Chapter 104: Chapter 104

Everyone was surprised by the announcement.

"What’s going on? Why did the prince come so suddenly? Isn’t the royal family supposed to arrive later for the opening and closing ceremonies?" whispered the crowd amid the commotion in the preparation room.

They quickly cleaned up the place, removing piles of trash and scattered paint buckets. The children running around were pulled aside by the sisters and told to stay quiet in the corner.

Kai looked confused. Everyone was busy, but he just stood there, not knowing what to do. Still, he kept staring at the large door leading to the corridor, his heart suddenly pounding. He was going to meet his master again.

His gaze didn’t move from the door, as if the prince would appear at any moment. Every time someone entered or passed by, his eyes widened with excitement, but it was never Sylas. Each time, a small pang of disappointment pierced his chest.

The sisters rushed about, sweeping the floor, tidying up the altar cloths, and rearranging the small statues they hadn’t finished setting up. The smell of wet paint mixed with the strong scent of incense made Kai a little dizzy, but his nervousness was stronger.

"The prince isn’t really going to come in here, is he?" asked a man lifting a statue he had been painting.

"They said he’s coming."

Usually, the prince or royal family came only to attend mass. They never entered the preparation room.

"It seems the prince wants to see the preparations for the festival."

The workers chatted as they bustled around.

Amidst the noise, a stern-looking attendant in black walked in. His sharp eyes scanned the room, checking if it was ready for the prince’s visit.

Kai had never seen the man before, but just looking at his face made him afraid. The man’s thick mustache made his already harsh expression even more intimidating.

The man’s gaze finally landed on Kai. He narrowed his eyes. Seeing Kai’s thin body and limp legs made him frown.

"What is this lame boy doing here?!" he barked, his voice so loud that everyone turned their heads.

Kai flinched. He quickly bowed his head and stepped back, unsure what to say. Wasn’t he allowed there? He glanced around, looking for Bram, but couldn’t find him. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel·fire·net

"Take him away! The Prince must not see him," the man ordered sharply.

Kai’s heart sank. His hope of meeting Sylas shattered instantly. He didn’t resist when Sister Margan gently pulled him to the corner of the room with the other children. He sat on a chair at the very back, where at least his legs wouldn’t be visible.

"Stay here, okay?" the woman said softly.

Kai nodded. He liked her kindness.

The children brightened when they saw him. They always gathered around whenever Kai carved something. To them, he was like a miracle.

Kai answered them with a few words and a smile. The children never ran out of questions, and their presence eased his sadness a little.

It felt like a long time, but finally the one who had caused all the commotion arrived. Several attendants in black entered first, forming a line before ushering Prince Sylas inside.

Kai peered through the gap between the people standing in front of him. The prince looked so different from here.

Sylas shone like a star in the night sky—beautiful, but distant and untouchable.

Not only was Kai blocked by the church officials, but the guards surrounding Sylas made the wall between them even thicker.

Kai stayed in his seat, not daring to move. The children whispered to each other to keep quiet, but their little voices only added more noise. The sisters hurried to hush them.

The room finally grew quiet. Sylas’ familiar voice could be heard asking a few questions, and just the sound of it made Kai’s heart flutter.

The organizers showed him the statues and decorations prepared for tomorrow.

Sylas noticed several sacks of small carvings. Some were already painted and neat, while one sack still held the rough, unfinished ones.

The staff tried to cover them quickly, glancing at the man responsible.

"It’s nothing. We planned to give them to the children later," the staff member said nervously.

Sylas picked up one of the sculptures and ran his fingers over it. It was rough and uneven, but it had a unique shape.

"Good idea. This will make a nice keepsake for them," Sylas said.

He then looked around, searching for Kai. But the boy wasn’t there. A little disappointment crossed his face. He had really wanted to see Kai today.

Maybe the boy is in the dormitory, he thought. After all, Kai shouldn’t be here in the church.

Sylas nodded, continuing his inspection of the room filled with decorations. Then the caretaker led him to another room.

At that moment, Sylas stopped, his eyes falling on the children standing quietly in the corner. Among them, he saw the figure he had been longing for.

Kai sat alone on a chair, his head bowed.

Sylas’ chest tightened. He smiled silently to himself. Just seeing him from afar was enough. At least Kai seemed fine.

Then Kai lifted his head. Their eyes met briefly.

Kai’s eyes widened. "Master..." he whispered, wanting to run to him, but stopping himself.

His eager gaze faltered when he saw Sylas quickly look away. The prince left the room with his entourage without another glance.

Kai froze. Did Sylas see him? Their eyes had clearly met. But why did it feel like the man avoided him?

Or maybe it was just his imagination. Maybe Sylas hadn’t noticed him from that angle.

Kai bowed his head sadly. Still, he was sure Sylas had seen him. His thoughts twisted, pushing him toward the worst conclusion.

Was Sylas ashamed of him, ashamed to have a deformed slave?

Kai bit his lip, holding back the pain pressing against his chest.

That night, he couldn’t sleep. He reached for the carving he had made for Sylas, hoping that maybe it would make the man proud of him.

But his heart was restless, fear haunting him. What if Sylas secretly wanted to discard him, using "learning" as an excuse? What if he didn’t really want him, but couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud?

Of course Sylas was too kind-hearted. He would never want to hurt Kai’s feelings.

"Arghh!" He cried out when the knife slipped and cut his finger.

He quickly sucked the blood from the wound, cursing himself. Why was he daydreaming?

When he saw his blood staining the small statue, his eyes widened in shock. Even after wiping it several times, the stain remained.

Frustration welled up in him. Why couldn’t anything ever go right?

At times , even small failures crushed him. He collapsed onto the bed, crying silently until he finally fell asleep.

The next morning, after breakfast, Mrs. Manu came as promised and took Kai to the servants’ quarters.

"Are you okay?" Manu asked, noticing his pale face and swollen eyes.

Kai nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Manu."

They took a carriage. During the short ride, Manu explained a few things. When they arrived, Kai immediately recognized the building.

It was the same place he had left with Sylas that night. The same building where he had been tied up in the warehouse. Even though it had been dark, Kai was sure of it.

As soon as they entered the grounds, Kai was speechless. The place was full of activity—servants walking back and forth carrying baskets, cloths, or cleaning supplies.

Manu led him to the eastern wing. That area was filled with the sounds of washing, scrubbing, and shouted instructions. He showed Kai where he might work and explained what palace servants usually did.

As soon as Kai stepped inside, the atmosphere changed. Some servants glanced at him, then quickly looked away. Others covered their laughs, whispering to each other in mocking tones.

Kai could feel their stares burning into his back.

"Why was he brought here?"

"He can’t do any real work."

"Are you sure he’ll be a servant?"

Manu left him in the washing area. Kai bit his lip and lowered his head. No one approached him. No one offered help or instructions.

He stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

Finally, a tall servant came up to him. "Hey, you. Follow me," the man said coldly.

Kai obeyed. He was led to the well in the backyard.

"You’d better help us draw water." The servant pointed to a large bucket.

Kai nodded. His hands trembled as he pulled the rope. The heavy bucket made his body sway, but he used all his strength. Sweat trickled down his forehead after only a few pulls.

He was used to drawing water, but this bucket was too big.

That was when the sound of horse hooves and guards’ voices echoed nearby. Kai turned instinctively. A group was walking along the path toward the church.

And in the middle of the line, he saw him again. Sylas.