The palace guests stood in stunned silence after the sound of Benjamin’s voice echoed for the first time in two years. The man who had issued the challenge out of sheer desperation never expected it to manifest before his eyes with such simplicity. Jolin remained frozen, as if time had stopped, while the young maid looked at the child with tearful eyes—as if she had known him for a lifetime. She took a small step forward, her hand still resting gently on his head; she didn’t move, fearing anyone might think she had performed a miracle, when in truth, she had only offered the kindness that the child so desperately craved.
On the other side of the hall, whispers began to ripple through the guests. Some believed it was a mere coincidence, while others sensed a story yet untold. As for Jolin, his mind raced faster than his heartbeat, trying to grasp what had just unfolded. He didn’t dare approach immediately, fearing a single step might shatter the moment or return Benjamin to his long silence. With glistening eyes, he grappled with the same question: How did this maid achieve what doctors and specialists could not?
The maid leaned toward the child and whispered words that no one else could hear, but Benjamin raised his head toward her and pressed her small fingers between his hands. That simple gesture was enough to plunge the room into silence once more. Unable to bear it any longer, Jolin stepped forward slowly. When he reached them, he lifted his son into his arms as if fearing he might vanish if he closed his eyes. He tried to speak a full sentence, but his voice failed him. He simply touched Benjamin’s head softly, then looked up at the maid, who appeared flustered by the gaze of every eye in the room.
In a low voice that was nevertheless clear to everyone, he asked her, “How did you do this?” She didn’t answer right away, hesitating for seconds that felt like an eternity. Then, in a faint but sincere tone, she said that the child recognized a sound she knew as well. No one understood what she meant, and Jolin didn’t fully comprehend it either, but something deep inside him felt that those words held the key to a secret far greater than anyone had imagined
