"Well, as far as I know, Anson's are white people's family. Apologize for saying this but could you try to convince me if you truly are Bruce's son and not some random person who tried to do... bad things to us?" Balan asks.

Noi sighs in relief. Oh, so that's what he meant, "I can call my father, Bruce for you to prove that I really am his son. His step-son, to be exact." The painter then shoved his hand into his pocket and notices, he forgot to bring his phone with him. Noi awkwardly scratches his not itchy tanned cheek, "Uhm... Sorry, but I forgot to bring my phone with me."

Balan chuckles and takes out his own phone, "That's alright. Let me call Bruce real quick to see whether you truly are his step-son. Apologies for not trusting you," he smiles apologetically to the painter, "I have some trusting issues with new people."

Noi nods in understanding and lets Balan make the call. After some exchanging greetings and friendly conversation, the other line confirmed Noi's identity and convinced the honoured that the boy indeed came as a replacement to do the job. Balan replies with affirmation and ends the call.

Once the call ended, Balan turns his attention back to the painter, "It seems you are indeed an Anson. Again, it's nice to meet you and I hope we can get along well throughout the process. How long will you need to take to complete the painting?"

Noi replies with his sweet smile, "Likewise. It might take up to a week for sketching and base colour, which is the reason why I am staying here, and a month to complete with shading, varnishing and all since the portrait is quite big. The size of an A1, am I correct?"

"A1?" Balan echoes confusedly.

"Ah... I mean around 80 by 60 centimetres." Noi explains again.

The honoured nods in understanding, "Yes, that size. The canvas has already arrived as well, but I apologize," he smiles to the painter, but there's something that makes it looks slightly eerie to the latter, "The official uniform that I must wear Is not ready yet. I hope you don't mind staying an extra day here. I heard from your father as well that you're currently on a long vacation before going to university. It's nice to be young at this time around because there are lot's of things to do."

Noi gulps, "Uhm... yes, I guess so. How old are you anyway, if I may ask?"

The honoured takes a pause, contemplating on something. He then replies with the same smile and an amused glint on his cat-shaped eyes, "30 something. I think 35? I can't remember."

Noi audibly gasps, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling because of the creepy smile as well as genuinely surprised at this dashing man's youthful face, "35?! You look so young though! I'm surprised."

Balan chuckles as he nonchalantly shrugs, "Genetics."

Noi replies with a snort but quickly close his mouth and nose with wide eyes, realizing what he had done just now is inappropriate, "Ahm, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. Bad habit."

The honoured chuckles again and nods in understanding, "You don't have to be so formal to me, Noi. You're a guest here after all. It's nice to have young blood once in a while. There are too many stiff old people around here so it's really no fun."

Old people? But most of the servants and residents here are in the age range as him. What is this Lord saying? Noi thought.

And as he's in his own mind, Balan already sits at one of the chairs and motions the younger to do the same, "So, would you like to have a little chat with me? I bet you got nothing to do since the uniform isn't even ready yet. Who knows," he shrugs and smile, "We might be able to be friends."

Noi really wants to decline the offer since he feels a little bit uncomfortable with how this man gazes at him. Especially knowing how noble-like his social standing is. But Noi doesn't want to be rude to the master of the house. And his father also mentions for him to be nice with Balan since their family has a tight relationship with each other and Blackburn is also one of the high-paying clients to Anson's service.

So with a heavy heart and a forced smile, Noi obliges, "Of course."

.

.

.

"So, you're saying that Sir Balan is a weird guy? He keeps asking about your personal information throughout the day?"

"Mm. Well... I don't know whether you can call him weird and whether those questions are personal or not. He was basically just asking about my blood type, my health and all. Whether I play sports or am I just a homebody, something like that." Noi replies nonchalantly.

Then there's a fat pause between them as Allan tries to process the new information.

"That's not just weird but... creepy, dude. Who in the world ask about blood type on first meeting?" Allan on the other line speaks in worry, "Why don't you ask to just go back now if you feel uncomfortable? I can tell Pa and he'll arrange another schedule to replace you."

Noi sigh, "That's just sound more ridiculous in my opinion, Al. I'm already here and it's unreasonable for me to go back now after almost 10 hours of travel time. Besides," the doe-eyes look up towards the window upside-down since the painter is currently laying on the bed. The sudden flashes of lightning and rumbling sounds of thunder have already appeared along with the heavy rain, "Storm still continues. So I won't be able to go out anywhere for a while."

Noi let the room be engulfed in darkness as he doesn't even bother to turn on any lamp since the dim-lit rainy sky is sufficient enough to give him minimal light. The dark calm him down, as it makes him feel slightly more unwary of the unfamiliar surroundings. The decoration of this place is just too scary for his liking.

Allan takes a pause of a while, then asks again. "Should I come and accompany you once the storm ends?"

"What about your job?"

"I can take a leave."

Noi snort, "You're going to take a week leave from your job? Don't be ridiculous, Al. Think about Annie and the kids' well-being. You already have a family."

Allan curses, "Damn, if Ai isn't out of the country right now, I would've sent him to you."

The painter laughs, "You're making it sound like you'll deliver him with courier services. Besides, don't call him that. You know Aidan doesn't like that nickname."

"Why? because Ai means 'Love' in mandarin? Isn't that cute, though? Like yours, little Noi~" Allan teases the youngest, making him groan, "Stop it. You know how ridiculous the meaning behind my name right?"

Allan laughs, "Yeah. For a tall and lanky guy with a name meaning 'little beautiful', you are no little at all. Beautiful... Mmmh yeeaaah. But little?" the older brother fake gasp.

Noi rolls his eyes, "Is it necessary to add lanky in the description? And you're getting more annoying now. I think it's time to hang up."

"Wha-... Don't you miss this big brother of yours?! Now don't be so mean my little Noi~" Allan teases again.

Noi grimaces as he cuts the call without uttering his farewell. He then looks at the phone in his hand and playfully mutters, "Childish," and toss it to the bed while shaking his head.

After a while, Noi,s vision is now focused on the ceiling as his mind begins to ponder. Throughout the 2 days that he had been here, so many little odd things happen. So many times the hair at the back of his neck raised. But he doesn't understand why.

All of them are like him, human. They all look normal as well, except they're look kind of sickly in his opinion. But despite being sickly-looking, they're stronger than any normal people he knew. Heck! he even saw a petite maid carry 2 gallons of water without any difficulty when he went back from the office earlier. Is that normal?

I don't think so.

But no matter. Maybe these people are just used to do rough work. What does Noi know anyway? It's improper to judge people and deemed them as the weird ones anyway.

Honestly, their odd strength and characteristics remind him of a particular myth that is so well-known across this small country. Relating to a being, a supernatural that is able to wipe an entire kingdom in just one night, leaving not a single body at the site.

Bragr, a mythical beast that has come from folklore in the northern region, where Noi currently is. The creature has gained its name because the legend said its existence was the first one to appear in the civilization.

 In the lore, the beast was created because of a curse on a man named Bragr, a knight who dared to come and claimed a forbidden land, disturbing a devil in slumber. For that, the devil enchants an unbreakable curse to the man.

'For you, who successfully disturb the peaceful time of mine. I befall for you, a gift of eternal life and incomparable strength. With the thirst for the blood and hunger for the flesh of your kind.'

Once Bragr went back to the palace, the news of him being cursed already spread across the kingdom, making the king that he served sentenced him to death. The knight felt betrayed and immediately decided to massacred the whole kingdom in one night, leaving no one to tell the tale.

Isn't it obviously just a fake myth, though? The story said nobody survived, then how come the lore was able to spread? Must be someone who made it up.

But despite it was initially a man, thus still having the base figure of human, 2 legs, arms and all, older lore describes Bragr as a creature with enormous strength that reached almost 7 feet tall as its head is the shape of a wolf with huge long canines. Red glowing eyes is also one of the specific characteristics of the creature.

Newer versions of the lore describe Bragr as an undead creature, specifically a male vampire. The story had also described it as a creature that had incomparable beauty, with the porcelain skin that glows underneath the moonlight and a pair of lips as red as a rose that had bloomed in the dawn. This is why they also called the being Renatus, a term which means a man that had been born once again.

But that is just bullshit, right? Obviously, older versions were often the correct ones. The later one often romanticizes the creature, making it appear more ethereal than it needed to be.

The painter let out a sigh at his own brain, middle of a stormy night and thinking of a terrifying myth that obviously didn't exist.

Not long after, Noi gets up from the bed. But instead of going to the bathroom and prepare himself to sleep, he goes out of the bedroom since he suddenly feels thirsty. The boy curses himself to forgot to bring some water into the bedroom since the walk towards the kitchen is... super long.

Throughout the walk and continuous thunder noises, Noi looks around the dim-lit hallway that seldomly lightens by the flash of lightning as to try to find any servant that might walk around the area, thinking he might just ask them to bring the water to his room instead. But without much of his luck, there's no one after walking almost 10 minutes in the direction of the kitchen. Weird, usually they were everywhere in the morning. How come nobody is around at night?

Then he remembers what Hans told him before. Since it's already past midnight, for sure the will be no servants around to help him. Well, I guess I should get it myself.

As Noi almost reaching to the kitchen area, he suddenly stops his step and frowns. There are several people inside there because he can hear some kind of pots and pans hitting each other. But at the same time, his pointy nose suddenly caught the smell of something tangy and metallic, follows by slashing sounds that come from the kitchen. Is somebody doing some kind of butchering? How odd to do it in the middle of the night. Noi shrugs as he walks into the kitchen without thinking too much of it. But his breath suddenly hitches as his doe-eyes widen in surprise, seeing the horrifying scene that lays in front of him.