Crimson Eyes

Chapter 32

Countess Violan gently brushed Lily's hair off her face with her finger tips. She had fallen asleep while crying after hearing the news.

She couldn't believe it either, Cale had never murdered someone that's why when the news came that her stepson had slaughtered the terrorists and sent their heads flying she didn't believed it. What's worse was that he was now said to be one of those terrorists who just acted to assassinate Venion Stan and the King.

She stared at her daughter's sad face.

When he met Deruth, it was 3 months after his wife died and his only son Cale went missing and was suspected to be dead. He was suffering so much from his lost. He had no one left. It was the same for Violan.

She divorced her noble husband as she discovered him raising a hand on Basen. She doesn't think much of nobles, considering them to be pretentious after that, but after she met Count Deruth on a rainy day, he was looking as if everything in his life just crashed.

They got married after 2 months. Many people opposed that sudden marriage saying that she just wants a higher status and just using the grieving of the Count to get advantage. But she proved them wrong as she managed the Henituse territory's cultural business operations.

She helped Deruth with the Henituse Territory issues and loved him with all her heart and he did too.

She was there when Deruth couldn't take the pain of loosing his family one after another. He blamed himself for everything that had happened to his family.

It pained Violan to see the man who had saved her and her son's soul from darkness break down in her arms.

When Deruth couldn't work, she handled all the affairs with the help of Hans. The butler seemed to have sensed the sincerity of her actions told her a story.

"Before Countess Jour died, Young Master Cale begged Count Deruth to find her. He said that something wasn't right, but his father ignored him. Then after that, they found her body with clothes barely covering her and all her jeweleries gone. The Young Master was too young to see everything, but at that time the Count was too vulnerable. He accepted everything and didn't even cried on the funeral."

Violan was at lost of words.

Hans smiled at her with sadness. "However, I saw him at the garden holding a white rose tightly on his hands that it started to bleed. He was crying all alone. I wanted to comfort the young master but I'm just a butler who doesn't know the feelings of a child. Then it rained. The gods must've pitied Cale so they showed their sympathy by hiding Cale's tears with the rain.

After the funeral, I was Count Deruth breaking down in young master's arms. I've never seen the Count so broken. It pained me too, Countess. I didn't know what to do. Cale was brave for doing that to his father. He needed comfort the most, but he ended up being the one comforting his father.

That's why I was scared and wary of you at first. I thought you have bad intentions and was just using Count Deruth's vulnerability to have high honer in revenge for your former husband."

The butler's thoughts about her made her heart ache. She was aware of such rumors and ignored them. But hearing it directly from the butler sure does bright pain to her heart. Countess Violan smiled to urge the butler to continue and that it was fine.

"But after observing you, I realized that I was wrong. You saved Count Deruth from the darkness. I'm very thankful that you exist Countess Violan." Hans wiped his tears as he smile at the Countess who seemed to be at the verge or crying too.

After learning the truth, Violan went to Deruth's room and asked him to bring her and Basen to his wife and son's grave. It was a selfish request but since Violan never dared to set foot in there as a respect, Deruth smiled and got up from his bed. He thought, maybe it was time to move on. That it was all in the past.  He needs to take a step forward now that he has a new family to love. He can't keep on hiding in the dark while blaming himself for the tragedy his family faced.

"They were the light in my world. They were the reason I existed. I love them so much." He shared his thoughts as he held Violan's hand while on the other was the sleepy Basen's hand. They will visit the grave of Jour and Cale as Violan's request to her husband.

He had always felt like he was better off dead. But tonight he is alive thanks to his new family. It was a perfect summer evening, the moon was big and round and the stars seemed to be twice as usual. It's been a year since he lost both his beloved wife and son.

"We love you too, my dear." The Countess smiled at Deruth and he planted a kiss on her cheek. "Oh dear, Basen is here!" Violan whispered and Deruth laughed.

However Basen was busy looking at something. A child with shoulder length fiery red hair stood Infront of them with it's back facing them. He couldn't tell if it were a girl or a boy, but he was certain it was a ghost as it was wearing a white shirt.

He pulled Deruth's sleeves and hid. Count Deruth glanced at his step son and smiled dearly.

"What's wrong Basen?" He kneeled down and pet his head.

But Basen was looking at something Infront of them. He pointed his finger and Count Deruth and Countess Violan followed.

"Ghost!"

Deruth stared at the red haired. His heart skipped a beat as he immediately stood up.

'No, am I imagining things? Perhaps I'm going crazy?' His heart was beating loudly that it occupied his mind.

"Cale...?" The name he thought that he'd never say again. The name that made his heart break everytime he hears it. The name of his only son.

The red haired child's hair was fluttering with the wind as it turned around to face them.

Two brown eyes stare at him.

It was the face he thought he would never see again. The face of the child that would visit him in his dreams every night crying for help. He was looking at that face right now.

"Father..." His world shook.