Chapter 4: 4 Final Meal

After the first thirty minutes, Conor already had his doubts. That's because the winding mountain road seemed to become steeper the further they went. Plus, it didn't really help that Victoria's walking speed appeared to remain constant at all times.

On the contrary, he would even say that it increased. For him, it took tremendous effort alone to keep up with her, especially after the exhaustion kicked in. He wasn't in the best condition physically in the first place and due to malnutrition and lack of medical care, he almost didn't have any energy to spare for such a long hike.

Still, he had to persist. Although he asked a couple of times for a break, his efforts remained in vain. Instead, that damned woman just kept rambling on about his useless complaints.

"It's just a short hike for you to stretch your muscles."

'Short hike, my ass.' He thought in his mind with gritted teeth. Conor would have loved to give her a piece of his mind but he decided to endure it for now. After all, there was no telling what else she had in store.

In the end, it took them two hours to arrive at the mountaintop. As they walked over to the mansion's entrance door, an old butler dressed similarly to the ones in those movies waited patiently in front. His whole demeanor was neat and tidy, emitting confidence and dignity.

Conor would have loved to admire him for a little bit longer but his concerns were elsewhere. Falling down on his butt, he exhaled loudly while wiping the sweat from his head. His lungs were dying, desperately grasping air to make up for the past two hours of oxygen deficiency.

Meanwhile, Victoria entered the mansion with quick strides as she gave some orders to the butler.

"Sir George, please guide the boy into his quarters, will you? Oh, and instruct the maids to tidy him up. Can't have him leave a  nauseous stench inside. I still want to meet him at dinner tonight."

"Of course, Madam." He bowed respectfully.

As Victoria disappeared inside the mansion, the butler, Sir George, took a look a the boy sitting exhaustedly on the ground.

The madam has been looking to adopt a kid for days now, so he was prepared for the adopted child's arrival. However, what he didn't expect was a half-dead boy sitting on the doorstep.

Looking at his blue eye, the bruises peeking out of his dirty rags and uncommonly weak physical state as if he was just chased through the forest by a bear, the butler sighed in resignation.

It seems like the boy already received his first beating. Truly a pity. At this point, the only thing he can do for the young master is to pray for his future well-being.

"Young master, please let me escort you to your room." Sir George spoke gently, trying to ease the young master's mind.

"Huh..." Feeling the eye lingering on him, Conor raised his head weakly before forcing out a smile. "Ah, okay. Thank you very much, ..sir."

Sir George simply smiled in return, ignoring Conor's awkward manner of speech. Leading him to his room, he passed the young boy over to the maids like a burning torch who dropped him off right at the bathroom.

Inside, he took off his clothes and stepped into the shower. Mud and dirt fragments dropped to the ground as the water ran through his semi-long black hair. When he was done, he turned off the stream as he stepped out, wrapping a towel around his torso.

What happened after could only be described as a complete makeover. His hair was neatly cut while a nurse came inside to inspect and treat his injuries. At last, his clothes were adjusted to make him look plain but dignified.

Well, as dignified as a 10-year-old can be. His bad posture and poor manners destroyed that image.

Still, the boy that looked back at him in the mirror was clearly a different person.

His jet-black hair was cut short but still remained a little curly. His figure wasn't anything special, on the opposite, he looked scrawny like a twig. However, his face showed some promise. Maybe in a few years, he could be regarded as above-average or almost handsome.

After he was done preparing, it was already evening. Guided by the few maids who fixed his appearance, Conor entered the elegant dining room.

It was decorated in a wooden style with modern elements. The large curtain walls revealed a clear view of the classic bamboo garden, once again showing the wealth of the person known as Victoria Hawkes.

"You can sit down." The person in question, already sitting at the end of the dining table, softly raised her voice. A moment later, Conor was placed next to her while the table was covered in multiple dishes.

"You can eat to your heart's content. After all, we need to get some meat on those bones otherwise you might drop dead."

"Very funny." He replied to her joke but felt excited on the inside. He's never had food like this. Filling his plate eagerly, Conor soon was busy with his meal and he even completely forgot about that damned woman's presence.

"You like it?" Victoria asked, catching his attention.

"Yeah, it's good. Will I live like this in the future?"

".. Not exactly." The answer that came back was different from what he expected.

"What do you mean?"

Victoria thought for a moment before replying.

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"Since I adopted you, you're technically my son now. Although, I don't think you've quite accepted that already. Not to mention, I'm not really good with kids either."

Hearing those words, Conor's mind was a mess.

'Then why did you adopt me in the first place?'

"Either way, you're the sole heir of the Hawkes family now. That means that other families and clans in power, our enemies, will try their all to bring you down. So until I have taught you everything that qualifies you to be our family's heir, we will live together in this small, cozy vacation home."

Conor stared blankly at his plate…

"We will start tomorrow morning, so you can rest today.

.. and swallowed his food with great difficulty.

"And drink this glass here. It's made of a unique herbal mixture that acts as a nutritional supplement. I need you in your best form."

Turning his head, the glass filled with a thick, greenish-violet liquid probably tasted as horrible as it looked.

A sign that confirmed once again that he couldn't let his guard down. This fancy dinner was most likely a one-time thing with the sole purpose of making him stop thinking about what is to come.

Suddenly, he desperately hoped that tomorrow would never come.

...

Later at night, Victoria entered her study with quiet steps. The boy, Conor, already left to sleep an hour prior.

The dinner was awkward at best. Neither did he talk much, nor did he show many expressions. He did eat a lot, though. At the very least, that was a good thing.

Dimming the sole light that illuminated the room, Victoria picked up the phone on her desk while dialing a familiar number. A few rings later, it connected.

"Sister? What's the matter?"

"I adopted a child, Cynthia."

For a moment, the other line remained deathly silent. Granted, it was a sudden statement, especially coming out of the mouth of Victoria Hawkes herself.

"... You did… what?"

"I found a kid, sister."

"No, I mean… unbelievable." Hearing the resigned sigh on the other side, Victoria frowned.

She understood her raising a child was a concept never imagined but showing a reaction like that still felt somewhat hurtful.

"Victoria, is it because of what happened a while ago?" Her sister suddenly turned serious, mentioning that loathsome day. In the end, she shook her head before answering.

"After I almost died back then, I thought I should at least give it a try. Not to mention that I need an heir anyway."

Victoria laughed weakly.

"... What's he like?"

"I've only met him today. We talked a little bit in the car and at dinner. A short walk in between. Nothing much."

"Sister, please don't work him to death. I don't want him to hate you or the rest of the family for the rest of his life."

At that, Victoria raised an intrigued smile.

"Don't worry. It won't come that far. Besides, I'm gonna make sure that nobody can touch him in this cursed city."

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