Chapter 105: Chapter 105

"Master..." whispered Kai. He hurriedly pulled the bucket out of the well and set it on the ground, then walked toward the street.

The building was large and multi-storied, set far back from the street and surrounded by gardens and trees. But Kai’s eyes were sharp. His hearing was keen too.

He walked as fast as he could on his injured legs. But by the time he reached the street, Sylas and his group were already far ahead.

With his body slumped in exhaustion, Kai bowed his head in disappointment. Uneasy feelings and anxiety rose up again, filling his mind.

"Hey!" a shout came from behind.

Kai jumped in surprise, remembering that he had to fetch water. He quickly turned around and hurried back.

"Didn’t Mrs. Manu bring you here to work? Why are you wandering around? You can’t just leave without permission!" The tall man from earlier scolded him.

Kai only lowered his head. He was already too depressed about being abandoned by Sylas, so the man’s scolding didn’t bother him at all.

Kai didn’t respond to the man’s anger, but he heard the last command and just nodded obediently.

He stayed very quiet, his face twisted in pain as he carried buckets back and forth to the laundry area and poured them into the clothes grinder.

Several men arrived later to help him. They seemed to be coming back from their break. Now Kai felt a little relieved. Still, he kept trying to work quickly.

After all, he couldn’t bring dishonor to his master’s name. He had to work hard to protect Sylas’s reputation. Whatever Sylas wanted—even if the man discarded him—he would still try to be a good slave.

"Hey, you don’t need to rush," said a young man, noticing Kai’s hands were raw and bleeding from the rough rope he used to pull up the bucket.

Kai only bowed his head and signaled that he was fine. His odd behavior and constant silence, along with his appearance—which didn’t resemble an ordinary servant—made the others whisper about him.

"His clothes look like a noble child’s. But he’s so skinny. And why is his leg limping? Servants aren’t allowed to have disabilities."

"I think it’s because he’s a noble’s child, so he gets special treatment. You know, with status you can buy anything. Moreover just a job as a servant."

"But he seems really strange. Could he be a noble outcast? Or maybe an illegitimate child? Maybe they’re trying to get rid of him."

"It’s possible. I heard of a noble child locked away in secret because the family was ashamed. Could it be him?"

"Oh my, poor thing. He must have been tortured until his leg was crippled."

The gossip grew louder, but they quickly went back to their work when Kai returned to the well.

Kai just stared silently, afraid. He only hoped to finish his work for the day, even though his body felt broken. His hands were stiff and sore.

He was grateful no one asked him questions.

When he pulled the bucket again, the sound of horse hooves echoed in the distance. He quickly dropped the bucket, startling the two men nearby.

They shouted at him when they saw him walking out of the building grounds.

"Hey! Come back! You’ll get in trouble if they see you!" one of them called out.

But Kai kept walking, ignoring everything, moving quickly, nearly tripping several times, crossing the garden, and descending the short stone steps. He hoped Sylas would pass by so he could see him.

He could hear the two servants running after him, warning him. They seemed genuinely worried. For a moment he hesitated, but then continued on.

Luckily, he arrived just before the prince’s entourage reached the front of the building. But because he was too worried and excited, he didn’t realize he was standing in the middle of the road.

The mounted guards shouted at him to move aside. At that moment, one of the servants behind him pulled Kai to the side.

They both quickly ducked in fear when the group stopped.

"Do you want to die? What if you got trampled?" shouted the guard in front.

Kai looked at Alvaro in the middle of the group, who was staring at him. Then, at Sylas.

"Master..." he whispered. He no longer heard the guard’s constant scolding.

"Jay, stop it!" Alvaro shouted, telling the guard to stop yelling.

Alvaro looked at Kai. "Watch where you’re going. There are many horses moving quickly here. You’ll get hurt if you’re not careful."

Kai froze, staring at Sylas, his eyes wide in hope.

Sylas saw him, of course. The slave’s gaze was like a puppy begging to be picked up. But Sylas noticed the two servants behind him. He didn’t want to cause trouble there.

Sylas gave Kai a small smile and nodded, as if to say everything was fine, that he didn’t need to worry.

"Let’s go," Sylas commanded, pulling on the reins of his horse.

Kai stood frozen. He was completely lost. Sylas had just smiled at him, hadn’t he? His heart bloomed with joy. But the prince didn’t stop or talk to him.

Once again, Kai confused and sad.

But he didn’t have time to be sad, because that evening he was lectured by Mrs. Manu in the dormitory.

Kai kept his head down. The woman was gone most of the time, leaving him alone. Manu said she would teach him, but in reality, she left without giving much explanation. Even at Omino, he had gotten clearer instructions.

But Kai didn’t dare argue. It seemed Manu was also embarrassed because she had received a warning from the servant quarter manager.

Kai didn’t regret it. He had worked hard. Even if he was slow, he had filled the clothes grinder several times. He didn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to leave the building. He saw plenty of servants in the same uniform going to other buildings.

"Did you hear me?" Manu asked, staring at Kai, who still kept his head bowed in silence.

"Because of you, I got in trouble in the servant quarters," Manu grumbled for the umpteenth time.

"Luckily, there’s a festival for a week. We won’t have to study, and we’ll meet again after the festival ends. But you still need to memorize the numbers I told you," Manu said.

Kai nodded. So he wouldn’t see her for a week. Did that mean he wouldn’t have to do anything? Not even go to the servant quarters?

"I asked Sir James to assign you to the servant quarters to help out. So be ready if they call you to work there. It’s good for you. It’ll give you training and more experience than the others," Manu added.

Kai nodded. He liked working and being useful. He just hoped he wouldn’t get scolded or punished for being slow. If he was useful, wouldn’t Sylas be happy too?

Kai looked down, blushing as he remembered Sylas’s smile.

Alvaro walked beside Sylas as they entered the room. Night had fallen without them noticing. They had done a lot today. And Alvaro still didn’t understand why the prince always wanted to go to church.

Just to see Kai. Today they didn’t even see Kai there, but in the servant quarters instead.

"Why didn’t you call him here?" Alvaro asked. Why make everyone else go through so much trouble? For Sylas, it might have been just a short stop, but for those being visited, it was a big deal, and they always ended up preparing a lot.

Sylas sighed. He just wanted to see Kai without causing him trouble.

"Why is he in the servant quarters?" he asked, ignoring Alvaro’s question, since he was sure Alvaro already knew the answer.

"In the end, he’ll become a servant, so wouldn’t it be better for him to learn faster?" Alvaro replied.

Sylas fell silent, lost in thought. He tried to make sense of Kai’s gaze earlier. Had the slave gotten into trouble? Why had he suddenly run ahead of the group? Chapters fırst released on novel✶fire.net

"Is he being bullied?" he asked.

Alvaro sighed. "You don’t need to worry about him. Who would bother bullying a servant? Do they have nothing better to do?"

Sylas took a deep breath, uneasy seeing Kai so far away from him. Given the boy’s condition, he feared Kai might become the target of mockery.

"Can he study in my room?" Sylas said softly, more to himself than to Alvaro.

"Sylas, Your Highness, weren’t you the one worried about the slave being near you? You can’t protect him here. If His Majesty finds out..."

Sylas cut him off. "Yes, yes, I understand."

Alvaro shook his head. "You should rest. I hope you don’t go to church again tomorrow. They’ll have a heart attack if you show up again."

"Why? They seem happy."

"Because your visits only cause them trouble."

Sylas shot him a sharp look. But Alvaro didn’t stop.

"Have pity on them," Alvaro added with a chuckle.

Sylas sighed. But he knew Alvaro was right, the people always looked exhausted after his visits. He didn’t expect a welcome. It would be better if he came quietly, like yesterday.

Sylas looked at Alvaro, more serious this time. "Amos isn’t coming back today?"

Alvaro shook his head. "I asked Frans to let me know if Amos shows up."

Sylas looked worried. Either Amos had run away or been captured by the witch at the candy shop.

"You should think about that later. You have to get up early tomorrow. There’s a lot to prepare. Plus, tomorrow is the festival opening. His Majesty and you will be touring the capital until noon. You’ll be busy, so rest now."

Sylas nodded. "You’re right."

He stayed quiet for a moment. "Alvaro, ask one of the guards to watch over Kai. I’m really worried about him."

"Oh my..." Alvaro couldn’t believe Sylas’s request. But he didn’t argue. He had no choice if it was the prince’s order.