Chapter Text
"Ugh..." Cale groaned as he woke up feeling pain all over his body. He hadn't felt these kind of pain since White Star and sealed god were gone for good.
Cale raised his hand to his face only to touch a mask that was covering his whole face. "Hmm..."
(This kind of mask: black, cover your whole face with only eye holes, no decorations. The combination of these two masks.)
Cale saw his own hand through the holes that meant for the eyes. "Huh? I'm young..."
"What is that ugly trash still doing here?"
"We have to drag him away before the master come and see him?"
"What if got ugly like him? It's a curse, a curse, I say."
"Why would our beautiful madam Jur give birth to this ugly monster? She died giving birth to this trash. Haaa, poor master Deruth."
The servants were whispering to each other and debated on who will be the one getting Cale out of the way.
'What's happening? What did they just say?' Cale frowned as he tried to take off the mask.
One gloved hand held his wrist when he was about to do it.
"Are you stupid? Forgetting the order not to take it off again." The owner of the hand released Cale's hand with disgust. "Now get up. Let's leave before the master come."
"Ron..." Cale suddenly felt like crying. Hearing the disgust and feeling hatred from Ron's voice and action.
He got up slowly, enduring the pain while trying to hold the tears that kept falling. He followed Ron silently as he tried to figure out what wrong with this world.
'It's a different world. It's definitely a different world. But what happened exactly? Why am I here?' Cale thought and thought but couldn't come to any conclusion beside that.
"Ron..." Cale called out weakly.
"What is it?" Ron replied curtly.
Cale bit his lip. "W-What is this mask for? Why can't I take it off? It's hard to breath..."
Ron sighed heavily and muttered in frustration. "Why do I have to look after you like this? Damn it."
Cale couldn't easily control his feelings as a kid. A sob escaped his lips.
"Don't cry." A cold voice ordered.
"T-Then answer my question!" Cale muttered the last energy he got and shouted.
Fortunately for Ron, they have reach Cale's room, a small storage room far away from the main house where Deruth lived.
Ron glared at Cale, who cowered but still stared stubbornly at him. "Haaa... I don't understand why you're asking such a stupid question. You were born ugly, a disgrace to the family, so your father ordered that you wear the that mask at all time and not to appear in front of him. So why are you stupidly went to the main house again? Is the beating not enough? I have my own son, why do I have to look after you? Stay still and act like you don't exist like you always do."
Cale got pushed into the room and then the door was shut. Cale cried silently for a long while after taking off the suffocating mask.
After crying, Cale finally tried to gather every information he heard. "So mum died after giving birth to me. I was born ugly and was hated by everyone, including my own father and even Ron."
Suddenly, a memory was replayed in his mind.
"How could this ugly thing born from my beloved Jur? Take it away and make sure to cover the face. Make sure no one find out about that thing's existence." Deruth gave the cruel order to the servants but didn't tell them to kill the child that was just born.
There was a voice stopping him from doing so.
• Please don't. Cale. Don't hurt him. Don't.
Deruth quickly shook his head and frowned angrily. "Never let it show the face in front of me. Otherwise, you will all take responsibility!"
"Yes, sir."
"Yes, Count-nim."
The servants quickly brought the baby away.
Cale was neglected and abandoned from that moment on.
"It's hurt." Cale clenched his chest. "I never thought I'd see the hatred in my father's eyes looking at me. I can't believe that the first reunion after a life time would be these painful memories."
• Cale, are you okay?
• We can't stay all at once. His young body wouldn't be able to handle it.
• Cale, when possible, try to check if our powers are in this weird world.
• We'll protect you even if everyone hates you!
• We'll leave Ashish with you until you grow up again.
• How could they hurt our Cale to this extend? I can't use full power, but I'll try my best to heal you, Cale.
The ancient powers took turn saying their final words to Cale before turning silent.
"I'm glad I still have you guys." Cale wiped his tears. "I need to get stronger. I need to survive to find out what's going on."
The last thing Cale remembered before coming to this strange world was him, at the age of 527, saying the last words to his beloved son, Raon; his loyal friend, Choi Han and his respected Hyung-nim, Alberu Crossman.
Most of their family were gone by that time and Cale was telling the stubborn Raon that he was ready to join them.
Cale started to look around the room as soon as he could composed himself. "I seem to mentally turn into a child as well, I couldn't control my emotions well. According to the direction we walked, this must be the servant's quarter... but this is much worse than I thought... is it only my room that like this? Haaaa...."
Cale couldn't help but sighed heavily. 'Of course there would be no bathroom attached or any mirror around... I was hated by everyone, after all.'
Cale took off his clothes and looked at himself.
"This body is worse than when I'm Kim Roksoo after being abused by my annoying uncle." Cale frowned. "According to the memories before, I should be 7 or 8.... Why is everything happened when I'm 8 in every f*cking world?"
Cale looked like a kid that was 5 years old, judging by his size alone.
"I want to see my own face... just how ugly is this that everyone hate it so much... ngh... damn it."
Tears welled up in his eyes as soon as he talked about the hatred in everyone's eyes out loud. "Sob sob....."
The crying was going on for quite another while. Cale finally felt like he cried enough as he wiped his tears.
"My first priority will be to get myself healthy, so I'll steal food if I have to." Cale grumbled as he started to check around the room for anything useful. "Hmm... why is there a cloak in this room? But it could be useful, but it's a little too big for me."
After an hour of trying to modify the cloak, Cale fell in exhaustion after hiding the cloak hurriedly. "I'm starving........ someone...."
As if Ron heard his plea, he entered the room with a scoff. "Your meal for today. Bring the dish back to the kitchen later yourself. I don't have time to look after you."
"Ron...." Cale was about to look up to Ron as he always did but he steeled himself and looked away. "I know. Make sure no one see me, right? I understand."
"Isn't it better that you know your place and stay like a dead rat like this?" Ron left after leaving such words.
Cale lightly slapped his cheeks and forced himself to get up to eat the dry bread and watery soup. "At least it's edible... I thought it's gonna be like those novels I've read as Kim Roksoo where the servants serve rotten and spoiled meal to the unfavorable child of the noble..."
Cale laughed after joking about himself. "I miss the children's talkative chatters... I never thought I'd eating alone ever again."
He yawned a little after being half-full... "The dish could wait... I'll do it after a nap.... Zzz"
*********
"Human!"
Cale heard a voice, a voice he knew very well. "Raon!"
"Cale~"
"Where are you? I wanted to see you, Raon. My Raon." Cale looked around the darkness.
"Father! Don't go yet. Don't leave us yet, please."
"Raon... where are you? I won't leave, so just tell me where you are..." Cale was running around, calling out. "Raon... Raon Miru... where are you? Sob... where is everyone?"
********
Ron didn't know why... something seemed to urge him to check on that ugly thing again, and that was after he said that he didn't have time to look after it.
"Just what is this feeling of guilty?" Ron was frustrated at the contradictions inside his own head.
• How can you say that to Cale!?
• Return! Look after him properly!
• Please....
A voice constantly sounded in his head since the time he took the ugly thing back to his room.
"Cale...? But the Count never name him..." Ron was curious, but he was more annoyed as he walked towards the worse room in the estate once again.
"Where is everyone? Sob sob.... Don't leave me here alone...."
Ron heard that right as he arrived at the door. His heart skipped a beat.
Suddenly, there was another voice dominated his mind, seemingly controlling him.
You hate him! You must not care about that ugly thing. Turn away and leave. Do not be concern.
"Right. I don't like that ugly thing." Ron shook his head. "I must have gone crazy. I should be going to see how Beacrox is doing."
Ron moved away from the room and didn't look back.
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