The sound of clinking metal in the distance made Luhan’s eyes flutter open and the hunger that was kept at bay by his slumber was suddenly back at full force, making Luhan wince at the feeling.

It had been a week since he was found out and taken away from his family, his last memory of his mother weeping and getting smaller as the carriage he left on went further and further away from his house. Despite his hunger from not eating for two days, it was numbed by the memory of his mother looking so frail and broken the last time they saw each other.

The country Luhan lived in had a strange system where a third son was not allowed due to the imbalance between males and females within the nation. Too many males meant fighting for women was common and the disruption was not a pretty sight. The day Luhan turned 8, he realised why he was always hidden whenever government officials came by to check on his family, their land or farm. Despite the guise of ‘hide-and-seek’, it was a life or death situation for Luhan’s family.

Gritting his teeth, Luhan fought back the tears welling up in his eyes as the bellowing voice of the slave trader rung in the big, dark room where Luhan and several other slaves were kept in individual cages.

“!” the slave trader yelled, as he loomed over one of the cages. Luhan only knew him as Rip and his tall, bloated frame obstructed Luhan’s view over what he was angry about. “Another one’s dead! These new ones are so weak!”

“Relax, we have 12 more of them to sell off today. It’ll cover,” another man said in a relaxed tone as he lit up a cigarette. He was skinnier and more sullen looking than Rip but from what Luhan noticed, he was the manager of this whole business.

Luhan watched carefully as the skinnier man who was only referred to as Nolan by the other traders began walking around the room, studying the ones in the cage like they were exotic animals being chosen for slaughter.

Luhan’s felt sick to his stomach because he had heard stories about what happens to boys that get caught by these people. Most end up becoming slaves to rich nobles, men and women alike, while others became a torture dummy for grotesque tests by demented people. None of those options were appealing in any way to Luhan and he wished he could’ve died just like the one in cage number 3.

Nolan passed by the cages on Luhan’s left tapping them twice as he kept moving as if looking for something specific. Luhan wished Nolan would just pass him by and choose someone else, because outside of this place there were worse things than starvation.

Luhan kept his head down when he realised Nolan had stopped in front of his cage and was facing in his direction based on how his knee caps were in front of Luhan’s face. The sudden crouching movement jolted Luhan in surprise making him have direct eye contact with the person he didn’t want to see.

“Aren’t you a pretty thing? What’s this one’s name, Rip?” Nolan asked, a calm smile donning his face, making Luhan’s blood freeze.

Rip opened a dark brown leather folder and started skimming through the papers before stopping at a page. “Luhan… 16 years old… Third son of the Callalie Farm owner in the Eastern town… .”

“Fantastic!” Nolan exclaimed. “Based on his face and hair colour alone, he would’ve fetched a huge price but a ?” Nolan emphasized the last word before letting out a satisfied laugh. “We are going drinking tonight for sure, Rip! Take him out there!”

Luhan knew better than to retaliate, scream or hit these people. Despite wanting to die, Luhan still wanted to live more. He wanted to be with his family, he wanted to have back his days playing with his brothers, he wanted to help out at the farm and pass his days by just like that. Was that so wrong? Why did third sons become the embodiment of a curse?

Luhan bit his lower lip to contain his fear as he got dragged out of his cage, making his entire body ache from being cooped up in that place without a moment to stretch besides the occasional toilet break that was allowed. The doors leading outside opened and the sunlight sent a sharp pain into his eyes and the cold wind make him scrunch his bare shoulders tightly in a futile effort to deflect the discomfort that came with such low temperatures.

There were whistles and shouts coming from the crowd below the stage Luhan was led to, mostly coming from commoners, yet Luhan noticed some leery eyes from the nobles present as well. His hands automatically covered his bare front, not wanting the people below the stage to stare at him when he was at his most bare form. It was embarrassing and degrading, yet all Luhan could do was glare at the floorboards. Raising his eyes to meet the crowd, he strengthened his resolve to give the message through a steeled gaze that showed he wasn’t going to be easily broken.

On a gravel road leading towards the capital city, Oh Sehun took in the views of the vast plains that stretched on endlessly, thinking of nothing in particular before the view changed abruptly into the entrance of the capital then soon after, the bustling market.

“We’re finally here! My bum was getting worn out,” an irritated yet excited butler by the name of Do Kyungsoo stated. “I will gather the items we need for the mansion quickly, my lord. Please enjoy your time in the capital.”

With a curt nod, Do Kyungsoo was off the carriage with Oh Sehun coming down after him. Dressed in all black suit covered with a navy blue coat adorned with silver detailing, complete with a top hat, Oh Sehun captured the attention of many, for despite the plain outfit he chose to keep a low profile, his aura and cold demeanour could not be ignored and mistaken.

The eldest son of the only Duke family in the nation, one of the crown prince’s closest friend and the top scoring scholar with an exam mark that has been unbeatable even after finishing his education 3 years ago.

“Isn’t that Oh Sehun?” a passer-by whispered, making Sehun feel a clench in his torso from discomfort.

“It is! He is gorgeous in real life,” the friend of the passer-by stated, making Sehun move his pace a little faster.

Despite his aloof appearance, Oh Sehun felt uncomfortable when others spoke about him from afar. Whether it was a compliment or them cursing him out, he would feel very nervous and would make a hasty move to avoid hearing it, though to others it seemed like he was above all the comments that were said.

Oh Sehun breathed a soft sigh of relief when he was far away from the area where nobles shopped and found himself in a less extravagant part of the city. Walking aimlessly, he was surprised to see a crowd of people near what appeared to be a bar and unknowingly made his way forward until he reached the back area of the crowd.

“This fine young lad came from the Eastern town. Take a look at his face, everyone! He’s a fine specimen who unluckily is the third son of a farming family,”
a skinny man who reminded Sehun of a starved grim reaper announced in a loud, confident voice. “Given his looks, age and the fact that he is pure and untouched, the starting price will be 10 gold coins!”

The crowd gasped at the price and also made Oh Sehun’s left eyebrow raise up slightly. He couldn’t get a good look at the poor boy that was being sold, but he knew no slave was worth that much, despite how he looked.

“10 gold coins here!” a tall man who seemed to be a nobleman with white hair yelled out.

Sehun gritted his teeth because despite being a noble himself, he really hated these slave auctions. His family may own them but he himself couldn’t buy another’s freedom just for his own entertainment. He just couldn’t understand all of it.

“Yah, what are you going to do with another slave, you rascal,” a man near the white haired one said in a whisper, but Sehun could hear it a bit.

Sehun saw a smirk form on the man’s face and it made Sehun give him a dirty look without meaning to. “Break him, of course.”

This ignited laughter from the other man. “You’re really something. After all of the slaves you’ve bought, I can’t believe you’re still at it.”

“Look at him. I can’t pass up someone that looks so determined not to be bought.”

Sehun felt his left hand clench into a fist, before turning his head away to leave the place that harboured these disgusting people. Steadying his breath after taking a few steps away, he took a peek back to where the crowd was and for a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of the young, golden-haired boy on the stage who was trembling yet kept his gaze locked on the crowd.

Seeing that gaze, Sehun knew that the boy wasn’t someone who would break so easily, yet his thin frame and frail looks betrayed him. It was such a strange contrast that Sehun couldn’t help but stop in his tracks before going back to where the auction was held.

Before he could get a grip on himself, he was doing something his butler would definitely kill him for.

“50 gold coins.”

Luhan felt his heart drop at the sudden increase in price. 50 gold coins? Is this person crazy? Or is he just crazy rich?

“It’s the son of Duke Tora!” someone exclaimed, making Luhan turn his gaze to meet his new owner. He couldn’t see his face as it was obstructed by the hat he was wearing but Luhan knew a powerful man when he met one and this man was cold and dominating without even doing so much besides walking up to where he was.

Luhan instantly dropped his head to face his bare feet, feeling the rhythm of his heart race further from imagining all the horrid things that were going to happen to him that he barely heard the sound of the coins being dropped to the floor in front of Nolan. A thin fabric was draped over his body and a strong grip on either side of his shoulders knocked Luhan back to reality.

"Let's go," the man who just paid 50 gold coins for him said firmly, making Luhan nod instantly.

After walking away from the crowd and into the more posh area of the capital, Luhan felt gazes on him and the man leading him, but he had no mind to feel self-conscious when all he could think about was how to protect himself and stay alive.

Finally reaching a carriage, the man dressed in black beckoned him to get in as he opened the door. Luhan kept his gaze down, entering the carriage quickly with the man following suit.

Sitting in the carriage opposite his new master, Luhan couldn't bring himself to take a glance at the man. All he could see were his superbly polished black shoes that shone like the sea under a sunny sky.

"Your name," the man said, not bothering to form it into a question.

At this, Luhan slowly looked up to meet eyes with the man.

A defined face with slitted eyes that exuded coldness and power that was framed with short light brown hair peeking out beneath a top hat, thin lips that looked like they never quivered in fear and a piercing gaze that made Luhan clam up the moment their eyes met with each other.

The man was obviously impatient as he tapped the forefinger resting on top of his thigh at a slow pace as if keeping track of the seconds that went by.

Luhan downed some spit to enable himself to speak since he hadn't had a sip of water for almost 2 days. "Luhan."

The man's tapping stopped as he leaned forward, his face merely a few inches from Luhan's, making Luhan steel his gaze, for fear that any sudden movements would cause punishment as Luhan experienced in the slave house. Arching his left eyebrow, the man studied Luhan up and down from his face to his body, making Luhan shrink back a little into his seat.

The man finally pulled away, allowing Luhan to catch a much needed breath.

"Luhan... it suits you," the man said, without a trace of emotion, stating it as if it were fact. "I’m Sehun."