Disclaimer: Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz. D8 jfgoriegnjor !11one!

Note: Thank you very much for all the reviews, favs and alerts ! Special thanks to my anonymous reviewers since I cannot thank you properly by replying to you !

*** This chapter is meant to be some kind of transition. Loads of fluff ahead ! ***

''Speech''

Thoughts

Enjoy !

Dis Papa

Ever since he had officially gotten his son back -if it could be phrased that way- Francis seemed to be living in the clouds. Everyday, the man would get up and wake his son himself. He was the one helping his son getting dressed, he was the one helping his son clean, he was... in short, everything he could to with or for his son, he would do it. Francis didn't want for a servant to take that pleasure from him. Those little things, Francis realized, those little moments were those he cherished the most. He simply couldn't explain the feeling that was constantly there in his stomach. Pride, happiness, excitement ? It felt like all of them at the same time. That must be how a father feels. He could barely believe he had been stripped of that pleasure the past seven years. And that same thought would tickle him every so often. And the more time he spent with Mathieu, the more he loved him -he had thought this impossible, he didn't think he could love Mathieu more than he already did, but it felt like that. Their mutual attachment was always growing- and thus, that tickling thought grew and became a pain, until one night, as he was alone, sitting on his bed, he couldn't take it anymore. He burst into tears. Francis had missed important years of his son's life and he would never get them back. He'd gladly throw away all his fortune and estates and title to hold baby Mathieu in his arms, to hear him say his first word which, he was sure, would have been ''papa''. It had been going on for days and days. He would still get up and wake Mathieu up, of course, but the child could clearly see the distress in his father's eyes... and to his great dismay, Mathieu had noticed, the distress seemed to increase every time his father looked at him.

''What's wrong, papa ?'' He had said in a soft voice one night, after Francis had kissed him goodnight. His father had stared at him, seemingly quite surprised by the boy's question. Francis truly had not intended to let his depression known to others, especially Mathieu. Francis' eyes quickly became watery. He took the boy into a warm and strong embrace. Instead of answering, the blond man had kissed the top of his son's head and had said in a quiet, broken voice.

''Don't leave me, Mathieu... please...'' Mathieu had been shocked at first, but then he hugged his father as strongly as he could.

''I promise.'' He had said. He still didn't understand what was going on or why his father had such fears. He didn't understand at all. But his father was crying, so he cried too.

Yong Soo, being the very sharp and sage Asian that he was -when he wanted to, at least- had, of course, noticed his master's depression. He had also guessed the reason. He could see no other. He had understood the man's distress and had therefore not tried to console him. Such things needed time and Francis, ever so proud, probably wouldn't welcome any sort of consolation from a mere servant... or anyone at all, for the matter. It had begun to utterly unnerve him, however, when he had noticed how much it affected poor Mathieu as well. And so, one afternoon, -leaving the day's lessons to the young servant Mathilde- Yong soo went to his master's study, quite determined to reason him. Yong Soo was a very impulsive man, especially when unnerved -as it has been seen in the past, though it seemed even worse when it concerned Mathieu. He had never hit his master before that day he had found out Mathieu needed glasses- and so Yong Soo did not knock on the door and, upon entering, Yong Soo screamed.

''That's enough, da ze !'' He said, letting his most primal, instinctive da-ze-of-anger come out of his mouth. The scream sent shivers down Francis' spine. The poor blond man had been tranquilly sulking in his chair, staring at nothing in particular until Yong Soo had burst into his study. Francis jumped on his seat. He stared, incredulous, at the Asian before him. He noticed with a blush that his mouth was wide open with the surprise. He quickly closed it, swallowing awkwardly and cleared his throat. Faking his usual air of arrogance, Francis looked at his servant judgmentally.

''What is the meaning of this, Yong Soo?'' He said, his voice, though, sounded much less authoritative than he had wished for. Yong Soo did not seem intimidated in the least. If anything, he looked even more annoyed.

''I am sick of seeing you depressed, da ze ! And so is Mathieu !'' The last sentence was like a knife piercing Francis heart. Yong Soo knew how to play his cards.

''M-Mathieu ?'' He asked hesitantly.

''Yes, Mathieu, da ze !'' Yong Soo sighed heavily, exasperate. ''The poor child probably thinks you are unwell because of something he did or some other nonsense...'' He said firmly, frowning at the man. Francis' eyes fell to the ground in shame. He brought a trembling head to his forehead. Yong Soo's anger quickly cooled down at the sight. He pitied his master, really, and could understand why he was so sad. Yong Soo himself had a family back in Korea... who knows what became of them. But had moved on, just like Francis needed to now. Especially Francis, for he had the great fortune of having his son with him. He had not lost him, he had found him. ''I understand that you blame yourself for missing all this years with Mathieu...'' Yong Soo started. Francis looked up to him, wide eyed. He hadn't tell his servant the reason if his depression. The Asian was quite sharp. ''...but please do not let your sadness make you miss anymore of those precious moment.'' Francis blinked. He knew that his servant was right. If he went on like this, he wouldn't be able to enjoy fully other important moments of Mathieu's life. Furthermore, he would make his child unhappy because of his attitude... maybe he would even stop loving him ! Francis eyes shone with renewed determination. A strange feeling erupted in his stomach. He rose from his seat and walked to the door. He stopped when he reached it and turned back to Yong Soo.

''Thank you, Yong Soo.'' He said, smiling, and before Yong Soo even had the time to smile back, his master had left.

OoOoO

Mathieu was studying French with Mathilde, or at least trying to. The little boy's mind kept wandering else where, genuinely worried about his father. Mathile, of course, noticed this but couldn't bring herself to scold the little boy. She couldn't even bring herself to gently tell the boy to focus on his book. She knew the boy was preocupied with his master and, really, the boy was just too sweet for his own good. All she could do was wait patiently for Mathieu to realized he had been spacing out.

''Oh.'' Mathieu blinked, blushing in embarrassment. ''Please forgive me.'' Mathieu had apologized softly like this three times already since the beginning of their lesson.

''It's quite alright, Mathieu. Could you read this passage again for me, please ?'' Mathilde said equally gently. Mathilde usually was a bright and extrovert kind of girl, but like everyone else - maybe except for Yong Soo- people couldn't help but lower their voice when talking to the boy. Mathieu was so gentle and delicate, they did not want to startle the boy by speaking too loud.

''Yes, mademoiselle.'' Mathieu nodded and smiled. He turned his gaze down to the book in front of him. He opened his mouth to start reading, but the lesson was interrupted again, though this time by two quick knocks on the door. Francis penetrated the room immediately after and walked straight up to his little boy. Both Mathilde and Mathieu were, to say the least, surprised by the sudden appearance of the master. Said master stopped himself in front of Mathieu and took him in his arms. He hugged the little boy close to him and kissed his cheek. Then, Mathieu looked at him, still a little surprised. Francis smiled to him and Mathieu couldn't help but smile too, though in relief. His father seemed to be feeling better now.

''I'm sorry, mon lapin. I was not feeling very well lately and I've made you worry. Do you forgive me ?'' Francis said gently.

''Of course, papa !'' Mathieu said cheerfully wrapping his arms around his father's neck. Francis chuckled, happy. Mathilde smiled fondly at the sight.

''Let's go outside. The weather is so fine today.'' Francis suggested. Mathieu nodded eagerly. Francis turned his gaze on Mathilde. ''Please prepare a light meal and bring it in the garden.'' Mathilde was about to protest, Mathieu had been in the middle of a lesson, after all, but she supposed she could let it go... this once. And so, the young lady nodded and went to the kitchens. Francis leaned a little and grabbed the stuffed bear which, Francis noted, had been seated in a chair right next to Mathieu's with a book open on the desk in front of him, as if the white bear had been studying as well. He smiled and handed the toy to Mathieu who hugged it tenderly.

''What game would like to play, chéri ?'' Francis asked, walking out of the room, his precious son still in his arms.

OoOoO

Yong Soo stood by the window, a longing look on his face. He looked silently at his master and the boy as they played hide and seek. Truth to be told, the Korean felt a little jealous. He knew, of course, that he didn't belong in Francis' place, but he couldn't hide to himself that he had grown quite fond of the boy and he knew that, from now on, he would be spending less time with him. Mathieu reminded him of his younger siblings back in his homeland... he wondered how they were... how they had grown... he wondered if they were even alive. Yong Soo sighed deeply then diverted his eyes to the pile of bedsheets in his hands. He smiled a little. At least he would be sharing something with Mathieu that Francis would never be able to take away from them: Korean. Yong Soo nodded to himself. He would be happy with that.

OoOoO

Mathieu ran through the labyrinth-like garden, clutching his stuffed bear close to him. He stopped and looked frantically around.

''Eight... nine... ten...'' Mathieu heard his father counting slowly.

''Where do you think we should hide, monsieur Kumajirou ?'' The blond whispered quietly to his bear. He leaned in and glued his ear to the bear's muzzle. The bear spoke so very quietly, that only Mathieu could understand him. Mathieu nodded, smiling as he looked around. ''There, monsieur Kumajirou !'' He whispered back excitedly and crawled behind a bush with soft-looking leaves.

''Twenty !'' Francis said loudly as he moved away from the tree against which he had been counting. He quietly made is way through the maze-like garden, careful not to let any detail escape his eyes. He even looked under the bushes -though he hope his little boy wasn't under those bushes, he might dirty or hurt himself !- but did not see him. He travelled further into the garden, walking at a slow pace. He stopped in his tracks, having heard a faint sound of what looked like a giggle. Francis smiled to himself.

''Ah, where could my little angel be ?'' He exclaimed in false desperation. There was another giggle. Francis followed the sound with his ears and his eyes fell on one particular bush. Through the thick branches, the French could see the distinctive white synthetic fur of the stuffed bear. He slowly sneaked to the bush, trying to be as silent as possible. Then, the blond man jumped, suddenly showing himself to Mathieu and surprising him as he did so.

''Aaah !'' The Boy screamed then started running, laughing loudly. Francis faked an evil laugh and followed the boy. It was easy to catch up to him and, imitating growls like those of a wolf, the noble sized the little boy and lifted him high up in the air before hugging him tightly in his arms. The boy laughed excitedly as he was threatened to be eaten, then ravaged by kisses on his cheeks and forehead. Francis, to be honest, never thought he would play those silly games should he have children -though, back then, he the thought of having children had never appealed to him- but now that he was doing it, he felt incredibly stupid for finding the game silly in the first place. Having Mathieu by his side not only brought him great happiness, it also made him grow, learn... His laughter slowly calmed down, so did Mathieu's. Francis looked fondly at his boy, who smiled back to him. He gave him another light peck then, in the corner of his eyes, saw a maid enter the garden with a plate finely furnished with food. Francis walked to the small table, which was surrounded by multiple bushes of roses, then sat Mathieu on a chair. Taking the seat opposite from his son, Francis thanked the maid. Said maid bowed then left inside the estate. Mathieu looked with sparkling eyes the cookies and fruits that were offered to him. He hesitated before finally picking a cookie. Francis chuckled and poured his son a glass of fresh milk. The two blonds chatted and ate. The weather seemed even finer to Francis when he was with his son, and he couldn't bring himself to care how cheesy that might have sounded. Soon enough, Yong Soo appeared in the gardens, a small box in his hand and a wide smile on his features.

''I have good news, sir.'' Yong Soo announced, giving the little box to Mathieu. The little boy thanked the Asian timidly, then looked at his father, waiting for his approbation.

''Oh ?'' Francis asked Yong Soo, curious. He turned his attention to the boy, then on the little box in his hands. His eyes sparkled in understanding as he realized what it was. He smiled to his son. ''Let's see what this box is hiding.'' Mathieu eagerly nodded, genuinely excited to know what it contained. He carefully untied the ribbon than open the box with equal delicacy. He let out a small gasp as he saw what was inside. There, on a fine white silk cushion, were two identical pairs of glasses. The only difference was the frame. One was silver, the other was gold. They were both so clean and shiny, it made the boy blink several times in awe. ''They finally arrived !'' He heard his father exclaim. ''It took quite a while, but judging on their appearance, I can tell it was worth the wait.'' Francis smiled.

''Indeed, sir. The delivery boy said they were the finest and thinnest pairs in the country.'' Yong Soo confirmed.

''Good.'' Francis nodded, very proud to know that his boy had the best of the best. After all, the little boy deserved nothing less. ''Let's see how they look on you.'' Francis said gently to his son. Mathieu smiled and took the silver pair in his hand, taking his own pair off with the other, the world suddenly becoming chaotic and blurry. He gently lay the old pair on the table then put on his new pair. His eyes widened. He could see much further away and even the things that were near him seemed yet a little clearer. He smiled happily. Everything looked so perfect, he didn't think he could possibly see better than he could see now. Francis smiled in satisfaction. Seeing his son's reaction confirmed his hopes. ''Do you like them ?'' He enquired.

''Yes ! Very much indeed ! Thank you so very much, papa !'' Mathieu said excitedly then rose from his seat and ran to his father. He jumped on his lap and hugged him as tight as his little arms let him. Francis returned the embrace with equal enthusiasm, chuckling all the while.

''You're very welcome, Mathieu.'' He said softly. Yong Soo smiled at the sight.

OoOoO

The following morning, while his son was having his daily lessons, Francis decided to take a little break from his book to go on a little adventure in his boy's room. He entered the room not surprised to see the room very clean and tidy. As usual. He knew the maid hadn't clean the room, as it was too early and the lady was probably still cleaning on the first floor. He slowly walked into the room. Even the bed was neatly done -as neatly as a seven years old boy could manage, Franchis thought, chuckling- and not a single toy was out of the chest. Francis vaguely wondered if Mathieu played with them at all, but seeing how the toys had been put away in the chest, Francis saw that the boy had definitely used them. Mathieu, without a doubt, was further expressing his gratitude by cleaning his room. It was a simple gesture that Francis knew not all children practice. Mathieu's politeness and sweet character never ceased to amaze him. It was then that Mathieu realized that that Jeanne, Mathieu's mother, had done a wonderful job raising him. He also realized that Mathieu's temper was very different from his own, on that particular aspect, at least. He closed his eyes. Francis had barely talked to that Jeanne, but from what he could remember, the young woman had a very sweet temper. Mathieu must have gotten it from her, he mused. The more Francis spent time with Mathieu, however, the more he found similarities other than the physical ones. The boy had good appetite and enjoyed fine cuisine. He knew most everyone did, but the way slowly ate the food to appreciate every flavour told Francis that it was more than common gluttony, especially or a child his age. The boy was also very optimistic and easygoing, much like himself. But most of all, Francis knew he was a passionate man capable of loving unconditionally, and judging by the way Mathieu so openly showed his love to him or Yong Soo and even the way he took so carefully care of his stuffed bear, Francis knew that Mathieu was just like him. Mathieu was going to be a great lover, when he will be older, Francis mused, laughing to himself. And, Francis firmly resolved, he would not be like him; he would not go to brothels and waste that love potential.

Francis continued his walked, deep in thought still. He came across the fine easel on which was Mathieu's latest drawing. He hadn't seen it when he had put Mathieu to bed the night before, seeing as it was quite dark, but now that he could, Francis noted with awe that Mathieu had made great progress again. The new glasses must have helped quite a lot. More and more details were added with each drawing. Francis could tell that Mathieu wanted to immortalize what he was finally really seeing forever. With time and work, he was sure Mathieu would be a great artist.

Now pumped up with pride, Francis thought it be a goof time to work on his duties as a Marquis. The man walked out of his son's room, then down the stairs all the way to his study. There, on the desk, was a pile of documents that demanded his attention. As a Marquis, Francis owned many lands across the country, most of which he rented or sold to peasants or lower ranked nobles. He took the pile and began looking through it. The first one was a letter from a family which had paid their last payment and Francis was now to sign the documents which confirmed that the lands were now their property. The second was a letter to which was attached a confirmation from the back that the monthly payment had been made. Francis looked carefully at the amount written on the paper was smaller than it should have been. Francis was not surprised. This happened every so often. Francis opened the letter and quickly read through it. Just as he had thought, the farmers which rented these lands had sent some of their harvest as compensation. Francis never minded when this happened. After all, he would have bought the products with the money he would have received anyways. That day, though, something seemed to titillate the noble. Francis realized it was guilt. He knew that the price he was asking his tenants was not unreasonable, but he suddenly was bothered by the fact that some of them simply couldn't pay all the amount. And while he knew none of his tenants were living in misery -some of them, in fact, were nobles and lived quite well- it still felt wrong to him. What if one of the farmers' child needed glasses like Mathieu did, but couldn't afford them ? What if some of the children had to leave school to help on the lands so that they could make more money to pay the rent ? Francis, having made up his mind, took a sheet of paper and wrote a letter. From now on, it said, the rent would be lower in price. Francis knew, of course, that this meant he would have less money. And so Francis thought. What will he sacrifice in exchange of this ? The brothels cost quite a bit, but ever since things had started to go well between him and his son, he had stopped going there. It wouldn't show the boy a good example, after all, and really... now that he had his son, he didn't even feel like going there again. It seemed all so petty. That will not suffice to cover for all the money, of course, but it will certainly make good compensation... Let's see, what else could I... Francis thought again for a while. He remembered the two estates he owned in the countryside. His father used to love going there, but e barely ever went there himself, preferring the liveliness of Paris. He also knew that he was paying servants to keep the house clean and the gardens fresh... even though he never was there. Indeed, if he sold those two estates, it would cover for the loss more than necessary. Francis nodded to himself. Indeed, that would do.

Within the following week, Francis received countless letters of gratitude from his tenants and their family. Francis could not be happier or more proud.

OoOoO

Francis and Mathieu, like every night, were sitting in the library. Francis, holding a book and Mathieu on his lap, smiled as Mathieu read the book aloud. For a while now, Mathieu was showing his progress to his father by reading the first page of the book of the evening.

''Et... la pe... petite... princesse... ét... était bien triste... car ?''

'' 'kar'. '' Francis gently corrected. ''In front of an 'a' or 'o', the 'c' is pronounce like a 'k' unless there's a cedilla under it.'' He explained.

''...car son père était mort.''

'' 'mor', you don't pronounce the 't', here.'' Francis corrected again with patience.

''Mort.'' Mathieu repeated correctly.

''Very well, Mathieu. I'm very proud of you. You can read almost perfectly, now. Only a few pronunciation mistakes here and there.'' Francis kissed his son's hair affectionately. ''Would you like me to continue ?''

''Yes, please !'' Mathieu said excitedly. As much as he liked to read himself, it was a bit long and hard for him. He wanted to know what was going to happen to that princess as well !

Francis finished the story, chuckling at every 'oh's and 'ah's he son would utter. Francis closed the book and set it on the table on the side. He shifted Mathieu on his lap so that he had a better hold of him and wrapped his arms tightly around him, gluing him to his broad chest. He didn't want to put him to bed just yet; he still wanted to hold him. Mathieu, of course, did not complain. Instead, the little blond snuggled in his father's embrace and closed his eyes and hugged his bear tightly, enjoying the gentle sound of his father's beating heart. Francis smiled fondly and carressed the boy's hair, letting out a happy sigh as he did so. They stayed like that silently, until Francis' brow rose as he realized something. Francis felt a wave of discomfort and embarrassment invading him. He pondered for a minute, debating with himself if he should ask the boy or not. What if Mathieu was offended or saddened by the question ? Still, Francis had to know, and he could not think of a more subtle way to ask him.

''Mathieu ?'' Francis said softly, wondering if the boy had fallen asleep on his lap. It seemed not as the blond opened is eyes, looking up to him with a curious expression on his face. ''I've realized...'' Francis started with little courage. ''... when is your birthday, mon ange ?'' He asked at last, swallowing nervously. What if he had missed it since his son's arrival ? He saw Mathieu blink, not seeming bothered by the question at all.

''The first of July.'' He said, smiling proudly. Francis sighed in relief and smiled as well.

''Oh, it's not very far away from mine, then. I was born a fourteen of July.''

''Really ? Haha !'' Mathieu giggled.

The old clock in the library rang nine times, indicating bedtime for Mathieu. Sighing sadly, Francis rose from his seat, son still in arms. He wanted to keep Mathieu with him longer, but he could clearly see that the boy was tired. And Francis didn't want to be scolded again by a certain Asian for being the cause of Mathieu's struggles to stay away during his lessons.

OoOoO

When Mathieu heard the door close, he opened his eyes again. Sitting up in his bed, the young blond extended his arms, carefully reaching for the candle -which had a fancily shaped glass protector so that it wouldn't burn anything- on the bedside table. When he saw that almost blinding gleam that the fire produced when reflecting on his glasses, he reached for them and put them securely on his hose. He opened the drawer and took a letter, which was ripped in two. He had been waiting until he got better at reading before attempting to read it. Tonight, Mathieu decided, was the night he would read it. Setting the candle back on the table, Mathieu sat himself that the edge on the side of his bed so that the dim light lit the letter enough for him to see. His mother's letter. It was short, and judging by the handwriting, his mother had written it in the last struggles of her deathbed.

Francis Bonnefoy,

Back then, your wig and clothes would not fool me. You had introduced yourself under the common name of ''Phillip'', but that is not your name. I know the faces of the nobles; you are not the only one who has come to see me. Indeed I know your face and it is a face that I kept seeing in Mathieu's features the more he grew up. I should thank you for the gift you have given me. Mathieu has been my only joy for the past seven years. Now, I am dying and have no family to take care of him for me and I refuse to send him to an orphanage. Whether you want it or not, he is and will always be your son. I beg you to take care of him and love him.

I beg you.

Jeanne Bellecourt

Mathieu felt his eyes water as he slowly read through the letter. As he finished, the boy let his tears fall freely. He hugged the pieces of paper close to his heart, closing his eyes. When he opened them, the warm, friendly eyes of his bear greeted him. Mathieu looked at the bear, tears still falling. He smiled to the bear. He put the letter back in the drawer and then, just like his mother had taught him, Mathieu got off his bed, knelt in front of it and places his hands in prayer. The boy closed his eyes and spoke in a soft, trembling voice.

''Maman in heaven... please don't worry.'' He started, hiccoughs interrupting his speech. ''Just as you asked, papa takes care of me and loves me very much... I miss you... but I am going to be fine, because I have papa, Yong Soo, Kumajirou and many other people to take care of me... I love you maman. Amen.''

Mathieu climbed back into his bed. The prayer had made him feel strangely better. He felt as though a heavy weigh had been taken off his heart... and he hope his mother felt the same. Hugging his furry friend close, Mathieu let himself be taken by arms of Morpheus.

OoOoO

Francis sat in his study, comfortably seated on his french baroque chair. The blond man had been thinking, again, about his dear son. The child would soon be able to read and write perfectly -the child was surprisingly sharp, but then, it was his son, after all !- and thus Francis decided that it would soon be time to take his education on higher levels. As a son of a noble, it was imperative that Mathieu should get the best teachers and the best education. He needed to stand out from the rest of the population, but also from the other nobles. There were many nobles and all of them -except himself, of course- had large families. Gaining the favours of the monarchy was very important to assure him the best lifestyle quality. For when Mathieu was old enough -Francis mortified himself to think- the blond would have to love on his own. Francis had the firm intention of keeping his son with him as long as possibly acceptable. Not before marriage, at least, Francis thought, and even then, it is not unheard of for young married couples to live with their parents for a few years. That however, would not happen before quite a few years. Smiling to himself, he thought of all the best doctors and masters of human disciplines he knew of. The first name that came to him, was Feliciano Vargas, one of the most prominent artist there was these days. He heard the man was rather young -slightly younger than himself- and quite dynamic. He would make a wonderful teacher for his darling son. Also, Francis knew this would make his precious son more than happy. The boy was more than obviously interested in Arts. Nodding approvingly to himself, Francis wrote down the name, not wanting to forget it. Who else is there... Francis mused. Mathieu also seems to have an inclination towards languages... He thought, thinking how well Mathieu was grasping basic French grammar for his age and his apparent progress in Korean. He should learn Spanish. Francis smiled to himself, instantly thinking of his good Friend Antonio. But Mathieu eventually will have learn about mathematics and physics... as well as the science of nature. The stars, geology, animals... Francis let his carousel of thoughts invade him as he rapidly scribbled down a piece of paper, writing down disciplines and names. History, geography... He continued, though was soon interrupted by three knocks on the door. Slightly frustrated at being interrupted, Francis did not answer and finished writing down his list. Whoever was on the other side of the door would wait. After a few minutes, Francis finally set his nib back into the ink pot and sank back into his chair.

''Come in.'' He finally announced. Unsurprisingly, Yong Soo came in with a plate on which a pastry was finely presented on a porcelain plate. Francis suddenly felt a little bad for making the lad wait, he should have known he always took a little snack around this time of the evening. He quickly brushed the feeling away. Francis smiled thanking his servant as the later set the plate on his desk. ''I have a task for you to complete, Yong Soo.'' He said, looking at his nailes, smiling proudly. Yong Soo's brow rose.

''Yes, sir ?''

''I believe it is time for Mathieu to get real education.'' He started. ''Be so kind as to start preparing rooms more appropriate for a learning environment.'' He instructed. ''I will start writing letters to potential tutors this instant.'' Yong Soo stared at his master incredulously. He swallowed nervously, uneasiness flowing freely in his stomach in an almost sickening manner.

''You can't do that, sir...'' He said sadly. Francis stared at him, eyebrows frowning deeply, feeling insulted.

''What do you mean, I can't do that.'' He asked, all traces of previous courtesy long gone. The unpleasant feeling in Yong Soo's stomach only worsened. He wish he didn't have to do this, he wished his master wasn't so naive. But how could he blame him ? He was used the world being so unbelievably simple, everything being a question of money, which, of course, the man had plenty of.

''Because Mathieu is not your legitimate child.'' Yong Soo kindly explain, hoping that his tone would maybe ease the information into his poor master's brain. Yong Soo swallowed nervously again as the information -information that Francis seemed to forget so easily- sank in.

''Oh.'' Francis said blankly, his vividness disappearing as all the real consequences finally revealed themselves to Francis. Mathieu, because of his illegitimacy, could not get prime education, could not go out in the world with him, could not be introduced to the court, could not marry with a respectable family, could not... ''O-oh...'' Francis said his voice trembling. Would his little Mathieu really be condemned to a life of lies, of misery and of shame ? Francis panicked, lips trembling in worry in dimensions he had never felt. It never even crossed Francis' mind that his own life would be shaken if this should be known, unlike the first time he had learn of his child's existence.

Yong Soo watched with pained eyes as distress took over his master. He was already affected by the situation, but he dared not to imagine how Francis, the boy's real father, felt. He was certain, of course, that Mathieu could still be very happy with a simple life, but he also understood that Francis wanted what was best for his son. He wanted to give him everything he could. That was what parents did for their children, after all. Yong Soo closed his eyes and meditated. Like his master, he had to find a solution. He reopened his eyes and spoke up, though with little confidence, unconvinced that his master would take the idea well.

''You could falsify papers and make people believe that you simply adopted him.'' He proposed hesitantly. Francis shook his head, instantly disapproving the idea.

''No.'' He said, looking to the ground, a deep frown on his face, as if still thinking while he spoke. ''I want to find a way to make Mathieu my real, legal son. You know just as well as I do that adopted children are not well accepted in society, even when adopted my nobles... especially by nobles.'' He corrected himself. ''After all, who knows if the child is not of ill blood ? Son of a criminal, son of an English.'' He half joked bitterly. ''Son of a whore...'' He added sadly. ''He needs to be adopted from another noble family... but I want to expose Mathieu as my true son...'' Yong Soo dared not so say to his master that he was being rather demanding... ''Furthermore, you admitted yourself that my Mathieu and I look too much alike to deny any sort of blood link.''

''That is true...'' Yong Soo sighed, not knowing what was to be done. He looked at his master worryingly as the later rose from his seat and paced around the room, a heavy aura around him. Though the man, Yong Soo noticed, did not seem distressed anymore. In fact, the man had gained hope and seemed to be clinging to it as solutions and solutions ran through his brain. Suddenly, Francis stopped. There had to be a way, and Yong Soo saw that his master was quite determined to find it.

''I think... I have an idea.'' Francis said tentatively. ''Yes.'' He said with more confidence, this time. He speed walked to his desk and grabbed a nib and a paper. Yong Soo watched in fascination as he wrote a letter in an almost angry speed.

My dear Friend...

Note: WOOT. Finished ! But it's short. D8 Sorry about that. To make it up, I can already tell you this:

There are two, may be three, chapters left of this first part and they're going to be HUGE ASS CHAPTERS OF DOOM. New characters coming in the two next chapters and a time skip to young teen Mathieu in the last one.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter ! Sorry if there are mistakes. As usual, I was too lazy to re-read lol. -shot-

PLEASE REVIEW PLEASE REVIEW PLEASE REVIEW PLEASE REVIEW PLEASE REVIEW PLEASE REVIEW