Side Chapter: Family or Him? (III).

Lucas held the picture in his hands as it trembled. His mind raced into several questions.

For how long? When did they even-? His big brother likes... guys?!

How come he never noticed?

"What the hell..." (Lucas) looks at the film seeing the two figure's happy looking faces as they hold each other looking so lovingly. He blinks a few more times at the picture, seeing his brother's smile before realizing- "He looks happy here." he mutters to himself, putting the camera back into the table, looking untouched.

He thinks for a bit on what he'll do next with the picture in hand. He could keep it, save it for another time and blackmail his elder brother with it to get what he wants or- he could just give it to his father right away.

When he wanted to see his father's proud face towards him, he imagined Viscount Lenois' hands patting his back and telling him how much of a good job he did for the family for ratting out his older brother's little dirty secret but- "Lenard really... has it good."

Lucas thought of himself of how much his older brother have everything, the smarts, the charm, someone willing to love him, and their father's approval.

Many voices rang in his head right after, it all told him the same things that taunted him till dawn. Insecurities over flooding, he wanted to hurt something- anything he wanted to break something to feel better about himself- he saw the little plot he was planning to let it live but he decided he changed his mind.

If his brother gets everything that he wanted- why should he hide this little piece of information that could take everything away from him?

"He doesn't deserve... any of it." He angrily threw Lenard's pet plan into the ground.

Crash!

The pot broke and shattered into pieces, he hurriedly walked over to the door, opening it slamming it into the wall and ran like crazy. The thrill of finding something to wrong your sibling never left him, he felt the excitement running through his head.

His brother's gay- and that's just the thing that will destroy him.

He felt thankful for the chance, just by that random window in his brother's room coincidentally he looked outside feeling relaxed with using the new kamera on those two... perhaps after Lenard gets his punishment he can ask his father if he can keep it.

He stops running, hair messy and clothes wrinkled from running, a bead of sweat runs through his forehead and he wipes it off.

"Father! Father! Father!" Each time he called his father, a knock followed. It rang through his father's study and the Viscount who was having a smoke inside heard his idiotic son with no credentials yelling at the door.

He sighs rubbing the side of his temples, wondering what is it this time?

"Lucas... you can come in, son." (Viscount Lenois) says, tapping the tobacco pipe into the side of his table. He doesn't like to smoke when he's in front of his children fearing that they'll pick up on the habit as well.

Lucas was waiting for the exact moment and opened the door.

"Father you will not believe what I have found-" (Lucas) yells running over excitedly holding the picture in his hands but Viscount Lenois didn't look too amused.

"A nobleman... does not act like a child." (Viscount Lenois) slams his finger into the table looking seriously at his son with no utter decorum at all.

"Fix yourself, Lucas Yulien. I want that attitude fixed right now." The Viscount tells his son to act like his age, and Lucas understood immediately what he meant.

The whole ordeal and dirt he found made his adrenaline go up so he couldn't help himself from acting like that. Lucas swallowed the lump forming on his throat, fixing his posture and made sure he used the right tone of voice. "Y-Yes Father, apologies- I just wanted to give you something that might be worth your time looking over-" (Lucas)

"Is this something about your knightly duties once more?" (Viscount Lenois) cuts him off, not feeling like it to hear some of his son's adventures of protecting the kingdom. What he wants is profound research, magic, and something worth the time to give.

"Oh no. It's something way better than that, Father." He takes the photo from before and holds it out, offering it to the Viscount who raises his brows slightly not expecting anything from the youngest son.

"What is this?" He asks Lucas as he takes the photo suspiciously.

"Flip it over, Father." (Lucas) grinned feeling like he can already taste the victory upon this moment. The Viscount does not trust Lucas one bit, but after seeing the photo he immediately grimaced.

"..."

He was utterly speechless and looked over it once more. He saw his son kissing one of his most trusted servants, he didn't want to see it. It was something so unnatural for him he didn't know how to respond.historical

"You know how much I detest any form of pranks, son. I thought we already made that clear." He takes the picture and puts it over the table calmly trying to observe the situation at hand.

He can't be too hasty- he knows his son and he's... not... this kind of person- right?

"I am willing to give you a chance to explain yourself, Lucas. If I found out you're only doing this to set up your brother, a punishment will be in order." (Viscount Lenois)

Lucas trembled at the thought, but he grew more confident remembering that he certainly did nothing wrong this time! It was all his brother's fault- kissing another man like that- how weird and disgusting!

"Father I saw one of my brother's little toys called a kamera, I was testing it out and took a picture of them outside late at night-" He tells the Viscount who takes the photo looking at it more closely, there was no kind of quality art that could replicate this.

And he has certainly heard of kamera devices roaming around the kingdom. How did Lenard come across such a rare device like this? Not even high ranking nobility can come in contact with such-!

"Do you know where he got this kamera?" (Viscount Lenois)

"I only found it in his study father... I don't know anything more about it other than how to use it." (Lucas) explained some more on his side and his father looked at him like he was useless to talk to. It would be better to find the source, instead of asking from a witnesses' perspective.

He breathes out slowly, his eyes staring into the further distance of the room feeling tired.

"I'll have a little talk... call Ellis Regan. Let's see... how he'll try to get out on this one."

.-.-.-.-.

Meanwhile...

The two figures who decided to run away after the dinner- decided to find a place where they would be alone.

The servant noticed how his lover and master was frowning the whole time.

"Lenard, Honey is everything alright? That frown hasn't left your face since the start of it." (Ellis) asks the timid boy in front of him while holding his hands reassuringly.

"The dinner... L-Lucas was staring daggers at me the whole time we were eating, it made me a bit uncomfortable and I couldn't really eat." he replies holding his stomach. The atmosphere from their family dinner was so heavy that he couldn't concentrate on his plate.

Ellis' eyes darkened remembering the time how he just stood still while doing nothing to protect his man... he wanted to tell them to buzz off and list all the wonderful things Lenard has done for this family. "After all this time, I never understand how the Countess- your mother of all people would prefer your brother over you." (Ellis)

Lenard laughs softly wondering, why indeed does she hate him so much?

"T-This is something I've heard over the years... my mother... She also had an older sister. Kein's mom- I think mother's parents... were too focused on their eldest.. that they forgot they had another daughter wanting attention and love." (Lenard) explains full of understanding, it's like he doesn't blame her mother for all the treatment he has been receiving because he understands.

"S-So... I think that's why he spoils Lucas a lot. She doesn't want to have him growing up without love like she did and I don't mind it." he continues in understanding. He only heard this from the stories of the old servants that served his mother.

Countess Haren... had a much sadder past.

Ellis didn't like Lenard's answer, not one bit. It wasn't a good enough reason to humiliate him over dinner- and scold him when he did nothing wrong. "Still... I get that but- does she have to.. yell at you sometimes? Call you horrible things? It's not right. Whether you're the eldest or the youngest- children are children." he angrily tells him.

Ellis has dreamed of being a parent for so long... and he has watched many others just... raise them with no clarity and even abuse them. Whenever he looks at Lenard, he sees that part of it every time.

"Thank you for being angry for me, Ellis... I like the way you hold me, your hands are warm and it's safe." (Lenard) tells him with a smile, looking around the darkness, pulling his servant up close, their lips touching for a kiss. It was something they did for almost a thousand times, the fluttering in their heart never left even after all these years.

Flash!

It was the sound and light gathering to the kamera, and both of these boys didn't know what was happening. "!!!" Both of them became alert and looked at the direction where it came from, heart pounding fearing that they'd been found out.

Ellis was the first one to react, glaring at the direction he quickly took Lenard's hands and ran into a safe place inside the estate hoping that was just a random flash of light- but where could it come from?

"W-What... was that? E-Ellis..." (Lenard) looks up at him and he was wearing an expression of fear. Ellis was speechless for a second not knowing what to tell Lenard because he doesn't know what it was either but he wanted to reassure his lover that it's safe.

"Lenard- it's alright. I'm sure it's nothing. Just a random flash of light going through our direction." (Ellis) holds his shoulder softly and hugs him. "Really?" The blonde boy asks softly, hugging him back.

A random flash of light... Ellis could only hope it was.

...

"So Ellis... Regan... I have tasked you with taking care of my son. Right?" (Viscount Lenois) had him seated in front of his table and asked him.

Ellis was just coming back from his duties the morning right after the random light that caught them last night. He was surprised when suddenly he was cornered by Lenard's father one morning and asked him to go with him to the office.

He never let his guard down and stood straight facing Lenard's father. Making sure his expression never wavered. "Yes you have, master." he answers.

"Why is it... that you seem to be taking care of him... too much?" (Viscount Lenois) asks the boy who acts like he knows nothing but deep inside, his heart has been beating so fast that sweat started forming on his hands under the glove.

"Too much... I have only been doing what I have been tasked." (Ellis) responded, trying to figure out what was his objective- surely it's not to just call him asking about Lenard's condition and his services to him.

The Viscount takes a hold of his shoulders leaning into him. "I." he starts off, and the hold on his body starts to get stronger to the point that Ellis could feel the ill intent on this man. "Did not ask you."

"To form any romantic relationship with my son, Regan." (Viscount Lenois) calls him by his last name and punches his face before landing a kick to the stomach.

"Urgh!" (Ellis) fell onto the floor coughing, he was on his knees holding his stomach, and glaring daggers at Lenard's father. "Hah..." he breathes out slowly but then-

"Tell me..." (Viscount Lenois) presses his feet at the back of Ellis' head before stomping on it once more. Bruises formed on the young man's face while he grit his teeth to endure the pain.

"Grrr..." (Ellis) wanted to rush at him, hold him and even punch him back as well- but when Lenard's face came to mind- he just couldn't do it. Lenard would be sad if he knew his lover punched the father he admired. "Ungh..."

In the end he tried enduring it all. Anything that was important, he would consider it important for him as well. Even if that would cost him his own life.