Chapter 28

Heavy grunts and foul odors from smelly, sweaty men filled Cieran's ears and nose. The boy's eyes were a dark, lifeless abyss as he ran around the field for the umpteenth time. Guards who were not on morning duty fell into line together like one large entity while Cieran trailed far behind with his short legs. If the modern person, Jamie, was here, he would find it hard to believe that this was just the warm-up to their day. 

As Cieran ran, his face was a twisted mess like a little old man whose lawn was just stepped on.

Gale and Isla pulled him out of bed before he even had a chance to say good morning to the young master. And this kicked off his day horribly!

"If you are going to be serving the Marquis household, you must at least have some strength and skills. The General has not introduced the young master to society yet, but when he does, the days won't be as peaceful as they are now," Gale stated bluntly.

The Marquis household was a tall tree in the middle of the forest. Even if its roots were strong, there were more evildoers that wished to cut it down than allies. The General was like a heavy, fortified shield that had more benefits being alive than dead. But like all things, his existence was like a double edged sword. 

He won wars, which meant he won people's hearts whether he wanted to or not. And this simply was the most despicable act to those in the Capital.

A hero with a good reputation can only be dragged down from the altar.

So, when the winds of the court inevitably change, there will be plenty of trouble awaiting them.

The young master was a different kind from the General. Even when he was younger Jedrick Lovel was a strong as an ox, as tough as a nail, and as sharp as the blade that rarely left his side. Enemies feared the old patriarch and in turn, this made it easy to fear the Tiger's son. And now, there was the adopted son, Soleil.

At first glance, the child looked as harmless as a fluffy rabbit. Cute and soft and everything good in the world. Such looks, though they were a blessing of sorts, could potentially breed bad intentions In the future. And this was partly the reason why the General was willing to keep Cieran, the orphan boy with unknown origins, around...

It was going to be this rascal that was going to have to keep the young master safe - and in turn, protect the young master's 'virtue'.

The group passed the corner where they began which just so happened to be the edge of one of the sparring circles. As soon as Cieran's two feet started to slow, someone called from the center.

"Get a move on, kid. You've got two more rounds before we can start strength training." The one to speak was Isla. He and Gale had lapped the half-pint several times over and already started sparring.

They weren't necessarily matched in strength as Isla obviously had a wider frame as a well-bred country boy. His arms were thick and his chest was wide.

On the other hand, Gale, who was an elf, had a deceivingly slender frame. He was still packed with muscles but he was still slimmer. And because of this, he had the advantage of speed on his side. 

The swords clashed and retreated. The competitiveness in their eyes were like bright flames that threatened to burn their opponent to a crisp. The usual comparability they had as colleagues and friends was no where to be found as they sparred. Over and over the two fought as if their lives were on the line all while Cieran ran (jogged) the remaining distance. 

Sweat beaded his brows and flowed down his reddened cheeks. His lungs had a slight burn, but it wasn't anything he hadn't felt before. How long did he have to run for his life when those kidnapppers were chasing him? Anything these men threw at him wasn't ever going to be half as bad as what he had to go through in the past.

In fact, a part of him even liked the physical exercise.

It's just... He's pretty sure they told him that he had two more laps several laps ago!

~

At noon, the guards let him return to the young master's flower courtyard on his own. They had days of missed training to make up for and until they were dead on their feet, neither young man was going to give in.

Of course, Cieran didn't mind this. He hoped they would train and train and train some more. Train until they forget about him and stop taking him away from the young master's side!

Cieran's own legs were as wobbly as a new born calf on his way back. His face still held a faint stink expression, but for the most part he was excited to return. Who knew that when he returned, the young master would be no where to be found?

The yard was neat and tidy, all miscellaneous items have been put away and the maids had a rare moment of leisure as they gathered to enjoy some roasted chestnuts. As the oldest, Pipa skillfully cracked several of the shells and peeled the skins off before handing them to the twins and Kana. In turn, the sisters and youngest maid fed her between bites.

It was just one big harmonious circle of love and kindness.

Seeing Cieran return, Pipa called him over to eat some snacks. "Come and eat some chestnuts. There were so many that fell this year."

Cieran's face flattened feeling a little hungry. The girls were used to his muggy expressions by now and didn't bother feeling offended. The young master had let them put Cieran to work and it was pretty nice having an extra set of trustworthy hands near them.

When he came closer he saw the black fox snoozing belly up in the middle of their small gathering. around him was a pile of empty shelves and flaky skins. Obviously, the animal had just eaten his weight in shares. 

The relationship between him and the fox was stagnant, but under Jamie's strict commands, neither of them was allowed to fight the other (for no reason). 

Before he popped one in his mouth, he asked, "Where's the young master?" Unlike when he was speaking to the General, Cieran obviously didn't hold the same prejudices against the girls. At the very least, speaking to them was no skin off his shoulders.

"The young master went to the clinic again to read some books." 

With a place at hand, Cieran didn't even bother sitting down. Of course, before leaving he also had to pack himself a few chestnuts to go... plus a few more for the young master should he want some. 

Seeing him take a generous amount, Pipa's smile twitched... Before the boy could hoard the chestnuts like a squirrel preparing for winter, she stopped him. "It's near lunchtime already. The young master will be back soon. Why don't you go with Kana to bring back the meals?"

Cieran's quick hands stopped at the mention of food. With the promise of lunch, his quick escape slowed. Putting away the snacks in his pocket, he nodded and followed Kana to the kitchen. As a previous street rat, it seemed that food was a great motivator that could even cure his overworked legs. 

On their way there, they passed several waves of people. Some greetings were friendly, some were rushed, and then there were those that were at best lukewarm and faked.

Kana forged forward not caring much about the interactions. It seemed as if her focus was on her duties and nothing else.

On the other hand, Cieran's brows secretly lowered, but he did not say anything. He lived a ghost life his entire life and pleasantries weren't things he's ever had to deal with. What did these people mean when they looked at him like that?

The occasional contemptuous gazes were too similar to those he received when he was on the streets... And what was weirder was that it wasn't just directed toward him, but the girl beside him.

When they neared the kitchen and no one was around, Kana faced the boy a few years younger than her. "Don't pay attention to those people. Their looks are because we are the personal servants of the young master." The little girl smiled with a mocking arc. "The young master is very good, but some people here don't see it yet. Everyone was still hoping that the Master Marquis would somehow produce a heir or at the very least adopt another noble boy. So they were disappointed when he brought back young master Soleil."

When they reached the kitchen doors, the good smells intensely filled their nostrils. Roasted meat, freshly made breads and soups chorused through the air in a gorgeous manner. If he was still slugging it through alleyways and gutters, his next meal would probably have been something stolen or found in the trash. 

It was only because of master Soleil's good will was he allowed to live so decadently.. Of course, this was not the only - or biggest - reason why he liked the young master so much...

Kana paused with one foot inside. "Just let them be. In the future, they'll realize how wrong they are to deny the young master's existence."

Cieran found himself nodding in agreement. There was no doubting this. 

In the future, they'll see how great the young master is.... He'll be sure of it.