Author's Note:

*sees all the hateful comments about the Rosetta family and cackles*

Aw, you guys are so cute. I'm not saying that the Rosetta's are perfect, angel-like saints. I'm not trying to excuse any of their previous wrong-doings. They obviously have their faults. I just don't want them to be these typical, short-lived, one-hit cannon fodder characters.

I know that the majority of you adore Tanaka, but the original Thomas as a young kid was an ass, lolololol. No, that doesn't make up for the father's or mother's attitude, but just wanted to let you know no one is the villain or the hero in this family. Everyone is just, unfortunately, utterly human. That's why they're not cannon fodders-- cannon fodders are very simple to write and implement into the storyline. No need to consider they have family and friends and we can all assume that everyone hates them or dislike them in some way >.>.

Think of it like Wei Wuxian. He was a big-ass mess, but he was also a really good person. But he's human like everyone else and he makes mistakes (a lot of mistakes-- mistakes that he almost doesn't recover from) and everyone else (*coughs* Jin Guangyao *coughs*) around him don't know how to make good choices either (namely Jin Guangshan).

To be fair, I'm pretty sure that if there is anyone perfect in that GDC, then it's either Lan Wangji or Lan Yuan, but I'm biased when it came to the Lan boys. I'm pretty sure Lan Wangji has plenty of faults, but I just refuse to see them, lolololol.

(Half of you probably don't know who or what I'm talking about, so don't worry about it lol)

Anyway, I noticed that some of you were complaining about the 'lack' of fluff content (including Editor-chan! I never felt so betrayed)! I guess my sense of fluff is not the same as everyone, but if I stuff your mouths and noses with fluff until you suffocate with this chapter, you can't complain!

This time, I had Editor-chan measure the level of fluff in this chapter!

A Public Service Announcement from Editor-chan:

[As Editor-Chan, I can hereby state that this chapter had received optimal fluff given the previous' transgressions. And coming from someone who had just watched GOT (Game of Thrones) episode 3, this was very much provided a relief from the roller coaster emotions I was feeling beforehand.]

...--------...

Evadne Academy was located far into the inner city area, which was full of man-made buildings and stone pathways, but the Founder believed that the best environment to cultivate magical energy would be through its source-- which was the earth itself. Therefore he dedicated acres and acres of the surrounding neighborhood to create a forest garden almost as grand as the Royal Gardens itself.

The mid-region of Astria experienced very mild winters, so the trees and grasses had always been green. Even as Edward looked outside of the windows and tried to look past the leaves and branches, the actual city itself seemed very far and out of reach.

Early mornings in the academy were one of the few times he could have some piece. Every other young noble would be either in the classrooms or in the salons, and most of them weren't idle enough to walk around the gardens in their free time. The nobles enrolled in the academy were raised in the city with barely any experience having their shoes muddy or soiled beyond swordsmanship training, so the majority of them didn't feel comfortable walking outside as well.

There were plenty of benches (probably around 47 of them if Edward had counted correctly), but half of them probably had never been used or even been sat upon. Maybe it was rather silly of him to spend some of his morning exploring the academy grounds trying to find these lost benches, sitting down on the polished wood and either staring at whatever was in front of him or closing his eyes to close himself from the rest of the world (focusing only the sounds of nature -the singing birds, the rustling leaves, and the gentle winds- and the warm rays again his skin) until it was time for his first lesson of the day.

This routine had not changed since the year Thomas had come into his life, creating a suffocating environment that was supposed to be his home. These small moments were the only time he could allow the weights on his shoulders to be lifted, and for the tension in his limbs to seep down from his body and into the steady earth. It was the only time the noise in his head would quiet down, and for his mind to drift into the nothingness.

Though his position rarely allowed him to leave the spotlight, for some reason, no one thought to look for him outside in the academy's vast gardens. It was as if there was an invisible barrier that kept people from noticing him, preventing them from bothering him in his peaceful domain. It was probably why Thomas, whenever he wanted to skip class and nap without being disturbed, slept in the trees more often than not.

There was a flap of wings nearby, a bird probably startled and took flight in response, and Edward saw a flash of bright red at the corner of his eyes. There was a presence next to him, warm and steady like the sun's ray, but the blond-haired noble didn't turn around. Nonetheless, a barely visible smile lifted from the corners of his mouth before flattening into a straight line.

Maybe the person next to him saw the brief curve of his lips because there was a breathy laugh, clear and bright like the day, but gradually, nothing else was said in between them and the surrounding nature drowned out the silence.

After nearly several minutes to enjoying each other company before Edward voiced out in amusement, "Did you escape from her Highness' care today?"

Prince Xander made a bashful laugh, both embarrassed and happy as he brushed some of his long-red hair off his shoulders and behind his back. "Whenever mother tries to brush my hair, it feels as if she's ripping them out from the roots. And when she tries to pull my hair up, she handles them like she handles the reins of a horse." Despite the grimace on his face, there was always a trace of fondness that Edward couldn't help but feel jealous over.

It was difficult for Edward to talk about his family without feeling some discomfort halfway through. In comparison to his best friend's own loving family, his seemed fake-- an act to fool the actors. While the Rosettas' accomplishments were numerous, it was not as if the Royal Family didn't have accomplishments of their own, and Prince Xander didn't like to converse about 'work-related' topics when it was just the two of them. So while he was intimate with all of the Royal Family's shenanigans that would always bring a smile to his face, his only and closest friend knew nothing about his time at home. To be honest, there was nothing to talk about that would make it a pleasant conversation.

The Rosetta Estate was like an expensive inn or hotel. His family would come back in the late evening either to have dinner or to go to bed and in the morning, none of them tarried as they made their escape to their carriages. On a good day, they would only see each other for a couple of hours at a time with the exception of the three siblings, since they all went to the same academy.

Of course, he hadn't even caught a glimpse of Thomas in weeks, which would be considered unusual... or maybe it wasn't. After all, his younger brother was usually the one to seek him out (for malicious purposes) and since their classrooms were basically on the other side of the academy...

"We have early-morning training," Edward pointedly reminded his best friend, redirecting his thoughts from his young brother. "Your hair should be tied up."

"That's why I'm here!" Xander declared rather cheerily and Edward didn't need to turn his head to know that his best friend was probably giving him a large and bright grin. "You have gentler fingers than mother!"

"Was that supposed to be a compliment, your Highness?" the blond-haired teen questioned rather helplessly as he shifted his ice-blue eyes to the energetic person next to him and unsurprisingly, the Crown Prince was already holding out a ribbon as if it was unquestionable for the other to deny him of anything.

Well, it was true that Edward found it difficult to say no to anything his best friend had requested, especially since Xander rarely asked him of anything in the first place. Their friendship was beyond the 'benefits' and 'convenience' and both of them could confidently declare that if either one of them had been demoted to the lowest status, they would still be very good friends.

With a twitch of his lips, Edward took the ribbon from the other and he didn't even blink when Xander immediately turned around to expose his back to the other, therefore the long locks of his hair. It was a testament to their long companionship when the blond-haired teen didn't even hesitate to touch the red strands, familiar with its silk-like texture between his fingers.

He reached over near his best friend's neck in order to gather all of his hair and then parted them into three portions. It took a minute for the Prince to realize that his seemingly-cold friend wasn't putting up his long and wavy locks into a ponytail.

"What are you doing?" Xander asked he tried to turn his head around but stopped moving when Edward 'tsked' and gently tugged on his hair.

"A braid is easier to control than a ponytail," was the nobleman's explanation as his hands skillfully intertwined the three separate locks together. There was a soft expression on his face that the Prince couldn't see, but Xander could hear the gentleness in the other's voice.

"I didn't know you can braid."

"Katherine insisted I learned how. I didn't see the harm of it."

Xander hummed in response, a little happy about learning something new about his best friend. Rarely did Edward ever felt comfortable talking about himself. Personal topics seemed to be a taboo to the cold and distant teen. Though they knew each other for years, the number of personal things the eldest young master of the Rosetta had told him could be counted on one hand.

He never really minded, but it made the things that he did know, such as his subtle adoration of his sister and his fondness for the outdoors and nature, much more precious.

Soon, barely three minutes later, Edward was done and allowed the long braid to drop against his friend's back. Immediately, Xander turned around and reached back to lay his hair to rest on his shoulder. Once he looked down at the blue ribbon that held his intertwined locks together, the Crown Prince couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Now you are teasing me, my good friend!" Xander giggled as he delicately touched the simple, but very obvious bow tied at the end of his braid.

Though Edward tied the ribbon in that fashion out of habit since he usually only did such things for his sister, he didn't feel embarrassed by it. In fact, the cold-mannered noble enjoyed how gleeful it made the other feel, and when his best friend left the bow alone and kept it as it was, he couldn't help but softly smile in response. "I still don't understand why you insist on keeping your so hair long when Her Highness is the one taking care of it instead."

Xander at first ducked his head a little out of embarrassment but then brightened up as he realized what the other was saying. "Did I not tell you about my mother's encounter on the Dhahab Desert? When she was forced to participate in the war but had to stop because the Zafarians had their own first-tier magician?" the Prince babbled excitedly, his eyes shining at the mention of the unknown Zafarian magician and though Edward wasn't expecting to hear the actual reason for his best friend's hairstyle, he indulgently listened regardless.

"You haven't."

"Fantastic! Well, Mother only had a few campaigns, most of them she participated unwillingly, but her final one was maybe a quarter-- a fifth deep into the Dhahab Desert! And the Zafarian military was already trying to push back the intruders-- well, us. And my Mother said she had been through a lot of 'shit' but the environment was so hot and dry that she had difficulties going to the bathroom for weeks--" As Xander continued to babble and repeat everything the Queen had told him with very accurate memorization, Edward couldn't help but wonder if it was okay for the Queen of one of the most powerful nations on the continent to be so vulgar because half of what Xander had reproduced from his mother's mouth should not be spoken in polite company. "--But then, just as Mother was about to blast away the majority of Zafaran's soldiers, a Zafarian man counteracted her spell!"

"Oh?" Edward voiced out, his interest peaking slightly. As one of the people who had personally met the Queen, and often enough to become familiar with her habits, Maria Windsor was definitely one of the most powerful magicians of her generation. He had seen firsthand her magical prowess and control and, at one point during his childhood, inspired to be just as talented and as amazing as Her Royal Highness. Eventually, he realized that Xander's mother rarely used her full magical potential and that the gap between a second-tier and a first-tier was incredibly wide.

Regardless, the majority of magicians, especially those of noble birth, looked up to the Queen. If it wasn't for her presence, the other countries offended by the previous king would have probably risked invading Astria's borders during the Succession War.

"Yes!" Xander affirmed cheerfully. "She always told me how beautiful the man was. 'His hair was like a flow of black ink, a river of onyx against the golden dunes of the desert,' so I thought it would be cool have my hair long, but..." the red-haired teen pouted, his difficulties controlling his wavy locks went unsaid. It was an amusing but endearing expression, and Edward tried not to pay attention to the fact that the line that his best friend had told him sounded incredibly poetic. He didn't think that the unruly Queen, known for her bluntness and her aggressive personality, was one for the arts. "Oh yes, that reminds me. I told my mother about Young Thomas' fluent Zafar! She said she would like to converse with the youngest Rosetta if he ever visited the palace!"

Though the offer was made with sincerity and the Prince was obviously very happy for his friend, Edward felt something stutter within his chest at the mention of his youngest sibling. "...I see," the blond nobleman responded quietly, looking away from Xander and towards the academy walls in the distance.

Not noticing his best friend's disquieted state, the red-haired teen continued explaining the meaning of the offer. "I think Mother missed someone to talk to in Zafar. She was originally a noblewoman that lived near the border of Zafaran so her family's domain had spoken both the Common Language and Zafar and her nursemaid that raised her was Zafarian." Xander tilted his head as he fiddled his fingers around the ribbons of the eye-catching bow "Father and I are not very good Zafar-speakers. Though we can understand everyday conversations, we seemed to be having difficulties in responding--"

"What would you do if someone you knew for a long time had completely changed?"

Xander blinked at the sudden change in topic, turning his maroon eyes towards his friend. Edward's face was blank, as smooth as marble and as cold as ice. His eyes, even brighter under the sun rays, looked ahead at seemingly nothing.

Though it seemed as if the eldest Rosetta was clear of emotions, Xander saw the stiffness in his shoulder and the tightness of his jaw. They were barely noticeable changes in the other's posture, but it was easy for the red-haired teen to root them out.

Because it was rare for his cool and reliable friend to ask him for advice (usually, it was the other way around), Xander took his time to think over his answer. He wasn't sure of the situation, but he sincerely wanted to help Edward with whatever had his heart in a twist. "Do you know why they changed?" he first considered. After all, as far that he knew, people didn't just make a complete 180-degree change in personality without any reason.

Edward did not answer immediately and Xander did not rush him. Unlike the icy nobleman, Xander tended to run off without thinking-- a trait he had inherited from his mother. Edward had always been the one to pull him back and remind him to slow down.

After a minute of comfortable silence in between them, Edward told him quietly, "I think it's my fault."

Xander blinked a couple more times before humming in response. "You think the reason they have changed is your own doing?"

"Maybe," was the faintly anxious reply to the question. "It's... complicated."

"Is it?"

"Yes... no..." Obviously, Edward felt very confused by the situation. Usually, he would try to solve any type of problems in a very rational manner, but Xander could tell that the subject matter was something close to his heart. It was difficult for many people to keep a composed mind when their loved ones -or at least someone very important to them- were involved.

Though Xander did not know who this important person was, the fact that they were important to his friend made him determined to help Edward though whatever he was struggling with.

"So, how is it complicated? Or, er, not complicated?"

There was a slight grimace on Edward's face and Xander watched as his friend's icy-blue eyes darkened to a shallow color before he was closed off from them. "They... didn't treat me well. And I wasn't kind to them in turn."

There was a hint of shame in the tone of his voice and Xander could see the other's shoulders trembling slightly as he breathed out, not daring to look at the Prince as if the usually proud and confident nobleman was afraid of the red-haired teen's reaction.

It was... well, it wasn't a shocking revelation. Edward was only human and it would be unrealistic for Xander to think that his best friend would be nice to everyone. For example, Nicole was someone that the blond nobleman barely could be in the same room with.

To be fair, the young Gallant would always be the first one to pick the fight. Edward would be fine ignoring his so-called rival if the other wasn't so persistent in enticing the Crown Prince into participating in unsavory activities. But otherwise, the eldest Rosetta would often treat others indifferently and held everyone at a distance-- with the exception of those who he cared deeply for, of course.

Edward had always been exceptionally kind to those he considered friends or family. Since they were children to the young men they were now, Xander had always been treated gently by his best friend. Though the nobleman appeared cold and unapproachable to many of their peers, his temperament was actually soft and was actually weak to the whims of both his younger sister and his best friend.

Though he wasn't sure of the details, Xander could tell that Edward did care for this person in some ways. He wouldn't have bothered to mention them if that wasn't the case.

"So, you think you should have treated them well, then?" If there was one thing his mother had taught them, it was that to have some self-respect. If other people were 'treating them like shit', then they didn't have to be nice to them back. Alternatively, his father had also taught them to 'treat others the way they wanted to be treated'-- which made his childhood education at the palace overall confusing and full of contradictions, but Edward had always admired the Queen though he grew rather exasperated with her personality as he grew older. He had kept Her Highness' words close to his heart and took in all of her life lessons with sincerely.

"...Maybe," Edward supplied unhelpfully once again, his fingers resting on his thigh curling up slightly. "I doubt it would actually change our relationship. He hasn't liked any of us in the beginning, and I-- I tried reaching out. Or maybe I didn't try enough. I don't know. As far as I can remember, every time I tried to help him, he wouldn't let me. And then, I was just tired and everything just-- Everything has gone--"

"Edward," Xander called out, delicately placing a hand on the other shoulder. In response to the touch, the eldest Rosetta opened his eyes, the icy-blue color dark and murky. "Edward, you're allowed to turn away from people that hurt you."

Much to the Crown Prince's surprise, his friend burst out a chuckle; bitter, deep, and self-deprecating. "I wish I did. Maybe our relationship wouldn't have devolved as it did. I should have ignored him and maybe then, he would stop trying to antagonize me."

"Was he always trying to antagonize you?" Xander then asked next and Edward fell silent at the question.

Other than his family and the servants of the Rosetta Estate, no one truly understood the nature of their convoluted relationship with Thomas. To some outsiders, it seemed that the youngest was not well received by his own family and that he was especially despised by the lady of the house, Edward's mother. Then to others, the bastard child seemed to be treated well because no matter how much Thomas had spat upon Edward's name in front of his own peers, the eldest had never defended himself-- probably out of guilt for the cruel words that always tumbled out of his mouth during some of the few much-avoided meal times they have as a 'family'. To this day, Edward still didn't understand why they continued their so-called 'family dinners' when it had always left a bad taste in everyone's mouth by the time they separated.

Either way, the Prince was the type of person that would rather reserve his judgment until he had met the individual face-to-face and would unconsciously disregard any rumors mentioned. Now that he met the New Thomas, Edward felt disinclined to let the other know about Old Thomas.

After a moment of contemplation, he nodded faintly and decided not to clarify. Xander couldn't help but frown in response, feeling rather protective but at the same time, considering how Edward had been describing their relationship (cold and sour), he was surprised by other side's persistence.

"It sounds as if he was desperate for your attention," Xander couldn't help but comment offhandedly, not noticing how his friend had stiffened next to him.

"...You're probably right," Edward admitted in a gloomy tone, his hands clenched in his laps. "Though he never seemed happy whenever I did give him some attention." Probably because it was not their father's attention. Thomas' obsession with their father's regard sometimes frightened him.

Xander hummed in response, his brow wrinkling as he tried to wrapped his head around Edward's situation. "What do you want to do then?"

"...What do I want to do...?"

"I mean, you asked me what I would if someone I was close with had completely changed."

"I..." Though Edward's expression was smooth and calm, his voice sounded very awkward. "I wouldn't say that we're close..."

"Regardless, do you think the change is good or bad?"

Edward's lips straightened into a flat line and shook his head somberly. "I'm not sure. I..." The blond-haired noble looked down briefly before lifting his head once again. "I'm not too familiar with these changes to say whether they are good or not."

"Then why not get to know these changes then?" Xander chirped, brightening up seeing that they were progressing in a way. "Since you're not sure, all you can do is learn more about him and make your decisions afterward!" It seemed that there were a lot of things that Edward was unsure about when it came to this person, so the Prince thought a confrontation was necessary. There was no point in speculating when they could just talk to the person themselves!

Edward became silent, his ice-blue eyes briefly shifting towards the prince, glimmering against the sunlight with unknown feelings, before looking forward, but Xander could tell that his friend was sincerely considering the suggestion.

"...I don't know what really happened between the two of you..." Xander started off slowly, his usually boisterous and loud voice soft and tender. "But if you really want to reconcile, then you have to meet halfway."

The blond-haired nobleman didn't answer back at first. Initially, Edward wanted to protest over the other's words, pointing out that he hadn't mentioned anything about reconciling, but then gave up.

At this stage, wouldn't it be too late to reconcile? What if Thomas didn't want to reconcile? What if he wanted to be left alone? And if he did, Edward had no choice but to leave him alone. He wouldn't even blame his younger brother if he wanted them to stop interacting with each other.

"... But what if he doesn't want to meet me halfway?"

"Then that's his loss," Xander said bluntly, ever straightforward and direct, but the statement made Edward feel helpless and touched at the same time. Though he wasn't short of people who would praise his generosity and nobility -"a gentleman of all gentleman"- he valued his best friend's opinion over everyone else. "But at least you've tried. Sometimes, that's all you can do."

Is it? Edward couldn't help but wonder. More than anyone else, though not as much as his younger sister, he hated feeling helpless. He hated not being in control of his surroundings, but that was because he never had been in control of the events inside of Rosetta Estate in the first place. However, he had grown since then and hadn't been dependent on his parents for the past few years. Now, he didn't need to follow the whims of his mother or be affected by his father's strange behavior. He could do more than just 'try'. There had to be more than just 'try'.

What Xander had said sounded strangely pessimistic-- usually, the red-haired teen would encourage Edward to use all of his energy to finish a task, but the Prince only asked for his best friend to at least try for this situation. Maybe he was being considerate of the eldest Rosetta's feelings.

Edward had never been less than perfect in public and sometimes, he would act as the perfect noble in front of Xander though unnecessary in the face of their friendship. The red-haired teen, enlightened by his friend's hesitance and reluctance, gave Edward the option to back away-- an option to 'step back' after trying.

Since Xander knew Edward and recalled that the person that his best friend was talking about had hurt the other before, he didn't want to push his friend towards heartbreak.

It was rather amusing to know that while Edward was trying to be optimistic for once, his good friend was trying to be uncharacteristically realistic. They really have known each other for too long, but he couldn't really say he wasn't happy about it. In fact, the thought only made him feel warm.

There were still a couple of hours until the beginning of classes and as the sun rose higher, the brighter their surroundings seemed to glow. Edward turned his gaze away from the rustling trees and swaying flowers and placed his shimmering, ice-like eyes on his best friend. Xander's blazing-red hair seemed softer under the light and the flecks of the sun's ray made it glimmer like a jewel.

Noticing his stare, Xander gave the blond a grin that was as bright as the rest of him and Edward couldn't help but allow an upturn of his lips in response.

There was no need for 'thank yous' in between them, but when Xander laughed freely after Edward gave him a small nudge with his elbow, that seemed to be enough for them.

--------------

Tanaka had certain expectations when it came to his mornings.

His day usually started with Clarisse carrying him out of his nest bed at 7:45 and then changing him out of his nightgown and into his school uniform. By 8 o'clock, he would be deemed presentable-- at least presentable enough to escape from being his maid's a dress-up doll. Though he was aware of the maid's new past-time of playing around with his curly hair or dressing him up in different articles of clothing (though she would only do so on the weekends), most of the time, he wasn't completely awake to stop her. Not that he wanted to stop her since she seemed very happy while doing so. Tanaka could almost see a slight upturn of her lips whenever he found himself buried in clothes and accessories, so he pretty much allowed his caretaker to do whatever she wanted with him.

Afterward, Clarisse would carry him downstairs to eat breakfast. Once she placed him in his seat at the dining table, she would usually coax him awake and make sure he ate everything on his plate. Someone would always make sure that he had a glass of milk with his meal, usually Nina, while Clarisse cleaned his face of any pieces of food that happened to stick upon his face.

It had always been just the maids and the butlers near his side and no one else. Sometimes, Tanaka would invite them to join him for breakfast, but they had always refused (for some reason, they would have looked pained while doing so though). If he didn't have school and was too lazy to move his plate, he would have insisted on eating in the servant quarters instead, so the meal was spent peacefully and quietly.

But today, the usually empty dining table had one occupancy. Tanaka didn't realize it at first since he was still half-asleep draped over Clarisse, but once the maid placed him down his seat, albeit reluctantly, the sloth-like child noticed that someone was sitting in the chair next to him.

With blurry, blinking dark eyes, he lifted his head full of curls to see ice-jewel-like eyes and strands of golden-wheat. As a sixteen-year-old, Edward was already very handsome and still growing. Tanaka had only seen Thomas' brother as the twenty-year-old capture target for the heroine in the game and the sharpness and chill of the other's demeanor.

The twenty-year-old Edward had an edge to his looks, a mixture of maturity and coolness, but he had an aura that would make the surrounding atmosphere below freezing. Even if his magic had never stirred, people would stiffen and freeze in his presence as if ice had crawled over their skin.

The sixteen-year-old Edward was different from the twenty-year-old Edward, in a way. There was a layer of softness that the eldest Rosetta would probably grow out of in later years, and maybe it was because of that soft layer that Thomas' brother seemed warmer and more approachable. Even though his expression was as blank as Clarisse's own face, it didn't feel hostile or indifferent.

In fact, with the way Edward had been staring intensely at him, it would have been difficult to claim that the other was indifferent...

"...Thomas?"

"Hhm?" Tanaka, as soon as he was given his plate, had long decided to focus on eating rather than on the extra addition next to him. Therefore, when he answered Edward's call, his mouth was already full of eggs and toast.

"....." Edward made a nearly inaudible sigh and much to the shock of the surrounding maids and butlers reached over to use the napkin tucked in his younger brother's collar to wipe away the crumbs on his puffy cheeks. Both didn't either notice or care about the intimate actions-- Tanaka was used to random people taking care of him and Edward had habitually done such a thing for his sister and Xander. "Swallow before you answer."

Tanaka didn't see the harm in doing so and chewed the food in his mouth thoroughly before swallowing it down into his stomach. He then looked at the older teen with large, dark eyes, silently prompting the other to continue.

With a slight twitch of his lips, Edward looked away at something that Tanaka didn't want to bother stretching his neck out to check, before turning his ice-blue eyes back onto his little brother. "Does Ms. Baker always carry you to breakfast?"

Though Edward knew very well that the majority of the maids and butlers tend to... indulge the youngest, he also couldn't imagine them to be so indulgent as to allow this every day. Of course, Clarisse had always been fond of Thomas, but surely there were days where Thomas could come downstairs by himself.

And well, Edward was not wrong. Tanaka was an adult at some point and had the ability to take care of himself-- but apparently, everyone always assumed that he couldn't. At the very least, he should be able to undress himself and put on his nightgown for bedtime, but after that one time Clarisse had found him under the bed (because he was too lazy to climb up and instead took the blankets and all the pillows he could reach to make a nest underneath), someone now had to personally tuck him in.

He was also capable of cooking simple dishes as well, but it just so happened that the one time Fifi sneaked him in did he find himself unfamiliar with the mechanisms of a magic stove. He almost burnt the ceiling as a result just by trying to make toast and was banned by the head chef. No matter how hard he tried to convince them otherwise, one of the cooks would always have to physically block Tanaka from entering (though they would repeatedly apologize while doing so).

Furthermore, regardless of what everyone seemed to think, his legs did work and he knew how to walk as well. It was not his fault his bedroom was so far from everywhere else. No one would blame him if took a nap in between the journey, right? He just didn't expect for one of the passing maidservants to mistakenly assume that he had fainted or fallen ill (well, he probably shouldn't sleep so sprawled out on the floor, but the day was unusually hot and the marble floor was amazingly cool in comparison...), therefore prompting the entire estate into a panicked frenzy. As a result, he now required an escort to take him around the manor...

Anyway, he was capable of doing things on his own without the aids of others. It was just he didn't need to most of the time. Or rather, no one would let him.

So, while Tanaka wanted to explain to Edward that 'yes, but that's because Clarisse wouldn't let me down otherwise,' it was still too early in the morning for him to say more than a few syllables per sentence, so he settled with a simple, "Yes."

Edward expression shifted slightly as if he didn't know how to feel about the confirmation, but Tanaka was already back to his breakfast, trying to shovel the remainder of his eggs into his small mouth.

"...Thomas, eat a little slower," Edward then said after a few seconds of silence, his mouth pursed out of disapproval. "Mind your table manners."

"Why?" Tanaka asked after he swallowed his next mouth full of food, his head tilting slightly.

Automatically, Edward once again reached over to clean some of the egg yolks that was smeared on the corner of the child's mouth and contemplated on the question. "Why you ask?"

"Yeah, why?" Tanaka repeated, not minding how the other was fussing with his face, and then further clarified, "No one's here."

"... That may be..." Edward responded slowly with a furrowed brow. "But as noble children, we are trained and taught to uphold a certain demeanor at all times. Regardless of our audience -or lack thereof- we should maintain our appearances in order to preserve our civil fundamentals."

"...Oh," was Tanaka's lackluster answer as he reached over for his glass of milk, his tone full of disinterest. "That sounds troublesome."

"......."

There was a familiar cough next to Edward and when Tanaka made to effort to turn his gaze to the servant behind the blond's chair, he blinked in surprise to see Amir with a gloved hand covering his mouth. Though half of the butler's face was covered, the crinkle of amusement in the corner of the Zafarian's eyes was unmistakable.

It was rare for Tanaka to see Amir in the morning. Edward often brought the Zafarian with him to school along with Morgan, so the youngest Rosetta could only hope to see the butler until later in the afternoon.

While holding his glass of milk to his mouth, he used one hand to wave to the older man and mumbled, "Sabah alkhyr." Tanaka was reluctant to stop conversing in Arabic with Amir. Since he often talked with Basim almost daily for the past several years that he knew the tycoon, he spoke Arabic as often as he spoke Japanese with his companions and his family.

Now, he couldn't even use his mother language anymore-- probably not without someone mistaking it as babble, so he clung onto any chance he could speak Arabic with Amir.

The dark-skinned butler didn't seem surprised by the switch in language and in response and lowered his hand to give the young child a perfunctory smile. On the other hand, Edward suddenly reached forward and held the bottom of Tanaka's glass of milk. Apparently, his grip was wobbly and the elder Rosetta feared that it would have spilled on the youngest as long as the little one had only one grip on it.

Immediately, Tanaka moved the hand that was waving back onto the glass and watched as Edward's expression turned helpless.

It was as if his little brother had regressed in age (though in actuality, it was more that Thomas had increased in maturity) and a worry that he never felt with his younger sister, Katherine, bloom in his chest. Now that Thomas had given up on his malice and decided to take on a more relaxed approach to life, it seemed as if he became a defenseless toddler.

In the past, he worried about whether Thomas would be able to protect himself from the schemes of those who seek to take advantage of the youngest's position, but with his younger brother's current behavior, he seemed more likely to be kidnapped or bullied.

"Thomas, you should be more careful," Edward scolded as he moved away back into his seat. His tone was strict and stern, and while most people would cower in the face of the eldest Rosetta's ice-cold eyes and near-indifferent expression, Tanaka had already witnessed his (Thomas') brother's brutal spat against Nicole. In comparison to how Edward had treated the Gallant heir, his words were very soft and gentle with a touch of exasperation in his voice.

The thirteen-year-old hummed in agreement as he drank his milk slowly and carefully. There were some moments where he had forgotten that he was not a twenty-six-year-old man and that his limbs were not as strong or as long as they once were. Though Tanaka never claimed to be graceful, the number of fumbles he had made since his transmigration was rather embarrassing. Fortunately, most of the time, any mess was prevented by the servants that would surround their youngest master like a hawk, ready to swoop in at any moment to save the child from an untidy situation.

Lately, Tanaka had felt less stable and a little bit weaker than usual, but he had been increasing his napping hours and his napping frequencies...

Maybe the reason he was always so soft-limbed was due to his sleep schedule. It would probably be more beneficial for him to start exercising his body every day. He just needed all the maids and manservants to stop carrying him. And to plan out an exercise regime in between his nap times. And to find a good place to exercise... But that all sounded like work.

Yeah, that seemed too much like work. Maybe the travel to his napping spots could count?

As Tanaka finished his milk, Edward watched his younger brother carefully to make sure the large glass made it safely back on the table before reaching over to clean the white-mustache above the child's lip.

The surrounding servants: "......." Were they this close before?

Clarisse, on the other hand, had this flowery, bright aura glowing around her head like a halo. Though her face had a dead-like expression, she was looking upon the brothers with glittering eyes. She didn't seem offended by how Edward had naturally taken her job. She would be happy with anything that would prompt good feelings between the previously estranged siblings.

"When do you plan on heading out? While the academy is not far from the estate, its best not to tarry and be late for classes," Edward then asked as soon as Tanaka's face was milk-free and the blond tried not to sigh when his younger brother gave him a shrug in return.

Tanaka had long surpassed his classroom curriculum and was at the level where he could graduate from the academy as an independent scholar. Of course, as a person who only did things by the bare minimum, he had no intention of graduating early. His near-perfect grades and his attendance to his classes were done just to make Clarisse happy.

"As soon as I'm finished with breakfast," Tanaka answered without thinking too much as to why Edward had asked in the first place. It seemed that the eldest Rosetta had been asking a lot of questions today honestly.

"Then if you are done, we should proceed to the carriage," Edward then prompted as he gestured for a nearby maid to take Tanaka's plate, which the person himself couldn't really complain about since he had practically cleaned his plate like a vacuum, not even sparing a single crumb. "Mr. Hughes took the liberty to prepare our journey to Evadne Academy in advance."

After a brief conversation with his Zafarian butler, Amir, he was given a concise description of his younger brother's morning schedule. Edward couldn't say he was surprised by how late the other had slept, but nonetheless made accommodations to accompany Thomas during the morning while making sure they would arrive to their classes in a timely manner. Considering how sluggish the child was, he thought he would have to encourage the youngest to finish his breakfast. Who knew that three eggs, two toast, a pile of mini-sausages, and two glasses of milk would all be consumed under 10 minutes...

Tanaka: "......" In advance... so his morning was already planned out by his (Thomas') older brother then?

While someone took away Tanaka's empty plate, Clarisse moved forward to take the napkin off of her young master and straightened his collar. In a timely manner, Sven then came forward to pull out his chair, revealing the youngest sock-covered feet.

Out of habit, Tanaka would take his shoes off at the entrance of the manor every time he came back from his classes and leave them next to the door. While it made it easier for the maids to clean his shoes since they always came back dirty with mud, twigs, and leaves, the routine baffled Clarisse. She felt conflicted because it was cute seeing her young master moving around (well, being carried around) without shoes, but she felt it was also inappropriate as well. Though it was not common for the Rosetta's to entertain visitors, they all prepared themselves and the estate as if they would receive guests at any time. If the madam ever saw the illegitimate child in such a state around the manor, her perfect, coldly beautiful face would be awash with anger.

Once again, Edward expression turned helpless. "Where are your shoes, Thomas?"

"Ms. Herring has them, Young Master Edward," Clarisse answered for her young master as a maid almost as tall as Edward with copper-colored hair and tanned skin stepped forward. She had a pair of small, black dress shoes in her wide palms and kneeled down to slip them on the child's dainty-looking feet-- well, in comparison to her rough, adult-size hands, they seemed almost fragile and Johanna Herring took great care not to use too much of her notoriously monstrous strength with the little one.

Johanna was one of the few maids that could do hard labor as well as the men. Most of the maids sought her out whenever they needed help with something heavy. In fact, especially compared to scrawny Sven, there weren't many butlers that were as strong as her. Even some of the estate guards found it difficult to push back against her natural strength.

Once both shoes were in place, Tanaka automatically held his arms up as he had always done whenever it was time to move to the carriage, but then belatedly remembered that the person in front of him wasn't Clarisse but Edward, who stared blankly at the gesture.

By the time Johanna moved away from the youngest master, Edward had already stood up from his seat, waiting for Thomas to get out from his seat and join him. Though it shouldn't surprise the eldest Rosetta considering how the New Thomas was, he still found himself pausing at the uncharacteristic dependency.

Tanaka was a little bit embarrassed by what he had done. Though he was still carried around even as an adult, unless he was really tired or really lazy (more than his usual lazy), he wouldn't ask just anyone to carry him, especially when he had never been carried by said person before. He didn't think the relationship between him and Thomas' brother was friendly enough to ask such a thing.

Just as he was about to put his arms down and slide out his seat, a pair of hands suddenly grabbed him from under his armpits and before Tanaka could comprehend the situation, Edward's face was suddenly closer to his. Due to the blond nobleman's ridiculous good-looks, the adult-turned-child was stunned.

Since he was often carried by Amir, therefore giving him front-seat exclusive to the Zafarian's attractive features, Tanaka developed a type of resistance against handsome and beautiful faces. To be fair, almost everyone on the estate -the guards, the maids, the butlers- were naturally good-looking, so it was more like he had gotten used to it, but maybe due to Edward's position as one of the capture targets, he seemed to be more eye-catching than most people.

Edward's skin was nearly flawless and even up close, it seemed very smooth to touch. Tanaka almost wanted to reach up and poke to check whether it was flesh or marble. His ice-blue eyes, which were framed by thin, blond eyelashes, reminded the transmigrator of naturally formed crystals and his golden wheat hair seemed to glow under the sunlight from the large french windows of the dining room.

Tanaka then remembered a particular scene on The Noblest of Love where the heroine first stumbled upon Edward. The 'Prime Minister's Son' route was known among players to be the most difficult route. Not only because of the underlying threat of Edward's younger brother, the sinister Thomas, or subtle obstructions caused by his sister Katherine but because the chance of meeting Edward in comparison to the other capture targets was very low.

Like Xander, Edward had graduated from Evadne academy and wouldn't normally be found at the academy like the rest of the other capture targets. Also, during the very beginning of the game, the player was restricted from areas outside of the student dorms and the academy itself, so the places where Edward frequent, the Royal Palace and the Rosetta Estate, were off-limits.

When Tanaka was playing the game, he didn't really care much about meeting with any of the capture targets and instead directed the heroine to focus on building up her stats and to explore the available surroundings. It was only coincidental that he happened to find one of Edward's so-called secret spots in the surrounding greenery that buffered the academy from the rest of the main city. Once he did, the game instantly switched into a cutscene that highlighted the blond nobleman's handsome features through light shadows and the flittering sunlight, creating a heavenly glow on the older man.

Like a God that descended from the higher realms, was the cheesy comparison the heroine had made at the time and Tanaka nearly cringed at the thought of it. Though he could see the reason why the female protagonist became so smitten of Edward, he couldn't really see what made his (Thomas') older brother so 'God'-like. Maybe because Edward was still an awkward teenager and was still growing out his awkward limbs and height. Maybe because he was not looking at artistic game-graphics, but at an actual person with more wrinkles on the other's clothes than the developers would allow and realistic, out-of-place stands from his combed hair.

Sometimes Tanaka would forget that Edward was supposed to be one of the most popular capture targets of an otome game and would probably bring more problems and complications in his life than he would have liked.

But right now, Tanaka was too lazy to care about the future because Edward felt very cool and very comfortable to touch.

Lately, probably because of the warmer weather, the sloth-like teen had been feeling irritably hot, which increased the number of times the maids found him vulnerably plastered against the marble floors of the hallways, and Tanaka had been trying to find ways to cool himself off.

It completely escaped Tanaka's usually bright mind that Edward was an ice-elemental magician, therefore his 'magical aura' would give off a cold feeling to his surrounding body. Therefore, regardless of the relationship between the original owner and the eldest son of the Rosetta's, the transmigrator shamelessly attached himself to the older teen like a koala with its mother, wrapping his thin arms around the blond's neck while rubbing his heated cheeks against the other's cool jaw.

While Edward stiffened at the unexpected affections, Tanaka secretly resolved himself to create an AC unit. Or at least somehow make ice without the need to find a rare ice-elemental magic user-- whichever was the easiest.

"...Thomas, don't be so willful. You can't expect people to cater to your whims like this," Edward said tersely, though he made no effort to put the youngest down and rigidly made his way towards the foyer and the front doors of the manor. He gestured with his head to the guard near the entrance, a new recruit by the surname of Smith if he recalled the hard-faced man's application correctly as he was familiarizing himself with the new employees under his family's care, to open the doors to the front terrace.

Tanaka hummed absent-mindedly in response, blissfully unaware of the complicated expressions given to him by both Edward and the surrounding servants watching the scene. Inwardly, as he closed his eyes, the adult-turned-child wondered how he could convince the blond-haired teen to become his temporary ice-pack for the next few days, oblivious to the fact that his mornings were already planned out by a certain someone for the next few days.

...--------...

Author's Note:

It occurs to me, due to a casual comment made by one of my readers, that this book is already over 100 pages worth of reading. Chapter 9 alone is already more than 50 pages and assuming that each chapter is about at least 5-10 pages, we got ourselves a nice small novel.

To be fair, I didn't think I would make it past 10 pages with this book, but here we are, months later °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

I know some of you are complaining about the slow updates, but think of it this way-- it's because my updates are so slow that you all are reading this for free. (￣▽￣)ノ

No, I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Just know that I wrote this out of a whim and it turned into a big project for me and Editor-chan lol. When I wrote the first few chapters, everything was supposed to be light-hearted and slice-of-life-ish and angst-free, but then the story developed a conscious and a plot. ╮(╯▽╰)╭ What can this powerless author do?