Another year has passed and the master has fallen ill. For weeks, he hasn’t left his bed that made the entire family worried. His cousins included.

“Aren’t you going to come with us?” Chanhee asked Niel. They were about to leave to pay their sick cousin a visit and see to his condition.

“I don’t wanna step into that place again, please understand.” Niel said in a low voice.

“You are not a slave here, Niel. We can’t force you to do the things you don’t want to. Of course we understand.” Byunghun said.

“Thank you. I’ll be hoping for your safe return.”

--------

“Niel. Do you have Niel with you?”

“Why?”

Minsoo laughed despite his condition.

“I’m gonna die soon, cousin. At least let me apologize to the boy I have sinned the most.”

“You admit of wronging him?” Changhyun asked. Minsoo nodded.

“Wow, you really must be dying.” Jonghyun said. Byunghun hit him on the stomach. Minsoo laughed.

“Cousin. Can you send him, please? If I die before apologizing to the boy, I will haunt you.” Chanhee laughed.

--------

“I don’t wanna go!” Niel strongly objected. “I told you already.”

“This isn’t a command but a request, Niel. We do saved your life. Can’t you help us save our cousin’s?”

“Save him? How can my going to his castle save him?”

“Oh, you don’t know, Niel. But please do this in our favor.” Byunghun pleaded.

“If it was anyone of you, or your household, I would gladly offer my life. But for him? Never!” That was his final words before blacking out.

--------

“Hey, are you sure this is all right?” Changhyun asked in a hushed tone.

“Of course it is.” Chanhee answered.

“How is this all right? You knocked him out and now we are carrying him back to cousin Minsoo’s castle even though we know how much he is against it!” Jonghyun interjected.

“Shut up! Do you want your cousin to get well or not?” Byunghun hissed.

“I do. But how is Niel going to help him?” Changhyun asked.

“Oh, you don’t know the power of love.” Byunghun smiled.

“The power of what?” The two younger cousins asked in unison.

--------

Niel is having a nightmare. He’s back in the master’s castle. Terror crept inside him and he quickly got up to run away. He recognized his master’s bedroom and saw his master lying on the bed. Niel walked towards him and stare down at his face. His gaunt and pale face, and as easily as that, Niel knows that his master is dying.

Great! This nightmare has turned into a beautiful dream! He walked closer and closer until he find himself staring at his master’s face so close he could count his pores. Somehow, he pitied his master. He’s a young lord who lived his life trying to please his father who doesn’t seem to see good in anything. It must’ve been difficult for him. But that doesn’t give him the right to treat people like trash. He pulled back and continue to look down on his former master who then started to move from his bed. He opened his eyes and looked at Niel who doesn’t seem as surprised as him.

“Niel! You’re here!”

Wow! This dream seems so real! Niel thrilled.

“Yes. I’m here to see you die.” Niel said coldly. He feels so superior in this dream. He never would’ve thought this chance would come that he could lord over his master. Niel likes it. He likes it very much.

The master frown. He doesn’t like that words he heard from his former servant. “What? You came all the way here for that?”

“Of course! I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“I understand. But before I die, I wanna ask for forgiveness.”

“Hah! Certainly what dying people say.”

“I wanna apologize for all the things I did to you but I also want you to remember the good things I did for you.”

“Good things? Are there even one?”

“See? You have forgotten. Good thing you come here so I can remind you.”

“Go on then, remind me.”

The master cleared his throat before continuing on. “When you came into the house, you were so small. Your father sold you to my father but my father doesn’t want a sick looking boy in the house. He ordered you killed but I begged him not to. Instead, I asked that he give you to me as my servant. He laughed but gave in anyway. That’s one.” The master paused. The servant is shocked at the revelation.

“When you were seven, you broke your ankle when you fall down the stairs. Still injured, a hound attacked you but you couldn’t run. I carried you on my back and run to a nearest guard I could find to stop the hound from chasing us. That’s two.”

“When you were fifteen.” Minsoo started, Niel gritted his teeth. “That was the first time I asked you to come to my bed. You hate me then, and I know you hate me now because of that. But now I want you to know that I also did that to save you.”

“To save me?” Niel’s eyes are burning in anger.

“Yes. To save you. You can tell that my family is rotten because they told me they would take you from me and sell you to more savage men if I don’t prove to them that you are my property. That also means bedding you.”

“How is it better than selling me to those savages?”

“What are you talking about? If those savages get you, they would you nonstop until you fall and die.”

Niel squinted his eyes but say no more.

“And then the bear. See? I did good things to you too, but I know I did far more bad things that the good will never be enough to pay for them.”

“I will never forgive you.”

“I know.”Minsoo laughed a bitter one.

“Even your life couldn’t pay for it. For the pain and suffering.” Niel is crying by this time. How can this dream feel so real?

“Even my life? Ah, that’s sad. And here I thought my life would be enough.” Minsoo said with deeply sad eyes.

Niel remained silent.

“I know it’s only my death that would free you from the horror that you experienced here. And so, I decided to save you one more time. I drank poison to show you just how sincere I am at asking for your forgiveness. I drank the type which would make the victim suffer for a month, slowly dying inside, to pay for my sins to you. That’s the only thing I can think of to make you feel happy.” This time, Minsoo is crying.

Niel found himself crying as well though he doesn’t know why.

“Why?”

Minsoo laughed.

“Why?”

Minsoo looked him in the eyes. “Because I love you.”

________________________________________________________________

A/N: Can you guess the part where I cried silly? *sniffs sniffs*