The boy stared at the empty bottle and the crumbs of biscuits in his hand
"…She really came back."
The warmth he felt last night still lingered faintly in his chest.
For the first time in years, the darkness of the basement no longer felt as suffocating as before.
He never expected something like this to happen. His life, which had always been filled with darkness, fear, and suffering, was suddenly illuminated by the bright light of a small girl.
"Is she a new child here?" he whispered to himself.
Suddenly—
Creakkkkk…
The basement door slowly opened.
" she came earlier today," he murmured to himself, waiting for Olivia with patiently.
PAK PAK PAK
TOK TOK TOK
The sound of footsteps mixed with the tapping of a cane echoed as it approached him.
Immediately, the boy felt something was wrong.
His once calm eyes suddenly turn tensed, his pupils shrinking as if he had just realized something strange.
"This isn't her… it's that man,"he thought with burning anger.
His body stiffened instantly. His shoulders lifted slightly while his breathing turned short and uneven. His fingers tightened around the chains on his wrists as if preparing to fight if the man came closer.
"Well, well, well," a man said as he stepped into the room, slowly clapping his hands.
The basement suddenly felt unbearably cold.
The man smiled cynically as he looked at the bottle of water and the biscuits clutched tightly in the boy's hands.
"So… someone is being pitied by a little rabbit," he said before bursting into loud laughter.
"AHHAHAHAHAHA!"
His laughter echoed throughout the basement.
The boy slowly backed away from him. He let out a low growl, his eyes sharp with warning for the man not to come any closer.
The man knelt on one knee and lifted the boy's chin with two fingers, forcing him to look directly into his eyes.
The boy snarled angrily and pulled his head away.
The man grinned.
"You're destined to lose everything," he said coldly while staring at the boy.
"Your face… it looks just like your father's."
His gaze turned empty.
"No matter how far you run…"
"A son always walks the same path as his father."
He tapped his cane against the floor.
Tok… tok…
Inside the damp and dark basement, the dim light barely illuminated their faces.
The man continued.
"Your father…"
He smiled faintly.
"He begged."
"To protect you and your mother," he said while looking down at the boy.
His eyes gleamed slightly, as if the memory he was recalling filled him with pride, though hidden beneath his cold expression.
The boy's jaw tightened. The veins on his neck tensed as anger slowly boiled inside him. His hands clenched into fists.
The man laughed softly, his eyes shining with madness as if the memory was the most entertaining thing in the world.
The boy's body froze. Only his eyes moved, glaring at the man with burning hatred.
The man, who had been laughing earlier, suddenly stopped and looked at him with a disgusted expression.
"The one who gave you that…" he said, pointing at the biscuits.
"she keeps coming here too often…"
He glanced at the biscuits again, his face full of contempt.
The boy said nothing. He simply stared upward, his eyes blazing with growing hatred.
"What do you want from me?!" he shouted, raising his clenched fists.
The man did not answer.
He simply stared at the boy with a faint smile.
"She will end up just like your mother and father," he said calmly.
The boy's eyes narrowed sharply, as if he already knew what would happen. His body tensed as the veins on his temple bulged, anger completely taking over him.
The wounds on his hands tore open further as he forced himself closer to the man.
The man standing before him remained calm and dignified as usual, yet his face now carried a cruel smile and cold eyes.
His eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
The boy's suffering clearly entertained him.
After that, the man turned as if to leave.
But he stopped at the doorway.
"I didn't spare your life out of pity."
He looked at the boy with empty eyes.
"You're still useful."
Tok…
His cane struck the floor.
"As long as you remain under this roof… you will never escape," the man said with an irritating expression.
Then he left.
The boy collapsed to the ground, hugging his own body.
His breathing became heavy.
The boiling anger inside his chest suddenly exploded.
The golden chains around his wrists began to tremble violently.
The shadows on the floor slowly began to move like living creatures.
His eyes widened.
A deep purple light ignited within his pupils.
A scorching heat suddenly spread through his entire body.
"AGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"
He screamed in pain.
The more he tried to endure it, the more intense the burning heat became.
At the same time, curved red lines appeared within his purple pupils.
Not long after that, blood began to pour from his mouth until he could no longer endure it and finally lost consciousness.
As soon as he fainted, his body returned to normal.
The color of his eyes and the golden chains binding his hands returned to their original state.
———————————
Above the basement, Olivia could be seen helping Ophlia wear her wide gown.
"Okay!! All done," Olivia said as Ophlia stood in front of the mirror.
"You look very beautiful, Your Highness," Celine praised from where she sat nearby.
"Of course. Who picked the dress?" Olivia said proudly while pointing both of her thumbs at herself.
Celine rolled her eyes slightly and chuckled.
While they were chatting, Madam Irene suddenly entered and informed Ophlia that her father, Duke Herold, was waiting for her downstairs.
Olivia and Celine followed her down to escort Ophlia to the same carriage they had once ridden.
This time Olivia would not be accompanying Ophlia, as the princess wished to travel alone with her father. Several attendants had also been prepared to assist Ophlia during her trip outside the territory.
"We will miss Your Highness," Celine said while holding her handkerchief.
"I'll only be gone for two days," Ophlia replied with a smile.
The carriage slowly departed until it disappeared from sight.
As they walked back inside,
"Come on, let's go in," Celine said while holding Olivia's hand.
They continued chatting as they walked up the stairs.
The moment Olivia stepped onto the first stair, her vision slowly became blurry.
It felt as if something was pulling her from beneath the ground.
Her arms and legs suddenly felt weak.
THUD!
"Olivia! Olivia!" Celine called repeatedly, her face filled with worry.
The world in Olivia's eyes slowly faded into darkness.
To be continued…