"The young master is fine, your excellency," the doctor said as he finishes on checking Theodore, the white-haired boy was currently on his bed, waking up a few hours earlier after being stabbed, as of right now, he was on bed rest. He takes a bite out of the apple he was brought and stared at the duke's face.
He watches the duke converse with the doctor for some concerns before leading him out the door. It was at that moment, the duke closes the door and turns towards him. "Theodore," the white-haired man spoke, his eyes gleaming dangerously as he sits on the chair beside Theo's bed.
"What you did was remarkable but I do not approve of it," the duke tells him. Theo turns to his father before looking down. He disappointed him again. It was just like always. His father was always disappointed in him. It was the reason why he'd been left alone, the reason why he and his father were never close.
Upon seeing his third son gripping the bedsheet tightly, the duke sighs. "Theo," the man spoke as he places a hand on top of his son's, "I love you and I'm proud of you," he tells him. "I know it's hard to believe after everything we did to you," Theo looks at the man who was looking at him directly in his eyes, gaze never wavering.
"I'm sorry I didn't pay any attention to you, I'm sorry that you feel neglected. This is my fault," the man inhales, truly, he was sincerely sorry for what happened. "And I know that my apologies won't heal the scars I've caused- we've caused and it's alright if you don't forgive us," he chuckles despite the throbbing in his heart.
His son, his most lovable son, the child who didn't act similar to him and his wife, the spoiled child he would do anything for. The child that brightens up the mansion, that smiles like there was nothing weighing him down, "I think I'd be more happy that you're angry at us, calling me your excellency, the duke- I deserve it."
Theo didn't understand the situation. "I- I'm sorry, I-" the white-haired boy was confused, "Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong! I'm annoying, I'm clingy- I'm- I'm... I'm not even your child- so why-" Theo inhales, "Why are you sorry?" And he exhales. He doesn't know, doesn't understand.
He was just on his night shift and he'd awoken to this body, this past life of his. Nothing went the way it was supposed to be. "You are my child. You are Lilian's child, you are Wilhelm and Athanasius' younger brother and Drew's older brother." The man places his hands on the young boy's shoulders, "You are our child both in blood and bond, that will never change," he looks at his son and speaks, "Theo, look into my eyes and tell me, am I lying?"
The two men looked at each other and Theo finds himself exhaling, his father's eyes were sincere. It wasn't hiding anything. They were pure and truthful, there were no hidden meaning and it felt refreshing. "I- I'm your son?" His father nodded, "I swear on my name, Leon Salvador, that you, Theodore Salvador is my son," the man spoke as Theo finally looked down.
His shoulders that seemed to carry that weight slowly began to lighten. A smile played on his lips as he breaths a sigh of relief. "But what about lady Ally-" his father frowned, "She will return to the relatives, although she has similar looks with me, it is only due to my your grandparents' gene." Theo frowns, the novel had stated that she was their child, at that moment, someone flicked his forehead.
He turns towards his older brother, Athanasius who was raising a brow at him, "Are you stupid or what? Wilhelm and I were there when you were born, mother gave birth to a healthy baby boy that cried so loudly it woke everyone up." The older boy rolled his eyes as he moved besides Theodore, the white-haired boy raised a brow, "Scoot over, little shit, I'm going to sit."
"Athanasius," Leon warned as he looked at his son, only to be ignored. "Look, I'm pretty sure father told you this but it's okay if you don't forgive me," he shrugged his shoulders, "You shouldn't give it so easily, forgiveness and trust are hard to get so I'll work for it." He then pulled his little brother down the bed, "You can go now, father, I'm pretty sure we have a long line waiting, I just cut off from Wilhelm," Theo laid down beside his brother who hummed.
The older boy nodded his head, "Do you know why I always mention you when I'm talking with my friends?" When Theo shook his head, Athanasius laughed, "I was bragging about you, I may call you little shit, bastard, and what not but this way, you won't grow up spoiled." He then sighs, "Of course, with father, mother, and our two brothers spoiling you from a young age, I can't avoid that, can I?"
The older boy sat up and frowned, "Hey, you still kept that broken teddy bear? Didn't I tell you to get rid of it because it's broken?" He turned towards Theo who was starting to blush, "It was the first gift you gave me and-" he looks down, "It was also the first time you rescued me from those cousins." He hears his older brother sigh.
"Fucking little shit, this is why I don't want you to meet my friends or people outside the family!" He then shakes his head, "If you keep acting cute then you'll get abducted! You're like a bunny! You're so defenseless that if you meet someone outside, you'll get abducted by a lion or something!" Theo frowned, "I know how to protect myself!"
His older brother raises a brow, "You told me that we shouldn't participate in hunting because those deer have family to go back to." Theo then nodded his head, "Hahhh, anyways, I think brother is glaring through the whole, out of all of us, he's the one obsessed with you, enough to commit treason and get away with it."
At that moment, Athanasius placed a hand on Theo's forehead. "Go and make trouble again. I want to complain to my friends how much better it is to have a spoiled brat that I can teach a lesson while praising them," the second eldest soon moved towards the door, bolting out and yet it wasn't his oldest brother that came in.
"...mom."
Theo's eyes widened when his mother kneeled and bowed in front of him. He immediately rushes out the bed, "Mom! Don't-" he approaches his mother and holds her as she cries. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry that I've let you been hurt for a long time!" She wails as she hugs him tightly.
"Mommy is sorry she slapped you," she then shakes her head, "I have no excuses, I shouldn't have hurt my precious son, I'm sorry!" She continued to hug him as he holds her close. "It's... it's not okay but-" she then places a hand on his shoulders and looked him in his eyes.
She then shakes her head, "There is no but. I won't make excuses and you shouldn't make excuses for me," he didn't speak and instead, he lets her hold him, "Mom will be better, I promise. I will make sure you'll be the most spoiled kid in the kingdom, I will give you everything you want."
A hand caressed his face, "If you want the stars, the sun, the moon, mom will find a way to give you what you want."
She pulls him close and kisses the top of his forehead, "I love you, my son."
***
"We can only have our talk sincerely in a bathtub," his older brother was taking him towards the bathroom in a princess carry, "Brother, I don't think we can-" his brother cuts him off, "We've done it since we were kids, what's the matter?" His eldest brother asked.
He then closed his eyes and sighed, "Can we at least wear underwear? I'm- I'm not comfortable without any sort of clothes especially if someone's with me," his older brother nodded his head, he then slowly began to strip. At that moment, Theo's eyes widened.
"Woah... you really have a nice body, older brother," he tells the older boy. "You can touch it whenever you want! Do you like this figure? I'll make sure to stay like this for as long as you like." Theo chuckles before nodding his head, "Um... how about we get in?"
At that moment, when the two young men entered the bath, they sat face to face. "I'm sorry, Theo," Wilhelm finally spoke. "I should have noticed you were suffering, if I did then you wouldn't have to feel insecure, you wouldn't have to feel unsafe in this house that you need to prove yourself," he sighs, "I'm not going to say anymore, I bet you've heard about it from the rest."
"I just want you to know, I will do anything and everything you want me to do," he stares at his brother's eyes, "If you want me to die, then I'll gladly do so, make me drink poison, I'll do so-" Theo shook his bead frantically, "Hahhh, sorry, but- look, Theo." His brother held his hands as he smiles at him.
He then speaks, "I will always love you, no matter what," Theo inhaled and exhaled before nodding his head. "...okay. I- I love you too, big brother." It was at that moment, Theo saw Wilhelm smile genuinely for the first time in his life. At that moment, Theo slowly remembered something. "Ah! Right, brother! Can you ask dad if he can write a recommendation letter for a commoner to attend the academy?"
"...of course? I can also write one-" Theo shook his head, "I want you to find someone for me," he tells him, "He's a commoner that goes by the name Do Hamin," he tells his brother who frowned, "A guy?" Theo nodded his head and started to describe the person he meant.
This person was his death flag and he needed to form a good relationship with him. Even if he won't do what he did in the past, he needed to make sure that all flags were shot down. That being said, since war was coming around, it would be better if Do Hamin, one of their strongest warrior in the future has a background and smarts instead of just merely following his guts.
"Hamin-ah is tall, he has black hair and dark brown eyes, he also always has a sword on his side!" He then hummed, "Right! He also had a mole on his right collar bone!" He finally sees his brother stiffen up, "H-how did you know?" Theo frowned, "Don't you remember the time I went home two days later after going around our duchy?"
He then hummed, "It was raining really hard and I was stranded in one of the village. The chief felt that I might feel uncomfortable with other villagers and set me and Hamin in the same house." He sighs, "I got really cold that night so Hamin told me that we needed to warm each other up!"
"W-warm each other up?!"
"Yeah! We took our clothes off besides our underwear and slept while hugging each other!"
"Hu-hugging?!"
Theo frowned, "Anyways, I owe him from that time and be told me he wanted to go to school and make a name for himself! That way, he could teach the kids at the village as well." Wilhelm looked at his younger brother and clicked his tongue, "That little bastard... how dare he take advantage-" at that moment, he felt his younger brother clasp his hands.
"Will you help me, big brother...?"
Wilhelm closed his eyes and nodded his head. "I will, anything for my cute brother."
***
"...Drew," Theo called out from the younger boy's bedroom door, "Can I come in?" He hears a muffled groan from the bed and entered the room, he slowed his steps once be reaches the bed and took the covers off.
He sees a young boy curled up, "Big brother! I want to be alone!" The boy shouts as he tries to get the covers up but stopped when he felt the bed dipped, "It isn't your fault," Theo said as he felt the younger boy cuddle up beside him. "But you got hurt because you protected me."
"And I'll be more hurt when you ignore me," he then hummed, "You know, you're my favorite family member. Keep that a secret, okay?" Who knows what the rest of his family would do when he says that. He then pats his younger brother's head, "I love you kiddo, and nothing will change that," he then felt the kid cuddle closer until they were hugging each other.
Theo closed his eyes as he speaks, "I'll be by your side when you wake up, don't worry." He feels a hand grip his shirt as a broken voice, "Please don't leave me..." and Theo promises, "I won't."
***
The next day, Theo exhaled when he finally convinced his family that he needed to go to the academy.