WHEN RAPHAEL SAID THAT TO HIM, Lucian experienced speechlessness for the first time in his life. Why was he suddenly asking him about Castilla house’s young lord? He couldn’t figure it out, but he felt horrible just hearing it.
Looking at his sparkling blue eyes that resemble the night sky, he felt all the more anxious. What the hell does he want to hear from him?
“Eyy, don’t be so shy. I’m very understanding!”
Yes, but what the hell was he talking about?
But Raphael’s response would not be different if he said anything here. In that case, he had often seen him jump to conclusions like this since they were young.
‘I know everything. So it’s okay to tell me.’
That seemed to be what he was saying with his expression, like anything he said would be okay. Lucian was comforted by his expression that he’d reserved for him since they were young.
‘You sympathize with me. You understand me. There was a time when I thought like that.’
But now that he considered his actions again, the difference was subtle, but there.
The scenario about the letter too, what he just heard was rather absurd and ridiculous. He wanted to reply by asking what was the meaning of what he said—that he never replied back.
How dare he doubt him.
Even with the only letters he had heard about that came from him being addressed to his Mother, he certainly couldn’t resist hearing about Raphael’s life.
After being warned by his father, he made a plan. As he said that one day, there are two things that should be planned closely.
From the day he gave him presents and cookies. He thought about him constantly.
He actually liked his mother’s attention. But he was not really interested in making her confess her sins and then make her ask for his forgiveness though.
It had nothing to do with him, even if his father and mother talked about things that they had never been able to open up about and had actually lived like a relatively married couple.
There was already someone who had made him feel the warmth of sweet affection, and now his parents’ affection had not been very impressive to him.
Nevertheless, the reason he stayed close to his mother must have been because she brought up stories about Raphael from time to time.
It was then that he found out that his mother and Raphael were exchanging letters.
He was resentful of Raphael a little bit, who didn’t send him any replies despite sending many to his mother, but it was just for a short while.
‘Just don’t forget about me. I just really want you to remember me.’
It was only a short time he spent with him in this huge castle, but now it’s full of memories with him. When he was studying alone in the study room, he often looked at the door unconsciously.
When he was training at the practice grounds, he could sometimes hear a faint voice calling him “Brother” from somewhere.
After Raphael went down to the south, when the three family members ate together at his mother’s request, he could still see Raphael sitting across from him and cutting his steak.
With such confidence, Enzo said.
—That’s a disease. But I understand you. You can go crazy at least once, right?
Was that the case? Was this a disease? Whatever Raphael did, he’s the only one he saw, so he’s sure it’s an illness.
Then what should he do to cure it? Enzo answered his question like this.
—Something like madness. Sadly, it’s incurable. I tried hard to cure it myself once, but it didn’t work. Hehehe…
His experiences didn’t matter at all.
An incurable disease… He was rather reassured by the idea that it could never be cured. He didn’t care if it was a disease. Because he could continue thinking of him.
Lucian smiled, watching fondly as Raphael babbled in front of him.
He smiled more broadly as if he liked it when he smiled in return.
Because he was mad at him, he only smiled in front of him. He had been nervous since this morning because he was coming. Thinking about what if he had forgotten him?
He hasn’t been in touch for seven years, so maybe he didn’t like something about him.
‘Was he angry that I didn’t meet him before we were separated? Was it something to do with him or was it a problem sprouted from the fact that I asked for him to remember me so shamelessly?’
But he didn’t want him to forget him. That’s why he didn’t bother to visit his room.
Remember.
Don’t forget.
“Let’s have tea in the garden, brother.”
He immediately waved the moment he said his request. The attendant, who was waiting around for that moment, quickly set up the table, tea, and dessert he had prepared in advance.
“Wow, did Brother prepare this in advance for me? I’m so touched!”
He was easily moved by these simple things.
Well, whatever he did, he was easily moved. He was also moved even when he just ate well, and he liked it when he was just answering him.
Unconditional affection.
Perhaps even if he was in a fit of rage, he would have accepted him in light of his admiration.
That’s right. Admiration. He was younger than him, but Raphael had always looked at him like he was his younger brother.
And that was something… he didn’t like.
It was the only thing he didn’t like about him.
“Brother, this grape is too sweet. Please try it.”
One day, he came to his study and prepared some grapes that he forced him to eat. But he didn’t refuse because he liked it. It’s all about creating happy memories together.
The table today was filled with things he prepared to remind him in case he had forgotten him. Then Raphael put a grape in front of his lips.
“Knock knock, knock, knock knock knock. The grape is here. Please open the door.”
Lucian casually burst into laughter at the sight of him that didn’t change at all ever since they were children.
He was so glad to see him, and he was truly relieved.
Unlike before, he opened his lips right away. Chewing on the grapes that came into his mouth, he enjoyed the taste. As he said, it had a sweet taste.
Lucian’s face subtly stiffened at the taste of food that he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
The most interesting part about him was this strange ability.
No matter what food he ate, he couldn’t taste it all properly. But whatever Raphael gave were things he could actually taste.
“Brother, how’s your salon going lately? How come you’re not saying anything about Noah? You two got along quite well, right?”
Lucian stared at Raphael in silence due to the name he had mentioned again.
‘Why did he keep asking him about that guy? Did he get in touch with him?’ His fingers twitched at the questions that came to his mind. He thought that if he was wearing a sword, he’d probably pull it out right away.
There was a feeling of displeasure in his mouth even if he had just bit into the sweetest grape in the world.
He didn’t reply and stared at him. It was because he was not confident about what he would say if he opened his mouth.
But he always puts him at ease.
“Oh, you’re not answering again. But I like that too because that means there are things that haven’t changed about you from before. Besides, I already know everything without you telling me anyway.”
‘Do you really know everything even if I don’t tell you?’
Lucian asked inwardly while gazing at Raphael, who had burst into laughter with his chin in his hands.
‘I’m suffering from some kind of disease, do you want me to make you understand that?’
Then Enzo appeared, muttering the same words as before.
—Oh, right. I remembered! We called this being a madman! He said something like that about me, too.
Madness you said… That’s just about right.
—As expected… I’m glad I picked you. Hehe.
Enzo smiled and disappeared, as if he liked something he had seen quite a lot.
Whether he disappeared or not, Lucian wouldn’t take his eyes off the grown-up Raphael even for a moment. He intended to get his fill for all seven years they had been separated. For longer than they had been apart, they could be together.
“Did you still like nut cookies, brother? This is good, too.”
Lucian closed his eyes for a moment and opened his eyes as he looked at Raphael, who offered cookies to him with a bright look on his face.
Looking at him, who was still staring at him, his expression looked as if he was likely to disappear suddenly from that very spot. He raised the corners of his mouth with a face full of satisfaction.
“Ray.”
“Yes, Brother.”
As he answered him brightly, he spoke with a sincere heart.
“Let’s always be together.”
“I’d love to.”
As he recalled what he once said to him, his eyes curved up as he smiled. He was beside him once more.
Forever.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───
IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I returned to my room. Looking at the newly decorated room, it was rather unfamiliar, but I felt glad to see the sunlight and feel the warm air.
Amber nagged at me as I plopped down on the sofa. Amber seemed to be nagging me day by day.
“Young master, you shouldn’t sit like that.”
“I got it.”
I thought she was only nagging me in the south, but it seems that she will be nagging me all throughout. How did I even put up with it?
I pouted my lips and lay on the sofa melancholically. The spring breeze came in through the window.
Unlike the south, there was no salt in the wind. The small difference made me realize I was finally home.
“Oh, what about Doggy and Damian?”
“They have a separate room on the first floor. I think they wanted to walk around like human beings.”
“Damian, too?”
“Yes.”
Hmm, that’s a big deal.
I heard shapeshifters preferred to be in their animal forms rather than their human form. And in the south, they had been in their animal forms almost constantly.
Especially when they would run around at the little mountain behind the villa. They hunted as much as they could.
I never thought I’d eat rabbit meat in my life.
The chef cooked me up a bunny that had been caught by Doggy once. I didn’t even know that and enjoyed it wholeheartedly.
What am I going to do with this sneaky meat eater?
I put meat in my mouth first, and I only learned the truth about my meal from Doggy’s pride filled words after I finished eating.
Ever since that day, I banned Doggy from hunting.
But I think he’s completely out as a candidate for a sub male lead, right? No matter how many times I look at it, there’s no connection at all with Noah this time.
In the original Oscar had to deal with Raphael’s relentless tantrums and faced a myriad of different types of discrimination as a prisoner.
So for Oscar, who distrusted humans, Noah’s tenderness would have been very effective in taming him.
“Hmm.”
Is it okay to change his name now?
Comment