"Clatter!"
A red cloth ball rolled lightly into the distance, pressing against the soft green grass.
A boy of about fourteen sat slumped on a chair, one arm resting on the table, chin propped up in boredom. His silver-gray hair was a little long, swaying in the wind. Dressed in a black shirt, short jeans that reached mid-thigh, and stockings tied with cords, he looked fantastic and adorable—if one ignored the group of naked people kneeling at his feet.
Joshua suddenly lifted his leg and kicked a slave kneeling nearby, ordering irritably:
"Go on, fetch the ball back for me."
That slave was a man, completely naked. Startled by the kick, he scrambled forward on all fours, lowered his head to pick up the ball with his mouth, and then crawled back.
The boy watched this scene, then glanced at the other kneeling slaves, his expression twisting with annoyance. Abruptly, he raised his voice:
"Day after day it's the same scene, the same faces—I'm sick to death of it already!"
He slammed the table and stood up, his icy gaze sweeping across the slaves before he said in a slow, sinister tone:
"These days, even Leo is being starved..."
Before he even finished, the slaves all shuddered at once; the one holding the ball in his mouth nearly collapsed face-first onto the grass.
Joshua clicked his tongue, loathing these ugly, useless slaves even more.
An older man with graying hair stepped forward, smiling as he said:
"Young master, if you've grown tired, we can always change their faces."
"Hmph, just changing the shell won't change their essence!"
He paused, his eyes flashing slightly:
"Didn't Sister Athena capture Sylus? I want to borrow Sylus for a while. I'm sure she won't object."
The butler at his side couldn't help but look anxious, saying:
"Young master, Sylus is not a toy..."
Before he could finish, Joshua raised his foot and kicked him down onto the grass. Stepping on the butler's body, he lifted his chin arrogantly and said coldly:
"I wasn't asking for your opinion, you fool!"
With that, he strolled away. Before leaving the lawn, he didn't forget to order his subordinates:
"Send this trash to Leo's pen. Don't let them dirty my grass!"
When terrified, these slaves couldn't control themselves at all. Who knew what kind of filth they might leave on the lawn? Just the thought made Joshua feel disgusted.
From inside came faint cries and wails, but Joshua didn't hear them—the door shut quickly behind him, and his burly subordinates poured in, ensuring the slaves could not make a single sound that might disturb young master Joshua's mood.
Joshua hummed an unnamed tune as he ran up to the top floor of the Aurellan family estate. This was the office of the current head of the Aurellan family—his elder sister, Athena.
"Sister Athena! Sister Athena!"
Joshua burst into the room without hesitation, only to see Athena's assistant.
A tall man stood there, a muzzle clasped around his mouth. Joshua's expression immediately darkened.
"Where is my sister?"
Joshua had once been very interested in this assistant, but he had loathed him ever since the man mocked him. He told himself that when the assistant was no longer helpful to Athena, he would persuade her to leave him behind. First, he would torment the man until life was worse than death—then throw him into Leo's pen!
The assistant noticed Joshua's gaze, brimming with malice, but paid it no mind. He only replied:
"Master is currently inspecting the new goods. If you are looking for a toy, that place will suit you better than here."
Joshua's eyes lit up at those words, though he still pretended to ask:
"Where is Sylus?"
Athena's assistant, carrying her will, replied:
"You may touch anything—except Sylus."
Joshua opened his mouth, ready to curse, but the assistant cut him off:
"You wouldn't want to be punished by Master, would you?"
Joshua shut his mouth. Thinking back to his sister's appearance when she was angry, he finally stormed off in frustration. He was seething, but he didn't dare slam the door since this was his sister's office.
Damn it, that stupid assistant must be thinking he was scared of him. How hateful, how hateful!
He was clearly the young master of the Aurellan family, the beloved younger brother of Athena herself—yet everyone looked down on him. Everyone deserved to die, to die!
Joshua was furious; he needed to tear something apart to vent!
With that thought, he quickened, running straight toward the underground basement, where the newly arrived goods were being processed.
At this moment, Sylus stood firmly in front of the door in the underground basement. In front of him was a slender young woman, standing tall at about one meter seventy-five. The sharp heels of her stilettos clicked against the floor, each step echoing.
She wore a black blouse with ruffled details at the collar and cuffs, paired with a long black skirt reaching mid-calf and a high waistline, giving her an elegant yet simple look. With every step she took, the tiny silver-thread patterns embroidered into the fabric shimmered faintly.
Her long silver-gray hair was cut evenly, with a straight hime-style fringe framing her face. She adjusted her glasses, her narrow, sharp eyes slightly narrowed. Her hand waved lightly at her side, black light radiating from her fingertips as images shimmered into being in the air.
Athena glanced over the information about this batch of so-called "volunteers."
Suddenly, she raised an eyebrow and quickly walked forward, passing by the bio-pods one by one, from Pod One until she stopped before Pod Ten.
The corner of her lips curved faintly as she ordered Sylus:
"Open this pod."
Sylus had kept his head lowered, his face shadowed with sorrow, his thoughts drifting far away.
He quickly lifted his gaze, stepped forward, and unlocked Pod Ten at her words.
But the moment he saw the person lying inside, he froze instantly.
A young man lay there quietly, eyes closed in sleep, like a priceless, exquisite oil painting.
His skin was pale, making his jet-black hair and the healthy plum-red lips stand out. Almost unconsciously, Sylus curled the ring finger bearing his band, wondering what kind of eyes this young man would have.
Sylus furrowed his brows slightly, a dull ache pressing in his head.
"A normal human with no sign of mechanization... those idiots better not have captured a noble's child by mistake."
Just then, Athena's voice rang out. She had reached into the pod, brushing her fingers across the young man's face, murmuring:
"Not bad at all."
Pausing for a moment, she narrowed her eyes in delight:
"This genetic code might be worth storing. Even among the nobility, such a face is rare. Perhaps it's time the Aurellan family refreshed its image a little."
Sylus frowned, glaring at Athena's hand resting on the young man's face, and growled in frustration:
"Athena!"
Athena arched a brow at him, smiling as she replied:
"Sylus, you're the one pursuing me. I haven't accepted you yet, and you already dare raise your voice at me?"
At her words, Sylus trembled slightly, lowering his eyes, pain flickering faintly within them. Athena couldn't help but sneer at him.
Sylus pressed a hand to his chest, a trace of confusion gnawing at him—he couldn't even explain why he had just growled like that.
Buddy...
A voice suddenly echoed, vanishing so quickly he couldn't grasp it.
He remembered clearly—he loved Athena deeply. He had always pursued her... Of course, it had to be because he couldn't bear to see Athena touching another man. That had to be it!
Steeling his thoughts, Sylus's gaze on the youth lying in the pod grew darker, more unpleasant by the moment.
Just then, the corner of the young man's eye twitched. He shifted his head slightly, as if unintentionally brushing his face against Athena's hand that was touching him.
Athena froze for a moment, her deep eyes locking onto the youth, waiting for those eyes to open.