Third POV

Edgar crossed his arms, grit his teeth and wait impatiently for Drake's answer. "So..!?" he asked, annoyed.

Drake scratch the back of his neck. "Can you at least drop your attitude in front of your mother?" he asked, slightly irritated, indicating that they're standing infront of Calista's portrait.

Edgar widen his eyes in realisation and glance at the picture of his late mother. His irritated glare and annoyance all gone as soon as he look at her face. "..I-I just wanted to know if she really commit suicide. Dad would start to ignore me or Ray like a plague if we started any conversation about my mother and you knew that very well." he explained, sigh escaped his mouth.

"Uncle Xander willingly to tell it but dad always keep his mouth shut."

Drake paused for a while as he look at Edgar. There's a hint of sadness and guilt plastered all over Drake's eyes. "...Just go back to your study." Drake said, completely obvious that he just changed the subject.

Edgar narrow his eyes at Drake irritatingly and start to run his hand through his hair roughly. "Seriously!? The fuck is wrong with you people!?" Edgar shouted angrily. "Is it a taboo to talk about my own mom or something!? I don't even have the slightest memories of her!"

That's right. She passed away when Edgar was only three months old after he was born and barely remember about her.

"...Can you just... accept her death like your younger twin brother?" Drake asked with a tired sigh.

Edgar frowned and crossed his arms. "I'm sure 100% that Ray also wanted to know about his own mother!"

"At least he could maintain his patience and act rationally unlike someone." Drake facepalm, getting tired of this conversation as he knew where this would go.

This isn't the first time he had this conversation with Edgar because Edgar always pushing him to answer his questions.

Edgar turned his head towards Calista picture. "...then, can you at least tell me one of her personality aside telling me that she... loves me....?" he asked desperately.

Drake sigh and think that at least he could say the characteristic of her a bit.

"Your mother was too forgiving. She was a kind Empress and she was smart as well intelligent managing the Empire. That's all."

Edgar frown at his answer. "...that's a fucking short answer." he cursed under his breath frustratingly.

"Mind your language." the familiar voice sends shiver down his spine as he turned his head to be greeted by none other than his own father, Emperor Axelion de Eclat.

His stare intimidates Edgar to no end, resulting Edgar to avoid eyes contact when he talks to his father.

"I don't want to hear you blabber as you please." he said while looking at Edgar as Edgar find his feet more interesting than to meet with his father's eyes.

Edgar nodded slightly as an answer.

The Emperor raised his eyebrow. "I can't hear your nodding." He said, indirectly telling Edgar to use verbal answers.

Edgar gulp as he lift his head to be greeted by his father violet cold eyes. "Y-yes." he replied briefly.

The Emperor sigh at his attitude but something more interesting catches his eyes and his eyes widen.

Yes.

The portrait of his late wife.

Empress Calista de Eclat. She smiled warmly towards anyone who look at the picture. She looked highly respectable and intelligent, but at the same time, she look caring and kind.

Axelion knew if he tells the whole story to his son, Edgar would likely go on rampage about it and start to blame himself or his younger twin or even everyone. Well, it wouldn't be a surprise since he's always throwing tantrums.

Axelion look at the picture of his wife with the hint of longing and affection. Axelion sigh as he walk towards Edgar and slightly pat his head.

He couldn't hide it forever so he slips out a slight of truth from his mouth,

"...she didn't."

"..huh?" Edgar raised his brow.

"No matter how she died, the truth that she's alive and live within you it's the truth." he said making Edgar's eyes widen.

"...She's a strong mother."

-

"...what was my mother like?" Ray asked while looking at the familiar mansion infront of him.

The same as Edgar, three months after Ray's birth, she passed away and he never knew the feeling of having a mother.

The Tresor Dukedom. He is the current heir to the dukedom.

Brandon sign at Ray's question that he almost heard it every second of his life. "Like I said, she's a nice lady and a great Empress." he answered.

"You answer the same answer for almost 47,643 times." Ray said sceptically making Brandon widen his eyes.

"You really count that!?" Brandon shouted in disbelief. "Oh god... I can't believe you're her child." Brandon facepalm.

"You just have to believe it." a familiar voice said behind Brandon's back making him turn his way to be greeted by Xander.

"Uncle Xander?" Ray asked while raising his brow.

"Yo lil boy." Xander said while patting his head making it a mess.

"I'm not a child..." Ray murmured under his breath as Xander chuckled.

"I want to know. I want to know how she died."

Xander and Brandon's eyes widen as they share a knowing look at Ray's sudden outburst as Brandon shake his head towards Xander, mouthing him 'no'.

"Well, let me tell you in a simpler way a 10 years old would understand."

"I'm not a 10 years old."

"Yeah yeah." Xander laugh playfully and look at Ray. Xander grin as he look at Ray. "Once upon a time after a woman give birth to twins, she was very happy. She even neglect her work to take care of her of the twins while their father work hard for their family. But you know what happened to the family?"

"Xander!" Brandon shouted slightly, telling him to stop.

"What?"

But Xander didn't buy it as his eyes darkened. "A fucking monster break the family within a night."

"...who...!?"

"Uh, uh, uh. It's a child story. It's a monster and not a person."

"I'm a 16 years old. I could easily understood what you're saying." Ray rolled his eyes in annoyance. Even if has great patience, he has the slightest anger issues.

"I just view you as a 10 years old then. Now, back to the story. They went to work at some tower for three days."

"Eclat Tower!? That's where mom died!"

"Why are you always imagine it as if it's your own story? It's a child story." Xander said as Ray frown but signing Xander to continue. "The second day at night, the father was busy with his work as he went to some country. The mother was busy as well with her work. They didn't notice that the monster was targeting the baby twins already inside the tower." at the last statement, Ray's eyes widen.

"The mother notice strange noises in one of the twin's room room."

Ray head snapped his head towards Xander. "Which twin!? The older or the younger!?"

Xander look at him with a sympathetically smile but he quickly cover it. "Geez, it's just a silly story, not real."

Brandon sweat drop at Xander's statement, knowing that it's real enough to make Ray believe the story.

"....What happened after that?"

"The mother walk into one of the twins room to be greeted by that crazy hypocrite monster, holding her baby child. She was furious, she got no time to be scared and she fight the monster head on. When she grasp the baby, she ran away. She didn't notice that she keep walking up the tower because on the way down, every door was locked."

"What about the Knights!?"

"The tower doesn't have any knights. You could say it's a scared tower." Xander joked much to Ray's dismay.

"Knowing that the monster had planned to kill the child, she made the most un-logical plan and the most tragic one." there's a slight guilt on Xander's voice as that caught Ray's attention.

" ..what... is.. it?" Ray asked hesitantly.

"...If you didn't count it as dangerous, her plan was perfect. She hide her child somewhere and use a fabric that makes her carrying the child and it fooled the monster. Without further notice and before the man could kill the two of them, the mother jump off from the tower. With that, the monster thought the two of them are dead and satisfied with it. But the truth is, the baby survived because she hides him. End." Xander said slightly making Ray widen his eyes.

"....Who!? Me or Edgar!?"

"Whoa, easy there. It's just a story. Why did it sounded like I was talking about your family?" Xander chuckled but it irritates Ray more.

"...who is it...?" he asked, while clenching his fist.

Guilt all over his expression.

He thought it's either him or Edgar who pushed their mother to kill herself in exchange for saving them.

If she didn't kill herself, one of the twins would be dead by now along with their mother.

Maybe Xander doesn't tell the whole truth and only explain it in a simpler way he could understand. But Ray can understand that the mother was in a tight situation and no one could help her.

Of course she would choose to give up her life instead the two of them died there and make it like she really jump with the baby because of the fabric.

Ray pity the father. It would be more logical if the father hates the twins but he didn't and he loves them.

"...what happen to the father...?"

"...just so you know that he's strong enough and act rationally unlike your older twin who can only throw tantrums." Xander chuckled.

Ray only stood there with a blank expression while asking himself...

"How the father feels after his wife's death?"

"How much he restrain himself and grow stronger everyday?"

Maybe that's the reason why their father become so cold and intimidating.

He just doesn't want his sons to grow weak, that's why he gave them a silent affection.

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A/n

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