He turned to Theo, who had been waiting patiently this entire time despite the obvious yearning in his eyes.
"Theo, shall we go now and play?"
Theo reached his hand further, grabbing Arthur's fingers in his small hand.
"Yes, Brother! Let's hurry!! I have something to show you."
"Alright, alright."
He ran through the manor hallways with Arthur behind him.
"Theo, walk slowly or you might fall down and get hurt!"
"Don't worry, Brother!"
A small smile spread across Arthur's face as he looked at the young boy before him, free from all the burdens and expectations he himself once had to carry.
'If I had grown up under normal circumstances, would I have turned out like him too…?'
They ran through the halls without caring about others' opinions or expectations.
Arthur felt as if he had finally been freed of the hostility, the expectations, and the responsibilities that had weighed on him all his life.
Even if it was only for a brief moment, he could run through the halls of the manor as a child would.
Arthur noticed the strange gazes of the servants as they passed by.
'Huh? Why are they looking at me like that? As if they've seen something new and unfamiliar…?'
Arthur didn't realize it, but a bright smile had spread across his face. The wind touched his skin, his hair ruffling in the air.
Huff! Huff!
Their steps slowed until they eventually stopped. Theodore let go of his hand as Arthur looked around. They now stood in the garden of the Granville Manor. The wind was a little cold as red and yellow leaves swirled through the air, falling softly from the trees.
"Brother, here!"
A cold gust blew, carrying leaves toward him. Arthur closed his eyes on instinct.
"What is it, Theo?"
When he slowly opened them, his eyes widened as he saw a small puppy on the ground.
"Arf, arf!"
'A dog…?'
"I wanted to show you my friend. His name is Choco."
'Choco…?'
"I… see."
"He's cute, right?"
Arthur looked at Theo, who was petting the puppy gently with a bright smile.
"Yes. He is."
Arthur stepped closer to them.
"Would you like to pet him, Brother?"
"Can I…?"
"Of course."
Arthur crouched down and reached out his hand to pet the puppy.
'Its fur is warm and soft… like cotton candy…'
"It's nice to meet you, Choco."
"Arf!"
Arthur continued to pat him as his mind drifted.
'I wonder how Heewon is taking care of the cat she brought from the streets…'
After she had been saved from attempting suicide, she struggled with depression and anxiety, relying on medicine for a long while. But eventually, her condition improved, and by chance, she found a stray cat on the streets and brought it home.
"Brother, look! I found her right outside our front door!!"
"Meow..."
It was a black-colored stray cat, wary and frightened.
"She was injured and nervous when I tried to help her. So after some thought, I brought her home. I did the right thing, didn't I?"
"Yes. It's good. It seems you finally found someone like yourself. I was worried about when you'd find your soulmate, but I'm glad you found her right outside."
"Brother!"
"Hahaha!"
After getting playfully hit by her on the backside a few times, he calmed down.
"By the way, what's her name?"
"Don't laugh, okay?"
"Okay, I won't. Now tell me the name."
'She must've named her something strange again.'
One of Heewon's traits was that she was truly bad at naming anything. Her naming sense was what you would call weird. If you brought her a pink-colored teddy bear, she would name it Pinky. She didn't want to be bothered thinking it over and over again.
So, she would go along with the first name that would come to her mind.
"—acky."
Jaehwan tilted his head slightly, asking again for confirmation.
"Come again...?"
"It's Bla...cky...!"
"Blacky...?"
She gave him a small nod, and after finally confirming the name of the cat, he burst into laughter without a moment's pause.
"Heh hehehe!! Seriously B-blacky?! Really?! Why? Because it's black? Hehehe!!"
"Brother! You told me you wouldn't laugh!! Urrrggh—! Seriously!! Have some shame, will you?!! How could you go back on your words?! You're supposed to be an honest detective, Brother!!"
She was pouting when Jaehwan's hand reached over to pat her head for saving the injured stray. He was relieved, knowing she wouldn't be alone anymore. Now that she had a companion to take care of, she wouldn't have as much time to sink into her depression.
"Bro… Brother!!"
"Ah, yes. What's the matter, Theo?"
Theodore tilted his head slightly, looking at Arthur with his full attention.
"Are you listening?"
"Yes. So what were you saying?"
Theodore then turned his attention back to the puppy, while telling him the story about his small doggy that he found.
"I found him on the street when I went shopping with Mother. After I asked her earnestly, she let me keep him. I've heard that if you want something and ask sincerely, you'll get it."
"I see… so Mother allowed you to keep the puppy after you asked her."
'Haa… If it were me in his place, my parents would never have let me keep such a weakness.'
Arthur heard footsteps and turned to see a servant arriving in the garden.
"Young master, you should go now or you'll be late for your classes."
"Ah, right!"
Theodore stood up immediately, already making his way back.
"Brother, I'll get going now."
"Alright, Theo. Don't run or you'll get hurt."
"I won't!"
"Sigh… It seems even you weren't spared from being left behind."
"Whimper…"
***
The sound of leaves crunching beneath footsteps reverberated.
"Arf! Arf!"
The puppy barked continuously, circling around again and again, as if uneasy about something.
"Why are you so restless, huh? What's the matter with you? Were you also not able to fall asleep?"
"Arf!"
Despite it being late at night, Arthur had ventured out to get some fresh air, unable to fall asleep. When he heard the puppy barking, he instinctively approached him.
"Why are you barking at this late hour?"
He stepped closer and crouched carefully beside the puppy.
"Choco, what's the problem with you?"
"Arf, arf!"
Arthur looked at the puppy as his hand reached out to calm him down.
"I'm sorry, but I can't understand your language."
He patted him gently, careful not to agitate him any further that he already was.
"Arf!"
"What...? Are you afraid of something? Is someone trying to harm you?"
Then, all of a sudden, the puppy's bark turned into a frightened whimper.
"Whiiine... whimper..."
"What? Where are you looking at?"
Before Arthur could say more, a voice came.
"It seems he's afraid of being left alone."
Arthur turned sharply, only to find the Marquess standing behind him, dressed in comfortable nightclothes. Loose trousers and a linen shirt clung to his frame, with a dark robe draped over his shoulders like a second skin.
"He was recently brought here, so it is no wonder that he doesn't want to be alone."
"I see. Then why don't you keep him inside the manor?"
The man's words suddenly took a sharp, darker turn.
"Do you think I'd allow him to stay near my son when I'm not even sure he might harm him?"
'What a caring father...'
"If Theo had asked me, I'd have brought him the finest breed. But he chose a mere stray instead."
'It seems every parent is the same, after all.'
Yet Theodore's father was still on the warmer side. At least he allowed the puppy to stay for the sake of his only son. As for Arthur's father... he would have already removed any weakness, even if it meant being hated by his own child.
"Ahem. Anyway, were you not able to sleep today as well?"
There was an elegance to him, an ease that did little to soften the quiet intensity in his eyes.
"Yes. I couldn't."
"Hmm... then shall we have a drink again, tonight? I would like to talk to you about a matter of the past."
'Huh? Is he planning to tell me about the supposed friendship between my father and him?'
Arthur let out a quiet exhale, resisting the urge to sigh outright.
"If you're going to tell me about my father, then rest assured, I don't want to hear anything from you about him."
Arthur stepped closer, his gaze meeting the Marquess'.
"Oh! And I've already told my people to stay away from your manor, Marquess. So don't worry about your dear son. I won't harm him in the least. As I already told you, I care for him."
Arthur turned to leave, unwilling to indulge him further.
But the next words stopped him in his tracks.
"It's not about any of that. I wasn't worried you might harm my son, nor did I have any plans to tell you about your father."
"Then what is it that you want to talk about?"
"It's... it's about your mother. Do you not want to hear why she left you, and why she did so?"
Arthur's breath caught in his throat. A weight coiled in his chest, cold and sharp.
He turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing as he searched the Marquess' face.
'Did he have a hand in what happened back then? Was he the reason she left me?'
The thought unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
He squared himself fully toward the Marquess.
"Then I hope you won't take too much of my time, Marquess."
"Of course."
No further words passed between them as they began walking, their footsteps echoing in the silence of the corridor.
Yet Arthur couldn't shake the question gnawing quietly at the edge of his mind.
'Just what, exactly, happened back then...?'
It didn't take them long to reach the study.
The moment Arthur stepped past the threshold, the familiar scent of tobacco smoke wrapped around him. The lamplight glowed faintly, its golden light flickering across polished mahogany.
The Marquess stepped forward and reached for the bottle of whiskey and two glasses on the table.
He handed a glass to Arthur and poured the whiskey himself. The amber liquid trickled into crystal, the soft sound filling the space between them. The glass caught the light as he set it down with practiced ease.
Then came the cigar. His fingers moved with ritual precision, lighting it with a flick of silver flame. Smoke curled upward, whispering against his features before dissolving into the warm, heavy air.
He let out a slow, steady breath before finally speaking.
"How much do you know about your mother?"