Dorian had just finished talking to Mr. Hendrik, his father's assistant, and left feeling very sad and troubled.
The meeting with his father had made him feel awful because he now knew what his father truly thought of him.
As he walked away,
'Today is the worst day of my life.' he thought to himself.
Heading towards his room, lost in his depressing thoughts, he suddenly heard a female voice calling out to him,
"Young Master Dorian."
Turning around, he saw Patricia, a maid of the family.
Despite being 32 years old, Patricia looked much younger, with her light brown hair and deep blue eyes always complemented by a gentle smile.
She was the kindest person Dorian had ever met, always caring for him even when his family ignored him.
Despite not receiving direct ridicule, Dorian could always sense the mocking looks from the workers, soldiers, and maids behind his back.
However, the woman standing before him never showed any hint of disdain. She consistently treated him kindly, especially when it came to bringing him food when he missed meals.
John and Damian often ate together and since Damian preferred not to dine with Dorian, Dorian always had his meal after his father and brother had finished.
There were times when other maids and cooks seemed to forget Dorian's existence entirely, neglecting to call for him or bring him food.
Yet, Patricia always remembered him, ensuring he had something to eat even if he forgot to ask.
Dorian observed how others would take advantage of Patricia, piling extra tasks on her and making her workload double or even triple.
Even then, she always wore a gentle smile and never refused anyone's requests.
Dorian wanted to stand up against the injustice done to Patricia, but he felt powerless, as he was considered an extra in his own family.
Over time, he began to open up to Patricia, viewing her as an elder sister figure.
Her radiant smile brought him a sense of comfort and satisfaction, but today, he noticed something rare in Patricia's expression.
In all the years he had known her, this was the first time Dorian had seen Patricia not smiling when greeted.
Instead, there was a deep fear in her eyes, and she appeared restless and uneasy.
He immediately sensed that something serious had happened.
"Patricia!? Haven't you gone back to your house? It's already very late. Did someone push their work onto you again?" Dorian inquired, concerned.
He knew that even if that was the case, there was little he could do to help her, but he felt it was important to ask.
"Young Master Dorian, I... I don't know what to do. I don't know who to approach. I tried meeting with the Lord, but Mr. Hendrik said he was very busy. I'm not sure where to ask for help, young master," Patricia replied urgently, her words stumbling as she spoke quickly.
Dorian could hear the rapid beating of her heart, and tears had already started to stream down her face as she spoke.
"It's okay, Patricia. First, calm down and explain the situation slowly. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll definitely do it,"
Dorian reassured her, his concern growing as he saw her distress.
He wasn't lying when he said he'd help her. Dorian truly wanted to repay Patricia for all the kindness she had shown him over the years.
If scolding the other workers would have eased her burdens, he would have sternly warned those taking advantage of her without hesitation.
However, he understood that if he had actually confronted the other servants, it might have backfired, leading to them bullying Patricia directly instead of just piling work on her.
That's why he had refrained from taking action until now. But seeing Patricia in such distress, he was willing to face any consequences to stop those responsible for her tears.
"Young Master, it's my son. He hasn't returned home yet,"
Patricia interrupted, her voice trembling with worry.
"What?" Dorian responded, his concern deepening.
"Yes, you also met him last year when he came here to meet me at work," Patricia replied, her voice trembling with worry.
"Ah, yes, I remember. His name is... Lars... Lasher..,"
Dorian tried hard to recall her son's name. But Patricia had no time for that,
"It's Lander. He rarely leaves home unless absolutely necessary. But today, he went outside to buy fruits from the market as he was feeling well, and he hasn't returned home yet. I've searched all over the market and the town, but no one has seen him. I... I'm afraid something has happened to him. I don't know what to do, young master..."
Patricia's voice trailed off, filled with anxiety.
"He just went out, right? Maybe he met with his friends or something. You're probably worrying too much," Dorian tried to reassure her.
"No, young master. You don't understand. Ever since his childhood, he has had a very weak body and is always prone to quick illness. He never leaves home and has no friends. He never speaks with anyone except me. I think something has happened to him. He is the only person I live for. If something happened to him, I don't know what to do with my life,"
Patricia sobbed with tears streaming down her face.
"Okay, stop crying. I'm sure nothing has happened to him. It's not like Red Hawk town is a big city or something. There are utmost 1000 people in the whole town. I'm sure someone must have seen him,"
Dorian said, trying to provide comfort despite the gravity of the situation sinking in.
It's quite ironic how just moments ago, Dorian was in a similar emotional state when facing his father, and now he found himself trying to console Patricia.
However, he made a conscious effort to shift his focus from his own troubles to helping her. Doing so not only diverted his mind but also allowed him to express his gratitude, giving him a sense of fulfillment.
"Now, you said he went to the market, right? Do you know exactly where he went?" Dorian asked, trying to gather more information.
"He said he was just going to buy some fruits as he was feeling good. That's it. I already went every shop and spoken with all the shop owners. They said Lander didn't buy anything and left after hearing the prices,"
Patricia explained, her voice filled with regret
"He was always like that, trying to save money even a little. I told him I'd take care of him and not to bother. But that boy was always considerate of me, working hard. I... I should have gone with him today."
Her words were tinged with guilt and sorrow as she started crying more.
As Dorian listened to Patricia express her regret about not accompanying her son, he couldn't shake off the similarity to the words his own father had spoken just moments earlier.
However, the intentions behind their sentences were starkly contrasting.
This realization stirred up a mix of emotions within Dorian as he felt a pang of jealousy towards Lander for having a caring parent like Patricia and also harboring anger towards him for causing such deep worry to a concerned parent like her.
'Those fortunate to have loving parents often fail to realize their true worth until it's too late. If only I had a mother like Patricia,'
Dorian couldn't help but lament in his mind with a hint of selfishness.
As Patricia released all of her pent-up emotions, Dorian stood silent, letting her cry and express her worries freely.
After a few moments of contemplation, he gently intervened.
"Patricia, listen to me. I understand your urgency to search for your son, but it's late now. Everyone in town would have retired to bed, making it impossible for you to do anything meaningful. Hear me out. Go back home and wait for Lander to return. If he comes back and finds you absent, it could make him worry. If by tomorrow morning he still hasn't returned, I'll personally speak to my father and ask him to help in the search."
"But... Young master, your father might scold you for that. I…I don't want to cause you any trouble" Patricia hesitated, concern evident in her voice.
"I insist. Alright? You don't need to worry about that. And even if my father ignores me, I'll accompany you myself to look for your son. I have a few contacts I can rely on for help. You know the hunter Jandar, right?"
After a moment of thinking she replied back
"Yes, I know him. The lord hires him to hunt in the forest on occasion. He's quite famous, but I don't know him personally."
"That's the one. He owes me a favor. I'll ask him to track down your son. He is no knight but he's a highly skilled one. But who knows, maybe we won't even need to ask him, and your son will return before that," Dorian explained, offering a glimmer of hope.
"Thank you, master... Thank you very much," Patricia bowed deeply, overwhelmed with gratitude.
"What are you doing? Please, rise. It's embarrassing. Head back home now. Don't wander around searching for your son. As I mentioned, he may come looking for you at home, and it's crucial to be there for him if he needs assistance. Now, go,"
After expressing her gratitude once again, Patricia prepared to leave Dorian's house and head back home.
Initially, she had planned to search the entire town, even if it meant waking everyone up.
However, Dorian's words resonated with her as she realized that Lander might return home and seek her out.
So, despite her anxiety, she decided to stay awake all night until her son came back.
As Patricia exited, Dorian watched her back, recalling Lander's sickly appearance from when he had seen him last year.
Lander's face wasn't particularly memorable, but what stood out in Dorian's usually forgetful mind was Lander's deep red eyes.
Red eyes were very uncommon among commoners, leading Dorian to speculate that Lander might be an illegitimate child of some higher nobility. However, after that encounter, Lander faded from Dorian's thoughts.
Now that he was missing, Dorian planned to seek help from the hunter Jandar.
Initially, he had intended to use the favor from Jandar to track down the man who had bumped into him earlier that day.
However, with his father likely handling that matter, Dorian decided to redirect Jandar's help toward finding Lander.
"Mm, now that I think about it, the place where I bumped into that guy is just one street away from the market. Could Lander's disappearance be related to that guy, too?"
Dorian mused briefly before dismissing the thought.
"I'm probably overthinking it."
With that, Dorian returned to his room, ready to end what had been the most depressive day with a much-needed rest.