Kaelan was still sitting at his study table, the soft afternoon light coming through the curtains, but his mind was far from calm. The teacher was gone now, yet the memories lingered. His hands trembled in his lap. Ethan could feel Kaelan's emotions as if they were his own. Fear gripped him, a knot of anxiety twisting in his stomach. Memories of the teacher's unwanted touches and cruel words flooded his mind, leaving him feeling exposed and vulnerable. He sensed Kaelan's shame and isolation, the heavy burden of not having anyone to turn to for help.
Ethan, in his own world, had experienced something similar when he was 12. Someone had touched him inappropriately, but his sisters had seen it. They hadn't hesitated to beat the man who dared to harm him.
But Kaelan hadn't had that luxury. He had been enduring this torment since he was six years old. No one had protected him, and that thought hit Ethan harder than anything. He couldn't stop thinking about the loneliness Kaelan must have felt, the helplessness of a boy being touched and bullied by someone who should have been teaching him. Ethan's heart ached for him, and he let out a heavy sigh.
He glanced at the test paper still sitting on his desk. "Were the answers really wrong?" he muttered to himself. In his world, the answers had been correct, but the rules might be different here. The uncertainty gnawed at him. He needed to find out if the count had lied or if there was some truth to what he'd said. But who could he ask?
Ethan leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. If he went to the Duke, the man might not believe him. The count had already made complaints about Kaelan, and without proof, Ethan's words wouldn't matter. He clenched his fists in frustration. The count had too much power, and if Kaelan tried to fight back, the blame would likely fall on him.
As his thoughts raced, a plan began to form in his mind. After lunch, he would ask Cedric to help him look at the answers first.
After lunch, Ethan found Cedric in the library. "Brother, I need your help," Kaelan said. Cedric froze and looked up from the book he was reading. Kaelan never called him "brother" and never spoke first. A wave of anxiety rushed through Cedric when he saw the nervous look on Kaelan's face, a mix of vulnerability and urgency that was unusual for him.
"What is it?" Cedric asked, concern clear in his voice.
Kaelan handed Cedric the test paper. "Can you help me with this? The teacher said all my answers are wrong. Could you tutor me?"
Cedric looked at the paper, confusion on his face. "Did the count really say that?" he asked, studying the questions and Kaelan's answers.
"Yes," Kaelan replied.
Anger flashed in Cedric's eyes, but he took a deep breath and calmed down. "I need to learn this so I can tutor you. Is that okay?" he asked.
Kaelan nodded, still unsure. Was the count right? he thought, doubt gnawing at him as he walked away.
As he made his way back to his room, a maid approached him with a serious look on her face. "The Duke is calling for you in the storeroom," she said.
Kaelan felt a wave of suspicion wash over him. Why would the Duke want to see me? Something felt off, but he followed her. When he arrived, several maids and male servants gathered, looking at him with anger and disdain.
As he stepped inside, one of the male servants quickly closed the door behind him, trapping him in the room. A knot of dread tightened in Kaelan's stomach as they surrounded him. The air was thick with tension, and he sensed their hostility radiating toward him.
"What's the meaning of this?" Kaelan demanded, scanning the room filled with glaring faces. When he recognized one of the maids, he remembered the incident from the morning when he had yelled at her to leave his room. It was clear they were there to get back at him.
The lead servant stepped forward, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "Oh, look who thinks he's so important," he sneered. "Even the Duke and his family don't want you. You're just a burden to them."
Kaelan narrowed his eyes, his voice calm but firm. "So what?"
The other servants exchanged uneasy glances, recalling the times they had seen Kaelan break down under their taunts.
The lead servant stepped closer, his expression darkening. "Someone thinks he's stronger now. You're still that same pathetic pretty boy we all know."
Kaelan met his gaze without flinching. "And yet here I am, standing right in front of you. If I'm so pathetic, why do you care? Your words don't scare me anymore."
The lead servant's smile faltered, irritation creeping into his voice. "You think you can just walk in here and act tough? We all know how weak you really are."
Kaelan stepped forward, his gaze unwavering. "You're the ones who are weak. I won't be pushed around by you or anyone else."
The tension in the room thickened. The servants exchanged wary looks, clearly unsettled by the shift in Kaelan's confidence. He wasn't backing down, and that made them nervous.
"Keep talking, pretty boy," the lead servant spat, his tone laced with venom. "We'll see how long that lasts."
With a swift, aggressive movement, the lead servant lunged at Kaelan. The other servants closed in around him, trapping him in their circle. Kaelan fought back, throwing punches, trying to fend them off, but the odds were stacked against him. For every hit he managed to land, two more came his way.
"You should've known better than to stand up to us," one of the male servants grunted as he slammed a fist into Kaelan's side, knocking the breath out of him.
Kaelan gritted his teeth, refusing to retreat. The pain was intense, but his pride and determination kept him going. The maids, watching from the sides, laughed cruelly at his struggle.
"Look at him!" one of the maids jeered. "He thought he could take us on!"
Without warning, the maid stepped forward and slapped Kaelan hard across the face. The sharp crack echoed through the room, his head snapping to the side. His cheek burned from the impact, and blood dripped from his split lip. Despite the anger rising inside him, Ethan couldn't bring himself to strike back, not against women. His sisters had always taught him better.
"Not so tough now, are you?" the maid taunted, stepping back with a smirk, proud of the damage she'd caused. Kaelan's vision blurred for a moment, but he stayed upright, refusing to show weakness.
The maid from the morning sneered at him, her voice full of mockery. "What's wrong? Can't fight back?"
The lead servant, watching with cold amusement, stepped forward with a dark grin. "Pretty boy," he said, his eyes filled with cruel intent. "Maybe you should use that body of yours for something useful."
Before Kaelan could react, the lead servant shoved him hard, sending him crashing to the ground. Two male servants quickly rushed forward, grabbing his arms while another pressed down on his legs, holding him in place. Kaelan tried to fight them off, but the lead servant was already at his side, grabbing the collar of his shirt. With a brutal yank, he ripped it open, exposing Kaelan's chest. The sound of tearing fabric was followed by cruel laughter from the maids as they watched.
Kaelan struggled hard, his muscles straining against the hands that held him down. Just as they were about to do more, a sharp voice rang out from the hallway. "Jason, Ben, David, Liam! Emily, Emma, and Lucy! All of you in the main hall now!" It was the head maid, Mrs. Thompson, and her tone was firm and impatient.
The lead servant let out a frustrated growl, glaring down at Kaelan. "You're lucky," he spat before standing up. Slowly, the male servants released Kaelan and followed the lead servant out of the storeroom, their faces full of smug satisfaction. The maids followed behind, laughing as they left.
Kaelan stayed on the floor for a moment, catching his breath, his shirt in tatters. His body throbbed from the blows, and his cheek ached from the slap, but he pushed himself to his feet, determined to reveal no signs of weakness. Although this was the first time Ethan had been hit, Kaelan's memories indicated that it wasn't the first time for Kaelan.
With a sigh, Kaelan walked out of the storeroom. The butler stood nearby, unnoticed by the others, watching as the servants and maids left, with Kaelan being the last to leave.