The Mind-Reading Mate: Why Is the Lycan King So Obsessed With Me? Chapter 479: The Boy Who Stopped Hoping (II)

Honestly, the reason the boy kept insisting on staying inside the cage wasn’t because he wanted to.

He was just... tired, tired of everything.

He wanted it all to end. So he thought that if he acted rude and stubborn, maybe his master would finally lose patience and beat him to death.

But sohow... he didn’t get punished for it. What a bizarre situation.

"But since you don’t want to co out," Salem continued calmly, "then I’ll stay here too." And before the boy could react, Salem sat down on the ground, right next to the cage.

The ground was dirty, and normally, he wouldn’t want to stain his clothes with dirt. But honestly, this place reminded him of how filthy he used to be back then, so a little dirt on his clothes now was nothing.

"Why...?" the boy asked in a small voice. He quickly told the other children in the cage to move back, as if trying to protect them. "Is this the start of your punishnt?" he asked carefully.

Salem rested his head on one hand, looking relaxed. "I’m not in the mood to punish anyone today," Salem said. "So no. Lucky you."

He shrugged. "I just want to sit with you. That’s all."

The boy looked even more confused. Back when he first ca to this cursed place, his master always played sothing called the "rcy Ga."

Just like the na, his master would pretend to show rcy, letting him out, letting him run, only to catch him again later.

It didn’t happen once or twice, but it happened again and again, until he no longer trusted anyone who offered him kindness.

"What do you actually want?" the boy asked, his voice cold and suspicious. "Did my master allow you and those n to co here and play with us?" He hesitated, then added bitterly, "Give us so... candy?"

The mont the word "candy" left the boy’s mouth, Salem’s whole body stiffened. His hands slowly curled into fists, squeezing tight as he forced himself to stay calm.

A second later, he suddenly laughed.

The boy froze, growing even more confused, and scared. To him, Salem’s laughter didn’t sound normal. It sounded like Salem had finally shown his "real self."

"Why are you laughing?" the boy asked.

Salem tried to stop himself, but his shoulders still trembled. "It’s just... so funny," he said.

Before the boy could say anything else, Salem continued, "It’s been a long ti since I escaped from a place like this... but that word can still trigger ."

He shook his head a few tis and clicked his tongue. "My Raven would be disappointed if she saw like this."

The candy they ant really was just ordinary candy, but what followed after that wasn’t as sweet as the candy they received. Salem didn’t even want to describe it.

"Escaped?" the boy repeated, looking more curious now.

He still didn’t fully trust Salem. But for so reason, sothing inside him whispered that this strange man was telling the truth.

Salem finally stopped laughing. Then he spoke in a calr voice. "I used to be locked in a cage too. Just like you." He looked at the cage in front of him. "Actually... your cage still looks clean. It even looks kind of nice. That’s lucky."

His smile faded. "My old cage was rusty," he continued. "And it slled rotten."

The boy fell silent, not knowing what to say to Salem. But after a few seconds, he swallowed and asked again, "You really ran away?"

Salem’s expression softened when the boy finally spoke to him like a normal human.

"Yeah," Salem said. "I ran away." He rolled his eyes. "Sadly, not from the cage."

He let out a slow breath. "I ran away from my second master’s house." His voice beca colder. "And trust ... it’s better to get out now than to wait until they send you there."

The boy didn’t answer right away. He stared at Salem’s face carefully, watching his eyes, listening closely, trying to make sure Salem wasn’t lying.

At the sa ti, more children slowly gathered closer. They were all quiet, watching Salem like he was the only light in the dark.

In the older children’s cage, there was a little girl, maybe around ten years old. Even though her face and clothes were covered in dirt, she still looked sweet and pretty. But Salem knew better than anyone that kind of "pretty" wasn’t a good thing in a place like this.

"What will happen to us in the second master’s house?" the girl asked, her voice shaking. "They... they said we will live in a big house. And there will be many pretty dolls."

Salem’s eyelids drooped as he said, "Oh, yes, you’ll live in a big house and there will be a lot of toys there." Then he looked up again, his eyes dark. "But it’s not fun at all."

"Why not?" the girl asked, her brows pulling together. "They said if I’m being a good girl, I’ll be sent there faster... and I can finally live sowhere better."

Salem only smiled in response. For a mont, he didn’t want to say anything, but since the girl kept staring at him, he finally opened his mouth.

"How about this..." he said gently. "What if I give you a beautiful house with lots of toys..." He paused. "But you don’t have to serve any master."

The girl frowned. "Then... what would I do?"

Salem looked at her and answered softly. "Nothing," he said. "You don’t have to do anything at all."

The boy imdiately panicked. He even pushed against the iron bars in front of him, as if he could push them away through pure anger. "Nonsense! Our master would never give us sothing for nothing!"

Salem didn’t look offended. He just answered calmly, almost like he expected the reaction.

"Well, I’m not your master," Salem said. "I don’t live by his rules."

Then his voice turned colder, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Besides..." Salem continued, "how could soone who once lived as a slave... ever want to beco a master who owns slaves?"