Hampshire, 1832. A stable boy was not supposed to strike up conversation with an earl's daughter, let alone climb up her bedroom window.You know, if someone finds out, he will definitely be whipped severely before being expelled from the house. Mikan climbed up the column, his fingers gripping the iron sheath of the balcony on the second floor.He swayed in the air for a while, using the center of gravity and inertia, propped up the heel of one leg to the corner of the balcony, turned the whole of the balcony, and easily crossed the railing. He quietly squatted down in front of the French doors and looked in from the glass door.There was only one lamp on in the room, and a girl was sitting in front of the dressing table, combing her long black hair.This scene made Mikan feel a burst of joy.

Eileen Madden, eldest daughter of Lord Heathcliff.Has always been docile, lively, beautiful impression.With little time for her parents to take care of her, she spent most of her time wandering around the Hampshire.The Earl and Countess have countless properties, Hampshire is just one of them.Lord and Lady Heathcliff are too busy with social activities to manage their three children.This kind of situation is not uncommon among the residents of Shiziyuan.The lives of adults are clearly defined by wealth, and children are the same, eating, sleeping, playing, and everything is separated from their parents.Moreover, the Earl and Countess did not have the slightest sense of responsibility as parents, and their minds would not be too much on a child formed by the combination of interests.

When Mikan entered the house on the first day when he was eight years old, he and Irene became good friends. Their friendship has lasted for ten years. They climb trees, swim, and run barefoot. They both like all games.In the beginning, the two were naive and ignorant, and everything was normal, but then things changed.Eileen was seventeen years old, beautiful and attractive, but she was not in the slightest interested in any young man. It was time for Irene to go to bed, and she had already changed into a long white cotton pajamas with complicated folds and lace.As she stood up and walked across the room, the light generously framed the graceful silhouette of her genitals, revealing the curves of her breasts and hips through the thin white fabric, and her long black hair was more dazzling.The beauty of Irene makes the heart stop and the breath fail.Her complexion is enough to make an ugly woman beautiful.And her figure is perfect, exuding brilliance all over her body.As if all these were not enough, God gave her the last magic weapon, which is the provocative curvature of her mouth.Mikan fantasized about kissing that small vortex hundreds of times, then brushed her cherry lips, kissing passionately over and over again, until she was powerlessly limp in his arms.

Mikan wondered more than once, what kind of a man can become an earl, marry a good wife and give birth to a daughter like Irene.Fortunately, she has inherited good traits from both parents.And her brother, Max, is not so coincidental.His face was as broad as the Earl's, rough and flat, and his build was more like that of a bull.Olivia, said to be the private voice daughter of the countess' extramarital affairs, is beautiful, but lacks the black magic power of her sister. Mikan stared at Erin, and suddenly realized that time was passing by little by little, and it would be a waste if he didn't do something.He collected himself and lightly tapped on the glass panel inlaid on the door.Irene approached along the sound, and didn't show any surprise when she saw him.Mikan stood up straight, staring at her intently.

Erin folded her arms across her chest and frowned at him.Walking away, she silently made lip shapes. Mikan was both amused and horrified by his actions.As far as he knew, he couldn't do any mischievous or harmful behavior, and he never even talked back to her.What I got in return was that I waited hard by the river for more than 2 hours this afternoon, but there was no trace of Yiren. Mikan shook his head resolutely and continued to stay far away.He reached out and turned the locked doorknob, which rattled like an alarm in the dark.They all know that once someone finds out about this scene, he must be the one who bears all the consequences, not her.And for that very reason—to hide him—she reluctantly opened the door.He smiled happily because his trick succeeded, regardless of her frowning deepened.

"Did you forget that we are going to meet this afternoon?" Mikan said directly, holding the doorknob with one hand, leaning his shoulder on the narrow wooden door frame, looking into her brown eyes with a smile.Even when he bent down, Eileen had to lift her neck to see his eyes. "No, I haven't forgotten." Her voice was sweet and sweet as usual, but there was a hint of displeasure. "Then where have you been?" "Does it matter?" Mikan tilted his head, wondering why girls always liked to play the guessing game.Since he couldn't get an answer, he resolutely decided to tell the truth, "I asked you to meet by the river because I wanted to see you."

"I think you should have changed your mind later - it seems that you prefer to be accompanied by others." Erin twisted her jaw impatiently because of his bewildered look, "This morning, my sister and I were on the way to the hat shop I saw you." Mikan nodded cautiously, remembering that he had indeed been ordered by the stable master to take a few pairs of boots to mend.But why should Irene be angry with that? "Oh, stop pretending," Eileen charged passionately. "I saw you with a girl from the village, Mikan. And you kissed her, in the street, in front of the world! "

His brows suddenly relaxed.It turned out to be like this.That should be Mary, the butcher's daughter.He did flirt with her in the morning, and when Mary teased him about something, he laughed happily and stole a kiss on her face.It meant nothing to him or Mary, and he forgot about it. This is the root of Erin's temper - jealousy.Mikan tried not to show the joy on his face, but there was something warm and heavy inside.Damn it, he shook his head in frustration, considering how to remind her again of the fact that was already there—the daughter of a nobleman shouldn't be paying attention to him.

"Irene." He said, raising his hand to touch her, but he put it down halfway. "What happened between me and that girl has nothing to do with us. You and I are just friends. We won't...you're not me...damn, I don't have to explain!" Eileen looked at him in a different way than in the past, something intense in her brown eyes that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "What if I were that girl?" she countered. "Would you do the same to me?" For the first time in his life, Mikan was dumbfounded.He has a gift for clearly understanding what others want to hear, and he enjoys using this gift well.You can coax delicious bread from the bakery lady, and you can avoid the scolding of the stable master.But facing Erin's question... no matter what his answer is, it is a huge danger.

Mikan tried to think of the right words to reassure her, "I wouldn't think of you in that way," he finally said, forcing himself to meet her gaze. "But other boys do," Eileen went on calmly under his gaze, "the Harvers came to visit last week, and William cornered me to kiss me." "That conceited little slug!" Mikan roared angrily, remembering the freckled fat man who had always been fascinated by Irene. "Wring his head off next time I see you. Why don't you tell me?" "He's not the only one," Irene deliberately added fuel to the fire, "not long ago my cousin Elliott tried to lure me into a kissing game with him—"

Mikan suddenly reached out and grabbed her, and she let out a slight gasp. "Damn your cousin Elliott," he swore roughly. "Damn those people." Shouldn't have touched her.He could feel her arms under his fingers, light and warm, making his body tense.He wanted to touch her more, to hold her tighter, to inhale more of her scent...the skin that had just been bathed with soap still had the scent of rose water, drifting along her soft breath.Every cell in his body was clamoring to hold her close, to press his lips to the velvety neck and shoulders.He restrained himself and forced himself to let go of her, but his hands were still in a hugging posture, making it difficult to move, breathe, and sort out his thoughts. "I've never let anyone kiss me," Eileen said, "I hope it's you—only you." Her voice was pitiful, "but at this rate, I'm going to grow old before you take action." 90 years old." Mikan could no longer hide his pent-up longing for compassion, he looked straight at her, "No, things will change, but I won't let it happen." Eileen carefully reached out her fingers and touched his face.Her hand pressed closer to her cheek than Mikan's own.She knew the origin of every tiny scar on his face.When she was a child, her hands were chubby and dirty under the nails.Now her hands are slender and fair, with perfectly rounded nails.He resisted the painful urge to press his lips to her palm, her hand caressing his chin, and his body tensed. "I've noticed the way you look at me," Eileen said, flushing her pale cheeks. "I know what you're thinking, just as you know what I'm thinking. All I feel is You, you are my everything... May I have just one..." She tried hard to find the right words, "Illusion?" "No," he said, "because the illusion will eventually be broken, and we will be worse than before." "Really?" Irene bit her lower lip, looked away, and clenched her hands into fists, as if she wanted to break the maze between the two. "I'd rather die than hurt you," Mikan said coldly, "If I allow myself to kiss you once, there will be a second time, a third time, and then I can't stop." "But you don't know—" Erin wanted to argue. "No, I know." The two stared at each other wordlessly as if challenging.Mikan's expression was blank, he knew Irene so well, once he showed the slightest hesitation, she would pounce on him and hug him without hesitation. Eileen finally sighed in frustration, "Okay, then." She seemed to be talking to herself, her spine straightened suddenly, her voice flattened by giving up something, "Tomorrow afternoon at sunset, we can be on the river. Shall we meet, Mikan? Playing stone throwing, chatting, fishing or something, the same as before, that's what you want, right?" It took Mikan a long time to say, "Yes," he replied cautiously.It's all he can do—God knows, there's nothing better than this. Irene looked at him, with a loving smile on the corner of her mouth, "Before you are discovered, let's go. But wait a moment, bend down, and I will help you fix your hair. There is something stuck on the top." If Mikan hadn't been so dazed, he'd have told her there was no need to tidy up.He'll be back to rest in the room behind the stables later, where five dozen horses won't have a problem with his hair.But he has automatically bent down, obediently fulfilling every little wish of Irene. Instead of arranging his unruly hair, Irene lifted her toes, slid her hand to the back of his neck, and pressed her mouth to his lips. The kiss made him tremble like an electric shock.Mikan moaned, his whole body frozen in shocking joy.God, her lips, mellow and slender, searched him firmly and clumsily.As Eileen had known before, he would not push her away now.He stood passively, struggling with the wave of perception that was about to overwhelm him.The urge of adolescence made him love her and want her.After struggling with self-control for less than a minute, he moaned in frustration and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her passionately, over and over, reveling in the softness of her lips.Eileen responded eagerly, coming up to him, running her fingers through his black hair.It felt so good to hold her... Mikan couldn't help but deepen the kiss, forcing her lips to part.He quickly explored the edges of her teeth, the wet, silky mouth.She was frightened—he felt her hesitation, and Anzhi let her relax with a low hum.His hands slid to the back of her head, securing the roots of her hair, and his tongue sank deeper into her.Irene panted and clasped his shoulders tightly, responding to him strangely.Mikan prolongs the kiss, licking every corner, making her unable to bear any more pleasure.He understands this desire, and although he has limited experience, he has tasted the forbidden fruit.But he had never been subjected to such an annoying physical and mental torture as today... a fatal temptation that he would never want to compromise. Mikan let go of her lips, and buried his face in her lustrous hair, "Why did you do that?" he said in a muffled voice. Erin's self-mockery was tinged with pain, "You're my everything. I love you, and I'll always—" "Shh." He shook her lightly to make her quiet.He hugged her arm and looked at her blushing face, "Don't say this again. If you say it again, I will leave the stone area." "Then let's go together," she said impulsively, "to a place where no one else can find—" "Damn, do you know how ridiculous your words are?" "How ridiculous?" "How could I ruin your life like this?" "But I belong to you," she said frankly, "and being with you is what I have to do." She was true to her oath, and Mikan could see it on her face.Her words angered him, but broke his heart even more.Damn her, she knows that there is an insurmountable gap between the two of them, she should accept the reality.He couldn't stay any longer, the temptation was growing, and if it wasn't stopped it would be a big mistake. He held her face in his hands, traced her dark eyebrows with his fingers, brushed his velvety cheeks with his thumbs, and told her bluntly, "Maybe you do want me now. But it will change later. There will always be One day you'll easily forget me. I'm a bastard, a servant, and not one of the higher classes—" "You are my other half." Mikan closed his eyes in shock at her words.He hated the instinctive reaction to those words, the joyful surprise of, "Damn it. I can't stay in the stone area anymore with you like this." Eileen backed away immediately, her face disappearing, "Don't, don't go. I'm sorry, I won't say any more, please, Mikan—you're going to stay, right?" He suddenly realized that if he was destined to suffer the torture of fate one day in the future, then leaving her would be his fatal wound.Erin is 19 years old... a year to go, maybe less than a year.At that time, the whole world will be open to her, and Mikan will be her hidden danger.She would forget the night and what she had said to a stable boy on the balcony outside the bedroom in the moonlight.But when the time comes... "I'll stay as long as possible," he said cautiously. Anxiety flashed in her eyes, "What about tomorrow?" She reminded him, "Will you meet me?" "By the river at sunset," Mikan said, suddenly feeling that there was too much to think about. Irene seemed to understand his thoughts, "I'm sorry." Her painful whispers fell into the air like falling petals.He turned and climbed down the balcony. Mikan disappeared into the night, and Irene slowly walked back to the room, touching her lips with her fingers, trying to press the kiss into her skin.His lips were unexpectedly hot, and his taste was sweet and wonderful, it tasted like apples, something he must have stolen from the orchard.She had dreamed of his kiss thousands of times, but the real touch surpassed any fantasy. Her original intention was to let Mikan feel that she was already a woman, and her goal had been achieved, but it was not a triumph, just like a knife edge breaking a gap in the barrier.She knew Mikan's thoughts, he thought she didn't understand the complexity of the matter, but the fact was that she was clearer than him. The cognition she was instilled in since she was a child is: don't get involved with people of different classes.Young men like Mikan were never to be approached.People from the highest and lowest classes of society agree and recognize such class boundaries.She and Mikan belonged to two very different types of people. But Erin couldn't look at Mikan with the eyes of ordinary people.Although he was not a nobleman, he was by no means just a stable boy.He has noble blood flowing through him, and perhaps he has also inherited the arrogance of nobles.Things in the world are so unfair, he is so smart, handsome, and hardworking, but he can't go beyond the inherent social boundaries. She still remembers the day he first came to Shiziyuan, a little boy with unruly unkempt hair and eyes that were neither blue nor green, but a magical color in between.From the gossip among the servants, she learned that the boy was an illegitimate child whose mother fled London, lived in poverty, and died in childbirth.The unfortunate baby was sent back to his grandparents in Shizi District, where the old couple raised him and eventually grew old.When Mikan was 8 years old, he was sent to Shiziyuan as a younger brother.His duties were to clean the shoes of the higher servants, to help the maids carry cans, to run hot water up and down the stairs, and to scrub the silver coins from the market, so that the earl and countess would not come into contact with the dirty things touched by the craftsmen. His full name was John Mikan, but there were already three servants named John in the mansion.So everyone unanimously decided to call him Mikan before finding a suitable name for him.Most paid him no attention at first, except Mrs. Fickles, the housekeeper, a broad-faced, red-cheeked, good-natured woman who treated Mikan like her own son.In fact, even Irene and her sister Olivia were closer to her than to their own mother.No matter how busy the housekeeper is, she will always find time to spend time with the children, bandage the injured little finger, look at the bird's nest outside, or reglue the broken toys. Only Mrs. Fickles occasionally kindly allows Mikan to take a break and run to play with Irene.Such hours were, to the poor boy, the only consolation in rote work. "You've got to be nice to Mikan," Mrs. Fickles warned Erin, as the little girl came to sue him because he broke her toy. "He's homeless and has no good clothes to wear and good food to eat, but you've got everything. He's trying to make money while you're playing. If he keeps getting sued, if people say he's a bad boy, Then he'll be kicked out of here and we'll never see him again." These words burned deeply into Erin's heart.From then on, she protected Mikan, picked up on his negligence, shared the goodies her brother brought from town, and even taught him the lessons he learned himself.In return, Mikan taught her how to swim, how to throw stones so that they rippled, ride a horse, and whistle by pinching a leaf. Regardless of what anyone said, Eileen never thought of Mikan as a brother.Her kinship with Max was not as close as she was with Mikan.Mikan was her alter ego, her circle of protection, her sanctuary. As if it happened naturally, she grew into a young girl and was attracted to him.Every Hampshire girl does.Mikan was tall, strong, and striking in appearance.His nose is long and straight, and his mouth is wide.A strand of black hair hangs over the forehead in wavy bangs.The turquoise eyes were a misty color beneath the jet-black lashes.What's more, he also has a lazy charm and a natural sense of humor, so he is very popular at the house and the surrounding countryside. Out of love for Mikan, Eileen thought of a bold assumption: to be with him forever, to form a family he never had.Otherwise, she will have to accept the orders of her parents.Although the union of true love is not as unattainable as it used to be in the aristocratic circle, the Marden family still insists on the marriage being arranged by the parents.Irene is very clear about her future destiny. She will marry a depraved aristocratic husband, use her to give birth to an heir, and then turn a blind eye to her outside pursuit of pleasure.Each year she spends her social season in London, followed by her country residence, awaiting the autumn hunt.Facing the same faces and listening to the same small talk year after year.Even the joy of procreation is fleeting.There are servants to look after the children, and when the children grow up, they are sent to boarding school like Max. Decades of emptiness, Erin thought gloomily.And worst of all, getting word that Mikan, somewhere, trusted another woman with all his heart. "God, what should I do?" Eileen whispered uneasily, climbing onto the brocade bed.She picked up a pillow, propped her chin in the fat hollow, and thought wildly.She couldn't lose him, and the realization made her tremble all over, and she wanted to scream out loud in a rage. Erin threw away the pillow and lay on her back on the bed, staring at the curtains on the top of the bed.How could she keep Mikan?She thought that she could find him as a lover after she got married.Her mother was like that... a lot of noble ladies are like that.If they were careful enough, no one would object.But Erin knew that Mikan would never accept such an arrangement.He wouldn't want half of it—he wouldn't share her.Although he is just a servant, he also has masculine pride and strong possessiveness like all men in the world. Erin didn't know what to do.It seems the only option is to cherish every moment with him until fate will tear them apart.