~Chapter 100~
When Kilian opened his eyes, he was in a place he knew very well.
“You dirty brat. How dare a beast like you act ungrateful!”
He was back in a moment from his childhood—a moment full of wounds that he could never forget.
“Ah, ugh…”
He remembered this day.
He was beaten over and over, like he was less than an animal.
That was a normal day for young Kilian. But the reason this memory was so painful was simple.
That day, for the first time, Kilian fought back against his half-brother, the eldest son of the Winters family.
He knew if he stayed quiet, things would pass.
But for some reason, that day he just couldn’t hold back. His kicked stomach hurt so much, his chest ached, and then—
“Kilian, bark like a dog.”
“…”
“Why not? You’re less than a dog. Shouldn’t you be thankful I’m even treating you like one?”
No matter what, Kilian could never bring himself to do that. He couldn’t truly act like a dog in front of them.
“Why should I?”
“What?”
“Why should I do that!”
Little Kilian started screaming, almost like a cry, and then ran at his brother with all his strength.
“Why do you always… do this to me…!”
He fought as hard as he could, but it was useless.
The other boys joined in, laughing.
His brother’s friends.
They liked messing around together, as noble kids often did. Their favorite game was hurting Kilian.
Just like now.
“Fiery, aren’t you, Kilian?”
“Even a rat will bite a cat if it’s cornered.”
“Isn’t this more fun than him being quiet? I like it!”
Wham!
One boy kicked Kilian’s jaw hard. Kilian, who barely ever got real food, couldn’t defend himself at all.
He fell to the ground and coughed up bright red blood.
“Look at him. Disgusting.”
“Why not dress him in red if he’s going to bleed everywhere? He looks awful.”
“Are you crazy? Why give clothes to a beast like that?”
His brother laughed, and Kilian clenched his fists in anger.
He glared at them and attacked again.
It kept happening—Kilian was beaten, fell down, got up, and was beaten again. He knew he could never win, but he didn’t stop.
“Crazy bastard.”
When Kilian finally had no strength left and collapsed on the dirty ground, his half-brother looked down at him with disgust.
Ah, that face again.
Like he was looking at an insect.
And next would be—
His brother grinned a cruel smile and was about to step on Kilian’s face.
“Hey, you bastard!”
Whack!
Whack!
Kilian squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the blows, but suddenly he heard a strange sound.
“Where did you learn to bully a kid like this, huh?”
Lying there, ready to give up, Kilian opened his eyes wide.
And what he saw was unbelievable.
A woman was beating up his half-brother and his friends.
Her messy golden hair blew in the wind—
It was Aisha.
“You have no manners at all. What’s the point of being a noble if you’re a terrible person?”
“W-who are you! Where did this rude girl come from… Grab her!”
“Grab me? Really?”
Smack!
Aisha slapped one of the boys.
“Why don’t you grab your own common sense first.”
“Aah!”
“Try living with your head on straight.”
Aisha was strong.
She knocked out the whole group without hesitation, then marched up to Kilian’s half-brother, who was sitting on the ground in fear.
“Hey.”
“D-don’t come near me! Get away!”
“You little…”
He tried to run, but Aisha was faster. She grabbed his hair and beat him up.
She shouted some words Kilian didn’t really understand, but they didn’t sound nice.
His half-brother quickly gave up, falling to the ground just like Kilian had.
Finally, Aisha turned and looked at Kilian.
She came closer, knelt down to meet his eyes, and smiled.
“Hi there?”
Then, with a sad face, she gently touched his cheek.
“You must have suffered a lot alone.”
“…”
“But from now on, don’t worry about anything.”
She wiped the blood from Kilian’s face with her white hand.
“I’ll be with you. I can even promise—if you want!”
“…”
“Okay?”
After those words, Aisha smiled brightly at him.
Like the sun.
That was the end of the dream.
Kilian’s eyes suddenly opened wide.
Even after waking up, he was still dazed.
How could I have a dream like that?
So strange…
“Uhhh.”
Right then, he heard a weird sound next to him. He turned his head and saw Aisha, still deeply asleep.
At first, he had just let her use his shoulder, but now Aisha was sleeping against him with her whole body.
“…”
Warm morning sunlight filled the office.
Even after waking from the dream, Aisha was still shining like the sun.
Still.
Kilian quietly looked at her, then gently pushed back her messy blonde hair.
“If I’d known… that you would come into my life, I wouldn’t have been so sad.”
“Mmm…”
“I wouldn’t have suffered so much.”
If only he had known, he could have lived and endured by dreaming.
But it was okay now.
Because Aisha Ashton was beside him.
His sun, just like in his dream, would stay with him whenever he was struggling.
“Thank y…”
Thank you, Aisha.
He stopped himself.
Because he realized his feelings were now too big for just a thank you.
Maybe, they always had been.
So what he really wanted to say was—
“Aisha Ashton.”
“I love you.”
Even if she couldn’t hear him.
“Mnyaa…”
Aisha was still lost in her dream, but that didn’t matter. Kilian just kept looking at her face, waiting for her to wake up, for a long, long time.
