Chapter 24
_The Child Who Lives in the South Tower: 2
---
"Young Master, it is time for your bath."
The elderly governess bowed before the child. He raised his eyes to her.
"All right."
He rose from his seat, placed the book he had been holding on the table, and followed her outside.
"Young Master, wait."
Elyon stopped. The governess returned to the room and picked up a small doll from the sofa.
"You forgot your toy."
The child looked at the doll.
"I wasn't playing with it."
"I know. But it was beside you."
"I was reading."
"I know, but..."
The old woman gave him a small smile.
"Just take it with you."
The child looked at her for a moment before taking the doll from her hand.
"All right."
The elderly governess bathed the child thoroughly, and when she finished and began drying his hair, she asked enthusiastically,
"Young Master, what would you like to eat today?"
"Today?"
"You turned five today. If there is anything in particular you would like, just tell me."
"All right."
The governess pressed her lips together and finished drying his hair. She watched the child return to his usual seat when—
The child placed his book down again when a maid brought him a cup of hot chocolate milk.
"Drink it slowly. It's hot..."
"All right."
Elyon placed the cup on the edge of the open balcony and began watching it. The blue sky was less cloudy today, and the ice had completely melted. He looked toward the lake. Its surface seemed to glitter more brightly than usual.
Then his eyes settled on someone sitting by the lake, looking relaxed as he read a book.
It was a boy.
Elyon studied him for a moment. His hair was black, and from the reflection on the lake, it was clear that his eyes were ruby red. They had begun to glimmer like the lake.
No...
They seemed even brighter.
"He looks like me..."
The child murmured under his breath, but the boy sitting below turned in his direction.
Without thinking, Elyon hurried down while remaining hidden, and his sudden movement seemed to have caused his cup to fall.
When he looked back, there was no one there.
Elyon pursed his lips and sighed...
He remained like that for another half hour until his maid returned to collect the cup.
When the table before the child was empty, she stared at him for a moment.
"Young Master."
"It fell from here. I'm sorry."
When he pointed out where it had fallen, relief washed over her. No one ever walked through that area.
"All right. It's fine. Shall I bring you another cup?"
"No..."
---
The servant prepared an extravagant dinner filled with delicious, colorful dishes.
Elyon did not look at the food. He simply sat quietly, just as his governess had taught him...
"The servants prepared many dishes you will like."
"Thank you..."
Elyon began eating the food his governess placed before him without even looking at what it contained.
When he finished, a beautiful, medium-sized cake was placed before him. He did exactly as his governess had asked.
He blew out the candles and ate a piece of cake. He even accepted the dolls the servants gave him, thanking them politely.
Despite the governess's excitement over arranging such a special dinner, Elyon paid no attention to any of it...
The following morning...
After finishing his breakfast, Elyon's feet carried him instinctively toward the balcony. He sat in his usual chair.
This time, he decided to hide properly so the boy would not see him.
One hour passed.
Then two.
Elyon furrowed his brow for a moment when he finally saw the boy walking toward his usual spot.
A faint tickle stirred in Elyon's chest, but he ignored it and continued quietly watching the boy.
The boy seemed strange to Elyon. Sometimes he yawned, and every now and then, he made odd little noises...
Elyon wanted to see more of the boy's expressions.
So he stopped hiding.
He knelt on the balcony, gripping the railing without blinking.
"Young Master!"
"Ah..."
Elyon looked at his governess with wide eyes. The sight made the woman's mind freeze for a moment before she asked with a strained smile,
"Would you like a cup of milk?"
Elyon was silent for a moment, his eyes flickering toward the lake to see whether the boy was still sitting there.
When he confirmed that the boy had not moved, he opened his mouth.
"Yes, please."
The governess's eyes widened further. She nodded and left.
Elyon breathed a sigh of relief and looked back toward the same spot.
But this time, the boy seemed to have finished reading. He had placed his book over his face and stretched out on the grass beside the lake.
Elyon pursed his lips for a moment and rested his hands against his cheeks as he thought.
'What is this boy doing here? Who is he, anyway? Why does he have the same eyes as me and the same color hair?..'
Countless questions swirled through the little boy's mind.
---
No one working in the South Tower would have imagined seeing the ever-obedient young master complain.
The maid stood helplessly when he positioned himself between her and the balcony.
"Young Master, I need to clean it now."
"No. Not now."
The maid glanced at the governess for a moment before furrowing her brows and asking anxiously,
"When may I?"
Elyon paused and thought for a moment. Then his eyes caught sight of a large clock.
"Ah. When the little hand reaches there."
The maid and the governess both turned toward the clock.
"One o'clock..."
"When the sun is hot..."
The governess stared at the child before sighing.
"Very well, as the Young Master commands."
Elyon clenched his hand in front of him, then brought it back behind him.
When everyone had left, Elyon approached the door of his room and made sure it was properly locked before returning to his seat.
He looked up at the cloudy sky.
Before he could sit down, raindrops began to fall, one after another.
His clothes slowly grew damp, but he continued watching the area.
He had been hoping the boy would come.
More than two weeks had passed, and the boy had not missed a single day...
Elyon looked toward the dark clouds as the rain soaked him completely.
"Is it because of the rain?"
The child stared one last time toward the boy's usual spot before stepping back.
He remained standing there for a while, until the maid opened the room and found the child standing in the middle of it, staring at the balcony with empty eyes.
The maid swallowed dryly and brought a towel to place over the little boy's head.
"Young Master, why did you let yourself get soaked like this? You'll catch a cold."
"I'm sorry..."
'Will he get sick if he gets wet in the rain? Maybe that's why he didn't come...'
"What?!"
Elyon muttered the words so quietly that they were almost inaudible, leaving the maid to dry him and change his clothes...
---
Three rainy days passed, and Elyon's gloomy expression was one the servants had never seen before.
"I've never seen him like this."
"He has the same question. When will the rain stop?"
The maid rested her hand beneath her cheek and said dramatically,
"Has the Young Master finally begun to realize who he is?"
"Please. I don't think that's the reason... He probably just keeps staring at the garden."
"Is there something there?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen anything..."
The maid pouted in disappointment before picking up the tray carrying the child's breakfast and quietly making her way to the third floor of the tower.
She passed several large windows before reaching the child's room.
"Young Master, your breakfast..."
The child sighed, set his book aside, and approached the dining table.
The maid thought for a moment before saying,
"The sky looks clear. I don't think it will rain again until evening..."
Elyon lifted his head and stared at the maid with wide eyes.
She nodded.
That was enough for Elyon to finish his breakfast quickly.
He nearly choked on a piece of bread before the maid hurriedly gave him some water.
After finishing his meal, Elyon gathered his books and sat on the balcony.
He knew it was still early.
When the clock's hand reached eleven, the boy would come.
Elyon began to think the clock was broken. Its hands seemed to move unbearably slowly.
He looked at the clock again.
The hands had settled on eleven fifteen.
He stared intently at the lake.
And just before he lost hope completely, the boy appeared.
Elyon nearly fell from the balcony in his eagerness to get closer, but he stopped himself.
The boy's face was much paler than before.
Even his lips were almost white.
His face seemed less radiant.
Elyon placed a hand over his chest.
He felt something pressing down on it...
The ache remained the entire time Elyon watched the boy.
The boy's movements and reactions seemed quieter than usual...
The next day, the boy's complexion had returned to normal.
He was reading one of the books aloud, pronouncing complicated words. Sometimes he repeated certain sentences before moving on to others.
Elyon looked at the writing in his own book.
The words were large and simple, and there were several pictures throughout it.
The boy's book, on the other hand, barely contained any pictures at all, and the words were written in tiny print.
Elyon thought that perhaps words became smaller when you grew taller.
He went back to listening to the boy.
He even memorized most of the words.
Days passed.
The boy continued coming to the same place, until it became ordinary for the servants to see Elyon sitting on the balcony for around two hours, perhaps a little more.
It rained only once after that.
But even though the child's eyes were always fixed upon the balcony, he continued reading the new words aloud...
Elyon never realized that two months had passed since the boy first came to that place.
---
The sun was shining beautifully, so Elyon had no doubt that the boy would come.
At the usual time, Elyon sat waiting.
One hour.
Two.
Until the maid approached.
"It is time for lunch, Young Master."
"Isn't it early?"
"It's half past one."
Elyon pursed his lips and went to eat.
Even then, he occasionally paused to glance toward the lake.
But there was no use...
All day long, Elyon kept thinking:
'Why didn't he come today?'
The next day, Elyon waited as usual.
He looked at the clock.
It was half past eleven.
Elyon left his book on the sofa and quietly slipped out of the room.
Elyon had never left the third floor before.
Or, more precisely, he had never ventured beyond the rooms he was accustomed to...
He quietly descended the tower, avoiding the servants.
There were not many of them anyway.
When he finally reached the outer gate, he found two guards standing before it.
Something told him not to go outside in front of them.
He moved his head from side to side and noticed a small window.
He approached it and looked through.
It opened into the guards' resting room.
Because of his small size, Elyon was able to squeeze through it and emerge from the room.
For the first time, he felt the sun's rays directly against his skin.
He stepped onto the grass.
The air smelled different.
He felt as though the light itself were swallowing him.
His mind went blank for a moment, but then he remembered why he had come out.
He looked toward the balcony.
Then toward the lake.
'He comes from there...'
Once he had determined his destination, he hurried forward.
Before he could get past the South Tower, he caught sight of several people.
'Their clothes look like the guards'...'
He hid behind one of the bushes and waited for them to pass.
But when he stood up, he froze in place.
"So the hiding cat has finally come out."
Elyon swallowed and turned toward the voice.
For a moment, his mind stopped working.
Yet he felt as though the fist that had been tightly gripping his heart had finally loosened...
It was the boy he had been searching for.
The boy smiled when Elyon failed to answer. He reached over and patted the child's head, brushing away the leaves caught in his hair.
"Elyon, right?"
Elyon nodded.
He had already known his own name, but no one had ever called him by it before.
So he looked uncertain about what he was supposed to do...
Damian laughed heartily at the sight of Elyon's wide eyes and tightly closed lips.
He lowered himself until they were at eye level.
"I'm Damian. I'm your older brother."
The governess had taught Elyon about family—brothers, fathers, and mothers—but he had never seen any of them before...
"Don't you have any other expression? You have to answer me..."
Damian's little frown was adorable rather than annoyed.
Elyon finally spoke, repeating the words exactly.
"I... I'm Elyon..."
Damian laughed with his eyes closed, barely managing to contain himself.
He lowered himself onto one knee and placed something in Elyon's hand.
"It's a gift to celebrate our first meeting..."
When Elyon opened his hand, he found two biscuits.
He stared at them, then looked at Damian.
The boy smiled.
His smile was warmer than the sunlight.
"You have to eat them. They're delicious..."
Elyon put the biscuits into his mouth.
They were much sweeter than the sweets made in the tower.
But to Elyon, the boy's smile seemed even sweeter...
"They're sweet..."
Damian laughed, the traces of his earlier laughter still lingering in his voice.
"Did you like them?"
"Huh?!"
"You liked them. They suited your taste..."
Elyon's expression remained blank, causing Damian to narrow his eyes at him before asking enthusiastically,
"If I asked you whether you'd rather have more of these or the sweets you get up there, which would you choose?"
Elyon tilted his head, but answered,
"They're very sweet, but I'll eat them."
He put the other biscuit into his mouth.
His cheek puffed out adorably, making Damian gently press it with his finger.
"You're so cute..."
Elyon tilted his head, his clear eyes shining as he looked at his brother.
Damian's eyes curved into an even brighter smile...
---
"How do you do it?"
"It's a secret... Shh."
"Come on!"
The child's frown only made Damian want to tease him more.
He placed both hands on the little boy's head and ruffled his hair while laughing.
Elyon slipped away from him and stood with his brows furrowed and his hands clasped together.
"I won't stay with you."
Damian fell silent for a moment.
Then he stood as well and hugged Elyon.
"I'm sorry."
Damian pulled back slightly.
He had felt Elyon's limbs stiffen.
With raised brows and wide eyes, he looked at his little brother.
"Elyon, are you all right?"
Elyon nodded like a rusty machine.
Damian's expression grew serious.
"Are you still angry with me?"
"No."
"Then why didn't you hug me?"
"Huh?"
Damian stared at his brother for a moment before hugging him again and gently patting his back.
"You're my little brother, Elyon. I love you very much, so I hug you."
Elyon's hands, gripping his brother's jacket, remained stiff.
But Damian continued gently patting his brother's back.
"Don't hesitate to hug the people you love."
"What does love mean?"
Damian's eyes widened.
He grabbed Elyon by the shoulders.
In his entire life, he had never expected to hear such a question from a five-year-old.
He stared directly into his brother's eyes.
"What? You don't know?"
"I haven't read it in any book."
Elyon shook his head.
Damian tapped his forehead and sighed.
"It's something you don't learn from books."
Elyon's eyes filled with interest.
Damian patted his little brother's head, and the two sat down again.
This time, Damian kept hold of his brother's hand.
"Which would you choose? Sitting with me, sitting with your servants, or being alone..."
Elyon thought for a moment.
Before, sitting alone had been more comfortable for him.
The servants would interrupt his reading...
But then watching Damian had made his heart beat faster.
And now, his heart was beating even faster.
He wanted to hurry downstairs to see him...
"You. I want to sit with you."
Damian's smile widened.
Then he quickly frowned and poked Elyon's cheek with his finger.
"Call me by my name. Or call me Brother."
"All right."
The quick answer only made Damian furrow his brows more deeply.
"Do you want to call me what I told you to, or are you simply too obedient?"
Elyon froze.
He truly did not know how to answer.
He was afraid of giving the wrong answer.
No...
He simply did not know the answer.
Damian looked at his brother's cheek and gently patted it.
"Maybe I hurt you. I'm sorry... I just want you to do what you like."
Elyon nodded, staring intently at his brother as Damian gently patted his head.
Damian noticed a nearby maid and spoke while keeping his eyes level with hers.
"When you need me, call for me. I'll come to you anytime..."
"How?"
"I'm a genius mage. Don't worry."
The corner of Elyon's lips lifted instinctively.
The corners of Damian's eyes trembled.
"See you..."
Damian headed toward the main palace, waving to the little boy.
Elyon hesitated for a long while before finally raising his hand.
But Damian did not see it...
Elyon looked at his hands.
Then he hugged himself and gently patted his own shoulders for a moment.
He lowered his hands and shook his head.
...... To be continued ......