As Shin heard Kali’s self-introduction, he stuttered while trying to speak his own name.

“My, my name is S-Shin.”

“Hihi, I know.”

Kali giggled happily while seeing that Shin was trying to act respectfully, but didn’t manage at all.

“Uhm…”

Shin looked at Kali curiously, wanting to ask something but didn’t dare to do so as he was afraid of the answer itself.

Shin’s conflicted look was transparent, Kali saw that Shin wanted to ask something but held himself back.

“Is there anything you want to ask me about?”

Kali asked upfront, she was more interested in what Shin wanted to ask about.

Shin’s mouth opened a little before he lowered his head again once more, blushing slightly.

Laura and Aria laughed without making a sound behind Shin, both thought how cute Shin was when lowering his head when he was shy.

Shin tried to look up once again, looking up at Kali before opening his mouth carefully, asking with a tone of anxiety.

“W-Why did they call you a…”

Shin carefully looked at Kali, seeing her not being angry yet, he closed his eyes firmly before speaking the last word.

“witch?”

Shin didn’t dare to open his eyes, he didn’t want to see Kali’s enraged at him.

But, that didn’t happen.

A loud laughter resounded throughout the whole room, it was more of a maniacal laughter.

The one who laughed was Aria.

“Hahahaha, oh my, I can’t hold back! Hahaha!”

Aria held a hand on her stomach, trying to suppress her crazy laughter.

Laura was slightly surprised by Aria’s foolish laughter, she worriedly peeked at Kali.

“Hey, haha, Kali, did you hear that? Ahahaha”

Aria’s knees became weak as she laughed like a maniac without holding back.

Kali rolled her eyes around when seeing Aria who couldn’t even control her laughter.

But, truth be told, she was on the edge of laughing out loud too.

She glared at Shin, which was still firmly closing his eyes worriedly.

Hihi, you made fun of me, let’s see how I will tease you now!

Kali smiled gleefully and stupidly while glaring at Shin in a funny manner.

Aria saw Kali’s foolish smile and could already guess what she wanted to do. She didn’t stop her and continued trying to suppress her laughter.

Kali walked closer to Shin, every step made a loud sound.

“So, you want to know why I am called a witch?”

Kali's voice carried a hint of coldness and irritation. But, her face was delightedly smiling, trying to suppress her laughter.

The voice entered Shin’s ears, his body became tense, he didn’t dare to open his eyes. He didn’t dare to speak again, he didn’t dare to even step backward towards Aria.

He just hoped that Kali wouldn’t harm him too much.

“tap tap”

Kali’s footstep came closer to Shin.

Shin’s body trembled lightly, he waited for his punishment.

“The reason”

“I am called a witch, is because.”

Shin could only hear Kali’s footsteps coming closer and her cold voice.

His body trembled, he couldn’t move anymore.

Aria saw Shin’s change and became slightly serious, she stopped laughing and worriedly looked at Shin once more.

“Because I eat small children, like you! Hihihihi”

Kali couldn’t hold it any longer, her voice turned into a laughter.

Aria sighed out of relief before smiling.

Laura smiled lightly when she heard Kali’s last sentence.

Shin, he, barely heard Kali.

He opened his eyes open, if Kali continued any longer he would have cried a river. His eyes were staring at Kali in bewilderment.

“Why?”

Shock was imbued in Shin’s voice, he was puzzled.

Tears ran down from his eyes while asking Kali, his cracked voice turned into a sobbing.

“W-Why?”

Shin asked once more with a cracking voice while the tears didn’t stop.

Aria frowned when she heard Shin’s tone.

Kali was surprised by Shin’s sudden change.

“’why’ what?”

Laura and Aria also wanted to hear what Shin wanted to ask about.

Shin looked at Kali hazily, he didn’t brush away the tears.

A voice filled with sadness resonated the large room.

“W-Why didn’t you scold me?”

“Why didn’t you hit me?”

“Why didn’t you beat me?”

“Why didn’t you punish me?!”

Shin wailed before turning over to Aria. Staring at her with eyes filled with tears.

“Why am I not being punished? Wahh”

Shin held his own body, crouching down, crying and weeping.

“Why is everyone treating me this kindly?”

“I, I’m just a beast child, I don’t know anything, I am not good with anything, why are you treating me so kindly?! Giving me food, a warm place where I can sleep, I don’t deserve anything like that!”

Shin howled out loudly, all his emotions which were inside of him rushed out.

The three which were listening was shocked beyond anything they have been through. All of them knew at least a little that Shin’s past was horrifying beyond anything they can have thought. But, they had still underestimated it greatly.

Seeing Shin’s emotions gushing out, his tears running down his face, his chaotic voice filled with sadness. It made the hearts of Laura, Aria and Kali ripple and beat faster, their breath became uneven while tears started to form in their eyes.

Kali tried to stretch her arm towards Shin before stopping, she didn’t know what to do, she felt responsible for what happened. She tried to open her mouth to speak, but not a single word came out.

Laura strongly held her tears back as she absentminded stared at the crouching Shin. Her body was frozen on the spot, she couldn’t feel her body.

Aria. She felt like gazing through hell, seeing Shin’s emotions and hearing what he said.

She knew it was weird that Shin could adapt this quickly. But, it seemed that he held everything back in his own heart.

Aria could feel her heart shatter in thousands of pieces. For Shin to act like this, only meant that what he went through made him change to the point of his mind collapsing.

She blamed herself, if only she was stronger if only they didn’t find out about him.

Shin’s hoarse voice became calmer, he stared only at Aria with hollow eyes.

“T-Tell me, why are you treating me, me who can’t do anything, kindly?”

Shin’s voice became clearer and louder as he spoke, even so, his eyes were empty.

“I’m not worth anything. I have nothing, I can’t do anything. You want to know how I survived?”

“Heh”

Shin let out a self-deprecating laughter as he continued talking.

“People enjoy treating others beneath them, they would feel better cursing on others, trampling on others, beating others.”

Shin’s skin became paler but continued on talking.

“They, they would come every night. Doing everything they wanted to do, laughed out in joy while treating me like trash for their own enjoyment. But, before they left, they would throw a piece of rotten bread at me and say, ‘Survive until tomorrow.’ Every night after they left, I ate the rotten bread with tears running down my face while hoping that it will all end one day.”

“So, tell me. I have now gotten food and a warm place to stay, when will you start tormenting me?”

Shin asked with a calm voice, as it was supposed to happen. He has already gotten used to it. Even so, tears ran down his face.

W-Why am I crying? Why am I hoping that it won’t happen? Why am I still wishing for a better life?

Aria walked towards Shin, almost falling down several times because of her unevenly steps. She was foolish before when she thought she could handle knowing what had happened to Shin. But, when he clearly stated how he lived, she couldn’t handle it anymore.

Shin watched Aria walking towards him, his eyes showing no emotion anymore. But even so, he felt slightly sad that everything will be like before.

Laura’s legs were weak, she was on the brink of collapsing on the floor. She always thought she was a strong woman who could handle anything at any time, but seeing and hearing Shin, she felt like an idiot for believing so.

Kali’s face became pale as she heard Shin calmly speak about how he was treated. She usually didn’t care about people beneath her, but, her heart was beating harder and faster when watching Shin’s devastated expression.

“Son.”

Aria was in front of Shin, looking down at him crouching on the floor. Seeing his pale skin, hollow eyes and tears running down from his face dripping on the floor.

Shin didn’t answer but continued looking at her.

Aria knelt down heavily on both of her knees making a thud sound, scraping her knees roughly on the floor.

Shin was slightly worried when he saw her collapse on the floor. Even if he knew that she would torment him, he still felt a warm bond from her. Shin held himself back from helping her, but his heart pained when he couldn’t even ask how she was.

Aria stared at Shin’s hollow eyes, she felt sorrow and sadness. Her body felt heavy, she felt her strength leave her body. Even so, she raised both of her arms up and placed them on Shin’s back, she dragged his small body into her embrace. Tears ran down her face, dripping on Shin’s cheeks.

Shin was bewildered, Shin didn’t dare to think about himself having a loving family. Because if he did and it ended up like every time else in the past, he couldn’t take it anymore and his mind would finally break.

But, there was someone who gave him warm food, a warm bed, watched him dearly and even embraced him this warmly.

He, Shin didn’t know what to do. While being with Aria and Laura, Shin had always held back, he didn’t want to get mentally hurt again.

Shin felt the warm tears which dropped from Aria’s face on his cheeks, his emotions boiled up, he tried to resist.

I, I don’t deserve anything! Why are you not just hitting me?! Why, why are you treating me like a human being?!

Shin tried to resist, he didn’t want to feel betrayed anymore.

A weak and soft voice entered Shin’s ears as he wanted to resist.

“I will never harm you… I will love you… Please, please I beg you to believe me, I will do anything for you.”

Aria’s voice became weaker and weaker, she hugged Shin in her embrace, not wanting to let go anymore.

Tears gushed out of Shin’s eyes.

“You won’t harm me like everyone else? Won't you despise me like everyone else? You, you won’t leave me like everyone else?”

Shin’s voice carried a hint of hope and self-mockery. He wished for happiness but didn’t dare to hope for it.

After he spoke, he felt being grabbed harder by Aria, feeling more tears dropping down on his face.

The warmth he’s feeling from being in Aria’s embrace and the warm tears. Shin’s body started to tremble, Shin’s mind was having a conflict with himself, he wants more warmth from Aria, but he doesn’t want to get emotionally hurt any longer.

Shin has tried for so long to not feel any emotions, but the warmth he’s feeling right now was real.

Aria’s sobbing grew louder as she hugged Shin, tears running down her face. She tried to speak, but only her mouth opened without letting a sound out beside her sobbing.

She didn’t know what to do anymore, she doesn’t know how to make Shin believe in her. She only wished to hug Shin with all her power, that’s all she wished for.

Laura nor Kali spoke, they only absent-minded looked at the mother and son on the floor sobbing and crying.

Kali was mocking herself for being thoughtless, she could clearly guess that Shin should be emotionally weak because of his body condition. But, she just had to push him over the limit which made him break.

She stared at Shin, seeing his eyes filled with way too many emotions even when he tried to not show them; despair, sadness, self-mockery, dazed and a glint of hope. Kali never knew that someone, at least this young could have this many emotions colliding each other at once.

If, if you forgive me one day, I will do anything for you, anything…

Kali promised in her heart, she, who had never looked at those weaker than her, promised to do anything for someone weak as a child.

Shin felt his strength leaving his body, listening to Aria – his mother’s sobbing was the same as a boulder crushing his heart. He had never felt something like this before, he felt regret for the first time in his life. Seeing his mother this powerless. The empress everyone talked about who was strong, seeing her fall to her knees sobbing loudly.

Aria who wanted to explain and beg her son to not leave her, couldn’t speak a single word.

Kali and Laura didn’t dare to speak nor move a single muscle.

Shin, Shin felt his body being crushed from the inside, he was questioning himself over and over again.

Why is she sobbing?

Why is she, the strong Queen so weak right now?

Why is nothing making sense to me anymore?

Why does my heart hurt so much seeing her like this?

Why… Why I want to know…

A dry, hoarse and weak voice came out of Shin’s mouth as he stared at Aria in a daze.

“W-Why?”

Aria’s weeping weakened when she heard Shin’s voice, even so, her heart became sadder when she heard his innocent, dry, hoarse and weak voice.

She stared at Shin while tears still running down her face.

Shin stared at Aria. Unbeknownst to himself, his jet-black eyes emitted a light of force which made Kali shudder in fear, Laura suddenly felt her back in cold sweat.

Neither one of them dared to move a single muscle anymore, they feared that they would be crushed to death if they even breathed heavily.