Even with so many people in the mansion, Master Damien still carried an air of solitude.
It was said he had a complicated, painful history, like a wanderer who had lost his way.
Sometimes, Tis'a heard from his brothers that Master Damien would quietly cry in hidden corners where no one could find him.
Thalatha, one of Tis'a's older brothers, once stumbled upon such a moment and shared it with him. Why Thalatha was lurking in such a spot, Tis'a chose not to ask.
Thalatha, for all his stoicism, couldn't express his loneliness easily. Yet another time, Tis'a witnessed Thalatha himself crying in a secluded spot—only to be found and embraced by Master Damien, who stroked his head gently.
For days after that, Thalatha had been in an unusually good mood.
...
Back to the point, Tis'a had realized Master Damien was lonelier than expected, so he made it a habit to hug him whenever he saw his hands free.
