Laura which was followed by three maids, holding two plates each while Laura had three plates on her hands. They walked hastily towards the dining hall, the three maids were anxious as their eyebrows were tightened as they walked stiffly but swiftly.

Unlike the other maids, Laura was naturally walking with a faint smile on her face.

As the four neared the dining hall, the maids which were on standby near the door opened it to let Laura and the other three enter the dining hall.

The first thing Laura could hear and see was a shriek and saw Shin running away from Kali.

Laura’s face twitched as she couldn’t believe what she’s seeing. The three maids behind her staggered while gawking at the two playing around.

“No, don’t come closer!”

Shin shouted as he was trying to run away from Kali.

“Hihi. You were the one who started all of this, don’t think it will end this easily!”

Kali vanished and reappeared right in front of Shin, she swiftly pinched Shin’s cheeks as she disappeared again and sat quietly down on her seat once again.

“That’s not fair.”

Shin pouted as he quietly walked back to his seat beside Aria and started complaining.

“Mother, Kali’s cheating.”

“Hehe”

Aria just laughed weakly as she was just watching the two played around. She glanced behind her and saw that Laura and three other maids bringing dinner.

“Sit properly now, the food is here.”

Aria lectured with a soft tone as she stared at Shin with warm eyes.

Shin glared at Laura and the other three maids in anticipation as they were bringing the food closer.

Shin really loved the food that the chefs in this castle were making, it was like eating heavenly food every single day.

Laura and the three maids could easily see that Shin was eager to eat something.

They walked swiftly as they gracefully placed the plates in front of Aria, Kali and Shin.

The three maids bowed deeply as they stepped back and returned to their own duties.

Laura bowed too and turned her body to leave as she heard Shin talking.

“Laura, are you not going to eat with us?”

Shin asked curiously as he saw Laura wanted to leave after bringing the food.

Laura gawked for a second before she answered with a faint smile.

“I’m just a maid, it’s not my place to eat with my lords.”

Shin tilted his head as she glanced back and forth from Laura and Aria.

“Mother, why can’t Laura eat with us?”

Aria placed her hands on the table as she was also looking at Shin, seeing his confused expression while glancing between her and Laura.

“Well, servants are usually not allowed to dine with their masters.”

Aria could just helplessly explain.

Shin shook his head while speaking.

“I still don’t understand.”

Then continuing saying.

“What if she’s my friend? Can she eat with us then?”

Laura smiled tenderly as she spoke affectionally.

“Young master, it’s fine. If you want, I can stand near you.”

Shin still shook his head as it wasn’t good enough for him, Shin glanced at Aria with a downhearted expression.

“Mother?”

Aria rolled her eyes and spoke plainly.

“I don’t mind, she’s after all my closest maid.”

“Peutoa, bring a set of dishes for Laura.”

Aria ordered a female maid which was on standby near the door.

Shin stared at the maid – Peutoa, in Shin’s eyes, Peutoa seemed to be around 16 years, but who knows how old she really is. Peutoa’s wearing a classic black and white maid outfit, her hair’s brown and is reaching down to her chest. Peutoa’s eyes were also shiny brown, but the only weird thing with Peutoa in Shin’s eyes was that Peutoa didn’t have a single expression on her face, it was just blank.

It reminds me of something.

Peutoa nodded towards Aria then glanced back at Shin who was glaring at her.

Peutoa stiffly smiled to Shin before she turned around and left.

Shin just stared quietly as Peutoa walked off.

“Shin, what are you doing?”

Aria asked with a soft tone, she could clearly see that Shin had an interesting impression of the maid Peutoa.

“Oh, what?”

Shin turned his head towards Aria when he heard her speak, but he couldn’t hear what she said.

“Hehe, I just casually asked what you were doing. Would you mind telling me that?”

Aria laughed while she asked Shin once again.

Kali didn’t speak, but she was slightly displeased, wrinkling her nose while staring at Peutoa’s back.

“I, I was just looking at that maid.”

Shin shyly answered while keeping his head down as his body was fidgeting.

“Her facial expression, it reminds me of myself.”

“Oh, Peutoa’s was an orphan when I found her. I brought her along with me, keeping her as a maid when I got this castle.”

Aria smiled faintly as she used her hand to brush Shin’s hair. Aria glared at Kali then smiled to the point her teeth were showing.

“Shin, what do you think of having Peutoa as your maid and bodyguard? Hehe.”

Aria smiled happily as she kept her eyes on Kali, her laughter was slightly cold trying to provoke Kali.

I won’t give Shin over to you, old witch!

Kali gawked as her eyes widened for a moment, she tightened her fist as she stared back at Aria. Her eyes narrowed and became cold, she snorted and spoke silently so only Aria could hear.

Well, two can play that game!

“You can have your fun, but Shin will eventually be mine. Hihi, how’s that, ‘mother-in-law’ hihi.”

Aria froze for a moment when she heard Kali straightforward answer. Her face turned red in anger when she heard the last part.

You!...

Shin sensed that something was wrong as he looked around, glancing at Laura. He found that Laura’s face was dripping with sweat as she glanced at Aria and Kali.

Shin tilted his head as he also glanced at Aria and Kali, he saw that both their faces were, in turn, becoming stiff, their eyes narrowed and felt a cold air near them.

Are they playing a game?

“Uhm, what are you two doing?”

Shin just frankly asked with a curious tone as he had no idea what they were doing.

“Cough cough”

Aria coughed twice, turning her face to Shin, she didn’t forget to send a cold glance towards Kali.

She then smiled and spoke fondly.

“We just had a little chat. But, what do you think of having Peutoa as your personal maid and bodyguard?”

Aria surely didn’t forget to give Peutoa to Shin.

Kali gnashed her teeth as she was coldly staring at Aria.

“Yeah, we were just having a little chat together.”

Unlike her eyes, her voice was calm and beautiful.

Shin tilted his head once again to one side as he still sensed something was off.

“I thought you two were playing a game together.”

Shin then said.

“Uhm, and for that maid.”

Shin just quietly glanced around before answering.

“I don’t want you to order her, I want to ask her myself.”

Kali beat her chest with her small fist, forcibly coughing several times.

Hell, who knew Shin’s a playboy!

Kali denied her own small thought the second she thought of it. She had some understanding of Shin, she was fully aware that Shin only wanted a family and people he could be with.

As Kali was beating her chest, the door opened once again and Peutoa returned with three plates. She glanced at the coughing Kali, the humoured Aria and the shocked Laura.

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After she glanced at those three, she focused her eyes on the last remaining one, Shin. Peutoa’s expression didn’t change, but she did feel a little shocked, seeing Shin’s curious appearance staring straight at her.

Peutoa didn’t mind it as she placed the plates in front of Laura before stepping back and waiting at the side.

“Let’s eat then.”

Aria unhurriedly spoke as she looked at the dishes.

A flat plate filled with roasted meat.

A bowl of fresh rye bread.

And a large bowl filled with curry.

Aria, Laura and Kali picked up a slice of rye bread and ate it with the curry, unhurriedly and with natural movements.

The three made satisfied expressions as their mouths curved up when they tasted the curry.

Shin just glared at the dishes in front of him in wonder. He glanced worriedly at the three eating their meals. With stiff reactions, he also took a slice of bread, his hand was shaking as he tried to do the exact same movements they did. Shin was trying to mimic as he had never eaten something like this before.

“What is it, Shin?”

Kali who was sitting in front of Shin saw him glancing around and stiffly trying to eat his meal.

“Hmm? Isn’t the meal good enough, Shin?”

Aria then observed Shin too, narrowing her eyes, asking because his hand was trembling as he tried to eat.

Shin shook his head a couple of times before looking down at the dishes gloomily.

He was unsure of how to tell them that he didn’t know how to eat food like this. Would they be disappointed, dejected, mock him or even be angry?

“Young master, do tell us anything, we will try our best to help you if there’s something.”

Laura quickly spoke as she saw that Shin didn’t dare to speak.

If he doesn’t like this type of food, he could clearly tell us. But, he said that wasn’t it, what could it be then?...

Kali, Laura and Aria thought the same thing, but what couldn’t Shin tell them?

Shin just shook his head, he didn’t want to risk on telling them, to find out that they would hate him for it. Shin grabbed another piece of bread and ate it stiffly with the curry, all his movements were rigid and unnatural.

The weirder his movements became; the more Shin’s eyes became moist.

Aria’s eyebrows furrowed as her eyes narrowed once again. Aria was feeling heartache because it was clear that Shin couldn’t still let his guard down with them.

Aria grabbed Shin’s plates as she pushed it away from Shin. Seeing his shocked expression, widened eyes, pale skin and his lips had a hint of blueness.

“Tell us, Shin.”

Laura and Kali just watched silently, they didn’t want to disturb of what Shin might want to say.

Shin became anxious as he tried to grab the plates Aria pushed away. Shin was on the verge of tears as he shook his head fiercely.

Shin jumped out of his chair and ran away, he didn’t dare to glance back at them. As Shin was running with cloudy eyes, he could see Peutoa’s blank expression before he ran out of the dining hall.

Aria, Laura and Kali were all shocked and didn’t think that Shin would just run away with tears forming in his eyes.

Kali and Laura wanted to stand up and follow him, Aria swiftly raised her right hand, stopping the two of them.

“Don’t go, he’s clearly afraid of us knowing something. That means none of us can force him to tell us.”

Aria glanced at the maid – Peutoa, ordering her with a cold tone.

“Follow him, and try to find out what he can’t tell us. Do not force him one bit!”

Peutoa bowed before she turned around and walked swiftly behind Shin.

“Aria, will that really be enough? I could see something in Shin’s eyes, he was afraid that we would despise him.”

Kali spoke as she closed her eyes, her aura enveloped the castle with a weak force, even if her strength was limited, this was an easy thing to do. Kali followed Shin’s energy with her aura, she sighed sadly when she could sense that Shin was sobbing while running away.

“How could he think of something like that? We would never despise him.”

Laura said so and crossed her arms.

Aria shook her head while staring at the two.

“Have you both forgotten?”

Kali tilted her head in wonder and Laura just waited for Aria’s explanation.

“Shin has been alone for most of his life, looked down by others, mocked, hated and despised by everyone. He has just recently been with us, not for a long time either. Shin’s afraid of making mistakes in front us which might lead to Shin thinking that we would throw him away too.”

Kali thought of how Shin had nervously looked at them eating and him eating while staring at his own hands which were trembling.

“Aria, I think you’re right.”

“If I’m not mistaken, Shin was glancing at us eating and tried to mimic our movements.”

“I think that Shin didn’t know how to eat this kind of food and became worried that we would also look down on him because of it.”

Kali spoke downheartedly when she told Aria and Laura of her own thoughts.

Aria bitterly smiled when she heard Kali.

“I think you’re right. He’s even afraid to this point, Shin’s really worried about losing us.”

Kali and Aria both glanced towards where Shin was at with a gaze of sadness.

Shin just kept on running, he didn’t know where he was, but he didn’t stop. His breath got louder as he was sobbing in-between each breath.

The maids and the guards he passed were flabbergasted when they saw Shin running away with tears falling down his face. They tried to reach their hands out, but they didn’t dare to do that.

Shin ran through several doors before he got out of the castle, seeing the sun hanging over the sky, with no clouds. Shin could clearly see the beautiful nature in the distance, the forest and the mountains.

Shin just kept on running, he sprinted on the garden until he felt something tripping him. The next thing Shin could see was grass, Shin hurriedly placed his arms in front of himself to protect his face as he fell down.

Shin sobbed as he crawled to a pillar, leaning on it, trying to suppress his cries and tears. Both his hands were wiping tears away from his eyes, but the next second more tears appeared.

He suddenly felt something blocking the sun, feeling cold because of staying in a shadow.

Shin opened his eyes with tears and saw someone in front of him. Shin vaguely saw the person was wearing a maid outfit.

Peutoa stared at Shin who was currently leaning on a pillar, sobbing and crying out weakly. She felt that this image was something she had seen before. Peutoa remembered when she was all alone, crying out and sobbing just like what Shin was currently doing right now.

Peutoa felt her heart beating faster while absent-mindedly staring at Shin.

Shin tried to run away when he saw Peutoa, he crawled on all fours as he was glancing back at Peutoa in fear that she would constrain him and take him back.

Shin could feel his hands and knees hurting, he glanced at them briefly and saw there was blood streaming out from several wounds from his palms and knees from the fall.

Shin had felt pain thousand times worse than this, he just kept on crawling away, attempting to run far away from the castle.

Peutoa gazed at Shin in a daze, seeing him staring at her in fright and crawling away with blood flooding off his wounds.

She stepped forward quickly and grabbed Shin forcefully.

“N-oo!”

Shin screamed out as he continued sobbing.

His arms and legs were moving around, struggling to get away from Peutoa’s grip.

Peutoa didn’t listen to Shin, she just grabbed him and vanished with him, she stepped on the castle walls and jumped far away. Shin could only fuzzily see they were moving at a fast speed further and further away from the castle. Entering the town, leaving the town, appearing in front of the forest, going deep into the forest.

It didn’t even take Peutoa a minute before they were over 100 kilometres away from the castle. She placed Shin on a fallen tree, she just glared at Shin without any expression showing on her face.

Shin worriedly glanced around, seeing that they were far away from the castle. He then stared at Peutoa while trembling, wanting to know what she would do now.

“Did you not want to run away?”

Peutoa calmly asked as she was looking at Shin indifferently.

Shin’s eyes widened when he heard her, he didn’t know if he should nod or shake his head.

“If you are not going to answer, I will be going then. I have other things to do.”

Peutoa said uncaringly then simply turned around and walked away at a normal walking pace.

“No, please don’t leave me!”

Shin tried to reach out towards Peutoa when she turned around and walked away. Shin didn’t think about why she walked slowly instead of just moving several kilometres per step.

Peutoa didn’t listen to Shin, she just walked without missing a single step.

“No, ’sob’ I beg you, please don’t leave me .”

Shin fell on his knees when he tried to reach out once again towards Peutoa and begged her while sobbing.

Peutoa finally stopped, but she didn’t turn around.

When Shin finally saw her stop, he saw hope again. He crawled towards her and spoke in-between sobs.

“I will do anything, ‘sob’ please don’t leave ‘sob’ me here.”

Shin could only see Peutoa’s cold back.

But what Shin couldn’t see, was that Peutoa had a pained expression on her face, her eyes were closed but her eyelashes were shivering and her lips were trembling.

“Anything? Tell me why you left the dinner.”

She tried her best to speak like usual with her zero expression in her tone, but even so, it had a hint of sorrow in it.

I am sorry, endure it a little more.

Shin’s mouth closed as he didn’t want to speak about that. But, when he didn’t speak, he saw that Peutoa started walking away again.

“No, I will tell you, please don’t leave me!”

Shin wailed out in despair. Shin didn’t wait for her to ask again and continued shouting.

“I don’t know how to do things! I’m stupid and I don’t want them to hate me and throw me away because I don’t know simple things! I didn’t even know how to eat that food!”

“Mother is an Empress!”

“Kali is a strong fairy!”

“Laura has talent comparing to the bests!”

“I’m dumb and I don’t know simple things! I’m worth nothing and I can’t do anything! I know they care for me and love me, but would they really care for a stupid beast like me? They would throw me out if they found out!”

Shin roared out as his voice became hoarser.

Peutoa’s face froze the more she heard, she could clearly hear how desperate Shin was.

In the sky above Shin and Peutoa, floated Aria, Kali and Laura.