At the time when the sun was directly overhead, a car drove up and stopped in front of the enormous fence of the Metthanun Mansion, as indicated by the dashboard ornament.
"Drop me off here.
"Now that we're here, can't I drop you off inside the house?" the driver protested in disagreement.
"Ai Rob, you know that I'm just a servant.
"Every word is ‘servant’; every two words, it’s still ‘servant.’ As far as I know, you’re the Mia of the homeowner’s son, aren’t you!"
Kon Hin felt quite uncomfortable when his close friend, with whom he had been staying for several days, made such a remark on his behalf. He could only smile awkwardly and felt even more uneasy upon hearing the word Mia.
"Ai Rob, I beg you, don't talk about this.
Although they were conversing in a tightly sealed car that no one outside could hear, he did not want his friend to discuss the relationship between him and his employer. Who knew if one day Nakrob might accidentally let it slip? And Kon Hin did not want his situation to become a source of harm to Khun Tul.
If anyone knew that Khun Tul slept with him... just the thought was terrifying.
“Heh, I'm doing this for your sake," Nakrob muttered, locking eyes with Kon Hin. He let out a heavy sigh, glanced over the sharp, handsome face of his close friend, now marked only by faint remnants of injuries, and sighed again.
“Honestly, you got hurt so badly because of him, and yet Ai Tul hasn’t even shown his face to check on you once.”
“You said you wouldn’t talk about this anymore.”
When Nakrob brought up the topic again, as he had done countless times over the past few days of Kon Hin’s recovery, Kon Hin protested pleadingly. This prompted the taller man to roll his eyes and roughly ruffle his hair in irritation.
“Fine, whatever. This is between you and him, not my business,” Nakrob grumbled, visibly annoyed.
Yet deep down, he was still harboring his dissatisfaction—not at Kon Hin, but at that bloody shit-lizard living a life of luxury in his mansion, completely unconcerned about the person he had beaten black and blue.
When Kon Hin first arrived, his bruised face was so swollen and discolored that it was unrecognizable. Even Nakrob’s parents asked if there had been a fight, forcing Nakrob to fabricate a story about Kon Hin helping a woman fend off a purse-snatcher, only to end up getting beaten himself. Since Kon Hin worked in the home of a high-ranking employer, returning in that condition was out of the question. Nakrob had invited him to stay at his house, which reassured his parents that Kon Hin wasn’t being hunted by the mafia and wouldn’t cause trouble for the family.
Oh, and as for Kon Hin’s personality—it had won over everyone in Nakrob’s home.
Initially, he had frightened Nakrob’s family to the point where they avoided getting close to him. But Kon Hin turned out to be the kind of person one might call a grateful crane repaying its debt. He pitched in with every chore—washing dishes, gardening, cleaning cars—and he was also an excellent cook. Before long, Nakrob’s entire family had become smitten with him.
It seemed that Kon Hin’s virtues were utterly invisible to a certain bloody shit-lizard though.
“Thank you so much, truly,” Kon Hin said earnestly, touched by his friend’s kindness. Nakrob simply shrugged.
“Alright, alright, I’ve heard enough of that. We’re friends, so of course, we help each other out. If anything else happens, call me anytime.”
The listener responded with a faint smile, thanked his close friend once more, and stepped out of the car. Watching the vehicle disappear from sight, he murmured softly, “Still, I’m really grateful to you.”
Without Nakrob, Kon Hin wasn’t sure who he could have turned to for help. But now, he had more pressing concerns.
His sharp face turned toward the tall gates and the long walls extending down the road, unmistakably marking the property of the Metthanun mansion. A wave of unease swept over him.
Kon Hin was anxious about how his employer would react to his absence over the past several days. He also worried about how the real master of the house, Tul, was faring, as there had been no word from him since the day Kon Hin went to Nakrob’s home. With a deep inhale, Kon Hin walked to the small side gate and pressed the button to summon the guard in the front booth.
A man in his early thirties leaned out to look, greeting him with a broad smile.
“Oh! You’re back, Hin. Where’ve you been these past few days?”
“I was at a friend’s place working on a report, Phii. I told Khun Trai already.”
“Alright, alright. Come in, come in. It’s too hot out here.”
As soon as the guard unlocked the gate, Kon Hin pushed it open and entered. He lifted his gaze toward the familiar, grand mansion.
“Man, it’s been dull without you these past few days. Even the old man was asking about you,” the guard said, referring to the gardener Kon Hin usually assisted. Kon Hin raised his hands in a wai as a gesture of apology.
“Sorry, Phii. I was away for several days, and others had to take on my work.”
“Oh, stop making a fuss. You’ve got your studies to focus on, you know. Khun Trai always says he wants you to study. He probably wants you to be Khun Tul’s assistant in the future. So, just focus on your studies. If it's too tough, don’t worry about helping out. Just tell me, and I’ll take care of it. I’m just waiting for your graduation ceremony, and you’ll be in trouble if I miss it!” The speaker patted his chest and grinned.
While the masters of the house made Kon Hin feel uncomfortable, the workers here were the ones who put him at ease.
“And what about Khun Tul, Phii?” Kon Hin asked, his concern still lingering.
That’s the one he was really worried about.
“He’s not around. He left early this morning. I’m not sure when you’d be back. Oh, speaking of Khun Tul, I can’t help but think about his younger brother. Khun Tul is so kind, but Khun Tinn, well... people in the house shake their heads about him. A spoiled brat, that one. If he were anyone else’s kid, they'd’ve been beaten with a switch by now. Sigh, I don’t get it. Khun Tul is so wonderful, but why does the old woman despise her first grandson so much?”
Kon Hin could only listen quietly as he walked over to the bike that was leaning against the wall.
“Well, in every bad situation, there’s something good,” the man continued, still talking.
“What’s that, Phii?” Kon Hin turned back, curious.
This made the speaker smile knowingly.
“Looks like Khun Tul has someone to comfort him now.”
“Really?!”
This time, Kon Hin stared at him, a mix of surprise and shock on his face, causing the man to continue excitedly.
“It's the beautiful young lady, the daughter of your lady’s friend. Oh, just from a distance, you can tell she’s beautiful. Then it looks like she's going hee-hee-hee with Khun Tul too!” The man laughed, tapping his fingers together with a knowing grin, gossiping away without noticing the listener's face had gone completely still.
It wasn’t long before Kon Hin gave a faint smile.
“If that’s true, then it’s good, Phii.”
“Well, of course it is! A handsome young man and a beautiful girl – they’re perfect for each other, like golden branches and jade leaves!”
Kon Hin chuckled along, pretending like it didn’t concern him. But inside, he felt the opposite—his heart raced with fear.
“That’s nice.”
“And what about you? Don’t you have any pretty girls at the university?”
“Me? No way, Phii. Who would pay attention to someone like me?” Kon Hin shook his head, slapping the bicycle seat.
“I’ll borrow your bike, okay?”
“Sure, sure. There’s another one right here.”
Kon Hin quickly swung his leg over the bike, not wanting to continue the conversation, and started pedaling toward the street that led to the large mansion, his mind full of the things he had just heard.
The daughter of the lady's friend... the one from that call.
The thought caused Kon Hin to abruptly stop pedaling, his feet dropping to the ground as he leaned his face against the handlebars of the bike.
"Why worry, Kon Hin? This is good, really good.
He hoped that one day Khun Tul would meet a good woman, didn’t he? A woman who would come into his life and help heal the wounds in his heart. Yet somehow the fact that Khun Tul never cared about any woman, despised every single one, and viewed women as a destructive force—a gender that had hurt him so deeply—made Kon Hin feel at ease. And this woman would likely be no different.
"You shouldn’t think like that, Kon Hin. Khun Tul should meet a good woman.
Right now, Kon Hin’s thoughts and words were pulling in opposite directions. Because when the day came that Khun Tul had someone, it would be the day he could no longer stay by his side.
He felt worse than if he’d been locked away for four days straight.
~~~
“Thank you so much, Khun Tul, for driving me home.”
“It’s nothing. It was just a small thing.”
Khun Tul gave a warm smile to the beautiful woman, Wadi, hiding the fact that he hadn't run into her by accident, but rather because he had overheard his stepmother talking about where she and her daughter were going. So, instead of picking up Kon Hin from Rob's home, the one who should be focusing on someone close to him chose to approach something that could take him higher... more so than going to get Kon Hin.
While Nakrob dropped Kon Hin off at home, Khun Tul stayed with this beautiful woman.
“You should thank Khun Tul, really. My mom just left me like that,” Wadi pouted in annoyance. When she saw the young man arrive, her mother told her she was going out with a friend, leaving her alone with him, which meant Khun Tul had to drive her home, even though her house was in the opposite direction of the Metthanun mansion.
“But there’s an upside to it,” Khun Tul said.
“It’s not good at all. I had to trouble P’Tul,” she said softly.
Tul laughed in a gentle tone. His sharp eyes shone warmly, and his handsome face showed a slight shyness that contrasted with his usual confident demeanor. This endearing charm was enough to make any woman’s heart flutter. Then he spoke in a pleasing voice.
“Because it gave me the chance to bring Wadi home.”
Blush!
Napawadi’s cheeks turned a rosy hue. She stammered, unable to speak, and lowered her gaze, unable to meet his captivating golden-brown eyes.
“Did what I said make you uncomfortable, Wadi?” Tul asked in a sorrowful tone.
“Oh! No, no, not at all,” she quickly denied, her voice loud in protest. This sudden outburst made her realize she had unintentionally confessed her feelings. Her head, which had been tilted downward, now dropped even further, with her chin almost touching her chest, making her look adorably fragile. The man behind the wheel couldn’t help but smile broadly.
“I think I should go inside now,” the beautiful woman said nervously, her trembling hand reaching to unfasten her seatbelt.
“Alright then, I won’t bother you anymore. I hope you get some rest today; your face has been red all day,” Tul teased softly, making her blush even more.
She stepped out of the car hesitantly, her movements awkward yet endearing. The young man watched her with fondness.
“Don’t forget to take your medicine, okay? I don’t want you to get sick.”
“I’m not sick at all.”
“Then why…” Tul left the sentence unfinished, smiling as he glanced at her delicate, rosy cheeks.
Wadi bit her lip slightly, raised her hands in a wai, and quickly stepped out of the car, hurrying away.
"I will take my leave," Wadi said before quickly stepping inside the house.
Her flushed face now extended to the fair, smooth skin visible beyond the sleeves of her adorable doll-like blouse. Despite herself, she couldn’t suppress a small smile.
Her demeanor clearly showed she had feelings for him.
Naturally, the person who had driven her home knew this too. As soon as his car began to move away, Tul’s warm smile shifted into one of satisfaction.
Tul didn’t like, and had never liked, being close to women. He simply hid it well when he was around others—except for Kon Hin. No one would ever guess he had disliked physical contact with the opposite sex since childhood because such contact brought memories of scars inflicted by his grandmother. Thus, Tul had to play the part of a gentleman, even though he felt disgusted.
Every time he saw the glimmer in a woman’s eyes after learning he was a Metthanun, Tul felt repulsed, even to the point of revulsion. This time, however, it was different.
Most women wanted him as if they were mice falling into a rice barrel, but not Wadi. There was something about her that intrigued him more than anyone else.
Perhaps it was because he was using Wadi, not the other way around?
This thought brought a smile to his lips, a smile that widened further as his large Japanese car passed through the gates and stopped in front of the guard post. The eldest Metthanun greeted the guard familiarly.
"Khun Tul, Ai Hin has returned," the guard informed him.
Tul often received updates about comings and goings from here. This particular piece of information made him pause, his eyes gleaming with delight.
"Thank you. I'll go see Hin then. Don’t overwork yourself; the sun is hot, and I wouldn’t want you to get sick," Khun Tul said warmly before driving the car to the garage.
He stepped out briskly, heading toward the workers' quarters, greeting various individuals along the way with casual familiarity. Finally, he stopped in front of the room of someone he hadn’t seen in days.
Knock, knock.
"Hin, open the door," Tul called out without hesitation.
When he found the door locked, he knocked twice with his large hand and called out again. If it was Tul’s voice, even if Kon Hin were asleep, he would awaken and come to open the door. Let alone now, when he was merely in the middle of changing clothes, he immediately came to open the door. Tul’s smile widened at the sight of his face but quickly faded upon seeing the pale, weary expression of his close companion.
"You’ve returned, Khun Tul," Hin said quietly.
"It’s me who should be asking—you’re back already?" Tul retorted.
Why did he look as though he didn’t want to see him? The thought irritated Tul, and his golden-brown eyes darkened with a sharp edge, fixing Hin with a glare until the latter looked away.
"Yes, I’m back. I’m sorry for being away for several days. How have you been, Khun Tul?"
Despite his pale complexion, Hin’s genuinely concerned voice, free of any other emotion, always lifted Tul’s mood. The taller man decided to brush off the strange feeling, refraining from asking why Hin looked like that or how things had been at that meddling Ai Rob’s house.
"I’m fine. Why was the door locked?" Tul asked as he stepped uninvited into the cramped room. Usually, Hin never locked his door, except when he was sleeping or when Tul was already inside. The moment Tul crossed the threshold, Hin instinctively turned to close and lock the door behind him.
"I was changing clothes," Hin explained, gesturing toward the T-shirt on the bed.
"Hah. How many times have you spread your legs in front of me? And now you’re shy about changing clothes?" Tul’s words were brusque, but his hands lifted the hem of Hin’s shirt, his eyes narrowing as he noticed faint bruises. His fingertips gently brushed over them with a look of displeasure.
"It's not that I don't want Khun Tul to see, but I don't want others to see the bruises," Hin explained.
The explanation calmed Tul down. Upon seeing the remaining bruises on the abdomen, when he brushed over them and Kon Hin flinched, muscles twitching, a recognition of wrongdoing settled in his heart.
Perhaps it also included the matter of meeting someone else without the confidant’s knowledge.
He had been too harsh.
He had been too cruel.
The thought made Tul pull his hand back to himself.
"Have you applied any ointment?"
"Yes, I have," Hin replied.
"I don’t smell any medicine," Tul interjected sharply, standing up immediately.
"Where is it?"
"Khun Tul, you don’t have to—"
"I asked, where is it?" Tul raised his voice, and Hin could only walk to fetch the tube of bruise ointment from the bag leaning against the wall. Before he could hand it over, Tul snatched the tube away quickly.
"I’ll do it myself," Hin protested, attempting to grab it back.
"Stay still. Do you want it worse?" Tul's voice hardened once more.
"Take off your shirt.
Hin stood frozen as if not understanding the command for a long moment before finally grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it off. The bruises under the fabric, still vivid, were revealed, softening the golden-brown eyes of the man before him.
"Come here and sit," Tul ordered, watching as Hin obeyed and sat down. Tul shifted to sit beside him, his sharp eyes focusing on the bruises along the torso, remembering exactly how hard he had punched. His fingertips delicately spread the ointment over the bruises with the utmost gentleness—so different from the harshness he had displayed before.
That gentleness nourished Hin’s heart, giving it the strength to keep beating.
Hin’s jet-black eyes observed Tul’s handsome face as he carefully applied the ointment. The worry and anxiety he had felt when his Chao-nai failed to contact him faded away, replaced by a calm reassurance that Tul was doing well—much better than during the funeral of Khun Than.
One thing Hin was certain of: while Tul might wear a mask in front of others, he never wore one before him. So, Hin allowed himself to believe that today’s gentleness was genuine, that the man in front of him truly cared for him. The warmth made his eyes sting, filling him with an urge to lean against Tul and say, I’m fine.
As long as Khun Tul was fine, Hin would be fine too.
"Does it hurt?"
"No," Hin replied, shaking his head before softly asking,
"May I lean against you, Khun Tul?"
Tul looked surprised but, after a moment, gently pulled Hin’s head to rest against his shoulder.
"Go ahead.
Those two words held more value than anything else.
That was enough.
~~~
“Looks like it’s going to rain today—the noble Khun-chai and the servant have come to class.”
"Ai Rob.
"What? Am I wrong? You kept insisting he was a servant.”
The next day, Pathapee felt like burying his face in his hands. The moment he stepped into the lecture hall, Nakrob shouted this teasing remark from across the room. The previous time, Pathapee had told Nakrob not to talk about him sleeping with Khun Tul. This time, Nakrob sarcastically emphasized the word "servant" so much that Pathapee could only plead with his eyes.
Of course, the muscular man cared little for such pleas, even raising an eyebrow as if to say, What did I say wrong?
And Tul was not someone who would take an insult lying down.
The mixed-heritage young man walked right up to Nakrob, flashing him a smile.
“I’ve just learned that you’re the kind of guy who belittles others.” Tul nodded in Hin’s direction.
“You call Hin a servant when you claim to be his friend? Isn’t that going a bit too far?”
“Who’s really putting Ai Hin down here?” Nakrob narrowed his eyes menacingly.
"Me? When did I ever put Ai Hin down? Tell me," the speaker raised an eyebrow.
While his expression didn’t mock outright, the glint in his eyes certainly did, something Nakrob couldn’t miss. It made his face darken with irritation, but Tul paid no mind to his friend’s growing temper. As long as Nakrob had started the confrontation, Tul could earn all the sympathy he needed from the onlookers.
“Or are you mad that I didn’t help with the report? I’m sorry, man. I was tied up with Khun Yaa’s funeral. I know I was in the wrong. Can I make it up to you some other way? I wanted to help back then, but my grandmother’s funeral took priority over everything else.” Tul pressed on, his face full of remorse, clearly angling for compassion from the crowd.
Nakrob clenched his jaw tightly, wanting to snap back, but stopping short. Anything he said would make him the villain, the jerk who attacked a dutiful grandson in everyone’s eyes.
This was the tense scene Hin had to step into. His voice was pleading.
"Ai Rob, enough. Take your seat. The professor will be here soon.
Nakrob kept glaring at Tul but finally slumped back into his seat, arms crossed. However, Tul didn’t miss the accusatory look in Nakrob’s eyes—a look he disliked intensely. It was as if Nakrob knew something Tul didn’t want him to know. Then though Tul was confident in his ability to handle the situation, this particular issue irked him more than anything else.
“These are yesterday’s lecture notes. I made extra copies for you. And how’s your injury healing?” Nakrob turned his attention to Hin instead.
When Hin rolled up his sleeve to show him that beneath the long-sleeved uniform shirt, there was only a faint bruise remaining, Tul felt even more annoyed.
How much does Ai Rob know?
“You don’t have to worry. I’m better now.”
“And what about the bruise on your stomach? That one seemed the worst.”
"Well...
"I doubt you'd pull your shirt up for him to see," Tul interjected, his gaze shifting toward the board where the professor was entering the room, effectively silencing Hin.
"So, what’s the status of your injury?" Nakrob pressed on, undeterred.
"The professor’s here. Let’s focus on the lesson," Hin deflected, following the clear directive his Chao-nai had just given. Tul's sharp glance and icy smile toward Nakrob conveyed an unspoken message: You should know by now who I am and who you are. Stop meddling in Ai Hin’s affairs.
Nakrob responded with one simple gesture:
Thwap!
He raised both middle fingers. Tul merely maintained his cold smile and turned back to the professor, feigning attentive focus despite the storm brewing within him.
Stop interfering with Ai Hin. Otherwise, I’ll make sure Ai Hin cuts ties with you.
Sometimes Tul didn’t even realize that what he felt was possessiveness.
The irritation lingered throughout the lecture. Tul planned to drag Hin out afterward for lunch off-campus, but his dissatisfaction was interrupted by another emotion as his phone began to vibrate. He quickly picked it up to check.
Wadi.
Tul glanced toward Hin, who was still deep in conversation with Nakrob, and made the decision to answer the call.
"Yes, Wadi.
Kon Hin immediately turned to look.
"Phii Tul, am I bothering you?"
"No, not at all. I just finished class. What’s wrong? Your voice sounds unusual," Tul raised his eyebrow, noting the trembling tone from the other end of the call. It wasn’t worry, merely curiosity about what had happened.
"I need some help, Phii. Right now, I’m near your university, and I must have run over something. I think my tire’s blown. It made these loud popping noises—so scary! I called a mechanic, but they said traffic’s awful and didn’t know when they’d arrive. I don’t know what to do. I’m not familiar with this area.”
Napawadi's voice trembled as though she might cry, which spurred Tul into action.
"Where are you? I’ll come find you," he offered decisively.
Her reply was quick and relieved, her voice rising with evident gratitude. Tul lowered his phone, meeting Kon Hin’s deep black eyes. He wasn’t hiding his intentions but saw no need to explain everything outright. Hin would understand soon enough.
"I need to pick up Wadi. Come with me.
A part of Tul’s heart whispered not to do this, but his mind countered:
Kon Hin must meet the woman he had chosen to let into his life—for the sake of his future plans.
Kon Hin had already felt an unusual sense of foreboding upon hearing Wadi’s name. That feeling transformed into self-consciousness when the car stopped beside a luxurious vehicle with its hazard lights flashing. Standing by the car was a young woman with flawless features, charming enough to leave Kon Hin momentarily stunned.
She quickly performed a phanom wai to Tul, extending the gesture toward Kon Hin as well.
“I’m so sorry for calling to bother you, Phii Tul. I really didn’t know what else to do,” Wadi said apologetically, glancing at her stalled car with a look of utter hopelessness.
“It’s alright. Do you have a spare tire?” Tul asked calmly.
“No, not at all. I don’t even have tools. Even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to change a tire,” she replied, her tone filled with guilt. Her apologetic gaze then shifted to Kon Hin.
“I’m sorry for troubling your friend, Phii Tul, during such a busy time.”
“Uh, it’s no problem,” Kon Hin replied awkwardly, unable to explain that he wasn’t Tul’s friend—he was something lower.
“Where is the mechanic now?” Tul asked.
Wadi gave the name of a location that anyone familiar with Bangkok could predict would take at least two hours for the mechanic to reach. Tul paused, considering, because they didn’t have the tools to change the tire either. He turned to look at Kon Hin, their eyes meeting.
“Khun Tul, why don’t you take Khun Wadi to her destination first? I’ll stay here and wait for the mechanic... Actually, I’m one of Khun Tul’s workers, Khun Wadi,” Kon Hin explained politely. That was his role, after all. It was what he had to do, even if a small part of him wished Tul would refuse. But...
“Then I’ll take Wadi home first. Once the car is fixed, you can drive there to meet us,” Tul decided.
Kon Hin had already expected his Chao-nai to say that.
“I don’t want to trouble you that much, Phii Hin,” Wadi said politely, but her words made Kon Hin realize one thing—this woman still respected him enough to address him as “Phii,” even though she now knew that he was just a worker in the household.
“It’s no problem. It’s my duty. Khun Wadi, you should go with Khun Tul. I’ll take care of things here,” Kon Hin replied smoothly.
The young woman turned to Tul for his opinion.
“Go with what Kon Hin said. Wadi, go with P’Tul,” Tul decided, which led to Wadi doing something that left Kon Hin speechless.
The beautiful young lady gave him a phanom wai.
“Thank you so much, Phii Hin,” she said sincerely, flashing him a grateful smile.
“It’s no problem,” Kon Hin answered, his tone flat and distant.
Napawadi... this woman was completely different from the many other women around his Chao-nai. Kon Hin could only watch as she walked towards the passenger seat, replacing him. He couldn’t deny that... she was a perfect match for his Chao-nai.
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