The evening sun dipped below the horizon, but inside my estate, the atmosphere was anything but relaxing.
I was frantically pacing back and forth across the grand foyer.
"Lily! Did you check the roast? Is the tea prepared? The high-grade leaves, not the everyday ones!"
"Y-Yes, Boss! It's simmering perfectly!" Lily squeaked, furiously scrubbing a spot on the marble floor that was already shining like a mirror.
Beside her, Alicia was also meticulously dusting the banister for the fourth time.
Standing quietly in the corner, observing this absolute spectacle of panic, was Nero.
The ten-year-old boy watched with deep bewilderment. Having been a beggar on the filthy streets since he could remember, and then sold as a slave just for a scrap of bread, all Nero had ever known was misery and cruelty. He had heard the horrifying rumors from other slaves—that some eccentric nobles bought young kids just to toy with them until they broke. When he was purchased, he had lost all hope.
