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Naru, or Cale, sighed heavily once the doors to Fredo’s room closed. He collapsed on a chair opposite to Duke Fredo as Choi Han stood guard next to him. The way he sat was extremely disrespectful, but the other two people in the room did not call him out on it. Pretending to be a good little boy in enemy territory was incredibly draining, especially when he had to be White Star’s precious nephew.
Fredo pushed the plate of cookies that Cale adored towards him. The man who currently looked exactly like his youngest self immediately grabbed a cookie, stuffing his cheeks like a hamster. Fredo regarded Cale with a warm gaze.
“You’re ridiculously good at this. How about continuing to be my son even after things blow over?”
Cale made an incredible face at that moment. He frowned so deeply his lips couldn’t be more downturned. Choi Han couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Cale’s obvious displeasure.
Fredo smirked. “You should have an idea about how big the inheritance will be.”
Oh?
Cale looked at him with interest.
“Father,” he called out immediately, making Fredo laugh. He knew that Fredo had more than enough money to build a tall tower made entirely of solid gold. Cale’s expression was now that of a cute, innocent son asking for attention. “Dad. Daddy. How much will it be?”
“Aigoo, my adorable son, come sit on my lap.”
Fredo patted his thighs invitingly.
“Cale-nim!” Choi Han called out in warning once Cale had taken a step forward. Cale coughed slightly, coming back to his senses. He sat back down and crossed his arms.
Wait a minute. Based on their lifespans...
“Won’t I be dead before your inheritance even enters my hands?”
“You’re right,” Fredo agreed with a sly smile, clearly aware of this from the getgo. Cale shot him a sour look. Dammit, the money had blinded him for a moment. Why was this vampire bastard yanking Cale’s chain like this?
Fredo continued, “However, I’ll spoil my son rotten. Don’t you remember the allowance I gave you to go out to play?”
Cale nodded. It was quite the hefty amount. It was even more than what Duke Deruth had given him when he asked for allowance.
Fredo reached into his spatial pocket and took out an entire wad of cash, smacking it on the table. The sound was very satisfying. The casual way Duke Fredo did it seemed powerful and enticing, as though such an amount was nothing to him. “You’ll receive many more of those. You’ll get those boxes of cookies you like too. A lifetime’s worth. What do you say?”
Cale’s pupils shook. He opened his mouth. It was formed around the syllable of ‘Fa’.
Urgently, Choi Han cut into the conversation. “Cale-nim, we have a lot of money too!” He was trying hard to prevent Cale from being swayed. The Henituse family had a lot of money, and Cale’s personal funds should be no joke too. If he spoke to Alberu as well, then they would surely be able to surpass the amount Fredo had!
Cale put out a hand to stop Choi Han from interfering. With a serious expression, Cale steepled his fingers too, contemplating the idea further. “...But won’t I have to deal with a lot of annoying people and events? I’m already tired after the last few days of pretending to be a good and kind kid.”
Fredo shrugged. “Hmm, not much, really. You can do whatever you want, except for the few times a year I need you. Since everyone knows Naru as a sickly kid, it’s not strange for him to not be around much as he’ll be ‘recuperating at the villa’. You can have a rebellious phrase too and slip off the angelic image.”
That sounded like a pretty easy job. Cale was tempted.
Very
tempted. Fredo knew Cale’s weaknesses too well. He would be able to slack off, act like trash, receive money, and eat tasty things. It didn’t seem like such a bad deal?
“Alright. Deal. I’ll write up a contract,” Cale agreed without much fuss, much to Choi Han’s despair.
“Haah, you’re really such a unique person,” Fredo sighed happily, shaking his head. “I’d love to have you in my family, even in other ways.”
“Hmm…? You mean like brothers?”
Cale raised an eyebrow. He thought of his sworn brother, Alberu Crossman. Did the Duke want another relationship like that? No thank you, Cale had his hands full with one mischievous hyungnim.
A huff of disbelieving laughter left Fredo’s lips. His eyes were sparkling, as though he found Cale to be extremely adorable. He leaned forward and spoke in a low, amused voice, “You’re unexpectedly dense in such matters.”
Choi Han quickly stepped between them. He remembered very well how Fredo had wanted to suck Cale’s blood. Now he wanted Cale’s body as well? How dare he?
“Cale-nim might be dull in such matters, but my sword is not.”
If you could only use one word to describe Choi Han’s expression, it would be this:
vicious.
His narrowed black eyes were extremely dark as he pulled out his sword from its scabbard. He was surrounded by a threatening black aura that promised pain.
Fredo laughed in response. “Son, it seems like your guard dog isn’t happy about it.”
“Well, neither am I,” Cale shrugged. “Anyway, I’ll finish the contract and present it to you tomorrow. I’ll make sure that it’s balanced for both parties.”
“That sounds good. How about we add calling me ‘Daddy’ or ‘Papa’ to the clauses? It sounded unexpectedly charming. I think my heart fluttered a bit,” Fredo teased, holding a hand over his heart.
Grrrrr.
Choi Han actually started growling.
Cale looked at Fredo with disgust, as though he was looking at a piece of garbage. “No thanks. Naru is long past the age of calling you such things.”
Fredo pouted. Somehow, it was a good look on him despite him being a grown, adult vampire. “Boo. Well, it was worth a shot. I’ll see you tomorrow then, my son.”
As the duo left, Fredo heard Choi Han plead, “Cale-nim, please reconsider!”