Her husband avoided her as much as possible, coiling his body away from her. He not only steered clear of Olga’s room to stay out of her sight, but Knox found his father’s behavior despicable and stayed by his mother’s side. Although occasionally objects would fly at him, it wasn’t hard enough to bear. He simply felt a deep sorrow for his mother, who was slowly withering away.
As he started to sense the opportunistic gleam in his father’s eyes, like that of a rat lying in wait as his strong mother began to crumble, Knox became wary. If Mother were to be bedridden, there would be no one to stop him. Since Knox, the heir, was not yet an adult, all authority and power would inevitably shift to his father.
‘If Mother becomes completely bedridden, Halid will…’ Halid, the child who would be most in danger if his father were to spread his wings within the family. While Mother was somehow managing to hold on and handle external affairs for now, if that ceased to be the case, then the child would be in danger. Father would satiate his desires without hesitation, heedless of anyone else.
On a night deepening with cold winds, Knox sat on a rocking chair in his room, engrossed in a book. Beside him, Halid was reviewing the letters Knox had taught him. Without looking up from his book, as if it were nothing, Knox casually broached the subject.
“Halid.”
“Yes, Master.”
The child had grown quite a bit over the seasons, now almost as tall as Knox’s nose. But his fine, downy, grayish-golden hair and round blue eyes remained the same.
“How about going to another family?”
“Excuse me…?”
Halid stopped his letter review and looked up, halting his movements. Knox nonchalantly turned the page of his book while continuing the conversation.
“You could go to another family for better treatment. You’re pretty, so there would be many who would want to hire you….”
“Master…!”
Suddenly, Halid knelt on the floor in front of Knox. Knox, caught off guard while reading, opened his eyes wide. However, Halid’s eyes were just as wide, his eyebrows deeply furrowed, and his pupils shaking. His agitation was evident as he knelt and asked.
“Have I done something wrong, Master?”
“Halid, get up.”
“Master, if I have done anything wrong, I will correct it. So please do not send me away….”
“You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Then why, Master…?”
Halid carefully grasped Knox’s ankle and rested his forehead on his knee. Knox, flustered, hadn’t even thought to put down his book and was just looking down at the small, round head.
Knox took a light breath, and his sigh seemed to make Halid’s small shoulders flinch. Knox gently pushed the child’s shoulder to look him in the face.
Big blue eyes were welling up with tears that looked about to fall any moment.
“You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“But then why….”
“…I’m just saying, think about it.”
“No.”
Halid was resolute in his response, firm to the point where his voice, uncharacteristically deep, resonated with a gravity that wasn’t normally there.
“I will stay by your side, Master.”
“…Halid.”
“Yes, my Master.”
Once more, Halid bowed his head and pressed his lips to Knox’s knee. Taken aback by the unexpected gesture, Knox’s knee twitched. Seeing that, Halid looked up at Knox with tear-filled eyes and smiled brightly.
Knox felt a pang of turmoil deep inside. What should I do with you? How should I…
Knox hoped that his mother would hang on just a bit longer. Until he grew up a little more. Or at least until the child could grow up a bit more. But ultimately, his mother became bedridden the year Knox turned sixteen.
And the father began insidiously expanding his domain.
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