Shae never kept Joe a secret to everyone. He even introduce him in the training grounds as his son. The knights, maids, everyone else in his place rejoiced. They know Shae have always wanted to have a son. And now he took the chance.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWU6twSN24T
Though, Joe was still scared of everyone that approached him. Only Sloan and Shae was the only one who can get near him without flinching.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7DrTeGnt9
With that, the day before she will be sent to the palace came.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8DpHnsIow
She woke up late. The first she saw was the vintage ceiling of hers, the angels were painted. When she sat, the hem of her long nightgown was reaching the floor. Sloan rubbed her eyes and stretched.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ciSu8LPzb
She bathe and change her dress, she took the fuschia one and braid her own hair.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xNf8syAZK
When she went downstairs, no one wasn't around. She shakes her head, having a clue where they were.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8finuJWJQi
Training ground.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHKvwtYf2v
Joe had gone to like it there to watch Shae and the others train.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxftMNMdQFu
No one took notice of Sloan when she came, the knights were too focused to train.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGvRnE8AjK
There, she saw Joe standing near the tree. When she called her name, Joe's face lighted up and run toward her.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLritXN0W9
"M'lady!"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtLMHPO7HZ
Sloan didn't let him call her that, she always says he have to call her 'Sloan' and not 'm'lady'. But God, this child was more stubborn than her. Whatever he call her, what's important is he's here.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2Lqo8woZz
"Yeah...I'm m'lady..." Just call me Sloan, please.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdO6vw6g6F
She was so done. She smiled.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NY4pejgoQ
"Have you eaten breakfast?"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0o4rYK4CA
Joe nodded. "Have you eaten, m'lady?"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaNMSLrY7U
Sloan shakes her head.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRqjb1wozF
Joe blinked. "Father said we must always eat our breakfast, m'lady."
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAgk02EXae
Sloan chuckled. "You're calling our father 'father', why won't you call me 'Sloan'?"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPAjlYuglK
"...Because you're m'lady,"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRixOauSKhC
Sloan stopped, then she laughed. She covered his mouth using her palm. It's been a while since she laughed, the knights and the maids in the training ground stopped and looked at their direction.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62rYBtuYsI
That moment, Sloan felt her laughed so genuine herself. It was the first time she felt so overwhelmed again.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQjwtDVIwW
"..."
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyGLwzx5A1
All the other ones in the training ground were speechless.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5DndVhbYR
Joe smiled, hearing her laugh.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Du3WVuKcX
When Sloan took notice of it, she stopped.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydstsJgdUT
"Oh, you smiled."
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhDijVGxaK
"And you laugh, m'lady!"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriBqllVnNc
"..."
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgT7jVZzUmT
Is this what they call having a sibling? She wondered.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfpruwunyV
The next moment, they saw Shae walking towards them. All the knights too weren't focused in their training anymore.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6Ai9zr3YW
Lady Sloan just laughed!!! They only saw her smiled to them, most of the time she has this displeased face.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYuPqSDyys
"Father?" Joe.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMj5tpzn34Z
As Sloan turned around, she saw Shae. She raised her brows.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljtflCwUus
"Father!" Joe called. "Are you finished...training?"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmzgR6mb9m
"I'm not, I heard you two was having fun here. Your sister was laughing."
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnq9nmWvLT
"..."
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyZBOgEaC1
Sloan face-palmed. "Stop it, Father."
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPWLC8JkR1
Shae nod and gave both of them a little smile.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPTpY8YYFx
Joe spoke. "Father, m'lady hasn't eaten yet."
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmLeUE0nXW
"Hmm," Shae nod.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmDjO9ncdl
The three of them entered the kitchen inside the house to eat. Joe ate biscuits. The maids were so happy that there's a new one on the house. It made the house more lively. But now that Sloan will have to go to the palace to marry the prince, they just can't do anything but to be happy for her. They wanted everything to stay to were they were, but they know that can't be possible. Time exist. The people on the house sometimes don't like the change, but they could only accept it.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmX5p2nfQz
Sloan asked. "Does mother know...about Joe? Did you tell her?"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCNEbdqncG
Shae stopped. Then he answered, "Gale still doesn't. But...I'll send her a letter one of these days. The procession of adoption is still on the go. I need to put her name on it,"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRayn0zeaz
But mother would be glad to know if you tell her right away.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVm4FW0FST
Sloan looked down at Joe.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLjUsv00cM
"Joe, do you want to go with me?"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9MaehtdIZ
"Sloan, what are you---" Shae interrupted.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnHVww8DRO
"Come with us, Father." She raised her brows. "The day of my departure will be tomorrow. My last day here. I want mother to know Joe, and you must introduce him to her. Mother was never gone, she's still your wife, remember?"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdRMoI7Vz2
Sloan achieved convincing her father to go. At the carriage, Joe was amazed, and it looks like his body will be strangled because of his thinned skin that her bones were showing.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoEmmjoAM8
Seeing that, both of them turned pity for him.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouiakN7dqN
Joe hide behind Sloan when they arrived at her mother's place. Shae was trembling, having to look at Gale's face after six months. Her beauty was timeless. It seemed to never fade throughout these years, in his eyes. Sloan really took after her mother.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zo6oJ8b92
"Shae?" Gale felt an extremes mixed emotions looking at Shae. It's been months.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaznUQ1C2Ci
"Gale...how...how are you?"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtI3CWJWrO9
"Good. It's good. D...Do you want tea?"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EbghYSjtr
It seemed that Sloan had been completely ignored by her parents. When she cleared throat, that's when only Gale took noticed of her.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkONKftQnyj
"Sloan! Shae, you're with her! You two, why didn't you send me a letter that you're coming today? Come, Sloan,"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHWwzX0xVc
"Uh, mother,"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54nJQR4R3p
Gale stopped. Sloan seemed to have something to say. "Yes, Sloan?" Gale's soft voice sweep through her. Sloan lifted the both corner of her lips, then he turned to Shae.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlzeS7c1HR
Shae gulped. "Gale, I have something to say to you. I...I have adopted a kid, I brought him here for you to know, I just..."
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3CCFfC55m
Gale stopped, again, processing the question. It was a shocked. But then it took her a moment to realize. That's right, she's still his wife. On the papers, when he adopted a kid, it will be her kid too. But she never felt disappointment or any kind of anger, rather, she's happy. She know that Shae have always wanted to have a son with her. She's happy for him, but she felt a little sad too. She's sorry that she can't give what Shae wants because she was never prepared for everything. Still now, she doesn't know. Deep inside, she still feel this fondness for him. She herself was just contradicting it. And she still doesn't know what to do.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NgnApqFmy
"Then...where is the child?" Gale asked, smiling.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8UPzWIMyq
Slowly, Joe appeared, tightly holding the dress of Sloan.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7Dj70B2rQ
Joe's eyes widened and twinkled.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNHXyVs5SD
"Ah! M'lady!"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkY77V43BB
Joe turned his head back and forth from Gale and Sloan, the resemblance was too strong.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkN3wcoh60
Sloan chuckled. "No, Joe, that is mother. She is mother, alright?"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRehkmu73F1
Gale was amazed, but worried at the same time when he saw what Joe looked like. She turned to Shae, and with that, she understand.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuawzRFBXnq
For her, he's always been a hero to everyone. He always takes consideration, and makes the best decision. But in the past, even though that wasn't the case, his kindness never did fade.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGLykffQ6F
"Joe...is it?"
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxT8TPlUyb
Shae nodded. "Sloan was the first to saw him, she named him." Then he smiled.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpa19Rl3Xg
Gale smiled too, and turned her head. "Joe, I'm mother...come here."
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHRPxEeGUS
Joe slowly walked towards her, trembling. This time, he wasn't scared. He's just overwhelming with happiness. He felt that this person will also accept him like m'lady and father. In his little age, he knew that this will be his new family. A new beginning for him.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJqPUNNXid
He stopped, turn to look at Sloan, his m'lady, who had come to save him from the torment of being unwanted and neglected by the people who raised him and made him a slave that time.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirSvahCmGf
It will all be gone now. It's okay. Forget about the past, child.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4EpbFvRHO
Someone whispered on his mind, that someone who has always been there in his mind to comfort him.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sM2Rx7GHA
'Will it really be gone?' He asked, again, afraid if the voice said was the opposite of it and he hear wrong.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvplBfHAdW
Your suffering ends now, child. You're free now. And I'll be gone now, too. You don't need me anymore.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgx4kw4OREr
'I know, you said it to me once...'
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitSgU0S5KW
I'll leave now, child.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkm7PEYsur5
'T...Thank you, voice in my head.'
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFq7SS0dqs
Goodbye, Joe...
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDpYSLlXMU
Joe's tears come out staring at Sloan momentarily.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZB22yQC00q
I'm really thankful for you, m'lady. I want to be brave like you too. I will save people too like you do. I will do everything.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ih4Gmr39i
And then Joe run towards Gale and hug her.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84fw0iBlop
This will be his first life.
26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXAVujb0oUa
And he will be great for anyone who have come to care for him. From today on.
ns3.144.252.248da2
