Capítulo 27: Behind Gardens
<<This chapter contains depiction of child abuse>>
Adrien Wilhelm De Jean, the only illegitimate son of Count Jean, was born into the vicious world of nobility. In which opulence and privilege defined everything, but his birthright had denied him any status.
The young boy lived inside the gilded halls of his father's mansion, yet not once did he feel like he had a home. He was a threat to their reputation, an object of scorn as he was the living reminder of Count Jean's transgressions.
"Ahk! I'm sorry!"
Adrien bit his lips as the leather whip cracked, a sharp sting seared behind his legs. His words of apology went ignored as his stepmother raised her arm once more to hit him.
"How dare a bastard like you embarrass us in front of the Saint?!" she screeched at him.
CRACK.
The lash was extremely painful as Adrien bit his tongue to stop a pained scream from escaping. His entire body trembled; it felt sore from all of the punishment he had to take.
CRACK.
Adrien was always told that he was an 'abnormal' child. He saw things that were never meant to be seen by human eyes. Nobody believed him, not even his own father.
They found his words troublesome, so they brought him to the revered Saint. Instead, Adrien saw a horrific sight, a sickening black wisp behind the Saint.
He was a mere child, not understanding the malevolent energy behind the Saint.
"Ungrateful thing! We brought you there to help you, and yet you disrespect us."
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
Adrien endured the lashes, keeping his gaze on the floor as tears ran down his cheeks. The only thing he could do was wait for his stepmother's anger to subside.
Any sort of defiance would only be met with more punishment.
When his stepmother finally stopped, her breathing was heavy, worn out by her continued assault on Adrien. "Stupid brat," she heaved out, slamming her whip on the floor.
"If you dare disobey us again, I'll make sure you suffer the same fate as your whore mother." she spat at him, glaring at the child. "Do you understand?"
Adrien shook but straightened himself, his stubby hands shaking in pain. "Y-yes, mother."
"What did you call me?"
He shook his head. "Y-yes, my lady."
Adrien's words seemed to satisfy the woman as she waved her hand dismissively, her nails meticulously painted and covered with jeweled rings. "Out of my sight." she ordered.
Adrien retreated back to his room, a small chamber hidden on the mansion's upper floor, away from the eyes of the inhabitants.
He stood in front of his mirror, meeting his own tear-streaked face and disheveled hair. Adrien was a stark contrast from his siblings; they were always well-dressed with the newest clothes from the capital's known designers.
The only thing Adrien could wear was a simple tunic and pants, the type of clothes that not even their servants would wear.
"It was my fault," he mumbled to himself as he sat down on the edge of his bed. The skin at the back of his leg was bruised and filled with deep whip marks, the pain gnawed even at the pits of his stomach.
The child was used to this, he gingerly took a neatly folded cloth from the wooden drawer, wiping away the blood from his fresh wounds.
"Ow." he hissed.
He had no one to rely on for help; Adrien had learned how to tend to his injuries. He took a small bottle of salve that he hid under his bed; a kind servant pitied him and had secretly given him the medicine.
Adrien's fingers clumsily rubbed the salve on his wounds before sloppily wrapping his leg with his makeshift bandages. The cloth was rough on his skin, but it was better than nothing.
He rolled down his pants, hiding his bandaged legs. Adrien wanted to escape this manor; a small wish of receiving even the tiniest amount of love and affection... just like other children.
But for now, Adrien just wanted to hide from the people of this manor, where there was no one to judge and resent him.
The child ran to the edge of the manor's garden, a place where he could hide and think, away from everyone's watchful eyes.
***
The gardens of Count Jean's estate were wide and secluded. Sorin had found himself wandering aimlessly amongst the trees and bushes.
The Count was kind enough to send him a letter of apology after what his child did, and Sorin took that as an opportunity to visit him.
He needed to find out whether the child was a threat or not. After all, that child had seen his secret.
The meeting with the Count was quick; the man tried to get Sorin's favor, offering his apologies in an attempt to mend any offense.
Sorin had dismissed him with a composed smile. "Children are curious beings, I hold no grudges against your son."
Seeking out Adrien proved more difficult as the Count's estate was rather large, but with magic, he traced the child's presence far in the gardens, nearing the edge of the manor's gates.
Adrien sat on a stone bench, his legs in a rather stiff position, but the child looked relaxed. The sun above them was already setting; he wondered how the child could return if it was dark.
"I'm intruding, Am I?" he asked gently as he approached the child.
Adrien seemed to jump in surprise, his posture defensive as he saw the Saint. Still, he shook his head. "N-not at all, your Holiness." he answered, his voice trembling.
Sorin smiled softly, as he tried not to make his presence imposing to ease the young boy. "Don't be so nervous, Adrien." he slowly sat beside the boy but still maintained a distance.
If this child was this wary around him, then he must have truly seen behind Sorin's facade.
Sorin's purple eyes observed the thin fabric of Adrien's clothes, different from what he wore during their first meeting; purple bruises peeked out from his sleeves. He could also see blood seeping through the child's dark pants.
Sorin had seen enough blood to determine it from other liquid.
An unfamiliar pang of pity filled Sorin's heart; he had so many children in this state, but that doesn't change anything. The cruelty of adults to such innocent beings...
"If you'd like, you can call me Sorin. I haven't really introduced my name."
Adrien blinked but still didn't meet Sorin's eyes. "Sorin." he mumbled as if testing the name on his tongue.
Sorin chuckled. "Good, how about yours? Can you introduce yourself?"
Adrien's cheek flushed at the question. "A-Adrien Wilhelm de Jean." he answered quietly. His full name that nobody had cared to learn, not that it was really worth anything when he was just an illegitimate child.
The Saint's eyes brightened, purple orbs shining with interest. "A name fitting for a special child like you." he hummed. Adrien shook his head,
not used to the Saint's words. "I-I'm not special." he argued.
Sorin's expression softened as he leaned closer to the child. "May I?" he asked.
Adrien did not know what Sorin meant, but he nodded his head. Sorin gave him a gentle smile as he slowly held Adrien's arms, revealing the bruises that he hid under the sleeves.
He was about to pull back his arms when Sorin stopped him. "Don't be ashamed." he eased the child as he traced the bruises with his fingertips.
It was a gentle action, a warmth that Adrien had never experienced before. Then a soft light filled his vision, each movement of Sorin's fingers erased any traces of the bruises.
His eyes widened in shock. "Don't! Please don't waste your magic on me." he gasped out.
Sorin tilted his head. "Foolish child." he chided fondly.
The Saint kneeled down on the ground, as he moved to Adrien's injured legs. His expression turned bitter for a moment when he saw the bandages that were wrapped on the child's skin; it was sloppy and carelessly done.
Adrien blinked, and then the pain that gnawed at him just moments ago was gone. Sorin removed the blood-stained bandages from the child's legs to reveal unblemished skin, as if there were no traces of abuse.
"Does it still hurt?" he asked.
"N-No." Adrien whispered in reply.
"You didn't let me touch you before." Sorin started, now looking up at Adrien with an unreadable expression. "What did you see?"
Blue eyes met with Sorin's gaze, fear and hesitation evident in Adrien's face. "I-I saw black, like thick smoke and soot surrounding you. I got scared, so I ran away." he stuttered.
Sorin's lips curled into a faint smile. "It's only natural to fear what you cannot understand," Sorin said in a tone that Adrien couldn't grasp.
The Saint stood up, brushing off the dirt from his clothes, then Adrien felt Sorin's palms on both of his cheeks. Sorin's eyes directly focused on his, as if the Saint could see into his very soul.
Sorin saw it, deep behind Adrien's blue eyes was a seal.
A seal that reeked of demonic energy, just like his.
"It's you," Sorin said breathlessly.
In his past life, there was a man that could easily control demons at his own whim, like puppets on a string. Demons followed his command.
One of humanity's calamities.
And it was a mere child.
Sorin could simply laugh at the irony of it all.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
summer_cicada
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