Chapter Text
notes:
hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~
I'm back with a new work lol(I wanted to make crossover between aot and tcf too so tell me if you guys want that too~)
also don't worry the other fics will be updated too I wanted to put an update for all em as a suprise for my 21 birthday at 21 september but unfortunately uni is being a bitch and I was at uni at my birthday too so yeah...
I mean I'm on my last year for my bachelor's degree and I have 24 credit this semester that I need to pass...
it's brutual pls pray for me lmao(after these I just have 18 credits left till graduation yay!)
anyways as always I'll keep the notes here and add them at 2 chapters!
pls pls check the tags and also if you couldn't tell already rok soo is Rokhan and jung soo is Lucian and soo hyuk is Silas~
have fun with this story and tell me your opinions in the comments~
as always I check all and answer all<3
My name is Cale Henituse.
I am eighteen years old.
I am the second son of Count Deruth Henituse, the heir to the Henituse County, and, according to my father, one of the greatest sources of pride in his life.
According to my younger brother, I am a reliable hyung-nim.
According to my little sister, I am someone who buys her snacks when Mother isn't looking.
According to my mother, I am apparently too thin and therefore require more food.
According to Ron, I am still a child who needs to sleep more.
And according to my older brother—
I am apparently too nosy.
I disagree.
I am not nosy.
I am observant.
There is a difference.
Unfortunately, my brother does not appreciate that difference.
Especially when my observations concern the two men currently sitting on either side of him.
I stared at them.
They stared back.
Well.
One of them smiles.
The other one raises an eyebrow.
My older brother didn't even look up from the book in his hands.
That was probably the most irritating part.
He already knew what I was thinking.
He always did.
"You're staring again, Cale."
Rokhan turned another page.
His voice was calm.
Almost lazy.
It was the voice of someone who had no interest whatsoever in whatever ridiculous thing was happening around him.
I narrowed my eyes.
"I'm not staring."
"You've been staring at Lucian for approximately three minutes."
"I was not."
"You were."
The blond man sitting to Rokhan's right smiled.
"Four minutes, actually."
I looked at him, unimpressed.
He had the kind of face that made people trust him too easily.
Bright blue eyes.
Short blond hair that looked almost golden beneath the afternoon sunlight.
A relaxed smile.
An easy posture.
He looked exactly like the sort of person who would spend an entire afternoon doing absolutely nothing and somehow convince everyone around him that he had accomplished something important.
That was Lucian Vaelmont.
Or, more accurately, His Excellency, Grand Duke Lucian Vaelmont.
The youngest surviving brother of King Zed Crossman.
A royal, A grand duke.
He survived only because he was a backer for King Zed Crossman back in the day when they were only princes.
well history says so.
A man who had enough authority to make most nobles straighten their backs the moment he entered a room.
And apparently—
A nuisance.
At least according to me.
"You are sitting too close to my brother." I spat.
Lucian blinked.
Then he looked down.
His shoulder was touching Rokhan's.
It had apparently been touching Rokhan's for some time.
"Oh."
He didn't move.
I waited.
He continued not moving.
I looked at Rokhan.
Rokhan continued reading.
"Hyung."
"Hm?"
"He's touching you."
"I noticed."
"And?"
Rokhan finally lifted his eyes from the book.
Those sharp eyes were exactly the same color as Mother's.
Reddish brown.
well the same as me but his quite looked closer to red like rubbies while mine looked more brownish than red.
A deep red that looked darker whenever he was thinking.
He stared at me for a moment.
Then he glanced at Lucian.
Lucian smiled.
Rokhan looked back at me.
"And?"
I felt a headache coming.
I was beginning to understand why Mother(Violan) occasionally sighed whenever the three of them were together.
"Nothing."
"Good."
Rokhan returned to his book.
I hated him.
I didn't.
Unfortunately.
That was the problem.
My older brother was impossible to hate.
He had been there when Mother died.
He had been there when Father stopped knowing what to do with himself.
He had been there when I stopped speaking for several days because I didn't know what to say.
He had been there when the adults around us whispered that I was too young to understand.
He had been there when I did understand.
Rokhan had been there for everything.
He was only twenty when Mother died.
A young man in the peak of his life a new leaf and everything...He knew mother longer than me so If I missed her this much with so much pain? I don't even want to think how he felt...
And yet somehow, he had still managed to become the person who held our family together.
That was why I couldn't really complain about him.
Even when he was annoying.
Even when he stole the good blankets.
Even when he disappeared into the library for half the day.
Even when he somehow convinced Father to let him give up the position of heir.
That last one still irritated me.
"Hyung."
"Hm?"
"Do you regret giving up the position?"
The room became slightly quieter.
It was subtle.
Anyone else might not have noticed.
I did.
Lucian stopped smiling.
The dark-haired man on Rokhan's left stopped turning the pages of the document in front of him.
Silas.
That was his name.
He was the son of a merchant family from the capital.
He had come to Rain City years ago with his family and had somehow become one of the most successful merchants in the northeastern region.
People said Silas could obtain anything.
Rare herbs.
Weapons.
Magic tools.
Information.
Foreign goods.
Even things that were supposedly impossible to acquire.
The rumor had eventually become:
If Silas can't get it, it doesn't exist.
He was also one of my brother's closest friends.
Which was suspicious.
Very suspicious.
But I hadn't yet discovered what exactly was suspicious about him.
At least not officially.
Rokhan closed his book.
He placed one finger between the pages to keep his place.
Then he looked at me.
"No."
The answer came immediately.
I frowned.
"You don't?"
"No."
"Not even a little?"
"No."
He leaned back.
His long red hair fell over his shoulder and down his back.
It was almost exactly the same shade as Mother's.
Sometimes, when I saw him from behind, it felt like—
No.
I stopped that thought before it could finish.
Rokhan didn't seem to notice.
Or perhaps he did.
He noticed everything.
"I don't want the position," he said.
"I know."
"You do?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you asking?"
"Because I wanted to hear you say it."
He stared at me.
Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.
It wasn't a big smile.
Rokhan rarely smiled.
But it was there.
"You're getting smarter."
"I've always been smart."
"I didn't say you weren't."
Silas laughed softly.
Lucian chuckled.
I glared at both of them.
"What?"
"Nothing."
They both said it at the same time.
I immediately distrusted them more.
Rokhan sighed.
"Cale."
"What?"
"Stop glaring."
"I am not glaring."
"You are."
"You're imagining things."
"You're terrible at lying."
"You're worse."
There was a pause.
Then Lucian laughed.
Really laughed.
He leaned against Rokhan's shoulder.
Rokhan didn't move.
I closed my eyes.
I needed patience.
Unfortunately, patience was not one of my greatest virtues.
"Your Excellency."
Lucian opened one eye.
"Yes?"
"Move."
"No."
I looked at Silas.
"You too."
Silas smiled.
"No."
I stared at my brother.
Rokhan raised one eyebrow.
"You see my problem?"
I pointed at the two men.
"They're pests."
"They're my friends."
"They're pests."
"Those aren't mutually exclusive."
Silas looked delighted.
Lucian nodded solemnly.
"He's right."
"I wasn't talking to you."
"I know."
Rokhan sighed again.
This was hopeless.
I had lost my brother.
He had been stolen.
By two men.
One of them was a grand duke.
The other one was a merchant.
Neither seemed remotely interested in giving him back.
I would have to find another solution.
Unfortunately, I had no idea what that solution was.
Yet.
***
The day had started normally.
That was probably what made everything that followed so strange.
The morning sun had risen over Rain City beneath a pale blue sky.
The morning breeze had carried a chill through the streets.
The Henituse territory was peaceful.
Too peaceful, perhaps.
But I liked peace.
My family liked peace.
Rokhan especially liked peace.
He had once told me that his ideal future involved a comfortable chair, an endless supply of books, good food, and absolutely no responsibilities.
I had laughed.
He had looked completely serious.
"That sounds boring."
"It's perfect."
"You'll get tired of it."
"I won't."
"You'll become lazy."
"I already am."
"You're thirty."
"Exactly. I've earned it."
That had been three months ago.
I still remembered it.
Rokhan had been lying beneath a tree in the garden, his long red hair spread across the grass.
He had looked more like a painting than the eldest son of the Henituse family.
He had been reading a book.
He had refused to move when Father called for him.
He had sent me instead.
I had gone.
Father had stared at me.
Then he had laughed.
"Your brother is shameless."
I had agreed.
But I knew the truth.
Rokhan wasn't lazy because he was careless.
He was lazy because he valued peace.
He hated unnecessary work.
He hated unnecessary conflict.
And more than anything—
He hated losing people.
Especially family.
That was why he had pushed me toward becoming the heir.
He had never wanted the position.
He wanted me to have it.
Because he believed I could protect the territory.
And because he trusted me.
That trust mattered more than I liked admitting.
I had spent years thinking about it.
Sometimes, I wondered what would have happened if Rokhan hadn't been there when Mother died.
I didn't like imagining it.
Our family might have broken apart.
Father might have broken.
I might have broken.
Basen might never have found his place here.
Even Lily—
I looked toward the garden.
Lily was there.
Seven years old.
She was currently holding a wooden sword nearly as tall as she was.
She swung it.
Missed.
Almost fell.
Recovered.
Then swung again.
I smiled.
She was stubborn.
Very stubborn.
It was one of the things I liked most about her.
"Orabani!"
She spotted me.
I turned fully towards her.
Lily ran toward me.
Her small boots struck the grass.
"Cale Orabani!"
"What?"
"Watch me!"
She raised the wooden sword.
I stepped aside.
She swung.
The sword cut through empty air.
Lily stared at it.
Then at me.
"Again."
"Of course."
She swung again.
And again.
I corrected her stance.
She listened.
Then she suddenly looked behind me.
"Where's Rok Orabani?"
I frowned.
"He was in the garden."
"He isn't anymore."
I turned.
She was right.
Rokhan had disappeared.
Again.
I sighed.
"He's probably hiding somewhere."
Lily smiled.
"Can we find him?"
"Why?"
"Because Rok Orabani promised me a new sword."
I stared at her.
"He did?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Yesterday."
I rubbed my forehead.
Of course.
He had probably promised her something without telling Father.
Again.
"Fine."
Lily grabbed my hand.
We started walking.
It took less than five minutes to find him.
He was sitting in the shade of a large tree near the edge of the garden.
Silas was there.
Lucian was also there.
Of course.
Rokhan was reading.
Again.
I wondered whether he had spent his entire life reading.
"Rok Orabani!"
Lily ran toward him.
Rokhan looked up.
His expression immediately softened.
That was another thing about him.
He could look completely emotionless when speaking to nobles.
He could stare down older knights without blinking.
He could make merchants twice his age nervous with a single question.
But when Lily ran toward him—
He smiled.
Small.
Soft.
Real.
He put his book aside.
"Did you practice?"
Lily nodded furiously.
"I did!"
"How many times?"
"Twenty."
"Twenty?"
"Twenty-seven."
Rokhan smiled.
"That's better."
"I want my sword."
"I know."
He looked beside him.
There was a wrapped object lying there in Silas's hands.
Lily gasped.
"Is that it?"
"Yes."
She immediately attacked the wrapping.
"Be careful with it, and use it when you are allowed to swing a real sword, okay?"
Lily nodded like an excited puppy.
I watched.
Silas smiled.
Lucian laughed.
Rokhan looked satisfied.
And for a moment—
Everything was normal.
Just my family.
My brother.
My sister.
His friends.
A peaceful day.
A peaceful territory.
A peaceful life.
I didn't know then that somewhere far from us, a village was burning.
I didn't know that people were dying.
I didn't know that two days from now, a stranger would arrive in our territory.
I didn't know that stranger would change everything.
And I certainly didn't know that my brother already knew that someone named Choi Han was supposed to come here.
Because, at the time, all I knew was this:
My brother was behaving strangely.
He had been watching the roads more often.
He had asked about the northeastern villages.
He had sent letters to several people.
He had quietly ordered additional guards to patrol certain areas.
And whenever someone mentioned Harris Village—
His expression changed.
More than before.
Only slightly.
But I noticed.
I always noticed.
"Hyung."
"Hm?"
"Why are you asking about Harris Village?"
Harris Village was where our mother met her end.
It's always a bitter topic in Henituse County, but this obsession my brother has recently with it, scares me.
His hand stopped.
Only for a moment.
Then he turned his gaze toward me.
"I heard something."
"What?"
"Nothing confirmed."
"Then why are you worried?"
"I'm not."
"You are."
"No."
"You are."
Rokhan sighed.
Lucian's smile disappeared.
Silas quietly put down his cup.
That was enough to make me suspicious.
"What happened?"
Rokhan didn't answer immediately.
He looked toward the distant mountains.
His eyes were sharp.
For the first time that day, he didn't look lazy.
He looked like someone waiting for something.
Something he didn't want to happen.
"I read a book," he said.
I blinked.
"What?"
"A book."
"That's your explanation?"
"Yes."
"You've been acting strangely because of a book?"
"It's a very strange book."
Silas glanced at him.
"That's an understatement."
Lucian nodded.
"Definitely."
I looked between them.
"You two know what he's talking about?"
They exchanged a glance.
Then both looked at me.
"No."
"You're lying."
"Yes."
I stared.
Lucian smiled.
Silas shrugged.
Rokhan covered his face with one hand.
"I regret introducing you three."
"You introduced us?"
Silas looked amused.
"No, he didn't."
"I did," Rokhan said.
"You brought us together."
"Unfortunately."
"You love us."
Rokhan lowered his hand.
His expression was completely blank.
"I tolerate you."
Lucian grinned.
"Same thing."
"No."
"That's pretty much how we know Rok loves us."
I sighed.
This was impossible.
I didn't know why my brother cared.
I didn't know why he was watching the roads.
I didn't know why two of the most suspicious men in the kingdom had suddenly become even more clingy.
I didn't know why my brother kept looking toward the northeastern horizon.
And I certainly didn't know why—
for just a moment—
his hand trembled.
Only once.
Then it stopped.
Rokhan picked up his book.
His face returned to normal.
"Let's go inside."
"Why?"
"Rain is coming."
I looked at the sky.
It was clear.
"No, it isn't."
Rokhan stood.
"It will."
I stared at him.
Lucian laughed.
Silas smiled.
Lily hugged her new sword.
And I—
for some reason—
felt a chill run down my spine.
I looked toward the distant road.
There was nothing there.
Only sunlight.
Only wind.
Only the peaceful territory I had always called home.
I didn't know that this would be the last peaceful day.
Not really.
Because tomorrow, Harris Village would disappear.
And two days from now—
Choi Han would arrive.
None of us knew yet what that meeting would mean.
None of us knew that the story written in a book had already begun moving away from its original path.
And none of us knew that the person walking toward us had once been connected to one of us by blood.
For now—
we only waited.
And Rokhan Henituse—
my older brother—
was definitely at the center of all happenings.
***
huff! finally finished!
I love this story line a lottttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!
hopefully you guys will love it too~
do comment what you think so far and give kudos~
also reminder that english is not my first language as always so be kind in the comments~
bye bye!