Morning came quietly.
Too quietly.
The estate, vast and elegant as it was, carried a strange stillness in its halls—like something waiting, unseen, just beneath the surface.
Lucas stood by the tall window of his study, his gaze fixed on the distant gardens. The early sunlight spilled across the room, catching against his long hair and softening the sharp edges of his usually cold expression.
But his mind was not at ease.
Liang.
The name lingered.
The man's calm voice, his unreadable smile, the way his yellow eyes seemed to see far more than he should—it all remained clear.
"I will visit."
Lucas exhaled quietly.
Unpredictable.
He disliked that.
A soft knock broke the silence.
"Enter."
The door opened slowly.
A small figure stepped in.
"Brother…?"
Lucas turned.
Charles stood near the doorway, hesitant.
The child's light blue hair was slightly messy, as if he had just woken not long ago, and his hazel eyes held that familiar uncertainty—like he was unsure whether he was allowed to be there.
Lucas's gaze softened, just slightly.
"What is it?" he asked.
Charles shifted his weight. "I… heard something last night."
Of course he did.
Lucas walked closer, his movements slower now, less guarded.
"It was nothing," he said. "Just trouble on the road."
Charles looked down. "You got hurt?"
"No."
"…Are you sure?"
Lucas paused.
Then, quietly, "Yes."
The boy nodded, though the worry did not fully leave his face.
A brief silence followed.
Then Charles spoke again, more hesitantly this time.
"Um… brother…"
Lucas waited.
"…Will I be meeting someone today?"
Lucas's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who told you that?"
Charles fidgeted. "I heard the servants talking…"
Of course.
Lucas exhaled softly.
"Yes," he said. "Someone may come."
Charles looked up, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Who?"
"A teacher."
The word hung in the air.
Charles blinked.
"For me?"
"Yes."
The boy's expression shifted—surprise, confusion… and something else.
Uncertainty.
"…Why?" he asked quietly.
Lucas didn't answer immediately.
Because the truth was not simple.
Because the reason stood right in front of him.
Instead, he said, "Because you need to learn."
Charles lowered his gaze again.
"…I can already read."
"I know."
"…And write."
"I know."
"…Then why is it not enough?"
The question was soft.
But it struck deeper than expected.
Lucas watched him carefully.
Then he knelt slightly, bringing himself closer to the boy's height.
"Because," he said, his voice quieter now, "the world will not be kind to you."
Charles froze.
Lucas's gaze remained steady.
"And I will not allow you to be unprepared for it."
For a moment, the room fell silent.
Then Charles nodded slowly.
"…Okay."
It wasn't confidence.
But it wasn't refusal either.
And for now—
That was enough.
---
Elsewhere in the estate—
"You're overthinking it."
Esther stand there casually yet still elegant. Her eyes were narrow and filled with... Calculation, watching as a certain red-haired woman stood by the window.
Countess Marienne did not turn.
Her long red hair fell neatly down her back, contrasting sharply with the cool blue of her eyes, which were fixed outside.
"I am not," she replied calmly.
"You are," Esther said. "You've been standing there for ten minutes."
Marienne's gaze did not shift. "We are allowing a stranger into this house."
"Not just a stranger," Esther added. "A very suspicious, very composed, very possibly dangerous stranger."
Marienne finally turned.
"And you are comfortable with that?"
Esther smiled faintly. "No."
A pause.
"Then why—"
"Because Lucas made the decision."
The answer was simple.
And that was exactly why it mattered.
Marienne's expression hardened slightly. "He makes decisions too easily."
"No," Esther said quietly. "He makes them carefully."
Another silence.
Then Marienne looked away again.
"How would you know? Besides, Charles should not be involved."
There it was.
Esther's gaze softened just a fraction.
"Why are you so nervous then? Why don't you just ask the count? It's just a teacher after all" she said.
Marienne didn't respond.
But she didn't deny it either.
"…He looks too much like him," Marienne added, her voice quieter now.
The unspoken name lingered between them.
The Count.
Esther exhaled softly.
"That's not his fault."
"Do you think i didn't know that?"
But knowing didn't change anything.
---
The sound of carriage wheels broke the stillness of the estate.
Lucas stood at the entrance this time.
Waiting.
The wind moved gently through the open space, brushing against his platinum hair as his gaze remained fixed ahead.
Moments later—
The carriage arrived.
Elegant. Refined.
With an eastern vibe.
The door opened.
Liang stepped out.
His hair shifted with the breeze, and his eyes sharply scanned the estate with quiet interest.
Then they settled on Lucas.
"You chose a rather peaceful place," Liang remarked.
"It's quiet," Lucas replied.
"For now."
A faint smile.
Esther appeared beside Lucas, as if summoned by the atmosphere itself. "Welcome to the count's manor."
Liang glanced at her briefly. "Well, i didn't expect to see the first daughter when i first arrived here."
"Oh, don't mind me."
Footsteps approached from behind.
Lucas didn't turn immediately.
But he knew.
"…Charles," he said.
The boy stepped forward slowly.
He hesitated when he saw Liang.
Which was expected.
Liang observed him carefully.
Not in a cold way.
Not in a dismissive way.
But thoroughly.
"…So this is the child," Liang murmured.
Charles instinctively moved closer to Lucas.
Just slightly.
Lucas didn't react.
But he noticed.
Liang's gaze softened—just a fraction.
"What is your name?" he asked.
"…Charles," the boy replied quietly.
Liang nodded once.
Then, after a brief pause—
"Do you wish to learn?"
Charles froze.
The question caught him off guard.
He looked up at Lucas.
Then back at Liang.
"…I don't know," he admitted.
Esther blinked. "Honest. I like him."
Lucas said nothing.
Liang, however, seemed… pleased.
"Good," he said.
Charles tilted his head slightly. "Good?"
"Yes," Liang replied. "Because it means you are not pretending."
The boy frowned slightly, trying to understand.
Liang stepped closer—but not too close.
"Then let me ask you differently," he continued. "Do you wish to become smarter and stronger?"
Charles hesitated again.
But this time—
"…Yes."
The answer was quiet.
But firm.
Liang smiled faintly.
"Then that is enough."
From behind them—
"Is it?"
The voice was sharp.
Controlled.
Countess Marienne stepped forward.
Her presence shifted the air instantly.
Her eyes locked onto Liang, measuring, untrusting.
"Do you truly want to teach him? I'll suggest you to leave now," she continued.
Liang met her gaze calmly. "And why is it?"
Marienne replied. "It's... Because strength without direction is dangerous."
A pause.
Then—
"And I will not allow that for him."
Silence followed.
Tension, sharp and unmistakable.
Charles looked between them, uncertain.
Lucas remained still.
Observing.
Liang tilted his head slightly.
"…Then it seems," he said calmly, "we share the same concern."
Marienne's eyes narrowed.
"Do we?"
"Yes."
His gaze shifted briefly to Charles.
"Which is precisely why he needs guidance."
The words were simple.
But deliberate.
Carefully placed.
Marienne did not respond immediately.
Because for the first time—
She did not have a direct counter.
Lucas finally spoke.
"…He stays."
It wasn't a request.
It was a decision.
Marienne's gaze flicked toward him.
Then, after a moment—
"…Very well."
Though she said that, her gaze didn't soften. It's like a wolf's gaze when it's prey got away from it.
And the tension did not disappear either.
At least, not completely.
And Liang noticed.
Of course he did.
Because as he stood there, surrounded by a family bound not just by blood—but by secrets, expectations, and unspoken fears—
He understood something important.
This was not simply a teaching arrangement.
This house—
This child—
And Lucas himself—
Were far more complicated than they appeared.
And perhaps—
That was exactly why he had come.
'this will be interesting...'