A five-year-old Lucilline leaned out onto the balcony, allowing his small and puny body to drape like a cloth around the cobblestone fence. The blood flowed to his head, while his arms were stretched out, trying to reach the flowers below the suspended flooring.
His small slender fingers were like beautiful chalk, and the tip of his finger managed to scrape past a blade of vibrant grass—
It has then Lucilline noticed that he was dangling in mid-air, his body completely suspended in the air, and his head was only an inch away from crashing into the ground.
A hand was pulling frantically on the hind of his slender ankle, "LUCY! What do you think you're doing!?!" A loud cry exploded above his dangling body. Lucilline recognized that voice to be his older sister's. He couldn't help but recoil in surprise. Scarletta had never raised her voice—always staying at a cool and collective state. This was the first time he heard her yell.
The upper half of Scarletta's body was over the railing, as she desperately clamoured for strength to pull the both of them onto safe land.
Lucilline could almost touch the flowers if he tried.
"Sister...!" All of a sudden, a strangled sob choked out from the young boy. His luscious black hair was only shoulder-length, with strands swept to block his golden eyes. However, that wasn't enough to prevent Scarletta from seeing the layer of mist forming across the ocean of liquid gold.
Scarletta almost dropped her brother on the spot.
"You're pulling on my leg too hard!" Lucilline cried. The tears did not stop falling. "Just let me go. I'm close to the ground anyway, so it won't hurt if I land."
Scarletta hesitated.
It would indeed hurt the five-year-old boy if she dragged him up by force—he would at least suffer from bruises that spanned across his entire delicate ankle. Scarletta would hate to see that, and would also hate to be questioned by the rest of the family...
Gently, she let go of her little brother.
Lucilline landed softly on a bed of flowers, with his locks of inky black hair dispersed like a river splitting into halves. Petals of pear blossoms tucked within his black nest, and the fragrance of bellflowers soothed the black-haired boy's unresting heart.
The garden was truly flourishing of all plants and matter.
"Lucy! Are you alright!?!" Scarletta called out from above, her mahogany red hair strung in a frenzy.
Slowly, she heard a muffled laugh. The elder sister was stunned, as her silver eyes dilated like a bud unfurling into petals. She watched her little brother's body heave up and down—not from injury, but from laughter. Lucy giggled, and gradually, he crawled up from the bed of flowers.
Petals were scattered across his long sea of inky black hair, like bursts of colour exploding in a stream of shadows.
"Hey hey..." Scarletta felt herself stagger in place. "Where are you going, Lucy..."
Lucilline patted the flowers out of his hair, and a sneaky smile slithered up his curving lips. "I'm going to see the outside world!" In an instant, his small slender figure raced off into the distance. His silhouette splayed across the garden, while Scarletta gasped in shock.
She gripped the railing. Is her little brother just going to leave!?!
"The servants are keeping an eye on him." Behind her, the familiar voice of Anderson bellowed out. "Do not worry. They won't allow him to go too far."
The silver eyes of Scarletta faltered. Should I really not worry?
*****
The bustling streets of the Capital City wowed Lucilline.
His small and petite body was a large contrast compared to the tall and thin adults. Lucilline's black waistcoat fit him snuggly, while his white collar was buttoned up neatly. Everything about him screamed "nobility", and the discreet butlers keeping an eye on him warned the passerby's—this kid was someone they couldn't dare to mess with.
The adults scrambled past him, their waist-length dresses skirting to the cobblestone ground, and their heels echoing past the horses' hooves.
Lucilline's gaze was attracted by all the porcelain goods.
His tiny little smile made the shopkeepers wave back in good nature.
All of a sudden, Lucilline stopped on the spot.
Behind him, the servants who followed in secret were puzzled as well. "Why is the Young Master stopping?" One of the two whispered in a hushed voice, while the other one shrugged.
"Hmm? What is this?" Lucilline hummed to himself. His voice was soft like molding clay, and his curious brows furrowed.
Laid across his feet was a dirty girl. She appeared to be drifting in and out of consciousness, resembling a frail boat confronting the mighty creatures of the ocean. Her pale face was smeared with dirt, and a horrendous scent oozed from her body. Lucilline noticed her thin-like-twigs limbs, as if they could snap if he wasn't careful enough.
Her clothes were of poor rags, barely covering her torso. The little girl's locks of hair were long and curly, but they'd been stained with dust, leaving behind a colour of olden grey.
Lucilline noticed the unpleasant looks which nobles shot the girl.
Their gazes were prickly needles, stabbing straight into him. His skin itched, and a sharp pain pulsed through his body. Lucilline remembered what his mother told him. "You'll know when there is a homeless person. The eyes that the nobles have when they see one—well, it isn't pleasant."
Lucilline understood.
Those disdainful eyes looked at the little girl as if she was a rat, but the nobles quickly averted their gazes. They acted as if they didn't see the poor girl, and continued flaunting the diamond necklace strung across their noble neck.
Lucilline's throat constricted—he could hardly breathe.
How could they be like this?
His gaze fell back unto the little girl. If no one will help, then I will.
His mother; Rachelle Rubius; was one of the most prestigious woman in Lydia Kingdom. She upheld a strong sense of justice, and never allowed the commoners to be trampled by the nobles, despite being a noble herself.
Like mother like son—thus, Lucilline crouched down to the dirty little girl.
"Hey, can you hear me?" His voice seemed to snap the little girl awake. Her eyes were a gorgeous colour of amethyst purple—though her body was stained in a foul smell, beneath was a whole treasure un-mined. Gradually, the little girl came to.
She struggled to lift herself up the cobblestone ground.
Lucilline noticed the ugly scarring purple bruises across her forearm. They burned like a forest fire, ashes sooting across cracked porcelain. "You're injured." He subconsciously gasped.
All of a sudden, Lucilline shook himself mentally. No, don't make them feel self-aware.
He took a deep breath. Gently, he reached out a hand, stripping off his black gloves. Lucilline handed his hand—bare and naked—to the little girl. His golden eyes resembled the sunlight's blossoming smile, as if a new spring has arrived to split the ice apart and welcome the dawn. "My name is Lucilline Rubius." A gentleman must start with introductions.
He gently hummed, "Would you like to serve under me?"
The servants behind him could not suppress their shocked faces. A HOMELESS GIRL SERVING THE YOUNG MASTER!?! How could that be!!! They inhaled a cold rush of air. What exactly does the Young Master see in such a dirty commoner?
The little girl faltered.
Nevertheless, she took that warm hand reaching for her.
Lucilline coughed, helping the little girl onto her feet. He flashed a gaze behind, meeting the two servants' sight head-on. "Get us a carriage. Right now."
His behaviour appeared rather foolish for a five-year-old, but the servants did not dare to dismiss it.
At last, the servants rented a ride for the two children. Lucilline helped the little girl inside the carriage, while the two servants sat outside with the driver. Gradually, the horses strolled forwards, and the wheels caressed the cobblestone pathway like paddles to an ocean's current.
It did not take long for Lucilline to fall asleep.
His small body dozed off quickly due to his long walk outside.
Meanwhile, the little girl thrashed like a flapping fish without water. Her body scrambled, her limbs scrunched up and out of shape. "...kill..." a murderous voice echoed out from underneath her cracked lips. Her amethyst eyes shone dangerously. "...I need to... I need to..."
She woke up.
Her gaze was torn in haywire, and veins popped from beneath her wrists. Little did anyone know, inside that small and frail body was the strength of a beast. In order to live, I need to kill him-
Lucilline frowned, disturbed by the movement beside him.
He shuffled around, and his small hands fell over a pair of rough calloused ones. Despite the rough feeling, Lucilline did not care and patted it comfortably.
Slowly, the shuffling by his side ceased.
When Lucilline woke up, he found himself greeted by the red and puffy eyes of the little girl. He was puzzled, "Did something happen?"
The little girl shook her head.
"Ah, by the way, do you have a name?" Lucilline pondered.
He watched in disappointment, as the little girl opened her voice, but no voice escaped. Only small cracks managed to flee from the shackles. As she realized the loss of her voice, the little girl's body began to tremble, as if an earthquake quaked within her veins.
"It's fine," Lucilline quickly dismissed it, "When we get back to the residence, you can drink some water. I'm sure that your voice will recover!"
His childish face held a gentle beauty, which made the little girl subconsciously relax.
When they returned to the manor, the little girl froze in shock from how gigantic the building was. She could never comprehend how luxurious nobles lived. The contrast compared to her little village in the countryside was too huge, it flicked her into a cycle of despair.
"Come on inside!" But Lucilline dragged her out of the gloom. "From now on, this will be your home as well!"
Rachelle welcomed the new servant with great arms. She cared for commoners and homeless people with a loving heart. Anderson was forced to agree, having been pressured by his wife's relentless pursue. The other maidservants in the manor were glad with the little girl's hire.
Little did the little girl know, being a maid was not as easy as it seemed.
*****
"Ouch!" Lucilline flinched at the harsh pain on his lips. With a slip of the hand, the tea cup spilled out and shattered onto the hard wooden floor! CRASH!!! The porcelain cracked into puny fragments, and the hot tea inside splashed all over the black-haired boy's dress!
Lucilline scalded himself, and a layer of mist formed across his golden eyes.
"...ahhhyuu... shhhhhooo eeeeh, yeeeyee yeeunggg mmhha aahh sstterr." The little girl struggled to talk.
It has been approximately a week since her arrival in the Rubius manor. She had been wiped clean, given a shelter, and appropriate clothes. The little girl wrote her name on a piece of paper: Willow.
Her dusted head had been washed into a silver stream of hair, with the locks curling into riveting rivulets. Although the bruises on her arms began fading away, they still bulged scarily upon those slender limbs, as if it was an irreversible scar.
Willow changed into maid clothes, with the clean black and white dress fitting her snuggly. The little girl could hardly believe that such a comfortable attire existed.
She even slept while dressed in the maid dress.
However, when it came to her duties, Willow... sucked. She could hardly control her strength, often breaking the hilt of broomsticks, and accidentally cracking utensils. This time, she brewed hot tea and forgot to cool it off, this scalding her Young Master.
"Aaaa diii zzzeer vvv tttoo diii ieee." Willow sulked.
Though Lucilline couldn't understand her words, he could sense the distressed emotions behind her every strangled sound.
"It's alright." He responded, but the red mark on his lips burned vibrantly. It pained him to talk, so he would occasionally suck in a cold breath.
The more Willow saw of that, she became more anxious.
"Kkkk looo thhh sss." She hissed.
The silver-haired maidservant raced out of the bed chamber, leaving Lucilline in a puzzled mess. When Willow returned, she had a towel and a pair of spare clothes. The little girl helped assist Lucilline in wiping, and then dressed him.
Willow wore a concerned expression.
Although the hot burn on Luucilline's body had begun fading, she was still anxious.
"Yyyy ummm I sshhoooh yuuu ss liisss." Willow cried.
Lucilline could only comfort the young maidservant in silence.
That afternoon, Lucilline visited the garden for a pleasant walk with his new maidservant. The flowers gave birth to a flourishing sensation in the black-haired boy, who smiled with a delicate smile befitting of the most beautiful maidens. The daisies and daffodils tickled his slender ankles, as if trying to gain the young noble's attention.
Strolling in the garden, Willow could find herself calming down too. The Rubius garden was truly a sight to behold. It reminded her of her hometown, where her mother would plant vegetables and then pluck when they were ripe to cook.
That memory made a smile surface upon the maid's face.
"Ahh, isn't this my little brother's youngest son?" A sly voice sounded behind them. Willow felt the hair on her arms rise. She whipped her head back, with her amethyst purple eyes capturing the figure of a slim and tall noble man. I did not notice this man approaching us at all! Willow instantly raised her guard.
To her surprise, the cheery appearance of her Young Master dwindled...
Lucilline shifted nervously, "I had no idea that Uncle Orion was here for a visit." His soft golden eyes flickered, like a star on the verge of disappearing from the nightly skies.
Orion laughed, but it did not sound sincere. "It's fine. My brother's home is also my home." His silver eyes appeared especially gloomy. "After all, we are all family."
An odd silence filled in the empty void.
Lucilline wished to hide in a corner. He often heard his father complaining about Uncle Orion, and the latter's misdeeds were widespread across the Capital City. Lucilline did not wish to interact with his uncle at all... but this situation was really too awkward!
"You see," Orion's lips curved in a suspicious smirk. "I heard that my brother loved his youngest son with all his heart."
The tall man's black coat was ragged, and the breeze lifted it upwards. It happened in an instant. Orion bent down, his long torso lowering to meet his gaze with Lucilline's. However, their eyes were completely the opposite. One had a sharp silver mischief, like a wolf peering upon its prey. While the other pair of eyes dilated in fear, the pupils trembling to the wind's harsh warning.
Orion lifted a hand, then grabbed his nephew by the face. His gloved hands gripped onto Lucilline's cheekbones—a jarring force squeezing the bones, as if trying to grind it into dust.
Lucilline winced at the pain.
"I wonder how he would feel if something were to happen to his favourite child—"
Out of nowhere, a figure leapt in the air. Willow's body bent in an incredulous shape, her spine crackling to the tremendous force. However, she did not care. In a split second, the puny and frail maidservant kicked the tall man across the garden!
Orion collapsed in a bush of rose thorns, his face contorting into an expression of disbelief. "You!—" His chest heaved, but his words were cut off instantly.
"AHHHH EEEHHH KKKKHHH YUUU!!!" Willow screamed, her voice shaking the entire manor. It did not take long for her to alarm almost all the residents. The maidservant yelled and yelled like a madwoman. Nobody understood what she was saying, but the hatred laced within those screams were more venomous than the demons' poison.
She screamed vehemently, purple veins popping out from her forehead.
"Lucy!" Orion struggled to get up from the bed of roses, "Tell your servant to shut up!"
Lucilline was in shambles, with his brows furrowed in surprise. "W-Willow..." He moved forwards, and a slender hand patted the maidservant on the shoulder.
All of a sudden, a resounding clap of skin echoed past the garden!
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
"What are you doing!?!" Lucilline cried aloud, his beautiful face distorting into fright. He watched in shock, as Willow slapped herself on the cheeks continuously. Gradually, her face deformed into a bulging red bruise, the swell large enough to rival a hot balloon.
Willow coughed, spitting out blood in the garden.
"LUCY! TEACH YOUR SERVANT SOME FUCKING MANNERS!" Orion pointed, his enraged figure struggling to remove the thorns lodged in his clothes. His big and tall figure overshadowed Lucilline's small and slender one.
Lucilline could no longer feel the sun's shine on his body—with a silhouette blocking out all the warmth. He felt cold.
All of a sudden, a bellowing voice toppled both of Orion's and Willow's screams. "You're the one here who needs manners, Orion!" A beautiful figure danced unto the garden floor, her crimson red dress more dazzling than all the carmine red roses combined.
Rachelle jumped in front of Lucilline, enveloping her child in a hug.
She glared at Orion, "How could you say such a vulgar word in front of my five-year-old son!" Although beautiful, when she was angered, Rachelle only became even more bright. Her shine could not be overshadowed by anyone.
Rachelle did not care for her wrinkled dress, stepping forward in bare foot. She had been so distressed from hearing Willow's cries, she did not even wear heels.
"Look at what you've done to Willow!" Rachelle examined the self-inflicted wound on the maid's face.
Orion: !!!
The man had never been so flabbergasted before. His face ignited in furious red, resembling the colour of smouldering flames. "That dumb fool hit herself! You cannot blame me for this!" He clenched his thick hands into fists, with his knuckles pinched jarring white. "Besides, that servant of yours kicked me into the bushes! You need to punish her immediately!"
Rachelle did not bat a single lash.
"Willow could not possibly hurt a fly! She is only a weak girl who hasn't even come of age yet. How could she kick you into the bushes so far away!?!" Rachelle's words did not lack any logic, rather, they were flawless.
Orion was furious to the point of imploding. But the truth is that I really got pummelled by that weak girl!
"Orion," Rachelle sternly deadpanned.
Her golden eyes held no light whatsoever.
"I respect you as my husband's elder brother, but I cannot allow you to go any further." Rachelle flaunted her long silky black hair, as if they were long streams of liquid obsidian. "You have clearly injured one of House Rubius' servants. This is offence to both the Rubius lineage and to me—Willow is my family's servant. By hurting her, you are also hurting my image."
"Out of everyone here, Orion, you are the one who needs to be punished."
With that last line, Orion was beaten up black and blue.
The tall man could only be rushed out of the manor. However, he did not leave without yelling, "RACHELLE! Just you wait!" His silver eyes contained a murderous glint, like a sheathe deliberately revealing its sword's sharp blade. "You and your son will both regret this!"
Rachelle could care less.
She laughed, but her gentle eyes were only focused on the maid.
The black-haired noblewoman softly patted Willow on the cheek. "Let's treat that injury for you."