Chapter 6

Rudeus suddenly felt a flicker of fear. He glanced at his father, Paul, who was grinning foolishly beside him, then at his mother, Zenith, who sat quietly.

He wanted to blurt out, "Your kid looks like he's plotting to kill me."

But Paul seemed to recall something. He grabbed the restless Roya Greyrat and pulled him over to Rudeus, smiling warmly. "You two need to get along."

Their eyes met. Roya's cold, red-gold gaze hit Rudeus like a chill, and he instinctively looked away.

Honestly, he was terrified.

Paul noticed the odd tension between them. He tapped Roya's forehead and said sternly, "You two should be close. Especially you, Roya. As the older brother, you need to look out for your little siblings."

Roya sighed, nodding reluctantly.

Seeing his son's expression, Paul chuckled and turned to Rudeus. "Don't let your brother's face fool you. He's actually gentle at heart."

Then Paul pulled a silly face, trying to lighten the mood.

Rudeus couldn't muster a laugh.

After playing with Rudeus a bit longer, Paul sighed in relief as the baby settled down. He placed Rudeus back in the crib and wandered off to cuddle with Zenith, leaving Roya and Lilia to watch over the newborn.

Rudeus squinted, pretending to sleep, but he was secretly studying the boy nearby.

Roya was striking—beautiful, even—but his face was a blank slate.

Those icy eyes held no warmth, and in an instant, Rudeus's mind flashed to the classmates who'd tormented him in his past life.

They stared at me with eyes like that, didn't they?

Panic crept in. Would this so-called brother turn on him like those kids had?

Fear washed over him, and without realizing it, he curled into a ball—just like he used to.

As Rudeus wrestled with his thoughts, the two-year-old approached the crib. Roya dragged a chair over and climbed onto it.

Rudeus's face drained of color, his trembling intensifying. He chanted to himself that everything was different now, that he'd gotten a fresh start, but the terror in his mind blurred reality.

Roya noticed.

He saw the baby trying to act calm while his body shook, curling tighter as if something monstrous loomed outside.

Roya sighed. Sure, he'd scoffed at Rudeus's past life, but the guy was pitiable in his own way.

He reached out toward Rudeus's pale, chubby cheek.

Rudeus flinched as the hand drew near. Memories of schoolyard cruelty flooded back—fear gripped him like a vise, choking his breath.

Tears welled up.

But then, soft fingers pinched his cheek gently.

No pain, no suffocation—just a warm, smooth touch.

Rudeus froze, stunned.

His eyes snapped open, tears spilling freely now.

Roya smirked faintly at the reaction. If Paul were here, even he'd have picked up on Rudeus's distress. Lucky for him, it was just Roya.

Why do reincarnates have to make it hard for each other? he mused.

Pretending not to notice, Roya brushed Rudeus's forehead lightly with his fingers. In a soft, childish voice, he said, "You're my brother now. I'll look out for you."

The words felt distant yet close, spoken gently but with clarity.

Rudeus couldn't grasp their full meaning—he'd only just arrived in this world, after all.

Still, they struck something deep inside him.

His eyes watered again, his fragile heart laid bare. Pathetic as it was, he couldn't stop it.

Flailing his tiny hands, he tried to wipe his tears, then remembered he was a baby. To cover his slip, he opened his mouth and wailed, letting the cries mask his emotions.

What started as an act turned real.

Roya stared, unimpressed. Soon, Paul's footsteps echoed from outside. He stepped in, glancing at Roya perched on the chair and Rudeus bawling in the crib.

"What happened?" Paul asked, striding over.

Roya's face stayed cool and blank. "I might've woken him up. Sorry, Father."

Paul was used to Roya's stoic demeanor by now. Shaking his head with a wry smile, he said, "You should try smiling more."

Roya considered it, then forced a stiff, awkward grin.

Paul winced, covering his face. "On second thought, stick with what you've got. That's tough to look at."

Two years had passed since that day.

Rudeus now knew the expressionless, pretty boy was his older brother.

But something about Roya seemed… off.

Whenever Rudeus tried pulling some shameless stunt under the guise of babyish innocence, those cold eyes would lock onto him.

"Rudeus," Roya would say icily, "a boy who does that is just a creep."

His hand, reaching for someone's underclothes, would freeze midair.

He'd flash an innocent, babyish smile, hoping to dodge the blame.

Roya wasn't fooled. He'd scoop Rudeus up, tap his forehead lightly, then grab his collar and toss him onto the bed.

"Don't leer at people's private things like that," Roya scolded. "Do you want to turn into Paul?"

Rudeus did want to say he wouldn't mind being like Paul, but faced with Roya's stern, handsome glare, he bowed his head in shame.

Noticing Rudeus's sulk, Roya added, "We've got to be upright and honest."

Rudeus peeked up, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief. He stared at Roya's dead-serious expression, tempted to ask if he'd heard himself.

"Anyway," Roya concluded, "stealing underwear is wrong. Got it, Rudeus?"