Kyungsoo had the kitchen rags neatly folded, stacked at the perfect height to be appropriately at arm’s length but not too burdensome to look upon. Perfect, absolutely perfect.

“Kyungsoo!”

It was a shout that sounded like it came from a deep seated despair, unlike anything he had heard come from his employer’s husband before. It turned his blood to ice. Kyungsoo quickly forgot about the kitchen towels, the plates that he was about to wash next, or the long list of special tasks he had written out for Jongin. Dashing up the stairs towards the entry way he prayed nothing terrible had happened.

And then he saw Minseok, Luhan holding him in his arms, the younger man looking a bit lost as he stood in the entryway holding his husband’s limp form.

“What is the matter, sir?!” Kyungsoo rushed towards his master, terrified that the man was injured in some way.

“He fainted. I can’t get him to come to!” Luhan explained in a rush “Quickly, help me get him upstairs.”

As Luhan maneuvered his way up the staircase, Kyungsoo rushing in front of him to prepare the bed, Jongin emerged from where he had been cleaning in the study. “What happened?” He asked, alarmed at the sight before him.

“Hurry, grab a basin of water and a towel. Minseok has fainted.” Luhan called back to his valet, never missing a step as he made his way towards the room he shared with Minseok.

Luhan tried to focus on his husband, and only his husband. From the moment Minseok had fainted at the Comte Labeaux’s house, Kris standing over him and rambling on about children and a maid and no sense of shame, Luhan had shut all such things down. All such thoughts of what Kris was referring to or why it had Minseok unconscious at the mention of it. No, Luhan trusted his husband. He needed to hear it from Minseok, not from Kris. He needed to know why. And he wouldn’t know the details, the why or the what until Minseok was awake. It had to come from Minseok, not Kris.

Kris had suggested that Minseok stay at the Labeaux townhouse until he awoke, Luhan vehemently shooting down the suggestion. Once Minseok didn’t awake after a few minutes, Luhan was certain something dreadful had jolted his husband’s reality, enough so that he wasn’t about to spend hours waiting in a foreign home for Minseok to awake. No, it was best if he brought Minseok back to their home.

Luhan carefully angled himself as he walked through the narrow doorway to the bedroom, taking extra care as to not hit Minseok’s legs on the doorframe. Kyungsoo had pulled the bed covers back, Luhan depositing Minseok onto the bed and pulling the soft quilt over him as Kyungsoo adjusted the pillows behind his head.

“Sir, what happened?” Kyungsoo asked, staring down at his employer in alarm.

“I-“Luhan wasn’t sure where to even begin “He had a fright.”

“A fright, sir?” Kyungsoo reached out, feeling Minseok’s forehead he was thankful his master did not feel feverish. “What sort of fright, sir?”

“I- well, I am not entirely sure.” Luhan sat on the bed, staring at his husband. What sort of fright was it? Children? Minseok’s children? How could he even begin to explain that to Kyungsoo?

Jongin arrived at that moment, carrying a porcelain basin full of water, towels slung over his shoulders, “Is the master well?”

“I think so.” Luhan answered rather curtly, not wanting to go into too much detail.

“Sir, please tell me what happened?” Kyungsoo placed his fingers on Minseok’s wrist, apparently feeling for his heartbeat.

Luhan should have known that Kyungsoo would not let the matter drop so lightly. “We were visiting someone and they said something rather alarming.”

Kyungsoo, feeling Minseok’s pulse under his fingers, began counting. As he did so he widened his eyes, staring at Luhan, not willing to leave the situation at vague descriptions of someone saying something that had Minseok fainting. His master did not just faint.

Luhan struggled with how best to explain the situation, considering he knew next to nothing about it himself. As Kris had muttered Luhan had ignored. “Well..he….someone said something about..well.”

“What is it?!” Kyungsoo shouted, quickly placing his free hand over his mouth in utter horror. He should never have shouted at Luhan like that, not at his employer’s husband, not without at least adding sir to the end of his angry exertions.

“Does Minseok have children?” Luhan blurted out.

Kyungsoo froze, Jongin staring from Kyungsoo to Luhan and back to Kyungsoo “Children?”

Before Kyungsoo could answer the question Minseok began to stir, moving his arm away from where it lay in Kyungsoo’s grasp. His eyes fluttered open.

“Minseok!” Luhan leaned over his husband “Are you well?”

Minseok struggled to sit up, blinking his eyes rapidly he realized he was at home. “I...” He looked around the room, three pairs of curious eyes staring at him.  “I think we need to talk.”

“I dare say we do, sir.” Kyungsoo exclaimed, glaring at his master as if he had been deeply betrayed.

***

Minseok hadn’t imagined having to explain such a situation to Luhan, because honestly he hadn’t any idea that such a situation existed. No, not really. There was something that happened many years before but something he had believed was left in the past with no lasting consequences.

As for explaining the matter to two valets, well that wasn’t part of the plan either. Though one look at Kyungsoo and he knew he wouldn’t be able to get his faithful servant to leave before offering up some sort of explanation.

Minseok took a sip of water from the glass that Jongin shyly handed to him. Minseok appreciated that Jongin was at least mum on the matter, not prying him for details. The other two however were very much waiting for some sort of explanation.

Swallowing the cold water, he cleared his throat and began.

“I think you are all aware of my time in Normandy.”

“Yes.” Luhan nodded. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, not sure how close he should get to his husband. Not sure how much he would like what Minseok was about to say.

“It was a very terrible time in my life-.”

Kyungsoo muttered something that sounded like “that brat Sehun” under his breath, quickly apologizing for the interruption and urging Minseok to continue.

“Yes, well, shortly after I arrived in Normandy I made the acquaintance of Kyuhyun. Victoria was with him. They were polite, nice – cared little for my social downfall and the rumors swirling about me. I was…” Minseok looked away from Luhan’s gaze as he continued, uncertain of if he wanted to see his husband’s reaction to what he was about to say “Reckless. I went to a soiree one evening and had a bit too much to drink. There was a maid- no, Angelique, was there and I well…” Minseok found his face coloring as he even attempted to recall what hazy and fragmented memories he had. “If the Comte Labeaux is to be believed it appears that I am a father.”

“A father?!” Kyungsoo’s eyes widened in horror. His employer, a father? Children?

“I only saw her that once, never again. I can’t be certain, though if the Comte is to be believed I… they are mine, twins.” Minseok brought his hands up to his face, holding them over his eyes as if he could shut the reality out.

Luhan was quiet. Very quiet. Too quiet. When he finally spoke his words had an icy cut to them “If this is true, if she did have your children, then you are their only surviving parent.”

Minseok nodded, not removing his hands. He wasn’t ready to face it – if it were true. He had children, two of them if Kris were to be believed. Children he had never known of. Children who he had never met. Children that had likely never even known their father’s name, children who were now without a mother. The hurt, the pain of it all bore deep into him, rattling his very soul.

“Wait, the mother is dead?!” Jongin asked, chiming in with a rare word.

“Yes. She was found in the river yesterday.” Luhan said quietly.

“Sir…how could you?!” Kyungsoo shouted, his loud exclamation startling the other three men. “Sir!”

Minseok removed his hands from his face finally, looking at his valet, tears in his eyes. “Kyungsoo, I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t know?! How could you not know?!” Kyungsoo threw his hands into the air, “Why?! Why couldn’t you have kept it in your trousers?! With a woman no less!”

Minseok blushed furiously at his valet’s words.

“I don’t even know how to care for a child, sir!” Kyungsoo continued “They make messes and don’t listen and – “Kyungsoo burst into tears, his small body shaking with sobs.

Jongin, alarmed at his fellow valet’s outburst, moved to his side, hoping to offer some comfort with his presence. It didn’t work.

“I suppose I need to go read up on what children EAT, SIR!” Kyungsoo turned heel, practically running from the room, Jongin in hot pursuit. He paused at the doorway, turning around quickly and almost hitting Jongin in the process “What about a proper education! What do we do about that, Sir?” He yelled before running down the hall.

The silence that hung in the air was deafening. Minseok stared at Luhan, but he received no recognition in return. Luhan was staring at the quilt, his fingers idly bunching the fabric and releasing it.

“Luhan, you must believe me. I had no idea.” Minseok finally broke the silence, hoping his husband would understand.

“I believe you.” Luhan’s answer did not exactly reassure Minseok, it was too…indifferent.

“Please, Luhan, say something else. How – are you okay?”

“Yes. Though I should be asking you that.” Luhan finally raised his head, looking his husband in the eyes, a small smile offered up.

“I shall be. I mean, I need to learn if this is true.”

“If you are their only living parent, then I think we should raise them.” Luhan offered.

Minseok hadn’t wanted to get that far ahead. Not like the rest of the household, apparently. Kyungsoo was already stressing over their education, while Jongin was likely planning on doing anything that would calm Kyungsoo down. And Luhan…was distant, but forward thinking.

“Let us speak about it once we get there, please.” Minseok implored. After a few seconds passed he whispered “I hope you know I love you Luhan.”

“I know.” Luhan answered, another small smile offered up, “I love you too.”

***

The Wayside Exhibition went late into the evening, allowing for the people who toiled at work during the day to spend an evening walking about the cavernous place, admiring the exhibits that the more genteel folk had taken in during the daylight hours. It made for a long day if an exhibit was manned by a single person, as Yixing’s was. Though in all honesty his workdays back on the estate were rarely less than a twelve hour affair.

He usually awoke at the crack of dawn, still aiding his parents with chores on their family farm. Then he went on a tour of the estate, met with the managers of various estate resources such as gardening or livestock and spent the afternoon troubleshooting the lengthy and never ending list of tasks that went hand in hand with such a large property. Then it was more helping around the farm, often followed up with balancing the estates ledgers and reading up on the latest in agricultural news. Operating a booth for fifteen hours a day was fairly easy in comparison.

The crowds seemed to come in waves, Yixing realized, his speeches and explanations occurring on almost exact timing as the people came and went. As the sun dipped below the horizon he was launching into probably his thirtieth explanation of the day, eager onlookers watching as he demonstrated the equipment.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a man he had seen earlier, the man that was with Junmyeon. He tried not to pay him too much mind, given that he was busy with his presentation. Though it was rather difficult, his attention being naturally drawn to the man as he was conversing with a woman wearing the most wonderful headdress Yixing had ever seen – which wasn’t very wonderful in all likelihood as Yixing rarely saw headdresses. Not working on a farm. A rich crimson color, it stood out, however, enough to catch is attention.

“What is that for?”  The question turned Yixing’s attention back where it should be, focused on his exhibit. He quickly returned to his explanation, showing off the farming equipment with a smile on his face.

***

The park was nearly deserted at such an early hour. Though thankfully it wasn’t too early. It was past the time foolish young men met for duels, challenging each other over imagined slights and bitter rivalries. It was early enough, however, that the high society matrons and their charges were still sleeping off the previous night’s parties, allowing for a nice cool and crisp morning without the din and busyness of a social outing.

Minseok had slept fitfully. Honestly, he had barely slept at all. His night was filled with tossing and turning – and memories. Lots of memories. His father, what it meant to be a father. If he was indeed a father.

He had heard Luhan’s soft snoring almost immediately after they turned in, it bothered him a bit. Not because he wanted his husband to pass a sleepless night, no. Perhaps it was because he wanted someone to talk to, to pour his heart out to. Since he had been informed of his supposed children his conversations with Luhan were stilted, short.

Luhan had assured him time and time again all was well, they would face the challenge head on, raise the children as their own if it was in fact true Minseok was the father. Though Minseok could sense something there – Luhan was bothered by the news. Yet Luhan wouldn’t admit it. It was a tear, a small tear in the trust they had built up. A small tear that bothered Minseok to no end.

“He said to meet them near the lake.” Minseok remarked, knowing full well he had already said as much at least a dozen times. The evening prior he had sent a note to Kris asking to meet the children. He needed to see them, to be sure. It was Kris who suggested they meet at the park. A neutral place.

Luhan walked beside him, unusually quiet though seemingly supportive. He intertwined his hands with his husband’s, he smiled when Minseok caught his gaze, and he laughed softly as Minseok tried to use humor to diffuse the situation. Yet. Something wasn’t right.

They walked hand in hand down the dirt walking path, past the large trees, towards the lake.

“Do children usually wake so early?” Luhan pondered aloud.

“I am not sure.” Minseok answered, staring at path, little clouds of dirt being kicked up as they walked at a steady pace towards the lake.

Luhan had tried to reason what he would do, what he would say if the children were Minseok’s. He didn’t hate the idea – no. Because in all honesty that was something he wanted someday. Children. Though he had thought it would be years from when they were married, at a different point in their lives, when they adopted an heir. Not a sudden reality of children. Twins no less.

Children were not the problem, only a very big surprise. What ate at Luhan, made him retreat within, unusually so considering his usual extroverted nature, was the fact that these children were from a past that Minseok held close. They were… a mystery. Were there more mysteries?

Luhan hated doubting his husband, hated even thinking that way. Minseok didn’t know, he said he had no idea. Luhan believed him…but what if there was more. What if there was more from that dark place in Minseok’s life. What else could there be…what else…

“There.” Minseok pointed some ways in the distance. Luhan could make out a taller man, alongside two small forms- children. A woman was with them, bent down she seemed to be speaking to the children.

Luhan could swear it was slow motion as they approached. It was a lifetime or more as they crossed the greenspace, each step another second closer to the truth or the lack thereof. Each step something they couldn’t take back. Each step…

As they were within ten yards of them Luhan couldn’t deny it. No, no one could. As they neared the children, the tiny features coming into view, their chubby cheeks and wide eyes evident, Luhan could swear he was looking at a young Minseok.

Luhan felt his husband’s hand slip out from his own, Minseok quickening his pace ever so, as if drawn to them by some primeval urge – a parent towards their young.

“I was thinking you wouldn’t show.’ Kris drawled, gesturing towards the children.

Luhan watched as the woman, a maid judging by her attire, picked up one of the children. It was little girl that she held in her arms, a small boy standing at the maid’s side, clinging to her aprons as he watched Luhan and Minseok approach. He hid his head behind the maid’s skirt at the sight of them, clearly shy at the newcomers.

Minseok and Luhan stopped in front of them, giving a wide space of at least ten feet, Minseok not sure he could come any closer at the moment.

Kris smirked as he took in Minseok’s expression. He crouched down, urging the little boy to reveal himself, to let go of the maid’s skirt. “Theodore, I would like you to meet the Viscount D’Adderleigh.”

Luhan bristled at the way Kris said Minseok’s title, practically spitting it out. Yet he softened when the boy listened, peeking out, his wide brown eyes peering inquisitively at Minseok. Almost like he knew.

“Lillian, don’t be shy.” Kris urged, signaling to the maid to put the girl down. The maid shot Kris a rather concerned look but complied, the small girl struggling as the maid put her down on the ground, standing up so she was out of her grasp.

“And this is The Earl of Easton.” Kris pointed towards Luhan “Now say hello. Like you were taught.”

Minseok gulped, the air seemingly knocked out of him. Two small forms. Small, fragile, innocent. The boy shyly stepped forward, his sister doing the same, neither daring to look Minseok in the eyes. With a precision that was clearly drilled into them they greeted Luhan and Minseok. The boy bowing, the girl offering a clumsy curtsey.

“It is nis to mee you” The boy stuttered, not quite pronouncing the words correctly.

Minseok felt a tears stinging the corners of his eyes as he took in the sight. He had no doubt. There was no doubt. They were his. The dark brown hair, wide brown eyes, slanted ever so. Their lips even – their chubby cheeks. He could swear he was looking at himself, only decades younger.

Crouching down so he was eye level with the children he smiled “It is nice to meet you too. I wish I had met you sooner.” He extended his hand, apprehensively waiting, hoping one of them would take it.

-----------------------

a/n- Well, you can always yell at me in the comments *hides head*

Though seriously, these kids play into the larger plot of this fic and I can promise you that this is not going to turn into a domestic ball of fluff. There is a lot going on with this reveal, especially where character growth is concerned. I hope you liked the turn of events, and as I mentioned if you didn’t – well, yell at me in the comments.

And Yixing spotting a crimson headdress? Hm…whatever does that mean? And how does it all add up – Victoria’s maid is deceased, clutching a crimson feather. Kyuhyun and Victoria are missing alongside a letter that has serious implications if it falls into the wrong hands. And the poor deceased maid - well her children happen to be Minseok’s children. Well..there is a lot going on here.

Thanks for sticking with the fic among all the drama so far (and only 4 chapters in). The mystery will continue to thicken, though I hope I can give you all an interesting read through the twists and turns. Thanks for reading. I really appreciate it <3. Until next time -LC