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''Speech''

Thoughts

DIS PAPA

A horrible headache struck Francis painfully, much as if an anchor had fallen upon his head. He brought his hands to his temples and massaged them helplessly, trying to ease the pain. He sat up in his bed, letting out a loud groan of pain. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times because of the blinding light. He remembered he hadn't drawn the curtains the night before. Francis frowned. In fact, he didn't remember much of last night's events at all. He looked down to his clothes and let out an sigh of exasperation as he saw the state he was in. He was still in his red suit -he even still had his boots on- and said suit was stained with wine, so were the covers of his bed. His breath had a heavy putrid smell of alcohol. Francis fell back on his bed, growling. He was starting to remember now: He had had the solid intention of getting laid yesterday, be he had been, somehow, so frustrated because of Mathieu -because the boy hated him ? Because the boy preferred Yong Soo?- that he hadn't been able to do so. Each time a potential prey would pass by him, all his resolution would fall. Instead, the man had gotten himself drunk out of his mind. He wondered how he had succeeded in getting back to his estate, let alone his bed. He must have been... helped... by his coachmen and servants. Letting out another sigh, Francis pulled on the rope hanging beside his bed. Somewhere, a little bell rang. It did not take long for a servant to come to Francis' side, and Francis was half surprised to see Yong Soo himself enter the room.

''Goog morning, sir.'' Yong Soo greeted, smiling a little mockingly. Francis was in too much pain to care.

''I'm surprised to see you.'' He growled.

''Am I not your servant, sir ?'' Yong Soo laughed. Francis frowned. He hesitated before asking:

''Where is Mathieu ?'' Yong Soo's smile widened.

''He is having breakfast with the others in the kitchen.'' He informed.

''Oh.'' Francis blinked, a little embarrassed at his question. ''Well.'' He looked away. ''There will be no breakfast for me, Yong Soo. I'm a bit too unwell for that. Prepare a bath instead.'' He said as naturally as possible, dismissing Yong Soo with a smooth gesture of the hand. Yong Soo bowed and so it was.

OoOoO

Francis sat in front of his mirror fixing his wig carefully. He felt exceedingly uncomfortable in plain commoner's clothes and the make-up he was wearing to make himself look tanner was making his skin itch annoyingly. However, such was the price to pay has to not be recognized in the streets. What would people say if rich mister Bonnefoy was walking with that little boy looking disturbingly like him ? If they were seen together -Francis not disguised- he would be found out for sure !

''Are you ready, sir ?'' Yong Soo asked, a little annoyed at Francis' disguise. He sighed, if this was the only way to make his master spend some time with his son, then so be it.

''Yes.'' Francis replied plainly. Both men walked toward the estate's main door. Mathieu stood there, warmly dressed, chatting happily with a maid about the korean words he had learned and how he was looking forward to have glasses. He looked behind him and smiled when he saw Yong Soo arrive. His eyes then landed on the stranger beside him. He blinked. He looked so familiar. He decided to ignore the feeling. The maid seemed confused as well.

''You may go, Madeline.'' Yong Soo smiled to the maid, who nodded reluctantly, leaving the three others alone in the lobby.

''Can we go now, Yong Soo ? And who is that person ?'' He asked innocently, pointing Francis. Yong Soo smiled an apology.

''I'm sorry Mathieu, but I won't go with you. Mister Bonnefoy is the one who is going to accompany you.'' He kindly explained to Mathieu, not wanting to upset the boy. Mathieu pouted sadly, then blinked as the second half of the information registered into his brain. He looked up to the tanned stranger.

''M-mistser Bonnefoy ?'' He asked hesitantly in a soft voice. Francis looked away uneasily.

''Yes, this is Mister Bonnefoy.'' Yong Soo confirmed. Mathieu blushed in embarrassment. He was also very confused. It seemed that mister Bonnefoy liked to dress weirdly. Francis couldn't stand the awkwardness of the situation anymore. He let out an annoyed growl and walked toward the door.

''Let's go and get this gone.'' He said and went to find the coachman. Mathieu and Yong Soo stared as the door closed. A short silence followed. Yong Soo knelt in front of Mathieu, putting his hands on the boy's shoulders.

''I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Mathieu. I want you to be a good boy, okay ? Mister Bonnefoy is scary, but I promise he won't hurt you.'' He smiled to the uneasy boy. ''You should be grateful to him, da ze.'' He said, stroking the boy's soft hair affectionately. ''If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be able to get glasses. Remember what I told you ? With glasses, you'll be able to read your mother's letter.'' He smiled to the child who nodded shyly.

''But can't you come with us ?'' Mathieu asked, hopeful.

''No... I'm sorry Mathieu. I have a lot of work today...'' He smiled apologetically. Although he did have work, he truly could have gone with them... he didn't like to lie, especially to little Mathieu. But it was for his own good. As well as his master's.

''I see...'' Mathieu replied sadly.

''You should go, now.'' Yong Soo said kindly, giving the boy a soft kiss on his forehead. Mathieu nodded, smiling, and exited through the door.

OoOoO

Francis had chosen his less luxurious carriage, which was still quite flamboyant in any noble's standards, and had been to an isolated street and from there, they would walk to the optometrist. He didn't people to either recognize his carriage or to wonder how two commoners like them could have such a carriage. And so, off they got of the carriage and began their walk. Francis was walking in a rather fast pace. He seemed impatient. Mathieu tried his best to follow him. He almost had to run. The nearer they got to the crowded streets, the harder it would be for Mathieu to follow. He even sometimes bumped into people. Yong Soo would not have walked so fast... He thought sadly. And he would have held my hand so I wouldn't get lost... But he was much too shy to ask either of those things from mister Bonnefoy. Soon enough, there was just too much people and Mathieu lost sight of his father and before he could call him, a tall man bumped into him, causing him to fall face first in a little puddle of water and mud.

Francis kept on walking, not even glancing behind him. He saw a small shop with a wooden sign on which was drawn a pair of glasses and a family name under it.

''We're almost there.'' Francis announced. He hadn't really expected a reply, but the lack of it still annoyed him a bit. ''Are you-'' He stopped dead as he turned around. Where was Mathieu ? He looked frantically around him, twice. He walked back toward where they had come from.

''Mathieu ? Mathieu ! Where are you, Matheu !'' He said, his tone becoming more worried and louder with each passing second. Suddenly a faint sound of an child's sobs stopped him. He followed the sounds and, to his great relief, saw the little blond boy in front of him. He frowned, however, as he saw the state the child was in. The boy was crying, trying to get the dirt off his face, but only dirtying his hands. Francis ran to him and knelt in front of him. He felt so guilty, he didn't even know what to say. He took out his handkerchief and began cleaning the boy's face.

''Mathieu... I... I'm so sorry...'' The man said in an unusually soft, yet uneasy voice. Why was he feeling so weak and useless ? ''Please just... don't cry, I beg you...'' He pleaded, as he continued to clean the little boy's face. He noticed with a frown that the little rocks on the streets had made a scratch on the boy's perfect skin. He removed as much dirt as possible off the wound and cleaned the rest of his face. The boy also had mud in his hair and a bit on his clothes, but Francis was unable to remove it completely. He frowned guiltily at the sight. Fortunately, the boy's cries had diminished.

''I'm, I'm so-sorry...'' The little boy said between hiccoughs. Francis blinked. What in the world was he apologizing for ? ''It's my punishment...'' The boy reasoned. ''...f-for yesterday.'' He finished, his cries a little louder. Francis frowned, not quite understanding what the boy meant. Then it hit him. He was talking about... Francis remembered the night before, Mathieu had cried seeing him disguised. Francis felt a new powerful wave of guilt. He didn't think Mathieu would believe that he had taken offence in that... With a very, very hesitant hand, Francis gently caressed the boy's now dirty hair.

''... No, Mathieu... This isn't punishment, I know you didn't mean it.'' He said, trying to sound reassuring. The boy calmed down a little.

''...Really ?'' The short blond asked in a tiny broken voice, wiping away his tears. Francis blinked and blushed, unsettled by the adorable sight.

''R-really. And I should have payed more attention... it's my fault if you fell...'' He admitted, looking away. This was quite humiliating. He dared a glance at the boy and was greeted by a smile. Suddenly, it didn't feel humiliating. In fact, he felt proud that the smile was back on the boy's features. He gave the boy an awkward smile in return and got up to his feet. He, then, extended his hand. The boy blinked then looked up to him. ''Take my hand.'' Francis simply stated. Mathieu nodded shyly and did as told. As they walked, in silence, mind you, Francis noted he had to decelerate his pace considerably, as the boy's short legs could not keep with his own long ones. He could not help it but find the sight quite adorable. Soon enough, the strange duo found themselves in front of the optometrist's shop. Francis knelt in front of the boy and, keeping his expression firm, warned the boy.

''For now, our family name is Chevalier.'' He instructed. Mathieu did not ask questions and simply nodded, not wanting to upset the man. Francis got up again and took the boy's hand. They entered the shop, a little bell rang as they did, and a white-haired, rounded man came at the counter, a big smile gracing his face. He blinked, seemingly surprised, as he saw the duo in front of him. They looked quite poor. Poor people usually couldn't afford glasses.

''Good day, I am Doctor Clef. How may I help you ?'' He asked politely. Francis greeted the man with equal politeness and explained his son's situation. ''Hm, I see, I see.'' He nodded, scratching his chin, perplex expression on his face as he listened to all the 'symptoms' the boy had shown. ''His case seems quite heavy... why did you not come earlier ?'' He asked. At this question, Francis blinked. He had to think of a plausible answer.

''We... We did not have the money until now.'' He said, proud of the easiness his answer came with.

''Oh, yes. My apology.'' The man instantly said, a little embarrassed at his own question. He should have known. They looked so poor... He cleared his throat. ''Hm, yes, hem... Now, would you come with me, my little boy ? I am going to make some tests so I know what would suit you. Tell me, what's your name, little one ?''

''Mathieu.'' He smiled at the boy's shy and polite nod. The man and the boy entered an adjacent room, leaving Francis to wait alone. The man sat on a chair and waited, and waited... It lasted four hours. And for those hours, Francis thought of many things, but of Matthew mainly. He found himself genuinely worried about the boy's eyes... and from there, slowly wondered about the boy's education. He frowned. Yong Soo would take care of that. He probably wasn't much of a genius. Why should he bother about the boy's education ? When the boy was old enough, fourteen or fifteen maybe, he could go and take care of himself. He nodded. Yes, that will do. His heart felt strange at the idea, but his stubborn mind was set. The boy finally came out, the old man behind him and looking quite disturbed. Francis blinked.

''What is the matter ?'' Francis enquired, heart pounding worriedly. The man blinked.

''Oh ! Well...'' The man started uneasily. ''Mathieu's eyes are in a much worst case than I imagined...'' He admitted uneasily. ''I've rarely seen such cases... not only is his vision blurry, but it is also slightly distorted.'' Francis frowned.

''What do you mean... distorted... ?'' He asked, incredulous.

''Well...'' The optometrist started, giving the boy a furtive glance. ''From what I could make out with the tests... He is seeing double and those two... dimensions, if I may call them that, are superimposed in a twisted fashion, like this.'' He explained as he tried to show the young man by gestures of his arms. Francis could only stare.

''... s-slightly distorted, you say ?'' Francis finally spoke. Matthew, too, was shocked to hear the old man talk.

''Yes. It is not as bad as it seems. I've seen worst cases... but still...'' The doctor trailed off. He sighed as he walked to his display counters where many pairs of glasses lay. He examined them carefully and finally picked up one. He walked to father and son and kindly asked the boy to sit on a chair. Mathieu obeyed. The man knelt in front of him and spoke.

''I will have to make a special pair for him, none of the pairs I have now are designed for his sight, unfortunately. With this pair, he will see normally but only in close range.'' The man explained. He was about to give them to the boy when Francis interrupted.

''They are quite thick...'' He remarked, a little unsettled. ''Won't this be heavy on his little nose ?'' Francis asked. They were not very esthetically good-looking either. The man laughed.

''Ha, yes, but the thinner, the more expensive, sir.''

''... Well I don't care about the price. Don't you have anything lighter ?'' Francis was surprising himself at this moment. He shouldn't care about the thickness of the glasses. Getting the boy glasses was already something exceptional from him in itself. But Mathieu has such a delicate nose... He mused. The old man blinked, a little surprised, but nodded in understanding.

''Well, indeed I have thinner glasses... '' He said, getting up again. As the man looked for another pair, Mathieu diverted his gaze on his father. His eyes were wide and bright.

''You don't have to trouble yourself, sir. Please do not waste money on my behalf. The thicker ones will be fine.'' Mathieu said in his most soft and polite tone. Francis blushed, finding himself unsettled by the boy's incredible charms. Even the optometrist was impressed by the formal and polite address of the young child. Such a well-mannered child. The old man admired. To have such good manners from a seemingly poor family was such a rare thing.

''N-nonsense.'' Francis said, after clearing his throat nervously, looking away from the child. ''These hideous things will make your nose crook with the passing years. It is intolerable.'' Doctor Clef raised a brow at the man's words. He acted quite superficial and picky for a man of his statue. The doctor finally took another paired and went back to the strange pair. Francis looked at the new glasses, still looking a little annoyed. ''Are these the thinnest you have ?'' Clef blinked.

''No, they aren't, but I do believe the thinnest I have will be too expensive...'' Francis sighed heavily. Getting up, the aristocrat in disguise took out his purse and emptied it on the counter. The old man's eyes widened at the amount of gold pieces that were revealed to him. Francis did not look impressed. It was such a small amount of money for him. ''Will this be enough ?'' He asked. Clef stuttered incoherent words. Unable to talk, he simply nodded. He shook his head, trying to regain his composure. He looked up to the young man in front of him, suspicion clear in his eyes. Had this man rubbed a noble or something ? Not really caring about that -he wanted that money, after all- the old man decided not to ask any question and simply took out his thinnest pair of glasses out from his locked drawer. Both men, then, walked back to the little boy's side who seemed oblivious to what had just happened.

The old man knelt again, so did Francis, and lifted up the glasses to the boy's eye-level. Then, he stopped. He might want to warn the boy before literally making him see a new world.

''Now, my boy, listen carefully.'' The man started. Mathieu nodded. ''How old are you ?'' Mathieu blinked.

''I'm seven years old, sir.'' He replied.

''Very well. My boy, for seven years you have seen a world that is different from ours.'' He explained kindly. ''When you will put on these glasses, you might find the way I look strange. Scary, even.'' He added. ''But this is how you are supposed to see me. You have to be courageous, alright my boy ?'' Mathieu nodded, smiling, not truly getting the importance of the whole matter. Surely, it couldn't be that different from what he had seen all these years ? Clef handed the glasses to the boy, who carefully took them. He swallowed nervously, now dreading the moment. He lifted the glasses up and clumsily put them on. Almost instantly, the boy gasped and took them off. Both Bonnefoy and Clef eyed the boy worriedly. With trembling hands, Mathieu put the glasses back on. I must have imagined it. He told himself. But he was wrong. Again, Matthew's eyes widened. Everything looked so strange... so new... yet... so much... clearer. He blinked, unable to speak. True to what the doctor had said, what was further away was very blurry, even more so than before, but...

''Are you okay, Mathieu ?'' Francis spoke, not bearing the silence any longer. Mathieu turned to his father. His eyes widened even more and his mouth opened slightly in silent surprise. Francis unconsciously leaned closer, trying to hear something the boy might have said. Still completely speechless, Mathieu extended his hand and gently brushed it against his father's cheek, then trailed it along the nose. Francis tensed under the light touch, but did not reject it. He let the boy explore the new world.

''You have such a big head...'' The boy whispered.

Francis chuckled at the little boy's comment. It was then that he realized that it was thanks to him if this was happening. He had brought this new light in the little boy's life. He felt... proud, happy, even. The boy blinked and blushed, realizing what he was doing. He looked around him with wide eyes, sometimes sharpening them, as if wondering if what he was seeing was nothing but his imagination. Both grown men chuckled a bit as they observed the child. Said child looked down at it fingers... He stared at them. Everything looked clearer, the lines sharper, more detailed. There was no mistake. This was the world he was supposed to see. I will finally be able to read... I will be able to read mother's letter ! He mused happily. He looked up to the men before him and smiled a wide and bright smile to them.

''Well,'' Francis started, regaining his serious as he stood up. ''We will take these until his real glasses are ready.'' He informed the older man. The latest blinked.

''Oh, right. Yes.'' He said, still impressed at the commoner's attitude. He acted and spoke like a true noble. Indeed, such curiosity... ''If you bring this pair back unscratched, I will happily refund you.'' The doctor said. Francis raised a brow at that. He could care less about refunding. Oh, yes, I am supposed to be poor... He mused, trying not to laugh.

''Thank you, sir.'' He bowed politely.

''If you will come with me, sir, I need you to fill in some papers for me.'' The doctor said. Francis followed and did as told. He frowned a bit at the questions... where he lived, where he worked and so on. He couldn't really lie to that, it could cause problems. Hm... I'll just say I work as a servant at my place.. and that I'm living there.... He mused, smiling a little at all this comedy. This was rather exciting. When he was done, he handed in the paper. The doctor smiled. ''Very well, mister Chevalier. I will send a note to you when the order is done. Also, you should come back every year in case Mathieu's glasses need adjusting.''

Francis bowed again, lifting up his hat, and turned around. He took the boy's hand in his own -not wanting to repeat the earlier mistake- and was about to leave the shop when another thought popped in his mind.

''Make two pairs in case Mathieu brakes one. I do believe the money I gave you is enough to cover for both pairs, yes ?'' He said smoothly to the man. The doctor blinked.

''Y-yes. Of course. Have a good day.'' Francis smiled and left the shop. Mathieu looked quite confused, he hadn't really paid attention to their conversation he had been too busy looking around him. Stepping out in the street was quite scary for the young boy. So many people looking so different from what he had been used to... He stick closer to Francis trying not to get bumped into again. Francis frowned a bit, but seeing the scared expression the boy's face made his heart melt. He sighed a little, blushing, leaned down and took the boy in his arms. The little boy let out a little surprised gasp and quickly wrapped his short arms around the tall man's neck.

''You'll see better like that.'' Francis said softly. Mathieu stared at him and smiled shyly, nodding. The boy went on with his observations. As they walked, Francis' heart was fluttering strangely, though not in a wrong way. He liked the feeling of having the little boy in his arms. He could feel it... the fatherly love. It was stronger than reason. It was... instinctive. Francis knew that the more time he'd spend with the boy, the more attached he'd become to him. It scared him... he didn't know what to do anymore. Should he just let go and let these new feelings take over ? Or should he keep himself from seeing Mathieu again ? The latest option seemed unbearable right now, as he looked at the boys naive smiles and gasps and ...

''Wow ! Can we go there, please ?'' Mathieu asked softly with childish excitement. Francis blinked and looked toward where the little blond was pointing. A garden. It was a very nice public garden. In fact, it was Francis' favourite after his own garden back at the estate.

''We may.'' Francis answered, smiling. He walked over to the garden let the boy down so that he could explore it. Francis followed not to far behind and smiled as he looked at the boy stopping in front of every kind of flower, smelling them and observing them very attentively, carefully. Mathieu was incredibly amazed. He could see details in the flowers -hues, lines, shapes- that were new to him. He knew those flowers, he knew their names and what they smelled... but it was as if he was seeing them for the first time. It felt incredible to him. Mathieu continued his cheerful adventure. His attention was stopped on one particular flower: the red rose. Mathieu knelt in front of the little bushes of roses admiring the flower for a long time. Francis knelt down beside him.

''You like these ones ?'' He asked kindly.

''Yes !'' Mathieu replied animatedly, delicately touching the petals. Mathieu laughed to himself. Now I see why I didn't like these flowers... their thorns are so pointy ! He mused to himself.

''Me too, they're my favourite, actually.'' Francis said, looking at the flowers himself. Mathieu looked up to the man. He had been so entranced by the 'new world' that he had completely forgot to thank his father ! Mathieu blushed in embarrassment and shame. He played with his fingers nervously.

''Th-thank you very much, mister Bonn-I mean, mister Chevalier.'' Mathieu's blush deepened at his mistake. He hoped the other man wouldn't be angry at him for this. Francis looked at the boy, a little surprised. Then his surprise quickly melted into fondness. The boy was too adorable... simply too adorable. He found himself smiling and ruffling the little blond's hair playfully.

''You're welcome, Mathieu. And you don't have to call me Chevalier anymore.'' He chuckled lightly. Mathieu stared at his father, heart fluttering lightly. He was so kind to him compared to their previous altercations. For Francis to ruffle his hair like that... it felt different than when Yong Soo did it. He liked it when Yong Soo did it, of course, but with Francis... He felt the need to please him, the need to make him proud. ''Now, let's go back.'' Francis said, lifting the little boy up again.

OoOoO

Yong Soo stood by a tall window, watching with a satisfied smile the father and son walk to the main door. I knew it was a good idea, da ze ! He screamed in his mind. He walked to the door, trying to not skip childishly, and opened it for the duo to come in. Even with all of Francis' make up, the two looked so much alike. ''Welcome home.'' He greeted politely, smiling widely. ''Did everything go well ?'' He asked, a little excited.

''It went quite well, yes.'' Francis answered. Both grown men blinked when Mathieu didn't say anything. Instead, the boy was just staring at Yong Soo. And quite intensely at that. The boy slid his little fists under his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He continued to stare Yong Soo.

''Is Yong Soo sick ?'' The boy asked worriedly. Both men blinked again, even more confused. Francis was the first one to get it. He burst out in laughter.

''Hahaha ! No, Mathieu. Yong Soo is not sick. That's just how people from his country look like.'' He kindly explained, though he was trying hard not to laugh again, not wanting to upset both the Asian and the little boy.

''Eh ?'' Mathieu blurted out, greatly confused. His vision had been so blurry. For him, everyone had looked the same. Sure, people had blond, red or brown hair... sure, some had darker skin than others... but Yong Soo's face looked so different from the others' ! His nose, his eyes... This time, it was Yong Soo who was laughing out loud. Francis let Mathieu down, who looked shamefully to the ground. Yong Soo finally calmed down and knelt in front of the little blond.

''It's alright, Mathieu. Lots of children think that even if they don't need glasses. There aren't many people like me in France.'' He chuckled. Mathieu smiled shyly, still a little embarrassed.

''Sorry...'' He apologized softly. Yong Soo ruffled his hair playfully and got up. ''Now, I bet you want to start learning how to read and write !''

''Oui !'' Mathieu replied excitedly.

''Then let's start right away !'' Yong Soo declared loudly, taking the little boy's hand and walked on to their usual room. Mathieu turned his head around and waved, smiling, at Francis. The nobleman's smile faded as he saw the two younger fellows leave the room. It was that feeling again... Jealousy.

OoOoO

Mathieu and Yong Soo had only been able to work for a couple of hours, but the Asian was impressed by the boy's quick learning. The boy was already able to write certain words. But now that Yong Soo thought about it, it wasn't really all that surprising. Alfted all, the boy had learned pretty much everything he had to learn twice: once with his mother and once with himself. The only thing he had lacked, was to associate what he knew with the now clear symbols in front of him. Yong Soo praised Mathieu animatedly, and the boy doubled in effort.

Soon enough, it was dinner time. After their noisy meal with the servants -the maid were fussing over little Mathieu, ashamed at themselves for not realizing that he had needed glasses- Mathieu had surprised Yong Soo greatly with a very unusual request. The boy had asked if he could be alone in his room for a while. Yong Soo, of course, found no harm it the request and had therefore allowed it. It was still rather strange. ''Just come and get me when you're ready to go to bed. I'll either be in my room or working in the kitchen.'' He had instructed the boy. Then, he had left, as asked, letting Mathieu alone in his room. After a while, Mathieu opened his room's door discretely, and looked around carefully, checking if anyone was there. Seeing no one, the boy silently slipped out of his room, a sheet of paper clutched to his chest. With short but fast steps, Mathieu ran through the hallways of the estate in search of Francis. He went to the dinning room -maybe he was eating?- but found no one. He went to the study room -maybe he was working ? Or writing a letter ?- But there, too, he did not find him. He did not know where the man's room was so he decided to try every room he encountered. It was only at the eleventh door that Mathieu found something of interest. He could not see mister Bonnefoy, but never in his long seven years of life had Mathieu seen so many books. They were everywhere ! Piled up tidily in tall shelved, so tall that there was a wooden ladder with little wheels to make it easier to grab the books. Mathieu stared, utterly amazed by the sight before him. His quest momentarily forgotten, Mathieu decided to explore the library. Some of the books looked incredibly old and other looked so... expensive ! With their massive leather covers, craved with golden letters... Mother had always said that books were like treasures. That you could find anything in books. Now that he'd finally be able to read, what treasures stood before him ? He couldn't wait, he couldn't wait !

''Mathieu ?'' Said boy jumped and gasped in surprised. He quickly turned to the source of the voice. There sat Francis himself, in a very comfortable chair, book in hand. The man was blond again and dressed in his usual luxurious attires. Mathieu swallowed hard, all his previous confidence lost. The man looked so much more imposing dressed like this.

''I... I-I just...'' Mathieu whispered nervously. Francis had probably not even heard him.

''It's quite late. Shouldn't you be in bed ? Where is Yong Soo ?'' The man asked, frowning a little. This was quite unusual. Mathieu trembled under the older man's frown. Was he angry at him ? Francis, however, was far from being angry at him. In fact, he was angry at someone else. What is Yong Soo thinking ? Letting Mathieu alone in the house. What if he got lost ? What if he hurt himself ? I'll have to have a little talk with him tomorrow. Noticing the little one's uneasy demeanour, Francis' expression softened.

''Do you need something, Mathieu ?'' He asked kindly. Mathieu shifted weigh from one foot to another nervously and, with a tentative steps, walked closer to the other man, holding out the paper he had kept securely in his arms so far. Francis' brows lifted in genuine curiosity and took the sheet of paper. His eyes widened as he saw what was on it. It was a drawing. A drawing of a rose bush. Francis had to admit that he was impressed by the drawing. The boy had used a nib and ink, seeing as there wasn't any proper drawing material in the estate, and although there were several smudged stains of ink and that the drawing itself was a bit clumsily executed, it truly was impressive for a child his age, and one who had just gotten glasses. The boy had obvious talent. On top of the sheet was the word ''Merci'' in a clumsy handwriting and at the bottom of the page, in the same childish handwriting, was ''mesieur Bonnefoua'' Francis smiled fondly at the silly spelling mistakes. He felt a wave of pride invading him. He also felt very moved by the boy's present. He had told the boy roses were his favourite flowers and... He looked fondly at the boy.

''Thank you, Mathieu.''

OoOoO

Yong Soo was panicking. Matthew had not been in his room when he had gone to go check on him and the Korean had been looking for the little boy for a good half of an hour. Where was that boy ? The Asian had to keep himself from eating his fingers with worry as he passed through the hallways of the Bonnefoy Manor. Several rooms were left unchecked. Soon enough, the dark-haired man found himself in front of the library. His master was usually in there this late in the evening. He doubted his master had seen the boy and doubted even more that the boy was in the room, but he better not skip a room, we never know...

When Yong Soo entered the library, he was surprised to hear his master's voice.

''...and so the princess said-'' He never read aloud. Quietly the tall Asian made his way through the many shelves of books until he came face to face with his master... and Mathieu. The sight before him was breathtaking, in Yong Soo's mind. He had never, never expected this: for Mathieu to be comfortably seated in Francis' lap as the father read a book to the child. The scene was very moving. The too of them looked like each other so much -seeing them this close and with Francis without any makeup or wigs- it was simply amazing. He had never seen such an expression on his master's face. There was no vice, no arrogance, but genuine happiness, discrete candour.

''...and thus they- ... Y-Yong Soo, what are you doing here ?'' Francis stopped his reading abruptly, finally noticing the other man's presence. He was a bit embarrassed to be found in such situation. But what is there to be embarrassed of ? He asked himself. Shouldn't this be normal ? Shouldn't this be the kind of thing a father and a son are expected to do ? Francis realized, then, that he was not embarrassed of being found in this situation, but rather about the fact that he, himself, didn't feel at ease at being found in what should be a perfectly normal situation.

''I just came to take Mathieu to bed. It is rather late.'' Yong Soo explained to his master.

''Oh. I see.'' Was that disappointment in his voice ? Yong Soo mused happily. Mathieu looked up from the book his father had been reading to him and smiled to Yong Soo, rubbing his eyes gently.

''I'm a bit tired.'' He admitted in a soft voice.

''I'm sure you are !'' Yong Soo exclaimed, walking closer to the pair. He extended his arms and took Mathieu gently. He saw Francis frown a little. ''It was a long day for you, after all.'' He continued, ignoring the older blond's grimace. ''Let's get your face cleaned.'' Francis' frown grew deeper, though the eyes held more sadness and jealousy than annoyance. Yong Soo opened his mouth and was about to ask his master if he wanted to take care of it and put Mathieu to bed himself but he decided against it. Yong Soo had done more than enough. This time, Francis will be the one to act. If he wanted to take care of Mathieu, then he will have to come and take him himself. Yong Soo tried not to grin too much. ''Let's go.'' He said finally, and turned to leave.

Francis tightened his fists angrily, his nails digging into his skin. He wanted to do it. He wanted to take Mathieu in his arms and wash the little boy's adorable face and he wanted to kiss his forehead and wish him good night. But he couldn't. His mouth wouldn't open, no sound would come out ! Why ! Why was it so hard ? Why must his pride take the better of him ? All he could do was watch, weak, as Yong Soo walked toward the little maze of shelves. Before the young pair disappeared, Mathieu turned around and popped up behind Yong Soo's shoulder. The boy was smiling shyly and he waved his small hand at his father.

''Good night, mister Bonnefoy.'' He said sleepily. Francis instantly got up and extended his arm weakly, trying vainly to reach for his son. Again, no word would come out, aside from a weak and shaky.

''Bonne nuit... Mathieu...'' They disappeared behind the books and Francis fell back on his chair heavily, exhausted and humiliated. He heard the door of the library close. He stared into nothing for a long while. He eyes looked down on Mathieu's drawing which was set on the small table beside him. His heart fell as he finally came to realize one important detail... ''mesieur Bonnefoua'', it was written.

''Mister Bonnefoy.'' He repeated aloud. His eyes began to burn and soon, tears fell. He was a failure. He hid his eyes behind his hand, ashamed. ''It... It should have been ''papa''...'' He sobbed quietly, broken, shattered...

OoOoO

Yong Soo looked at the boy now comfortably seated in his bed, a little smile on his lips and glint of curiosity in his eyes. Mathieu kept putting on and taking off his glasses again and again. It was a funny sight to see. Yong Soo's smile faded, however, when the boy gently put his glasses on the bedside table, the saddest expression on his face. He stayed silent and continued to observe the boy. Said boy took his mother's letter under his pillow and his expression saddened more. Little tears shined in his eyes.

''It will take more lessons before you can read it... and it will take a while before you learn how to right in cursive letters...'' Yong Soo explained kindly. The poor boy, Yong Soo thought, of course he wants to read that letter...

''I know... I can wait... that's not-'' The boy could not finish his sentence, biting his lips trying not to let the tears fall. ''It's just... I-I've never truly seen my mother...'' He finally admitted. The tears fell at the confession, unable to contain them any longer. Yong Soo's eyes widened at that. The boy was right. He hadn't realized... Yong Soo gave the boy a kind smile. He took the boy's cheeks in his hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. The boy looked at him sadly.

''The way you've always seen her is perfect, Mathieu. Because no matter how she looks, she is your mother. Has all the love she gave you changed with the way you see with these glasses ?'' He asked softly. The boy stared, silent. He shook his head weakly.

''N-non...'' He replied. Yong Soo's smiled widened.

''See ? That's what truly matters, Mathieu.''

The blond stared again. He smiled shyly, nodding.

Please read: ... o3o ... well... I hoped you enjoyed this chapter !

I'm a bit uncertain about the flow of the story... I'm afraid I might have rushed things a bit, but at the same time, I know several of you wanted progress on Francis' part... and honestly... so did I ! lol So I hope it's not too bad on that side.

NOW ! About Matthew... His apparent talent in drawing will have an extremely important purpose later in the story, but you'll have to wait lol. I just wanted to make it clear that the last thing I want to do is turn Matthew into some kind of garry-sue lol, so yeah... we just haven't seen what he sucks at yet.
As for his sight, I inspired myself from what happened to someone in my family. His sight was kind of like Matthew's only, he got his glasses a little earlier -at five- and he actually told his parents they head big heads lol.

''Mesieur Bonnefoua'' is actually ''Monsieur Bonnefoy'' aka ''Mister Bonnefoy'' but misspelled. Matthew is a beginner in writing so he is writing according to how it sounds.

Bonne nuit – Good night

Thank you for reading and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW ;A; .... I love reviews... they make me happy lol.