A few minutes earlier, at the front of the mansion, Zack slowly descended from the carriage with the help of Miss Expert Sister. His movements were careful, his body still mindful of the wounds beneath his clothing.
"Thank you, big sister," Zack said with a genuine smile that softened his stern painful features.
Miss Expert Sister nodded sweetly, her expression radiating warmth and encouragement as she watched him find his footing.
"Hmm, and who might you be?"
A man's voice cut through the moment. Zack turned toward the sound and saw a mature man approaching. The stranger was dressed in proper rich attire, wearing the distinctive proper Crown uniform that marked his high status. The contrast was stark against Zack's common-looking dark pants, men's robe, and green tunic robe, half of which were covered by a blanket wrapped around his upper body in the manner of a shawl.
Zack straightened respectfully, meeting the man's gaze head-on. "You must be House Master. Greetings, sir. My name is Zack Carney, and I came to look for a friend of mine." He bowed with genuine respect, his posture conveying both courtesy and quiet confidence.
"Zack Carney?" House Master's eyebrows rose in visible surprise, his eyes widening slightly. "You're that Master Zack who everyone talks about? The rumoured man who will lead the next meeting?"
Zack simply nodded, his expression remaining neutral and composed in front of a Crown.
"No wonder I see the Queen carriage and a Queen's Expert guard is accompanying you." House Master bowed slightly toward Miss Expert Sister, who returned the gesture with respectful grace.
"Please, come inside." House Master's demeanor shifted entirely, transforming into one of respectful hospitality as he guided Zack toward the mansion's entrance. As they walked together across the courtyard, he spoke with what seemed to be genuine warmth flowing through his words. "Your friend... I'm guessing she's, my daughter? I didn't know my daughter had made friends with such an important figure! She must be inside with her husband right now. Come, let's meet her together."
His voice carried the softness of a normal father, someone who was happily talking about his daughter's friend with natural pride for her. There was no trace of the distant Crown aristocrat in his tone, just a man trying to connect on a human level.
Zack listened carefully to every word, then spoke with precision, his voice clear. "Sorry, I don't know how many daughters or sons you have, but I'm talking about the one you sent to work in the tunnel."
He glanced sideways and caught the flicker of change in House Master's expression. It lasted only a split second before the man's face smoothed back to calm composure, but Zack had seen it clearly.
House Master let out a long, weary sigh. The sound carried the weight of years, as though time itself had settled upon his shoulders and refused to let go.
"Life can be strange… right?" he murmured, his voice distant.
He tilted his head back, his eyes tracing the slow drift of clouds across the endless sky above them. He seemed to be searching for something only he could see, something hidden in the white shapes that floated past. "If you met her, then you must know how we treated her." His voice lowered, becoming rougher with the texture of regret. "It was my failure…... Mine alone.... So, I hope… whatever judgment comes, it falls on me. Not on my family who had no choice in the matter."
His gaze remained fixed upward on the drifting clouds. For a fleeting moment, his mind conjured an image. He thought he saw Subordinate woman's mother there among the white formations, her face emerging from the pale haze. She was smiling gently, exactly as she once had in their youth. But it was just a ghost woven from his memory and longing for her not the real woman he loved. It was a kindness he no longer deserved to remember.
Zack gave him the silence he needed, allowing the older man to steady himself before responding to the unspoken pain.
"Not really," Zack replied at last. His tone was calm but carried an edge of quiet steel beneath the surface. "She didn't say much about any of you when we talked." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied House Master's profile. "But I don't need details to understand the full picture. A girl forced to work in a place as dangerous as that tunnel… while her father had everything?" His voice hardened with controlled anger. "I can imagine exactly what her life must've been all these years."
House Master just shook his head slowly, a sad smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'm her father in name only.... I didn't even give her my surname, nor did I give her mother's surname to her. She's just a poor child who came into this world because a man got lost in his own lust and couldn't control himself." His voice grew heavier with each word, the burden becoming more visible. "I made a mistake, and it broke down my late parents, destroyed my wife's happiness, and ruined a maid who didn't do anything wrong except….. She trusted me to give her a good life that was the only mistake she has done and with that came another mistake….. Sighhhhhhhh... and that mistake haunts me every single day of my existence."
They walked slowly across the grounds, the grand mansion looming closer with each measured step they took together.
Zack stopped abruptly and turned to look directly at House Master's face. With a clear, stern voice that cut through the air as sharply as a blade, he said, "SHE IS NOT A MISTAKE!"
For a moment, no one said anything. The wind ruffled their clothes and hair, filling the silence with its gentle whisper as it passed between them.
Zack continued, his voice firm but not unkind, carrying the weight of conviction. "I don't know what happened in your past, but listening to you just now made me understand why your daughter thinks the way she does….. Clearly, she's inherited your entire way of viewing the world." He paused, letting the words sink deep into House Master's consciousness. "You're way too focused on the negative things that happened in your life. Just accept your past for what it was. Accept that you loved your daughter's mother with all your heart. Yes, you did wrong by the circumstances, but despite constantly blaming yourself for decades, what have you actually done to solve your problem?"
House Master's breath caught sharply in his throat, the question hitting him harder than any physical blow.
"Truthfully, I have a partner, and she's angry at me right now because she found out your daughter loves me." Zack's expression softened slightly, his features relaxing. "One thing I've already done is accept your daughter's love for me and also accept that I made a mistake by not being clear about my feelings earlier to my partner. When I will meet my partner again, I will make sure to love her so deeply that no doubt remains. Despite the tantrums she will show, despite her anger and frustration on me, I will love her with all my heart and make absolutely sure she knows that my love for her will never fade away, no matter what storms come."
He stepped closer, his intense gaze was unwavering. "So, House Master, tell me this. When was the last time you made your wife feel truly loved? When was the last time you said 'I love you' to her and meant it with your whole being? When was the last time you thought of your daughter not as a mistake you regret, but as a blessing that came into your life?"
Zack paused for just a second, giving the questions space to breathe.
House Master's eyes suddenly lit up with something he'd never felt in his entire existence. Hope.... Hope flickered there….. Possibility of happiness bloomed..... Freedom beckoned from a place he thought forever closed.
Zack looked up at the sky, a peaceful smile crossing his features as sunlight touched his face. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. "Sir, you have everything a man could want in his life. Beautiful daughters who carry your blood. A beautiful wife who has stood by your side through everything. A beautiful house that shelters you. Great standing in society that commands respect. And still, despite all these blessings, you're living the life of a slave to your own guilt." He closed his eyes, feeling the wind caress his face as his mind drifted to thoughts of Nat. A sweet smile crossed his lips. "Let it go. Let your past finally go. Breathe a little and feel what it means to be alive."
House Master felt something release inside him. Something he'd been holding tight for decades suddenly loosened its grip. His head felt lighter than it had in years. His shoulders slumped down as invisible weight lifted away. His eyes grew teary, moisture gathering at the corners...
...but suddenly, in the midst of his profound realization, he heard desperate running steps echoing toward them.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
The sharp echo of hurried footsteps shattered the heavy silence that had settled over the courtyard.
Everyone turned their heads toward the sound.
The doors burst open with violent force.
And she ran out into the sunlight!!
Subordinate woman stumbled forward with desperate urgency. Tears were streaming freely down her flushed cheeks, leaving glistening trails on her skin. One trembling hand clutched the torn fabric of her shirt tightly against her chest, as though holding together the torn clothes will calm her racing heart, it was more than just cloth and dignity. The other hand gripped her bag with white-knuckled intensity, treating it as the only thing anchoring her to the earth.
Her long, thick, wavy reddish orangish hair streamed behind her in a wild cascade. The strands danced violently in the wind, completely untamed and radiant with life itself. The mass of hair shimmered under the golden sunlight, each individual strand catching the light as if kissed by heaven itself.
The world seemed to slow its rotation.
The warm sun wrapped around her running form, outlining her silhouette in soft gold that made her look almost ethereal. She appeared unreal in that moment, transformed into something too beautiful and too fragile for this harsh world.
She ran straight ahead without hesitation.
Straight toward him!!!!
Towards the man she yearns to see again! Towards the man who could make her feel at peace! Towards the man who never looked at her as a piece of value!!!!!
Her eyes never shifted their focus. Not once. Not even when she passed directly by her father who stood watching.
But House Master did not call out to stop her.
He did not reach for her with his hands.
Because in that single, suspended second floating in time, something impossible happened to him.
As she flew past him, her flowing hair brushed across his vision. The thick waves moved through the air between them, creating a silken curtain being drawn aside by fate itself.
And suddenly…
He saw another face.
Layered perfectly over his daughter's tear-streaked yet radiant expression was the face he had been searching for in the drifting clouds only moments ago.
Her.
The girl from his youth who had stolen his heart.
The one whose laughter once filled his entire world with joy.
The one he had lost forever.
His breath caught violently in his chest, trapped there.
The present moment blurred at the edges. The courtyard disappeared from his awareness. The voices of people around him faded into absolutely nothing.
All he saw was that face smiling at him. Mischievous. Alive. Real!!!
"HEHE! YOUNG MASTER, YOU CAN'T CATCH ME!"
The voice rang crystal clear in his ears.
Her voice calling to him across the years.
Not a memory fading with time.
Not imagination playing tricks.
It felt completely real in every way.
He saw her running ahead of him through the fields of their youth. Her hair was glowing under the same golden sunlight that touched everything. Her laughter echoed in the wind that rushed past. He felt his younger legs chasing after her with abandon. He felt the reckless joy exploding in his chest. He felt the love he had once held so fiercely in his young heart.
All of it returned to him in one crystallized second that contained eternities.
A second that stretched and expanded into forever.
Tears spilled from his eyes without any restraint, sliding down the deep lines those years of regret had carved into his face.
SWOOSH!
His daughter ran past him completely, her hair whipping through the air in her wake.
But in that motion, in that brief overlap where past and present merged perfectly, he saw them both existing together.
His daughter racing toward her future.
His lost love smiling from the past.
Both of them smiling.
Both of them alive.
Both of them free!!!!
"TAKE CARE, YOUNG MASTER! AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!"
The voice echoed again in his mind, softer now than before. Warmer. No longer teasing him playfully, but expressing genuine gratitude for everything they'd shared.
He slowly lifted his trembling gaze to the sky above.
For a fleeting moment suspended in time, high above in the endless blue expanse, he saw her figure standing among the white clouds. She looked down at him with an expression that held no blame whatsoever. No sorrow weighed down her features. Instead, she radiated gentle understanding that wrapped around his heart.
She offered him peace.
She smiled one last time, her expression filled with forgiveness.
Then the wind shifted its direction.
The clouds drifted apart, separating both of them.
And she was gone from his sight.
But this time… she did not leave him drowning in emptiness.
She left him with release.
House Master stood there completely still, tears flowing freely down his weathered face. His chest rose and fell unevenly as emotion overwhelmed him. Something inside him that had been broken and hardened for decades finally cracked open.
It did not hurt the way he had always expected it would.
It felt lighter instead.
As if the past had finally forgiven him for his sins.
As if love, even lost love that could never return, had never truly disappeared from the world.
.
The moment Zack saw Subordinate woman, he took in the state she was in with one sweeping glance. Dishevelled completely. Shaking with heavy emotions. Barely holding herself together. Without a second thought, he pulled the warm blanket from his own shoulders.
Subordinate woman's smile broke through her tear-streaked cheeks as she rushed past her father...
THUMP!
...and collided straight into Zack's waiting arms.
"BOSS! YOU CAME!!!!"
She didn't say anything else after those three words. She didn't need to express more. At last, finally after everything, she had found the warmth she'd been desperately searching for her entire life. Her body relaxed almost at once as she pressed her ear firmly to his chest. The steady, powerful rhythm of Zack's heartbeat pounded beneath his skin. It made her feel alive, his solid chest felt utterly reliable ready to shield her from everything around her. The sound grounded her completely, dragging her back from the dark precipice where she had nearly lost herself forever.
RUFFLE, RUFFLE.
Zack gently wrapped her trembling body in the warm blanket, covering her exposed skin with care. One hand patted her back soothingly in slow circles, feeling the thick waves of her hair underneath the soft fabric. His other hand slowly unclenched her tight fist from the torn remnants of her shirt. Carefully, treating her as something precious, he pulled her away just a little and rolled the blanket around her entire upper body. Since she was shorter than him by a considerable amount, the blanket covered her completely from her shoulders all the way down to her hips.
Subordinate woman felt the warmth seep into her bones, chasing away the cold that had settled there. Gently, gratefully, she wrapped her arms around his back and hugged him properly now. Her bag fell to the ground, landing softly and waiting peacefully to be picked up again.
Zack continued patting her back rhythmically with one hand, the motion steady and reassuring against her back. His other hand rose to rest on the back of her fluffy head. His fingers sank deep into her thick hair.
The sensation was overwhelming in its gentleness. His hand reached deep into the mass of waves, massaging her hair and scalp gently. Subordinate woman felt her entire mind melting away under his touch. Her knees weakened until she could barely stand straight. She squeezed her smiling face into Zack's embrace even tighter, seeking more of that safe warmth that made everything else disappear.
"It's okay. I'm here now. Don't worry about anything," Zack spoke slowly, his voice low and soothing as he let her rest completely in his protective embrace.
STEP, STEP, STEP.
Suddenly, many people poured out of the mansion entrance. Servants rushed forward. Family members appeared. All of them were moving toward the commotion with curious and concerned expressions.
House Master, still standing where he'd been during his revelation, smiled peacefully. He stopped looking at the sky and turned his attention to the gathering crowd. He gestured firmly to maids and butlers with clear authority, wordlessly commanding them to go away and leave the couple alone.
The crowd hesitated for a moment, confused by the unusual order of sending her daughter to a stranger. They looked at each other then slowly, they began to disperse back toward the mansion.
Now only the stepmother, the eldest daughter, and her husband remained watching the scene. The man who'd been eyeing his potential new bride saw her wrapped intimately in another man's embrace. He shook his head in disappointment and walked away without saying a single word.
Stepmother wanted to say something. Her mouth opened slightly, words forming on her tongue. But she stopped herself. Her expression was completely unreadable.
For a long while, no one said anything. The world seemed to hold its breath, waiting...
.
Subordinate woman's breathing gradually slowed its frantic pace. Each shaky inhale smoothed into calmer, steadier, more controlled breath. Zack's solid warm hand rested at her back. His presence alone was enough to ground her completely.
Almost without realizing what he was doing, his fingers slid upward through her hair. They threaded gently into the thick waves, his touch was instinctive, he wanted to feel the texture of those hair more. He moved his fingers in unhurried movement, and the softness surprised him, catching his attention. Her hair felt fluffy and warm beneath his fingertips as he stroked it lightly, enjoying the texture.
Then his hand drifted higher naturally, settling at the back of her head where the skin was delicate. Hidden beneath layers of hair, that sensitive spot called to his fingers. He brushed there with unconscious care, creating a faint, soothing motion. Zack wasn't even fully aware of what he was doing to her, only that it felt right to keep her close and keep her steady.
"AAAH...!"
A helpless, subconscious moan escaped her lips before she could stop it. Her knees buckled so badly she couldn't stand straight anymore. Her whole body went weak, trembling violently against him.
Zack quickly grabbed her waist with a firm grip, steadying her shaking form and keeping her upright. "What happened? Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked softly, his voice low and genuinely concerned.
But his fingers never stopped their movement. They kept moving lazily through her thick hair, occasionally drifting down to graze that unbearably sensitive spot at the back of her head where her spinal cord began.
Her whole body grew weaker with every slow pass of his fingertips over that area. Heat pooled low in her belly, spreading outward through her limbs in waves.
"Huff... huff... B-Boss... can you stop feeling my hair for a bit...?" she pleaded desperately, her face burning bright red. Her voice came out shaky and breathless in his embrace.
Every time he brushed the back of her head in that specific spot, a sharp, sweet tingle shot straight down her spine and pooled hot between her thighs. The sensation was too much to bear!!
"Hmm? Oh... sorry. Your hair just felt so good under my fingers, I..." Zack started pulling his hand away, embarrassed by his complete lack of awareness.
But she suddenly looked up at his face, her eyes glassy as she looked at Zack gentle face. "It's okay... just... stop massaging the back of my head. I'm... really sensitive there," she whispered slowly, her cheeks flushed deep crimson. Her breath hitched with each word she forced out.
Zack saw that look in her eyes clearly. He saw the effect he was having on her body. Almost without thinking, curiosity took hold and he decided to test the theory forming in his mind.
His fingers slid deeper this time, deliberately sinking into the soft hair. He found that forbidden spot at the base of her skull and grazed it purposefully with intention. Then he slowly dragged his fingers upward along her sensitive scalp, tracing the invisible line from the base of the back of her head all the way to the crown.
"KKKKYAAA!!! AAA!! BOSS!! OOWW... OWWW!!"
She moaned hard, the sound got muffled as she did her best to hold it in. She was shaking completely shamelessly in embrace of Zack. Her legs gave out entirely beneath her. She threw her arms around him desperately, clinging with all her strength so she wouldn't collapse to the floor. Her whole body shuddered violently against his chest in response.
She could feel something hot and slick threatening to spill from her aching core. In panic, she clenched everything tight internally, squeezing her thighs together. She pinched his side hard with her fingers, trying desperately to distract herself from the overwhelming sensation flooding through her.
"S-sorry, sorry! Haha..." Zack gave an embarrassed little laugh, finally pulling his hand free from that dangerous territory. He settled for gentler touches now, offering just soft, lazy strokes through her fluffy hair. He played with the strands while her body still trembled and melted against him.
"Umm... can you throw that hard piece away? It's poking me hard. And also release me a little, you're squeezing too tight and it's hurting." Zack spoke with slight discomfort, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.
Suddenly, subordinate woman's eyes widened in realization. "Sorry, Boss! You're hurt!" She immediately stopped hugging him so tightly and looked down at Zack's abdomen where he'd been stabbed. Some blood had seeped through his bandages, dampening the fabric of his tunic robe.
"It's okay. I'm fine," Zack said gently, reaching out to touch the tips of her long hair with reassuring tenderness.
Subordinate woman's face filled with sadness as she looked down at the hard piece still clutched in her hand. Slowly, she opened her fingers and threw it away from herself.
The small object clattered to the ground, landing far from her reach.
Suddenly, she felt a profound sense of relief wash over her entire being.
Pheww...…
She kept staring at the discarded piece for a while, her breathing steadying into normal rhythm. Then she smiled, a real smile that reached her eyes, and looked back at Zack. She moved closer to him, positioning herself slightly behind him and hiding a little in his protective shadow. She tightened the blanket around her shoulders, her fingers clutching his tunic robe for support.
Zack's expression darkened as he looked toward her family members standing nearby. His gaze turned sharp directly giving them a threatening look. "So, do you want me to do something about this? Who did this to you? Tell me their names. I won't hesitate to kill them."
Subordinate woman looked at her family members one by one. At the stepmother's tense posture. At her big sister's complicated expression. At her father's warm smile. "No, Boss. They're still my family despite everything." Her voice was quiet but firm with conviction. "I don't want to hold any grudge against them. Even though they weren't good to me over the years, they still raised me up and gave me shelter."
She finally looked directly at her father, who was smiling warmly at them both. Tears still glistened in his eyes.
.
Stepmother couldn't take it anymore. She roared and came forward, walking hastily across the courtyard. Her face was twisted with indignation. "DEAR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOUR DAUGHTER IS BEING SO SHAMELESS, HUGGING SOME RANDOM MAN IN FRONT OF YOU! IS THAT WHY WE RAISED HER?! SO SHE COULD BRING SHAME TO OUR HOUSE?!"
She stormed toward her husband with furious energy, ready to push past him and confront the scene directly. But he reached out and grabbed her hand firmly, stopping her progress.
She looked at him with shock written across her features and shouted even louder. "DEAR, DON'T STOP ME! IF WORD GETS OUT, THEN OUR HOUSE WILL BE RUINED! WE'VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD TO KEEP EVERYTHING IN PLACE, AND ONE STREET-SIDE MAN IS THREATENING US! LOOK AT HIS EYES GLARING AT US WITH SUCH AUDACITY!"
She kept roaring with the energy of a caged animal, her voice echoing across the entire courtyard.
But House Master didn't look at Zack or the scene before him.
Instead, his eyes focused entirely on his wife. For the first time in years, maybe even decades, he genuinely looked at her. Really looked at her with clear vision.
He saw her face, lined with stress and marked by years of effort. Her hands, worn from managing a household with her full effort. Her body, still strong despite everything she'd endured. Her wrinkles, each one a testament to the burdens she'd carried on his behalf.
"Sigh... what have I done for all these years?" he murmured to himself. "I neglected her completely, but she's still standing beside me loyally. I have sinned against her."
He looked at her with an expression he hadn't made in so long he'd forgotten it existed. Love….. Genuine, deep love that came from the soul.
"Sorry, my wife. From now on, I will look at you properly. I will take care of you the way you deserve. I hope that with the remaining life we have together, maybe I could compensate you, just a tiny bit, for everything you've done for me over the years."
House Master kept looking at her lovingly, his eyes drinking her in as if seeing her for the first time.
But his wife kept roaring, not yet realizing the look in his eyes. Not yet understanding that something fundamental had shifted in the man standing before her.
.
"Tsk! Look at her, drooling over that man. And what was her condition anyway? Are you playing with her or what?" Husband spoke with slight anger in his tone.
Eldest daughter's husband casually draped his arm over her shoulder, speaking mockingly to get a reaction. "Hehe, are you jealous of her beauty?"
But eldest daughter wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were fixed on her father standing across the courtyard. Slowly, as she watched the way he looked at her mother with complete devotion, her own eyes grew teary. Something inside her chest cracked open.
"Hey, stupid woman, are you listening?" THAP! THAP!
Her husband tapped her cheeks with a bit too much force, trying to snap her out of whatever trance held her.
"TSK, WAIT A MINUTE!!!"
Eldest daughter spoke with frustration in her voice, shrugging his arm away without even sparing him a glance. She stepped forward, dismissing him entirely from her thoughts.
She kept walking toward her parents, her eyes never leaving her father. She felt as if she was moving through a dream as she watched intently the way he gazed at his wife.
Father, are you finally looking at us? Are you finally looking at mother?
Big sister's tears fell silently to the ground as she pinched herself, making absolutely sure she was not dreaming.
.
.
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END OF CHAPTER
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Author blabbering
Seasons are like storytellers—each region has its own version of the tale. Let's wander through a few:
In the USA and much of North America, the rhythm is familiar: summer stretches from June to August, autumn paints the trees September to November, winter chills December to February, and spring revives the land March to May.
Europe follows a similar script, but with twists—Scandinavia endures long, dark winters, while southern countries bask in gentler, sunlit seasons.
The Middle East often skips the four-season drama. Instead, it's a duet of blazing summers and mild winters, with deserts showing sharp contrasts between day and night.
In India, the star of the show is the monsoon. Heat builds from April to June, rains sweep in from June to September, and a cooler, drier winter settles from November to February.
Across South Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia), tropical climates mean the calendar is ruled by wet and dry seasons, with rainfall shaping daily life more than temperature.
North Asia (Russia, Mongolia, northern China) tells a harsher tale—icy winters from November to March, followed by brief but intense summers that feel like a sudden burst of life.
Fun fact: the closer you get to the equator, the less the "four seasons" matter—rainfall becomes the real clock, marking time with showers and sunshine.
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