Chapter Text
"As agreed, you can leave."
The man looked on with a pair of reddish-brown irises, his expression still as cold as ever.
"What about my son?" Asking carefully, making sure there was no hatred in her voice, the woman stared back.
"Isn't that written in the contract? Don't ask something you already know."
The man's tone sharpened.
With barely any grace remaining, the woman rose from her chair. Before closing the door, the piercing glare he threw at the man who had chased him away went into hiding the mounting hatred.
***
"Are you leaving, mother?"
Looking at her son gently, the woman crouched down, "Sorry dear, mother can't refuse. I will visit you next year okay?" She couldn't promise.
The boy looked at her with a face similar to that man, flat and devoid of any trace of expression. Sometimes she feels ... disgusted.
"I understand."
So easy to convince. The woman couldn't help but think that this was really the man's child. The way he expressed, the tone that came out with that same intonation haunted her mind.
His red hair, his brown eyes, the woman could barely stare.
"Hope you are well, dear. I'll go first."
It was disgusting, the woman wanted to quickly leave and leave the 3-year-old child with the father, but it was still her child, her instincts screamed to stay.
Unfortunately, her footsteps stepping out of the cursed estate were so light. The woman with brown hair and green eyes felt free.
***
Waking up as a baby is not on 37-year-old Kim Rok Soo's wish list. Especially when knowing which world he woke up in, or in this case reincarnated. Although, in his defense he wasn't sure when he died or how exactly he died, the highest possibility he had was a heart attack.
He remembered his room in Korea, the smell of dust wafting in the air, the neatly arranged black long-sleeved clothes hanging in the uncovered closet, and the feeling of lying on the floor with books around him.
Kim Rok Soo remembers reading up to 5 volume, the book he borrowed at the library and fell asleep so soundly.
The soft cradle of the wind and the cool night atmosphere, and the carpet underneath felt more comfortable than usual.
The melodious hum of a woman's voice was the only thing that woke him up.
He watched with a wary wink as all the colors in the world turned to monochrome. Kim Rok Soo tried to move away from the gray face that was so close to him, unfortunately his body was heavy, his hands were numb.
And for a moment he could hear the sound of a baby crying, it was loud and deafening, before realizing it was him. He is a crying baby.
***
Being a baby isn't that hard and it's very comfortable when all he does is lie down, eat and sleep. The inconvenient part was that he had trouble moving, which meant he needed someone to take care of him.
What a mess. But still fun.
One of the many things he loves about waking up to being a baby is that wherever he is now, his parents are rich parents, although it will take him a while to understand the language used, Rok Soo is content to live his life being pampered like a noble's child, or the fact that this house really was a manor.
Unfortunately his parents did not visit much, he was more often taken care of by the servants and maids. His mother only visited a few times, and his father never even visited. Rok Soo never saw his father.
After some time in this world, Rok Soo begins to understand a bit of the language spoken and that makes him understand why his father never visits.
One of the many reasons he could deduce was that his own father did not expect him to exist. His birth was a coercion from the vassals who wanted the successor to keep him the Count.
Even though his father was a tyrant who treated others like a pest, he still couldn't lose support.
Rok Soo often even hears the servants and maids gossip about his infamous swearing. Just a little mistake and be prepared to have your ears smacked with cursing.
It made Rok Soo grateful that he never met his father.
Even though the few titles pinned to his father made him think of someone, Rok Soo shuddered.
***
Despite being the son of a wealthy aristocrat, Rok Soo is not allowed to leave the wing of the mansion, only allowed to roam the places around his room. For three years he was under house arrest. It's not that Rok Soo doesn't like it, it's nice not to have to leave the house for such a hassle.
Until he was called to his father's office in the main house after his mother left.
This will was the first time Rok Soo had met his father, though he already had a guess as to who it was, given the name Henituse he heard so often and the characteristic red hair. There was only one red hair in the Henituse family and the name Rok Soo wasn't the name he originally thought, so he at least didn't reincarnate into that person.
"It's fine Young Master, just go in and stay there." The smile of the maid who escorted him into his father's main room stiffened and looked forced.
No wonder, considering who he was meeting with. Rok Soo fixed his shirt, the one his etiquette teacher taught him, and knocked.
It didn't take three seconds for a voice to answer from within. Rok Soo is allowed in.
First, Rok Soo noticed the spaciousness of the room, the minimal but elegant decorations, and the abundance of pillows and feather rugs on the wide floor, keeping his feet barely making any sound as he stepped.
Then the maid pushed him in, directing him to walk over to the sofa, where the red-haired man sat with his back to the door.
Rok Soo hadn't seen his face yet, though the cold voice that greeted his small steps was enough for Rok Soo's imagination to think about his father's fierce face.
"You've finally arrived." The man slams the paper he was carrying on the glass table in front of him, he stands up and turns to where Rok Soo came. "Go away." He throws the maid away.
When the maid left and the door closed, the man, whose red hair was very similar to Rok Soo's, walked over to the work desk in the corner of the room, he seemed to have pressed a button, with a click that sounded louder in Rok Soo's ears.
He immediately felt an unfamiliar sensation spread throughout the room. Like being covered by a thin sheath that penetrates the skin.
Rok Soo's eyelids widened, he knew what it was. Rok Soo took a step back when the man turned towards him again.
Rok Soo's heart beat hard in his chest. Will the Count kill him?
The more he thought, the more it made sense. He was an unwanted child, to be precise the Count married his mother just to satisfy the collateral family, it was only natural that this person wanted to kill him.
Rok Soo took one more step back as the man approached. It was reckless, the person probably realized that he wanted to run away.
The man stopped at the second step, blinking at him, Rok Soo could see the irises that looked so much like his were so hard to penetrate. This was a sign that the Count might really want to get rid of him, now that his mother was gone and the room was soundproofed, it wasn't hard to come to any conclusions.
"Father."
"... Huh?" Rok Soo subconsciously made a stupid sound. Damn, he will die today, hopefully in his next life he can live more than three years.
Unfortunately, his mind is a minefield itself.
"Call me father," said Count Henituse softly, with a small smile on the corners of his lips.
Rok Soo froze in his place.