Chapter Text
Bam!
Cale flinched violently at the sudden sound, body jerking out of sleep and sitting up adrenaline pumping. His vision blurred and his head pounded at the sudden movements, which was then coupled by an excited squeal:
“ORABEONI!!!”
His sleep-addled-yet-startled brain only processed a glimpse of brown hair before a body tackled Cale back down into the mattress. The redhead groaned, reaching up and furiously rubbing at his eyes as Lily’s voice patterned off, “Orabeoni!!! Up! Up! It’s time to have fun!!”
Cale stared up at ceiling blankly as the noise crashed over him and the situation dawned, ‘What in the everloving fuck?’
“LILY!!”
‘Aaaand there’s the other one’
Cale resigned himself to his fate as Basen’s footsteps rapidly came towards them, pulling Lily off of Cale– correction, attempting to pull her off. Lily simply clung tighter, giggling at the whole thing as she chanted, “Up! Up! Up!”
“...”
Cale mourned his peaceful morning.
Cale sighed deeply, finally lifting himself up on to his elbows and glancing at his two younger siblings, “...Right then…Morning,”
Basen gave up pulling Lily off and his expression looked deeply ashamed, “Ah…hyung, I’m sorry!”
Cale just shrugged and stared blankly at Lily, “...so? What’s going on?”
Lily grinned and threw her arms up in excitement(Basen took the opportunity to quickly pull her off Cale so he could sit up properly), “Orabeoni is going to hang out with me and Basen Oppa!”
Cale blinked slowly and his eyes shifted to Basen. The brunette boy smiled awkwardly, “Father cleared all of us. A-And Lily and I finished all our important classes early! S-so it's not a problem!”
Cale doesn’t respond. The words are repeating slowly in his brain as he stares, red eyes shifting between Basen and Lily. As the silence stretches, Basen swallows and his nerves begin to go wild. His posture deflates and he looks down, avoiding his older brother’s gaze. Did they make a mistake? Does Cale not want to interact with them more than necessary? Are they bothering him?
“...okay,”
Basen stops and he looks up again, “O-okay? Y-you’re willing?”
Cale shrugs and then nods, “Sure…I have nothing else to do, I suppose,”
Basen beams and he grins, while Lily cheers and hugs Cale tightly while singing her excitement. Cale glances down at Lily, though he looks up again when Basen speaks again.
“I’m glad hyung is spending time with us!”
Cale stares at Basen’s smile, Lily’s delight echoing around his bedroom. He swallows the lump in his throat and pushes down the emotions bubbling in his chest.
He just nods and then pulls on the servant bell beside the bed so he could get ready. He turned to glance at his younger siblings, taking in their excitement and happiness at merely a few hours of his time.
They shouldn’t be so excited. Perhaps it’s because they’re still so young that the complexities of their family is not clear.
Nonetheless, Cale remains silent. He gets out of bed, fixing his clothes as he walks towards the connected bathroom. As he opens the door, he pauses and glances back, “Are you both going to loiter in here?”
Basen flushed and he clears his throat, “N-no! Hyung-nim we’ll wait for you to finish eating and-“
“I’m not gonna eat. I’m not hungry. And if I am I’ll get just get something in town,” Cale interrupted.
Lily was distracted by her excitement and just smiled, “Let’s get sweets!!! Orabeoni likes sweets! I remember!”
Cale blinks.
He then shrugs, “Sure if you want,”
Lily cheers. Basen smiles and says, “Then we’ll wait at the carriage?”
“Okay,”
Basen takes Lily (with effort) and takes her out of the room. Cale watches them go, his red eyes fixed on their smiles and the spark in their eyes.
He pursed his lips before entering his bathroom to wash up.
When he comes out, he’s wrapped in a bathrobe, red hair damp. Ron greets him with a smile.
“You are going out, Young Master?”
“Yeah. Father intends for me, Basen, and Lily to go out. He cleared their schedules for it,” Cale informs with a sigh.
Ron stands behind him, helping Cale wear the clothes. They’re not too constricting which is perfect for an outing. Black slacks with a red silk top with a frilled collar and wrist cuffs. Hidden beneath the shirt is the necklace he’d gotten from the lake. His socks are black and he wears some laced black ankle boots. On his fingers are a few rings. His damp hair is quickly dried and brushed into a casual yet elegant style.
Once everything is in place, he is handed a chic black coat. He exits his room, Ron trailing behind him.
As they walk through the halls, Cale inquires, “Why do you think Father is suddenly making the three of us spend time together?”
Ron just hummed. He smiled and said, “I don’t think the Count forced this,”
Cale raised an eyebrow, “What?”
Ron says nothing more. He instead hands Cale a pouch of some money. Cale takes it, placing it in one of the coat pockets.
They eventually reach the grand entrance hall and the front doors. As he steps outside, he finds the carriage pulled up and the door open. Basen and Lily are talking in front of it.
“Why are you two waiting outside? Go step inside,” Cale speaks curtly.
Basen and Lily look over at his voice. Lily beams and rushes forward, “Yay! Orabeoni is here!!”
Cale grunts as she grabs his hand and tugs him forward. Cale frowns.
Basen speaks up and rushes to his siblings, “Lily! Careful! You'll make hyung-nim fall,”
Lily pauses and gasps. She lets go of Cale and turns back, “I'm sorry!”
Cale straightens up, taken aback by the whole situation. He clears his throat and waves the apology off, “It's fine. Let's go,”
He motions for Ron to help Lily into the carriage. As they enter the carriage, a voice calls out. Cale glances back and Basen and Lily peek out of the carriage.
Lily and Basen chorus, “Mom!”
Violan smiles and approaches, “I came to see you three off,”
She looks at Cale.
Cale stares back quietly.
After a beat he says casually, “Oh. I'll watch them.”
Violan blinks, “Ah- yes, that-” she pauses and then nods, “Right…you three have fun,”
She glanced at the younger two and gave them a stern but tender look, “Don’t give Cale trouble,”
Basen and Lily nod with smiles. Cale gives a curt nod and then a bow before he climbs into the carriage sitting beside Lily.
Once the door is shut and he is satisfied with Basen and Lily’s secureness, he knocks the wall of the carriage. The muffled crack of the reins is the warning before the carriage jerks to a movement and begins to clobber along the stone path towards the town.
He sits with his arms crossed over the front of his body, eyes closed as he listens to Lily blabber on. He opens his eyes upon being directly addressed:
“Hyungnim, is there…somewhere you want to go?”
He opened his eyes and looked at his younger siblings. A hum escaped from his lips, head turning to look out the carriage window.
“Not particularly. We can go wherever you want,”
Lily raised her hand and exclaimed, “I want to go to the market plaza!”
Cale nodded, “Then we shall do that,”
He adds after a moment, “The food stalls should still have some hot winter delicacies…we can get some,”
Basen jumped at the opportunity, “Then- then hyung-nim! What is your favorite winter snack?”
“Hmm…” Cale thinks for a moment, “Pies are nice…but nothing really beats a hot lava cakes…I’ve had some decent puddings too…”
Lily vibrated with excitement and the allure of sugar, “Let’s have everything!!”
“Kids shouldn’t have so much sweets,” Cale shook his head.
“Mom’s not here!” was Lily’s argument.
A convincing one.
Cale pointed out, “But she will be when we return,”
Lily huffed and Cale’s lips quirked up in triumph at beating a five-year-old in an argument. Basen chuckles amused and smiles happily.
The large carriage comes to a stop at the main junction of Rain City’s busy streets, and the three children exit the carriage. The town is bustling with people, all going about their daily business or hurrying past to get to their destination. Cale looks around with sharp eyes, taking note of the shops, stands, and the other people around them. He looks back at his younger siblings, seeing them both look around with eyes full of excitement.
"Alright," Cale says, his voice a bit stern. "Stick close to me, got it?"
Basen nods obediently, but Lily is already looking around, trying to see everything at once. Cale sighs, resigning himself to his fate, and begins walking to the main plaza. Basen grabs Lily's hand and follows after him, keeping up but making sure his little sister doesn't run off. Behind them, the few knights Deruth provided for them follows.
As they make their way through the town, Cale takes notice of many people staring at them. It's not a surprise. The crest on the carriage was enough to make eyes turn; everyone in Rain City knows how the members of the Henituse family look…it's difficult to find anyone who doesnt- well, no. Correction, everyone knows what Cale looks like. His red hair is a dead give away. And he’s the infamous trash.
A few people whisper to each other while looking at the three, and it's clear that their arrival has caught some attention.
Cale’s eyes harden in annoyance, ‘This is why Father shouldn’t have let me come along with them…’
Finally, they reach the main plaza and stand in the large open space. The sounds of the town's hustle and bustle are all around them, and the cold wind blows across them. As they take in the space, they notice even more people eyeing them and whispering amongst themselves. Cale is far too used to the shifting gazes and whispers. He turns around to look at Basen and Lily.
Cale doesn't seem too bothered by it, but Basen grows a little more nervous, shifting his weight and sticking even closer to Lily. She, on the other hand, is too excited by all the sights and sounds to even notice the stares.
‘Understandable…since Basen arrived in the house, prolonged stares and whispers were often judgy and cruel. He’s young but he learned early on the ugliness that comes with nobility.’ Cale pressed his lips together.
Basen, on the other hand, looks over at Cale when the older was not looking, ‘...does hyung-nim face this everyday? He comes into town and everyone just…stares at him like this…’
Basen didn’t like that. No, he didn’t like the way people looked at Cale at all.
Cale looks around the plaza, his eyes sweeping across the crowd. "Well, we're here," he says, his voice betraying none of the irritation he's likely feeling. "Now what?" he adds, looking down at his siblings.
Basen looks up at Cale, his nervousness even more apparent in the busier plaza. "I...I don't know," he says quietly.
Lily, on the other hand, finally tears her gaze away from the crowd and looks up at Cale with wide eyes. "We can look at the shops!" she says excitedly, tugging on Cale's sleeve.
Cale nods, “Alright, alright. We can look at the shops,”
He exhales as Lily cheers and runs off, pulling Basen behind her; the older letting out a startled call. Cale’s lips quirk and he walks calmly behind them; hands in his coat. His focus remains on his siblings, but his eyes look about once more.
As he expected.
The eyes were on him.
It’s no surprise.
It must be the first time they’ve ever seen the three Henituse children together without the Count or Countess present. It’s been a month since Cale was in town; they all must be on edge, wondering when his temper would flare.
‘As if I’d do anything with Basen and Lily here,’ Cale thought to himself.
They begin to make their way through the crowded plaza, with Basen and Lily excitedly looking at the various wares being sold by the merchants. Cale walks a few steps behind, keeping a watchful eye on his siblings while trying to seem disinterested.
As they wander from one stand to the next, they attract the attention of some of the merchants. A few of some bolder merchants call out to the three, mostly Lily and Basen, trying to draw them in with offers of discounts and other deals.
Cale is unsurprised his name is smartly not said.
They stop at a few stalls, Lily bouncing excitedly and wanting to buy everything she sees. Basen is more reserved, but he still looks at the items with interest. Cale only mutters a few disapproving comments here and there, but mostly lets his siblings enjoy themselves.
Basen somehow manages to keep Lily from actually buying everything. Especially when he saw Cale sigh and calmly reach into his coat as if ready to pay. Honestly, their older brother was really too
generous with them! He’s always ready to buy them things!
Not to say…Cale didn’t win some arguments either; being too quick for Basen to catch or just tossing a gold galleon on the counter with a blunt, “Sure,” or “Pack it up quick.”
The children continue to explore the main plaza, with Basen and Lily occasionally sneaking glances at their brother. Cale, meanwhile, is starting to notice that people are looking at him differently. Some whisper to each other and point at him, their eyes not full of disdain but a hint of curiosity instead.
Cale, unaware of the rumors, assumes they are still just gossiping about his well-known "trash" habits. He looks down at his siblings, who have stopped to look at a merchant selling glass trinkets, and mutters to himself.
"Tch, can't they mind their own business?" he mutters under his breath.
While Basen and Lily are distracted by the trinkets, Cale turns his gaze back to the crowd. He sees a mother with a young child nearby, the child pointing at Cale and whispering to her mother. Cale tenses up, expecting the woman to pull her child away and give him a nervous and wary glance while whispering scoldings.
To his surprise, however, the mother smiles warmly at him before whispering something into her child's ear. The child giggles and winks at Cale, causing him to furrowed his brow in confusion.
What is going on?
Cale's confusion is interrupted by Lily's voice. "Orabeoni, look!" she exclaims, holding up a set of small glass animals. "Aren't they pretty?"
Cale looks down at the glass animals in Lily's hands. Despite himself, he can't help but think that they are rather nice. "Yeah, they're alright," he mutters, trying to hide the hint of approval in his voice.
Lily's grin widens and she turns to show the glass figures to Basen. As the two siblings chat, Cale looks back at the crowd, his mind working in overdrive. He catches more people looking at him and this time, he notices the wariness replaced with curiosity…
He's used to people looking at him with irritation, disdain, or even disgust, but this new look is something unfamiliar. Is that respect he's seeing in some of their gazes? He mentally shakes his head, telling himself he's imagining things.
He’s trash after all.
The infamous lout of the count’s family.
As he ponders over his thoughts, Basen suddenly speaks up, his voice nervous. "Um...hyung-nim," he says quietly, "I think some people are trying to talk to us."
Cale looks up from his thoughts and turns to see a group of middle-aged men approaching them. They wear fine clothes and carry themselves with a sense of arrogance that is common among the upper class. Cale tenses up, his eyes narrowed.
Cale turns away and gives the knights behind him a stern glance. He then quickly places down a gold galleon and snatches the wrapped up glass trinkets from the merchant, handing them carefully to Lily. Then with a quick usher, he begins to nudge his siblings in the opposite direction.
"Let's get some food. We've wandered for a bit,"
Basen, sensing Cale's uneasiness, is quick to follow Cale's lead and herds Lily along with him. The group of men, noticing their haste, call after them. "Hey, wait a moment! Young Henituses!" one of them exclaims, stepping forward to intercept them.
Cale stops in place at the direct call. He then scowls and glances at his siblings and then around and the way people now stare. He turns and walks back, shoving the knights out of the way, giving one of them a low order, “Take Basen and Lily away to eat before they faint.”
The knights look surprised by Cale's sudden command but obey without question. As they steer Basen and Lily toward a nearby eatery, Cale faces the men who approached him alone, a scowl still darkening his face.
Basen looks back in confusion, as does Lily who asks about Cale. The knights simply swallow and smile nervously, ushering the younger two away. Even the knights are wary of the trash, after all.
“The Young Master will return later,”
Basen protests but it's futile as the knights usher him and Lily further and further away. Basen grunts and stares back, frowning as he realizes now Cale is left without any knight at all.
Meanwhile, The trash persona easily comes over Cale like a second skin. He hisses, raising an arrogant eyebrow, "Who the hell are you to address a Henituse so casually?"
The men, clearly taken aback by Cale's bluntness, exchange nervous glances amongst themselves. The one who had called out to him before clears his throat and replies, "We mean no disrespect, young master. We simply wanted to make your acquaintance."
"Get in line."
The man smiles nervously and nods. "Of course, of course. But we can assure you, we have something that would greatly benefit the future young master of the esteemed Henituse household."
"Hah!" he grins sarcastically
The man flinches at Cale's sarcastic response, but quickly regains his composure. "Please, young master, if you would just listen to what we have to say-"
But Cale cuts him off with a scoff, "And why should I? Just because you think you have something that'll benefit me? Who the hell do you think I am, someone who's willing to sell my ears to anyone who comes running at me with some shiny thing in their hands?"
The man's smile falters, but he remains determined. "Please, young master. Just give us one moment of your time." He motions for his companions to step forward, and they all take out small, velvet pouches.
"Please, just take a look," the man says, holding out one of the bags towards Cale. His companions follow suit, holding out their own pouches.
Cale glances at the pouches once more, then back at the men's faces. They seem desperate, their eyes filled with a mix of hope and fear. He can tell that whatever is in those pouches holds a great significance to them.
He hesitates for a moment, his mind warring with itself. He can't deny that his curiosity is piqued, but his instinct is telling him that there's something fishy about this whole situation.
After a few moments, however, his curiosity wins out. He slowly reaches out and takes the pouch offered by the man. He turns it over in his hands, feeling the weight and texture of the fabric.
"What's in it?" he asks, his voice still laced with a hint of disdain. "Money? Jewels? Some useless crap that you're trying to pawn off as valuable?"
The man smiles slyly, clearly pleased that Cale has taken the bait. "Open it and see for yourself, young master."
He can feel the stares of the people around him, watching his every move. He knows that whatever he does here, it will have consequences. But he's also a bit curious about what's in the pouch, and he can't resist the urge to satisfy his curiosity.
With a swift motion, he unties the strings of the pouch and tips its contents into his open palm.
As the object falls out, Cale's eyes widen in surprise. In the palm of his hand is a sparkling gemstone, its facets refracting the light into a spectrum of rainbow colors. It's a beautiful sight, but Cale has seen many jewels in his life. Something about this feels wrong.
"What the hell is this?" he asks, his voice betraying a hint of caution. He looks up at the men, his eyes narrowed, waiting for their explanation.
The man smiles triumphantly, thinking he has Cale where he wants him. "It's a dragon blood gem, young master," he says confidently. "A rare and powerful gemstone, said to hold the strength of a dragon within it. Just imagine the possibilities that could be achieved with it."
His breath hitches.
Around him, the city’s people ripple with whispers and shock.
Cale repeats slowly, “...the strength of a dragon?”
The man nods eagerly. "Yes, young master. The dragon blood gem is said to hold a fraction of the strength of a dragon within its core." He takes a step closer, eyes sparkling. "And it's perfect for a young master like yourself, preparing to lead the esteemed Henituse household into the future. Imagine the possibilities that could be achieved with such power at your disposal."
Cale’s eyes darkened.
‘What disgusting bullshit…’ he thought
He turns his palm and the gemstone slides back into the pouch. Cale shuts it and puts it calmly in his pocket, taking steady and slow steps towards the men. His face was stoic, cold…as it usually was.
“...the other pouches. They hold the same thing?”
The men nod hastily.
"Yes, yes," the first man says, a hint of relief in his voice. "All the pouches we have are dragon blood gems, young master. We've been collecting them for some time now."
"Collecting them." Cale repeats.
He looks at the older men, his sixteen-year-old self shorter than them; but his very presence exudes cold arrogance of a noble.
He stares at them, "...and you want an in with the Hentiuse family in return for those, yes?"
The men nod again, their smiles growing wider.
"Yes, young master," the first man responds, his voice eager. "We believe that a partnership with the Henituse family could be mutually beneficial. The wealth and power that you hold... coupled with the potential of these dragon blood gems... it could make both parties wealthier and more influential than ever before."
"Ha..."
Cale couldn't stand it.
He snatches another pouch from one of the other men, holding it up to look. He then scowled and his other hand flew out to grab the nearest thing on a stall.
The trash of the count's family threw it at the men's feet, the shattering of the object echoing in the plaza.
"You filthy rats..."
The men, shocked and terrified, stumble back at Cale's sudden outburst. They look at the broken object on the ground, then up at Cale's scowling face.
"H-how dare y-" the first man begins, but Cale cuts him off with a scathing glare.
“A dragon blood’s gem. Do you hear yourself?! Selling a gem rumored to be harvested from a dragon’s blood…you must be out of your mind if you think anyone would believe that! Dragons turn to dust when they die. Every bit of them. Their blood is precious as they are,” he seethes, red eyes flaring.
In his mind, he can’t help but picture the little black dragon.
He scowls darker.
“Prospective wealth and power; are you insulting the Henituse family? We’re one of the great families of the Roan Kingdom. We’ve stood here in the northeast since the beginning of the Kingdom! How dare you insinuate the Henituse household requires your filthy falsehoods!!!” Cale spat.
The men, cowering before the wrath of the young Henituse, exchange nervous glances.
The first one, who had been doing most of the talking, gulps and stammers, "No, no, young master, we didn't mean to insult-"
But Cale doesn't let him finish. He steps closer to the men, his eyes blazing with anger. "You think you can just waltz into my territory and try to sell me such a ludicrous lie and expect me not to be insulted? Do you think the Henituse household is a bunch of fools?"
Cale then grinned mockingly, "And don't think I wasn't aware of your intentions saying something so precious in the public plaza like this...how many minds here did you just try to manipulate?! How dare you sow discord in my territory, to my people! You must be asking for death!!!"
He means it to sound mean, to be an insult. But to the people who were already beginning to rethink his trash reputation- hearing Cale say those words...it sounded like...their young master was protecting them??
The people in the crowd, who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes, react to Cale's words with a mix of surprise and admiration. They had never heard the young master speak with so much conviction and anger before. And to hear him defend them against these outsiders... it was a foreign concept to them.
"Young Master Cale is…standing up for us," one of them whispers.
"Did he just call us his people?" another mutters.
The bystanders, shocked by Cale's outburst, watch with wide-eyes. They had only ever seen the rude young noble, the trash who was good for nothing except causing trouble. But now, seeing this young man defend them, they couldn't believe their ears. Coupled with the rumors of their young master boldly jumping into a frozen lake at the cost of his health to save a young girl in the Wheelsman territory…
…is their young master…really trash?
One brave soul among them, a middle-aged merchant, steps forward. "Young master is right!" he declares, his voice full of conviction. "These men are trying to sow discord and spread falsehoods in our plaza! We cannot let them get away with it!"
Cale glances over with surprise, focus and anger momentarily disrupted.
The voice of the merchant breaks the spell of shock among the crowd, and more voices begin to echo his agreement.
“Yeah! How dare you try to deceive the young master like that!”
"Filthy rats, trying to take advantage of the Henituse family!"
‘...right. It’s because of the Henituse family’s honor. That makes more sense,’ Cale nodded and glanced back at the men, glaring darkly. ‘Even with my reputation, our Henituse family is still loved. That’s good.’
The men cower back, now more terrified by the crowd's anger than by Cale's threats. The first man tries to plead, "No, no, we were just-!"
But Cale cuts them off again. "Save your breath," he spits, his glare still burning. "You've crossed a line, and you'll pay the price for it."
Cale scowls and decides to use the crowd to his advantage. He had sent the guards off with Basen and Lily earlier, but he needed some of them now. Not removing his eyes from the merchants he spits out angrily, “Someone find me some knights!!”
The crowd, seeing their young master take charge, quicken to obey his command. Several voices respond, "Yes, young master!" and "Right away, young master!"
Within moments, several knights appear by Cale's side. They watch the interaction between Cale and the men with wary eyes.
Cale doesn't care. He orders coldly and glares at the knights, "Do your fucking job. Bring these men to the estate's dungeons. Immediately. Oh. And gag them, they like spouting bullshit."
The knights, used to Cale's brusque manner, nod and move to obey his orders. They bind the men's hands and tie gags around their mouths to silence them. The men struggle against their binds, but the knights are too strong. They are dragged away by the knights, their protests muffled by the gags.
Cale glares at them coldly. He only dares to exhale when they're shoved into a carriage. Standing there, he lets the crowd's continued curses envelop him for a moment.
He then turns on his heel and goes to find his siblings, who should be eating peacefully. As Cale walks, the crowd continues to whisper and gossip. Cale heard...some surprising things.
As Cale makes his way through the crowd, he overhears snippets of conversations.
"Never thought the Henituse young master would stand up for us like that..."
"I always thought he was just trouble, but... he protected us from those lying merchants."
‘...pardon?’ Cale blinked.
"Did you see how the young master defended us? I never knew..."
"He's not as bad as I thought. Maybe..."
"Maybe he's just misunderstood. Did you see how angry he got? He wouldn't get that mad if he didn't care..."
Cale actually halts at that, eyes widening.
…what?
Wait a second-
Cale shakes his head and his pace quickens.
No…this is just a temporary adrenaline rush.
Cale determinedly decides to ignore the whispers.
Despite his determination, Cale can't help but notice more snippets of conversations as he walks.
"He seemed to know that those men were lying... I wonder how he knew..."
"I saw the gemstones they had. I knew no dragon would give up their blood so easily..."
"Young master is smart...I underestimated him. He's smarter than he looks..."
He quickens his pace, trying to ignore the whispers around him. But try as he might, the words stick in his mind like burrs.
"Have you ever seen young master so protective before?"
"He looked so different just now, so... so... noble..."
Cale shakes his head again, forcing himself forward. But the words follow him like ghosts, nagging at the edges of his consciousness.
‘What the fuck are they all on about!!’ Cale laments
He eventually spots Basen and Lily, sitting at one of the food stalls and enjoying their meals.
As he approaches, Basen looks up, a hint of worry on his face. "Hyung-nim, where were you? And who were those men? Was there a problem?"
“No. Nothing.” He replies curtly and sits down.
He then looks at the food and his habit of stealing food from Roksu has him taking a hot apple hand-pie without much thought and biting into it.
Basen watches as Cale quickly snatches a piece of the hot apple pie, but is too surprised to say anything. Lily, on the other hand, giggles at the sight.
"Orabeoni really likes sweets," she comments with a knowing grin.
Cale, realizing too late that he's stolen food from his siblings, quickly tries to cover up his action. "I was hungry," he mutters gruffly, taking another bite of the pie.
Basen chuckles softly. "We can see that, hyung-nim," he replies, not at all bothered by Cale's stealing.
Lily, however, pouts playfully. "You should have asked first, Orabeoni!"
Cale hums and nods curtly, "You're right. My bad,"
Basen smiles, amused by his siblings’ interaction. Lily grins widely, clearly pleased with his response.
"You're forgiven!" she declares, nudging her plate of snacks closer to Cale.
Cale glances down and his lips quirk up amused. He bows his head and responds, “How great,”
He takes another hand-pie and bites into it, eyes and ears turning to the passing crowd.
The crowd buzzes around them, still talking about the incident. Cale can pick out different snippets of conversation, his ears attuned to the mention of his name.
"Did you see the way he stood up to those scammers?"
"He was like a different person... so powerful, so regal..."
"Maybe he's not as trash as we thought..."
The words have him pause and frown. That can’t be right.
He exhales and finishes eating. He then announces, “Okay, that’s enough of an outing for today…let’s return to the estate,”
Basen and Lily, still munching on their snacks, nod in agreement.
"Sounds good to me," Basen says, standing up and brushing crumbs off his clothes.
Lily, on the other hand, lets out a small sigh. "But I want to spend more time..," she pouts.
Cale speaks off handedly, “We can do this again,”
What Cale doesn't realize is that making a promise to his five-year-old sister means she’ll remember it.
What he also doesn’t realize is that his trash reputation is on a one way ticket to hell.