Content Warning: Dark themes. Read cautiously.

Once Liam left the room, Yusha lay on the bed, curling into a ball. Slowly, he caressed his hand over his stomach, trying to sense any source of life. It was still early, and surely the child hadn’t grown enough yet.

But he knew the life inside was not one he wanted to end. He didn’t have the right to. It was precious. His sole family in this world. The only person who would share the same as him.

When he shut his eyes, memories of his past began flooding in, like snow melting once spring arrived. But this one was an unfortunate feeling, unlike the one people felt at the end of winter—the cold and chilling season that kept people trapped in their houses during strong snowstorms.

***

A dark room. A repulsive scent that never left the small space, clinging to the walls, to their skin, to their breath. Countless people chained, bony, their skin stretched tight, wearing just enough clothing to hide their private parts.

Yusha was sitting in a corner while some were eating. He simply stared at the bread, saliva dripping from his mouth, the ache in his stomach twisting painfully.

He was not often given food because he was an omega. Those who took care of the place didn’t value omegas enough to feed them every day. They would kill them in the name of punishment if they could.

Not that they had never beaten up the omegas who wouldn’t let them have their way, touching their bodies.

But Yusha was a quick learner. He knew how to keep his mouth shut, to never speak unless asked. After all, he had grown in this hell. He didn’t know anything else.

If he was lucky, he would get an extra piece of bread because he cleaned the courtyard where buyers came to choose a slave to bring along with them. Or when those men touched him as they wished and he didn’t make a sound, as if he were dead.

Sometimes, he wished to be one of those who left this hell with their masters. And sometimes, he was grateful he wasn’t—mostly when he saw them return with bruised faces, broken arms and legs, or even their corpses being dragged back inside. Each time, his stomach tightened, unsure whether to envy them or pity them.

However, life never went as one wished. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

A day came when he was bought by a man. He wore a mask, like any other buyer, but this time, Yusha prayed to the Gods, if they existed, for this to be the last time he would suffer. Hopefully, this person would end his misery–unalive him—set him free from this cruel world.

When they reached a mansion, Yusha’s eyes widened. He had never dreamed of such a place. It was bright, unlike the dark cell in which he was kept for... he didn’t know for how long. Light hurt his eyes, and for a moment, he wondered if it was real.

He was brought inside, and the chains were opened, setting him free. It was the first time he was allowed to wander around. A maid was ordered to attend to his wounds, and the sensation of the cold ointment made him jolt every single time. He insisted on being the one to put it on, but the maid kindly refused.

When Yusha glanced toward the mirror, he noticed the horror in her eyes. But he couldn’t understand why.

A few days passed. That man didn’t visit him, and he was trained to become a servant by the same maid who attended to his wounds. He couldn’t understand why. Wasn’t he brought here to... serve his master? Meanwhile, he had learned his master’s name, one he knew very well he would never be allowed to call out: Count Liam.

And one day, he met the man again. This time, he didn’t wear a mask, but his scent remained the same, like sweet peaches. He didn’t know of that fruit until a few days ago. The maid told him he could have some. Although he was uncertain if he was truly allowed to, he brought them to his room, keeping them safe.

"M-Master," Yusha said, his voice shaky.

Liam looked his way, waiting for him to continue, arms folded.

Yusha froze, sensing the gaze on him—it was not sharp or threatening, but calm and distant.

"Are you mad at me?"

The taller man tilted his head, as if he didn’t understand what Yusha was saying.

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"Then why... didn’t you do anything to me?"

For a moment, Liam’s mind raced, trying to figure out what he meant. Then it clicked in his mind.

This man meant why didn’t he do what these slaves were taught to do. He sighed, shaking his head.

"I brought you here so that once you got better, I could ask you more about that place."

Yusha blinked.

"But you went there. They sell products."

"Products?" Liam scoffed. "Do you mean people, like you?"

Suddenly, there was a shift in his voice. The air filled with a heavy wave of alpha pheromones, almost choking Yusha’s lungs.

"Yes..."

"You clearly aren’t a product. You are a person."

Yusha’s heart raced, and he looked up, his cheeks flushed. It was the first time he was acknowledged as a person—not just a slave.

And maybe that was when he fell in love with him. That one phrase had changed his whole perspective on life. The world didn’t appear so cruel anymore. And he surely didn’t want to return to that place as a corpse.

After that day, Yusha worked harder in order to obtain a position where he could be closer to Liam.

Once, he was interrogated about who the owner was, those who worked for that person by Liam. Yusha replied without hesitation.

And not even a month later, news of the long-running slave shop burning down spread across the mansion.

It took him a few years before he finally became one of Liam’s personal attendants, serving at his side. It felt like a dream come true—walking behind him, preparing his clothes, hearing his voice every morning. Sometimes, he caught himself smiling without realizing it.

However, not all dreams brought happiness. The closer he stood, the clearer everything became. From a few steps away, he watched Liam lean toward a woman, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, his voice soft in a way Yusha had never heard directed at him.

His hands would freeze for a brief moment, the tray trembling slightly, though his face remained expressionless like he had been taught. Inside, something cracked quietly, so quietly he wondered if he imagined it.

He had worked so hard to stand by Liam’s side, only to realize that being close meant seeing exactly where he did not belong.