Asher walked through the desolate hallways as soft and almost unnoticeable footsteps echoed behind him. His eyes secretly glanced at the man that had been following him for the last couple of minutes in annoyance. Doesn't this guy have something better to do? Why must he only follow him?
Sighing in discontent, Asher stopped walking abruptly and turned to glare at Archer. His dark blue eyes shone with annoyance and displeasure as he stared into Archer's silver eyes.
"Can you please stop following me everywhere? You're making me uncomfortable," he stated bluntly before turning and walking away, his pace much quicker than before. Surely, after Asher's sharp words this servant would stop bothering him and go do something else.
Archer's lips curled into a mysterious smile as he nodded in compliance. Despite this, he still followed Asher closely behind not bothering about the young master's orders.
Seeing as Archer didn't plan on stopping, Asher's breath quickened. His heart pounded harder and faster as Archer gazed at the young master, mystery shrouding his entire being. This servant was going to be the cause of Asher's in-coming panic attack.
Not being able to control his feeling any longer, Asher randomly dived into an empty room before swiftly closing and locking the door. The young boy leaned his back against the cool door and wrapped his arms around his knees to protect his feelings from going haywire.
Archer's sharp and analyzing gaze quickly took notice of the young master's discomfort, making him want to tease the younger boy. However, he didn't expect Asher to act so rashly and disappear into the closest available room. Knocking softly against the door, Archer's voice rang out.
"Young Master Asher, are you okay? Please open the door."
Asher, who was taking big breaths to calm himself down cursed at himself. In his past life, he never had anyone follow him so closely or observing his every move. Actually, he used to be the one observing everyone while feeling envious. Even if Asher was mentally a full-grown man, there are many feelings and situations he has yet to encounter, making him feel helpless and afraid.
Seeing as Asher had been quiet for one too many minutes, Archer was prepared to force the door open with his strength. This mission was a determinant factor on his Lord Zacharia's life, so he wouldn't dare let anything happen to Asher on his watch. Right when Archer was about to forcibly open the door, a soft voice was heard inside the room.
"Archer, please allow me to be alone for just a few hours. I know you're trying to do your job, but you are causing me to panic."
Asher's words were laced with confusion, alarm, and pure fear. Even Archer couldn't help but frown slightly at the boy's helpless voice. Archer wanted to protect this young master because Asher could potentially save Lord Zacharia's life. However, he couldn't do so if the boy was wary of him.
The servant sighed in regret and frustration before apologizing. "Please forgive this servant, Young Master Asher. I was ignorant of your feelings. I will come to pick you up in a few hours."
Finally feeling the threat disappear, Asher could fully calm down. His arms relaxed and loosened its hold on his knees as he finally became aware of his surroundings. The only thing present in the room was a medium-sized bed and a glass door that separated the room from the small balcony.
Standing up made Asher realize just how much energy had been sucked away from him. First, he had informed himself briefly about his family and the world he was currently living in. Then, his father notified them about a spy that was on the loose and that a new servant would be taking care of Asher since Zara had to take care of a family emergency. Despite the new servant's good-looks, the way he just treated him made him think poorly of Archer.
Placing his hands on the door, Asher pushed them open without a single thought. A soft rain was falling from the sky, dampening Asher's hair and clothes. Despite this, Asher leaned against the railings and placed his head on his arms. Today was certainly an eventful one, so he will continue to research about this world's matters tomorrow.
Then, a soft meow was heard. This caused Asher to stiffen up and raise his guard, his eyes darting towards every corner. On one of these corners laid a small black cat with dampened fur. His little body was shivering from the cold the wind caused him.
Asher's hardened gaze immediately softened as he slowly approached the small black cat. The cat didn't shy away from the boy's warm embrace and instead welcomed it completely. The shivering cat buried himself against the boy's chest as Asher quickly went inside and closed the door.
He placed the small creature on the bed, making the cat's closed eyes widened in confusion as his sole heat source had left his side. Asher was unaware of the cat's thoughts and simply and simply entered the built-in bathroom the room offered. After rummaging through the room's bathroom, Asher was able to find towels.
Returning to the room with the towel, the young boy carefully sat beside the cat as if to not disturb or scare it away. Watching Asher's gentle actions made the cat's eyes soften and fill up with warmth. Hmph, maybe this human boy isn't so bad...
Asher softly rubbed the towel against the cat's dampened fur in comfortable circular motions. After a few minutes of this process, the cat was mostly dry and was now much more relaxed than before. Smiling warmly at the small feline, Asher began to get sleepier by the moment. A small yawn escaped his lips, causing the cat to stare at the sleepy boy in understanding.
The fluffy black cat had been patiently following Asher for a few hours, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. However, just when he was about to do this, a maid had barged in and requested the young master's presence. The feline had no other choice but to postpone his plan and follow him.
He was able to observe from a dark corner how most of his family, except for one of his brothers and his mother, stared at the young boy in disbelief and disdain, earning him some pity. It was clear with the family's actions that Asher hadn't been living a good life and was often belittled and hurt. After this, the feline had to escape through the window since he didn't want to be caught by these powerful mages and potentially lose his life.
While the cat wasn't able to fully observe the scene involving Archer, he was able to hear snippets of their conversation thanks to his surpassing hearing. The discomfort rang out in the air, yet the older male didn't seem to care as much, greatly disappointing the cat. Sighing, the cat shook away all of the unnecessary thoughts and made his way towards Asher.
Asher's chest rose slowly as he breathed in. Despite how exhausted he was, he needed to entertain a certain fluffy guest. Opening his eyes, his gaze landed on the cat that was slowly moving towards him. He smiled warmly and stretched out his hand to pet it, causing the cat to shiver and purr in delight as it closed its eyes in content.
"Little cat, have you lost your way? Do you have an owner?"
Asher sighed and shook his head. The animal is just a cat, how will it be able to understand him? Just as Asher began thinking up ways to communicate with the small animal, the cat had already decided that it was going to stay by Asher's side. Snuggling against Asher's cold body, the cat looked into his eyes. The cat's crimson eyes held a strange feeling, one that Asher wasn't able to decipher. Despite this, Asher had a vague idea of what the cat was trying to convey.
"For the time of being, you shall stay here by my side. You don't mind, do you?" Asher's bright smile blinded the cat, making him close his eyes and turn his head. The young boy thought that it was a sign of rejection. Sadness and regret began to fill him up inside. Maybe it would've been best not to ask the cat such a question. Now, it won't even think about staying by his side...
Sighing, Asher opened his mouth to speak once more, sadness lacing his voice, "It's okay, I'm sorry for asking such a personal question. I will help you find your owner. If your owner passed away, then I'll find a new owner for you. You don't have to worry."
His soft voice and comforting words were supposed to calm down the cat, however, it had a negative effect. Instead of relaxing by his side, the feline trembled and opened his eyes in alarm. No, please no. If you let me go, the young lord will hunt me down and turn me into a rug!
The cat shook his head in denial while Asher was oblivious to the little one's thoughts. Knowing this, the feline nudged his head against his arm and snuggled even closer. Asher, feeling a wave of 'motherly-love' rush over him, turned his body and tucked the cat safely under his arm.
Asher giggled as he softly patted the cat's fur. "Why will I give you to a new owner when I can take you in? I hope you don't mind, but starting today I'll be your owner!"
Just as Asher finished speaking, his consciousness drifted away as he slowly fell into a deep sleep. Sleeping beside the cat made him feel warm and protected, causing him to fully relax despite the stressful situation he was put in when walking with Archer.
The feline couldn't help but feel attracted to the young boy beside him. Seeing as he is a large and powerful beast, many hunters and mages have gone after him to take him down or make him form a contract with them. The beast, however, had no intention of staying with someone that only wanted him for his power. Even if it was a selfish wish, he wanted to find someone that will not only appreciate his power but also his presence.
Once, the beast was being hunted by a powerful mage. He was about to succumb to the mage's wishes until Arthur Ace, Zacharia's father, saved him. Even if Arthur's action wasn't to save the beast but rather shut the loud mage up, he still felt grateful. When he heard that Arthur's son had a very important mission, the beast decided to repay his favor by helping Zacharia.
Every person he has met have only wanted to use him as a pawn. Asher, on the other hand, appeared to be quite dumb and wasn't able to notice the strange power surrounding the mystical beast. Still, even if Asher wasn't that knowledgeable as other young lords, the beast was glad that he was being treated warmly. This treatment won't last that long, so he should enjoy this warmth while he still can.
The beast can't get attached to this young, human boy even if he desperately wanted to do so after receiving such a treatment with pure intentions. He was the person being suspected of working with the spy. He was the beast's mission. If he becomes attached to Asher, it will be hard to finish him off if he ends up being the person working for the spy.
Shaking away his dark thoughts, the cat closed his eyes as he enjoyed the warmth being provided. For now, the beast was only a simple housecat of an oblivious and naive little boy. For now, he will enjoy his warmth and gentle care. For now, his mission comes second while this boy becomes first.