I new life for a new problem

Chapter 36

'Paston... beach...old power...'

Cale woke up with these strange words echoing in his mind. 

He tried to sit up and as soon as he did, he heard a creak of wood and a loud voice.

"You! I swear...you..."

Cale looked at his brother in confusion, who had just shouted at him. The poor young master had begun to stir. He watched Basen critically, his clothes and hair disheveled and the bags under his eyes certainly didn't make him look any better. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. Which led him to ask another question.

"How long have I been unconscious?" His innocent question made Basen stop, but the young man gave him a peculiarly venomous look as if his simple question had been an insult.

"Too long." His response had a certain bite that made Cale frown in confusion. What had happened to make his brother like this?

Seeing the confusion evident on Cale's face, Basen resumed his walk, mumbling incomprehensible words.

Taking pity on their guardian, two kittens and a dragon appeared on the bed. Cale turned to them, the children understood his question.

"They had a fight." It was On who answered him. Hong had tried to speak as had the dragon, but the little girl had beaten them to it.

Cale waited patiently for her to continue.

"They kept bothering him, they were angry that you were hurt."

He didn't understand how his condition could have led to Basen's visibly stressed and overworked state.

"He was worried about you like the rest of us, but they held him responsible for everything."

No, no Cale hadn't planned this, he was the only one at fault in this story.

She continued unaware of her thoughts. "I didn't hear their names, but I'm pretty sure they said they were your friends."

He quickly realized that she was certainly talking about Amiru, but why "they"? Oh... Gilbert and Eric should be there too. They were the only people who could be called Cale Henituse's friends.

The three children and Cale watched as Basen finally calmed down and dropped into the chair beside his bed. Cale had just noticed.

Basen didn't even look at Cale as he sighed and rubbed his face. Finally, he folded his hands and looked intensely at Cale. The young master in question shrank before his eyes. "I take it you've figured out most of what's happened since 'your exit'."

Cale nodded, a little afraid of upsetting his brother further if he spoke.

"Well, that's good. Then I'll tell you the rest-" And Basen did, the young master's dark look deepening as the conversation progressed along with his current bad mood and agitation. He had risen again to survey the room. "I know you don't want to tell them your secret right now, but you're going to have to one day. Because if something like this happens again, I might go crazy and tell them everything myself. You can't at least tell Ron, he scares me..."

Cale would have liked to tell Basen that he was acting out of character at the moment and already seemed insane, but he wisely restrained himself. "I don't think that's a good idea...Ron-"

He hadn't had time to reject the proposal completely before Basen had reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders, his grip a little tight but he restrained himself from wincing. "Kim Rok Soo, it wasn't a request. You see, Amiru and your other two friends harassed me the first day, then gave up but Ron keeps glowering at me. It's been two days!" He sounded hysterical, but honestly, he couldn't take it anymore. The argument with the northeastern nobles had exhausted him, he'd only been able to get partial rest since then, and and Ron looked at him as if he were going to make him spit everything he knew, making him nervous. "I'll talk to him." Cale finally relented, to calm poor Basen down a little. Even the children had ended up looking at the young master with pity.

Cale swapped places with his brother and pushed him into the bed to rest. No sooner had his body touched the bed than he fell asleep. "Stay with him." The children nodded and Cale went outside.

As Basen had said, Ron seemed to be watching them. As soon as he opened the door, he met the butler's icy smile a far cry from his usual smile.