CHASE [Trash of the Count's Family Fanfic]

Chapter 12: Protect My Family

Cale felt groggy. It was a mixture of dizziness with a throbbing ache on his head. He could hear rustles around him, but he wasn't lying down on his bed like he would have thought once he woke up. The place he's lying down feels a bit too shaky and hard to be a bed. It's like a wood floating on a flowing river.

"mm" he groaned, wanting to touch his head to at least ease his headache, but he couldn't move his body too much because of the pain in his body that he didn't even notice as he was too focused on the dizziness and pain his head is giving him

"It's alright Cale, Nya! You're fine now" He heard a voice of a child, it was like coming from above him.

'What is a kid doing here? It's dangerous!' He wanted to open his eyes to look at the child and tell him to run away, but he was feeling too weak to even do anything. 

"That's right Cale. Just go back to sleep nya!" Another child said, now it's not a boy's voice but a girl's. 

'Seriously, what are kids doing here?' 

He wanted to try moving and opening his eyes, but his body is betraying him, and is slowly falling asleep. 

And again, waking up hearing different muffled voices is really not something he likes, so imagine having a headache that feels like it's splitting your head apart while hearing loud panicked voices from every direction.

"ugh" he groaned in annoyance since he can't do much but voice his agitation in such a way. 

He felt a light tap and a sudden warmth on his stomach. He doesn't know what it was or who it was, but it was warm and comfortable so he just let it be. 

"Cale, it's alright now, you're here" He heard a familiar voice that's comforting him and patting his head gently as if trying to ease his pain but also trying not to hurt his wound

After that, he heard another set of incoherent mumbles and rustles around him again. But the most noticeable thing that he can feel is the comfortable warmth that's nuzzling itself further above his stomach. 

It's warm... Mom...

He suddenly saw a picture in his mind, it was a red-haired woman, hugging him on his stomach, just like how he usually hugged her when he was a child. I'm hallucinating, she's dead

And once again, he drifted to sleep while still being a princess carried by a vicious chef and being taken care of by a vicious butler.

It's been a day and a half since Cale had fallen unconscious, and within those days, the rumored cats that he has taken in had never left his side, as well as the big firefly.

Since then, all the nobles are being investigated and the most suspicious ones are the ones from the Tolz and Stan household, but since no proof has been found, there's nothing they can do but stay suspicious of them.

"Huband" Violan called out to her almost half-dead husband

"Yes, wife?" Deruth weakly responded to his wife who have a concerned look on her face

"Get some rest. You can continue the investigation once you've taken a proper amount of sleep and consumed enough food" Violan said, taking the papers away from Deruth and putting them down on the corner of the desk

"I... can't do that. Cale was inside our territory. Our home. And yet..." Deruth held his head, feeling guilty for not being able to protect his son properly.

(Note: I don't want to hate Deruth in my fanfics but that doesn't mean that I'm siding with him. What he did deserves a big slap from Jour/Drew, although I do want to slap him too, but I will not do that.)

"Calm down, no one expected something like this to happen. Cale is here now, so let's focus on making sure that something like this won't happen again" Violan said as she pats Deruth's tense shoulder

"Go and get some rest, I'll tighten the security and lead the investigation" Violan continued. Violan is not naive nor innocent about things like this, she knows what she needs to do and what she has to do. Knowing who the culprit is important too, but her first priorities are the children's safety and well-being

"... Alright" Deruth did not want to argue as he knows how well Violan can do her job.

"Good, we can't have you looking like a monster once Cale wakes up" Violan teased while patting Deurth's shoulder

"haa, yes yes, I won't look like a haggard monster once I get some rest. Make sure that you and the kids rest properly as well" Deruth said before pulling Violan to a hug and a kiss on her forehead

"The kids are already having their afternoon nap so don't worry about them" Violan smiled at him and pushed him out the door gently

"now go"

"yes, take care"

Violan sighed and sat on the couch that was inside her husband's office, remembering the conversation she and her son, Basen, had.

'Basen said that Cale might've known... It's obvious that Basen was supposed to be the one who was going to get taken since the kidnapping and the fight happened in Basen's room. But for things to happen like this...'

The person who was responsible for the security for that event that day was her, it was her fault that the security was lax. Thus, the one who should be blamed was her and only her. It's my fault

"Tolz and Stan. We can't focus on just those two households." She stood up and looked at all the files that has been scattered on Deruth's desk. She took one that was regarding the security of the Rain City

"Tighten the security in both the mansion and other territories. Prepare a different group to investigate the Stans and the Tolzs." She said to herself, organizing all the things she have to do in her head

"Renzo" She called out the servant that was waiting outside

"Yes, Countess?" Renzo, one of the knights that were assigned in protecting Vilan, answered

"take five of your men and investigate the Stan and Tolz. And tell the Captain to tighten the security, put checkpoints and make sure that three to five knights patrol their areas every three minutes. Tell them to patrol other areas like 'the forest' as well." Violan gave her orders to her assigned knight before looking up to look at him as she was still looking at the paper she was holding.

"But Countess, I'm assigned to protect you" The Knight said, concern and worry painted on his face. A knight cannot just replace their duty with another when there's danger lingering around the corner. 

"I will assign Vice Captain Hilsman as my escort till the day you come back" She said which made the Knight sigh in relief

"Yes, then I receive the Countess's orders" The knight bowed, finally leaving the office.

Violan sighed and clasped her hands tight together. She then heaved a deep sigh before looking outside the window.

"Hurting a member of my family is not something you can get away with. I'll make sure of it." She said before going back to her work.

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Strong mama Violan? Yes please <3

Next chapter: Special Chapter! 

YAY