Chapter Text
It was his day off, so he decided to slack off at his apartment and read a novel that his old friend recommended to him.
He fell asleep after reading the five volume, and when he woke up, he find himself waking up inside unfamiliar luxurious room.
Kim Rok Soo's eyebrows twitches.
'Where am I?'
When he tried to move, he feel his body more lighter. It's odd. He raised his hand, just to saw a small and smooth hand.
What the fuck? How can his hand be this small and pretty? Is he still dreaming or something?
Kim Rok Soo jumped from the fluffy bed, running toward a big mirror.
'What the fuck? I don't know what happened, but, what the actual fuck??'
From the reflection of the mirror, he saw a red haired boy with fairy pale skin. His face, his appearance, is all different except for his reddish brown eyes.
'No, no, no. The most important part is, why am I inside a little boy's body?'
Right. Kim Rok Soo already a grown up man. 36 to be exact. He was just slacking at his day off then wake up in this weird strange place. Is God really hate him slacking so much?
"Ugh."
Suddenly, Kim Rok Soo felt a headache. He grab his hair, trying to lessen the pain. Unfortunately, his new weak-ass body lost balance and fell into the floor.
Bunch of memories pour inside Kim Rok Soo's head, played as a movie.
'Cale, Mom really sorry. Mom have to leave you.'
'This is Lady Violan. She's gonna be your new mother.'
'G-Greetings! My name is Basen. I-I hope we can get along ....'
'What a muddy blood doing in this estate? He should've know his place.'
'Cale! Why are you throwing things?! If you have any problem, please let me know.'
'Such a shame for the Count's family. Look at his step brother, he's more fitting to be the heir.'
'Trash.'
Drip.
A warm red liquid flow from his nose. Kim Rok Soo blinks. His head feel very heavy, and he found himself struggle just for breathing. He tried to stand but ended up fell, again.
'Wait what was that? Is that this body owner's memory?'
Clack.
"Young Master-nim, I heard weird voice from outside. Are you awake--"
Kim Rok Soo can see an old man with butler outfit opened the door. The old man froze. The next seconds, that old man rushed toward him with slightly shocked expression.
'Oh, he really good at control his expression.'
Sure, it was an useless thought at this kind of situation.
"Young Master-nim, what happen?"
The butler placed his palm on his forehead, then frowned.
"You have a fever. Let this Ron help you get to bed."
Ron easily carried the weak Young Master's body, putting aside the fact that he was old. Well, his puppy young master was really thin and light, even he doesn't need much effort to carry him.
Kim Rok Soo, no, Cale just stay silent when Ron helped him change his clothes and wiped his bloody nose. His mind is chaotic.
'I am really familiar with all those name inside this kid's memory. Cale Henituse, the trash of the count's family from novel called The Birth of Hero, the novel I read before I come here.'
Actually, Ron found that his puppy young master's behavior kinda odd.
'He's too quiet. I wonder is it because he feel pain?'
Sure this was not a bad thing. The usual loud and trashy young master obediently do as he say. Somehow, he looks like a cute little puppy.
The truth is, Cale was scared to death.
'According to the novel, this man, Ron Molan, was actually an assassin. He and his son, Beacrox, ran away from the Eastern Continent after his household destroyed. So scary. I better not messing around with him.'
Ron put a compress on Cale's forehead. He sweating so much, half because he was sick, and half because he was scared.
"I will come back with medicine and breakfast for you, Young Master-nim."
He say with a benign smile that makes Cale shivers.
'No, it's better if you just don't come back.'
After Ron excuse himself, Cale let out a deep sigh.
The now twelve years old boy organized his thought. He was now currently inside Cale Henituse's body, the first born of the Henituse household. His mother pass away after carriage incident. She was treated for a few days, but still died at the end.
The original Cale Henituse's father, Count Deruth, grieves for his dead wife at the point he neglected his son. Cale that day tried to comfort him, but what he got was just to let behind by his own father.
Years passed, and Deruth finally have a dinner with his son. The little Cale was so happy, but his smile sank when he saw a woman who came with a little boy, much younger than him. Then, Deruth announced their marriage, ask for Cale's approval.
That was the beginning of the original Cale trash behavior. It's not because he was angry at his father, it's not because his new stepmother either. He act like a trash for the sake of his new family. The other nobles refuse their presence. They even treated Basen as he was just a rat. That's why original Cale Henituse acted like trash, so that Basen can be accepted and be the successor instead of him.
The current Cale clicked his tongue.
'Deruth is such a fool father.'
After seeing all of original Cale's memory, Cale find out that the only thing original Cale wanted is just love and affection from his father, yet his father neglected him.
'It is not only him who is saddened by the loss of his wife. Doesn't he remember that he has a son?'
As a grown up man, Kim Rok Soo think that Deruth is wrong. No wonder original Cale lost his trust to his father.
'Cale Henituse sacrificed his happy life just for Basen and the Countess. If I were him, I will find another way so both of us can live a happy life. Oh wait, I already him. Well, rice already turn into porridge, being a trash is not that bad though. I will let Basen be the successor, then live a peaceful slacker life in the future.'
Cale nodded slightly at his own thoughts, smiled with satisfaction. Only for a second, before he groan because of the pain in his head.
'This damn weak-ass body ...!'
Ron entered the room with bottle full of weird looking liquid and bowl of hot soup. The old man give Cale a glass of water, before offering one spoon of soup.
Cale frowned.
"... I can eat myself."
"Young Master-nim, your body is so weak. Let this Ron help you eat, okay?"
The old boy shivers at his butler's benign smile.
'Vicious old man!'
But Cale just obediently eat without further protest. It's only five spoon, though.
"I'm full."
And he also doesn't has any appetite because of this old man. If only he eat it himself, maybe he can eat more.
Ron's face doesn't look happy when hear that.
"Young Master-nim, you should've eat more if you want to recover."
"But I'm full. I may throw up if I eat more."
Cale answer with a soar voice.
Ron sighed.
"I understand. Please drink the health potion before you rest, Young Master-nim. I already inform to the Count if you were sick."
"Okay, thank you."
Ron smiled benignly, although he internally surprised by his puppy young master sudden change of behavior. It's like he come back to his self when the late countess still alive. Polite and obedient.
Cale indeed feel tired because of his new weak body. So, he decided to sleep.
***
He wake up when he feel something warm on his cheek. Cale opened his eyes. He saw a woman with perfect bun hair. Her stoic face look surprised for a second. She suddenly pull back her hand from her stepson's cheek.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"
"No, it's okay--cough."
Cale cursed his throat. He already sleep a lot yet he didn't feel better even a little bit. It seems getting worse instead.
'What the fuck is wrong with this damn body?'
Violan quickly handed a glass of water to Cale. Cale tried to take the water, but his hand is too weak to grab it, make the glass slipped and fell from his hand. Fortunately, Violan managed to grab the glass before it fell to floor, but her dress get wet because of it.
Cale suddenly feel guilty. Somehow he know that noble usually hate when their outfit messed up. The fact that it takes a lot of time just for changing an outfit, except for night outfit.
"I'm sorry, Mother."
Violan flinched, makes Cale thinks if he say something wrong.
"... Um, Mother?"
"N-No, no, no. It's okay, Cale. You don't have to apologize."
Violan trying so hard to prevent her lips from twitching. She didn't expect, that the day when Cale call her mother has finally come.
She was happy. Really happy.
But she know that this is not the time for that. Right now, her dear stepson was sick. His health is more important than her feelings.
Violan pour another water. This time, she carefully help Cale to drink it.
"Thank you."
"Cale, are you hungry? You haven't eat lunch yet, right? Want to eat together with me?"
Cale thinking for a moment. If he eat with the countess, then that means he doesn't need Ron to feed him, right?
Cale let out a little smile, nodded. "That sounds wonderful, Mother."
And he really meant it.
He really doesn't want Ron to feed him. That makes his appetite fly away.
"Then, I will tell the servant to bring us food. I will back in a few minutes, dear."
Violan smile happily, caressed Cale's forehead before excuse herself.
Cale closed his eyes. It sure nice to have someone look after him. In his previous life as Kim Rok Soo, he always alone. His parents died at car accident, make him stay until middle school with his uncle.
His uncle was an alcoholic. If he was at a bad mood, he will throw bottle to Kim Rok Soo. With the help of his neighbors, Kim Rok Soo managed to escape from his uncle's life and live in the orphanage.
His life in orphanage is not bad. It was peaceful. Yes he doesn't has any close friends, but that's not really important though he still has good relationship with other. His classmates and other residents of the orphanage thought of him as just an acquaintance.
Why? Because everytime Kim Rok Soo close to someone, they'll leave him. Either transfered to other school or being adopted. He doesn't know why, but he tired of being left out. So he decided to not get too close with others.
In the other hand, Cale Henituse has a lot of peoples who actually cared for him. His stepmother, his new family, even his father still loves him.
Click.
Cale turned his head. He thought it was the countess, but what he saw was a little girl with faint tainted skin and curly hair. She flinched when they gaze met, then fidgeting her finger.
"Lily?"
Cale's stepsister, Lily. She just turned four years old this year. Why is she walking around without someone accompany her?
"Owa-O-Ola."
Lily's face frowned for some reasons. She then opened her mouth again.
"Owa-Orabuni!"
Her face look satisfied when she managed to say the 'r' part perfectly.
Cale chuckled at his cute stepsister, makes Lily smile more.
"Why are you just standing there? Come in."
Lily's face turn bright. She closed the door carefully, then rush into her elder brother's side.
"I heald that Owabuni is sick! Uh, I mean Olabu-Owa-uhh."
Cale let out a small smile, patted Lily's head.
"It's okay if you can't pronounce 'r' yet. No need to rush."
Lily blinks when Cale patted her head. Cale pull his hand back, but Lily grab it, placed Cale's hand back to his head.
'Owabuni's hand is so walm and soft!'
Cale little surprise by Lily's action, but he decided to continue caressing her head.
'I always thinking how it feels to have a siblings. It was really nice.'
"Owabuni's hand is so walm!"
"It's because I was having a fever, Lily. You can't stay too long and close to me. You can get sick too."
"Owabuni no need to wolly. I was stwong!"
Cale unconsciously pinch Lily's chubby cheek.
"How cute."
Lily smile widely, feel happy that his elder brother call her cute.
Click.
The door open again, featuring Violan with a maid bringin lunch. Looks like she already change her dress, it was pretty fast. She raised one of her eyebrow when she saw her daughter there.
"Lily? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with Emma right now?"
Lily pouted.
"But I want to meet Owabuni! Why is evelyone didn't let me see Owabuni? I am also wollied!"
"What if you catch a fever too?"
"No, I won't! I was stwong!!"
"Lily, listen to Mother, okay?"
This time, Lily fall silent. She stare at Cale with abandoned puppy face.
"B-But Lily want be hewe a little longel ...."
"Let's play after I got better. How's that?"
The little girl's eyes sparkling.
"Pwomise?"
"Promise."
"Then Owabuni must be healthy as fast as possible!!"
"Yes, yes."
Lily waved her hand, before exit the room with the maid that bring trolley of food.
Seeing her daughter and her stepson's interaction truly makes her hear warm. Violan take bowl full of soup from the trolley, slowly feeding Cale.
Cale managed to eat ten spoon this time. He internally nodded at himself, the reasons why he lost appetite this morning was definitely because of Ron.
While Violan look sad that Cale can't eat more. Well, she can't force him. He could throw up if forced.
After making sure Cale drink his medicine, Violan excuse herself because she still had a lot things to do. The woman can't wait to tell her husband about what happened today. From Cale calling her 'Mother', then letting her to take care of him.
Meanwhile, Lily busy flexing to Basen about Cale patted her head and call her cute, makes Basen frowned with envy.
The maid who come along with Violan tells the other maid about what she see. She tell how the sick young master was really soft around Lily and the Countess.
Then, the rumors about the trashy young master change began to spread.
And of course, Cale didn't know anything about this.
He was currently slacking around, just sleep and eat all day. Well, that doesn't mean he enjoy it. He like slacking, that obvious, but not when he feel headache and pain all over his body!