''Kirk, why did you do that?'' Freen asked Kirk.
''Why, what did I do?'' Kirk asked Freen, confused by what Freen just said.
They are now out of the mansion.
"It's embarrassing," Freen frustratedly said to Kirk.
Kirk looked at her, confused.
''Lady Rebecca might think I am a clout chaser and am using it to escape my responsibility towards her," Freen explained.
''Huh? She will not think that. And I do ask her permission before I take you out.'' Kirk clarified that Freen creased her brows.
''Oh, I forgot you don't understand English," Kirk said in realization and chuckled.
''Are you mocking me?'' Kirk stopped and zip-zipped his mouth.
''Of course. Not," he said and grinned.
Freen looked around, and when she saw that no one was around, she smirked.
Kirk noticed the change in Freen's aura and quickly got away from her, but she still managed to kick him on the buttocks, which made him stumble on the ground.
''AHH Freen stop,'' Kirk shouted when she got in to him and continued kicking, which he blocked with his arms and feet.
Freen's eyes were filled with rage, and her movements were erratic, making it clear that she was not in control of herself. Kirk realized that something was seriously wrong and decided to try to calm her down before anyone got hurt.
Freen's eyes were filled with rage, and her movements were erratic, making it clear that she was not in control of herself. Kirk realized that something was seriously wrong and decided to try to calm her down before anyone got hurt.
He managed to hold her arms and looked at her in the eyes, which made her cry. Kirk didn't waste time and embraced her.
He understands that Freen is not good at showing her emotions, so he has to do it. This is the first time he did this to a person; he can't be this intimate with people because of his status in life, and Freen is way too far from where he is, but he can't have the courage to say this to Freen.
He can have wives, but the person he really wanted he can't have. He just watched her suffer, but he can manage to protect her that way.
If she only knew how hard it is for him to be with her.
If she only knew.
If she only knew.
A man in a royal guard suit appeared in his peripheral vision, and he immediately pushed Freen away from him. He glared at the guard, who quickly disappeared from the corners of the mansion.
''I'm sorry. It's just that you stink, hahahah.'' He tried to laugh it off so that Freen would not notice what he did there.
''It's okay, I know I stink. '' Freen said she was looking down.
Kirk scratched his neck, realizing he might have offended her with that excuse.
"It's a joke, Freen. " You smell great," he finally said.
"Thank you," Kirk looked at Freen upon hearing it.
''For what?'' Kirk asked, looking forward where direction Freen was looking.
They are now sitting on the grass field outside the mansion.
''You know what I mean.'' Freen's short answer
Kirked smiled but also clenched his fist upon remembering that evil person who hurt his friend, Freen.
Friend. He thought and chuckled.
''What are you thinking?'' Freen asks.
Kirk looked at Freen and shook his head.
"It's just that I feel so useless," he simply answered.
''You just saved me from that evil white man.'' Freen said to remind him of how helpful he was .
''Haha. yeah. '' Kirk chuckled again.
''Not all white people are like him, Freen," he assured her.
''Yeah. Others are like those who made my father and fellow men slaves and killed them afterward. Is that what you mean?'' Freen said this with rage in her eyes.
''But you like Lady Rebecca, though.'' He teases her, and Freen blushes.
''She's no different. And who said I like her?'' Freen said, looking everywhere but at Kirk.
''Hahaha..why are you blushing?'' Kirk teases her more. ''I'm not blushing!'' Freen retorts, crossing her arms. ''And it doesn't matter if I like Lady Rebecca or not. The fact remains that what the Romans did was cruel and inhumane.''
''They are not Romans, Freen. Hahaha, they are from the Kingdom of Great Britain, officially known as Great Britain, a sovereign country in western Europe. They are british ,Freen.'' kirk corrected her.
"Wow. How did you become so knowledgeable?" Kirk laughed at Freen's antics."This woman is adorably naive," he added with a smile."Freen, not all white people are bad. And there are bad people among us, too—you just haven't met them yet. Cruelty isn't limited to one race. But my perspective has changed over time. Depending on the situation, people—and the circumstances they face—sometimes force themselves to take actions they normally wouldn't. We can't always stop things from happening," Kirk said, his tone turning thoughtful.
''I have a question , though.'' Kirk became serious while waiting for Freen's question.
''What is it?'' Kirk seriously asks.
"Where is Europe? And what is a sovereign country?"Kirk slumped his shoulders and sighed, realizing that Freen's question was unrelated to their current discussion."Europe is a continent located in the Northern Hemisphere, and a sovereign country is a nation that has full control over its own affairs without interference from other countries," Kirk explained patiently.
"Aaaah… what does it mean?" Freen asked again, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"What do you mean?" Kirk asked, not quite catching what she was getting at.
"The Nor-thern… Nor-thern Hemis… Hemisphere thing… and con-ti-nent," Freen struggled to say the words, stumbling over the unfamiliar sounds.
Kirk smiled gently, feeling a pang in his heart knowing that some people never had the chance to learn such things.
"A continent is a large landmass, like North America or Europe. And the Northern Hemisphere refers to the half of the Earth that's north of the equator," Kirk explained patiently.
Freen nodded slowly, grateful for Kirk's clear explanation.
"You mean there are other places, countries, and kingdoms besides ours? Now I understand what you were saying earlier. You really are a scholar—you know so much! If only I could go to school like you, I'd be amazing too," Freen said, happy to have learned something new from Kirk.
Kirk thought about how important it was to have access to education and information, and how it could change the course of a person's life. He wished for a world where all genders and people, regardless of background or location, could have equal opportunities to learn and grow.
Not everyone, though, was as innocent as Freen. She had grown up serving others; her world revolved around being a maid like her mother. In many ways, she lived a simple life, and Kirk found himself a little jealous of that simplicity—free from the complexities and stresses of the wider world. Yet deep down, Freen yearned for something more—something that would give her life meaning beyond serving others. She dreamed of exploring the world beyond her small village and discovering her true purpose.
After a brief silence, Kirk said, "But she does save you there, Freen." Freen gave a brief nod in affirmation.
Kirk noticed how she was gripping the edge of the cloth and called her attention, "You do care for her."
Freen looked at him, confused.
"Then why did you fight the prime minister's son?" Kirk asked, having learned about it during the investigation.
Nam and Mr. Lee explained everything.
That egoistic man thinks he can do anything he pleases in my place—not on my watch, Kirk thought to himself.
"I couldn't just stand by and watch him hurt Lady Rebecca; he needed to be taught a lesson," Freen said, sighing as she ran her hand through her hair.
Kirk swallowed a lump in his throat, then nodded understandingly. "I get it, but you have to be careful. We don't want any trouble with the government."
Now, he couldn't look at Freen directly. There was something about her presence that sometimes left him paralyzed. He admired her bravery and determination but knew it was sometimes better to play it safe.
"Maybe we should wait and see how things develop before taking any action," he suggested cautiously.
Freen nodded, knowing he had a point.
He looked at her again with admiration and said, "If only you knew how amazing of a person you are, Freen." He thought this silently once more.
The wind blew, sending Freen's hair flying, revealing her beautiful side profile—making Kirk fall for her even more.
"She is beautiful," he whispered.
And what made it even more beautiful was that she was completely oblivious to how beautiful she really was. Kirk absentmindedly smiled as he looked at Freen.
Then he noticed the bruise on her jaw. His brow creased.
"Did he hurt you? Before I came?" he asked quickly, his jaw clenched as he saw the bruises clearly.
But Freen just pulled her face away from Kirk's view and looked elsewhere.
"It's unfair," Freen said softly, looking down, thinking about how lowly she was and how she had no rights at all.
"Nothing is fair in this world, Freen," Kirk said sadly. His fists clenched, but he managed to keep his cool—he knew Freen didn't want pity from anyone.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Freen asked, noticing Kirk staring at her without moving.
Then she leaned closer to him, smirked, and smacked his forehead.
"Ouch! Freen!" he shouted in pain.
"What's wrong with you?" Kirk asked, annoyed.
"I was just joking. Is everything okay? You seemed lost in thought. You look stupid. Hahaha," Freen laughed.
Kirk shook his head and replied, "Sorry, I was just thinking about something. It's nothing important."
"Hmm," said Freen, not believing him. "Well, if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here for you." She said seriously.
Kirk just smiled at her.
"You know what I think I need? To walk you back to Rebecca now," Kirk said as he wiped his hands clean and offered Freen his hand to help her up.
But Freen shook it off and stood on her own.
Kirk absentmindedly watched her, a bitter smile playing on his lips. She really couldn't see him the way he saw her. He put his hands behind his back, one over the other, and stepped back, giving her space.
Freen smiled at him obliviously, confused by his strange behavior but choosing to ignore it.
As they walked back to Lady Rebecca's room, Kirk noticed a certain pair of eyes watching them earlier. He tried hard to act oblivious, but he couldn't.
Turning his head subtly, he saw the person trying to hide behind a window. He even noticed them stumble, but he fought the urge to laugh quietly.
Kirk looked back toward Freen.
"What?" she asked, confused.
He smiled and shook his head. "Impossible," he muttered to himself, dismissing the thought and continuing to walk, with Freen now trailing behind him.
"Why are you walking behind me?" he asked.
"There are people, Kirk," she replied quietly. "Let's not forget I'm just a servant. I can't walk beside you." She sighed and fell back a step.
They finally reached Lady Rebecca's room. Before they could knock, the door suddenly swung open.
"Oh—Ehem—I was just about to get... J-just in time. What a surprise we bumped into each other," said Lady Rebecca, clearly flustered as she stepped out.
Kirk couldn't contain his smirk."Yeah, that's because this is your room... and we were definitely coming here as originally planned."
They finally reached Lady Rebecca's room. Before they could knock, the door suddenly swung open.
"Oh—Ehem—I was just about to get... J-just in time. What a surprise we bumped into each other," said Lady Rebecca, clearly flustered as she stepped out.
Kirk couldn't contain his smirk."Yeah, that's because this is your room... and we were definitely coming here as originally planned."
Lady Rebecca paused, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red at Kirk's teasing.Freen, watching from the side, felt a strange pinch in her chest. Her expression shifted, the subtle sting of jealousy rising before she could push it away.
Are they flirting? In front of me? Freen thought, her jaw tightening.
Is this why Kirk was asking me if I liked Lady Rebecca earlier?Is Kirk interested in Lady Rebecca?But... Lady Rebecca already has a fiancé.No. He can't court her. I won't allow it.
She silently made a decision: she would watch him closely—observe how he acted around Lady Rebecca. She would make sure he didn't cross any lines.
Kirk, while sharing light conversation with Lady Rebecca as she invited him in for tea, caught Freen's intense stare—sharp, unwavering, and clearly disapproving. He instantly understood: Freen was not pleased.
Despite the awkwardness creeping in, Kirk remained composed. He sat upright, keeping a respectful distance from Lady Rebecca, his tone friendly but formal. He made a point not to laugh too hard, not to lean in too close. Every move was calculated—for Freen's sake.
Because even if she couldn't see it… she mattered.
Lady Rebecca. She would make sure he didn't cross any lines.
Kirk, while sharing light conversation with Lady Rebecca as she invited him in for tea, caught Freen's intense stare—sharp, unwavering, and clearly disapproving. He instantly understood: Freen was not pleased.
Despite the awkwardness creeping in, Kirk remained composed. He sat upright, keeping a respectful distance from Lady Rebecca, his tone friendly but formal. He made a point not to laugh too hard, not to lean in too close. Every move was calculated—for Freen's sake.
Because even if she couldn't see it… she mattered.
Freen was the one serving them, as she was Lady Rebecca's personal assistant.
When they finished their tea, Kirk looked up from his cup and turned to Freen."Would you mind accompanying me outside for a bit?" he asked.
Lady Rebecca nodded, her smile warm but unreadable."Of course, Freen. Go ahead."
Outside, the air was cooler and the garden path was quiet. Once they were far enough from the estate, Kirk finally spoke.
"What's with the stares?" he asked, turning slightly to look at her.
Freen blinked."What stares?" she replied, feigning innocence.
Kirk chuckled."Freen, you cannot fool me with that innocent-looking face."
She narrowed her eyes playfully."What's with that grin, Lord Kirk?"
"I just find it amusing how you always act clueless when I catch you in the act," he said.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" she asked, now sounding a bit defensive.
Kirk leaned in with a teasing smirk."I saw how you were killing me with those death glares, Freen."
Her eyes widened for a second, then she let out a sheepish laugh."Maybe you deserved it."
Kirk studied her for a moment before testing the waters."What do you think of Lady Rebecca?"
Freen tilted her head, gaze sharp."Do you like her?"
The question hit him harder than he expected. He blinked, momentarily speechless.
"I'm telling you," she continued, voice firm, "don't even think about flirting with her again—whether I'm looking or not. Understand?"
Kirk, caught off guard, raised both hands in surrender."Alright, alright!"
But Freen had already turned and walked away, leaving him frozen in place.
He stood there in stunned silence until a smile tugged at his lips. Maybe I do have a chance, he thought.
Then he frowned."Damn... I forgot to say goodbye."He sighed and let it go.
As he walked back toward the estate gates, several guards began to appear silently around the perimeter. Once they were sure it was secure, they stood at attention.
Kirk boarded the waiting chariot. The driver turned to him and carefully presented a Phra Kiao—an ornate headdress traditionally reserved for members of the royal family, glittering with gold and embedded jewels.
As soon as the gates opened, the royal guards mounted their horses, forming a silent procession. They rode through the clear path, heads held high.
But hidden above—in the branches of a tall tree—someone watched. Eyes sharp, unblinking. They had seen everything.