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Barok had lost count of how many times his sleep was interrupted by nightmares that scared him awake. The confusion and the feeling of his heart painfully thumping in his chest were things he would probably never get used to, no matter how much time passed.
Unwilling to try to sleep again, he made his way downstairs, careful not to wake his apprentice. He sat on his couch, staying there for a while, staring at the floor. Then, without missing its cue, it came: the urge to drink.
It happened every time, and Barok didn’t try to fight it. Instead, he took a bottle of wine and a glass from a cabinet—it would be a long night, so why not make it a little more bearable?
He filled his glass, drinking it quickly. The second one, he managed to savor for a while longer. When he was filling his glass a third time, the low sound of steps called his attention, making him look toward the stairs, seeing his apprentice there.
It wasn’t the first time they met at such a late hour, but Barok had never questioned him on the reason why—but, considering the man’s history, he could already guess what disturbed his nights.
“Lost your sleep?” he asked.
His apprentice nodded, silent as usual. Barok indicated his glass.
“Care to join me?” he asked.
“I shouldn’t.”
He never accepted those offers, always answering in that same way.
“Another rule Lord Stronghart placed upon you?” asked Barok.
That man didn’t answer, his eyes on that bottle, now almost half-empty. “Is there something bothering you, my lord?”
The question caught Barok by surprise. “Nothing in particular. Why do you ask?”
“I just thought…” His apprentice stopped talking, then looked away. “Nothing. Forgive me for asking.”
Barok observed him for a moment longer. Before he could say anything else, however, his apprentice excused himself back to his bedroom.
They had a long day at the office, and Barok was exhausted when he returned home—with more paperwork to be done.
Without even thinking, he filled a glass of wine for himself, wanting to relax for a moment before returning to his duties. He glanced at Kazuma, who accompanied him back to help with work.
“Would you like some wine?”
Kazuma shook his head. “I should stay sober for this.”
Barok nodded—he wasn’t planning to drink much, either. Perhaps once he was done, but not before that. He took a sip from his chalice, and Kazuma followed the gesture with his gaze.
“This is an old habit, isn’t it?” said Kazuma.
It took Barok a moment to understand that he meant the wine. “It is. One of the few things that can calm my mind.”
Kazuma nodded, a peculiar expression on his face.
“Is something on your mind?” asked Barok.
“Maybe you should start drinking less.”
That straightforward response took Barok off-guard. “Does it bother you?”
“It doesn’t bother me, but… It shouldn’t be good for your health to drink so much.”
Barok observed him for a moment. “If I didn’t know you so well, I would say you are worried about me.”
Kazuma averted his gaze, furrowing his brow. “Then, you don’t seem to know me at all.”
“Is that how much you do not care?” he asked with a hint of humor.
“It is how much I do.” Kazuma stared at him. “No apprentice would want their mentor to end up sick or worse.”
Barok couldn’t respond. He wasn’t expecting Kazuma to be so upfront about it, and so suddenly. But he was right… Barok’s health was no longer his problem alone, now that he had someone under his tutelage.
“Of course,” he said in a low voice. “My apologies.”
Kazuma nodded slowly. “I’m not trying to scold you, or anything like that. But it has been bothering me for a while.”
“I see.” Barok lowered his eyes to his glass. “It is a hard habit to quit.”
“I… can imagine.”
Barok lowered his glass, suddenly no longer in the mood to drink. He stayed silent for a moment longer, Kazuma’s words still in his mind. “I wish I could say I would change my ways, but… After so many years, I don’t know if I can.” He paused, showing a bitter smile. “My apologies… I should be ashamed, as your mentor.”
Kazuma approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Stop this, you are a good mentor.” He glanced at the bottle, then looked again at Barok. “Look, I’m not saying it’s easy, just that you should give it some thought. If you don’t want to do this for your own sake, then do it for your niece’s. She deserves to have a healthy uncle by her side for the years to come.”
The mention of Iris made his chest tighten. “She deserved a better family.”
“You are the family she has, regardless of how you feel about it.”
As soon as Kazuma said those words, he looked away from Barok, as if regretting it. He sighed, frustrated.
“Sorry,” said Kazuma. “I’m just worried about you.”
That much was clear. And, despite everything, it was good to know that someone cared so much about him. After so many years of solitude, Barok had almost forgotten how it felt.
“As I said, it is a hard habit to quit.” Barok paused, meeting Kazuma’s gaze. “But I shall try.”
“That’s good to hear.” Kazuma smiled slightly. “You don’t need to stop completely, but… At least try to drink a little less.”
“Very well.”
To be honest, every part of his body hated that thought. However, he hated the idea of worrying Kazuma and Iris even more. They were important to him—much more than those old vices of his.
As Kazuma said, it wasn’t easy. And, more than once, the temptation overcame him, leaving him ashamed and full of guilt.
But his apprentice was patient and understanding—much more than Barok thought he could be—and stayed with him every step of the way to his recovery. And, as time went by, what seemed like an impossible task became a difficult, but doable one.
That morning, Kazuma entered the office accompanied by two familiar faces, who carried a box—which they placed on Barok’s desk—and a curious object—which they placed on a nearby table. Barok glanced at it, before raising his eyes to them.
“What is this?” he asked.
Sholmes grinned. “A little gift from Iris and I.”
“A gift?”
“A portable stove to prepare tea,” Iris explained. “Daddy and I perfected it recently.”
Barok looked at that object once again. “A tea stove?”
“To help keep my dear mentor warm and healthy this winter,” said Kazuma with a playful smile.
Oh, of course… Considering how much Kazuma had been fussing over his health since he got a bad cold weeks before, he should probably have seen that coming.
“You… shouldn’t have worried about such a thing,” said Barok.
“Wrong!” Iris pouted, pointing a finger at him. “We worry because we care about you.”
Barok couldn’t retort, which made Iris smile victoriously.
“Well said, my dear,” said Sholmes. “We must often remind our dear prosecutor of this fact, or he might feel quite lonely.”
Barok sighed, making his annoyance very clear. Kazuma laughed.
“That’s right,” he said. “My dear mentor might never admit it, but he likes the attention.”
“Are you done?” Barok asked, looking from one of them to the other.
“For now,” said Iris, tapping an imaginary hat.
Sholmes nodded with a grin, imitating the gesture. “Appreciate your peace while it lasts, my dear Barok…”
“…for it might be over soon,” Kazuma added, doing the same.
Those three… Barok scowled, crossing his arms, trying hard to look displeased—something that they completely ignored.
“Look!” Iris reached for the box on his desk. “I also got us matching cups.”
She opened the box, and Barok looked inside: there were four cups there, each in a different color—their favorite ones. Without waiting for a response, Sholmes took those cups out of the box, placing them side by side. They had hand-painted images of little cats doing different things on each piece, from playing with yarn to taking a nap on a cushion.
“They look nice, don’t they?” asked Kazuma.
Barok nodded, though he didn’t think something that cute suited a man like him. But the idea of having matching cups wasn’t unpleasant, so he said nothing.
“I think this deserves a celebratory cup of tea,” said Sholmes.
Iris clapped her hands with a wide smile. “I agree!”
So, without asking for Barok’s opinion on the matter, those three prepared some tea for them, serving it in those four matching cups. After a few more minutes—and some affectionate provocations—Sholmes and Iris left, with the promise of coming back to visit soon.
As soon as they were alone, Barok turned his gaze to Kazuma. “This was your idea, wasn’t it?”
Kazuma shrugged. “You could call it a conspiracy of three people.”
“I see.” Barok glanced at those new cups, now resting on his cabinet. “It was quite unexpected, to say the least… I am not of the habit of drinking tea that often.”
Kazuma observed him for a moment, suddenly seeming hesitant. “You don’t need to use it if you don’t want to.”
“No, I appreciate the gesture. And I am willing to use this gift in the future.”
His answer seemed to please Kazuma. “Good. Iris will be happy to know.”
Barok couldn’t hold back a slight smile at those words. “This could become a new habit.”
His own words made something cross his mind.
“I have been drinking less lately,” said Barok.
Kazuma smiled. “I noticed it.”
The recognition made Barok feel proud of himself. “As I said, it is a difficult habit to quit. But I must place my apprentice and niece’s wishes above my own.”
“How considerate of you, my lord.” Kazuma stared at him. “But you should be putting your own health in the first place.”
“I am trying.”
“I know you are.” He widened his smile. “And I’m proud of you.”
His words made a slight warmth spread through Barok’s face. He looked away. “What a strange thing to say to your mentor.”
“It’s not that strange,” said Kazuma. “Anyway, let me know when you feel like drinking some tea. I’ll prepare it for us.”
Barok didn’t answer for a moment, looking at him. “It is unusual for you to be so attentive.”
“What are you saying?” Kazuma grinned. “I’m always attentive. Maybe you should start giving it more value, my lord.”
That part of him, so openly caring, was still something Barok didn’t know how to deal with. Not unwelcome, though… Far from it.
“I do,” said Barok, “more than you can imagine.”
Kazuma just looked at him for a while, then looked away, furrowing his brow. “You weren’t supposed to agree.”
His reaction was quite amusing to Barok. “Is that embarrassment I hear in your voice?”
Kazuma clicked his tongue. “You just caught me off-guard.”
Barok didn’t question him: it was good enough to see Kazuma speechless for a change.