𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐃 | tcf x wmmap

six

Content Warning: This chapter contains strong language that may be offensive to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

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Cale was starting to get really irritated.

A prince, yes, a fucking prince, was lounging around their house—his current body's house—as if it were his personal palace. And by "prince," he meant Claude, who seemed to find it entirely acceptable to ignore his royal duties and make himself at home.

"Claude, what on earth are you doing here again?" Felix asked, clearly exasperated.

Cale was actually impressed by Felix’s nerve. It took a special kind of bravery—or sheer stupidity—to talk to Claude like that. Clearly, they were pretty tight.

'So, they were actually friends, huh?'

Claude didn’t bother looking up from his book, completely indifferent to Felix’s frustration.

Felix turned his attention to Cale, who was barely six months old and already getting fed up. "His Highness is here again. Isn’t his face just so annoying?"

"He may seem aloof, but he actually likes it here." Felix whispered, darting glances between Cale and the lounging prince as if he were afraid of being overheard.

Cale, in his tiny, chubby body, was beginning to lose patience with all the chatter. Was this part of the Robane family’s so-called education? It was beyond annoying.

"Felix..." Claude drawled, his jewelled blue eyes piercing through the red head with a bored, dismissive expression. "I can hear your absurd notions from here."

Felix flinched, pulling Cale closer to his chest as if the baby could somehow protect him from Claude’s icy glare. "Eek! Save me, Cale!"

'Seriously? I’m just a baby. How in the world am I supposed to save anyone?'

Claude snorted, his lip curling in disdain. "An infant? You think this drooling, helpless little creature can protect you? How utterly laughable."

Cale had to admit, Claude had a point. It was rich coming from someone with a superiority complex as big as his, but still.

Felix, showing surprising courage, peeked out from behind Cale’s soft, round form and met Claude’s scornful stare with a bold expression. "Don’t be so quick to dismiss him."

Felix adjusted Cale in his arms and stood a bit straighter, as if he were about to face down a dragon. "You never know. Cale might just surprise you."

'Surprise them? Truly, Felix must be delusional. I was just a useless trash. How could I ever hope to be of any use, let alone surprise anyone? This was no protagonist story where the weak child blossoms into a powerful hero.'

Claude raised a single, elegant brow, a flicker of intrigue in his eyes. "Oh? And how, pray tell, is this six-month-old infant going to save you?"

Felix glanced down at Cale, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, he may be small and helpless-looking now, but Cale for some reason... I don't know, there's a spark about him."

Felix gently stroked the baby's soft cheek. "Call it a hunch, but I can't help it."

'A spark?' Cale inwardly scoffed. 'Any "spark" Felix sees is surely just his own misguided imagination.'

Claude's arms remained firmly crossed over his chest. "A spark?"

"Felix, I fail to see the heroic potential in a drooling, fragile creature that can barely hold its own head up."

'That bastard is right.' Cale admitted to himself.

Felix's brow furrowed slightly. "I know it's hard to imagine now, but I truly believe Cale could grow up to be someone special. Maybe even a hero." The conviction in Felix's voice was unmistakable as he gazed down at the baby in his arms.

Claude rolled his eyes, a derisive snort escaping his lips. "Hmph, I've heard that tune before, Felix. Idealism rarely survives the harsh realities we face in this world."

He shook his head, his expression one of condescending pity. "You would do well to abandon such naive notions and face the truth-that infant is nothing more than a liability, a weakness to be exploited."

Cale gazed up at Felix, his brow furrowing slightly. While he appreciated Felix's faith, he couldn't help but agree with Claude's assessment. Cale knew his own limitations all too well he was no hero, no saviour.

That was Choi Han's role, not his.

He was just as helpless and dependent on others.

How could he possibly protect anyone, let alone the capable Felix? The idea was laughable.

Cale was well-acquainted with the harsh realities of the world, having lived through it before. Idealism and dreams of grandeur were luxuries he could ill afford.

Choi Han is the true hero, the one who saves the weak and powerless.

He can never be a hero like him.

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Random Question: What animal best represents Cale's character?