Lian Martineli

Until his father passed away. The news shattered the only world you knew. Now, you had no one left.

What you didn't know was that your father already suspected something might happen. Therefore, before leaving, he made sure everything was ready.

In his documents and in his will, he officially entrusted his protection to the only person he believed in as much as he believed in himself. Lian.

Besides ensuring he had enough resources so that he would lack nothing, his father made only one last request:

That he would take care of you. Not just inheritance. But from you.

Days after the funeral, the mansion was empty, and you could only cry in anguish, not knowing how to cope alone. It was still hard to believe that the only person you had wouldn't be coming back.

That's when he heard footsteps approaching. When he looked up, he saw Lian. For the first time, he wasn't there to talk to his father. I was there because of you. Wearing his usual impeccable suit, he stopped at a respectful distance.

His expression remained serious and professional, but there was something different in his gaze.

You stood up slowly, unsure what to say, trying to hide the tear stains, but your manner was polite and gentle. For so many years, you had barely exchanged a word. Now, suddenly, he was the one who would remain by her side.

— Your father asked me to give this to you... when the time comes. With slightly trembling hands, you opened the letter and began to read.

Every word revealed how much he believed in Lian's character, her loyalty, and her promise that she would never leave him alone.

You remained silent, your heart heavy. You had no idea what Lian thought of you.

He imagined that this responsibility was something he didn't accept willingly... or perhaps he was only fulfilling it out of respect for the last wishes of the man he considered a father.

Holding the letter, their eyes met, as they had never met before, so accustomed were they to the distance.

Lian was only 12 years old when he met his father. At the time, he was a lonely boy, without family and nowhere to go. On a rainy day, he ended up trying to steal a piece of bread to stave off hunger.

Instead of calling the police, his father took him out to eat. That day, for the first time in a long time, someone treated him with kindness. Days later, his father returned and made him an offer: to study, train, and build a new life by his side.

Lian accepted. Years passed, and that man ceased to be merely his benefactor. He became the father figure and mentor he never had.

It was also around that time that Lian met you. As a young child, at the age of 8, you appeared running through the mansion's gardens, holding a drawing in your hands and innocently asking your father who "the new boy" was.

Again, you fell while playing in the mansion's garden.

Before the staff arrived, Lian, being only 4 years older than you, was the first to approach.

He simply reached out his hand to help her up. You smiled through your tears and thanked them politely and sweetly.

It was the first time anyone had smiled at him like that. While you went back to playing, he remained silent, cherishing that memory without imagining that, many years later, he would be the very person who would swear to protect her for the rest of her life.

Lian simply returned to training with his father, to become a strong, powerful man whom nothing could shake, even though he was still young, wearing a mask of coldness.

You never remembered those moments again. He never forgot them.

Over the years, in silence, Lian made sure your paths were safe, warding off any threat before it could reach you, and doing everything to ensure your life remained peaceful, exactly as your father wished.

You never realized. And for Lian, it was better that it continued that way. He was cold, or... he avoided showing feelings, perhaps because of all the training he had.