Cristo Agersia (3)

"... Huh? Why?"

Cristo asked, confused by Gray's statement, as he titled his head to the side.

He didn't understand the slightest thing behind Gray's statement as Gray just looked with direct eye contact at Cristo.

Cristo slightly widens his eyes with his gaze, then slowly furrows his eyebrows while paying his full attention to Gray's explanation.

"It's for your own safety. The only exception that you could tell them the whole truth is that if you believe that they could be trusted."

Gray explained logically as Cristo could only nod and realized that what Gray had exclaimed was understandable.

In that hidden Kingdom, what can they do except violate more order?

-

[13 February 774/Backstory]

"Sir Revanche found out."

Gray exclaimed as he scratches the back of his head frustratingly while looking at the 50 year old Cristo who is sitting on his worn-out bed.

Cristo stared at him blankly as he knew what Gray meant in that sentence.

So, he opens his mouth,

"... Found out about the fact that you're hiding me here?"

Cristo asked him as he turned his head towards Gray, who could only nod and let out a long sigh as he already anticipated something like this would happen.

"He will kill me sooner or later."

Cristo's eyes went wide with his palm down flat on the bed as he almost flinched from his sitting position when the man exclaimed his end.

"... Shouldn't we do something about this!?"

Cristo was desperate to save Gray from his troublesome position and was a bit frustrated because the news was too sudden and the fact that Gray was confident about his own death.

Cristo panicked.

Gray could only shake his head lightly.

"No one can save me. And no one can save you either."

Gray's statement was full of the truth. It was too much to hear that somehow the sentence alone was enough to pained Cristo's heart.

Cristo glances from Gray to the floor he stands revealing a dismaying expression as he slowly lowers his head.

"... It's my fault."

Cristo exclaimed guiltily as he covered his face with his hands and continue,

"You shouldn't have brought me here..."

He added his sentences with cold silence.

Gray's lips parted as he froze on his spot because of Cristo's sentences about him regretting he brought Cristo in.

Actually, the thought of regretting bringing Cristo into his household never crossed through Gray's head.

It was never a mistake to begin with, since Gray truly cared for Cristo like his own son. With the current condition, he is a bit frustrated that Cristo had to take the blame all for himself.

'It's the first time I noticed this from Cristo.'

Truth be told, Gray has never noticed the worries that Cristo felt since he was always in a relaxed manner and rarely expressed other feelings.

He even seems lazy and rather, apathetic in a way.

But now Gray fully understands that Cristo also has his own set of thoughts and emotions as well as his opinion.

'... Ah, it almost slips my mind because of the situation.'

Gray abruptly remembered the letter that he received 50 years ago when he found Cristo regarding the matter that currently bothers both of them.

The thought made him sigh deeply as he turned his head to the other side to avoid any eye contact.

He pulled out an old letter from his pocket that he had prepared for Cristo to read.

It was the second letter that was inside the basket that he discovered.

"Cristo, take and read this."

Without taking another glance at Cristo, Gray only handed the letter to him.

Cristo only raises a brow at the unfamiliar letter but still slowly lured his hand out to receive the letter from Gray.

Without any hesitation, Gray opened his mouth.

"... It might be important since I'm going to die shortly after this."

He lightly exclaimed without minding Cristo's opinion and just wanted Cristo to open the letter and read it.

Gray wants him to read all of the contexts and go to the outside world by using the knowledge inside it and in each sentence.

Looking at Gray then glancing at the letter, Cristo finally unfolds the letter and starts reading the letter from word to word as if he was scanning the paper.

"... This is..!"

Cristo looks at the letter with disbelief. He was surprised by the massive information it had.

"... Yeah. Inside the letter-"

Gray assuredly turned back to face Cristo with all of the hesitations that reside on himself had left the body.

"-is the way to go to the outside world. And it's the only way and a reachable chance for everyone that resides inside this kingdom to escape."

Cristo was still too focused on reading the letter that there was something he couldn't quite grasp about something, especially the writer of this letter.

Gray added,

"And there is also some information about the writer, Margaret Agersia, who is actually your birth mother. So, you might be Cristo Agersia."

He lifts his head to meet Gray's eyes.

"... So, you will bet your life on this?"

He asked anxiously with the thought he had.

Gray realized the behavior and could only smile softly at Cristo's pained and worried expression.

For Cristo, Gray was truly a wise and inspiring father figure.

If Gray didn't find him in the forest that day, Cristo wouldn't be who he is right now.

Gray could only nod.

After many unwanted thoughts, Cristo finally decided that worrying about the future wouldn't change anything that is happening right now.

"... Alright."

Cristo hesitantly agreed with his held up low and grips the letter on his hand firmly while trying to hold back the tears flowing as well as emotions that were about to wash over him.

Gray, who noticed that, form a small reassuring smile and raises his hand as he gently pats Cristo's head.

Cristo, who felt the tender touch, slowly looked up to see him.

"You see Cristo, one of your traits that I really like the most is that... you're too understanding for your own sake."

Gray said with his hand still patting and stroking his hair calmly. His voice was always so deep and soothing.

It's soft and gentle as well.

Cristo was incredibly displeased with the most unwanted thing that had to happen shortly.

He can only grit his teeth in frustration for not being able to do anything as he only looks on the floor while holding back the urge to yell or to shout his emotions out.

"Find someone that you will trust after I die."

Cristo, as much as he was against it, can only nod by one of the last wishes Gray left for him.

From that day on, it was unexpected that the person who will Cristo trust came faster than he anticipated.

At first, he only thought of Dorothy as a useless Princess who just wants to play detective within a world that isn't all fun and games and lied along his explanation adding half-truth in it.

Not to mention, he also has a deep grudge against Azrael and Althea for abandoning and killing Gray who didn't actually do anything wrong.

He kept silent about it for as long as he can remember as his emotions plied up inside his heart and head.

He didn't have someone to depend on.

However, that was until he met Dorothy.

-

[23 February 774/Backstory]

"... Cristo, I apologize that I broke our promise and that was completely my fault."

Dorothy reached out for his hand slowly and slightly pulled him closer towards her.

Soon, his figure has shadowed over her with their forehead touching each other.

Sharing the warmth that exists inside them.

She opened her mouth and exclaimed,

"I won't make any promises from now on. But I will try my best to show you what it is like to live on the surface. At least from now on, it's not suffocating, right?"

She smiled tenderly as their faces were nearly close to each other.

Cristo actually feeling slightly in conflict with her statement and didn't really know how to react to that.

He knew better than anyone that living inside the basement was never suffocating for him because Gray was there.

But not anymore.

Being treated like he was being cared for is also giving him the side of happiness and the warmth he longed for.

"Thank you, I was blessed to have you as my both underling and family-like."

His emerald eyes that stared at her slightly widened because of her sudden thoughtfulness and warmth that she gave him through a family-like bond.

"It's like having a family by my side. It's reassuring to know that I'm not alone in this."

She tried to make him understand how much he meant to her and how much she cared for him.

Cristo was surprised and confused. Dorothy never gets tired of surprising him with her every word and action she chooses.

Cristo stayed silent and stare at her blankly through the end because he doesn't know how to respond to that.

'I guess I feel the same too.'

He thought that,

If Gray was his father figure, then that means Dorothy is like a big protective sister to him.

He was truly grateful.

Maybe all he wants is a family in the first place.

.

.

.