. They were about to say something when their belly's let out a monstrous growl.

Deruth couldn't help but smile as he lifted them up in his arms.

"I should feed those anacondas inside your belly's. It's quite loud. Haha!"

Deruth's heart finally let go of tension as they finally laughed at him.

"I want apple pie."

"Jelly beans."

"Yuck. Old man's taste."

"Better than having cavities."

Deruth just listened to their banters. It's good that they've cheered up.

It will be difficult, but he has promised not to abandon them.

They arrived at the dining hall with everything ready.

Violan and Bassen exchanged glances. The adorable little brother runs towards Deruth, staring at his older brothers. Deruth let the twins down, and Bassen carefully approached his brother's hand.

"Not crying anymore?" The cute little Bassen asked.

Cale and Rok smiled and said, "Nope. Today, we're going to play with Bassen!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

Deruth smiled proudly at his children. Violan approached his side while patting the children's heads.

She went down and met their gazes and said, "I might not be your real mother, but... can I be your mother?"

The twins looked at her and said, "You want us?"

"Of course... From the very start." She smiled.

Rok and Cale smiled and hugged her tight.

Violan might become and inadequate mother to them, but she'll try filling up the little holes that Jour left behind. Her husbands children are also her children, that's why—at time like this, Violan decided to raise them just like how she would raise her child.

So that they may always be happy.

course,

TBC

Hmm. Fluff will follow???