Nathaniel was the youngest noble to sit on the Council. Not only he was kind, handsome and rich, but he also governed one of the most prestigious territories in the kingdom, the Duchy of Ashford. The citizens praised him as a good lord, while scholars always welcomed his opinion on various subjects.
He was a person that men were jealous of, and women swooned about, but his reality was far from the glorious image that could be seen in high society.
If he was lacking anything, it was physical strength and a healthy body. His mother dies due to a mysterious illness, and even if the doctor can't discover any similar symptoms, Nathaniel always feels that his ending will follow the unfortunate path.
For the young lord as him, the most important thing was to have an heir. But he has long given up on the idea of loveless marriage. Besides, there was a perfect inheritor already – his younger brother.
Cassiel had every skill and talent that Nathaniel boasted, and his swordsmanship was one of the best in the kingdom, even though he was only 12 years old. The only downside was his unfriendly personality that kept everyone, family included, away.
That's why the short trip while he was living in the city had such a huge impact on them. The young duke felt like his brother returned in a much better mood and their future seemed to be bright.
Nathaniel went to sleep with heart at ease, only to wake up to the chaos.
"You Grace, young master has disappeared again!"
The butler and servants were frantically running around the mansion, turning over every stone, but Nathaniel knew it was futile. Everyone relaxed after Cassiel did nothing extreme after his return, even assuming his classes again, only to disappear at the moment when they let their guard down.
"Cancel his lessons for today and prepare the carriage. I'm going to the city."
Though unlikely, there was still one place they hadn't checked. But what were the chances? Cassiel had absolutely no known reason to return to that restaurant.
Nathaniel nervously stepped on the place as he was thinking of possible excuses to use.
How should he explain the situation?
He braced himself as he hesitantly knocked on the door.
He thought of numerous scenarios of what to say, but nothing could prepare him for the storm that was coming.
"Your Grace!"
The girl seemed to rush to the door as she was out of breath, but before giving him a chance to exchange polite greetings, she grabbed him by the wrist and pushed him all the way to the kitchen.
There, he found the reason why his castle was turned upside down.
"That…!" Nathaniel was lost for words.
Cassiel only looked up for a brief moment but when he recognized the unwelcomed guest, his eyes turned slightly red as if he was getting angry.
Young lord gulped in distress. He knew the sign very well as his brother was short-tempered and often destroyed the property since no one could really stop him from the rage.
It wasn't always the boy's fault. He knew too little of the secret hidden in his body and the guardian's violent personality easily influenced him. With no way to tame the beast, many people will suffer until Ophelia finds a way to calm the divine entity sealed inside Cassiel.
But to Nathaniel's surprise, nothing happened this time. His brother only glanced at him in annoyance, then returned to his breakfast and finished the porridge without leaving a single grain behind.
"I found this child sitting in the backyard this morning… Can you help me find his family?" Violet spoke after witnessing the duke's dumbstruck expression. It was clear why he had come but for some reason, he couldn't say anything.
"Miss Violet… Did he say anything?"
"No, he was silent since we met…"
"Then, did the boy do anything… unusual?"
Violet frowned. What was that about?
"No, the child is well-behaved and simply ate his porridge."
"He finished a whole bowl?!" Nathaniel was somehow even more surprised. "The chef at the restaurant must be a great cook…"
The best delicacies served in the castle were touched once or twice at most, then thrown away. Witnessing him finish a simple meal is a rare sight.
"Ah…yes," Violet nodded but the truth was, everything Cassiel ever ate here was made by her. He was extremely picky and refused all the food cooked by someone else.
"Your Grace!" The girl urged him again. "Please help me find his family!"
"The thing is… He is my brother."
"Great! So please take him home. This is no place for the young master to stay!"
But Nathaniel had a different idea. He turned to her and bowed, throwing away his dignity as he lowered his head before the commoner.
"Miss Violet, I have a request!"
"What is this about?!"
"Please, take care of the boy for today!"
"HUH?!" Violet screamed, not believing her own ears.
"You don't need to do anything special! Just let him stay here!" Nathaniel begged.
"The restaurant will be opened soon, I can't possibly…"
"I will take care of it! By the end of the day, I will send the carriage to pick my brother up… So please, until then… Just look after him!"
And with this, Nathaniel quickly left the house before she could reject him again.
"Your Grace! I cannot accept this…!"
Violet tried to chase after him, but the carriage was too fast for her to catch up.
The duke breathed heavily as he tried to calm his racing heart.
What just happened?
Miss Violet was obvious in the heavy atmosphere, but he never felt so threatened in his whole life. It was like a beast waiting in the shadow, only to gulp him down when he made a move.
Cassiel was angry that Nathaniel had come for him. Whatever he planned with Violet, he didn't allow any disturbance.
However, it was the silent agreement between them that once the duke took a step back, Cassiel would similarly repay him.
This was how the two brothers cohabited so far.