Beginning of the end

Chapter 11

Chapter 13: Picked It Up (6)

…..

Ron was observing Cale being friendly with this greedy Billos and clicked his tongue. It was because he thought to himself, ‘Why does it matter to me if that puppy young master is close to Billos?’

“Tsk. I guess even dislike creates affection.”

“I don’t want my dislike of you to turn into affection.”

Ron let out a sigh after seeing that the clueless Choi Han had misunderstood.

“Not you, punk.”

Ron’s gaze was on Cale.

…..

Cale was someone he looked after even more than his own son, Beacrox. Ron knew very well about the terrible things Cale has done, and the terrible personality that Cale had. 

Cale* wants to laugh. He had once relied on the warmth and stability that Ron* had provided. It was the only thing that had stopped him from going mad from the facade he was indulging in.

To realise that the affection he had craved like a starving man wasn't even skin deep made Cale* want to laugh at himself. 

However, there was someone else he knew.

Ron remembered how the young Cale had consoled his father when his mother died. He also saw how Cale hated his stepmother and her family, but never caused a ruckus with them, even when he was drunk.

‘But he definitely is still trash, tsk.’

18 years. Ron had watched over Cale for too long.

Rok Soo feels indifferent as he continues drinking. He had been through the flood of heartbreak when Ron had left and then died, so he felt rather numb to the lack of affection.

But for the younger man next to him, he wanted to weep. He wanted to yell at the Gods to leave Cale* alone, to stop taking him apart for everyone to peer into the deepest parts of him. Cale*s past had nothing to do with the war, so remove these parts from the viewing.

But Rok Soo knew nothing would work. Even if these parts weren't explicitly shown, the difference between Cale and Cale*'s companions would reveal Cale*'s weak spots.

In this moment, Kim Rok Soo hates everyone betrayed Cale*- his mother, his father, his step family, Ron* and everyone in that damned world. Even Cale* himself.

After all, Cale* was the one who decided that Cale* had to die for everyone else to live.

***

Ron is pissed, to put it mildly. He won't excuse any of his behavior towards Cale*. He had been a man who had lost everything but his young son and had come to Henituse to lick his wounds, while planning for the future.

Staying there, had nothing changed, would have been futile. Arm would have continued to gain influence and harmed more people. Just like Kim Rok Soo mentioned, their world would have been destroyed and Ron couldn't sit by and watch it happen.

But now as he stared at the people he had once served, Ron acknowledges that the years he had stayed at Henituse were not spent in isolation. He had served young Deruth and Drew when they had gotten married and was the one to take care of and raise Cale* ever since he was born.

It was unfair to expect that child to not hold any affection for the man who had raised him.

While Ron couldn't be blamed for not loving Cale* as his own child, he also knew that there were wounds he had inflicted on his ex-young masters that would take time and effort to heal. He just hoped that he would get a chance to do his part in that now.