Finding

(31) Hidden Cards

Tord knew that he may have gotten softer since his return. That said, that doesn't put out the fact that he still is who he was.

That he was still a monster and he was the Red Leader.

He had already killed millions of people before and ruthlessly dispatched the rest if his enemies. He ruled over an empire and brought unadulterated fear to the world. He can't just let some dumb fuck random bastards take away something that was his.

True, he might have been blind in his first life and pushed away his father. But Claude was his.

Claude was his father. His sire.

He should be the one to decide on when the older man would die. Not those envious good for nothing idiots.

Which was why, Tord decided that it would probably better now if he makes up his oversight with the preparations he had done in the post.

Those twenty-seven years weren't just about changing his friends starting points. Those twenty-seven years had also become the time for him to set up his own independent force that would obediently follow him no matter what. That, as much as he had already had the Red Army in the future, this other group of his could be of an assurance to him.

They could be source of power right now.

So, ignoring the fact that his father's currently hired servants were watching him, Tord slammed the door of his father's office shut and contacted his followers via Claude's computer. He contacted them to know that the radio silence was now to end and inform them where he was and what were their new orders.

And not long, he received their reply.

It looked like help was now coming their way.

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Claude knew that his child was different.

The boy already told him so with his past as an experiment and all. But that doesn't put out the fact that Claude feels like his child was hiding something from him.

The boy was bloody four-fucking-years-old and yet for all the twenty-eight- years of him; Claude feels like his own son knows more than him. Those now gem like green eyes of his would sometimes look at him as if he were some specimen that was to be thoroughly examined. But soon enough, the piercing look would change to that of a child's that had Claude sometimes wondering if he was close to slipping insanity.

Putting those things aside, Claude looked at calendar in front of his face and frowned to find it November 15, 2006. It had already been five months since he had acquired the boy and now moved in with him to a manor he had in Norway. So far, those from the main family had now decided to back off considering the carnage that he had left but that still doesn't stop Claude from worrying if another attack would happen.

But what's worse is that Claude knows that they're now targeting his son.

After all, based from the type of attacks that they were going with his child had become something that was quite rather high on their hit list. Proof of it was that they called not only him but also the boy as an abomination that shouldn't be allowed into existence. That, and they continuously attacked the kid even if it meant it would end up harming themselves. They were pretty much keen on being a suicide squad of sorts with the whole matter that it definitely pissed Claude off since the only problem the boy had was that he was his son.

So yeah, Claude was still stewing with this annoying information that he had when he suddenly receives an invitation to attend a ball hosted by the head of Crescent Moon Industries. Which in turn had him wondering why one of the top Pharmaceutical companies in the world was willing to interact with him when his line of business that of military weapons production.

Were these people in cahoots with his family? But then again, the blond knew that the main clan weren't the type to just mingle with people who had none of the magic lines. Heck, his family were pretty much magic supremacists so interacting with such a group would be pretty much below them unless the benefits they held were enough to put such things aside.

Sighing at where he's thoughts were bringing him, Claude pinched the bridge of nose and wondered if it was really okay to attend the ball with his son.

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It was just as he expected.

Tord knew his father would at a point bring him along to the Ball his followers had arranged. After all, Tord had played his cards well of being a very curious child who was interested on what went on parties and reasoned out how children were also invited.

So, here was now.

He was wearing a cute pink dress that was laced with dark red ribbons and red doll shoes as he was being carried by his father in some grand hotel in Oslo. He was donning on a female get up since.... Well, call it pathetic, but Tord just found it in himself he actually likes not only dressing up as a girl but being treated as one too. That being called as 'daughter' was making him happier than being referred to as a 'son' and being called 'princess' was also getting it going too.

Pushing the issue of his sudden identity crisis aside, Tord knew that this new discovery of his needed some professional help later on. But right now, all he knew was that he still liked to be a guy and would never even want his sex changed. The whole 'daughter' and girl thing was new preference he was coming to understand but have no interest of making it real to the extent of changing his sex. He would still pretty much like to be known to many as a boy, have a dick and later on be known as 'Red Leader' and then 'Emperor.'

And yeah, he was about to meet his followers so he might also be interested wanting to getting them off guard. So, shaking off the rest of his thoughts, Tord now focused on what's about to happen in this Ball.

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Author's Notes:

Okay, there might be questions.

Why is Tord willing to continue in wearing dresses and be treated like Claude's "daughter" instead of a "son"?

Well, it was mentioned here and would be again mentioned in future chapters how Tord in the 2nd timeline was now liking dressing up as a girl and liked being treated as a daughter because it was kind of a coping mechanism for him. I mean, with his previous timeline, he was a terrible "son" to his father and due to it the blond died early.

Now, the change in dress and character served as a reminder for him to be better and was a way for him to distance and distinguish himself from his past.

Nonetheless, it wasn't like he really wanted to be a girl. It was just that something in his psyche got messed up that one of the ways his mind used in dealing with his past baggage was this way.

Anyway, sorry for rambling. It'll be mentioned in future chapters that Tord would end up seeking professional help and that he only dresses and acts as a girl in front of his father, the Crescent Moon and a few select others.