Pavel frowned, surprised by Lucian's sudden question. The question sounded simple, yet there was something strange and heavy behind it. He stared intently at Lucian's face, trying to understand what his Young Master really wanted to ask. "What do you mean, Young Master? Your face looks as handsome as ever," Pavel replied, his voice sounding a little hesitant. He didn't understand why Lucian was asking like that. There was something strange behind that question.
Lucian was silent for a moment, then shook his head slowly. "You're being honest with what you said, right?" he asked, his voice sounding a little disappointed. He looked at Pavel with a look that was difficult to decipher.
"I mean... Is there something wrong with my face? Or wounded? Or a scar that can't be healed? Something that... terrible?" He added the last question in an almost whispered voice.
Pavel fell silent, looking at Lucian with an attentive and slightly worried look. He began to understand that something more serious was happening. Lucian's question is not an ordinary question; It is a manifestation of deep fear and confusion.
"Young Master..." Pavel began, his voice soft and full of empathy. "I don't see any abnormalities or wounds on your face. You see... as usual. However..." He hesitated for a moment, "Did you experience anything that made you feel that way?" He tries to approach Lucian carefully, trying to understand what is really happening.
"No, I just feel... There's something strange about my face," Lucian said, his voice sounding hesitant. He still couldn't explain exactly how he felt, but he was sure something was wrong. He remembered the black shadow that covered his face in those memories, and the strange feeling that came with it.
Pavel let out a long sigh, his voice sounding a little tired. "Young Master always thinks like that...," he said, his voice soft but firm. He tries to calm Lucian down, to assure him that there is nothing wrong with his face.
"Overall your face isn't weird at all! Your eyes are as beautiful as spinel spinels that glitter in the twilight light, a mesmerizing blend of red and brown. Your hair is also as smooth as winter silk, an elegant silvery gray. And your face... smooth like the finest porcelain, soft and clean like fresh milk. So, don't think about such a thing again!" He tries to give sincere compliments, trying to convince Lucian that he is very handsome and that there is nothing wrong with his face.
"Ugh, I'd be so grateful if you let me see your face."
However, Pavel's words seemed to be lost in the wind. In Lucian's mind, Pavel's voice sounded faint and distant, like a voice from another world. He could still see Pavel's lips moving, seeing the attentive expression on his face, but his words didn't reach his ears.
It felt like there was an invisible barrier blocking Pavel's words, preventing him from hearing the praise and comfort given. There was only one voice he heard clearly—a cold, piercing voice that came from within himself, a voice that kept repeating the words: "Your face is a mistake. Don't show it to anyone anymore."
"What.... What happened...?" Lucian muttered, his voice almost inaudible. He curled up in fear, feeling back deep pain and despair. He tried to resist the voice, to reject the memory, but he couldn't.
The voice was too loud, too real, too painful. He felt trapped in a vicious circle, trapped in terrible and endless memories. He wanted to scream, he wanted to ask for help, but he couldn't. He could only curl up in the dark, waiting for it to be over.
"Young Master...!" called Pavel, his voice filled with panic. However, to Lucian, the sound was like a wind whispering in the distance, inaudible at all. The world around him was silent, filled only with sounds from his terrifying memories.
"Young Master...!!" Pavel tried again, this time in a louder and desperate voice. He shook Lucian's body gently, trying to pull him back into the real world. However, Lucian still did not react. He was still trapped in the clutches of his memories, isolated from the outside world.
It wasn't until Pavel called out to him even louder, "Eh?", that Lucian gasped. He felt a vibration in his body, the touch of Pavel's hand on his arm.
"Young Master... Are you okay?" Pavel asked worriedly, his voice soft but firm. He saw Lucian's pale, exhausted face, and he sensed that something was wrong.
Pavel looked at Lucian with a worried look. He saw the fatigue and despair emanating from his Young Master's face. He instantly forgot that his face was so sensitive to his Young Master,
"Well, I'm sorry, Young Master," Pavel replied, his voice soft and full of understanding. He bowed slightly, showing his respect and concern.
"In that case, I'm sorry." He turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Lucian alone.
However, he did not leave immediately. He stood outside the door, waiting for a few moments before actually leaving, making sure that Lucian was really okay. Pavel sighed, a long breath that sounded heavy and full of regret.
"Huh, I'm too excited," he murmured, his voice barely audible.
"I already know very well that this topic is very sensitive to the Young Master. Because I was too happy that he asked that, I became too excited," he continued, staring at the door of Lucian's room with a look full of regret.
"I hope the Young Master doesn't hate himself anymore," he whispered, as if afraid that his words would be heard by someone. He felt guilty for having been overly excited and may have hurt Lucian unintentionally. The memory of the past haunts him again.
Eighteen years ago... Pavel, who was still twenty-eight years old, stood tense before the Head of the Hale Family, Lucian's father, a man who was then twenty-five years old. They were in a large room that was grand but felt cold and gripping, decorated with luxurious antique furniture but looking gloomy under the dim light. The air was filled with an unbearable tension.
"My Lord, that's outrageous! How could you possibly do that to the second Young Master?" Pavel protested, his voice trembling holding back anger and concern.
"Even you haven't given him a name yet!" He added that his voice was filled with pent-up anger. He felt it was unfair that Lucian, a very young boy, should bear the burden of a mistake he did not commit.
"The child's face was so much like Celestia, I couldn't accept it... he's like taking Celestia away from me," replied the Head of the Hale Family, his voice sounding soft, filled with pent-up sadness and regret. His eyes were teary, showing how painful the wound in his heart was.
"Even Celestia gave a very similar name to him, it made me... It makes me feel hurt and betrayed," he continued, his voice trembling. He seemed struggling to control his emotions, to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.
"It's precisely because the Young Master is similar to the Madam, you have to love him!" Pavel snapped, his voice filled with anger and concern. He could not accept the Hale Family's excuses. To him, that resemblance should be a reason to love and cherish Lucian, not to hate him.
"Pavel, since I consider you my friend, it seems like you're over the line huh," the Head of the Hale Family said coldly, his voice turning sharp and authoritative. He looked at Pavel with a sharp look, showing that he would not tolerate Pavel's courage.
"Let the maid who raised him, allowing his to stay in this mansion alone is already my kindness to his," he continued, hir voice full of arrogance and arrogance. He seemed to think that he had done good to Lucian by simply allowing him to stay in the mansion. He did not realize how cruel his treatment was to the little boy.
"Thankfully, for the heir I already have Julian as a replacement," the Head of the Hale Family said, his voice sounding cold and emotionless. He seemed indifferent to Lucian's fate, as if Lucian was just a burden to be tolerated. He got up from his chair, indicating that the conversation was over.
Pavel was silent for a moment, feeling anger and despair building in his heart. He realized that he would not be able to change the Hale Family Head's mind. He felt frustrated and sad, but he knew that he couldn't do much. He could only hope that one day, Lucian would find his own happiness.
"I seem to be being rude, I'm sorry, My Lord," Pavel said in a calm and respectful voice, lowering his head slightly. He did not want to make matters worse. He knew that he had to accept the decision of the Head of the Hale Family, even though he did not approve of it.
"In that case, I'm sorry," he continued, turning around and leaving the room with a heavy step. He felt sad and disappointed, but he knew that he had to move on with his life. He promised himself to always pay attention to Lucian and provide help if needed.
"If the second Young Master is like that, then he won't smile sweetly when he looks at me, My Lord," Pavel said, his voice calm but firm. He looked at the Head of the Hale Family with a sharp and meaningful look. That sentence is not only a statement, but also a veiled challenge. Lucian's sweet smile as a baby that he remembered was very clear in his mind.