Chapter 1103: How could you hate such a person?

"That Young Master, who gives my father a hard time and keeps thinking the world revolves around him. I don’t like him!"

"Benjamin, don’t be like that," Mr. Vitt sighed, knowing his son had some sort of grudge against the Young Master of the Pierson Family. He also didn’t know why, even though he kept explaining to Benjamin the nature of his work.

Mint furrowed her brows, her eyes on Benjamin. "Ben, do you know this Young Master?"

"No, but he makes my father work so much!" Benjamin harrumphed. "If I see him, I’ll scold him for being selfish! He keeps making things difficult for everyone!"

"Ben..." Mr. Vitt sighed once more, thinking that bringing his son and Mint with him might not be a good idea. However, it was the Old Madam’s idea, telling him it might cheer up her grandson if he had children around his age. Even though Mr. Vitt had already told her that Benjamin had this unfounded prejudice against Zoren, the Old Madam just chuckled.

Although Mr. Vitt understood the reason.

After all, the Young Master Zoren was different. Even so, Mr. Vitt was worried because Benjamin was a troublemaker and often looked for fights. His son was too honest for his own good, and when he didn’t like something or someone, he wouldn’t spare that person and would let them know.

’Now, I’m even more worried,’ Mr. Vitt thought to himself, convinced this was truly not a good idea. ’He just wrestled with some of the children in the town. If not for Butler Lee interfering, those parents would’ve burned me alive out of anger.’

Benjamin had given their children a good beating, and Mr. Vitt was not particularly good at arguing with women. They just got even angrier when he got angry at them.

Meanwhile, Mint tilted her head to the side and studied her anxious uncle and grumpy cousin. Their different reactions piqued her curiosity. Besides, she had heard about the mansion on the neighboring island. However, all she knew was that the owner of that mansion was a very rich person.

She hadn’t seen a rich person before, so she was curious about Mr. Vitt’s boss and why Benjamin was angry at this Young Master.

*

*

*

After reaching the pier, the three of them rode a boat to the island where this mansion stood. Upon reaching the island, a vehicle was already waiting for them. Driving up the hill, Mint stretched her neck to the window and caught sight of what seemed to be a castle.

Her mouth fell open, and her eyes twinkled a little. "It’s a castle..." she whispered in awe. "Is that the place we’re going, Uncle?"

"Huh? Ah, yes!" Mr. Vitt, who was in the front passenger seat, looked back at the back seat. "That’s where we’re heading."

"Wow! Ben, did you hear that?" Mint excitedly turned to Benjamin. "It’s a castle!"

Benjamin peeked, only to huff quietly and look away. "Hmp!"

"Ben..." Mint frowned a little, worried about her unhappy cousin. ’He really looks like he doesn’t like the person they’re calling the Young Master.’

But the more she thought about it, the worse her impression of this Young Master became. Benjamin wouldn’t dislike him for no reason, after all. Her excitement about the castle slowly dwindled, and she wasn’t as excited as she thought she would be to finally set foot in the infamous mansion everyone in town knew about.

Meanwhile, Benjamin grumpily looked out his side of the window. Unlike what his father believed—that his frustration with this Young Master was unfounded—Benjamin disagreed. There was only one reason for him to dislike Zoren: his father often had to leave because of this Young Master.

Mr. Vitt was the most loving man Benjamin could’ve asked for as a father. He was always present at Benjamin’s milestones and had always put his family first. However, just not long ago, his father had been weary and often left home, only to return home after a few days. Mr. Vitt also seemed worried and anxious whenever he talked about work with his wife; Benjamin sometimes eavesdropped.

Most of Mr. Vitt’s worries were because of this Young Master. His father even missed his football match because of this Young Master. Most importantly, he heard they would be moving to another place just because of this Young Master. That was the last straw.

Benjamin felt like their family and lives were slowly revolving around this spoiled Young Master, and he hated it to the core. He couldn’t feel that his father was putting them first anymore, and he blamed the Young Master of the Pierson Family for that.

’Even now, he’s only taking us to be that spoiled Young Master’s puppets,’Benjamin thought grumpily, clicking his tongue in irritation. ’They might be rich, but isn’t this going a little too far? He probably doesn’t have friends, so he’s trying to buy one. Hah! As if I’d let myself get bought! I’ll give him a good scolding and beating once I see him.’

******

The harsh rustle of leaves caressed Benjamin’s ears as blood trickled down to the lush lawn. His eyes widened, his pupils constricted, his complexion pale as he held his breath. His gaze slowly fell on the grass, which was slowly turning red before he looked up to where the blood was coming from.

There, a small hand clasped a rose, its thorns clearly stabbing the boy’s palms. But the boy didn’t even flinch, crushing the petals in his grip until his fist trembled.

Benjamin gulped, frozen in place. He had come here because he heard the Young Master was here, so he went to give him a piece of his mind. But... what was this?

The young Zoren raised his brows briefly as he sensed another presence in his vicinity. He slowly turned in Benjamin’s direction but didn’t say anything. Instead, he acted as if he didn’t see anyone, turning his back on him and starting to walk away.

As the young Zoren walked away, he opened his hand and released the petals from his grip.

Benjamin was unsure if seeing the petals flow in the soft wind looked beautiful or dreadful, with Zoren’s blood tainting them. However, what he knew for sure was the look in the Young Master’s eyes. They were dark and empty—something he hadn’t expected from the spoiled young master he had imagined.

Benjamin was young, so he couldn’t exactly pinpoint the right description of what he had just seen. However, what he was certain of was that... he couldn’t hate such a person.

How could he hate someone who seemed to have loathed himself more than anyone?

It wasn’t until a few years later that Benjamin could finally put words to the look in Zoren’s eyes: it was not sadness, nor a look of someone who didn’t want to live or die; it was the look of someone who believed they shouldn’t have lived in the first place, someone who had already fallen deep into an abyss of emptiness that nothing else or no one else could fill.