So we were having discussions about TCF characters as different food/drink brands in a server I'm in and here are some of my contributions/favorites feat My SEA SpiritTM:
Choi Jungsoo: Milo (Also probably their poster child like have you seen the people on their covers. Or really any milk brand actually he has that youthful athletic passionate young man energy they're looking for)
Lee Soohyuk: Kopi Kapal Api (This man has a coffee addiction and will physically cringe if you bring him anything that isn't just the blackest coffee imaginable. He has a preference for the little powedery sachets specifically because they hit different)
Kim Roksoo: Yakult (He needs to drink something healthy and I imagine he's probably seen the yakult ladies ride around town offering yakult when he was a kid and thought they were neat. also Vibes)
Witira: Pocari Sweat (and I will die on this hill COME ON SHE SEEMS LIKE THE PERFECT PERSON TO PLAY A SPORTY GIRL ATHLETE IN THEIR ADS)
Pasteon: Le Minerale ("Hmm! Kayak ada manis manisnya!" also because whale, water. He seems like a guy who would also probably appear in water ads as an earnest hardworking young man)
Rosalyn: Twizzlers (i did also say food brands and not just drinks. she probably likes the flavor and was that kid who ate all the twizzlers at the bottom of the candy box when the teacher offered bc no one else wanted it and was having the time of her life. It also looks like her hair to me, very chewable and sweet)
Hong: Welch's Fruit Snacks (I know On alsolikes dried fruits alot so this could be a shared favorite but Hong could absolutely be their poster child if he wanted to. He's the kid who always has them in his lunchbox)
Alberu: Caprisun (this is sort of a joke but also he probably liked them as a kid and secretly buys them in bulk at costco. He says it's for the kids when they come over but it's also definitely for him)
I'll stop at these for now AskdLlddSJL the discussions were so freaking fun there's more and I'll update with the Choi Jungsoo and Choi Han frequently appear on Redbull's tiktok/shorts page doing some crazy insane stunts and causing Cale multiple heart attacks bits but rn I'm StrugglingTm. God doe sthis make me wanna make a modern au fic.
planning smth for the transported!reader series soo...
Rosalyn has a lot of memory about you, not a lot compared to Cale, Choi Han, and the kids, but it was still a considerable amount.
Upon the first time meeting, Rosalyn bear no ill thoughts towards you nor Cale despite the amount of stuff she had heard from the people and servants. Instead, she could immediately see you were one of Cale's people and was perhaps the one he trusts the most, having been the one to spend his days together.
You were a wonderful company and reliable, being the one to speak for Cale whenever the man is unavailable. Cale might be subtle with his affection and care, but you were outright with yours and showed it without any shame -- not that it's something to be ashamed of -- and that's what makes it so fun to be friends with you. You were open about your feelings and straightforward with your intentions.
You were always someone eager to help, Rosalyn recalls. Whenever there's a book Rosalyn mentions that she's interested in, you'll be bringing it to her at the end of the day and wished her a "happy reading". If there's a dessert Rosalyn was craving, you'll be pulling her along to a bakery shop and spend the day together.
It was no surprise that Rosalyn likes you so much that she thought of you as her own younger sister. You were always so open with her, going on lunch dates together, learning together, perhaps you and Rosalyn would even complain about things to one another to relieve stress a bit.
Rosalyn felt like she truly does have a younger sister.
But, there are times when she thinks about how at the end of the day, you are still someone she knows nothing about with boundaries Rosalyn cannot see because you've always been so open about yourself that it's almost forgettable that you still have secrets -- scars, that you hide.
Rosalyn remembered that day like it was yesterday.
She had worked too much and the magic stones she had used to train exploded in her hands throughout the day, causing her hands to have slits and splinters. She remembers sitting in her room when the door was knocked.
"Come in."
She had waited that day, watching the door clicked opened and you showed your face, looking concerned while holding a tray with teacups and a pot on top of it. "Rosie?"
Rosalyn smiled. "[Name]."
"I heard you strained yourself too much on today's training," you began, coming inside of the room and shutting the door by pushing it with your leg.
"I'm fine," Rosalyn reassured you, smiling as you placed the tray in front of her on a table. She could see there are some desserts as well as tea. She looked up at you, seeing the concerned look on your face as you stared at her hands which are in the process of being bandaged.
"I brought some ointment for you," you told her, taking out a jar from the pocket of your long skirt. You sat beside her on the couch, unwrapping the gauze from her hands and opening the jar of ointment.
"How did this even happen?" You mumbled and instead of answering, Rosalyn laughed nervously. "Haha, it's complicated."
You touched the rough pads of Rosalyn's palm, being reminded of your own hands in the past before you were transported into this universe. You remember how hard you had worked during college and the way envy would appear and choke you every time your girl friends would be using hand lotion and talking about how important it was to keep their skin delicate.
It sometimes made you feel like you're not a proper woman.
'But... seeing Rosalyn having the same kind of roughness on hers, I don't why but I feel glad,' you thought, smiling a bit as you spread ointment on the red-head's calloused hands.
"You shouldn't be too harsh on yourself," you reminded her. "I understand your ambitions, but don't hurt yourself in the process."
Amused, Rosalyn raised an eyebrow. "I think it is more suited for those things to be said to the Young Master-nim instead of me."
"All you red-heads are the same," you countered with a frown and Rosalyn's eyes widened, not expecting you to say so in regards to her and Cale before she burst out laughing.
"Oh, my, I didn't think you thought of me the same way we all thought of him." Rosalyn's giggles turned uncontrollable when she saw the look on your face that seemed to ask her 'are you being serious?'.
"You're all the same," you murmured, wrapping the gauze back into Rosalyn's hand, being so gentle that it reminded Rosalyn of the time when her little siblings would get hurt and she'll always try to comfort them first before they're taken away by their nannies.
Sometimes Rosalyn has to remind herself that you are younger than her. But there are certain times when you'll appear to be someone more mature or experienced. This isn't an occurrence with you only, but with Cale as well.
"You're all good people."
Rosalyn's heart skipped a beat when you said that. Instead of a look of annoyance, because they all had always made you worry, you had a small smile on your face, as if to say you can't help but love them either way.
"But by the Gods are you all so stubborn!" You added, beginning your lecture and Rosalyn put up an anxious smile. "Seriously, this is what you all get for having Cale as a person to look up to. His ambitions are affecting everyone."
"It's not a bad thing," Rosalyn hummed, smiling at you who's standing up slowly from the couch. "Besides, you'll still love us, won't you, my dear sister? If not, who else would?"
You smiled, picking up a teacup by its' saucer. "A lot of people would."
"It won't mean a thing if you're not included," Rosalyn interjected, accepting the teacup. "[Name], you shouldn't be downplaying your love like that."
You went silent for a moment. "It's a habit from the past. Sorry."
Rosalyn wondered if she had hit a nerve because of how your whole face changed from smiling to timid as if you were caught doing something horribly wrong and were getting lectured for it. "[Name], I didn't mean to hurt you--"
"You didn't, Rosie," you cut her off with a smile and Rosalyn was sure even a blind man could see that smile was forced. "I'm grateful you said that."
"But--"
"Finish the tea and desserts, okay? I hope your hand gets better sooner."
Rosalyn watched you walk out of her room and thought about how unfair it was that you keep your guard up so high with them when you could so easily get them to have their guards down.
If time could be reversed, Rosalyn would have made sure to keep you longer in the room with her, to make sure she could keep you all night even just to talk nonsense.
It's been months since that day and Rosalyn wished she could turn back time.
warning: mentions of self-harm scars and depression once, implied suicide
Deruth and Ron looked towards Hans who entered the room with a pale face. There were a bunch of papers held by the blond man and for some reason, something struck Ron right in his nerve that has him tense, especially when he saw the sketch of your face pinned at the top on a small yellowish paper.
"Your Highness."
Hans looked at the papers in his hand and gulped.
Deruth frowned. "Hans, what's wrong?"
Hans looked up at Ron, eyes containing so much grief that Ron was taken back to the time when he had to look at Beacrox when his wife was slaughtered. There was no need for Hans to speak when Ron recognized that grief.
Ron's shoulders slumped and he looked down. "I will call the Young Master-nim."
"Your Highness, there had been an accident with one of our trade ships during a storm last night. The deceased are still being listed—" Hans began to explain and Ron walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He hears the harsh creak of the Duke's chair and his roar in disbelief.
Ron stood by the door for a moment, being reminded once again that the world was cruel in many ways. He takes a step and is reminded of the cruel things he had said, another step and he was reminded of how he had been so stupid to help you, one more step and how he had taken things for granted too many times. Every step he takes were accompanied by regret and sadness — losing one more person, to the heavy guilt for being responsible, to losing a child, to how young you were — until he stopped in front of Cale's bedroom.
Ron recalls your warmth when you hug him last night — shit, was it just last night? And you're already gone? — and how you had promised to be back soon. He thinks about the tension on your shoulders while packing your things and the way your tears fell when you wanted him to know you have loved them all as much as you could, with all the ways you know how.
You were brave for taking such a brave step forward alone, he must commend you for that. That was why he had allowed himself to help you get away because Ron wanted the best things for you and to get away and grow on your own was what you thought you needed. And what does the world give you for being brave?
It kills you.
Memories of you, sad or happy, now became bitter. Every memory of your smile became too much because you were too young and you didn't deserve such a cruel death. A sharp pain could be felt in his chest because he felt like he was responsible for it as well.
What would have happened had he tried to stop you instead of coming in and helping you pack? You wouldn't have been able to get to the port and board the ship.
Why didn't he ask you to stay for one more day? Why didn't he question the ship you had taken? Why didn't he think things through? Why did he have to be so fucking soft for you and left you to take your own decisions?
He should have stopped you last night.
Death comes at unexpected times, Ron knows that — goddamit, he knows that fact very well — and he knows that it never once considered the person they're taking away is loved by so many people, that this person has been fighting for happiness all their lives and deserved a little bit of freedom, and that this person was going to allow themselves to grow and be different, better.
You were going to change. Why did it need to take you from that?
It is almost robotic of Ron to continue his routine despite the grief that overwhelmed him. He knocks thrice and announced himself before going in like usual, approaching Cale and the kids who were sleeping so peacefully — he feels slightly guilty to know he will not be waking them up to annoy them but to make sure they'll be the first to hear the news.
He could imagine how Cale would feel after this.
"Young Master-nim."
Ron calls out, voice firm and strict. Cale opens one eye, vision still bleary. "Ron?"
"You are urgently needed in the Duke's study."
Ron's voice was emotionless and immediately Cale could notice that something had gone wrong. He sat up from his bed, hair still messy and clothes still wrinkled while Ron grabbed a robe. "What's wrong?"
"It is better for you to hear it yourself," Ron says, helping Cale put on the sleeping robe.
Cale rubs his eyes. "Has [Name] returned from the port, yet?"
Ron stilled for a moment and Cale would have noticed had it not been for the kids stretching in their sleep and groaning. Cale turned to look at Ron and was flabbergasted to find the butler already opening the bedroom door.
Something horrible has happened and Cale could not ease the unsettling feeling that's nestling in his guts. The fact that Ron had urged him to immediately get out of bed so early in the morning without washing up was already dire, but the serious look and the way the older man stayed silent all the way to the Duke's office was unsettling to Cale.
"Do you know when [Name] got back last night?" Cale asked, knowing you must have gotten home pretty late. He hoped you slept enough this morning before you continue working.
Instead of answering, Ron knocked on the Duke's door and Hans was the one to open it. The head butler allowed Cale to enter first and face his father.
When Cale entered the study, the first thing he noticed was the pale looks on his father's and Hans' faces. He sees that Hans' eyes are a bit bloodshot red while his father was on the couch, face buried in his hands.
"Father?" Cale called out. "What's wrong?"
Deruth looked up and Cale's gut feeling turned from bad to rotten when he saw that his father was on the verge of tears. Deruth stood up and hugged Cale for a moment, "Oh, Cale, I'm sorry."
"What? What's happened?" Cale asked. He would have grown irritated with how much everyone was leaving him in the dark but seeing the expressions of everyone in the room, he began growing anxious.
"One of our trade ships sank last night," Hans spoke up. "Most of the deceased are our employees."
Cale's blood runs cold. Didn't you say you were heading to the port last night?
"Where's [Name]?" Cale immediately asked, turning to look at Ron. "Ron?"
Ron closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
"Miss [Name] had boarded the said ship last night—"
Cale could feel his body slowly losing its strength. "No—"
"Cale, listen—" Deruth says, trying to hold onto his son before he could drown. "Her death is confirmed by the surviving passengers and our remaining employees."
Cale stared at his father's eyes and for the first time in a while, he feels his eyes begin to burn. "No, impossible. We just — we talked last night, Father. She told me she'll be back soon."
"I-I'm sorry, son," Deruth breathed out, watching his son's eyes begin to glisten. He feels his chest begin tightening at the fact that his son is going to be experiencing grief as he had once before when he lost the love of his life.
"No, it doesn't make any sense," Cale denied. "Why was she even on the ship when it boarded in the first place? She told me it was just some minor miscommunication, I don't understand—"
"Young Master-nim."
Ron's stern voice cuts off Cale's rambling and the red-head stops. Ron nodded to Hans to take the pause his chance to continue his report.
"They found her belongings and the hat she wore when boarding the ship. One of the crewmates had contact with her before she fell from the ship. They... couldn't find her body," Hans spoke slowly. "Her body most likely was pushed down to the bottom of the sea by the rubble of the ship like some of the other victims."
Cale could feel Deruth gripping his shoulder, offering some comfort as he listened to Hans but he is numb. Hans's voice became muffled and Cale felt like he was having an out-of-body experience, no longer able to feel any sensation and only looking out the window of his father's study.
Was this some sort of curse?
When he loved, it was one more person to lose. Was he an omen of bad luck? How come anyone close to him would always be in danger?
Can't the world give him a break?
Cale regretted not convincing you to stay, to deal with the problem in the morning. Now he's here, listening to how the ship you were on broke into two and you were one of the many employees the duchy lost.
Why now? Why after such a beautiful day out? Was that the world being kind to him, to make his last memory of you running up the hill while smiling?
What a fucking joke.
It seemed so stupid that a person as strong as you died from a sinking ship. You did not fight your way through life just to die so in vain.
"How..."
Everyone in the room stared at the Cale as he looked out the window.
"How will I tell the kids?"
Alver didn't hear of the news until late afternoon.
He finally had time to spare to have lunch after hours of sitting in the same spot, doing the same thing over and over again. Your letter to invite him to your picnic party was still in his drawer as it was only yesterday that the party was held.
His communication device beeped and when he accepted it, he was shown the head butler of the Henituse duchy's deadpan face.
"Good afternoon, Your Highness," he greeted, voice lacking any tone that would indicate his cynical nature, and right off the bat, Alver could see this was serious. "I apologize for contacting you like this but I called to tell you of the duchy's loss."
Alver sat up straight, tense. Choi Han hasn't entered the palace since the morning so he thought something must have happened. "Loss?"
"Due to the sinking accident that happened last night, the Henituse duchy unfortunately lost some of our best and loyal employees, including the assistant of our Young Master's, Miss [Name] [Last Name]."
Alver paled. "What? [Name]?"
Ron stared at the blond man with somber eyes. "Yes. She, along with 16 of our employees, died in the accident."
Alver opened his mouth, head procuring so many questions but none vocalized. He wanted to ask what had happened, how did you die, how can they be so sure, and how's Cale and the kids taking the information, but Ron immediately cut his train of thought.
"Due to this, members of the Henituse duchy will not be available for the time being as we mourn over our loss," Ron continued. "Please understand."
"I—" Alver stuttered. "It can't be, right? I mean, this is so sudden."
Alver felt played. There's no way you're actually gone, right? He had just begun getting close to you. He was starting to get on your good side and he wanted to see how far you and Cale were going to move forward when it was obvious that the two of you were in love with each other.
Ron stared at Alver for some time before showing a letter. "She left a letter for you, Your Highness. Please find the time to come over and fetch it in the duchy."
Usually, they could just send it to Alver in the palace. To tell a royal family member to fetch a letter was impudent, but Alver could see that Ron was indirectly asking him to come over and talk to Cale, that he perhaps could provide some comfort. Amidst all that, the fact that you left a letter for him struck Albert with confusion.
"I... will be visiting as soon as I could."
Ron nodded, slipping the letter into his coat.
"How are the kids?" Asked Alver. He couldn't imagine being the one to break the news to the young ones. "Have they gotten the news?"
"They will be the last ones to know."
Cale stared at the three children on his bed, watching them sleep peacefully. His heart is torn between waking them up and telling them the news quickly or letting them savor the peaceful morning first.
Cale decided on the latter. He cleaned himself up and changed into comfortable clothes, walking out of the room as quietly as he could.
In the halls, the servants are running around, some are comforting others, while the others continue their jobs. Deruth had hired people to do a search for the bodies of the victims and to immediately provide money to pay for their funerals. Some men are brought to the duchy to handle the estimation of loss they had to deal with and compensate their customers due to the unforeseeable event.
His legs carried him to your room in his absentminded state and he saw that the door was slightly ajar. Pushing it a little, Cale's heart dropped when he saw that your room was lacking your touches, nearly similar to the room he had seen in the top whip test.
"What the..." He stepped inside, looking around the room with wide eyes.
He could feel his chest becoming so stuffy, hands slightly shaking when he saw the bare vanity desk, your homemade makeup nowhere to be seen. He reached for the drawers there and saw that you had left the accessories gifted to you by the Duchess, ones you wear when there's a formal event.
"No, no, no," Cale murmured, moving to the other side of the room.
Almost as if he was in a trance, Cale opened the wardrobe doors and pulled out the drawers. He sees the conventional dresses and such, but none were ones you frequently wear. The few pieces of paper you kept on your desk were missing and the bathroom chest where you keep your bath salts and essential oils was empty.
His nightmare was coming true; nothing of you was left.
Cale stopped in the middle of the room and rubbed his face, murmuring, "No, no... Don't be like this."
He looked around the bed, checking the crevices and feeling his breath quicken when he found nothing. He nearly flipped over the mattress as he searched for something, anything, and when he found none, he tore the duvets off.
'Fuck, fuck, don't be like this, [Name],' he thought, running a hand through his hair. 'Don't do me like this.'
He looked up when he heard the door creak. Ron stood there with a frown, looking around the empty room with something unfamiliar in his eyes.
"Where are her things?" Asked Cale. "Did she take them with her?"
Cale was frantic and jittery and Ron felt his chest heave with grief when he realized the weight of his next words. "They are donated, as per her request."
Cale stilled. "Her request?"
Ron took out a letter from the inner pocket of his coat, presenting it to Cale. "She left a letter for you, Young Master-nim."
Like a thirsty man being handed water, Cale snatched the letter from Ron's hand, his whole body slumping with emotion when he saw his name in your handwriting.
He tore open the letter as carefully as he could and took out the letter.
Dear Cale,
I'm sorry.
By the time you've read this, I'll already be long gone.
I'm sorry for leaving you all without any warning. I can assure you that it is done without any pressure from anyone. My leaving is my own will. It is a choice I made, one I have been waiting for years to finally do.
I've chosen myself.
It has been a continuous struggle for me to constantly be ignorant of the question of what exactly my purpose is in this world. I feel like I don't belong here unless I'm given an explanation as to why I should stay.
It's also so hard for me to commit myself to this life — to you, your feelings, and mine as well — when it could be taken at any moment's notice.
I am going to seek the answers I need and while I do not know how long it would last nor what might entail my journey, I do know that I must do it alone because if you were with me the whole journey, I'm afraid one look from you will have me abandon my priorities.
Please let me choose myself. Let me be selfish.
Donate the things I left behind. Do not hold onto it. It will only bring you pain. Remember to sleep well and eat healthily. Never change.
Please remember that I love you in every way I know how.
All my love,
[Name].
Cale stroked the paper, noticing the circular dark spots on the paper and the smudged ink. He thought of you, sitting down on your desk and writing this letter to him in the middle of the night, tears dripping down your cheeks to the paper.
You were already planning to leave them all. It was just bad luck that you were immediately taken away from them the same night.
Cale doesn't know whether to be bitter or not. He knew his love wasn't going to be enough to convince you to stay — God, he wished it was enough, he wished he could have loved you more, maybe then you'll stay and be brave enough to commit to him — and he understands your feelings, but didn't you promise to not leave him without any warning?
There's an urge to ball up the letter and throw it away out of the bitter feeling of being dejected, and heartbroken, but what else would there be left of you if he did that?
"Have you arranged to have [Name]'s belongings returned?" Asked Cale, still staring at your handwriting.
It is now one of your traces that he will cherish.
"Yes," Ron answered. "They are on their way."
Cale looked at the letter and began folding it. "Set up a meeting with Withira and Paseton. Tell them of the news and that we'll be needing their help locating [Name] and the others."
At the very least, he needs to get you back. He doesn't want to talk to an empty grave.
Ron nodded. "As you wish, Young Master."
"And call for the crewmate that had contact with [Name] before she died," Cale continued, settling himself on the side of your bed. He touches the covers, smelling the faint scent of your soap. "I'd like to talk to him personally."
"I'm afraid it'll be difficult," Ron replied. "The crewmate is currently hospitalized for a dislocated arm and other wounds. He had held onto Miss [Name] before she fell into the water."
Cale's stared at the floor. He doesn't know how to feel to know that you had held onto what you could to stay alive and eventually died.
"Then set up a time so I can visit him," Cale said.
When Ohn woke up, the estate feels so eerily busy.
She heard the sniffles of servants outside of their door and the quick footsteps of several others. She turned to look at her siblings and saw that Raon was already up and was covering his ears with his paws, small whines escaping his mouth.
"Raon?" She calls with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Everyone is upset," the Black Dragon whimpered, stuffing his nose into Cale's side of the bed. "It's sad."
Hong eventually woke up from Raon's whining, leaning to the dragon to calm him down while Ohn is spinning her head to find out what to do next. She has a bad feeling beginning to grow in her gut but she just wanted someone to please tell her what's going on and it made her a bit disappointed in herself that she was not going to find out what the problem is like a grown-up but waiting for someone to explain it to her.
Just in time, the bedroom door opened and showed Cale coming in. The kids immediately looked up at him, observing the way the red-head looked tired and walked with a low slouch as if he had been working all day. His eyes are slightly red but his face showed no signs of tears. He looks paler than usual when he placed the letter in his hand on the nightstand.
"You're all up," he said dryly.
He noticed Raon covering his ears and lift the Dragon, arms slightly shaking as he takes a seat on the bed and placed the heavy Dragon on his lap. Hong leaned to Cale's side, still slightly sleepy while Ohn placed her two front paws on Cale's thigh.
"Ssh, everything's going to be alright," Cale cooed to the Dragon, caressing his scaly head gently. "Everything's going to be alright."
It felt like he was saying those words to himself.
Cale sat with them in silence, gathering the strength to break the news while he let the kids calm down. He tried to think of gentler ways to break the news, but how do you gently say that someone died to children? He knows that these children understood the meaning of death but he didn't think there would ever be a time for him to say that someone close to them had died.
Ron and Hans were sending out letters to the victims' families. Ron was directly contacting the others to know of your death and gave a formal request to retrieve the bodies while Cale had assigned himself to tell the kids about you before they could listen about it from about else.
In a way, Cale felt like he had failed one of his plans to become a slacker. He had wished for a peaceful, comfortable life with you all, you staying by his side and telling him about your day while he lays on his bed and the kids enjoying their days while never worrying about losing a home.
Now, you're no longer here.
"I need to tell you all something," Cale spoke up, budging Hong's head so the little kitten would wake up from his sleep.
Hong blinked, pawing at his eyes and yawning. He looked up at Cale when he felt Cale scratch the back of his ear, enjoying the gesture with a purr. Raon finally looked up at him with curious eyes while Ohn frowned, feeling like this doesn't sound good.
"Last night, [Name] boarded a ship to handle some problems overseas," Cale began, not wanting to tell the kids that you were planning to leave them all without any warnings. He would explain it to them one day, not soon, but one day.
"I saw her last night," Ohn added, remembering the somber look in your eyes when you walked with Ron towards the carriage. "Is she back yet?"
Cale inhaled, trying to think of the next words to say. "The ship she boarded was hit by a storm last night."
Raon and Hong began to frown. Raon tilted his head, "Is [Name] okay?"
Cale pursed his lips into a thin line.
"The ship sunk last night," he continued. "[Name] didn't make it."
Ohn felt her heart drop. Something had shifted in her world and her whole life was torn apart just by those words. She lost you? How could it be? She just saw you last night. You told her that kids in her she should sleep earlier.
You told her you'll be back soon, didn't you? You're supposed to come back, aren't you?
Why the hell is Cale saying you didn't make it?
Ohn's throat burned and she let out a gasp for air, her throat constricting her from taking proper, even breaths.
She couldn't stop herself to let out a pained sob, immediately covering her face to Cale's thigh and crying into his pants. Hong buried his face to Cale's sides, sniffles muffled by his dress shirt and his small body trembling against Cale's.
"N-no!" Raon flew up from Cale's lap, eyes glossy and on the verge of tears. "[Name] is strong, very strong! She is also smart! She's still alive!"
Cale could not get angry at Raon's behavior because this was just a stage of grief he had to go through. He held Raon, pulling the dragon to his chest. "I'm sorry, Raon."
"No! She's still alive!" Raon screamed, big fat tears running down his scales as he hugged Cale. "[Name] is strong!"
"I'm sorry, Raon," Cale murmured, closing his eyes. "I get that you still want her to be alive — I do, too, I want her to be here with us, too, but she's gone."
"No—!" Ohn yelled, like a child throwing a tantrum. She was finally looking up at Cale, showing her furry face wet with her tears. "I want [Name] here!"
"I'm sorry."
"I want [Name]!"
Cale closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, she's not here anymore."
Ohn crawled to him, burrowing in his arms while he held them all, crying into his shirt. As he held the three crying children in his arms, Cale could only think of how he wished you were with him right now.
Now he'll never know which side of the bed you liked more. He'll never find out if you do the dishes while cooking, he'll never find out the taste of your cooking that's made only for him, and he'll never have a future where he can start and end the day with you by his side, and he would never have a future where he can share the same blanket with you on your bed together.
He'll never have a future with you.
Everything he had with you is now only a memory.
"I'm sorry," he murmured to the kids, feeling his eyes burning and head becoming light.
He hoped he could be a little more of an emotional comfort to the kids, to be the pillar they lean on when they feel like falling. He hoped he doesn't come across as cold towards your death like how other people thought of him when his hyungs died.
"I'm so sorry," he murmured, shutting his eyes and letting the weight of his kids ground him. "I'm so sorry."
"She's dead?"
Beacrox and Choi Han stood in the kitchen, facing Ron with wide eyes. Beacrox let out a shaky breath and looked down, nearly spitting out that he doesn't believe it because he had just seen you a few hours ago, having been joking about being siblings and wishing you safe travels.
"[Name]? As in, our [Name]?" Choi Han asked with wide eyes.
"Yes," Ron answered, too overwhelmed to become irritated with the swordsman. "The Young Master-nim asked for a search squad for her body and the others."
"No, that's—that can't be, right?" Choi Han mumbled, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I just met her yesterday. I was helping her walk on the grass and she almost fell when the kids were chasing her."
"They haven't found her body so it isn't definite," Choi Han tried to be optimistic but he received a glare from Beacrox.
"The ship sunk in the middle of the ocean during a storm. You think she could survive in the water that long?" Beacrox questioned. "Save yourself the false hope."
"Aren't you too accepting of her death?" Choi Han challenged, frowning at the chef. "Shouldn't we trust that [Name] would be able to survive?"
Beacrox stabbed the kitchen knife he had in his hand into the cutting board. "You think this is my first time dealing with death? It's easier to think of them as dead than to hope for them to be alive. Stop being ridiculous."
Beacrox walked out of the kitchen through the back door and before Choi Han could call him out, Ron added; "It is better to lessen your expectations, Choi Han."
"But her body--!"
"Most likely pushed down to the sea floor by a part of the ship, like the others," Ron immediately cut off. "Again, it would be beneficial to lessen your expectations."
Ron walked out of the kitchen to leave Choi Han alone, but before he stepped out of the room, he spoke again, "Do not talk about your expectations with the kids. It'll make their grieving process more difficult. Save yourself the heartache."
"Ron!"
The voice of the red-headed archmage made Ron step out of the kitchen and turned to her. He saw Rosalyn with Lock walking towards him, both of them pale with tear streaks on their faces. Followed behind them were Eruhaben and the saints of the God of Death and the Sun God. Choi Han stepped out as well after recognizing her voice.
Rosalyn waved a letter to Ron's face. "What kind of sick joke is this?"
She pushed the letter to his chest and spoke with venom laced in her voice. "I swear to God if this is--"
"It's not a joke."
Everyone stopped to turn to Cale who was standing in front of them all. He looks tired, his eyes red-rimmed, and clothes wrinkled and a few wet spots were seen.
Choi Han began opening his mouth, still insistent on you being alive, "But if it's from sinking, then she could have held on to a debris or—"
"She's not you, Choi Han."
Cale sounded tired when he shut down Choi Han's suggestion. Rosalyn, stubborn as always, tried to reason with Cale out of denial. "Young Master-nim, [Name] is a strong, smart person, so I'm sure—"
"She's human, Miss Rosalyn," Cale interjected. "She's not you, who has immense talent in magic. She's not like Lock who is a beast person, not Ron, not Eruhaben-nim, and certainly not Choi Han. She's just a human, and there is no way she could survive in the ocean during a storm after falling from a ship."
Rosalyn could feel that Cale had become exasperated with the insistence of others but she continued, "Why are you so accepting?"
Cale's brown eyes are almost emotionless when he replied, "What good is there to hope?"
Ron knows that Cale was coming across as very pessimistic to the others but he knew Cale was just protecting himself and the others from hoping too much. He sighed. "If Miss [Name] had simply gone missing, we would be able to hope. Unfortunately, we have a couple of witnesses that saw her fall down to the ocean."
"Witnesses?" Choi Han repeated. "We should immediately interrogate them to have them confirm what they saw."
Ron turned to look at Cale who glanced back at him, nodding silently. The older man nodded, bowing, "I'll prepare the carriage."
He knew that Raon would be too distraught to use his magic and Cale was letting the kids rest.
"No need," Rosalyn immediately cut off, clenching her fists. "Give me the coordinates to them."
"Eruhaben-nim, please stay and look after the children," Cale muttered. "They are not in their right state of mind to be out of their room."
Eruhaben approached Cale, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, the saints and I will stay here. And I'm sorry."
Cale nodded mutely.
He doesn't think he can talk much for today.
The last person to make contact with you was a 22-year-old ship crewmate named Klaus. He had sustained a dislocated arm from holding you up and a few scratches from wood splinters in both the palms of his feet and hands, as well as arms.
Ron did not disclose this information to the rest of them when they visited the man in the hospital. Instead, he first let them meet with the ship's right hand, Kore, as the captain had died in the ocean.
"To be honest, we weren't sure what had caused the leak in the ship," admitted the woman, looking down at her lap. "There was suddenly a jolt from the ship's belly and when the crew looked on, a chunk of it was already off and water filled up the lower deck so quickly we couldn't do a proper assessment."
The thought of explosives being transported and being triggered in the middle of the ocean appeared in Cale's mind. The Henituse had many enemies so if this was done by an enemy to weaken them, it made sense.
"Could it be magic or explosives?" Asked Rosalyn, voicing Cale's suspicions.
Kore shook her head. "No, Ma'am. No explosives were shipped with us and even if it was an explosion from magic, there was no fire. The jolt happened twice, once from the first time that caused the leak, and the second caused the ship to break in half because it felt like the ship was getting pulled down."
"It couldn't have been explosives if both happened underwater," Ron simplified. "Did you see Miss [Name] before all of this happened?"
"Yes," Kore answered. "She had been standing near the ship railing last I saw her. During the chaos, a crewmate of mine was the one who was with her the whole time before she fell to the water."
"What's his name?" Cale asked, making everyone turn to him. He had been quiet this whole time and to finally hear him talk made them relieved but also anxious.
"Klaus," answered Kore. "He's already awake, last I hear."
"Thank you," Cale said. "The duchy cannot replace the lives of the people you have lost, but we are capable of taking care of the expenses to lessen the burden on the families. I'm sorry for your loss."
Kore's brown eyes swelled with tears, nodding. "Thank you, Young Master-nim... and I'm sorry for your loss, too. Miss [Name] was a wonderful person."
Cale pursed his lips into a thin line. "Please get some rest."
Kore watched the red-headed hero turn around without another word, the heroes of the kingdom following behind him as they moved to the wing where Klaus was staying in. She saw how the grim faces of them all as they moved and couldn't help but think how lovely and lucky you must be to be so loved by these people.
When they found Klaus, he was sitting on his bed while staring at his hands, flexing them with a heavy frown on his face. He was sitting topless, showing off the ugly bruising on his shoulder and the odd contort of the bone there. He has bandages around his arms, several spots seeping with blood.
"Klaus."
Ron's cold voice surprised the young man and he looked up, flabbergasted to see the faces of the kingdom's heroes.
"Y-Young Master Cale!" He greeted Cale first, bowing his head. "An honor to meet you!"
Cale waved his hand, pulling a chair beside Klaus' bed. "Don't move too much."
"O-okay," he murmured, glancing at Rosalyn, Choi Han, and Lock's faces. He averted his eyes to his lap and murmured, "I suppose you're all here to ask me about Miss [Name]?"
"Tell us about every interaction you have with her on that ship," Rosalyn commands. "To the last detail."
Klaus gulped, slowly looking up to look at them all. He made time to make eye contact with them all as he spoke, "When I was helping the passengers to board the emergency boats, Kore had ordered me to run back to fetch Miss [Name] because she was nowhere to be seen."
"I had seen her sleeping by the deck during the storm and remembered feeling bewildered because she was sleeping so deeply." Klaus remembered being very relieved when he arrived to you that moment and you had been awake. "I had grabbed onto her to lead her to a boat but the ship had jolted and broke in half. She had been standing on the other part of the ship and it fell down but I managed to grab her on time."
Klaus remembered the way fear covered your beautiful face, becoming so pale from the cold rain and fear of death. He remembers how you had absolutely refused to look down and kept your [e/c] eyes on him, so struck with fear that you barely said anything.
Klaus touched his dislocated shoulder. "I... I wasn't strong enough."
"You let her go?" Choi Han questioned with venom, frowning deeply.
"I would never!" Klaus exclaimed. "I would never! I tried my best to hold on to her and she would have been saved, safe and sound had she held on to me."
Cale blinked owlishly. "What?"
"Don't you dare start blaming her just because you weren't strong enough," Rosalyn sneered, voice slightly cracking. "She would never—"
"Archmage-nim, with all due respect, I value Miss [Name] with my life," Klaus professed. "If it were up to me, I would have changed places with her because I know how much her life is worth more than mine. I was willing to lose my arm or even my life if it meant saving her."
He showed his hands and bandaged arm. "I let wood chips dig into my skin just so I can hold onto her longer."
Klaus held onto his shoulder with a pained look. "Miss [Name] wanted to hold on to me longer, but she saw me in pain and immediately let my hand go."
Rosalyn rubbed her temples, trying her very best to not let her eyes swell up with tears. She inhaled and then spoke again, "[Name] wouldn't do that. She wouldn't give up so easily."
Cale glanced around the room, remembering the scars on your arms up to your shoulders, the scars on your thighs, and thought about how maybe it was never directly stated but it was clear you still struggled with your mental health.
"[Name] suffered depression."
Everyone turned to Cale. The man was glancing at a spot on the wall, refusing to look at them all. "She felt like she never belonged here with us and that caused her to lose a sense of belonging here."
"That's—" Rosalyn gasped out a pained huff, sounding almost like a scoff. "That's ridiculous. W-we're a family. I mean, at least I thought we were... right?"
"She loved us in every way she knew how to," Cale muttered. "Not in the way we thought."
Rosalyn bit the inside of her cheeks, turning to Klaus. "Did you see her die?"
Klaus looked down, closing his eyes. "The ship had turned vertical when she fell to the ocean and I saw the splash her body created when it fell. If she didn't die from the impact, she would have died from the water filling her lungs as she'd be too weak after the impact to keep herself afloat."
Rosalyn felt her lips quiver. She could feel the painful burn in her eyes increasing every second and when she let out a sob, another one immediately followed without her consent. She covered her mouth to stop it, to not have the world see this weak side of her, but her knees grow weak supporting her weight and she drops to them, holding onto Klaus' bed.
"No, my sister—" She choked out, feeling Lock's warm body pressed up by her side, giving her a side hug. She could feel the sobs of Lock as he hug her. "No, [Name]—!"
The piercing scream that the Archmage let out as she kneeled on the floor made Klaus close his eyes, tears spilling from his eyes at the thought that he had been too weak. Seeing such a strong figure of the continent writhing on the floor, screaming for her sister, asking for you to come back over and over again was too much.
Choi Han let tears stream down his face, kneeling beside Rosalyn and Lock as they both cried for you.
"Choi Han, [Name]—" Rosalyn choked. "She's gone."
"She's gone!" Rosalyn repeated, in hysterics. Her hair is a mess, her cheeks face with tears, eyes red and face flushed red. "I can't see her again."
Choi Han held onto the woman, thinking about how you're now another loved one he had lost.
