"...you, don't have to care about me...or that family anymore..."

A pleasant voice, clear and gentle sounded softly within the quiet dining hall.

The hall was wide with huge arc windows from every corner. The floor is covered with grey ceramic tiles with rose carpet under the long wooden dining table. And a crystal chandelier hung at the center of the hall.

The whole dining hall is basked by the warm noon sunlight and was actually very bright. But somehow with Kevin's presence, the warm and bright atmosphere turned cold and gloomy.

Adrianne shivers, after so long he finally hears his brother say words other than "mn". But It was very cold and depressing, it sounds like the Autumn breeze, gentle, yet harsh.

Confused, Adrianne turned to look at the person at the other side of the table. Kevin was still eating, sounds of knife scraping against the plate rang as Adrianne stared at his brother. It's as if he was not the one who spoke earlier.

Just as Kevin was about to place the meat on his mouth, he paused and shifted his eyes towards his brother who was looking at him and accidentally made eye contact.

Adrianne froze. Kevin's eyes are naturally brown, like their mother, but Adrianne felt that his elder brother's eyes were darker than before. Like, it turns completely black. A black hole, that seems to suck him out of his soul.

Kevin did not make any unnecessary movement, and just kept staring at Adrianne, while slowly putting down the knife and the fort in his hands.

"You don't need to hide it from me anymore." He said, completely pouring cold water down at Adrianne's head.

The air seemingly became still, if not for Adrianne's trembling lips, and quivering eyelashes. It seems like time has stopped.

With great effort, Adrianne forced himself to smile and blurted out, "w-what do you mean?". He stutters and his voice broke out, his eyes were evasive and cold sweats were forming on his forehead.

For a second, Kevin wished that Adrianne denied his words. He did not say any specific accusations, he just wanted to throw some burdens off and he did not really mind if Adrianne were to deny all those. At least he can pretend that he does not know anything.

And because he was the only one who knew that past, and the future is not stable either, Kevin can compromise and forget about everything, since he was walking at the beginning again.

'...at least give me some nice starting points...', Kevin's eyes tiredly look at his brother. He did not expect him to react this way, he...was kind of disappointed.

'...oh right...he did say it was tiring being my brother. Maybe this is okay too.'

...

Cold sweat ran down from Adrianne temples to his cheeks and neck. He was stunned speechless; his mouth stayed open wanting to say something but somehow his throat seems blocked by something.

He swallowed all words and explanations he had thought, and denied it quite unconvincing. He did not know what was wrong with him but he did not want to lie to his brother anymore.

When he met his brother's eyes, his resolve to hide everything vanished and he wanted to appear clean now.

Just as he was about to confess Kevin preceded him, "I will give up mother's inheritance and give it to you. You can now also cut all ties with the Valentine family. Go back with your biological father, it is really alright." He assured Adrianne.

"Wha- w- what are you talking about older brother..." After staying silent, Adrianne finally reacted.

He already knew that his older brother probably knew about his origin when he said those words. He did not know who told him that information about him but...

"Even if you knew already, you don't need to go that far. Have you gone to hate me that much that you actually wanted to cut all connections with me?" Adrianne argued, he stared at Kevin looking like an abandoned dog in the street. His arrogance completely vanished.

After taking a glance at Adrianne once more, Kevin turned to look at his food and start eating again.

Swallowing a piece of meat, he continues to eat. "You know that as long as that inheritance is with me, your father won't let me go." Kevin professed.

Adrianne was rendered speechless from that, because it was the truth. Although, Adrianne stayed at the Valentines for Kevin. He actually won't be able to stay here if his father protested and get him back.

But his father let him stay here, despite knowing how dangerous it is for him to remain in this family. And it was because of the remnants of the woman he loved, that he does not want anyone from Valentines to claim and hold onto.

And Kevin was part of that family.

He knew his brother's concern. And to think that, this was what was inside his brother's mind all along. Instead of asking how, Adrianne questioned him when and how long he knew.

Kevin did not answer immediately, but he still eats seemingly remaining unbothered. From the very start of their talk, Kevin really did not show much reaction.

And right now, silence covered the entire hall with only Kevin's knife and fork movements can be heard.

Adrianne can only wait for his brother to initiate the talk, even if he felt like sitting on needles and leaning against knives. He has to wait.

He was the source of these problems after all.

...

...

...

Finishing eating, Kevin wiped the remnants of sauce in his mouth with a white napkin, then he gently placed it beside his cutlery.

He fetched the glass of water after, but he did not drink. He just stared at it.

Adrianne did not know what's inside his brother's mind right now. He was actually quite scared. He was fidgeting the ring on his finger and his hands were already sweaty.

Then he heard Kevin utter a sound. After almost half an hour of waiting, Kevin finally revealed some of his childhood.

"...I...knew it...from the very start. But I never really care to associate it with you." Kevin's voice was monotonous and soft. He voices out every word slowly, as if he was narrating a story about other people.

This made Adrianne's heart ache. Now, he completely sees his brother as a delicate and vulnerable man.

"It was just a marriage of convenience. But do you know, our mother was supposed to marry your father from the start."

Adrianne widens his eyes; this is the first time he heard of this. His father, despite how long he asked, never told him anything about everything. Even if he asked others, they never told him much. His father hated that scum man so much, and Adrianne thought that it was only because he stole his first love.

So, there's still a background story for that? A hidden plot. Even more so, it seems to have a dog blood kind of plot, which renders Adrianne speechless. He wonders how much of a drama their family is.

Kevin unconsciously let out a scornful smile, while still looking at the glass of water in his hand, he can't help but lightly stroke and swirl his finger at the edge of the glass, while he continues his story.

Having his face hidden by his long fringe, Adrianne missed the changes of his brother's expression.

The longer Adrianne listens, the more he feels like he was hearing a very tragic drama series, starring his father and their mother.

"...right. I thought the same too. That's why if you asked me if I hated your father, I can only say, I don't have that right."

"What are you saying! It was not your fault at all. It can only be that scum! So, why blame yourself!?" Adrianne argued.

"..." Kevin looked up and saw his brother's pained expression that almost seemed like crying.

Seeing this he almost screamed, his emotions swell like how magma went straight through his chest, wanting to explode.

He really wanted to scream, shouting 'Do you know the reason for all my deaths?!!'

Kevin protected Adrianne from his first lifetime, shouldering all burden and finally died. His father planned his car accident from his second life and finally Adrianne killed him off from the last time.

Is it really this easy to get this person's sympathy? Then, he should have done this from the very start.

However, thinking back. He will never tell Adrianne his past, because of his pride as an older brother. He was the older of the two, even if he was pitiful, he has his responsibilities as the older one.

He will never tell his brother about his wretched past. Even if he dies, he will bury those memories with him to his grave. That was the kind of person he was before.

That was his principles, before he changed to what he is now. As long as he can, he will shoulder the problems for his brother. But spending three lifetimes, his pride has been trampled down many times, that not even dust will remain. It took him three lifetimes to actually realize that he took the wrong approach and should have taken all those unnecessary troubles.

In truth, if he really wished it, he could be free. Free from all those burdens. It was really exhausting. So, we will give up all those now. Now he is starting again. He doesn't want to have anything to do about those things in his past lives. He was sick of it already.

…

Kevin thought he would not feel anything when this person reacted like this. It seems he was wrong again.

He opened his mouth to refute, "...don't look at me like that. You know it was the truth, I shouldn't have existed in the fir..."

"Stop!" Adrianne shouted as he slammed his hands on the table, startling Kevin and regretted it immediately and apologies quickly.

"..sorry..." then he smiled forcefully and gently said, "... don't say such things to yourself. No matter what others say, you're still my older brother, so stop thinking like that, alright?"

Kevin just nodded in agreement, but that does not mean he will stop thinking about those. With their conversation ending like this, Kevin decided to leave the dining hall. Because just now, he remembered that there's someone waiting for him in his room.

"You must have been tried. Then older brother...can we continue this some other time?" Adrianne pleaded; he was hesitating a bit, because now he knew what Kevin has been through in the past.

And he still wanted to be with his brother.

Kevin really does not care much and nodded in agreement. He then walked out of the dining hall, after he closed the door softly.

...

...

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