The day started like any other for Simon, yet it held a new resolve. Today, he'd finally talk to the red-ribbon girl. He planned to ask her why she kept looking at him, even during lessons. As he pondered his approach, he reached his seat in the back of the room, set down his bag, and sat. Even then, he could feel a gaze practically boring holes through him. Although she hadn't spoken to him since that day, he clearly felt that she was paying attention towards him.
Simon, a bright student, consistently outperformed his noble classmates, a fact that didn't sit well with them. Their resentment simmered until they decided to teach him a lesson.
One afternoon, as Simon left school, six classmates ambushed him, cutting off any escape. A boy, larger than the rest, approached him with a cruel smile. Simon, despite the looming threat, maintained a flat tone. "What are you guys trying to pull here? We have no grievances between us."
Without a word, the big boy punched Simon's face. Another shove from behind sent him sprawling. The group then descended upon him, a flurry of kicks and punches. Simon curled into a ball, protecting his head. Through the muffled sounds of the beating, he asked, his voice still stable, "At least tell me why you people are acting like this?" Their only response was laughter.
Then, with a sneer, the big boy spoke, "You must know your place as a servant of the pack. Your grades, better than the nobles, are putting my master and his brothers in a tough spot."
Simon, though in immense pain, remained defiant. "Why don't they work hard too then? I will not step back at all. I must work hard to secure a future for my mother and so that she'll be proud of me, even if I die, I will never stop."
His words enraged the big boy, who pulled out a large metal pipe and raised it high. Just as it was about to strike Simon, a voice cut through the air: "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
The group turned to see a girl with a red ribbon in her brown hair running towards them, an angry expression on her face. As she reached them, one of the boys lunged at her, shouting, "Stay out of it, you!"
This sent a wave of panic through the big boy. He immediately kicked the boy away and hastily bowed to the girl. "We apologize, Lady Alicia, we did not know he was someone under your wing. My master will definitely compensate you for it. I hope you will forgive us." With that, he gestured to the others, and they quickly disappeared.
Once they were out of earshot, one of the boys questioned, "Boss, why did you say that our master will compensate her when you know she's just an illegitimate daughter of the Shadowmane clan?"
The boss stopped, his voice slightly scared. "Even so, she's still a member of the Shadowmane clan, a noble clan working directly under the Alpha. We are mere pawns for our master and will get thrown away immediately if we cause him any trouble." The boy nodded silently, and they continued their journey to a house with a large garden.
Upon reaching the door, the boss greeted the guard. "Please inform Master William that David has something to report." The guard nodded and sent someone to relay the message. After a ten-minute wait, they were ushered inside.
They found William sitting on a bench under a tree, enjoying juice and sweets. With an arrogant smirk, he asked, "So, did you do it?"
David looked at his feet. "Sorry, my Lord, but Lady Alicia intervened, so we had to leave without getting the job done. And I suspect he might be someone who works for her too, because why else would she interfere?"
William slowly nodded, a small smirk playing on his lips. "You may leave. He must have learned his lesson by now, so no need to do anything else." David and the others turned and left.
As Alicia watched the boys flee, she turned her attention to Simon, who lay curled on the ground, still protecting his head. "Get up," she gently urged, extending a hand. Despite his stubborn nature, the pain was undeniable, and he took her hand, staggering to his feet. She supported him, half-dragging him back towards the school.
"Why are we back here?" he asked, wincing.
"To see the school nurse, of course," she replied with a cheery smile. "Or do you plan on going home all covered in bruises?"
They found the school nurse, a young woman with a kind smile, who immediately began tending to Simon's injuries. Alicia, meanwhile, sat quietly nearby. "So, how did you get beaten up like this?" the nurse asked.
"Nothing much, just a bunch of jealous guys," Simon mumbled. "Instead of working hard themselves, they just try to satisfy their vanity by stopping others from rising." The nurse paused, a flicker of shock on her face, before resuming her work of cleaning and bandaging his wounds.
Suddenly, Alicia spoke up. "Why don't I say that you're someone who works for me? Then even the others wouldn't dare touch you."
Simon looked up, a thoughtful expression on his bruised face. "But I don't want to serve anyone."
"You don't have to," she countered. "I'll just say you do, so they'll leave you alone. As you know, people from noble families are taught to start cultivating their own influences from a young age so they don't rely on their families too much."
Simon considered this. "Then why would you help me? As far as I know, nobles don't do something unless it brings them some kind of benefit. And I must tell you that I can't give you anything, or help you with anything either, as I don't have any power at all nor someone strong backing me."
Alicia's smile faltered, her light brown eyes growing gloomy. In a low voice, she asked, "So, you also think that I'm just like the others, huh? Though I must tell you that the reason I helped you is that I thought just maybe we could be friends. But if you don't want to, that's fine. Just be careful the next time then." She then rose and walked out the door.
Simon felt a pang of regret. He looked at the nurse. "Miss, does she have something bothering her?"
"It'd be better if she tells you herself," the nurse replied. "You're all patched up now, and I'd advise you to apologize to her. She's not a bad person." Simon nodded, thanked her, and headed outside. It was getting dark, and he knew his mother would worry. He decided to talk to Alicia tomorrow and hurried home.
He found his mother anxiously pacing outside the back door of the estate. As he approached, she looked up, almost ready to scold him, but then seeing him covered in bandages, she led him directly to their small room. She released his hand, fixed him with a hard stare, and asked, "Did I not ask you not to get into fights? But look at you now."
"Mama, I didn't fight," he explained. "It was just some kids jealous of my work, so they surrounded me and started beating me up."
Her gaze softened. "Well, avoid them as best as you can. You are the only treasure Mama has, so nothing must happen to you."
"Okay then, I'll be careful so you're not mad at me, are you?" he asked politely.
"Why would I be?" she said, ruffling his hair. "Go get cleaned up, and then we'll have dinner." While he washed up, she laid the table with leftovers from the kitchens. They then sat down to eat, after which they fell asleep curled up under the sheets.
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Sorry for the late update guys, as my exam is going to be soon so I've been working on it , once I'm done I'll try to update daily .
hope for your understanding ☺☺