Author's Note:

Sorry that this took a while. Technology decided to go Skynet on me and the writing and editing process took twice longer than it should have. There might be more grammar mistakes than usual in this chapter, but please be patient with me and Editor-chan and we'll eventually get them fixed. At the very least, Editor-chan assured that all the major problems I had during the editing process should be addressed lol. °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

Anyway, I had cranked up the fluff in this chapter.

But I had fulfilled my promise of three chapters of fluff. Therefore, everything should only be going downhill from here. ~ヾ(＾∇＾)

A Brief Message from Editor-chan:

Help Me.

Author-san's Response to Said Message:

No Editor-chan was harmed in the making of this chapter.

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

Edward continued interacting with his brother for the next several days in a similar fashion. Even during the weekends, he would spend the mornings with Thomas before using the rest of his day to either attend his classes or do his work-- managing the estate alongside his father, meeting with the Crown Prince and other heirs for business-related discussions, and other things that took up the majority of his free time.

Meal times were his only free time, to be honest, but that was only because Katherine, the one Rosetta other than Thomas who had too much free time on her hands, had enforced a three-meal plan into his schedule. If it was up to Edward, according to his little sister, he would probably live on milk tea and magical energy alone.

So breakfast was occupied with his study over New Thomas, who took his presence with an ease that baffled him, lunch was with His Highness, and dinner with either his family or with some other business associates.

Over the week or so as he continued to interact with his younger brother through new lens and though it was a bewildering idea, it seemed as if Thomas had turned over a new leaf. Or rather, he became an entirely different person. The new Thomas was soft-spoken and kind. Uninterested in both the fame and the glory of their family's name, he only cared for the thoughts of the people he cared about and could only be moved by those very same people as well.

He was an incredibly intelligent child and Edward couldn't help but wonder if they would have noticed if the youngest wasn't so obsessed about proving his worth as a Rosetta. Nonetheless, regardless of his brilliance, Thomas seemed to have put a limit on the amount of effort to expand each day, and once his energy had abandoned him, the child would automatically seek the closet and most comfortable surface (which was the floor most of the time) and take a nap. It was both alarming and worrisome, especially when his little brother had no qualms in making himself vulnerable out in the open.

Alternatively, Thomas wasn't as helpless as Edward (and everyone else) probably made him out to be. He could fend for himself if the need arose and had an uncanny talent in avoiding trouble went it came calling. It was probably why his two classmates, by surname of Barlow and McGowan, who mockingly called themselves his younger brother's 'friends', haven't been able to catch the younger teen-- though it wasn't as if they were subtle in the first place.

Regardless, since Thomas had no intentions of associating with those miscreants any longer, he didn't see a reason why he couldn't warn them off. They had this strange, disbelieving expression when he did so, but considering his status and his relations to their 'plaything', they didn't try to convince the cold and unapproachable blond otherwise and reluctantly swore to leave the youngest Rosetta alone.

But even if Edward didn't have to worry about finding his brother in the shadier side of town and doing questionable activities, his self-care was something that eldest never thought he would have to worry about. After all, Thomas had maids and servants to take care of him (and the majority of them did things that were beyond their paycheck to make sure their little master was healthy and happy.) But his little brother had a strange habit of napping in places hidden from view without a care for his appearances and if it weren't for the attentiveness of the household servants, the child would probably be lost to them somewhere in the mansion.

Half of the time, Thomas needed to be awakened to eat, to bathe, or to do any other activities outside of sleeping, and Clarisse had bravely expressed her worries to the eldest young master of the estate in light of their developing relationship.

Usually, only noble students in the last few years of secondary education could bring servants and they had to obtain permission from both their guardians and the school board. They could only bring two servants at a time and their magic signature had to be recorded by the academy.

Since Evadne Academy was a place that many noble children, and even the Crown Prince, attended classes and received their training and education, security would obviously be an important factor to the parents and for the future of Astria. At first, there were guards and teachers placed around the academy grounds, but the school was too big and they did not have enough manpower to cover everything, so there were always a few kidnapping incidents and a lot of trespassing from suspicious characters.

The fourth headmaster, a well known Rune Scholar who had made many breakthroughs in rune magic and applying it to defense magic, created a complex barrier that could pinpoint and individually recognize the magic signature of the staff and students. Everyone else not within the system was repelled. Even the parents had to either get special permission to enter into the academy even if they were former students.

Therefore, Evadne Academy's security was ranked the highest in comparison to the other magic academies in the country. Other than the city's own barrier system, there was barely any barrier technology that could compete.

Thomas was still a few grades under the requirement and, by school policy, was not allowed to have his family or personal manservant -Clarisse- attend with him during his class hours. This was a concern because if his younger brother had a choice, he would probably sleep through his entire time in the academy-- including lunch time.

"I apologize for my impudence, but Young Master Thomas has become much thinner lately," the worried maid informed him just as he was about to enter his carriage, though he couldn't help but recall the big breakfast his little brother had devoured every morning within ten minutes... What part of him looked skinny? "I know Young Master Edward is very busy, but may I implore Young Master Edward to check on Young Master Thomas during lunch time to see if he is eating properly?"

Both of them were aware that if there wasn't someone to help place the food in front of his younger brother and to keep him awake, the child would probably have slept through his hunger, but didn't say a word to each other about their (most probable) assumption.

In all honesty, since Thomas usually ate late, had a large breakfast, and left classes earlier than most people, Edward thought it wouldn't hurt his younger brother to miss lunch, but he couldn't say that to the stone-faced woman out loud. He would end up getting into an argument that he probably wouldn't win against the maid despite being her employer.

Therefore, aware of the youngest's sloth-like nature, and softened by Clarisse sincere worries, Edward temporary abandoned his lunch with best friend to check on Thomas. Xander sulked at first, mumbling something along the lines of their morning interactions being stolen nowadays and now he didn't get to have his best friend for lunchtime? The blond nobleman was more amused than exasperated by the red-haired teen's grumbling, though he did feel a bit guilty for leaving even if it was only for a little while. Between classes, learning the trade, work, and other things that often took a majority of their time, it was already difficult enough to talk to each other even for just a few minutes.

But once he mentioned his younger brother (well, checking up on his little brother), the Prince brightened and actually shooed him away the next moment. There were very few people that he could talk to, other than their professors and some of the academic researchers, about experimental magic and research so Xander encouraged his best friend to invite the young one to have lunch with them.

Edward didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the complete 180-degree change in mood, but there was a fondness in his gaze as he left Mr. Hughes to tend to the Crown Prince.

Xander was one of the very few students of his year that didn't register his own personal servants to his side, so Edward often shared Mr. Hughes' and Mr. Al-Amin's services with his best friend.

After the not-so-regretful and overly-exaggerated farewell from his friend, Edward had Amir follow him and the pair traveled across the campus to visit his younger brother's classroom. It wasn't hard to find-- Thomas was famous in some of the worst ways possible. If not because of the circumstances of his birth and his relations to one of the most powerful families in the country, but because of his attitude towards... well, everything. His peers had never met anyone so brazen enough to sleep in the middle of class or even to skip it altogether! And what made his reputation even blacker was his easy-to-obtain perfect grades in nearly all subjects, regardless of his absence (physically, mentally, or both). Even if they looked down at him for his five-tiered status, most young masters and young misses couldn't stand having someone like the bastard child achieving better scores than them at anything!

Regardless, it only took ten minutes for Edward to locate his younger brother's classroom and then restrained himself from sighing when he found the child with his curly-haired head plastered on his desk. Judging by the slow rise and fall of his breathing, it wasn't surprising to see Thomas asleep.

With a twitch of his lips, ignoring the cough of amusement coming from the butler behind him, Edward strode across the classroom, ignoring the whispers and unsubtle gazes from his brother's classmates and reached towards the desk in the furthermost corner. There was a wide berth between his brother and the others who had stayed indoors for lunch and the eldest couldn't help but wonder if Thomas had any other friends his age-- at least, decent friends and not people like Barlow and McGowan.

Allister McGowan was a third-tier magician and heir to his family's fortune. Edward had heard through some talks about his family being involved in some lucrative businesses that were not entirely on the legal side. But since there wasn't any proof, Edward held up on investigating the matter further. Nonetheless, the McGowan's were one of the richest nobles in the country, their businesses only rivaled by the Bergmann family with the Royal Treasurer, Duke Aurelius Bergmann, as the head.

Barny Barlow was the third son of Viscount Barlow, from his second wife, and a frequent visitor of the Flower District. He was also a third-tier magician just like McGowan, but with the way he had often fooled around, his skill level was as bad as a fourth-tier and without any sense of control. If Thomas was able to perform magic, Edward predicted that even his younger brother would have more restraint and ability than this vulgar classmate of his!

Those two were some of the worst of Thomas' 'companions' and Edward didn't want to recall the list of questionable individuals that his younger brother somehow became affiliated with. It was now clear, according to his sources, that the child had given up trying to get involved in that type of life so the eldest had never addressed it openly to the youngest. His little brother seemed perfectly content and happy being spoiled by the servants of their household and following the sleeping schedule of a domesticated cat, so there was no need to bring up his bad history.

The sunlight shone brightly through the large, clear windows and despite being basked under the warm rays, Thomas didn't even stir from his nap. Edward was a little bit concerned whether his younger brother had over-heated himself since the child probably had been sleeping in that very same spot since the beginning of his classes.

"Thomas," Edward called out with slight exasperation but anyone with ears could hear the fondness in his voice, causing the majority of the students in the room to gape.

Didn't Edward Rosetta dislike his father's bastard child?! They were sure that the two half-brothers weren't friendly enough to the extent that the eldest took his lunchtime to check on the youngest!

Without trying to stand out or becoming obvious, a few of them fled out of the classroom. After all, many of them had bullied Thomas, never hiding their actions or their bad intentions, and they took advantage of the Rosettas' neglect over their youngest. But now that the miserable low-class magician (if he could even be called one since he had no magical talent whatsoever) had somehow climbed into Edward's good graces, they wouldn't dare to make trouble. None of them had the power or prestige of the Rosettas; they and their families wouldn't be able to afford the repercussions of offending anyone of their status.

Edward didn't pay much attention to his surroundings though, more concentrated on stirring his brother awake. He always felt a little guilty interrupting the child's sleep, especially since Thomas had always seemed extra peaceful while unconscious from the rest of the world, but it was obvious that unless someone woke him up, the child would sleep through lunch. So without much hesitation, the eldest reached over to place a hand over the youngest's slumping back and gently shook the slouching body, frowning at the heat he felt through his little brother's uniform.

The other had definitely been sleeping under the sun for too long.

"Thomas, wake up. It's time for lunch," Edward called out once again and when he didn't get a response, he held back a sigh and grab a shoulder to lift the other off his desk. Though the eldest was able to straighten the child up, it only lasted for less than a second and with his eyes still closed, Thomas intentionally slumped towards his older brother, practically burying himself into the other's stomach without caring for their audience.

His conscious was still partly dead to the world, but he could still differentiate the temperature between his sun-warmed desk and his ice-cool brother. Obviously, the latter would be preferable than the former, especially when he had probably been sun-basking for a couple of hours. He had been feeling uncomfortably warm for a while and being near Edward was like finding shade in a desert.

Regardless, though he was about to dip into dreamland once again, Edward shook him to stay awake once again though allowed his younger brother to stick to him. This type of closeness earned them more than a few stares from a few students, who were either stalling from eating their lunch or from going to the many salons around campus to get their lunch.

"Thomas." Edward had a sort of helpless expression but moved a little so that the light from the windows was blocked by his body, blanketing the young boy in shadows. "Thomas, where is your lunch?"

The eldest son of the Rosetta's remembered Mr. Al-Amin grabbing onto a package from Ms. Baker this morning as they were descending from the carriage. With his arms full of his little brother, who refused to let him go even after they had reached the academy, Edward wasn't able to take the boxed item personally, but the maid had made sure to remind the eldest young master to check on their youngest while pointing out the packed lunch in the Zafarian's hands.

Thomas had it in his hands when they finally separated (reluctantly on the child's part) and now, Edward didn't see it anywhere.

Briefly, the blond made sure to hold the little one against him so that he wouldn't fall forward and out of the way as he lifted up the flat-top surface of the desk, checking the inner compartment of the furniture. Unfortunately, it was empty-- there wasn't even a textbook in sight though considering Thomas' grades, it was not like the youngest really needed them.

Gently lowering the desk's surface, Edward adjusted his grip on his younger brother and asked once more, "Thomas, where is your lunch?"

Eventually, his attempts to awaken the sleepy child finally took fruit and with a deep breath, Thomas lifted his head up slightly to look at his older brother. His dark-brown eyes were hazy and watery and the drowsy boy blinked several times while staring at Edward's striking, ice-blue orbs, before looking away. He rubbed his face against the other's abdomen, shameless in his closeness, before mumbling, "Dun' know. Was on desk."

His words were nearly inaudible since they were muffled by the eldest's stomach, but Edward heard them clearly enough as Thomas' answer vibrated against his clothes. Though his expression was relatively cold, the trace of helpless on the blond's face was still visible. Never had he met someone so worrisome. Even Xander had never made him this troubled and he tended to be concerned over his best friend daily.

"It's not there now. Do you know where it could be?"

There was a stall in Thomas' response, probably too sleepy to comprehend the question quickly, but the shake of Thomas' head wasn't a surprising answer. While the child could be careless when it came to himself, rarely did he misplaced items. His memory, as Edward later found out, was superb and his little brother was the type to keep his things close (if only because he would be too lazy to move them elsewhere).

Could this be another attempted bullying? Though childish, the old Thomas would have made a scene and naively demanded the perpetrators to admit their crimes. It would have made him open for verbal attacks and more of a target for unsavory characters. The current Thomas wouldn't care unless it impeded his nap, and that was a different problem itself.

Nonetheless, Thomas was without a meal and if Edward hadn't come to check up on the other, his little brother, the young boy would have probably skipped eating entirely.

Edward then remembered Xander's invitation and thought about their (his younger brother's) situation a little more. It was very unlikely Thomas would make the trip to the academy's cafeteria. He had a feeling that the child would have fallen asleep somewhere mid-way and there was the certain possibility that he would get trampled while doing so. This is not Rosetta Estate, where nearly every maid and butler coddled the youngest master, and where Edward didn't have to worry about his little brother getting hurt. There was a possibility here in Evadne Academy that the little one would be taken advantage of if he was found in such a vulnerable state.

Not that he expected anyone in the school to do anything terribly unsavory other than a few humiliating pranks while Thomas was unconscious-- after all, one's reputation was very important to a noble and because of the Royal Family's righteous personality, no one would want to make themselves look bad or particularly distasteful in front of the Windsors. Still, the thought of it caused Edward's brows to furrow.

So, without too much care for his surroundings, Edward picked up the floppy child from his seat and into his arms and Thomas automatically leaned against his older brother in order to bury his nose into the blond's shoulder.

Edward had stopped being unsettled with his little brother's habit of sniffing people and took it as one of his (adorable) quirks. If being lazy and sensitive to smells meant that he could get along with his youngest sibling, then there was nothing he could really complain about.

Ignoring the wide-eyed stares from Thomas' classmates, he left the classroom with Mr. Al-Amin following his trail with the grace and dignity of any born and bred nobleman despite the limpet attached to his chest. Edward was eye-catching in more ways than one-- not only for his icy disposition and stringent nature but also because of his handsome face and lean body. Rarely was there a time when a noblewoman didn't take a peek at his face. Adding to his butler's, Mr. Al-Amin's, own handsome and exotic features, their presence practically demanded attention.

Now, as they strode down the halls, those people were peeking for a different reason. There was a small boy in the arms of the 'Ice Prince' with curly-brown hair and his face hidden in the older blond's shoulder. If it wasn't for school uniform, which was specific for Middle-Grade classes, they would have thought the little one curled in Edward's grip was still in Elementary-Grade classes.

"Young Master Edward, pardon me for inquiring," Amir uttered softly as he shadowed closely to his employer, "But would you like for this servant to take Young Master Thomas off of your hands?"

"No need." Edward's answer came immediately as he adjusted his hold on his younger brother. Thomas was not heavy and Edward had been trained in the art of battle and swordsmanship for the past few years. It was not burdensome or even tiresome to carry someone of his youngest sibling's stature.

Since he was more focused on his brother and the path ahead, Edward didn't see the slight narrowing of the Zafarian butler's dark eyes before a pleasant expression blanketed over his sharp features. "Of course," was all that the dark-skinned servant had said and the rest of trip to the Advanced-Grade classes' salons was done in silence.

It wasn't long until the pair saw the double-white doors of Advanced-Grade' personal salons and a pair of doormen, who double as guards, were already welcoming the Rosetta heir and his butler into the room. They did not question the extra addition to their entourage-- as long as someone from the Advanced-Grade class personally escorted the guest in, no matter their grade or identity, there was no need to intervene or bar them from entering.

Once again, as soon as they both walked in, they easily garnered the attention of nearly every noble in the room, but it was obvious that they were more curious about the small child in Edward's arms. The blond nobleman dutifully ignored it, his icy expression and indifferent attitude preventing anyone from taking advantage of the unusual situation to try to strike a conversation with their cold classmate, and strode straight to a seating area next to a large, bright window where he saw Xander's eye-catching red hair ablaze like a beacon.

He sat alone, which was unusual for the friendly prince since he was always very willing to interact with any of their classmates and peers, but Edward didn't think much of it since Xander crimson eyes shone at the sight of them. And when he saw cuddly Thomas against his chest, a big grin lit up his sunny features.

"Edward! Young Thomas!" the Prince cried out as he enthusiastically gestured them towards his general area. "Come, come! I had Mr. Hughes procure us some substance!"

Edward did not see Mr. Morgan Hughes when he came closer to their usual lunch spot and the eldest Rosetta could only assume his other butler went to obtain more food for their afternoon meal, even though there were already plenty of dishes on the coffee table in the middle of the two-seated couches. They covered up the entire glass surface, the aroma good enough to make one drool, a wisp of steam still dancing on top of some of them... surely Xander did not expect them to finish everything...

Nonetheless, Edward tried to deposit his clingy little brother next to Xander and in between the two older males... except he couldn't. Once again, Thomas clung onto his shirt with a terribly strong grip and no matter how much he tried to pry off those thin fingers, the little one wouldn't let go.

Eventually, he gave up and placed Thomas on his lap, ignoring the appallingly sappy expression on Xander's face. Mr. Al-Amin started placing teacups in front of his employer and the Crown Prince, filling them up with what smelled like Earl Grey. The Zafarian was very familiar with how they took their tea-- three cubes of sugar and a swirl of cream for Edward and one cube of sugar with a dash of milk for Xander.

Seeing the cups, the red-haired teen frowned briefly, obviously noticing how the Zafarian had missed Thomas' own beverage, but before he could say anything, Amir left momentarily and came back with a tall glass of milk. Xander's crimson eyes brightened as if he was enlightened by the action. "Oh right! Young Thomas is a growing boy so, of course, milk would be more appropriate!"

Edward: "......" Despite wearing the Middle-Grade class uniform, his friend still didn't figure out that his brother wasn't seven-years-old. The blond nobleman didn't bother correcting him though and turned his attention toward Thomas, who was still drooling on the lapel of his jacket.

With another helpless expression, Edward shook the small boy gently, coaxing the child with a soothing tenor, "Thomas, wake up. You need to eat."

It took a few more calls, but the lethargic boy finally plucked his eyes open. His dark-brown eyes were watery, some of the liquid clinging onto his eyelashes, and the Prince made an amused sound when the child rubbed them against Edward's chest.

The eldest Rosetta was used to his younger brother's childish mannerisms and motioned to his best friend to pass him the glass of milk. Xander happily did so, scooting closer to the point that his leg was touching Edward's and the young one's legs were placed on top of his lap.

Edward didn't mind his friend's closeness since his personal space was often invaded whenever the red-haired teen got too enthusiastic and reached for the glass in the Prince's hand. His best friend allowed him to take it with a beatific smile while he used his other hand to straighten his younger brother up from his lap. "Don't fall back asleep," he scolded as he could see Thomas' eyes drooping. "You'll be more awake once you start eating and drinking."

Thomas made an indistinguishable sound but reached for the glass nonetheless. Edward didn't dare take his hand away even after his little brother had grabbed onto his milk but allowed the young boy to bring the glass closer. He couldn't help but relax as Thomas started drinking, his dark-brown eyes becoming brighter the more he drank.

Warmed and awakened, Tanaka gradually became aware of his surroundings beyond the cool comfort of his brother's embrace. He looked around as he slowly drank from his cup, not recognizing the setting or the people indiscreetly staring at them with wide, disbelieving eyes. He gave a brief glance at the ridiculous amount of food on the coffee table, which reminded him of the emptiness in his stomach, and then turned around to follow the red-color he saw in the corner of his eye.

Tanaka almost spat out the milk in his mouth when he saw the blinding, joyful expression of the Prince of Smiles and true to his nickname given by Nanami, his smile was as bright as the sun shining from the windows. The more the man-turned-child looked at it, the more awake he felt.

"Did you have a nice nap, young Thomas?" the cheery teen asked, his red long-braided hair bouncing along with his excitement. The look he gave him was very kind and reminded him achingly of Daichi. His brother always had a patient expression on his face whenever he talked to his lazy brother and was always very indulgent to his whims.

Tanaka couldn't help but look up at his (Thomas') brother face, which was smooth and cold as his elemental magic. Regardless of its unfriendliness, he could see the soft edges that made Edward seem very tolerant.

He wasn't sure what had happened to make the Ice Prince, who was originally very disgusted and hateful of Thomas, to be so dotting. Scolding him while carrying him, feeding him, and making sure he didn't look like a mess-- he acted a lot like Nanami who scowled at his lazy lifestyle but treated him like the family's cat. In fact, other than Daichi, Basim, and their dad, she often spoiled him the most.

Of course, Edward was a lot more soft-spoken than Nanami though. And Nanami often complained where Edward just ineffectively chastised him. These differences helped him keep the two people apart and though Tanaka missed his sister terribly, his intimacy with the blond capture-target soothed a lot of his homesickness.

Tanaka had been ignoring the emptiness in his chest where his family used to be for the past few months. Every whiff of lavender would remind him of his mom whenever she did their laundry and how dad had to intervene every time because she always added too much soap. Whenever Henry would read him a story or tell him a story, he would be reminded of all the times his dad would read to him to sleep no matter if he was a child or an adult. Every time he tasted milk, he thought of the times Daichi would always bring him a warm glass with a dash of honey before bed, and sometimes as he was being cradled or carried, he would suddenly be struck by loneliness. Even as an adult, his family gave him their affections unabashedly and it wouldn't be unusual for them to pull their grown-up youngest into their laps or cushioned in their arms.

This type of casual display of attachment would be shameful and embarrassing in Japan since its citizens were generally reserved with their feelings, but it's natural -to some extent- in Astria, especially with children, so Tanaka had felt right at home being touched so often.

But it made the loneliness more suffocating.

He was very aware that the likelihood of going back to his world was very slim. Nearly not even in the realm of possibility. He had died just a few blocks away from his family and his body was probably beyond recoverable. He wasn't even sure how he got here or why he became 'Thomas' in the first place. Either way, he didn't have the ability, nor the means, to go back. Teleportation was barely even a feasible or stable idea in this world, which was full of impossibilities and miracle-like 'magic', so how likely would he or anyone else be able to unlock trans-dimensional travel? He was smart, but not a God.

So where did that place him now?

Now, he was the youngest child and second son of the Rosetta family, a fated cannon fodder for the heroine during Edward Rosetta's route, but he didn't really care much for that role. Alternatively, he was Clarisse's, Henry's, Amir's, and many of the other servants' youngest master. He was the Crown Prince's best friend's younger brother. He was Edward's younger brother.

He wasn't sure what happened to Thomas' soul. He wasn't sure why Thomas had hated Edward and the other Rosettas to the point of damning himself to a forgotten death. He didn't really care, in all honesty, but Tanaka didn't dislike Edward. He couldn't say much for his (Thomas') other family members, but there was nothing to dislike about Edward.

Before his transmigration, Edward was the difficult, ice-cold, and intimidating capture target whose heart only melted due to Nanami's persistent courtship. He was two-dimensional in Tanaka's mind because he never became interested in the character himself, but after a week under the other's unconditional care and indulgence, he was comfortable with the blond as if they were long-lost siblings.

Edward stopped being Capture Target Edward Rosetta and became Free Ice-Pack that Helps him Drink his Milk Brother Edward.

Whether Thomas had some previous transgression with his older brother was not important to him. He had no intention of becoming the main protagonist of some kind of revenge novel, but he didn't mind being the spoiled younger brother of awkward-with-feelings Edward. He liked being the younger brother again.

Of course, Edward didn't know what the new Thomas was thinking but he would have to be blind if he didn't notice the intense stare his brother was giving him.

"...Hungry?" was the ice-cold blond's conclusion, which prompted the Prince of Smiles to reach out to grab a plate of finger sandwiches.

Though Tanaka was only staring at Edward because he was too deep in his thoughts, he wouldn't reject the idea of eating and making his stomach less empty. The amount of milk he drank padded a lot of his hunger, but his body still wanted something solid to appease his growling organ.

He gently pushed the glass away from his mouth and then reached over for one of the sandwiches, not paying much attention to how Edward had given his drink to Amir which was then replaced by a cloth napkin. He didn't even blink when that same white napkin was tucked into his collar and concentrated on stuffing his plate with half of the food held out to him by Xander. It was almost like he was some kind of stray animal they had found and wanted to hand feed as soon as they figured out it wouldn't bite.

All the while, the two friends were leaning close to each other and talking over his head in low voices. He wasn't really paying any attention to the conversation. The Crown Prince sounded amused though while his right-hand man had some exasperation in his voice, periodically brushing away the crumbs on his cheeks and/or wiping off some mayonnaise that was smudged on the corner of his lips.

As soon as he had demolished at least five plates of food, all carefully handpicked by the Prince himself, Tanaka slowly figured out that he was the only one eating. Xander was too busy offering food to get his own plate, only occasionally sipping out of his teacup before concentrating on his best friend's cute little brother. Edward had his lap and hands full of chipmunk Tanaka whose bulging cheeks were somehow always dusted with crumbs. The ice-cold teen couldn't even lean over to reach for his cooling Earl Grey.

So when Xander held out the sixth plate, which was also piled with finger sandwiches, instead of directing the delicious morsels to his mouth, he held it up for Edward. The two brothers both ignored the sappy expression that formed on the Prince's face and stared at each other with matching blank expressions.

Ah, they're definitely brothers, Xander couldn't help but think when he looked their unreadable faces, an aura of sparkles and flowers filling up the atmosphere.

After a few more seconds, a small twitched formed in the corner of Edward's mouth as he plucked the finger sandwich from Tanaka's loose fingers. The eldest Rosetta made sure to eat it carefully in a way so that crumbs wouldn't spill on top of the little person below.

He ate in a very refined manner and even though his way of eating seemed effortless at a glance, Tanaka knew that if he tried it, he would fumble. Regardless, once Edward was finished with the first sandwich, the little sloth gave him another.

This continued on for the next few sandwiches, the actions between the two brothers harmonious and strangely cheerful until Tanaka then remembered that the Prince of Smiles had yet to eat anything as well. So the next sandwich was held out towards the red-haired teen, who almost exaggeratedly gasped and made an open-mouthed smile. His sunny features lit up so brightly, that the transmigrator had to squint to look at the Prince directly.

Without a hint of embarrassment or shame, Xander then leaned forward to bite the sandwich in Tanaka's hand. At first, the lazy child blinked in surprise but thought nothing about it as the Prince leaned forward to take another bite.

"... Your Highness, you're not a child." Above Tanaka, Edward's expression hadn't changed except for the flash of helplessness in his eyes. Honestly, they were in public and it was not like he wasn't aware of the strange gazes they were earning from their peers. Thomas also shouldn't indulge the Prince as well...

"But you allowed Young Thomas to feed you," Xander whined with a pout that used to affect Edward when they were young but now, the blond-haired nobleman was somewhat resistant to it.

The Rosetta heir nearly sighed and took the bitten sandwich from his little brother's crumb-filled hands and pushed it against his best friend's lips. Xander didn't even blink when he opened his mouth and let Edward stuff the small morsel into his mouth. "Don't be uncouth. You can take what you are offered, but you're not an animal so there's no need for Thomas to feed you from his hands."

Though he looked unwilling, Xander took heed of his best friend's words and started to eat what was leftover on the sandwich platter either from the little one's hands or from the plate itself. He couldn't help but sulk nonetheless-- they used to feed each other off their plates when they were little but now that they were older, Edward was so conscious and strict when it came to manners...

Going along with the flow and not bothered by the conversation, Tanaka switched between feeding Xander and feeding Edward. Since he already had devoured through five other plates of various foods, he was already quite satisfied and full, so he could concentrate on not obstructing his (Thomas') brother's and the Prince of Smiles' lunch time.

Of course, then he noticed Amir in the back of his mind. He couldn't see the butler since the Zafarian was standing near the couch and outside of Tanaka's line of sight, but with the dark-skinned servant's strange but unique magical aura, it was hard for the transmigrator to ignore the dark and heady magic concentrated in a human-like shape.

With a bit of effort, he moved around on Edward's lap, causing the older teen to shift accordingly as well to where he now has his back against the eldest's chest. It felt nicer having his ice pack against his back anyway. He heard Xander chuckle at his surprisingly energetic movements and the red-haired Prince made sure to keep the sandwich platter within Tanaka's reach because the Prince of Smiles had always been nice and accommodating like that.

Now that he could actually see the butler, who stood close by with his head lowered and a generally pleasant expression on his face, Tanaka took a sandwich from a tray and called out softly, "Amir."

Hearing his name being said with a soft, nasally voice, Amir looked up only to see the little one holding a sandwich out towards him. The corner of the butler's lips twitched in amusement but despite the child's insistence, he turned down the offer.

"I thank Young Master Thomas for his generosity, but this servant must concentrate on his duties."

It was a very clean rejection but Tanaka wasn't completely convinced. It was lunchtime and Amir was just standing there waiting to be ordered on. Did the butler ever take a break? For as long as he knew the older man, the Zafarian had always been busy and never seem to have a moment of rest. Did the butlers and maids get dismissed when their young masters and misses were attending classes?

No one in Tanaka's (current) age group was allowed to bring their personal servants into the school grounds, so he was not sure what were the norms for butlers' and maids' working hours. Regardless, lunch in Evadne Academy was a two-hour affair; Amir probably had breakfast before Edward had woken up, so he would definitely be hungry by the time noon came around.

Therefore in response to the refusal, he grabbed another sandwich and handed both out to Amir.

Amir: "......."

Though the Zafarian still planned on turning down the little one's gift, he had to reconsider as he noticed his employer and the Prince giving him 'you're not going to turn him down' stare's in two opposing contexts. While the Crown Prince had this sad, puppy-eyed look that said, 'You're not going to turn him down, are you? Don't you think that's too pitiful?' the Rosetta heir had a more threatening, 'You're not going to turn him down. Shouldn't you appreciate his efforts?' glint in his eyes that demanded no room for arguing.

The contrasting messages amused the butler greatly. Nonetheless, Amir ignored the stabbing gazes from the two young nobles and gave the little master a perfunctory smile, his dark, abyss-like eyes gleaming with mirth. "This servant is honored by Young Master Thomas' regard," the Zafarian said smoothly with curved, narrowed eyes and took the two pieces of food into his gloved hands.

Tanaka visibly brightened up and watched as Amir took a graceful bite out of one of the sandwiches. Satisfied by his success in feeding the older man, he turned back towards his (Thomas') brother and the Prince to continue feeding them as well.

This type of warm atmosphere continued throughout the entire lunchtime. Even after Edward and Xander had long been full, seeing how happy it made the child whenever they finished the morsel of food hand-given to them, they both decided they could deal with the stomach aches afterward.

Amir, on the other hand, kept taking in whatever the young boy had given him without a trace of discomfort in his expression.

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

It wasn't until three hours after classes had ended that Edward was able to leave campus and onto his next appointment. He had spent most of his time with his usual business contacts inside one of the more public salons available, where students of different titles and ranks could freely socialize without too much stigmatization. Regardless, there were not many people who had the courage to talk to the renowned Ice Prince, so the Rosetta heir had kept himself in his small corner with the few people that knew not to talk nonsense with him.

Xander, of course, was one of them-- well, even if the Crown Prince had started talking nonsense to him, Edward wouldn't mind. There were very few things that his best friend could do to make him angry or irritable.

But Xander had promised to 'hang out' with his 'old, dear, and lonely mother' (the Queen's words, not her son's) for the rest of the afternoon and the red-haired teen had left with a fond but helpless expression on his face. Edward knew that her Highness' version of 'hanging out' with her son most likely consisted of either adventuring into Adrastus Forest to hunt for some mystical beast or joining her son in her own home-brewed, hellish training regime that had the ability to make the Captain of the Royal Guards weep.

Fortunately, Xander had his mother's stamina (regardless of the gap between their tiers) and could keep up with most of her mischief. Regardless, Edward made plans to bring a few potions and some medical salves to help heal the inevitable bruises and lessen the aches.

It was almost rather strange not having Xander close by, but not uncommon or unusual. They both had their own family and lives, and though they relished each other's company, they were not attached to the hip as Katherine had kept claiming out loud to him. Honestly, it was not like she had never seen him without the Crown Prince before and yet she always gave him strange looks whenever the red-haired teen wasn't in the same vicinity as them. Or maybe... did his little sister finally became interested in the opposite sex...?

Before he could inwardly panic and cringe at the thought, he noticed something odd by the front gates. From the distance, he could recognize their household's burgundy and white maid uniform pacing near the entrance and it was only after through a process of elimination did he realize that it could either be his mother's entourage or his younger brother's own maid, Ms. Clarisse Baker. He knew that Katherine had already left early to visit one of her associates and his mother's own personal servants were more... flashy, to put it lightly, so that would leave...

He widened his strides towards the small, inconspicuous carriage, so unlike his own and his sister's lavished transportations, and the closer he moved to the gates, the more clearly he could see the anxiety in Clarisse's mannerisms.

Though her face remained a blank slate, both of her hands were clenched against her chest and her eyes looked suspiciously watery, which only made Edward move faster.

"Ms. Baker!" The eldest Rosetta called out to her, almost wincing how she immediately whipped her head around towards him in a neck-breaking speed. Before he could ask her about her presence and whether it had something to do with his brother, Clarisse stepped forward in a frantic impulse but couldn't move closer due to the magic barrier held at the gates.

"Young Master Edward!" She sounded relieved but very concerned. "I apologize for being forward, but is Young Master Thomas with you?"

He couldn't help but pause at the unexpected question. He had thought that maybe his careless little brother had left something in the academy and forced poor Ms. Baker to retrieve it for him even though there was no way for her to bypass the school's defense system. But that was what the old Thomas would have done, not that new Thomas. The new Thomas would never send his most beloved caretaker on a fool's errand-- he loved her as much as Xander had loved his mother.

Noticing his hesitation, Clarisse immediately became worried once again.

Before the maid could start pacing, Edward immediately asked, "Thomas never left the premises?"

"No," Clarisse choked out, raising her hands to her lips. "We waited for him for the last few hours, but he never appeared." We? Edward took a quick glance behind the maid to see the rough features of Mr. Sadik, who often drove his brother's carriage. He stood near the carriage and out of the driver's seat with a stern expression that looked both impatient and worried. With an intimidating build and large shoulders, he looked very menacing as he glowered at the gates as if he was thinking whether to force his way through. "I had hoped that the young master was with Young Master Edward..."

Earlier, she actually had stopped Young Miss Katherine as she was leaving with her acquaintances whether she had seen her younger brother, but the young girl gave her a strange look and carefully said no. She seemed apologetic as she entered her carriage, for some reason, but it didn't make Clarisse any less nervous for her young master's safety.

"I haven't seen him since lunch," Edward admitted before pursing his lips. By the end of lunchtime, his brother became tired once again and when they dropped him off back to his classroom, the young boy already laid his head on top of his desk. Surely, Thomas couldn't have been sleeping since then...

"Wait here. I'll see if Thomas is still in his classroom," Edward decided and the maid looked as if she would shed tears at his offer, but before he could turn around, he heard someone unwanted calling him out.

"Where have you been, Rosetta?" Edward froze as he heard three pairs of shoes approaching his position, echoing loudly on the empty walkway. It held a tone of arrogance and a flavor of cockiness within each step and the eldest Rosetta almost found himself groaning with aggravation and impatience as he realized the trouble coming towards his direction. "Running away?"

Edward nearly grimaced, easily recognizing the owner of the voice. He didn't even need to look at his so-called rival to know that Gallant had an irritably smug expression on his face. Nicole gave a rather unpleasant snicker as he came closer from behind the blond, and with the temperature in the atmosphere dropping nearly below freezing, the eldest Rosetta turned around to give his fellow nobleman a sardonic glance. "From what, Gallant?" he asked coolly, his ice-blue eyes sharper than normal.

Nicole's own green eyes glinted in a mocking fashion, subtly sneering at Edward's composure. "Have you forgotten? You have been invited to my estate. His Highness, the Crown Prince, is coming as well."

Edward's eyes flashed momentarily, narrowing to almost a glare but not quite as rude. "I recall that His Highness has made plans with the Queen."

"Yes, yes," Nicole admitted impatiently in a tone that implied many things about the eldest Rosetta's intelligence. "But my mother had made plans with the Queen long ago and they were supposed to have dinner with us today."

"...I see." If it wasn't for the fact that Edward had reluctantly accepted the invitation two days prior, he would have suspected the Gallant's to be holding his best friend hostage. With a grim but unwillingly polite smile, the blond nobleman then uttered, "Then please go on ahead. I will join you and your family later in the hour."

"That won't do. Mother expects us in 15 minutes," which was the travel time between the Gallant Estate and Evadne Academy, "And I told my father that you would be bringing me back."

The muscle near Edward's eyebrow twitched. "...You haven't asked and I haven't agreed." This was definitely the first time he had heard of it, but Nicole brazenly shrugged as if it wasn't a problem.

"I'm asking now." The air between them became impossibly colder and Edward forced himself not to clench his teeth as the obnoxious noble scoffed at his obvious irritation. "Surely, you won't leave me behind. What will His Highness think if he heard that his right-hand man is bullying his poor classmate?"

Edward had the urge to do something childish, like shoving a bucket full of ice down Nicole's shirt and watch the annoying snake squeal, but the eldest Rosetta cooled his temper and only curved his eyes at the insufferable brat. "Then I will have to ask you to wait in the carriage while I--"

"That won't do. Are you telling me to make my mother wait?"

Before Edward could reply back something inappropriately scathing, someone cleared their throat from behind him, reminding him of his audience and forcing him to swallow his words.

When he looked back at the servants, Clarisse had looked even more worried while Mr. Sadik looked ready to burst through the barrier and intervene. Next to him, Amir had one of his pleasantly professional but unreadable expressions and with a slight bow, he offered, "Young Master Edward, please allow this servant to search for Young Master Thomas. I will ensure his safety and help Ms. Baker escort him back to the estate."

Surprised by the Zafarian's forthcoming proposal, Edward hesitated on answering for a few seconds. Since Mr. Al-Amin's magical signature was recognized by the academy's barrier, it wasn't a problem for the butler to walk in and out of the school grounds. Mr. Hughes has already been waiting near his carriage, so it wasn't necessary for his other butler to accompany him to Gallant Estate. He still had some reservations though-- Mr. Al-Amin was not the type to volunteer extra services outside of what was generally expected for his job. Even though Amir excelled at his job and was highly skilled at any task given to him, he was not a generous man.

Regardless, Nicole had already made the decision for him. The green-eyed nobleman darkly sneered at the dark-skinned butler. "Wonderful! We're not fond of Zafarians in the first place-- why employ outsiders when we can give jobs to our citizens?"

"Gallant!" Edward immediately intervened, his tone sharp and indignant. "Watch your words!"

Unfazed by his rival's warning, the young Gallant heir only snorted. "I haven't said anything that isn't true." And before the eldest Rosetta could make a proper comeback, he strode passed Edward in a haughty manner and headed straight for the Rosettas' lavish carriage. Nicole's own servants, two Astrian born-and-bred butlers, followed closely and gave disdainful glances at the seemingly submissive Zafarian. Like their young master, they held very little regard for Zafaran and its people.

Edward's expression was as cold as the winters of Kaltesblut in the far north and as much he wanted to make Gallant wait out of spite, he had no choice but to accept his butler's offer. Unfortunately, he couldn't leave both His Highness and the Queen in the Gallants' care. He might even have to call his sister to deal with the mother and son pair. She was far more patient than him with underlying messages and snide remarks, though several times harsher and impactful with her criticism if the duo ever pushed too far. "When you find Thomas, tell him to expect a scolding and a lecture when I come back from dinner."

Though he was worried for his careless little brother, it wouldn't be surprising if the child did accidentally overslept-- never mind the fact that Thomas would not stay within Evadne Academy longer than he had to and had always left campus at the same time class day, which was probably why Clarisse was so frantically worried in the first place. Never mind that his brother was a creature of habit and had an uncanny internal alarm clock for certain times (mostly his nap times).

But Thomas' schedule had always been erratic and disorganized so he didn't let himself consider the situation dire.

"Understood, Young Master Edward," Amir replied and didn't move from his position until Edward reluctantly turned around and made his way towards the carriage with Mr. Hughes and the unwelcomed company awaiting his arrival.

As soon as Morgan closed the carriage door, allowing the carriage driver to start prompting the horse to move forward, Amir straightened up and briefly glanced at Clarisse and Mr. Sadik. The maid held no expression, but her hands were not clenched tightly together anymore.

"Thank you, Amir," the maid said grateful, her voice full of emotion though her face remained blank.

The butler only gave her a courtesy smile. "I will check his classroom and then some of the places the young master frequents."

Clarisse didn't even question why Amir was so knowledgeable about her young master's possible whereabouts and nodded anxiously in agreement. The butler then left and the maid watched his retreating back until she couldn't see him around the large trees.

The next fifteen minutes were agonizingly long and Clarisse didn't move from her spot near the barrier. Mr. Sadik was the same as well, staying near the carriage and the horses while staring ahead down the path towards the academy.

Eventually, they saw the familiar dark figure in the distance and both of them sighed in relief, but that sense of assurance didn't last long. As Amir moved closer, Clarisse immediately noticed something strange. The Zafarian had always held her young master tenderly (though the butler didn't seem to be aware of it), but the way he kept a hand on the back of her child's head and the way Young Master Thomas was practically cradled in his arms blared sirens in her mind.

Amir was walking unusual fast, his strides hasty and his dress-shoes clapped heavily against the brick pavement. The sharp sound echoed ominously in the air and by the time the Zafarian was close enough for them to see his face, his expression was direly blank.

Clarisse nearly threw herself against the barrier once she noticed how dead-like her young master seemed. The maid was very familiar with the child's sleeping posture and she could see the clear difference between his contentful slouch to this lifeless slump.

Though Amir's face was unreadable, his voice held a tinge of grimness. "Call the doctor."

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

Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed these last few carefree, fluffy, and easy-going chapters because it will be my goal to break all of your hearts and then stab the remaining pieces by chapter 16. *cackles* ꉂ (′ ॢꇴ ॢ‵๑))