Perfect Brother Was Gone

When he heard the news of his master's death and Cedric's return, he could not help but run here. He heard so many rumors that Cedric had killed Christian for wealth and position.

Some said that Christian had outcast his brother and Cedric had come for revenge but Philip knew nothing of it could be true. Though the second child was cold and dreary, they both were brothers and Christian not even have hurt Cedric.

It was Christian who wrote letters to Cedric every month though a reply never came. He was a kind brother through and through.

But looking at the Cedric now.. He felt like he did not know the man at all.

"Or are you showing compassion on the maid?" the words slipped out before Philip had any control on them. 

"Compassion?' Cedric tilted his head as if he had heard a joke. A soft smile bloomed on his handsome face. Though the personality of the second brother was cold, he was more handsome as he had gotten his features from his father while his eyes from his mother. He was handsome by comparison and dignified even if he was sneering at Philip.

"You know well that I never had it." there was something so dark in his voice that Philia took a step back.

When he entered the palace, the maids had looked at him with joy as if their savior had come. Philip had felt his chest broaden with every step he took towards this room. The room that belonged to Cedric from the start.

He was sure that Cedric would not remember their childhood. But he was ready to use his new authority and his previous one of the aide of the duke and come back. But Cedric had just smiled at him and welcomed him into the room.

The smile was surreal, contagious and shocking to Philip and before he knew it, Cedric had challenged him for a competition on who would do more pushups. The idea was baffling. Why did they do it in his room near dinner time?

If he wanted to challenge him, they would spar in the morning though he was sure he would lose from a knight. But nothing made sense since the time he had entered this room.

And now this maid was lying on his bed and Philip had no idea what Cedric wanted from it but he was sure that it did not surprise Cedric.

A wild thought crossed Philip making his eyes widened..

"What did you do to the girl?" he yelled when Cedric stood up and went to the dining table again. He sat there elegantly as if nothing was out of order and took another bite of the stew.

"What happened? She is just waiting for me to finish the meal as she should." as she should? What did that supposed to mean?

Philip felt the air around him going heavy. 

"You have drugged her to.."

"She is my dessert!" Cedric licked her lips as if that was something common. Something he should understand without any explanation and something, Cedric was proud of making Philip ashen.

"You could not! This is a rape if the lady did not accept it." He was not something righteous like his deceased master but he was still a man with backbone.

"Haha! Did you just tell me that the maids had their own will? Did you not learn your ways despite being a part of nobles for so long." The jab hurt where it stung. He was not a noble by birth. But his position was granted by his family's hard work and loyalty toward this family, the family of duke.

They have made Philip their vassal family as baron. Their land, property and wealth was given by this house and Philip, no matter how selfish he was, could not see this family ending up in shambles.

"My lord.. I understand that many nobles use their maids but the other party should at least be conscious to know what happened. You can not.." he took a deep breath, trying to hold his sanity but it was slipping through his fingers like sand. "Force her by drugging her."

"Does it hurt you, Philip? To see me having my way with a girl in the palace where my perfect brother had lived?" Cedric raised a brow and asked in a mocking tone but Philip still nodded.

He was ready to let go of his pride if that would stop him from the crime. He did not take maids and servants' lives as special. But humiliating them for showing his position was a completely different thing from raping them or killing them. He had not learned to be violent.

"Then this is a cue that you should live and did not come back to find me." Cedric laughed, as if Philip did not get the obvious, "one more thing, if you want to show your loyalty for my brother. It would be better if you work hard and earn more from the territory and pay us better taxes like a good lord."

Philip's hands tightened into a fist. He knew that the last part was a threat. If he did not leave, his territory would be in danger. A position that can be offered as reward could be taken away as easily as it was given.

He looked at the woman again and then at Cedric who still had that sweet smile on his face but it was nothing but cruel. Suddenly he did not know this man anymore. 

"Did you kill the master, did you really kill your brother for this position? You could have just asked him and he would have given it to you. He loved you so much!"