“Young master, it’s time for your snacks.” A new maid knocked on the door. She just started working for the Cervantes family and she was quite afraid when she entered the mansion.

She heard a lot of rumors about the lord of the south or also known as monsters of the south even before she applied to be a maid. People say that they were a family who was gifted with monstrous abilities that even the imperial knights couldn’t defeat. A very scary ability that could kill anyone in just a blink of an eye. They also said that their ability was the reason why the emperor gave them the southern territory to protect the empire from the monsters at the border.

At that moment, she was about to enter the room of the tenth successor of the family. She trembled when she heard faint footsteps ambling towards the door. What did the young master look like? People said that they were called monsters because of their scary crimson eyes. She wondered if the young master would be as frightening as the others pictured him to be.

She held her breath when the door opened and her eyes grew wide when she saw that the young master was still a young child. She let out a sigh of relief and felt bad for the child in front of her. How could they call that adorable kid a monster? His pale skin emphasized the dark blue color of his hair and his crimson red eyes glittered like a ruby. He was an angel!

The young master smiled at her. “Who ordered you to bring me the snacks?”

She smiled at the soothing face of the child in front of her. “It was the chef who prepared your snacks, young master,” she said using a childish tone.

She rolled the cart towards the window and arranged the foods in front of the child who excitedly sat at the window nook.

“I don’t need the sweets; I just have to drink this tea as always.” The child pushed away from the plates full of sweets and took the teacup in his small hands.

She smiled as she watched the young master take a sip of the tea. She bowed her head while telling him that she was going back to the kitchen. However, she stopped by the door when she heard him cough.

“Young master!” She immediately ran to the eight-year-old son of the duke who suddenly coughed blood. Her mind went blank at the thought that she was the one who brought the tea that harmed the young master.

She frantically lifted the child and put him on the chair. He was still coughing dark red blood but his expression had not changed. She didn’t know what to do. Pacing back and forth, she looked around hoping to see an antidote or something that would help the child cough nonstop.

After a few more coughs, the child let out a sigh of relief and pulled a handkerchief from his vest pocket. Then he wiped his hands and mouth as if nothing happened.

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“What happened to the young master?” The butler came rushing in. He heard the maid’s worried shout so he went to the room as soon as possible but he stopped in his tracks when he saw the young master seated on the chair with drops of blood staining his clothes.

He looked at the child with a relieved expression and bowed. “Young master, can I ask what happened here?"

“She must be a new maid, Aaron.” The young child giggled as he looked at the maid with amused eyes. “She was even surprised with me coughing up blood.” He laughed as if the maid’s reaction was a funny joke.

The maid couldn’t believe her eyes. How could someone as young as him laugh like that after coughing up blood?

“Young Master, you shouldn’t pull a prank on your new maids like that.” Though Aaron was reprimanding the child, he still used a polite tone towards him.

“I didn’t expect that she didn’t know about my poison training.”

The maid’s eyes grew wide. Did she hear it wrong? Was he really taking in poison as a part of his training? How cruel could that be?

“You should’ve oriented them thoroughly, Aaron.” A baritone voice was heard coming from behind them.

The butler moved sideways to give way to the man with dark blue hair and red eyes. His presence was overwhelming that even the maids who stood behind him were discreetly gasping for air.

“I greet the lord of the southern territory,” the child said as soon as he stood up to greet his father.

The servants immediately went out of the room and left their masters inside. They felt relief as soon as they stepped out of the proximity of the duke’s presence. The new maid who just met the duke couldn’t believe that the rumors about the lord of the south were true. Though she deemed the young master to be an angel, the duke was no doubt a monster just like the rumors said.

“Diez.” The duke’s voice that called for the child was cold and stoic. He held his son’s shoulder as he stared at him with an expressionless face. “I told you not to show any weakness to anyone.”

“I apologize for my misbehavior, my lord.” Diez lowered his head as he tried to stop himself from trembling.

The duke released his fangs as soon as he touched him and the power was solely directed to him. His words weren’t a piece of advice but a threat. If he ended up showing anyone his weakness, there would be a punishment waiting for him.

“Don’t forget who you are.” The Duke whispered. “The monsters of the south don’t have any weakness, Diez.”

Diez clenched his fists as he nodded slowly. He was the tenth monster of the south so he had to live like one if he wanted to survive. There was no other way for him but to become a monster like his father.

“If you truly understand, go outside and train.” The duke turned his back on him and continued on his way out.

Diez let out a sigh of relief as he dropped to the floor knee first. His whole body shook out of fear as he remembered his father’s cold voice and threatening gaze. Those sharp crimson eyes that he inherited were like the eyes of a predator looking at its prey.

“Young master, are you alright?” The new maid opened the door and saw him in that state.

“Out!” He yelled.

The maid stopped in her tracks so he gave her a piercing glare. Since he let them see his weak side, did they start looking down on him? He wanted someone to take care of him but his feeling of fear for his father was greater. He wouldn’t risk his life for obtaining mere affection from others who didn’t have the ability to protect him.

He mustered his strength to stand again. The poison he ingested was still spreading in his system and the chef added a few doses so it would take a few hours for his body to get accustomed to it. He couldn’t even feel his foot which was subjected to the paralyzing effect of the poison in his tea.

“Mother…” He hugged his knees as he let his body shake uncontrollably. “Please, save me.”