When Aiden arrived at the mansion, the sun was setting on the horizon.

He told the guards to escort the slaves inside while he went ahead.

At the entrance, he spotted Abraham, who greeted him politely.

Aiden felt exhausted from the trip—his body was so weak that he felt like an old man.

"Tell the maids to prepare my bath," Aiden said impatiently. "Give the slaves warm clothes and prepare two rooms, separate by gender." He wasn't in the mood for conversation with Abraham.

Sensing his master's mood, Abraham nodded and hurried off to carry out the orders.

Just as Aiden was about to retreat to his room, a few guards approached him, looking embarrassed. "My lord, it seems that one of the slaves has died from the cold," one of them said. "He's not moving at all."

Already knowing who they were talking about, Aiden waved them off.

"He's not dead, just throw a bucket of cold water on him. He'll wake up."

The guards nodded quickly, with one running off to fetch the water.

Before they turned away, Aiden added, "Tell Abraham to get the chests of jewelry ready. Some people from the slave market will come by to buy them. And have him take down all the paintings from the walls. We're selling those, too."

Without waiting for a response, Aiden headed straight to his room and collapsed onto his bed.

Just as he was drifting off, a maid's voice interrupted him from the door.

"My lord, the guards are asking for you. The slave still hasn't woken up. They're worried he might die from hypothermia."

"How annoying," Aiden thought, frustrated. All he wanted was a little rest.

When he arrived at the carriage, he found the guards standing around, looking confused.

The cage was empty, except for the figure still lying on the floor, fast asleep.

The same guard as before approached. "My lord, we did as you asked, but the slave still refuses to move. If we didn't see him breathing, we'd think he had died from the cold."

Aiden looked displeased, considering leaving the boy there all night. But knowing him, he'd stay like that for days if no one did anything.

"Fine, have some men carry him back to the mansion," Aiden ordered.

The guard, looking even more embarrassed, replied, "We tried, my lord, but he's too heavy. Three of our strongest men gave it a shot, but now their backs are hurting from the effort."

Aiden's expression turned serious. Those men were at least rank 2 warriors.

If they couldn't move him, it was clear this was no ordinary situation.

"How can someone so thin weigh that much?" Aiden thought, realizing this boy was far from normal.

He decided to use his last resort—the slave mark's punishment.

Aiden approached the cage, standing over the boy. With a thought, he activated the mark to inflict pain.

It glowed purple on the slave's neck, indicating it was working.

As Aiden applied the pain, the slave didn't flinch. He didn't move at all.

Surprised, Aiden increased the intensity of the punishment. Even the first level was enough to make a strong person scream in agony.

One could only imagine the torment of the second and third levels.

Yet, even at the second level, the boy didn't react.

Aiden pushed it to the third level, the one that would drive any normal person mad and have them writhing in pain.

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Twenty seconds of this could fry a person's brain, reducing them to a state of permanent disability.

The mark shifted from purple to red, but the boy remained motionless.

Aiden began to doubt whether he was even alive.

But the mark connected them, and he could feel the boy's faint life force.

The situation was almost comical—this ordinary slave was causing so much trouble when Aiden should've been preparing for the auction tonight.

His eyes flashed red as he let his emotions flare, releasing his killing intent toward the boy on the ground. This time, he did it deliberately.

Aiden's killing intent washed over the boy like a wave, the air around him growing thick and suffocating.

The temperature seemed to drop as his crimson eyes glowed with malevolent energy, fixating on the boy's unconscious form.

The boy's body twitched, a shudder running through him as if sensing the danger even in his sleep.

Then, without warning, the boy shot up, his body moving faster than expected. His eyes were wide with confusion, blinking rapidly as if trying to understand where he was.

The confusion quickly turned to fear as his gaze landed on Aiden. His gray eyes locked onto the glowing red of Aiden's, and panic set in.

With a choked gasp, the boy's body trembled, his limbs stiffening as if paralyzed by the overwhelming presence before him.

His breathing came in sharp, ragged breaths, eyes darting between Aiden's face and the ground.

He knelt instinctively, his body moving on its own, not out of obedience but pure survival instinct.

"B-Big brother!" His voice cracked with desperation. "Please forgive me, I don't know what I did wrong, but please... don't look at me like that! You're scaring me!" His words tumbled out in a rush, tears forming in his eyes, his hands trembling as he pressed them together in a pleading gesture.

Aiden's gaze narrowed, his red eyes studying the boy carefully.

The fear was real, palpable, but there was something else beneath it. The boy's reaction was too instinctual, too natural for someone he had just met. And that 'big brother'... where had that come from?

He allowed the killing intent to dissipate, the glowing red in his eyes fading.

The air around them became breathable again, though the tension still lingered. Aiden crossed his arms, watching the boy with a mixture of curiosity and frustration.

"What's your name?" Aiden asked coldly, expecting a quick answer.

"I-I don't have a name," the boy stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "No name, huh? Fine. From now on, you'll be called Dev." His voice was sharp, almost dismissive, as though the matter didn't warrant any further discussion.

The boy blinked, his face softening.

Slowly, a smile spread across his face, wide and genuine, lighting up his features in a way Aiden didn't expect. "Thank you, big brother! Dev... I like it. It's short, easy to remember!" His voice was filled with an almost childlike enthusiasm, his previous fear momentarily forgotten.

Aiden paused, caught off guard by the sudden shift in the boy's demeanor. Just moments ago, he was shaking with fear, and now he was smiling brightly as though nothing had happened.

It wasn't just the name—there was a strange, unwavering trust in the way the boy looked at him.

Aiden leaned down slightly, narrowing his eyes. "Why do you call me 'big brother'? We've never met before. Explain yourself."

The boy's eyes met Aiden's without hesitation. "I don't know," Dev replied simply, his voice soft but steady. "When I saw you for the first time... I just knew. You're my big brother. That's all."

Aiden frowned, his mind racing. This was no ordinary boy. The unwavering certainty in his voice, the way he seemed to disregard the pain from the slave mark, his strange weight... everything about him was abnormal.

But no matter how hard he pushed, it seemed he wouldn't get more out of him, at least not now. Aiden straightened up, exhaling slowly. "From now on, you'll follow my orders. Understand?"

Dev's face fell slightly, his eyes flickering with reluctance. "Yes, big brother..." he muttered, though the hesitance in his voice was obvious.

Noticing the boy's expression, Aiden added, "Don't worry. If you do your job well, I'll let you sleep as much as you want."

The change in Dev's mood was immediate. His eyes brightened, and a genuine smile returned to his face. "Really? I can sleep all I want?" he asked, his tone almost disbelieving, but there was an unmistakable joy there.

"Yes. But only if you do as I say," Aiden responded, the hint of a smirk on his lips as he saw the boy's reaction.

Dev nodded eagerly, his earlier reluctance evaporating. "I'll work hard, big brother! I promise!"

Aiden shook his head slightly, amused by the boy's sudden enthusiasm. "Come on. Let's go back to the mansion."

He stepped out of the cage, glancing back as Dev followed.

The moment Dev's feet hit the ground, the carriage groaned audibly, rising slightly as if a great weight had been lifted from it.

Aiden's eyes flicked back to the boy, the strangeness of it all deepening. Just how heavy is he? he wondered silently.

The guards, who had been watching the scene unfold, stood there wide-eyed, exchanging bewildered glances as if they had just witnessed something beyond comprehension.

Dev, oblivious to their stares, simply followed Aiden, his mood light and carefree once more.

When they entered the mansion, Aiden turned to the maids. "Clean him up. Give him new clothes and send him to the study when he's ready."

As the maids approached, Dev's expression shifted, his face falling into one of exaggerated betrayal.

His gray eyes filled with tears once more as he was dragged away, his body limp as if surrendering completely to the maids' hold.

Aiden raised an eyebrow, watching the overly dramatic display with mild amusement.

He knew the boy was allowing himself to be led—otherwise, the maids wouldn't have been able to move him an inch.

With a sigh, he turned on his heel, heading toward his bath. His body ached, and all he wanted was to wash off the exhaustion of the day.