Memoir of the Messenger (trash of count family fanfic)

Chapter 14

The people who spoke those sorts of horrible things looked deeply uncomfortable, they averted their gaze with a guilty conscience.

Deruth clenched his fists, his fingernails drawing blood in his palms. His adam's apple rose and fell as he watch his son getting further and further away.

He felt the urge to march over to his past self and slap him. Yell at him to wake up and his son is right there in front of him. Tell him to do something, anything, just to prevent Cale from leaving.

But his past self might have only slapped him back because even now, he, himself couldn't do anything, he still couldn't protect Cale.

As he disappeared from their sight, another scene took place.

[ Cale was back in the cabin, he stood before the window, the flickering light of the candles illuminated his entire face.

His expression remained calm, but his hand was clasping the corners of the envelope tightly. ]

Cale's actions and thoughts had always been difficult to guess. It was proven in the young man's next action.

[ He snorts derisively before letting the other end of the envelope engulfed in fire from the candles in front of him.

Not releasing it until he felt the tip of his fingers burnt. It didn't take long before the letter turned into ashes.

Cale's shoulders slump as he sighed outwardly, He then tilts his head to look outside. The snow still steadily falls from the grey sky outside. ]

He was a Count, Deruth thinks to himself.

He couldn't just spend all his time thinking about his son, he has many responsibilities that he needed to fulfill, and Cale left without saying anything, no letter, no goodbye, nothing.

What does Cale presume he would think?

Deruth didn't disown him, he wasn't the one who told him to go, it was his idea, his own choice to leave.

Despite the continuing self-persuasion and justification, it couldn't ease the guilt that resided in his heart because he now knew his reason as to why he left, and Cale, leaving without telling him, there must have been a reason for it as well.

And maybe-no, he is sure that if he was the one who left, even if he run to the end of the world, Cale would still find him and will wait for him however long needed, the same way Cale did before when the two of them became like strangers.

Nor he would never let anyone slander him, no matter how true their words might be.

But Deruth did.

He not only let them bombard his son with insults, but he also didn't do anything about the matter of his son, even though he knew it became a joke that kept spreading in the circles of nobility, down to the commoners.

He gave up on him.

His emotions heighten when the little voice in the back of his head reminded him that the seconds were ticking by, he doesn't know how it ends, but he knew it is nearing.

The scene faded and different scenes appeared before them.

They watched as Cale battles alone.

Cale was drawing and writing. Comparing different sheets of paper with a lot of musing, thinking, and planning.

Relieved, when it all turned out well.

The shattered hope in his eyes, the constant self-deprecation, and self-blame whenever he made a mistake, whenever it all went wrong.