Knox knew all too well the vile hobbies that his father possessed, which made him all the more determined to protect Halid.
His father was a lowlife who exploited children under fifteen before marriage. After marrying his mother, who came from the royal family and found such behavior disgusting, she had him under tight control, as if catching a mouse. One might have thought that after the marriage, he suppressed his foul hobbies, but since Halid arrived, he watched him closely, waiting for an opportunity. Knox declared firmly,
“I should take my leave now.”
“Like your mother, you are also trying to ignore me….”
He didn’t bother to listen to the rest. That man, bound tightly by his own sense of self-loathing, never tried to change himself. He was nothing more than a man engrossed in his own sordid desires.
“Master…”
“Shh, it’s okay.”
Knox reassured Halid soothingly. He gently put an arm around Halid’s shoulders and led the child forward, careful to match the boy’s steps.
Halid unknowingly blushed, and Knox was well aware of it. A faint smile crossed his lips.
He found the thought that he might be the subject of a young child’s first love to be a touch heartwarming, but also pitied Halid for possibly falling for someone like him.
After all, he was nothing more than a filthy noble, tainted by the blood of his father. Knox didn’t want to let his feelings reach the boy. He only wanted to care for him, resolute to never harbor the same vile desires as his father. He promised himself again and again.
After finishing their morning training and returning, Halid would help him with his clothes, the small hands trembling as if always nervous, unbuttoning Knox’s clothes. Watching this, Knox would let out a sigh mixed with laughter and undress himself.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Go and fill the bathtub with water.”
“Yes, yes!”
The child then scampered off to prepare the bath. Knox leisurely took off his clothes and draped them somewhere, putting on the robe that the child had laid out for him. Then he headed for the bathroom.
Upon entering, he saw Halid checking the water temperature after filling the tub.
“Go and take a break for a bit.”
“But… what about helping with the bath?”
Knox raised an eyebrow upon hearing that. He had never once asked the child to help with the bath.
“Where did you get such an idea?”
“Well, I overheard the adults talking the other time, saying that it’s natural to help with the bath to be favored…”
Knox crossed his arms instead of taking off his robe, looking at the child. What they implied by helping with the bath likely wasn’t ordinary assistance with bathing.
“Do you even know what those people meant by helping with the bath?”
“Isn’t it to help you bathe?”
At that, Knox couldn’t help but laugh at the naivety.
“No. Go rest. I’ll wash up on my own.”
“But…”
“Shh.”
Knox scolded, and Halid stood up dejected. Knox couldn’t bear to see him like this, and at last he gently stroked the boy’s head.
“I’ll call you when it’s time to eat. Don’t worry.”
And with that, Halid’s expression brightened immediately.
“Yes, yes!”
“Alright.”
Their relationship was peaceful. Even with his small hands, Halid was quite helpful, and Knox never asked too much of him. Their relationship was well-balanced as if properly centered, without any problems.
However, Knox seemed to have let his guard down in that peacefulness.
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