"Hello, Baby."

An image of his mother stood in front of him. He desperately wanted to save her life. He even struck a deal with the god of death to turn back time and use his body to bring Kim Roksu back to this world.

Yet.

He was given the opportunity to try to protect everything. But he lost it. That was the one person he most wanted to meet.

He looked at the image of his mother. She had a small smile on her face as she looked at him. Rok was standing next to him.

He could not tell if this was a dream or not. Except this time, their dreams have never coincided.

His brother, who was holding his hand, tightened his grip even more.

"Mommy's alright."

They both gazed at her.

"This is your consciousness. I was able to gain some strength to meet you. Mommy's fine, so... please smile for me?"

Cale no longer bothered to hide his emotions. He dashed to her and sobbed in her arms. Rok trailed behind, a soft bitter smile on his face. Their mother got down on her knees and embraced them tightly.

Cale cried out, "Where are you? Why can not we find you?" It was the first time he had ever been open about his emotions. He did not bother hiding his sadness the first time.

He could not mourn for her in his first life.

He could not be unhappy for the sake of his new family.

Cale became aware of his suffering...

They called it "pain." The trauma of losing someone you love.

Cale had long realized that he did not have to continue living his previous life in the same manner. But trauma is difficult to heal, especially when it is something he values and is unavoidable.

"Do not worry, my babies. Mom is fine. We will meet again someday, so live happily and comfortably for me." Jour smiled, "Mom will come to you. Please wait for me."

They both gazed at her sadly.

"Mom's alive and well. So.. live the same way for me... I'll definitely come for you."

"Promise?" It was Rok who asked.

Jour smiled at them and kissed their foreheads. They were both familiar with the sensation of reassurance. Jour was indeed alive. She must be somewhere, regaining her strength. She must be working extremely hard just to meet them in their consciousness.

"Has Mommy ever lied to you?"

They both shook their heads. Jour had never lied to them in his life. She will always tell them the truth. Her Ancient Power must have reacted in order for them to be linked to her.

"Then... please trust mommy once more."

When she said that, she began to vanish into nothing. They are both aware that she must have exhausted all of her abilities. They were holding each other's hands.

They both realised they had a caring mother and a protective father.

They both realized how much they had been loved in this lifetime.

There's nothing holding them back.

They're the ones holding themselves back.

Cale slowly opened his eyes. He gazed at his brother, Rok, who was sleeping soundly beside him.

Pretending to be trash, and playing around with this brother became the norm for him.

I do not need to hide any longer. If this is the only way for me to protect what I value and desire in life.

He stood up and calmly wrapped a blanket around his brother. He patted his head, prepared himself, and made the decision that he had never taken a risk in his previous life.

He knocked on the Lord's door. Deruth's butler greeted him and allowed him to enter, with Deruth and a few collaterals and Vassals staring at him.

He perfectly bowed his head, a genuine smile on his face.

He used to despise the image of himself sitting in Deruth's chair. Right now, however, what he and Rok require is power and influence.

Their lives were jeopardised because they were an illegitimate child. So why not take a chance and make a difference before the enemy discovers them?

"What is it, Cale?"

He looked at them and asked, "What does it take to become a lord?"

It was not the right question to ask a ten-year-old. After realising that the ancient power their mother had left them did not actually recognise them as its owners.

He knew...

His and Rok's mother, Jour, is still alive.

He smiled sweetly, something he had never done before in his life.

I still have a chance.

Deruth and the vassals all looked at him as if they would witnessed something spectacular early in the morning.

It was his grandfather, the Patriarch of the House, who responded, not Deruth.

"Merits."

Cale looked at him. He waited for him to continue. His grandfather also looked at him. His ferocious gaze was fixed on him.

"Merits. Hundreds or thousands of merits," the patriarch responded, "are what you need to become the lord of a family you want to create."

Family that I want to create. Wrong. It is a family I want to protect.

Rok would definitely say a slacking family. It sounds really ridiculous and funny.

Cale was different. In his previous life, he worked so hard to be recognized at such a young age. He lived in a rose-colored world made possible by his parents' hard work. But now... Starting from the bottom, with the heinous title of an illegitimate child—a child from a fallen noble dubbed a whore—Cale realised why he was the only one left until his death.

An illegitimate child can make a change.

Both he and Roks understood what they needed to do.

"A chick finally breaking out of his shell."

The patriarch cracked a grin.

"I have a family I need to protect."

Cale says with a smile, as if nothing is wrong.

"I aspire to be a lord capable of protecting my family."

Cale had always been a bit of an outcast. He would not be trash if he did not have the guts to be trash. He realized, however, that he no longer needed to do so.

He did not have to become a scumbag in order to protect his family.

He did not have to pretend that nothing was wrong.

He did not have to be a pathetic coward who wallows in wine and isolation.

He will move forward.

Away from his previous life.

"Teach me the ways of becoming a lord."

The people he used to fear are nothing in comparison to the enemy they will be facing soon.

His fears would be an impediment, so he decided to embrace them and return to them later.

While Rok is a person who cannot forget.

He was the type of person who could not move.

The vassals and collaterals were taken aback when the patriarch began to smile and laugh aloud.

"Indeed a child of this house. Very well," the patriarch smiled, "this old man shall teach this young sapling what it means to be a lord. In exchange, become the greatest Lord surpassing every Lord in Henituse history."

If he can't, this family will crumble.

[ROK'S POV]

To think Cale had finally shed his mask.

He stood outside the lord's room, a huge smile on his face.

We are completely opposite in every way, but we share the same thoughts.

He was surprised at first when Cale came to these old men himself and asked them the ways of becoming a lord.

I should move accordingly.

"Ron."

"Yes, my lord." The vicious butler felt the chills when he smiled at him mischievously. "I have a place to go."

He should move accordingly. While Cale believed that they required power and influence.

Rok had something else in mind for them as well.

"We need people."

People to exercise such power and influence.

.

.

The twins both wore the same smile on their faces.

The best asset to make their goals come true...

is to have people around us.

TBC

NEW ARC!!! KEKEKEKEKEKEKKE

More shenanigans and Cale being something else! I FIND HIS CHARACTER DOPE IN THIS NEXT PART!!!

A NOBLE AND COOL CALE NOT THE TRASHY CALE!!! THE REAL ABILITIES AND PROWESS OF COUNT CALE HENITUSE FROM THE TBOAH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA

WELL, KIM ROKSU, BEING KIM ROKSU. 

MISUNDERSTANDINGS COMING!!!