When (Y/n) and Haru had come back, Bastien was already fast asleep, his bedtime an hour before their return. However, when he had woken up in the morning, he wasted no time pouting. At the table, he was happily munching away on his fruit and cereal, talking to his nannies about how much he liked raspberries. They eagerly listened, too, asking him what exactly was his favorite thing about the fruit. In response, he would giggle and lecture them about the infinite combinations the berry could provide.

That being said, the moment the younger girl had come downstairs for some sustenance, he immediately puffed his cheeks up like a chipmunk. The boy then ceased talking, turning his nose in the air before resting his chin on the table. His pouting - though it was meant to warrant guilt - only made her melt at how precious he could be. She took a moment to admire the cute chubby face he had, even setting her coffee down to get up close and personal with him, crouching by his chair and giggling.

"Are you still mad?" she cooed, watching as he stuck his cheeks out even more, presumably under the impression she was buying into his act, "I feel so bad. Whatever shall I do?"

The brunette didn't reply, only increasing the dramatic antics by hiding his face in his arms. As a result, the (h/c) haired girl decided to play along, clenching at her chest and falling over. In his shock, the brunette began to panic, inspecting her with concern. He didn't want his favorite playmate to die, after all. The boy even began tugging on his main nanny's dress for help, tears in his eyes.

"I'm not going to make it!" the girl gasped, reaching up dramatically.

"N-No. You can't die! Frère will be sad!"

"There's only one thing that can save me."

The toddler began urging her to disclose the information to him, shaking her with great concern. At times like those, his rampant empathy was very clear. If it were Haru, at that age, he would have completely ignored a dying person to keep eating his breakfast. Then again, it would have made him very difficult to appease in the same situation. Luckily, Bastien made it easy for her to make amends.

"You got to tell me!" the boy cried, causing a scene for everyone in the east side of the mansion to hear.

"I need," A pause, "a raspberry."

Bastien, not the sharpest tool in the shed, like his brother, didn't quite get sarcasm. Perhaps it was because he was still nothing but a baby, but he genuinely didn't understand the implications of the tone. Instead, he took things very literally. That much was clear when he contemplated giving up even one of his favorite fruits. In the end, however, because he was a good kid, he was quick to feed her the "antidote", the girl magically popping back up. She took him in her arms as she did so, beginning to spin the boy around until he squealed in delight.

"You did it! You saved me! What a good boy!" she praised him, receiving the same amount of enthusiasm back from him.

"Good boy!" he repeated, clapping his hands together in delight.

She began to smother him with nose nudges, the brunette laughing loudly. He completely forgot why he was mad or that he had been in the first place, just content with the attention. In fact, he even opted to share more of his breakfast with her, but she rejected, mostly because he had already slobbered over everything. It made her regret asking for a raspberry in the first place, the girl getting a little nauseous at the thought.

Bastien began to jump around with glee, exclaiming he had saved the younger girl and that he was a hero. And if (Y/n) had known it would have attracted Haru's attention, she most definitely would have stopped him. The boy's older brother came down at quite an inconvenient time, nearly trembling at the implication of Bastien's words. Quick to rush over, he inspected the scene, nervously beginning to gnaw at his fingernails.

"I saved (Y/n)!" the toddler bragged, tugging on his brother's pants with the desire to be praised, "She was dying and I saved her! Aren't I good?"

Haru, like he often did, didn't stop to question the truth behind his brother's words. Rather, a sense of dread washed over him. The younger girl may have been sick or in pain, or, as Bastien said, was on the verge of death. His first instinct, which he never could hide, was to reach for the butter knife. That being said, he was quickly intercepted by the (h/c) haired girl who snatched it up first, hiding it behind her back with a threatening glare at the brunette. She was warning him to try anything. And, try, he did.

He grabbed at the collar of her shirt, pulling her close to him so she could see the state she put him in. Manic and unfoundedly irate, the male was shaking. One would think that, because he couldn't stand to see her sick or hurt, he would channel that fear into an overprotective nature. And while he did, for the most part, there was another impulse of his that pushed him into wanting to kill her first before anything else did.

"Haru," the girl recited, strictly emphasizing his name to reach him, "I was playing."

"I don't like it when you play dead," he growled through gritted teeth, staying impressively calm (for him), "You don't get to die without - "

(Y/n) smirked, stopping him from continuing to talk. He, instead, watched curiously as she moved to place her hand on his cheek. Though he enjoyed the touching, it didn't calm him down. The girl knew this well, but she wasn't doing it to appease him. Instead, she began to caress him, simply because she wanted to. That was really all there was to it. She was staying with him because she wanted to. She was touching him because she wanted to. And she was letting him live because she wanted to.

"I know," she chuckled, quietly whispering into his ear so no one else could hear, "The only way you'll let me die is if you kill me. And vice versa."

"If you know, then stop joking about it."

"But it's so fun to see you riled up and ready to stab me," A pause as the brunette glared more. "Right, I got it. Can we have breakfast now? I'm afraid Bastien's going to eat all the raspberries if we're not quick enough."

The (h/c) haired girl set the butter knife back down, walking back to her cup of coffee. Before she could reach it, however, the brunette snaked his arms around her from behind and kissed her jaw. He didn't ask permission, which was something that usually would have warranted a foul mood. That being said, she was more than happy to let him do it, petting his hair as he grumbled. He and Bastien really were brothers, both so alike in their pouting.

"And, if I may," the girl added, taking a sip of her drink, "for the millionth time: stop taking things so literally."

That was easier said than done, Haru thought. Of course, like always when she gave him advice, he jotted it down on his wrist tablet. Scrolling up through the notes, he gave a disgusted look at the number of times that was written down there. "Don't take things so literally" coated the document and it had for more than two years at that point. He just couldn't seem to learn how to do it.

As everyone calmed down and Haru sat between his brother and the younger girl, his father entered, giving a nervous glance to the older brunette. He gave it a moment before he brought up the subject, clearing his throat when the time came. Haru and Bastien, who copied his older brother, continued eating as though he hadn't said anything, but (Y/n) paid attention. After all, she respected the man greatly.

He started with a lack of confidence, giving an uncertain glance to his son every now and then. Nonetheless, the man continued to talk, dancing around his point for as long as he could. That being said, the moment he brought up the main point, he watched as Haru dropped his spoon. He looked up with great disgust at his father's urging, wondering why he would have to suggest the same to them.

"Why would you suggest (Y/n) leave the country?" he growled, clinging onto his beloved, "She's fine here with me."

"It would be great if you could go as well," his father continued, rubbing the back of his neck in his stress, "But I think, while I'm there, it would be good to give her a chance to get some experience in international business."

"So?! She can just go with me to Pasnad. Does she really need to go all the way across the world to Vethela?"

"It is one of the most powerful countries in the world," the younger girl sang, amused by the offer of internship, "I wouldn't be opposed to - "

"Rei can't have you!"

Haru slammed his hands on the table before proceeding to throw anything close to him off as well. Even Bastien's partially eaten bowl of cereal wasn't spared, shattering on impact with the ground. The toddler ran to it, trying to salvage his raspberries, but was abruptly stopped by his nannies, who were worried about the sharp edges of the ceramic dish. Still, he glanced at it, then at his brother, taking in a deep breath.

The (h/c) haired girl rolled her eyes at the mention of the royal. He had a personality that rivaled hers; both very intelligent, charismatic individuals who hated when things didn't go their way. She wasn't particularly keen on rolling over and exposing her belly to someone like that. For all she knew, he was probably planning to rip her heart out the moment he saw her. So, in her eyes, the brunette's concerns about her and the blonde seemed irrational. Nonetheless, he held a look of fire in his eyes, one that refused to extinguish.

"He's not my type," the girl huffed, crossing one leg over the other with an odd calmness about her, "Besides, with the contract, I can't leave you anyway. Just think of it like a family vacation where your father and I are still working."

"I don't like Vethela."

"Alright, I'll take a mental note. But, think of all the fun dates we could have. Their food is delicious and the flowers there are second to none. Romantic, right?"

The brunette turned up his nose at the thought. He really disliked the idea of going across borders with the younger girl. There was such an unsettling feeling about it as if she could easily slip away without him knowing. Besides, with all the prissy people in that particular country, he wasn't so keen on keeping up "appearances" with the president of Echal. He didn't see the appeal at all.

"Great! So, it's settled," the younger girl chuckled, interlocking her fingers with his, "We'll all head to Vethela. You can have a vacation, your father and I can work, and Bastien can terrorize the locals."

"Terrorize?" the toddler repeated, looking to one of his nannies for a translation.

"It's not going to work anyway," Haru grumbled, angrily pulling his beloved onto his lap, "They're never going to agree to help you, père."

The man gave a half-hearted smile. He knew very well that what he wanted was not something that would be easy to accomplish. In fact, Kazuya had known for his whole life that nothing would change if nothing changed. But he couldn't rely on someone else to fix the problem when he was the one with all the cards. If not for the Akahito family, there was no telling who would care about the situation in Umayena.

The country had more than 99% of all of its citizens wallowing in extreme poverty. They relied only on rationed moldy bread that was considered a luxury. All the while their citizens died of starvation and torture, one family controlled everything, drowning in indulgence and sadism. Based solely on the ideas of the widespread cult created by that ruling family, the people had no choice but to listen to every word of their leaders or else face "divine punishment" and eternal pain.

All world leaders, from Athain to Echal, collectively decided to ignore the situation despite the injustices. They continued trading as per usual, only feeding the rampant greed of the Umayena officials. Worst of all, because of the surplus of mines and their location in the vicinity of Vethela's reach, much trade was done between the two countries. And because it was gems that were exchanged constantly to the massive superpower, the royal family of Vethela was not pressed to put a stop to their "jewely box".

"They probably won't agree to it at first," Kazuya mumbled, fiddling with his thumbs, "But if we don't get them to take a stance against Umayena, we can't declare war against them."

"Right, because Vethela's military force is ridiculously massive," the younger girl sighed, the brunette passing her a cup of coffee despite his own aversion to the drink.

"I don't need them to agree to fight with us. It would be the best outcome, but I'm aiming realistically. I just want it in writing that they will not defend them."

"Who would have the power to do that? As far as I know, there's only an acting regent, and his power is moot the second someone ascends the throne."

"That...is another problem."

Haru frowned more. As his father listed all of the obstacles he would face in his attempt to free the citizens of Umayena, he found it harder and harder to understand. It sounded like far too much work for no guarantee of a pay-off. In other words, it was a gamble, and just convincing someone to play in that game was a near-impossible task. If it was him, he would have just ignored the stance of the Vethelans. Even if they chose to attack in defense of Umayena, he would just use his technology to make up for the difference in manpower.

"I still don't think we need to go all the way there."

"Do you think a phone call will solve the situation?" (Y/n) chuckled, leaning back against the male to relax, "Some things just need to be done in person. It shows...sincerity."

As Haru rolled his eyes, the younger girl chuckled, wondering just what kind of disaster they were heading for. Clearly displeased by the situation, even as they packed up and got on one of their private planes, he continued to sulk. He flopped onto her lap and refused to move, only turning his head to watch a movie with her or munch on snacks. Even so, whenever his father would walk by, he glared at him with a burning passion.

Despite that, he still melted into the younger girl's touch the entire way across the country. She would scratch him under his chin, to which he would almost fall asleep. The only thing that would keep him awake was the full permission she gave him to play with her thighs. He would touch all over, making himself excited enough to stay awake. She blushed in absolute embarrassment when he rubbed his cheeks on them, but it made her visibly gasp when he began kissing her lower stomach.

"It would be great if you were pregnant," he said mindlessly.

(Y/n) looked around frantically to make sure no one heard it, but her first response was to immediately try and shove him away. Though she put all her might into it, he wouldn't budge. Instead, he kept rubbing her stomach, reaching around her waist to hug her tightly. Not understanding her embarrassment, he kept reassuring her that she would be just as beautiful no matter what. Of course, that wasn't the problem.

"How could I possibly - If that were the case, it wouldn't have been with you!"

"Maybe you can get someone pregnant if you hug them all day."

"That's not how...You know how it works, right?"

The brunette nodded, but she wasn't entirely sure he believed him. The most they had ever done was kiss and touch. That being said, they had never gone to the point of there being even a possibility for children. Haru just believed he could will her into fulfilling his biggest wish. Still, it never failed to catch her off guard and send her into a fit of complete shame. Even when it was just her that had heard the brunette's lovely sentiments, she had gone and pulled a blanket over her, accidentally covering Haru's head as well.

He gave a smile, a genuine one that was more natural than the ones he usually gave. And with no provocation at all, with a strange charm, he slyly lifted himself from her lap and stole a kiss. The first one was short, the male remembering quickly that he hadn't asked for permission. With a frown, he backed away a bit, about to apologize. However, she sighed and rolled her eyes, chuckling as she pulled him into another kiss. And while she would have expected him to simply enjoy, he once again backed away, giving her a serious look.

"I need permission," he declared, pausing before rephrasing it, "Can I kiss you?"

"Yes, but, you know," she paused, pulling him in a bit more, "There is nothing that makes me want to have a baby with you than hearing you ask permission."

The brunette's eyes widened in surprise at the statement before she pulled him in for a kiss. That being said, he only indulged in the kiss after he began furiously writing down her exact words on his wrist tablet. Only when he finished did he push himself into her, sighing happily at her eagerness to be intimate with him, even in such a small way. Even as she stopped kissing him, he kept pressing one after the other on her cheeks and neck. After that, he went right back to her thighs (as was expected), murmuring up to her.

"You can't have a baby with anyone else."

That was the one fact that he liked to hammer home more than anything else. In his mind, a happy family was one that was confined. It meant that there were two parents and their children. There was no room for a lover, no room for a child that was not both of theirs, and no room for divorce. So, for someone like the (h/c) haired girl, who was unnaturally popular with people that had a romantic interest in her, it was vital that he prevent the first point beyond any others.

He didn't particularly care what needed to be done in order to achieve security for their family. In fact, he had slaughtered her adoptive family for that same reason. And as the first-born Akahito son, the creator of world-leading technology, and the son of the president of Echal, who had the power to rival him?