The first few chapters are a bit wordy since they hold a lot of background information but if you bear with it, I promise it will get better! I know a lot of people may be off-put by this :)
---
Minhyun was lonely.
Although he was surrounded by his maids, butlers, and servants; he felt no companionship. For instead of socializing, they were statues, only shifting their eyes to follow his movements.
There were eleven people in the room, yet he was the only one moving freely. The only sound in the air was the movements of his fingers as he flipped through the pages of his book.
The worker's gazes felt like needles puncturing his skin. He hated it. At every hour of his day, all they did was stare at him while waiting for his commands. It was as if they had no other characteristics. In fact, sometimes he would hide in the darkness of his closet to get away from this torture. But each day was a repeat of the next. Nothing changed. What was the point of having a beating heart, when all of them acted like lifeless corpses?
Having this type of company may be comfortable for others. His father, at the rare times he visited home, did not have complaints about the arrangement. The cold-hearted man enjoyed the deafening silence. But Minhyun was only a nine-year-old boy. At this age, he should be playing with friends or exploring the labyrinth he called home. There should at least be room for him to have an imaginary friend. Yet, he was trapped within their gazes with no escape.
Due to his father's cold and violent nature; there was also no family member or friend who came to visit. There was no one for him to call friend. He couldn't remember the last time he talked to someone of his age.
Nobody bothered to reach out to the boy left in the darkness.
Minhyun sighed before standing up. He was in the mansion's library and had just finished reading the thick book in his hands. Stories were his only escape from his dull world, bringing color to his imagination. Though they didn't satisfy him enough, he didn't have many choices of entertainment. It was either reading or studying. Between, the two, he definitely did not like the later.
When he lifted his eyes to glance around, the others looked down, avoiding eye-contact. Fear radiated from their hearts.
Even though Minhyun was young, if he were to say one bad word to his father, they would all be fired.
It happened long ago, just once, but stayed fresh in their minds. During that time, the young heir was five years old and wanted to eat macaroons. As the kitchen did not have any nor the materials to make them, everyone dismissed his whining. The child already ate enough sweets to make his cheeks round. If he were to eat more, it would be unhealthy. Everyone was looking out for his best interests. Unfortunately, they did not realize Minhyun's father would come that night. Minhyun, being a clueless child, cried while his father was at the door. In the end, without listening to their testimonies, the parties involved were fired and replaced the next day.
Wrongdoing or not. Nobody was allowed to make the young heir cry. Heck, they were blessed enough to be in his mere presence! He was the only heir of the MH Conglomerate: one of the largest businesses in the world. A single hair on his body was worth more than any child in Korea.
After experiencing this fear, the workers changed their attitudes towards Minhyun. Everyone realized that rather than acting upon themselves, it was better to avoid the situation altogether. Now, all they did was follow Minhyun's commands. They wanted to avoid trouble at all costs.
From that day on, Minhyun's cheeks shrunken and he rapidly lost weight. Although young, he came to the quick realization that his actions had repercussions. Everyone became distant after the tears flowed down his face. In his brain, all he could think was that he did something wrong.
Instead of crying, he tried to regain their friendship by smiling. He fooled around and played pranks on the butlers. When it came to the maids, he helped them by cleaning the toys on the floor. He even studied out of his own will. Minhyun was always a bright child, but now, he was even more desperate for the love he deserved.
The workers noticed his efforts, but they did not budge. With one wrong move, their life could go to peril.
After years of attempting to gain their affection, Minhyun gave up. He accepted his cruel fate.