Lukas paced restlessly in his room, his footsteps thumping across the wooden floor, unable to focus on the open book on his desk. Anxiety twisted his stomach into knots, each quiet moment deepening the ache in his chest. He hadn't seen Damien all day, and an unsettling feeling nagged at the corners of his mind.
His brows knitted tightly together, lips pressed into a thin line of worry. Unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, Lukas stood abruptly as he hurried out the door. He found Anna, one of the younger maids, dusting the vases in the hallway.
"Anna," Lukas began, his voice tight with worry, "have you seen Damien today?"
The maid's eyes widened slightly at the urgency in Lukas's tone. She hesitated briefly, then lowered her gaze respectfully. "Young master... The second young master has fallen ill. He's been in bed ever since yesterday afternoon."
"Yesterday afternoon?..." Lukas's heart sank sharply, guilt twisting painfully in his chest. Damien had stood outside his window yesterday, soaked and shivering, pleading for his attention. Lukas clenched his fists, jaw tightening in self-reproach.
"Prepare some fruits and medicine," Lukas instructed, voice trembling slightly. "I'll take them to him myself."
"But young master Lukas," Anna began anxiously, "it's not advisable to—"
"I'll be fine." Lukas cut her off gently yet firmly, determination etched clearly across his face. "Please, just prepare them."
Minutes later, Lukas carefully balanced a basket filled with fresh fruits and a small vial of medicine as he approached Damien's bedroom door. Two other maids—one young and one old—hovered nervously outside, eyes wide with worry.
"Young master Lukas, you shouldn't go in. You might get sick—"
"Please..." Lukas said softly, resolutely. "Frieda, you've been with us for decades. When have you seen me get sick?" Lukas wore a strained smile, poorly disguising his panic. "Please. Step aside."
Freida, the nanny, exchanged hesitant glances with the maid beside her. Then they stepped aside, worried but unwilling to argue further. Lukas took a deep breath, then opened the door slowly, the faint creak echoing softly in the quiet room.
Inside, the air was thick and heavy. Dimmed curtains blocked out most of the daylight. Damien lay quietly in his bed, small and vulnerable beneath layers of soft blankets, breathing raggedly. Then his gaze fell on the IV drip connected to Damien's arm, the slow drip clearly showing his brother's fragile condition. Lukas's heart tightened at the sight. He quietly approached, placing the basket of fresh fruits that Anna had prepared onto the bedside table.
As Lukas turned to leave, a weak and trembling voice stopped him. "Don't…go, big brother… Stay with…me."
He froze instantly, breath catching in his throat, chest tightening. Turning back slowly, Lukas saw Damien's fever-bright eyes gazing up at him pleadingly. Small fingers weakly clutched his sleeve. Emotion swelled painfully within Lukas, tears immediately clouding his vision.
"Damien," Lukas whispered shakily, voice cracking slightly, "why did you stand outside in the rain, you dummy?" Tears slipped silently down his flushed cheeks as he sank onto the edge of Damien's bed, carefully brushing damp strands of hair from his brother's forehead.
Damien looked up at him, eyes glassy yet earnest. "Because... I wanted to play with you, big brother," he breathed weakly. "Do you... hate me?"
Lukas's heart broke completely at Damien's fragile question. "Of course I don't hate you, Damien. How could I?" He choked out, voice heavy. "Please, take better care of yourself from now on. If you do, I promise I'll play with you whenever I can. I won't avoid you anymore."
"Really?" Damien's voice brightened faintly. "You won't avoid me anymore?"
"No, never again," Lukas vowed softly, voice steady and determined despite his tears. "I promise, little brother."
Damien's tense frame instantly relaxed. He settled back into his pillows, exhaustion overtaking him again. Lukas stayed beside him, gently wiping Damien's feverish forehead with a damp cloth, watching carefully as his breathing slowly steadied into peaceful sleep.
Exhausted himself, Lukas rested his head on the mattress, intending to only rest briefly. But sleep overtook him quickly, deep and dreamless, until the faint rustle of movement nearby drew him slowly back to consciousness.
Blinking sleepily, Lukas awoke to find his mother standing silently beside Damien's bed, her gaze tender yet burdened with an unreadable emotion. Panic surged through Lukas, jolting him upright.
"Mother! I'm sorry, I—" Lukas stammered quickly, cheeks burning in embarrassment and fear. He started to rise, but Yuri gently held up a hand to stop him.
"Shh, it's alright." She murmured softly, her voice soft and filled with quiet emotion. "Let's talk outside."
Lukas followed her silently into the hallway, heart pounding painfully in his chest, bracing himself for a stern reprimand. But instead, Yuri turned to him with softened eyes filled with regret and sadness.
"I owe you an apology, Lukas." She began, her voice trembling slightly.
Lukas paused. He stared deeply into his mother's eyes—eyes he hadn't studied in a long time. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I've been so blind, pushing you away from Damien, making you feel..." Yuri did not finish her sentence and simply sighed in frustration over herself. She knelt down and placed a hand on Lukas's shoulder. "I only wanted for you to balance your responsibilities—but I didn't realize how deeply I hurt you."
"Mother..."
"That day, when I spoke those words, it was hurtful, wasn't it? I only realized the impact after you distanced yourself from Damien to this point." Her gaze searched his eyes deeply. "I'm truly sorry."
Lukas trembled slightly, the bottled emotions of years suddenly breaking free. "I thought you wanted me away from him," he admitted painfully, voice cracking with unshed tears. "I thought I wasn't supposed to get close."
"Oh, Lukas..." Yuri whispered brokenly, gently touching his face, her own eyes glistening. "I never meant it that way. I only wanted to protect both of you—to raise you in the methods I thought were right. But I was wrong."
Tears finally spilled freely down Lukas's face, his shoulders shaking slightly. "I missed you." He confessed quietly, voice raw. "I missed Damien. I didn't mean to hurt him. I just wanted to be his brother... to love him openly."
"You didn't..." Yuri assured him softly, drawing him gently into a warm, comforting embrace. "And you deserve to love him openly, Lukas. You both deserve that bond. I'm sorry I took that away from you for so long."
Lukas heard footsteps behind him and turned slightly, seeing his father, Arel, stepping out quietly from the shadows, his usually stern eyes softened with tenderness. "Your mother is right, Lukas." Arel spoke gently, his voice steady and reassuring. "We're sorry, too. We all need to heal together." He joined them, pulling both Yuri and Lukas into a strong, protective hug, sealing their newfound understanding. "From now on, we'll talk openly. I promise, things will be different."
Lukas clung tightly to them, relief washing over him in powerful waves, healing wounds long left untended. For the first time in years, the burdens he'd silently carried began to lift, replaced by hope and the warmth of renewed family bonds.
Lukas breathed softly, the heavy burden lifting from his heart. "I promise, Mother, I'll take good care of Damien."
Yuri smiled warmly, patting Lukas's head gently. "I know you will, my dear. And from now on, we'll all be better."
In the quiet hallway the trio hugged each other tightly—sharing a rare moment of warmth.
...
[Ding! Task Mission Complete!]
[Ding! Access to the shop has been unlocked!]