“Search thoroughly! We must not let them live!”

“Yes!”

Although he didn’t know the details, the boy had a gut feeling that the men were after them.

Feeling threatened by the intimidating footsteps approaching, the boy held his breath and hid behind a nearby rock.

As the menacing steps drew closer, staying hidden was only a matter of time.

In a low voice filled with fear, the woman spoke to the trembling boy.

“Stay still and hide here.”

“What about you, Mother?”

“I will divert them and come back.”

“Don’t leave me behind!”

Without giving the boy a chance to protest, the woman left with the newborn baby in her arms.

Then, the sounds of the men chasing echoed.

“It’s over there! The sound came from over there!”
Alone, the boy sniffled with a red nose.

“Sniffle…”

Tears as big as chicken droppings rolled down the frightened boy’s eyes.

All the boy could do was sit on a rock, waiting for his mother who might come at any moment.

As one hour passed, then two, the day began to brighten.

His mother, who should return, was nowhere to be seen, deepening the boy’s anxiety.

Feeling helpless, the boy stood up from his spot and began searching for his mother.

“Mother! Makgeum-ah!”

However, the 7-year-old boy, who had never ventured far from Min Younggam’s mansion, ended up lost in the wilderness.

“Mother! Where are you, mother! Huuung…!”

With tears and snot covering him, the boy aimlessly wandered through the mountains, but he couldn’t find his mother.

Having survived for two days on fruits and stream water, the exhausted boy walked without direction.

Then, luckily, the boy found a village, but he collapsed in front of a nobleman’s house, utterly drained.

How much time had passed?

The place the boy opened his eyes in was undoubtedly a room belonging to a high-ranking noble.

Even to the boy who knew nothing, the blanket covering him looked expensive, and the various luxurious furnishings in the room seemed to speak of the owner’s status.

Not long after, a middle-aged man entered the room where the boy lay.

Approaching the boy with a gentle smile, the man spoke in a calm voice, “Looks like you’ve woken up.”

“The physician says it’s dehydration. Fortunately, if you eat well and rest, you should recover. Don’t worry too much.”

“…”

The boy, not understanding the situation, stared blankly at the man.

“Where is your home? Once you recover, I’ll send you home.”

“No, I can’t!”

Shouting as if screaming, the boy rejected the man. He had a premonition that going back to Min Younggam’s house would be dangerous.

But the boy had an unresolved problem.

“I have to find my mother, Mother!”

“Your mother?”

“Yes! My mother is still in the mountains!”

The man started inquiring about the boy’s mother.

However, what they found later was the cold body of the boy’s mother.

As the mother’s corpse had been torn apart by animals, the boy couldn’t bear to see it properly.

The boy, who had mentioned having a newborn sibling, couldn’t find any trace of the baby.

Upon receiving the devastating news of his mother’s death, the grief-stricken boy refused to eat or drink for a while.

Feeling pity for the young boy, the man took care of him and tried to gather information about the boy.

He speculated that the boy was a runaway slave. The ease with which he discovered that the boy’s mother was murdered made it clear.

If he were to send the boy away, the man was sure that the boy, like his mother, would face a grim fate.

As the young male slave’s market value was low, the boy’s original owner probably wouldn’t bother to find him again.
Therefore, the man chose not to send the young boy back to his owner and began taking care of him by his side.

As a year passed and then two, whenever the man assigned chores to the boy, the boy’s way of handling tasks was remarkably neat.

He quickly grasped writing when taught, and once shown something, he understood it to the extent of mastering it.

One day, the man was practicing martial arts in the yard. The boy, observing the man’s movements over his shoulder, easily imitated the actions.

Even though no one had taught him, the boy’s movements were flawless and clean.

The boy excelled in every aspect of martial arts.

However, due to his commoner status, the boy hadn’t received the opportunity for formal education. The man felt truly regretful that the boy’s talents couldn’t shine.

After discussing with his wife, one day the man summoned the boy to a separate building.

“It’s been two years since you came to our house.”

The man sipped his warm tea before continuing, “Now, you’re almost like family.”

“That’s really touching. Thank you for saying that.”

After observing the boy for a long time, despite his commoner background, the man found him to be modest and dignified. If dressed properly, one could mistake him for a young noble.

Not only that, but the boy’s learning speed was exceptional, and it was a pity to let such talent go to waste.

“I am considering making you my adopted son. What do you think?”

“….!”

The boy’s pupils shook with surprise.