Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Today marks 7 years since a single father of three came to the Count's door and asked for medicine. The man, with wrinkles and shiny gray hairs telling the story of stress, held two babies barely a year old, his youngest clinging to his shirt.

Seven years since both the Count and Countess took a look at the children and quickly came to a solution. The man and his children would stay and become servants on the Count's Estate, and in return, the Count would provide shelter, food, medicine, and every other accommodation needed for the family.

It wasn’t surprising that, out of all the noble families, the Henituses had a reputation for being the most generous and caring towards their territory. It would be unlike them to turn their backs on two children struggling to live so early in their lives.

And so, the Molan family became a part of the Henituse estate.

Once everything was settled, the family had their rooms in the servant wing, the babies recovering from their fevers, and the oldest having a full meal, the family slipped seamlessly into the household as if they’d been with the Henituses for generations.

Ron, the father, adapted to the role of butler quicker than anyone expected him to. The image of the cold yet desperate man holding his dying children has left an impact on everyone who saw it. Perhaps that is why they were ready to be more patient with the man when he first joined.

However, he surpassed all their expectations.

The man was as graceful as a servant who’d been working there for years. His ability to complete any work given to him promptly was praiseworthy. And to top it all off he was wonderful at multitasking.

All in all, Ron Molan was the ideal butler, and even after 7 years, nobody's thoughts on that had changed.

Someone who has changed since coming to the house is Beacrox Molan, the oldest son of Ron Molan.

The boy, no older than 10, had been quiet and reserved since coming to the estate. His face was always in an unchanging scowl, and he spoke few words.

At first, the Count had him doing small little chores, like sweeping or dusting. He never had a set job and often helped wherever he wanted.

That all changed when he helped in the kitchen.

He worked with more vigor than he did with any of his other jobs. The counters were kept clean, the floor clear of any dirt, and the utensils as reflexive as a mirror.

Not only that, but the boy showed some promise in the cooking, the head chef stated it himself.

It made sense, then, that the count had him officially assigned to the kitchen. And it proved to be a great endeavor.

Beacrox’s skills in the art of cuisine advanced fast, and soon there was no one in the house henituse that didn’t say Beacrox wasn’t the best cook.

At the age of 18 Beacrox had managed to gain his own kitchen and have the honor of cooking the majority of the family's meals.

While the quiet and reserved boy never really left, he has developed into a fine young man within these seven years.

But the ones who dwellers of the Hneituse Estate feel have changed the most are undoubtedly the Molan twins, Vicross and Vonn Molan.

The first time anyone has seen the two they were bundled up in their fathers' arms with a raging fever. It was a miracle that they had survived, considering the doctor had said they were just a few days away from being too far gone.

Despite the small hiccup with their health when they first came, they had developed greatly since arriving at the estate. No longer are their bodies as weak as they were when they were babies and they are growing at the rate expected of children their age.

It goes without a doubt that their presence in the estate is appreciated.

Vonn, the older of the twins, never fails to greet the servants with a bright and playful smile. While the boy can be quite mischievous at times his antics aren’t seen as anything other than endearing. And he’s always willing to help another one of the servants with their chores, even if he’s not finished with his own.

Vicross, the younger of the twins, doesn’t have quite as bright a smile as his brother, in fact, he barely smiles at all. This doesn’t mean that he is any less liked than his brother, far from it actually. While Vicross tends to keep a blank face that doesn’t mean he is any less kind than his twin. And despite him taking more after his older brother Beacrox with him not being much of a talker, he’s always willing to listen to the other servants, and if he’s interested in the topic, he might even respond with his own thoughts!

The boys are often seen hanging around the Young Master of the house Cale. When Cale was born almost a year after the family arrived the Count decided that it would be beneficial to have the twins get along well with his son. And thus, the twins became the playmates of the Young Master.

Whenever they aren’t playing with the Young Master they’re doing their own small chores around the house, or maybe receiving lessons from Sir Hilsman. If they aren’t doing any of those, then they’re most likely in the kitchen with their brother or following their father around and all the servants find it undeniably cute.

It goes without saying that the ones who have changed the most since arriving at the Estate 7 years ago are the twins.

——————

Beacrox has come to love his job. When he first arrived at the Henituse estate and had been assigned tasks that he was used to having servants do for him he hadn’t thought too much about it.

It did hurt his pride a little, to have to do things that normally he wouldn’t do, but compared to the relief that washed over him when they were able to heal his brothers and were given protection, that small sense of hurt pride was nothing but a grain of salt.

Still, his attitude towards doing the chores didn’t change much. They weren’t something he enjoyed or hated, they were simply what he had to do. And if he could choose between doing these simple tasks or being on the run from the organization hunting them, he would always choose the chores.

He kept this thought process up until he got assigned to the kitchen.

Back in the Molan household, he hadn’t done much cooking, one of the more memorable times he did was when he and his uncle had decided to make a cake for his mother's birthday, but that was far in the past.

When they were on the run the cooking had been little to none, because finding food to cook was hard, and finding the right tools to cook it was even harder. During that time they mostly ate what fruit or berries they could find, or any food they were able to buy or steal from people. And thus, his cooking skills hadn’t had much improvement.

Perhaps he was a little wary when he had been told to help in the kitchen, but if it meant he and his family could stay here where it seemed safe, then he would learn how to cook without a second of hesitation.

But contrary to his expectations, cooking turned out to be an absolute delight.

He enjoyed the complexity of it, how every ingredient had to be perfectly measured to get the right flavor. Putting together dishes fit for a noble family required a sense of creativity and innovation that brought him a welcome challenge. And he was able to put his knife skills to use in various ways.

Cooking required him to learn and develop new skills that had he not been placed in the kitchen we would’ve never learned. Each one now has a spot nestled within him deep, and it makes the activity of cooking less like a chore and more like him following his own endeavors. There are many things he has come to love since he started working in the kitchen.

Cleaning is probably his favorite. Wiping down the counters and shelves with a well-sanitized cloth brings him a familiar comfort. The feeling of his nerves settling down as every surface in his vicinity sparkles is welcomed.

When they were on the run he had developed a habit of making sure everything in their vicinity was as clean as he could get it. It was a mix of not wanting his family to get sick, and also a way to calm his nerves.

And as he had adapted to the Henituse Estate he realized that the need for everything to be clean that he had developed while on the run had never really left. When he joined the kitchen, this obsession had only grown, as making sure all the food that he served was free of anything that could cause sickness was required.

And so, his obsession only grew.

(It’s ironic, he thinks, how something that most view as a chore brings him such a feeling of solace.)

Whenever he cooked a meal he would begin by wiping everything down. It was practical, who knows what could’ve grown on the counters since he was last here? It was only natural for him to make sure everything was tidy before even taking out any ingredients.

It is as he is going to throw away the now contaminated cloth he used to wipe everything down that he finally turns towards the waiting pair of eyes that has been watching him since the beginning.

As an assassin's son it was only natural for him to have keen senses, and while they were being hunted those senses had developed quickly.

He had noticed it immediately when 2 pairs of eyes had started peeking through the kitchen door.

Under normal circumstances, he would’ve immediately turned and shooed the onlookers away, he didn’t like the feeling of being watched, something he had developed as he got older, especially when he was in the middle of something so important.

But the weight of the eyes on his back was familiar, and he allowed them to stay. He had continued cleaning wondering if they were going to step inside first or if he’d have to call on them, but as he neared the end of his sanitization he realized they must have wanted him to call on them.

And so after throwing away the dirty cloth, he turns his gaze to the reddish-brown eyes that had been focused on him. It only takes a few seconds for the two to realize this is his invitation into the kitchen, and they accept without hesitation.

They both walk into the kitchen as if it were their own and it was only natural for them to be there. Vonn, as usual, is in the front with his customary playful smile bordering on a smirk. And Vicross wearing his normal stoic face.

When most people first meet the twins they think that they’re polar opposites, one happy and cheerful, while the other indifferent and boring. Beacrox thinks otherwise. While outwardly, they might seem to be as different as night and day, Beacrox knows they’re more similar than most would understand.

(And it doesn’t matter to him if one of his brothers is more willing to talk or laugh, or if the other is more likely to support you quietly. They’re both his brothers, and nothing would ever change that.)

Beacrox is brought out of his head by the sudden movement of Vonn moving to his left side, the boys' hands behind his back, and big round eyes staring up to complete the mask of innocence.

“Whatcha making?” The question rolled off the tongue as if it had been asked numerous times before, curiosity clear in the childish voice.

“Lunch.” His one-word answers tended to bother people, but his brother just nodded in response like he expected the answer. There are no follow-up questions about what he was specifically making like one would usually expect from a child this age. There is only the request of being able to help.

Beacrox thinks for a moment, usually at this time the twins would be practicing martial arts or something of the like with Sir Hilsman. Beacrox never liked the talkative knight, in his eyes, he was nothing but a fool who could use a sword. But to be a part of the Staff all members were required to learn some type of Martial Arts.

His father, though he knew much more than the simple Martial Arts taught in the household, went through the same thing, and so did Beacrox himself. If Beacrox could he’d teach his brothers himself, or better yet, have their father teach them (if he wasn’t already teaching them), but for them to be fully accepted they had to learn from one of the trained Knights, and thus, Sir Hilsman was put in charge of their education.

But if they weren’t training with Sir Hilsman then it was likely he had offended them in some way.

They both tended to be petty, Vicross more too. Beacrox had been on the receiving end of their pettiness more than enough times to know. And ignoring or avoiding the person they felt aggrieved to seems right up the alley for both of them.

Whatever the reason was, Beacrox didn’t mind helping them hide or avoid or whatever they were doing. Though he hasn’t said it to their face, he knows they know he enjoys spending any time with his family members, even if it might result in something disastrous.

The twins seem to take his silence as him saying no to their request.

“He probably doesn’t want your help because he thinks you’re going to cause a mess again.” Vicross’ monotone voice brings his attention to the younger twin who had silently slinked himself over to the other side of Beacrox after closing the door behind him.

Between the both of them, Vicross is undoubtedly the more quieter. Even as a baby, Vicross cried little, and he expressed less the what normal babies did. Others found it weird and unsettling, but the Molans took it in stride.

So what if Vicross was a little strange, he was a Molan, and that was all that mattered. No one in their family treated him any differently, they all did their best to make sure that no matter what others said, Vicross was perfectly fine the way he was. As long as his silence didn’t result in him harming himself, of course.

“That was one time, and I promised I’d never do it again!”

“Hyung would be a fool to trust any of your promises.”

“Oh, please! You speak as if I’m some type of pathological liar.”

“Are you saying you aren’t?” The two had developed into a banter that Beacrox had come to realize was normal around them while he was silent. Despite their harsh words (words that no children of their age should know the meaning of), it was obvious to any onlooker that they were only joking around.

Not bothering to listen to their back-and-forth any longer, Beacrox turns around and heads to the kitchen storage area. Both boys close their mouths at his sudden movement, but when he returns with two stools Vonn regains his smug smirk and Vicross’ face remains blank, say for the the small twitch in his eyebrow that one wouldn’t notice unless they had been reading his expressions for years.

“See! I knew Hyung would let us help!” Vonn yells towards his twin as he moves to allow Beacrox to set the stools down. Vicross simply huffs in response and turns away as he does the same as Vonn.

In all honesty, Vicross was right.

Having two 8-year-olds in the kitchen cooking was a recipe for disaster. And this will likely end up the same as it had before. With food in various places that it shouldn’t be, bodies covered in splattered ingredients, and messily put-together dishes.

It’s true, had they been anyone else Beacrox wouldn’t have even thought of letting them step foot in his kitchen, let alone help him cook.

But they aren’t anyone else. They’re his twin little brothers, the same ones he had watched be born, who he had held as he and his father ran away from the bad people. Beacrox has many boundaries, and the twins make up 2/3 of the people allowed to pass them.

That’s why Beacrox picks both of them up why their waist and puts them on their respective stool, Vicross on the right and Vonn on the left. They both startle when he suddenly grabs them, but relax instantly. Since birth, they’d always been a little wary when someone suddenly touched them, but it was never to the extreme that they didn’t want to be touched at all.

That’s why he helps the both of them wash their hands and put on small white gloves that Beacrox had learned to keep in the kitchen. The gloves still fit a little baggy on their small hands, but Beacrox makes sure they’re as secure as possible.

With their gloves now on he begins giving them orders, telling them what ingredients to get and the instructions to make whatever they were making. The two might not have the same skills that he does, and they’re more messy. But despite looking at the quickly dirty kitchen, Beacrox doesn’t feel the clawing feeling he usually does when he looks at a mess.

Vonn tends to be more enthusiastic, mixing things so fast that the contents fly out of the bowl. He gives Beacrox an apologetic smile when he realizes that almost half of the contents ended up in various parts of the kitchen.

The smile falls and his expression turns to something more reminiscent of Vicross’ expressions when Beacrox helps him clean off himself first, before cleaning the other messes. But the expression disappears as soon as it appears, and he resumes his hazardous mixing once he’s given the go-ahead.

Compared to Vonn, Vicross’ movements lack motivation. His stirring is slow and lackluster. Laziness is something that typically annoys Beacrox, but he only sees it as endearing whenever it comes to Vicross. He doesn’t mind putting his hands over the youngers much smaller ones and moving them as if it were his own.

Vicross doesn’t show much reaction and lets his older brother manhandle him as he wants.

When it comes to cutting Beacrox keeps an eye on both of them, as he makes sure they lead by his example. It’s natural for a Molan to learn how to use a knife, but that doesn’t mean he wants his younger siblings to accidentally hurt themselves.

In the end, the kitchen looked just as he had expected it to.

Food was not only splattered on the ground, counter, and various other places but the three occupants as well. Sitting in the middle of the counter that looked like some sort of warzone were various plates of perfectly plated dishes, all adhering to the tastes of the Henituse family members.

Next to those dishes were small plates, with clumsily put-together foods that seemed like a poor imitation of the real thing.

Despite how the finished products turned out, Beacrox helps clean the boys up and fix their disheveled hair, offering a simple “Good job” to both of them as he pats their heads. The twins glanced at each other before turning their gazes back to him and giving him their usual expression. Albeit, if you were to look more closely you would see the appreciative looks in their eyes.

He sends the two away with their respective plates, not caring to listen to them whispering about making Sir Hilsman their guinea pig or something before they dash out of the kitchen.

He’s left to clean the Kitchen up after they leave, but his annoyance is minimal.

The day the mysterious organization broke in was undoubtedly the worst day of his life. And the days that followed are close seconds. The organization took everything from him, his Mother, his family, his home.

There is not a day that goes by when he isn’t grateful they didn’t take his little brothers too.

Chapter Text

Hilsman does not like children. At all.

They cry, they whine, they lie, they play tricks, and they aren’t even all that cute! What is there to like about children!?

(He ignores the fact that his feeling towards children only goes this way when he’s talking about two kids in particular.)

So it was just his luck that he was assigned to train the two worst children in the entire Henituse Estate.

He hadn’t been there initially when Ron Molan had turned up at the Henituse Estate, but from what he had heard, the man had not been in good condition.

Hilsman can sympathize with the man, really, being a father with three children, two being sick babies at that, and no mother in sight must be extremely hard (after the first person who had asked who their mother was had been privy to an icy and stiff smile from the usually polite butler, no one dared ask again).

Heck, if he were in Ron's shoes he’s not sure he would’ve made it far. (Especially if he was raising those two little devils.) Hilsman would even go so far as to say that he respects Ron.

The man was always polite, he was loyal, and he was damn good at his job. What was there not to like about him? It was truly a shame when Hilsman learned that all of Rons' great traits had not been passed down to any of his kids.

His first child, Beacrox was fine. The young man always wore a scowl, and if you just so happened to find yourself in a certain Kitchen, expect to be thrown out faster than you’d be able to react. In Hilsman's opinion, the boy wasn’t any fun to be around. He made good food though, Hilsman would give him that.

Rons' other two children, on the other hand, well, Hilsman can only describe them as the devil's incarnates. It genuinely shocks Hilsman to know that those little brats are Ron's kids.

Vonn, the more annoying of the two, always looked at Hilsman with a smile that said everyone else was nothing more than dirt on the bottom of his shoe. As if he was the sky above everyone's heads looking down and them and mocking them. The other knights said he was crazy to think that an innocent 8-year-old child would have such thoughts. But Hilsman can see it in the brat's eyes.

And then there’s Vicross. At first, Hilsman thought Vicross was the nice twin. Yeah, he was quiet, but compared to his terror of a brother he was practically an angel.

That was until the boy managed to break his wooden practice sword as well as Hilsman's nose in one fell swoop, all because he didn’t want to practice swordsmanship anymore. Hilsman clearly remembers being face down on the ground, eating dirt, and looking up to see the 7-year-old Vicross looking down on him with a small bit vicious smirk.

Hilsman had to remind himself that these were Rons' children, and if he were to ever fight them in any way he would somehow end up hanging upside down over iron spikes and fire the next second.

Anyways, kids. Hilsman doesn’t like them, not one bit.

Hilsman had never been one to mince his words, he believed his bluntness was a wonderful trait he possessed. And also that if one were to hold their thoughts inside eventually their heads would explode.

Hilsman doesn’t like kids. He especially doesn’t like the Twins. And he told them that.

And now here he was running all around the mansion looking for the two demons because they had somehow managed to put some sort of slippery oil on all of his armor when he wasn’t looking.

Causing him to slip and fall wherever he went, gaining laughs and small chuckles from any staff that saw, and dropping things as if he was as clumsy as a newborn baby. They had also skipped his martial arts lesson, but that’s not as important.

He had searched all over the house, their rooms, their little hiding spots, wherever there father was, wherever Young Master Cale was, and nothing! After spending the entire time that should’ve been for their lesson Hilsman was still looking.

But he refused to give up, wot when such a grievance had been committed on a knight as great had him.

It was then, belatedly, that he had realized he’d forgotten to check one of their most frequented spots.

Beacrox’s kitchen.

Under normal circumstances, Hilsman would not step within 10 feet of the clean freaks sacred area, one thing that he had inherited from Ron was that scary aura of his, and Hilsman wanted nothing to do with it.

But this was a mission! A mission of revenge to win back his pride and humility as a knight that had been stolen by those thieving kids.

So without hesitation, Hilsman makes a full turn in the middle of the hallway, careful not to slip and fall face flat on the carpet, and heads in the direction of the kitchens.

It would seem as if his conviction to go into the kitchen wasn’t needed, however, because as he rounds the corner he ends up coming face to face with the demons themselves.

The pair hold identical plates that Hilsman can only describe as what hell must look like, and their smiles when their eyes focus on him send shivers through his body. The feeling is strong enough that he immediately stops in his tracks.

The two either didn’t notice his pause or were just ignoring it, but they practically skipped over to his frozen body non too plusses about the Knight shaking in very real fear.

Vonn is the first one to speak once he reaches the spot just in front of the knight, “Sir Hilsman! Don’t you know how long we’ve been looking for you? Where were you!?” From the boy's dramatic tone, Hilsman can tell that it was he who had been searching for the boys and not the other way around.

But before he can speak his truthful thought into existence Vicross’ dry voice cuts through, “We were starting to get worried you might’ve been kidnapped or something.” He says it as if Hilsman getting kidnapped is something likely to happen as if Hilsman was the kid here and not them.

How dare he imply that a knight as strong as he would be picked up and thrown over the shoulder as if he were nothing but a sack of potatoes!

But once again, before the words can leave his gaping mouth the other brother interrupts, “It warms my heart to know you’re safe, it would truly be a shame for the Estate to lose a knight as great as Sir Hilsman.” Vonn says without an ounce of relief in his voice, and Hilsman watches as his twin just nods along.

Hilsman quickly regains his composure, it would be unsightly for him to lose face in front of mere children. He quickly clears his throat with a cough and stands straight and with confidence despite his slightly disheveled appearance.

“Ahem, well, it’s only natural that I’m fine. I have undergone training from the Henituse Knights, it’s unlikely that I will ever be kidnapped.” He says so with pride, and he means every single word.

Though he’s not sure the brats realize this, as they only snicker to themselves at his response. Ignoring their reaction he stands with pride in the middle of the hallway, waiting till their giggles, or at least Vonn's giggles, quiet down.

Now with their usual faces, they both turn to him, but Hilsman recognizes the glint in their eyes. It was the same one he’d seen in Vonn's eyes before stepping into horse manure that had no reason to be in the middle of the practice grounds. In other words, it was a glint that meant trouble.

Hilsman's guard is immediately up. It might be a little ridiculous to be so guarded against children who barely reach his waist, but that would only apply if the children weren’t as conniving as the two in front of him. It only makes sense for him to be this guarded considering who he’s up against.

Once again ignoring the knights' demeanor Vonn flashes a blinding smile, “We’re so glad we found you!” Hilsman knew it was a lie the moment it left the demon's mouth. “We wanted to bring you something, a gift.”

At that moment Hilsman finally pays attention to the plates carried by each of their hands. He had disregarded them at first, deeming them unimportant, but at the mention of a gift his eyes immediately drifted to their hands.

A gift? What kind of joke was that!?

Gifts are usually given to people you appreciate and care about, they can be a symbol of friendship and love. Hilsman has received and given many gifts, and thus he knows the different reasons why someone would give a gift.

From Hilsman's experience, gift-giving is something that comes from the heart, some people are stingy and would never spend a penny or an ounce of time on any type of present. But the ones that do do it from a place of kindness.

A place that he knows neither of these children have. The only gift the heartless beasts would be capable of giving him was their eternal silence.

He stares at the plates with unhidden suspicion. Both of them would only be described as an imitation of what hell must look like. The ugly, misshapen monstrosities hold no kindness nor heartfelt appreciation that can normally be found in gifts. Only furthering his suspicions.

“We wanted to say sorry for always causing you so much trouble.” Vicross once again speaks up in his dull voice with a slight smile on his face. He must’ve said it to quell Hilsman's suspicions, but it only proves to make them grow.

After everything they’d done, they’re only trying to seek his forgiveness now? What about the time they filled his entire room with hay!? Or when they made holes in all his clothes except for the worst-looking ones!? And every single time they would burst out in laughter.

Hilsman would be a fool to believe that they were only now seeking redemption.

Seeming to catch on to Hilsman's inner thoughts Vonn adds on, “We know it’s late. It took us far too long to see the wrongness in our actions,” his tone is solemn as he speaks, and both twins look to the ground with somewhat regretful faces, “but after receiving some words from our Father we realized that we must apologize to you immediately.”

What he says makes more sense to Hilsman. Ron was a kind but scary man, while he didn’t show it, Hilsman knew that Ron was much stronger than he looked. It was no surprise that his kids knew of his hidden strength.

If Ron had been the one to knock some sense into their tiny skulls, then Hilsman was inclined to believe that they would make some improvement.

But still, this was way too fast. Kids don’t just change after one stern talking too, it takes time for them to fix their ways. And the time needed to fix these wayward children wouldn’t undoubtedly be one of the longest.

Realizing that Hilsman still wasn’t all too believing in them Vicross buts in, “While we know it’s too small a present for the likes of you, we hope you will accept our humble offering. A knight as strong as you would be doing us a great honor by even looking at our lacking dishes.”

The boy's well-oiled tongue continues with its many compliments to Hilsman. Of course Hilsman still isn’t buying it. What would become of him if he were to be so easily swayed by a mere child’s words?

That is the reason he cuts the boy off in the middle of his sentence with another cough, “Ahem, alright alright. If you’re so insistent on gaining my forgiveness, I will gladly try these gifts you have brought me.”

His answer brings another smile to the twins' faces, and their eyes once again brighten.

“Ah! That’s great!” Vonn enthusiastically responds. He hands the plate over to Hilsman excitedly, almost as if there was something highly anticipated about to come.

Despite the children’s reassurances, Hilsman can’t help but observe the plate with suspicions. Part of the food looks heavily overcooked, while others look as if they have barely spent any time under heat.

Isn’t their brother a culinary genius? Did they do this on purpose or did they just not inherit any of their sibling's talent? Despite the abysmal condition of the “food” on his plate, Hilsman is glad that he was given Vonn’s and not Vicross’. Sparing a glance at the younger twins' dish was enough to know how much effort was put into it.

Which is to say, none.

Under the anticipatory gazes of the twins, Hilsman carefully lifts the fork that was given along with the plate and picks up part of the food that looks the most normal. It took him a moment to find a part that didn’t look like it would forever damage his taste buds, but he managed.

Vonn and Vicross’ waiting eyes never stray from him as he takes a bite, he doesn’t even think he saw them blink.

The first bite, albeit small, didn’t taste as bad as he thought it would. Could it be that although their cooking skills aren’t the best the kids put in considerable effort to apologize to him? The small morsel he swallowed seems to be helping his point.

Oh! How much he has waited for this day to come! The Molan twins, the spawns of hell, actually trying to apologize to him for all the trouble and damage they’ve caused. Hilsman is almost brought to tears just by the thought.

This thinking pushes him to take another bite, this one bigger. If the twins are truly trying to gain his forgiveness then it is only natural for him to comply. Despite his grievances with them, he is aware that they are still only children, and all children have a little bit of evil inside of them.

But as he chews on the bite in his mouth he can’t help but cough. A horrible, disgusting taste spreads in his mouth and even as he spits it out the taste doesn’t leave his tongue. Hilsman isn’t a culinary genius, but even he can tell that the twins had added too much salt that should ever be added to one plate of food, especially if Hilsman had only taken a single bite.

Immediately after he spits it out the Twins both break out into laughter, Vonn's mouth opening wide to let out a loud laugh while Vicross snickers behind his hand, “I told you he would fall for it,” the evil child states with a sharp smile. And Hilsman could feel the rage inside him bubble up.

When the horrible taste had first come he had thought that maybe it was due to the children’s below-average cooking skills, hell most of the knights have over-salted their food to the point of spitting it out.

But after they started laughing he realized that it had been done on purpose. And they had made it so when he took the first hen wouldn’t be able to taste the abhorrent amount of salt in the food.

‘Surely their brother would not have allowed them to do something so treacherous!’ Hills man thinks until he remembers the many dirty looks he has received from the cook before. On second thought, maybe that brat had been involved in this too.

The plate clatters to the floor, the contaminated food falling along with it and staining the once lovely floors of the Henituse estate. But Hilsman can barely focus on that, as his attention gravitates to the two children who were still giggling about his experience.

Vonns eyes are closed and appear to hold a few tears in their lashes as he clutches his stomach and doubles over from laughing too much. Vicross, still holding his own late, isn’t laughing as hard as his brother, but it’s obvious that he finds the situation to be quite humorous as well.

Both of them are expressing levels of joy that he rarely sees in them. Despite the many tricks and pranks that have been played on him, Hilsman is aware that the boys are qu’usité mature for their age.

He hasn’t seen them cry as much as others their age do, and while they do pout and whine it isn’t at the same level as one would expect. The two are quite well-behaved. If anything, they act more like repressed teenagers than 8-year-olds enjoying their childhood.

Maybe this is why when Hilsman opens his mouth to yell nothing comes out. His feet stay in their place on the floor and he simply watches the two laugh with such clear joy on their faces.

Taking his silence as something negative the two dart away from him and quickly turn down the hall, leaving Hilsman, the plate, and the abomination standing in the middle of the hallway.

It takes a moment for Hilsman to realize that, once again, the twins had left him to clean up the mess from their pranks.

But just like all the times before, Hilsman gives up on his endeavor of chasing the twins. His footsteps are neither slow nor fast as he walks to the cleaning closet. And like all the times before, he quietly and quickly cleans the mess left by the two children, before heading back to his quarters to get changed.

(And if he doesn’t report or even mention any of this happening to the Count or their father, then who’s going to know?)

Yeah, Hilsman really hates kids.

Chapter Text

Hans truly loves his job.

At first, he was a little worried to be working in the house of a noble. He has heard many terror stories from the orphanage he grew up in.

Hans often hears people say the best way to get gossip-worthy information is to attend a noblewoman's party. But in his opinion, the best place for gossip was an orphanage, or maybe just his orphanage.

People tend to keep their mouths shut in front of the other, most likely out of fear that whatever they say might be leaked to the public. But when it comes to children, poor children specifically, they have no such restrictions.

Perhaps they think that the homeless kids they see on the street would be too dumb to ever try and use their brains against them. But that is their fatal mistake.

While Hans is not completely sure, it wouldn’t be outside of the realm of possibilities for a child who heard something they shouldn’t have to ruin a family.

It only takes one person for something to blow up after all. God works fast, but Hans likes to think that people talk faster.

All this is to say, living in the orphanage in his early days made Hans privy to the noble's stories. Stories he’s sure they would’ve preferred to keep secret.

The popular ones all had similar tropes.

Nobles, with their pride and their status, exploit and use poor servants for their own needs, abusing the people who do all their dirty work. These nobles would come to fancy these poor servants, feeding them lies of a future that would never come to be.

While these tales varied in many ways the ending almost always stayed the same way. The Noble, done playing with the servant, would either send them away or have them killed. The lucky servants who managed to escape would have to live the rest of their lives in fear.

It’s unsurprising that, in the cases where these servants had children with their masters, the children would end up in an orphanage. After all, keeping a child that was sired by someone most likely aiming to kill you wasn’t ideal.

While some children remained blissfully unaware of their heritage, others, like Hans knew the truth. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why commoners and those of low status tend to harbor unfavorable feelings toward the nobles. But to Hans, it didn’t matter much.

On one hand, it hurt to know that his mother and father, his parents, didn’t want him. They should’ve been the two people who loved him most in the world, yet they abandoned him without hesitance.

But on the other hand, Hans could understand them. For a noble reputation is everything, and unfortunately, having a child out of wedlock, especially with a mere servant, would make one's reputation plummet.

And having a child is hard, especially when you’re on the run. They’re loud and needy, and they need constant attention. The fact that Hans was left in the orphanage at all showed that his parent must have at least wanted to give him some chance of survival while also saving their own life.

Honestly, Hans doesn’t think about it much anymore. He’s alive and he has a great job! What will dwelling on the past do for him now? It’s better to focus on the present.

Despite all the horror stories Hans had heard as he grew up, he still chose to work for the Henituses. And there hasn’t been a day after where he regretted his choice.

The Henituses are different from the other nobles, more kind and generous. The Count cares about the people living in his territory, and the Countess is a warm and caring person. Hans and all of the other servants are proud to work for House Henituse!

Just like his parents, Cale Henituse is a delight to work for. The young boy is practically a copy of his mother, and he is as intelligent as his father.

While Hans isn’t a direct attendant of the boy, he does still meet with him quite a bit as Hans is slowly working his way up the servant's ladder.

Cale Henituse is a bright young boy who Hans is sure will leave many young ladies hearts broken when he comes of age. The boy has a mischievous streak but can be very sweet as well. All in all, the Henituse’s first child is truly wonderful.

Unfortunately, despite how well-behaved Cale is, as any child, he has his times of disobedience.

Cales schedule was meticulously crafted by the Countess to include all the things a seven-year-old boy would need to do in a day. This includes his studies, mealtimes, and playtime. At the moment Cale is supposed to be in the library learning about the history of the Roan Kingdom.

Which is why it’s such a surprise to Hans when he catches Cale in the hallway. Judging by the fact that the boy is peeking over his schedule he is most likely hiding from his attendants or tutors.

Hans, as a good servant, should tell Cale that he should get back to his studies, but after dealing with many of these encounters, Hans knows that that would be a wrong move. As stated, Cale is a wonderful child, but all children hate to study. Especially history.

(Hans can’t blame them, he hates history too.)

If Hans were to politely ask Cale to go back to his room the boy would undoubtedly erupt in a temper tantrum. Hans would prefer a Happy Young master rather than an upset one. So he only approaches Cale to ask if he needs any assistance.

The boys are out of breath, which only adds to Hans’s theory that he was running from his attendants. But his face lights up with joy when Hans approaches him, quickly gesturing for Hans to lean down and cupping his hands over his mouth.

“Hans, I am being chased by the Vile Ms. Livle, you must keep the fact that you saw me a secret!” The boy whispers this to Hans as if it is the most important thing that must be kept secret, and to Cale, or probably is. Children have wild imaginations and should be given as much time to explore them.

As someone who grew up in an orphanage, Hans had never had the chance to enjoy his childhood like other more privileged. But Cale does, and Hans would never ruin that.

“Ah! Your secret is safe with me, please do be careful so that you are not hurt while fleeing from the horrible Ms. Livle!” Hans actually finds it quite fun to partake in a child’s whimsical fantasies, so acting in character isn’t too hard for him.

Cale nods sagely and looks about ready to speed off and resume his running before he suddenly gasps as if remembering something.

“Hans! You must tell the Molan Twins to meet me in the garden. It is of utmost importance!” Hans blinks at the mention of the twin's name, especially at the foreboding tone Cale says it with.

Cale is a child. Most children love to play, especially with others. So it’s no surprise that Cale would ask for the two’s presence.

The Count had decided after his son was born, that the twin sons of one of their newest attendants would become the attendants of his kid. It wasn’t a bad decision on his part. Most nobles had people their kids had known when they were nobles and became the ones to take care of them later on.

And with the two boys being in a close age range of Cale it made sense. Ron had easily agreed to it when the Count proposed the idea, so from a very young age, Cale and the twins had been made to play with each other.

The Count chose not to immediately make the twins his son's attendants, and instead to let them build a relationship first by being playmates. He hoped that their influence on his son would help Cale be less lonely as he grew up and allow him to act more like a child. After all, Nobles rarely let their children experience their childhood the same way a commoner would, thinking too highly of themselves.

The method had worked like a charm, the twins had a great influence on Cale

Not only was their presence a great help to Cale socially, but they also helped push Cale to pursue his education and other things like his martial arts training. Cale also seemed to look towards them for things like behavior and copy it, and considering the picture-perfect manners of the twins, it had more of an effect than any of Cale’s tudors had!

Hans will admit, when he sees all three of them together he can’t help but think of how differently Cale acts from the twins. Or rather, how different the twins act.

Perhaps it was simply a side-effect of being born into a world of servitude, or perhaps the discipline of their father, Hans wouldn’t know. The twins simply acted more mature than any other eight-year-old Hans had seen. Too old for their age.

Hans tries not to think about it too often. While they do sometimes act as if they’re old should trapped in the bodies of children, they can also be as innocent and reckless as actual children. Hans simply blames it on their upbringing.

Hans nods in agreement with Cale’s request, “Understood. I will find the Molan Twins and let them know of your whereabouts immediately.”

Cale seems to brighten at that, before making a mad dash down the hall in the direction of the garden, narrowly missing the servants who have finally caught up to him.

When they ask if Hans has seen the Young Master anywhere he pretends to be oblivious. Once again, as a servant, he knows he shouldn’t be doing this, but as a former orphan, he feels it's okay to let kids play for a little.

After the other servants leave in the opposite direction of the Garden Hans makes his merry way to go and follow the very important task he was given by the Young Master.

In all honesty, Hans doesn’t think Cale knew the weight of the task he had just given to him. He had spoken as if finding the twins was something that Hans could do in mere minutes, but he seemed to forget about one important fact.

The Twins were great hiders.

Perhaps it’s another byproduct given to them by their father. While Hans didn’t know much about Ron before he came here, after living in an orphanage such as his you come to learn some things.

While he isn’t aware of some of the details Hans knows for sure that the kind servant who greets everyone with a benign smile is hiding. From what? Hans can’t tell, but it must be dangerous.

From what Hans has seen from the man and what his instincts are telling him, Ron is strong. But whatever is must be dangerous if it caused Ron to uproot whatever life he had before and flee with his three children, two of which not even two years old.

If Ron can run and hide his family from whatever is chasing them for years then it makes sense that his sons can hide from basically the entire house for almost a day.

If the twins don’t want to be found, then they won’t be. This is something that everyone has come to accept since the two boys have become mobile. Finding the twins when they are actively hiding is a near-impossible task. The only exceptions are their father and more often than not their brother.

While Beacrox may have more luck finding the two, if the Twins really don’t want to be found then they’ll give even Beacrox, the resident seeker for hide and seek in the Henituse County, a run for his money.

Ron on the other hand is always able to find his sons minutes after he starts looking, no matter how much anyone else has searched.

(It’s fascinating, it’s alarming, and it’s scary. Hans doesn’t want to think about it.)

Luckily for Hans, around 5 minutes before Cale had stopped him in the hallway he had heard a scream coming from one of the Henituse’s knights, Hilsman.

Because of their different positions, Hans doesn’t interact much with Hilsman, but considering the knight's talkative personality and Hans’ outgoingness, they can end up talking for quite a bit.

Hans knows that Hilsman is very proud, taking pride in his swordsmanship. Hilsman is also very loyal to the Henituses and would give his life to protect them. Hans also knows that Hilsman has some sort of vendetta against two certain boys.

Personally, Hans doesn’t understand Hilsman's dislike towards them. After all, they are just kids, very young ones at that, and what’s wrong with a few harmless pranks? Hans thought that some of them were quite funny actually.

But alas, he and Hilsman will never agree. A positive of Hilsman less than ideal relationship with the twins is that, if the two aren’t in any of their usual hiding spots then they are surely terrorizing their local social butterfly knight.

This means that if Hans were to look near where he’d heard the scream coming from, then it was likely that he’d find the twins. Truly, Hans couldn’t have been more grateful that the two had chosen today to play a trick on Hilsman inside, it has made his job much easier.

Even luckier for him, as he turns down the hall to get closer to where he suspects Hilsman to be he nearly crashes into the two kids he was looking for.

It seems his previous theory was correct. Vonn stops mid laugh in order not to run into him, and Vicross isn’t too far behind him though he’s more careful than Vonn. There’s a plate in Vicross’ hand that gives Hans an idea of what kinda trick they played on Hilsman.

“Ah! Vonn, Vicross, the Young Master is looking for you, he’s waiting in the garden right now.” At the mention of Cale the two blink and seem to be thinking about something.

Their silence gives Hans time to observe their appearance. Their clothes are slightly ruffled, and so is their hair, which makes sense considering the fact that they were probably running from Hilsman. He’s sure that if their father, or worse, their brother, were to see their current appearance they would shake their head and start fixing their clothes.

Hans wonders if they had been visiting their brother before going to terrorize Hilsman. While the twins don’t seem to have the same passion for cooking that Beacrox does, whenever they do end up cooking Beacrox is always with them. And judging by the “food” on the plate, the twins were likely the ones to be doing the cooking.

“Alright, we’ll head there right away thanks for letting us know.” Vonn is the one that speaks first, he usually is, and his smile is bright and toothy.

Before they leave however Vicross steps up to speak with a smile similar to Vonn, “By the way, Hans, we made something with Beacrox earlier, would you like some?” It’s surprising enough that Vicross was the one to speak up, but the grin on his face is practically a copy of Vonn.

Normally, the twins appear to be as different as night and day. Vonn the bright and energetic one, and Vicross the dark and calm one. So seeing the sweet smile on his face makes Hans feel as if he is Hilsman and is having a trick played on him.

He brushes the thought away quickly. As nice as the knight is Hans doesn’t think he ever wants to be like him.

After he grabs the plate away from Vicross and tries to decide where he’s going to trash it, the two boys rush past him, now in the direction of the garden.

Hans isn’t interested in whatever game Cale wants to play with the two, nor does he care to know what the twins were up to before he found them. If not following his duties as a servant for a few minutes allows the three children to play more, than he would happily do it again, he just hopes that he won’t get caught.