《Master's Doll》


 【?ＦＩＲＳＴ ＧＥＡＲ】

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    Rea''s first reaction to the light was to jut out his hand in a feeble attempt to cover it up. Stubbornly, the light shined through in between his slender fingers. He quickly shut his jade green eyes tightly to keep the shining light out. The outside world was so bright and so unlike the world that he had just gotten adjusted to. Hearing the laughing people outside, he scoffed.How could they be so happy when their world around them is falling apart?The thought sickened him and he shut the thick red curtain to engulf the room back into darkness.


    "It hurts," he hissed softly to himself. His pale white skin was sensitive to the sunlight and there was a stinging sensation on his cheek because of it. He rubbed the area and sat up on the sofa, looking at the pile of clothes that hung at the edge of the sofa''s armrest. Suits, jumpers and night wears, all made with high quality fabric and perfectly tailored to his measurements.


    He observed the room he was in; dark, quiet, lonely. Mannequins of his size were scattered around the room; some were dressed and some still had pins sticking out and scraps of fabric draped over the sides. His bed was neatly made and cold since Rea did not sleep there because, due to some circumstances, he was unable to climb on the high queen-sized bed.


    Rea suddenly heard the sound of faint footsteps in the hallway and then watched as the door creaked open. A man with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes greeted him with a tray of food, clothes that he had never seen before and a tool box. Rea''s eyes followed the movement of the man to a small low table at which they both sat at. The man placed all of his gifts on the table and looked to Rea.


    "You are awake?" the man asked. The question must have been rhetorical, for the answer was obvious. Rea took a piece of bread from the plate which now sat on top of the table. The blonde sat beside him and opened a letter. The cover read, ''To Sir Taurent.''


    Rea looked over to him. He had a clear face, evident jawline and was properly dressed. Taurent was a very masculine looking man, women in their city always flocked to him. In addition, Taurent knew how to do the chores around the house, even though Rea was the servant of his manor.


    Taurent chuckled as he caught a glimpse of Rea trying to read the letter. "It''s a letter from Kral. He said his son will come to the shop today to look for a doll for his sister. So, be on your best behavior, alright?" Taurent''s voice was gentle but the words he spoke were firm. He did not ask for Rea to be on his best behavior, he ordered him to. Rea simply nodded and gazed down to his feet.


    "Put your leg here," Taurent said, patting his lap. Rea complied, gingerly lifting up his wooden leg while he continued to nibble on the croissant. Taurent frowned to the sight of the loose screws and joints. He pulled his tool box closer to him and took out a screwdriver.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The time went by slowly and quietly. Only the sounds of screws clinking and the fixing of gears filled the room as Rea watched Taurent working on repairing his mechanical leg in complete silence. This man was very good with his hands. He was a dollmaker and could sew beautiful clothes too. Unfortunately, Taurent was a petty person and never let anyone use or wear his pieces if he did not deem them worthy. Only the dolls and the beautiful could, just like Rea. This explained why he never wavered to the flirtatious behavior of the women day by day. He didn''t see them as worthy of his attention.


    "Done," Taurent slowly put Rea''s repaired leg down and offered his hand to help Rea stand. Rea took his hand and stood up, walking a few steps to test out if the leg truly worked. The blonde smiled, satisfied with his work, and turned to the clothes he brought in that day. A brand-new waistcoat, tailored perfectly, to show the flattering features of Rea. Its color, a harmonious blend of black and red, complimented Rea''s black hair and fair skin.


    "I made a new one for you," Taurent said as he walked towards Rea. He slowly unbuttoned Rea''s shirt. It was always like this, Rea was not allowed to do things for himself unless told to. Rea could not eat unless it was time. Rea could not go out of his room unless Taurent asked him to either watch his doll shop below or let him roam around the manor. All of his movements were carefully monitored by Taurent.


    "I hope from now on you will be more careful. I don''t want you to fall down from the stairs again," the warning tone in Taurent''s voice didn''t cover the feeling of care and worry for Rea. Taurent thought of him as his most prized possession. He should not see any scratches or bruises on Rea, especially his face. He took very extra care of him as if he was much more delicate than the dolls he made.


    Taurent caressed his face and let out a deep sigh, "My beautiful, beautiful Rea. What can I do without you? You are the most beautiful creation I have." Taurent carefully pulled him into his arms for a very cautious embrace. Honestly, Rea did not hate it, he actually loved it. To be taken care of, to always be in someone''s mind, he felt important.


    There was someone else who was once important to him, Rea thought,Master had a beautiful wife once.The bloodied scene of a lifeless woman with long flowing wavy red hair and luscious lips brushed with an expensive hue of red flashed in his mind. Taurent was a bit of a psychopath, but no one suspected the kind dollmaker.


    He was obsessed on everything beautiful. He did not like to see any imperfections. That was the mistake his late wife made. She could have been the pretty doll Taurent thought of her as. She could have not caused any problems, well-mannered and lavishly dressed with the clothes handmade by Taurent, but she refused. She broke the unspoken rules of the manor and therefore needed to be brutally punished.


    "Come," Taurent patted Rea''s shoulder after he slowly broke the long embrace, "It is time to open the shop."


    Taurent opened the door for Rea and they both walked down the hallways of the manor. The public would think the two of them esteemed gentlemen, as if they weren''t master and servant. In truth, Taurent took over Rea''s life. He was just a puppet, carefully kept to be adored by his master.


    Rea did not object but instead, he was thankful. He would have been dead on the street with his organs spilled out if it wasn''t for Taurent. It was natural to devote his whole being to the person who had saved him. For his master, he would be willing to throw away everything; even his future.

 【?ＧＥＡＲ ２】

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    With his hands nailed to the pole in the ground, the rain still poured. He tried to look up at the man who had just crushed both of his legs, but he was unable to see his father. His mother was lying unconscious by the side, beaten to death for trying to save him.


    His small neck was gripped so hard, he had to literally gasp for air. He felt a warm drop of water land on his cheek, unsure about whether it was his tears or just the rain in his eyes. His life was very unfortunate. Being born in a poor family with a father who gambles endlessly. At that very time, he wanted to take his organs out to sell to the black market. Was the value of his life as little as the paper notes that are passed around from man to man and exchanged for things?


    "There, there. Good child. Stay put and help your daddy for once."


    Rea flinched to the feeling of the cold knife as it touched his pale skin. Panicked, Rea struggled as much as he could and whined similar to that of a dying puppy.


    Rea, who could think of nothing else, decided to spit blood to his father''s face- all in a measly attempt to distract him. It was washed down by the rain but the rage in the man boiled up and sent punch after punch towards the smaller body beneath.


    "Hey," An unfamiliar voice shocked them. A blonde man covered with expensive clothing under an umbrella peeked over the shoulder of Rea''s father. Surprised, he jumped off the boy. The beautiful man looked at Rea, the boy''s pale skin painted with green, blue and purple.


    "I don''t know what happened here, but it is immature to beat someone way smaller than you, sir," The man said as he untied Rea and took the nail out of his bleeding hands, pressing hard on the running blood with a handkerchief. Rea glanced at the unconscious body of his mother and wept silently. The man gently patted his head repeating the phrase, "It''s okay." Of course, it failed to calm Rea down. His mother had just died and there was nothing okay about it.


    "You have a beautiful child. What''s her name?" the man asked Rea''s father. It was always like this. Rea, with his narrow shoulders, long legs and small body, almost always got called a girl; even at the age of 14.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Mind your business, will ye''? This is a family matter," he retorted, pulling Rea by his hair and dragging him inside of their house. Rea gritted his teeth at the pain of his hair getting pulled from its roots. With tears flowing down and an expression of fear, Rea reached out his hand towards the man. Mouthing the word, ''please'' over and over again, hoping that perhaps he would see and rescue him.


    "Help me," he pleaded weakly, however, the man stood still, rummaging in his suitcase as if the scene in front of him was nothing. Rea knew, as soon as they went back in their house, he would be dead for sure. He had no legs to run, his voice strained to shout for help and his body was too weak to fight back.


    Dear god, if you are truly there please help me, Rea thought. It was a cry from the heart of a boy whose life was dying out. The fire in his heart was dying and all Rea could do was pray. As usual, there would be no answer to his prayers, there certainly wasn''t an answer to his mother''s. His arms weakly fell down to his side, almost as if Rea was accepting the inevitability of his death.Might as well accept fate. The flame in him wavered as he had given up hope.


    A loud shot echoed and the grip on his hair loosened. His small body fell and he looked back. Blood came gushing out of his father''s head. Blood slowly pooled on the dirty tile and the monstrous man laid there stiff and still. He didn''t move, but stayed in one place, quiet and with his eyes wide open.


    "Oh dear, such a rude man, isn''t he?" The blonde man quipped as he picked up the bloody handkerchief that he had used to staunch Rea''s wound on his hands. The tap of his shoes against the wet ground came closer as he bent down and smiled at the little boy.


    "Taurent, Taurent Brialle. What''s your name?"


    "Rea."


    "A beautiful name, nice to meet you, Rea."


    It was also the same name given by the man who tried to kill him. The name disgusted Rea more than his father ever could.


    Taurent then examined Rea''s wounds, realizing that Rea''s legs were crushed and he was unable to get up and move. He was amazed how this meek small boy was able to survive the pain. He then got up and put his gun back into his suitcase, which he told Rea to carry. He then picked Rea up into his arms, making eye contact with the boy.


    "Would you like to live with me, Rea? Leave everything behind and start a new life with me," Taurent said.


    Rea looked around to the lifeless body of his father and to the cold figure of his mother. Even if he refused, he would be dead by tomorrow from loss of blood and infected wounds. Rea thought back at his one wish: to live happily with his mother. That could never happen


    Rea''s already tiny body became smaller as he curled in the arm of the man named Taurent. Gorgeous clothes, he must be rich. His mother didn''t live to see the day, but he was sure his mother would be happy if he could at least eat proper food. Taurent smiled and walked away from the scene. The man whose smile never left his face became the man who gave him a chance to continue living. Rea who hoped for a happy life with his mother continued to be a wish, a wish that could not be realized.

 【?ＧＥＡＲ ３】

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    When Rea opened his eyes, he was still in the arms of the man who saved him. He observed his surroundings quietly as Taurent knocked with his foot on the big door in front of them. ��Dear, help me open the door,�� he called out lovingly.


    The door was opened by a gorgeous woman who seemed to be made out of rubies. Flowing red hair, painted red lips and in red silky night dress that revealed a lot of her skin. Rea turned away in shame. This woman was in such an indecent state in front of a man but she was so stunning that he could not help but admire her beauty.


    "My lady, it''s cold tonight," a soft-spoken voice said behind the woman. Two delicate girls that appeared to be twins in the same clothing rushed to her. One of them covered her body with a long fabric.


    "Love, I have been waiting for you. It is very unusual of you to be home this late and you brought another kid home again?" The woman gasped. Her voice went up a pitch higher, "Let me remind you that this house is not an orphanage. You have been bringing outsiders who have nowhere to go to our place and your reason is always because they are beautiful! What nonsense!"


    Rea flinched, feeling as if he had obstructed the life of another''s. He wanted to explain himself, but what was there to explain?


    "My dear Sasha, your tone of voice does not compliment your beautiful being. You upset me," the blonde said as he stepped into the house with a frown on his face and continued, "I will be tending to this child in one of the empty rooms upstairs. Do not disturb us."


    Rea wasn''t sure if this was what people like him could call a house. Mannequins covered almost every space on the floor, dolls big and small lined up against the walls with beautifully made dresses. Smiles were carefully carved into their faces complimenting their big, glistening eyes. They were so masterfully crafted, they could have been real people. But they weren��t. They were just empty shells made as playthings for children.


    Rea was brought into a well-kept room and was placed on the floor near the bed. Taurent carefully folded up Rea''s trousers, revealing his crushed legs. Rea watched as the man pulled up his sleeve and took in a deep breath.


    Taurent uttered something under his breath that went unnoticed by Rea, "Ugly."


    A knock on the door caught the attention of the two and a boy in brown bowed his head lightly, "Master, the lady asked me to go here to see if there is anything I could assist you with."


    Even after the man had told her to not disturb them, she dared to send another. Even so, Taurent smiled and nodded, "Ask Jean to help you bring in anything that could bind this boy, a rope or shackles and also bring me the cleaver. Be careful not to hurt yourself."


    Rea panicked, he stuttered, "S-sir?"


    Taurent softly hushed him, "Worry not, I am just trying to help you to get rid of these legs of yours and make another pair for you."


    Another pair?Rea''s breathing started to speed up,What did he mean by making another pair?The boy tried to calm down by distracting himself, but nothing could distract him from Taurent cutting his damp trouser with a pair of scissors he fetched from a nearby table.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Two boys came into the room with a rope, handcuffs and a cleaver. The older boy, who seemed to be the one called Jean, looked over at Rea with worry in his face. The two boys were in fact as curious and as scared as Rea, but they did not dare to ask Taurent what he was about to do.


    "Jean, Oli, restrain him to the legs of the bed, hold him down and make sure he doesn��t scream. We don''t want to disturb the lady or the neighbors."


    They nodded and quickly went to Rea. Jean closed Rea''s mouth as tight as he could while Oli frantically shackled both of Rea''s wrists to the bed and held him down.


    Taurent held the cleaver in his hand, held down Rea''s legs after tying them above the knee tightly. The time was slow as Taurent held up the cleaver and the metal glistened. Rea could not help but struggle. He was tied back at home and now he was restrained again in another person''s house. As the cleaver swiftly went down, an unbearable pain surged up. Rea screamed but his voice was not allowed to escape his lips.


    Jean''s grip became tighter and Oli held Rea down with a newfound strength in his arms. Without waiting for another moment, Taurent successfully chopped his two legs from the knee down. Blood splattered to his face and Taurent quickly made sure the rope was tight enough to reduce the flow of blood.


    The pain rushed from his lower body to his entire being. He shook uncontrollably as if he was electrified, tears streaming down his face. He clenched and released his fists a couple of times in a panic, as if it could make him forget the feeling of agony.


    Taurent on the other hand was just observing Rea''s frantic behavior. He didn''t blink his eyes or take them away from the boy. The man just stayed still as if with his stare could make the pale boy calm down. Oli and Jean decided not to stare at the master but instead put their gaze somewhere else.


    After a while, whimpers and sobs were the only sound in the room. Jean and Oli slowly let go of Rea. He shut his eyes tight, did not want to see the after effect of what had happened. The only thought that crossed his mind was his legs were gone.


    He heard the shuffles of steps quietly leaving the room but Rea still sobbed, biting down on his lower lips. Taurent asked him in a gentle voice if the pain was unbearable. Of course it was unbearable, he had just lost both of his legs, but the way Taurent spoke to him made him feel that he should act stronger.


    "No," Rea whimpered.


    "Why don''t you open your eyes?"


    Rea''s heart wanted to shout and cry but he complied. He slowly opened his eyes. He thought he would see his bloodied legs but instead he saw his lower half was already carefully covered from his waist down with a dark cloth. Taurent brushed his black hair and complimented him softly, "Good boy."


    "I am no doctor so I will call one to come check on you while you are sleeping, alright? Oli and Jean will bring a painkiller and a change of clothes. After that, go to sleep. If you need anything just call for me. I will sleep here tonight."


    As the master of the house had said, he changed into new clothes, took a painkiller and was brought to the bed to sleep. Just in one night, a lot had happened. His parents died, he left the house he had stayed in since his birth and was taken in by a wealthy blonde who cut his legs off? Was his life a joke? A nightmare would be fitting.


    Rea carefully shifted, attempting to find a comfortable position. The bed was soft and the blanket was warm. He wished his mom could live in such luxury. Even with all of the nice things that surrounded him, it was hard to fall asleep. He looked to his left to see that Taurent was fast asleep in a chair beside the bed.


    Suddenly, the lady came in and tapped the master''s shoulder. Rea quickly pretended to be in deep slumber. He heard the lady ask Taurent to change and sleep properly in their room but Taurent refused. In a hushed voice the two bickered, but Rea could hear them clearly.


    "Sasha, I told you not to disturb me here. Go back to your room." Taurent''s voice was angry.


    The red lady answered, "Why are you like this? As you bring in another outsider, you would ignore me and would not give me any attention. Am I not your wife? If you want to have a child, I can give you one so come to our room. I even dolled up for you tonight."


    Taurent sighed and walked to the door, "Sasha, I don��tt like to repeat myself. Get out."


    Rea peeked and saw the back of the lady as she stomped out of the room. Her hair flowed behind her like silk. Then Taurent closed the door.


    "Outsider," he mumbled. Taurent saw Rea was looking at him, and he straightened up. He went back to sit on the chair and smiled, "Don''t worry about it. Sleep."


    Rea turned back and closed his eyes. Should this be a dream? Did he want to go back to how he lived his life or should this be real? Rea contemplated his options and eventually let the exhaustion take over him, and he fell into the abyss where his dream was nothing but a place full of darkness.

 【?ＧＥＡＲ ４】

    ***


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    Rea was resting his chin on the palm of his hand with his elbow on the table when he heard the entrance door''s bell of the doll shop ding. He stood where customers would ask him questions about things in the store or usually just about the whereabouts of Taurent.


    He held the letter that Taurent had given him to put them away in the box with the others. Rea sighed as he watched the ladies outside giggling and waving to the master who was busy placing his dolls on the rack.


    "What''s with the sigh, Rea?" Taurent asked, looking worried. Rea silently replied by shaking his head and Taurent continued to fix the dolls'' position. He then told Rea to sit up straight, as it would be bad for his posture if he stayed hunched over. Rea straightened his back and continued to watch the population walking, skipping, talking to each other. The doorbell rang again, this time a boy with freckles on his face came skipping into the store.


    Lord Kral''s son, Haemi, finally stopped by. Lord Kral and the master were very close. Sometimes when his father stopped by, Haemi would follow. Rea had heard during one of their conversations that Haemi looked up to Taurent. He wished to be a doll maker like him, or at least for Taurent to teach him how to sew.


    In fact, Haemi loved to see his sister in nice dresses,talk about having a sister complex. It was not a bad thing; Rea found it endearing how instead of buying the people you love new clothes, they would want to give them things that they made themselves.


    Rea wondered if Taurent ever adored him like a father did to their children. He wriggled his toes at the thought.Maybe he could think of Taurent as a father figure?Only if the master was not as strict as he was, maybe he would have the courage to start the conversation.


    "Hey," a bright voice greeted, halting Rea''s thoughts. He turned his face to the direction that it came from. He saw Haemi looking straight back at him. Rea looked around, searching for the owner of the doll shop, but Taurent was not in sight. As if Haemi knew what Rea was thinking of, he spoke again, "Sir Taurent went upstairs. He said he would give me a doll that he had made for Leah."


    Rea raised an eyebrow and took a pen to scribble on a paper. Haemi looked over and let out a laugh.


    "That is not how my name spelled."


    Rea looked at the paper, thinking how Haemi spelled like.Hey-me? Hay-mi? What?Haemi took the pen and wrote ''Haemi'' in neat letters, which contrasted Rea''s horrible handwriting. It was the kind of handwriting that Rea expected of the son of a lord.


    "What are you actually? Are you Sir Taurent''s son or what?"


    Rea frowned. This person really loves to talk. Rea ignored him. Haemi pouted and tried to be in Rea''s line of sight while continuously calling him, "Hey. Hey!" Annoyed, Rea wrote his name and shoved it to the freckled boy''s face.


    "Rea. Is that your name? Now after a year I have seen you here, I finally know what to call you." The brown eyes of the boy glistened with excitement, but it was not noticed by the other. Rea hopped down the stool and walked to one of the mannequins, quickly pretending to fix their dress. Haemi, being persistent, tailed him.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Why is this boy trying to make a conversation with me?


    "You know, you got a pretty face but you don''t speak. Are you mute or are you just lazy?" Haemi blurted. This caused Rea to sharply turn to him and glare at him with as much malice as he could muster. However, Haemi did not seem to be afraid of Rea''s attempt to scare him.


    "Heh, you are cute. Even when you are angry, you are still a beauty, huh?" Haemi giggled. Rea was in disbelief and he walked away to another mannequin to hide it. Haemi was still behind him, beaming as if waiting for him to do something.


    Just ignore him, just ignore him, Rea chanted to himself. Then, Rea felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He looked back and saw a book in Haemi''s hand. It was a medium-thick book in brown cover. Rea confusedly shifted his sight to Haemi.


    "Take it. We sometimes see each other, well not really," the last sentence trailed off then he continued in his usual energetic manner, "But, I have always wanted to talk to you but you just don''t talk. So, I want to lend you this book and if you like it maybe then we can talk about it? Or if you don''t, let me talk!"


    Having already given up, Rea took it in his hand. He walked to the counter and placed it there, near to the letterbox. Haemi was quick to remind him not to forget that it was there and to read it beforehand. Rea just nodded to the older boy. As if on cue, Taurent opened the back door with a doll in his arms.


    Taurent walked to them and placed the doll on the counter. Haemi beamed widely. Rea was secretly amazed how this boy could be pleased with every minor thing. Rea knew that the doll looked like his sister. The color of the doll''s hair was the same as Haemi''s as well as the color of the eyes.


    "It is so amazing! As expected of Sir Taurent!" Haemi exclaimed.


    Taurent let out a laugh and replied to the praise, "Well, as one of the best doll makers."


    Haemi agreed, after all Haemi thought of Taurent as his ideal man to be. "So, Sir! Please take me as your apprentice?" Haemi asked. Rea had heard this sentence countless times and as always Taurent would brush him off with, "We shall see."


    The freckled boy''s shoulders dropped, but then in an instant his spirit lifted up again. He promised that when Taurent took him in as his student, he would work hard to be the best in town just like him. Then, he rushed out after he had politely thanked Taurent for his efforts.


    At the door, Haemi stopped and exclaimed, "See you next time, Rea!"


    Rea flinched in his seat. How long has it been since someone called his name in a loud voice? This time was different though; instead of a shout of disgust and anger, it was cheerful and happy. A faint smile crept up Rea''s face, which was noticed by Taurent immediately.


    Taurent wiped the hand that shook with Haemi''s small one with a plain white handkerchief. He looked around and saw the book that Haemi had given Rea. Rea pushed the book to Taurent for him to see and Taurent flipped it open and skimmed through it. He closed the book and proceeded to read the description at the back.


    "This is a hard book. That boy must have a wide vocabulary."


    Rea was not sure if that was a fact or an opinion when the freckled boy had used the word ''talk'' four times when he tried to make a conversation. Taurent continued, "This can be a wonderful opportunity for you to learn."


    He put the book down and softly tapped his fingers on the table in a rhythm that Taurent always did when he was thinking. It caught Rea''s attention and so he turned to face Taurent.


    "Do you want to have friends, Rea?" Taurent quietly asked, his fingers keeping up the syncopated pattern.


    This surprised Rea. Taurent had never allowed him to be close to anyone. In his eyes, a relationship between a shopkeeper and a customer was close enough. Unsure, Rea looked down to his feet as he usually did when he didn''t know an answer.


    Taurent brushed his black hair gently, and then he placed his hand on his shoulder. He spoke, "Just for now, I will allow you to be friends with Haemi but if anything happens, report to me immediately."


    Rea nodded in agreement. This was an additional step for Rea, but to interact with someone who was the polar opposite of him would be tough. Nevertheless, he could finally have a friend after quite some time.

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    The grandfather clock in the shop was ticking by as two boys were busy finishing puzzles on the counter. Rea was sitting on the stool while Haemi was standing over the puzzle, his face in complete focus. Sometimes, the freckled boy would yawn and just watch Rea searching for some pieces. "Hey, let me sit. I''m tired," Haemi groaned and he extended and bent his legs.


    Rea ignored him and continued to put the pieces together. Haemi, scratching his head, started to slide down at the side of the counter and sat on the floor. Rea was almost finished with his puzzles and was looking for the last piece. He searched the counter, where only the puzzle pieces of his and Haemi''s puzzles laid and some items belonging to the shop were. In a panic, Rea also checked his body in case the piece had fallen into him and then into the floor.


    Rea frowned, unable to find the piece. To get Haemi''s attention, he hit the boy with his shin. "Ouch!" Haemi sofly exclaimed. He then looked to Rea for an explanation. Rea pointed to the other boy''s hand. It turned out Haemi was holding the last piece. Haemi let out a nervous laugh, stood up and gave Rea the last part. The puzzles showed a large crowd with a tent in the middle. Rea cocked his head at the puzzle, unsure on what the tent was.


    "A circus."


    Rea tilted his head to the other boy. Haemi sighed, "It''s a circus. Don''t tell me you haven''t been to one."


    Rea shook his head and averted his gaze to the puzzles. A lot of people were going into the tent. It seemed fun, but Rea was not a person who loved to be in such places. People would bump with each other and things would be a mess.


    "Sometimes I wonder, what fun things have you done in life?" Haemi asked while he searched in his pocket. He then pulled out a piece of crumpled paper with a tent similar to the one in the puzzle on it. He pointed to it and asked, "There will be a circus coming to this city tomorrow. Would you like to come?"


    Rea observed the paper as Haemi explained what else would be present such as clowns, fire breathing people and acrobats. Rea''s eyes glistened,Fire breathing people? Are they like the dragons in Haemi''s book?


    Spotting how Rea seemed to be interested, Haemi pushed the paper to the boy after he scribbled on the back.


    "Show this to Sir Taurent and tell him you wanted to go see the circus with me," Haemi said as he took his messenger bag and put the strap over his shoulder. He waved goodbye and walked out of the door.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    The clock showed that it was almost 6 in the evening. It was time to close the shop. Rea flipped the open sign to closed and locked the door. Before he went upstairs, he made sure all of the lights had been turned off.


    He cleaned himself and changed before he climbed to his bed. He then settled in with a plate of food that was on the table beside his bed. It had a paper-wrapped sandwich, with an empty glass and a jug filled with plain water.


    Taurent had left Rea a note that said he would be meeting his client today, so he was given the task to wash and dress himself. It was not as if Rea was five years old, of course he could do it pretty well. The master was just too protective and afraid to the point that he thought Rea would mess things up. It was just a simple job. Rea pursed his lips. He wished the master would trust him a little bit more.


    Rea opened the same book Haemi had lent him a few days ago. He had not finished reading it, as he was not a reader to begin with, but the story was enough to keep him hooked. Just as he had started his latest chapter, the door to his bedroom creaked open and Rea saw a familiar figure standing by the door.


    Taurent seemed pleased on how Rea was eating the food he made, already changed to his nightwear and was already tucked into bed. The adult walked inside and took a seat on the chair near the giant queen-sized bed.


    "Do you have something to tell me? You have been eyeing me from the moment I stepped in."


    Rea nodded and showed him the crinkled paper that was now neatly folded with just the finest wrinkles left. Taurent took it in his hand to see what it was. He turned to the back and saw a writing that said, ''Don''t worry, sir! I will take care of Rea.''


    Rea could see that Taurent was a bit displeased at the idea of him going out to such a crowded space. However, since Lord Kral and him shared a bond, it was not a wise decision to refuse the invitation of the son. Taurent tapped his fingers on the table, heaving a sigh, "I shall follow both of you to the circus. The shop will not be open tomorrow."


    Taurent hoisted himself from his seat and as he was about to walk out, Rea stopped him by holding to the hem of his waistcoat. Taurent turned to Rea and saw Rea was pointing to a word in the book. Taurent took a closer look and smiled.


    "Devotion. It means loyalty, just like how you are supposed to devote yourself to me."


    Devotion, it sounded like a nice word for Rea. Was the feeling of his attachment to Taurent really a devotion? A soft smile made its way to Rea''s face. Taurent, in shock, immediately put Rea''s face into his hands. Taking the rarely smiling face of Rea, Taurent grinned.


    "Rea, you smiled. Do you like it? The idea of leaving yourself to me? The sense of trusting your whole being to me? To devote your existence only to me?"


    Rea nodded and his smile widened. Taurent was happy and it made Rea''s little heart sing, the boy''s pleasure to always satisfy the master fulfilled.


    Taurent stood with his face in his palm in a meager attempt to hide his happy expression. The blonde went to the door and as he closed it, he reminded Rea, "Sleep well tonight, tomorrow will be a new experience for you."


    Rea flopped to bed. He was excited for the next day. He took one of the dolls that decorated the walls above his head. He breathed and spoke in a small voice, "The master is happy."


    Even with one short sentence, Rea''s throat went sore as he coughed, quickly drinking the water he poured into the glass beside his bed. He laid back down and the fuzzy feelings in him drifted him off to sleep.

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    The crowds were noisy as they were bustling in and out of the tent. Taurent protectively put his arm around Rea as Haemi led them to their seat. Surely enough, just trying to get in was tiring. As they sat down, Rea could finally breathe properly. Taurent carefully placed his umbrella to the side and made circular comforting rubs on Rea''s back.


    "Are you okay? You really don''t have much stamina. You should go out more often," Haemi said, another one of his thoughtless exclamations. The careless statement bothered Taurent but he kept his cool. He was not as insane to make a scene in public, he had an image to maintain.


    The lights inside the tent dimmed but a yellow light shone over a man with curly moustache and a big hat. The crowds applauded as the man bowed. A drumroll was heard before he began his greetings.


    "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "Welcome to Zoila Circus!"


    The sounds of trumpets blowing were deafening to Rea. He covered his ears, but his eyes were wide open to the scene in front of him. Performers in flashy costumes went out one by one introducing themselves with their own shows. Everything went by normally with Haemi clapping after every show and Taurent by his side who was sitting quietly, not amazed by a single performer.


    When the performances finished, they followed the crowd to go out. When Taurent opened his umbrella to provide shade for Rea, a man greeted them. It was the same man that hosted the circus, Zoila. He took off his hat and bowed towards Taurent and the latter returned the favor.


    "Going back so soon, lad?" Zoila asked.


    "Unfortunately, yes," Taurent said. The moustached man cocked an eyebrow as he asked the blonde if he could take some of his time to ask him about something. Taurent tried to refuse, but the host was persistent. He said that he knew Taurent because the word of his talent had been spread far and wide. Thus, he asked if he could discuss new costumes for the performers and of course he would be paid handsomely.


    Haemi, whose attention was lost among the crowd, grabbed Rea''s wrist and pulled him towards one of the stalls. Rea stumbled on his steps, attempting to grab Taurent''s sleeve but failed. They pushed through the crowd to the colorful stalls which put various types of candies and lollipops on display. The vibrant colors managed to capture Rea''s interest.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Haemi took one of the big lollipops and shoved it into Rea''s mouth. Rea''s eyes glimmered in excitement. The sweetness melted in his mouth. Taurent never let him have one of these. Haemi also had one in his mouth, licking the round hard sugar, beaming as if he had won a lottery.


    "Nice isn''t it?"


    Rea nodded as he kept rolling his tongue on the candy in his mouth. Haemi took hold of his hand and brought him to the next place. Rea could care less about the danger of the situation because he was so happy that he finally got to taste something so sweet.


    They now stood in front of a stall with toy guns. Haemi searched inside his pockets for coins, stating that he wanted to play and get some cool presents for Rea. Rea was so thrilled when he heard that statement, and watching Rea''s eager face, Haemi couldn''t help but become more motivated.


    The freckled boy took his position and tried to shoot the bottles half filled with water. The bang sound made Rea''s heart jump every time. He never thought Haemi could look so heroic with a gun in his hands, even though it was just a toy. Rea always thought of him as a nonchalant person with no care in the world.


    Rea scooted closer, trying to see what was in Haemi''s line of sight. Although he was warned not to be too close to the player, Rea''s excitement made him forget about it in an instant. Standing right behind Haemi, peeking above his shoulder, Rea was in awe. With 10 bullets, Haemi carefully and accurately toppled 7. Now, only 3 bullets left.


    Out of the blue, a running kid bumped to Rea''s leg and his balance went off. Rea''s face bumped straight into Haemi''s shoulder while he was shooting and the force was enough to make a loud sound. Surprised, Haemi staggered backward and accidentally stepped on Rea''s shin.


    ''Clack!''


    It was not a sound of broken bones but it was enough to make the two flabbergasted. Blood trickled down Rea''s nose but Haemi''s attention was fixed to what was underneath Rea''s long trousers. Something definitely cracked. Just as he went to check, Rea stopped him.


    "Call the master," Rea''s voice was small but it was enough for Haemi to hear. Whispers enclosed them and yet, Haemi didn''t take any action. His heart raced and it thumped so loudly near his ears, even the voice of the stall man failed to wake him to his senses.


    "Haemi," Rea called a little louder, "Call the master, please."


    The plea was enough to break Haemi''s thought. Noticing how panicked and afraid Rea was, Haemi didn''t waste any more time. He put Rea on his back and ran through the crowd in search of the dollmaker. Bumping through people as he frantically searched for the blonde. Haemi saw the light-colored hair among the crowds and knocked into him.


    "Sir! Rea was- Rea was-"


    The sentence did not finish but Taurent definitely knew, something was up. After all, even he was searching for the pale skinned boy. Spotting the blood that trickled down from Rea''s nose to the other''s shoulder, Taurent gritted his teeth and carefully took Rea.


    Keeping his composure, Taurent uttered under his breath, "I will deal with you later."

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    A loud slap resonated in the room where three people were in. A boy a bit taller than Rea staggered backward, his cheek turned red. Rea with a small fabric up in his nose let out an inaudible gasp. Taurent was furious, he thought it was just a matter of nose bleed but he didn''t even notice the boy''s mechanical leg was broken.


    The atmosphere was silent and suffocating. Taurent took a step forward and raised his hand again, Haemi covered his face with his arms. Rea, whose leg was still not fixed, fell to the floor from his chair, anxiously crawling to them. The pale boy hugged Taurent''s leg, shaking his head.


    "Let me go, Rea. Careless boys need to be taught a lesson for not keeping their words."


    Haemi dropped to his knees. He wiped his face with his sleeves as he wept, his words of apologies repeated. Haemi had continuously expressed his regrets, Rea even felt sorry for him. Furthermore, the matter of him having a pair of prosthetic legs was not known except for the two of them and the people who had ever lived in the manor. Suddenly, an expression of determination was seen on Haemi''s face, he exclaimed, "But Sir, you can teach me how to fix it!"


    "So you could break his leg again?" Taurent snarled, his arm risen up to strike the boy again.


    Rea shifted his gaze to Haemi who bit down on his lower lips. He replied, "I want to take care of him too!"


    Taurent''s train of thoughts snapped. He then slowly walked towards the boy in front of him, leaving Rea on the floor. Rea desperately tried to stop the man, afraid that he would hit Haemi again. Taurent then roughly pulled Haemi up to his feet and pushed him to the door. The boy''s back thudded against the sturdy wood.


    "What do you know?" Taurent chuckled, "There was once someone like you who claimed they would protect him. A woman that I trusted. Do you know what she did? She pushed Rea out of the window when Rea was unable to walk when I was not home. So, tell me, why should I believe you, the boy who said he would take care of Rea but came back with blood trickling down his nose and his prosthetic leg broken?"


    Haemi''s eyes were wide in shock. He looked at Rea, whose face was drawn with worry. He never meant for all of that to happen. If only he knew, maybe he wouldn''t pull Rea to such a crowded place, maybe he wouldn''t ask Rea to go to the circus with him. But at the same time, Rea wouldn''t know how amazing the performance was or how sweet the candies were.


    Haemi''s hands turned into balls of fist. He was desperate, he wanted to be friends with the other boy. They had seen each other but never talked. It was not even a month they were able to spend time with each other.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Taurent raised an eyebrow as Haemi suddenly mumbled, "Lollipop."


    "Rea, how was the lollipop?! How was the circus? Do you like it?!" Haemi shouted. Rea was taken aback and nodded wildly. Taurent breathed deeply and spoke, "Now, you gave him a lollipop. Have you ever heard of cavities? Are you going to brush his teeth for him?"


    Once again, Haemi fell on his knee as he spoke, "I will. I will brush his teeth, I will help him with his work, I will help him with whatever you have done for him, so when you are away, I can take care of him."


    As if kneeling wasn''t enough, the young boy went lower. Haemi''s forehead was on the floor as he spoke between gritted teeth, "Just, don''t keep him in the dark. He deserves to feel whatever kids like us are experiencing. So please, don''t push me away from him."


    Taurent crossed his arms and tapped his fingers against his arms as the freckled boy continued to beg him silently. The man, without saying anything, turned and brought Rea to the bed. Haemi listened to the movement but he still stayed.


    "Get up and come here."


    Haemi immediately stood and rushed to the bed as Taurent folded up the pale skinned boy''s trousers revealing his wooden leg. Haemi observed Rea''s expression to see if he was in pain, but he didn''t. It was not bone that was broken, so the boy did not feel any discomfort.


    "What do you think about this, Haemi?"


    Haemi looked up to the dollmaker. The man started to dismantle Rea''s cracked left leg, leaving a round wooden joint. Haemi reached out to feel Rea''s right. Wood, both of his legs were artificial. The freckled boy was filled with curiosity, he wanted to ask but he was afraid he would bring distress to jade eyed boy.


    "This wasn''t done by you, was it Sir?"


    Taurent sharply turned to Haemi, "Do you think I would ever hurt him?"


    Haemi shook his head. Haemi asked again if it was because of the woman. Rea kicked him with his other foot gently and denied him by shaking his head no. Haemi figured that it must have happened before that.


    Haemi concentrated on how Taurent replaced the broken one with another. Taurent was so attentive with everything; the screws and the gears were all checked to perfection to make sure that there would be no damage.


    Taurent stood on his feet, taking his tool box in his hand and the unusable leg in his arms. He instructed the young boy to go back home to let Rea rest for the day. Haemi''s shoulders slumped; his guilt still had not gone away.


    Haemi then bid his goodbye and slowly walked to the door that Taurent held open. Haemi took his time going downstairs, observing the dolls and mannequins in the house. Most of the dolls were the ball jointed type, and almost all of the mannequins were of Rea''s size. His steps became slower as a thought started to creep its way into his mind.


    Haemi felt chills. The uneasiness he felt became heavier as his thoughts went darker. Everything in the house reminded him of Rea. Didn''t this seem to be an obsession? Taurent keeping the boy to himself, getting mad for an accident that was already explained wasn''t caused by him. Looking at the style of clothes on the dolls and the mannequin, they were of the same designs and styles on Rea, Taurent definitely made everything for the boy.


    The freckled boy caught a glimpse of a familiar shadow. Haemi''s breathing quickened when he saw a silhouette of a woman through an open door. He carefully peaked inside, a tall mannequin of red hair with a flowing red dress. Haemi started gasping for air as if he couldn''t breathe while looking at the very human-like mannequin. He recognized the feature very well. The figure of Taurent''s late wife who was said to die out of sudden sickness.


    Haemi stepped back and ran out of the manor. He quickened his pace, afraid Taurent might have caught him peeping into one of the rooms. The boy stopped near an alleyway and vomited. He wished the thought that had been swimming in his head was not true; Taurent couldn''t possibly turn his wife to his own mannequin.

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    Rea remembered the moment very clearly. He was strolling around the building in his wheelchair. He hadn''t had his artificial legs at that time because Taurent was still working on them. The pain was already gone and he had fully recovered. He wouldn''t mind living in a wheelchair, but Taurent was persistent to get him a pair of legs that would really suit him.


    Oli and Jean often came to his rooms to talk quietly. The big house felt even more empty when the master of the manor preferred them to speak softly and politely. Manners were taught to every member of the household including his own wife. It was no surprise that the man desired a peaceful environment as he spent his time with his dolls in his working room, favoring the non-living entities that could neither talk nor move.


    That day, Taurent was away to meet a client of his. A man had paid him for a wedding dress design for his future wife. It was hard to have Taurent to design a piece for someone because he only made the best designs for the people he deemed worthy. But, he was paid a high price, even more expensive than the average cost.


    It was out of the ordinary when Sasha invited Rea to her art room. Rea was told by the other boys that the lady was a very talented artist. Taurent and Sasha often worked together to design clothes, even the servant''s uniforms were designed by the woman. However, the dresses the lady wore would always be Taurent''s original work.


    Canvases could be seen everywhere in the room. The sketches of different designs of clothing fascinated Rea. He moved around while the lady positioned her canvas near the window. She softly called for him, saying that she wanted to draw him.


    Since his arrival, the master never stopped mentioning Rea to the lady, so she wanted to see him more clearly. Sasha specifically requested for Rea to sit on the window ledge, claiming it would be better to use the natural light. The breeze was blowing gently against his face as the lady talked to him.


    "You know Rea, Taurent used to spend his time adoring me. When we first met at an art exhibition, we felt like we belonged to each other until we got married."


    Rea stayed quiet, attentively listening to the lady. She mentioned their dates were fun and just like any other couples''. Both of them were talented beings that acted as if they were among the normal.


    Rea couldn''t help but notice that the sunlight reflecting on her skin made her look like an angel. Every stroke she made was as gentle and as soft as silk. Rea loved this calm side of her, when she was not shouting to the servants or when she was not arguing with the master.


    "How do you like it here, Rea?" she questioned. Rea answered that he was thankful to be taken in because the house he was in before was a disaster. Here, Rea was a bit freer even with the rules. She put her brush down and turned over the canvas. Rea was amazed by the sketches she made.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Then, the lady asked him to come closer. Rea was bewildered, thinking about how she knew quite well that he couldn''t move like ordinary people do but still asked him to move. He even needed her help when he tried to sit on the window ledge.


    Sasha was annoyed and the click of her tongue didn''t go unnoticed by the boy. Apologies immediately came out of the boy''s lips. He spoke of his regret for being unable to be useful for the household. She smiled and stepped closer, caressing his cheeks softly.


    "Do you want to help me, Rea?"


    The boy quickly nodded. She mentioned how lonely she was since the boy entered the house and Rea felt guilty from hearing the statement. She played with his hair, traced the shape of his eyes, moved to his button nose and lips, down to his neck and there, Rea''s surroundings became light. The distance between him and her increased. All of the sudden, his awareness became dark.


    ???


    Rea sat silently; well he was a quiet boy to begin with. The door to his room wasn''t closed properly so he figured Taurent would come in. Maybe he would bring him food or a change of clothes as always.


    The sight of Haemi kneeling in front of the master was surprising. Haemi''s words from the day before still plagued Rea. Don''t push me away from him, he had said. He wanted to be friends that bad? Rea laughed softly at the thought. He heard a soft knock and saw Taurent standing by the door with a tray of food, as expected.


    His face was solemn. Rea thought of the numerous possibilities of reasons. Was it because of the accident? Was it because he broke his legs after it was fixed on the same week? Or was it simply because of Haemi? For Rea, as a young boy, it was not a wrong thing to let a member of the household mingle no matter how antisocial they could be, but it was different with Taurent.


    Taurent''s way of showing care was unlike other people. If he could prevent even a scratch to lay on Rea, he would, even if it meant to not let the other go out from the house. Perhaps it was his obsession driving him. Haemi could come with an innocent cause of being his friend, but for Taurent it was as if the youngster would take the black-haired boy away from him.


    Taurent put the tray on the table beside Rea''s bed. He sat down on the chair, head down. His breathing was uneven and his body shook lightly. Rea could now see the silent tears dripping down the man''s face. Rea was aware of the other''s fixation on him, but to shed tears for this matter was a bit too much for the young boy to understand. It was not as if Rea was gravely injured. An artificial leg was not the same as a limb made of bones and flesh.


    Truth was, that was not one of the blonde''s worries. The young boy carefully landed his hand on top of the adult''s head, attempting to calm him down. A man who was always so composed could show his weak side only to the one who had stayed with him. No one in the house could make him feel as content as he was now. After all, it was only just Taurent and Rea inhabiting the big manor.


    Taurent swatted the smaller hand away gently, gaining his self-control and rising to his feet. In his usual manner, the man instructed him to brush his teeth before bed as he had other things to tend to.


    A lie.


    Even though Taurent recovered his confidence, it was merely a show outside. Inside, it was filled with the cry of a child that wished to be accepted.


    How pathetic, Taurent thought to himself. He walked outside of Rea''s room to a room below. He closed the door behind him and stepped towards the beautiful figure. His back was on the wall as he slid down, hopeless. He stared without any emotions shown on his face to the body in front of him.


    "Why did you leave me? I only want to see you in your most perfect form that you could be," He put his face in the palm of his hands as he started to laugh. He gripped his hair, and then started to grate his teeth together.


    "I don''t understand why you would object me, Sasha," his voice trailed off as he started to moan in an indescribable sadness, a sorrow that could only be comprehended by an extremely infatuated person to perfection as Taurent.

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    The body of the boy fell to the ground beneath like a doll thrown away. It was a moment of victory for the woman, but it was her miscalculation. The scene was witnessed by a man of blue eyes. Sasha was alarmed and shouted from where she was, claiming that it was an accident. Taurent, eyeing the lifeless small body of Rea right in front of him, filled his mind with anger.


    The scene was seen by the servants, who were having their dinner in the kitchen. Because the kitchen was directly below the art room, they could see Rea''s body hit the ground. The girls screamed in terror and the boys rushed outside. Jean fell on his knee, picking up the pale boy who was lying on the ground near the bushes. Blood flowed from his head due to the hard impact and Oli stood there in disbelief with what had just happened.


    "I �C I should call the doctor," Oli stuttered and rushed back inside. The lady in red covered her mouth with her hands, her legs shaking. She had promised him to look after the kids, especially Rea. She had planned for this and made it seem as if Rea was being careless. Taurent came at the wrong time, she didn''t act fast enough. Her jealousy brought her to her own misery.


    Taurent marched up the stairs. Scared if anything bad happened to the lady, the girls followed behind him. The twins waited outside as he closed the space between him and his wife. Sasha frantically tried to explain her actions but was stopped with a hand on her face, squishing both of her cheeks.


    "Taurent," Sasha pleaded with her sweet voice, she intended to stir him from whatever he was thinking of doing to her. Taurent moved forward as she progressed backward to the same window Rea fell from. Her back on the window sill, her hair danced with the wind. She struggled, trying to peel off the man''s grip from her face.


    "This will be the last time. I will not tolerate you any further. Don''t push me Sasha," Taurent warned.


    "But, Taurent!"


    A slap went across her face by the time she opened her mouth. She stumbled and crashed to her canvas, holding her reddened cheek. Her husband walked outside, and the twins rushed in to aid the lady. Sasha was still in shock as he dared to hit her.


    "If only he was dead. I want him dead!" She punched on the floor and started to wail. The two girls tried to calm her down, afraid the master would go into a frenzy of anger if he lost his patience.


    It wasn''t long for the doctor to come and tend to Rea. The atmosphere was gloomy. The lady spent her time in the room she shared with Taurent and the master stayed in Rea''s room. The servants had nothing to do as the adults did not need anything from them. The children spent their days worrying over the other three.


    It had been a week and Taurent never once went to his doll room or made clothes. He kept fondling on the two artificial legs he finally finished. While Rea was still recovering, Taurent was working on them. On that day, he attempted to put it on for the boy. It was perfect, and he put on a faint smile.


    He looked intently to the boy''s face, studying Rea''s features. He let out a sigh and walked out of the boy''s room. He planned to take a stroll that night and maybe he could smoke some cigarettes, even though he was not a smoker. He did it a few times to change the atmosphere around him.


    Taurent peeked through every door of the children''s rooms, which were located upstairs next to Rea''s room. They were all sleeping. He also went to check on Sasha in their room downstairs, but it was locked. Taurent didn''t try to knock, he understood if Sasha refused to see him at the time, or perhaps she was merely sleeping. Maybe next time he could try to make peace.


    Then, he ventured out right after he grabbed his coat and put a gun and a knife in the pocket of his coat, just in case anything happened. The night was cold and no hint of life was detected in the neighborhood. His surroundings were calm, it helped him to settle down.


    He stopped under a light pole where the lightbulb was flickering. The electric sound of the alternating dark and bright caught his attention. Taurent lit a cigarette and puffed out fluffy clouds. The night sky had no stars. It seemed that it would rain at any time.


    He looked around the place and started to walk again. After a while, he set his pace to a slow saunter. Breathing in the cold air relaxed him further. Then he noticed a familiar figure, a short man with a black hat on his head. It was the doctor that came every day to check on Rea. Maybe he could chat with him for advice. Suddenly, another man younger than him joined the older man.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Taurent, not wanting to disturb any conversation they were having, stopped and leaned his back to the nearest wall until he heard his name in their discussion. Taurent''s eyebrows twitched, and he pushed himself off the wall. He kept his distance from the pair, but near enough to hear their dialogue.


    "I never thought he was that sort of man, that Taurent. So much of his reputation. There were five children in total, and they were never heard of," the doctor spoke.


    The younger one scratched his head, thinking, "Maybe they''re his illegitimate children?"


    Taurent kept calm and continued to eavesdrop their banter. The older man disagreed, saying that Taurent''s attentiveness to Rea was a bit different, thinking that he might have a forbidden relationship with the boy. The doctor then accused him of child trafficking since that was what he was told by the blonde''s wife.


    Taurent then learned that the doctor was also tending to his wife as well. They talked about different things and how she asked the doctor to make a report against him. It seemed that Sasha persuaded him that Taurent was a child trafficker. Taurent didn''t react, he was rather calm. It was true that he had not registered all of the kids to be under his protection, thus he was not surprised.


    The blonde was still quietly following them with a cigarette between his fingers, he figured the younger man was the doctor''s son. When the pair came to a stop, Taurent swiftly and silently concealed himself beside a wall. The doctor had arrived at his place. Then, the younger man continued to walk, blowing warmth into his hand. Taurent threw his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it before he sped up his pace to his side, greeting him.


    "Fancy meeting someone walking in the night alone at this time," Taurent began. The man was surprised and let out a nervous laugh, stating he went out with his father to talk about some matter that had been in the old man''s head.


    "Oh, I wonder what kind of matter."


    "A very amusing one. He planned to report a matter of potential child trafficking to the authorities tomorrow after he visited the suspected house." The man sure rambled his mouth off without thinking, but the blonde nodded his head as if he didn''t know, pretending to be in shock. Taurent listened to the same story he had heard.


    "The poor woman, she said she loves him, but she will go out of the house tonight to my father. Pretty good huh, to have the young wife of a well-known person to warm his bed."


    Taurent halted in his tracks. The young man turned, asking if there was anything on his mind. The blonde''s facial expression was unreadable.


    Suddenly, an abrupt pain was felt to the side of the doctor''s son''s neck. Taurent then swiftly pulled his knife out and walked past him, not worrying about the other''s condition. The man gurgled his final words as he turned slowly to the direction Taurent was walking towards, and fell to the hard ground. The sky rumbled and wet droplets touched the emotionless face of the blonde as he marched back home.


    The sky grumbled as it cried heavily. Sasha stuffed her things in her bags and rushed to take her umbrella. She needed to go out in the middle of the night to prevent any unwanted occurrences. She covered herself with a heavy coat and fabric on her head. She twisted the knob of the main door, and as she opened it, a man of blue eyes stood still.


    "T- Taurent!" She gasped. Taurent put his grip on the lady''s wrist, not saying anything and brought her upstairs to his doll room next to her art room. The lady tried to shake his strong hold on her. She was harshly pushed inside the room. He then searched in one of his working boxes and pulled out some threads and a needle.


    "Sasha, you sure can''t keep your mouth shut, can you? Telling lies about me kidnapping those kids," Taurent stepped forward as she moved backward.


    "You never wanted me Taurent! I could have given you prettier boys and girls but you keep on picking up some strays."


    "How can we produce some beautiful beings when you yourself are conscious of your own appearance? You know your own worth and it is below my expectations, even though I thought you could be better."


    Hearing that, she turned into a raging fit, pushing and punching him, but he didn''t budge. Instead he took hold of her arms and twisted them until it turned into some unnatural angles. It was not hard at all, although Taurent appeared as a soft and gentle man, he was rather strong.


    The sound of bones cracking came at the same time as the rush of agony. Irritated, Taurent put a fist in her stomach in an attempt to stop her ugly screams. She fell on her knees, grunting with tears continuously flowing down her face. Taurent took a scissor from the nearest table and he placed her on his lap as he sat on the floor


    "Your hideous voice might wake the kids," he softly spoke whilst he caressed her face. He put on a glove before pulling out her tongue, she shook her head in denial but it was ignored as he swiftly cut it off. She let out unintelligible noises as her legs made frantic movements.


    In exasperation, Taurent finally planted his knife in the middle of her throat. The useless resistance by the woman slowly died down. The red liquid looked darker in the night with only a faint light seeping into the room from outside. The hours of darkness were finally quiet again as he sewed the luscious red lips together. He hummed a happy melody.


    "As expected, dolls are prettier when they are less noisy. I will make you beautiful again, Sasha," Taurent said to himself after he carefully stitched the two lips together. He then proceeded to fix the awkward angles of the arms.


    During the very moment, Taurent was unaware of a pair of green eyes witnessing the very scene. The owner of the jade eyes gasped quietly as he locked eyes with the lifeless lady, as if she was blaming him. He crawled back to his room silently while a pair of wooden legs trailed behind him.

 【?ＧＥＡＲ １０】

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    Rea couldn''t sleep, he shifted in his bed until he heard the loud shout of one of the twins from downstairs. It wasn''t a shout that came from pain, but a shout of shock and fear. Rea sat on his bed, heart racing and cold sweat beading on his forehead. He tried to stand up with his new pair of legs but fell. Then, a hand grabbed his arm.


    "Rea, it is finally good to see you awake," a jolly voice said and it managed to frozen the poor boy in fear. Rea quickly noticed that the blonde man speaking was Taurent, who pulled him in for a short hug while whispering words of relief into his ear. Rea didn''t know how to react after witnessing the same man who had killed his wife, having neither remorse or regret afterwards.


    Taurent helped him onto his feet and guided him slowly down the stairs to the kitchen. He noticed that everyone was already seated, including the lady. The other four kids in the rooms had their heads hung low, petrified in their seat. Rea sat at the edge with a different chair as Taurent took his.


    Rea''s eyes were locked to the sewn red lips of Sasha. She was beautifully dressed, her hair was combed, and she smelled nice. Jean, being the oldest, tried to sit straight but his lips were trembling. The girls were shivering and Oli had tears in his eyes that would fall down at any moment. It must have been quite a shock for them, even Rea was astounded, although he had expected to see Sasha in that condition.


    The green eyes shifted to Taurent who was oddly in a good mood. He sliced a cake that seemed to be home made into 6 parts. The adult gently gave each of them, including Sasha, a plate of the chocolate cake. Only Rea did not receive a slice. It was weird to give a dead person something to eat and not give it to him. There could be another reason, Rea thought, panic rushed to his head. Did the master see me last night?


    "Ah, this is how I had longed for. A breakfast with my wife and my kids," Taurent said as he sipped his cup of tea. Everyone else at the table didn''t dare to move a muscle. Taurent raised an eyebrow to Rea and asked, "Do you know why you didn''t get one?"


    Rea shook his head. Then Taurent tapped his fingers in a syncopated rhythm.


    "Because you have been bad."


    Rea''s eyes widened in surprise. Taurent definitely saw him. The boy could feel the loud thumping in his chest as Taurent gave him a glare filled with discontent from over the rim of the cup that sat perched against his lips. Rea needed to think up something to apologize, but his brain didn''t work.


    "But master," a terrified voice broke the silence. Oli bit down on his lips and spoke up carefully, "He just woke up. What problem that Rea could have possibly caused?"The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Jean hurriedly hushed him. It was not a clever action to speak up when the master was in a foul mood. You never know what he could have done.


    "I see," Taurent''s face turned to those of sorrow. This would be a hard time to communicate with the man when his mood kept changing. Taurent brought his right hand to his face as if he was in disbelief and spoke, "I guess you lot can live without each other. This saddens me, honestly. I have always wanted a perfect family. A gentle and loving wife, kids that would depend on me but in the end, the dolls are better than humans. They would never leave me and they would trust me in everything. I am merely feeling miserable that Rea had left us for a week, but none of you care of his absence."


    "But I would never leave you," Rea finally spoke up. He carefully landed his small hands on top of the bigger one on the table. Rea tightened his grip on Taurent''s in an attempt to assure him. Taurent appeared to be unstable so whatever that was said could either flip the situation to the worse or better. At this moment, Rea knew what to say and it worked.


    Taurent let out a laugh and smiled. He pushed his own plate to the pale skinned boy and urged all of them to eat. He claimed he felt better and believed Rea. Taurent rested his back on his chair and sipped some more of his tea. The twins looked around unsure and finally cut their cakes with their fork. With caution, they put the spongy edible into their mouths. The other three boys in the room followed suit, however, Rea could still feel the observing eyes on them as if he was waiting for something to happen.


    Rea munched on the cake slowly until suddenly Jean had trouble breathing and his face fell hard on the table. Oli stood up and he started to wobble before he too, crashed on the floor, his eyes opened wide gasping for air and the same occurred to the twins. Everything happened way too fast. Rea held the piece that was already softened in his mouth as he swiftly changed his attention to the judging eyes of Taurent.


    "Why don''t you swallow?"


    "I-" he began. The gears in his head spun quickly, generating words that could save his life.


    "I want to stay with you," Rea said. His words were not proper as he tried to avoid accidentally gulping down the food. Taurent then proceeded to softly stroke the other''s fair cheek asking if he trusted him. Rea simply nodded.


    "Then, swallow Rea. If you trust me, swallow."


    What sins did he had done in the past for him to deserve this sweet torture? Rea''s hands that were neatly placed on the table turned to fists and tears pooled in his eyes as he forced himself, at the same time keeping their eyes locked. He waited for the moment where he would choke like the others, but it never came. The brown round clock on the wall was still ticking loudly as Taurent''s hand lovingly moved over Rea''s face.


    "Scared?" Taurent asked gently, his voice soft and pleasing to the ears.


    "Yes."


    "Why?" The next answer was a vital one.


    "I don''t like the idea of not being able to stay with you."


    Pleased, Taurent pulled him in for another embrace. The tears that Rea held back finally rolled down. The blonde must have thought he cried because of the very idea, but in truth, Rea felt relief. Taurent made soothing circles as he shushed him softly.


    "How do you like your new legs? I made them myself."


    "They are beautiful. Thank you, master," Rea snuggled his face to the other''s shoulder and the hug became tighter.


    Taurent whispered, and in his voice, there was a hint of a person who had once felt abandoned, "Don''t ever leave me, Rea. I will take care of you so you just have to stay with me. Don''t leave me."


    The emotion of loss in Taurent was evident even though he had just murdered almost everyone who had sat at the table. They stayed in that embrace with only the lifeless bodies to see them. Yet, Rea thought of it as a rather intimate moment. How could Rea leave him now? It wasn''t hard for Rea to promise him that he would stay with the blonde for as long as he can.


    Suddenly, a knock was heard from the main door.

 【?ＧＥＡＲ １１】

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    "Stay here, Rea." Taurent patted his shoulder as he rose up and walked to the door. Rea noticed the adult took a knife with him but that didn''t surprise him any longer. The boy looked around himself, there were six people in the room but only one was breathing. Taurent must had planned to have breakfast with only them since without him, they would evenly be six people. He was the odd one out.


    The sounds of a struggling person whose voice Rea could not recognize touched his ears. He turned to face the direction where it came from. Then Taurent appeared along with an old man, who had a knife to his neck.


    "Rea, say your greetings. This is the doctor who has been looking after you and Sasha."


    Rea bowed his head, greeted him with a simple, "Good morning." The fact that Rea could follow his words calmly in front of a shivering old man who must have already noticed the lifeless bodies in the room, entertained Taurent.


    The old man was made to sit on the seat that was used by Oli. Then Taurent asked them to wait as he put the other kids somewhere else leaving only the two of them and the unresponsive Sasha. As Taurent was out of sight, the doctor quickly made a conversation, "Rea, this may be sudden but are you kidnapped?"


    The panic in his voice was evident but nevertheless Rea shook his head and answered that Taurent saved him. The doctor was surprised and claimed that the man must have brainwashed him. He urged Rea to leave the house quickly.


    "Please sir, don''t do anything rash. The master is kind of... not in his right mind."


    The doctor had his face in his hands as he let out a frustrated groan. The old man lashed out, "Glad you know he is unstable! Taurent is crazy. I know I have no evidence but my son! He was found dead this morning! I know it''s that lunatic''s work."


    "Correct."


    The two of them turned to face the voice that disturbed them. Taurent walked to Sasha and brought her to the seat opposite of the doctor. One hand on his hip, Taurent said in a casual manner, "I hope she doesn''t make you throw out your breakfast, Sir Law."


    "How about we play a game to make you feel better?" Taurent poured two cups of tea and put them on the table. The blonde claimed that he had put poison in one of the cups and, as their honored guest, Taurent let Law choose one and the other would be drunk by Rea. Of course, the doctor refused.


    "I know you have a very good daughter and I wish to remarry soon. Perhaps, you prefer that," Taurent spoke while swirling his tea spoon in his cup. Thoughtlessly, Law took one of the teacups in anger and drank it all in one go, then Rea extended his hand to take the other. It was earl grey, the master''s favorite.


    Law was waiting for the poison to kick in but there was no effect. The old man turned to Rea and advised him to not force himself. Rea however calmly downed the tea and Taurent smiled as he sat down. They waited for a while and still, nothing happened. The boy remained calm. Deep in Rea''s heart, he knew Taurent wouldn''t risk his life. Taurent was just feeling frisky that day.


    "What is the meaning of this?"If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Nothing. It appears to be I forgot to put some in," Taurent retorted as he pushed a plate of cake that was once before in front of Sasha to Law. Then he cut a small piece from Rea''s plate and put it in his mouth. He gestured for both of them to eat and Rea complied because honestly, the chocolate cake was pretty good.


    Both Rea and Taurent were eating from the same plate. The blonde would frequently ask Rea if he liked it and the boy would always nod. The normal scene of the two astonished the doctor. They were talking as if nothing happened, as if there was no corpse sitting with them.


    Law, despite being wary, followed. He carefully tasted the cake before swallowing to see if it tasted funny. Right after the second spoon, Taurent broke the silence, "But I didn''t forget to put some in there."


    Then right there, Law dropped the spoon that he was holding. The same symptoms of poisoning from Hemlock, paralyzed and trouble breathing. The old man put his stubby hand on his chest, trying to suck in air to his system. The other two just waited until he stopped.


    It was peaceful when the doctor finally stopped struggling to hold onto dear life. Rea took in the image of the old man while Taurent was poking the small chunk on Rea''s spoon with his and his left hand holding up his chin.


    After a few moments, Rea asked, "Why?"


    "Why what?"


    "Why did you do all this?"


    Taurent made a thinking pose before he shrugged, "I have enough of people that play behind my back."


    Rea asked again but this time it was about the other kids, "What did they do to deserve such fate?"


    Taurent stopped everything he was doing. The metal spoon clunked on the plate as he put them down. The manly fingers of the man intertwined with each other as he placed his hands in front of him, looking so poised.


    "Are you questioning me, Rea?"


    Rea shook his head slowly and his gaze fell on the table. It might not be appropriate to ask now but, he wanted to know. The plate was now empty, unlike the ones that were filled with poisoned cake. Taurent made the same rhythmic tap of his fingers on the table.


    "Have you ever thought of putting yourself on a noose?" The sudden question caught Rea.


    Rea had thought of running away from his abusive home but never to the point of thinking for suicide. He had his mother by his side. Thus, Rea shook his head. Taurent slid his hand to the crook of the boy''s slender neck.


    "I did. The way the flow of air was blocked," Taurent began as he pushed the middle of Rea''s throat softly and he continued with the descriptions, "I can''t breathe and I can''t ask for help."


    Rea started to cough as the adult turned his action to that of a choke. The young boy put his hands on the other''s wrist as he tried to say, ''Stop.'' However, no voice came out.


    "It was as if I had no voice but even if I could, my voice was never heard by anyone. Everything I said was meaningless."


    Rea started to feel light-headed and a prickling pain was formed in the area of his larynx, Taurent paused as if the time had stopped, but Rea continued to gasp for air. Then the hold loosened after Rea coughed uncontrollably for a few moments.


    Rea inhaled deeply right away. He could feel some mucus was forming in his throat as he continued to cough. His throat didn''t feel right and when he tried to make a sound, it came out hoarse.


    Taurent frowned as he finished his sentence, "Do you understand now the feeling of losing your voice. It was as if every opinion you voiced out was not needed. But Rea, even if you don''t have a voice, I will understand you, and that way you will know there is no one else out there that could take care of you as I do.


    All you have to do is follow what I say, just like the pretty doll you are. They said, men, being interested in dolls and making clothes are out of this world. They didn''t know that dealing with dolls is much easier than taking care of their stupidity. So, Rea, help me prove them wrong. Let''s live in a happy world together, just you and me. I will provide you with everything you need. All I ask is to stay with me." Taurent put Rea''s hands in his.


    Rea looked up, noting that his voice was not needed and pondered over the dodged question. It was true that Rea had felt the feelings of not being accepted. Perhaps, living with someone who went through something similar could make them better off. Rea was thrown to the side due to him having a value less than paper notes, and the society''s views on genders was what hindered Taurent.


    All they needed to do was to acknowledge each other. It was how Taurent deemed Rea as his most treasured possession, not only because Rea accepted him but also due to one of his works being used by the boy to continue his daily life. It made Taurent feel useful.


    In Rea''s part, that was the day he became the living doll that beautified the grey and tasteless world Taurent was in. Rea was valued highly, his needs would be met and no more hardships for him. They completed one another.

 【?ＧＥＡＲ １２】

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    Haemi froze in his tracks after he closed the door to his house behind him. He was thinking deeply on how to take Rea away from the hold of the man. People would say it was not proper to stick your nose in someone else''s matter, but Rea, he had no one else other than him. The boy only stayed by Taurent''s side because the man was all he had.


    "Haemi," a sweet voice disturbed his thoughts. Leah was tugging on his shorts with a doll in her other hand, the very doll that the man he wished to be in the future had made. Haemi turned his face to the other direction, disgusted on how he could desire to be one of his kind.


    "Haemi, what are you doing there? Come, I have something to tell." A man with a newspaper tucked between his left arm and body called for him. Lord Vestal Kral, the father of Haemi, was responsible for the job of leasing lands.


    Leah held her brother''s hand and pulled him to the kitchen. Their mother, Anne, had just finished cooking for dinner. Haemi took a seat opposite of Leah, and waited for the food to finish being served.


    "So, Haemi," Vestal began, "5 days from now, we decided to go back to our house in the capital."


    Haemi stood up abruptly, his glass of water spilled. The room was silent for a while before Anne scolded him, "What is wrong with you? You are being oddly quiet just now, and then you suddenly stand up. I know we stay here shorter than usual but we-"


    "I will go!" Haemi cut off. Vestal was weirded out with his son, the man put down his newspaper and massaged his temple.


    "You always refuse to go before. Well, not that it is a problem, I am glad to be honest, but what happened to you? Wait, what happened to your face?" Anne rushed to observe her son''s face. A faint mark of red was on his cheek. She put her hands on her waist and asked, "Did you make trouble for Taurent?"


    Hearing the name made the adrenaline in his body shot up. He frantically denied by telling them he just fell down and smashed his cheek on the ground. Leah who was combing the hair of the doll, ended up laughing, "Stupid big brother."


    Haemi puffed his cheeks as he wiped the table with the cloth Anne gave him. Then he washed his hands and sat back down. His thoughts kept running, ignoring the conversation the family was having at the dinner table. Sometimes he would answer with, ''Hm'' and ''yeah'' when his parents asked him some questions about his day.


    "Hey dad," Haemi called, and Vestal turned to him.


    "Can we bring Rea along?" asked the boy again. Vestal scratched chin and replied, "Rea? Oh, the kid that is always with Taurent is it? Sure, I will tell him."


    "No!" Haemi banged his fists on the table, but he quickly apologized. He made up an excuse, "I already asked him if I can bring Rea somewhere again. He already gave the permission."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "Well, okay then. But I mind you, it is uncertain when we will come back here, I am not sure Rea can stay for long. Make sure you discuss with Taurent. He is Rea''s legal guardian now after all," replied Vestal.


    Haemi nodded. Maybe he could stay for a few months, when the time is up, Rea would be back to the damned manor. First, his goal was to ask Rea to come with him and next, he will think up a plan when it comes.


    ???


    The next day, Haemi went to the shop with his bike as usual. He searched for Rea from outside, but there was only Taurent. His hands tightened and loosened for a few times, unsure if he should go in. Well, it was not as if Taurent told him to never come again. He should act normally.


    "Good morning, Sir," Haemi greeted as he went in. Taurent looked at him, replied his greetings, then he went back to sweep the floor. The same, yet different. Haemi looked around.


    "Do you need anything, Haemi? You don''t have an appointment today." Taurent put the broom into a locker at the corner and brushed his hands together. He walked over to the counter and pulled out a book with dates, list of names and other details Haemi didn''t bother to peek at.


    "Well, not really," Haemi replied as Taurent put his reading glasses on. For a while there, Haemi was amazed with how beautiful he looked with the glasses. Plus 20 points, BUT! That was not what he was here for. Haemi reminded himself to not fall for this man ever again.


    "I am just thinking, where''s Rea?"


    "Sleeping."


    "At this hour?"


    Taurent looked up and raised an eyebrow while crossing his arms. He then sighed, "You don''t see him here. He is still resting. If you have nothing to do in this shop, please get out. I refuse to have a child disturb my work."


    "Excuse me, Sir. I''m 16 and a year older than Rea," Haemi retorted rudely but was completely brushed off. Alright, that actually made Haemi a little mad, but he wasn''t surprised with the fact on how Taurent treated Rea. Haemi bid his goodbye with puffed cheeks and stomped out. Then, Taurent called out to him.


    Haemi turned to see Taurent was sighing as he tapped his fingers on the table. Taurent then made a simple apology, which Haemi shot back with a, "Why?"


    "Yesterday, I went overboard. I realized I was acting so immature. I am sorry for hitting you."


    Haemi nodded, uncertain on what to reply. Then an idea popped up to his head but Taurent continued, "But that doesn''t mean I am okay with your careless attitude and no, I won''t accept you if you say I am to take you as my apprentice."


    "Alright I get it!" Haemi rushed out, flushed. He slapped his face with both of his hands to keep his mind straight. He mumbled to himself, "Who said I want to? I was just thinking, so I can take Rea away from that monster."


    He walked to the left side of the shop and counted the windows at the top level to where he thought Rea''s room would be. He had been there yesterday, so he wouldn''t forget that easily.


    Maybe he could climb up, if only there was something he could mount on. Near the window there was a pipeline, however it would be dangerous, and if he fell down, Taurent would notice. The window was open, and Haemi tried to think of something.


    He took out a notebook from his bag and ripped out a page to make a paper plane. He wrote, ''Rea, this is Haemi. I need your help. Tonight, can you hang some long fabrics from your window down?'' He blew the end of the paper plane before he threw the object into the window, hoping this would reach the other boy.


    Inside, Rea was staring blankly to the ceiling while he was lying on his bed, until a paper plane landed on him. He observed the paper and realized there was a message inside. He rose from his bed, reading the content inside and headed to the window, looking down, he noticed Haemi was waiting for him. Haemi beamed widely.


    Rea crossed his arms in annoyance, thinking about what the other was trying to do next. Haemi was irritated on how similar Rea was to Taurent in responding to him. Rea''s face asked for an explanation, but Haemi just made a begging gesture with his hands. Rea sighed and gave him a thumbs up before he went back inside.


    "Seriously, you little," Haemi almost cursed in his mumbles. Haemi walked away from the location, as long as he got to tell Rea of his small plan, it was good enough. He was going to make Rea realize that he was living with a monster all this time. Not only any monster, a murderer and a manic, but a good looking one. Haemi exhaled noisily, he was losing his mind at this point.