CHAPTER 2: Foreigner

Just like what the headmaid told him the other day, Ekiel woke up earlier than the usual time he does. With all the courage he collected, he managed to bathe on the cold water and finally got dressed on simple outfits that is suitable for horse riding.

Ekiel hurriedly run down the hall after peeking on the window where the sun was slowly rising from the horizon. Excitement bubbled on his chest thinking of seeing a fairy on the stables playing with his horse.

As soon as he exited the mansion, he finally started to run, letting the cold breeze kissing his exposed skin as his messy navy blue hair danced, fluttering against the wind.

"Good morning, young master Ekiel. Is something wrong?"

"Ah!"

A young servant asked after noticing Ekiel's prescence behind them as they plowed on the land, readying to plant another vegetable on the soil. Ekiel abruptly stopped from his running and watched the young servant in surprise, not thinking that someone already had woke up earlier than him.

"N-nothing!" Ekiel answered as he tried to maintain his calm posture despite his surprised face.

"Im so sorry for scaring you—"

"Im...! Im not scared!" Ekiel immediately denied and continued to say things that he himself was having a hard time composing the words properly.

"In thay case, I shall continue my work here. Again, I apologize—"

Without hearing any more, Ekiel waved him off as he felt himself dying in embarassment.

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As Ekiel found himself running near the stables, he gradually slowed his pace in running and tried to be more quiet as he can in order to scare of the fairy who he assumed just got back from their adventure on the field.

At the back of the huge house where horses were all inside, Ekiel peeked his head to see his horse standing in a calm demeanor and...

A figure of a boy at his age with gray locks was playing with Din's mane.

"???"

Ekiel's excitement immediately turned into confusion as he recalled the fairy's appearance that he heard from the servants.

Fairies are small, literally small, they have wings, stardusts and...unique hair color.

But all Ekiel saw was a figure of another boy with a unique hair color.

And what's more: Din was calm when the boy continued to play with his mane. Originally, Din would kick someone who would attempt to touch him aside from Ekiel and Adam, the caretaker of the horses.

"Wait, why am I calling Din a horse when he's just a pony all these time?"

"Is someone there?"

Ekiel's thoughts vanished as the other boy turned his back, revealing a face of a foreigner from the other country. Aside from its noticeable hair color, its eyes was really black like the abyss and its fair skin almost white as a ladies' as if it was really taken care more delicately.

Ekiel blinked.

The boy in front of him was completely human, but why this boy really looked like a fairy but with no wings?

Ekiel never noticed the way he slowly revealed himself at the boy who now looked at him with cautious eyes. The boy stepped back twice, as his eyes was full of... anxiety?

"Ah– I mean, I wont hurt you..." Ekiel rambled as he raised both of his hands in the air, trying to reassure the foreign boy.

"...."

"A-actually, Din is my pony... w-we are bestfriends."

"Din?"

"My pony. That pony." Ekiel said as he pointed at the pony beside the foreigner.

"Oh..."

Ekiel gulped and looked at the boy who finally stopped playing with Din's mane.

"I-im Ekiel Ulyss by the way.. the first son of Baron Ulyss."

"Ah. Did I perhaps...trespassed your territory?" The boy asked as he moved himself away from the pony.

"N-no— I mean, yes–but no. Uh,," Ekiel rumbled as heat pooled on his face. He looked at the other boy once again only to find himself getting more flustered than before.

Before he knew it, he ran away.

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"Are you okay, young master Kiel?" Yor, the headmaid asked when she found the boy lying on the bed with a sullen face. Yor softly placed the basen full of warm water at the empty table and dismissed the other maids for the moment to talk to him.

"I saw..." Ekiel muttered as he burriwd his face in the sheets.

"...The fairy?"

"...a boy." Ekiel answered as he sat up to fave Yor revealing his flushed face. Yor gasped in surprise seeing the boy's face and smiled softly.

"He... looked like a fairy, Yor." Ekiel spoke once again and looked outside the window. "He had gray hair and... Din is fond of him."

"Oh, so are you jealous that Din is also fond with that kid?"

"N-no, of course!"

"Then..?"

"...the boy looked pretty." Ekiel said as his face reddens once again.

"Oh?"

Yor can only look at him with a hint of amusement on her gaze as she continues to look at the flushed boy beside him. This boy, who only thought of becoming a nice and a good Baron like his outstanding father and clearly wasn't interested in any girls who had been introduced at him before was now blushing talking about this new boy.

As Ekiel grew, things had become more interesting and adorable. Now Yor wonders if the future Ekiel will still act like this, too.

It'd be too bad if this flustered Ekiel will not stay until this boy undergoes puberty. And, Yor wanted to tease the boy in the future if he becomes an adult like them.

Thoughts aside, Yor couldn't help but smile. If only the Baroness Luca could see this, she'd squeal in happiness.

Unfortunately, though...

"What else, young master Kiel?"

"I run away..." This time, the atmosphere around Ekiel turned sullen as the boy frowned.

Yor chuckled.

"Dont worry, young master Kiel. That is just because you haven't seen any other kids at your age after 5 months." Yor said softly.

"Really?"

"Of course. Then, at your debut on your 15th birthday, you'll meet tons of kids at your same age too."

Ekiel blinked, Yor smiled.

"Then... what do you think of having friends with him?"