Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Kai stared in confusion. He only lowered his head when Virouse removed the cloth covering his blood-stained body. Then the man’s hand rubbed his back, making him tense up, shiver, and wince when the wound stung.

"Do you want to be my slave? Leave your master," said Virouse, leaning in closer.

Kai lowered his head. He didn’t want to. He only wanted Sylas. But was he brave enough to say no?

Virouse knew, of course. The slave was bound to his master; he would do anything for Sylas.

"What if your master dies?" Virouse asked. Kai immediately looked up.

The slave stared at Virouse with fear in his eyes. What did he mean—Sylas would die?

"You don’t want to be my slave, but Sylas will die too. Unless you do something," said Virouse, smiling gently.

Kai stayed silent. But he would do anything for Sylas.

"Will you help him?" Virouse asked.

Kai nodded right away. "Y-yes, Master..."

Virouse grinned. "Sylas will be executed unless you help him. Do you want him to die?"

Kai was terrified. Sylas couldn’t die. He shook his head.

"Then help him. All you have to do is lie..."

Kai blinked, confused. Lie? But he couldn’t lie.

"If you fail, Sylas will be beheaded. Do you know what that means? He’ll be tied up, taken to a stage, and his head will be cut off."

Kai shuddered in horror. His body tensed. He shook his head. He couldn’t let Sylas die.

"So, will you help him? If you do, I’ll help you."

Kai nodded again without hesitation.

"Sylas will be taken to a place where evil men want to kill him. All you have to do is tell them you’re Prince Sylas’s slave, sent from Omino to deliver poison to His Majesty."

Kai fell silent. It didn’t sound like a good idea.

"You have to convince them that you brought the poison for Sylas. If you succeed, Sylas will be freed and taken to a better place in the Emeria Kingdom. You can live peacefully with him. If not, Sylas will be locked away forever."

Kai felt his head spin. He was dizzy. He couldn’t think straight. Why would Sylas be beheaded? How could his words save the prince?

But then he remembered finding Sylas almost dead on the road, then taken away after being forced from the carriage. Many people wanted to kill him. Kai hadn’t seen him since.

So, Sylas was going to die?

Kai bowed his head. Of course he would do anything to stop that. Could his words really save that man?

Virouse smiled at Kai’s confused face, but he could see determination in the slave’s eyes.

"Can you do it?" Virouse asked.

Kai looked at the man in front of him, then nodded firmly.

"Good!" Virouse stroked the slave’s head. "You can trust me. I’m Sylas’s uncle, and I won’t let my nephew suffer. But I need your help."

Kai stared at the man. He didn’t understand what an uncle was, but it sounded like someone important, someone who would do anything to protect Sylas.

Kai nodded. That made Virouse smile.

Then Aaron stepped in, pulled him to his feet, and wrapped him in a bathrobe. Kai tightened the robe around himself, feeling warm.

He followed Aaron with unsteady steps. They entered the bathroom. For a moment, Kai froze in the doorway, his eyes scanning the room.

The floor was white marble with gold veins, and a large bathtub made of onyx or porcelain gleamed. The walls were covered in mosaics, and a big mirror with a glass frame hung on one wall. Crystal chandeliers lit up the whole room.

All Kai could think was... beautiful.

Aaron prepared the bathtub and told him to get in. Kai obeyed as Aaron took off his robe and lowered him into the warm water. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel-fire.ɴet

Kai winced as the man gently washed him—from his hair to his nails.

The man didn’t say a word. His gaze was calm. Kai kept his head down. The water turned red after he got out.

Aaron then gave him clean clothes and helped him get dressed. Kai had never been treated before and felt embarrassed, but the man stayed silent.

Kai looked down at his clothes, which were soft and beautiful. A pale white shirt with a collar and delicate embroidery. Brown pants that felt soft against his skin. He touched them again and again. They even smelled nice.

Not only that, Aaron gave him the same food as Virouse. He even sat at the same table.

Kai looked at the food and bowed his head, too afraid to touch it.

"Eat," Virouse said, noticing the slave’s hesitation. Kai hadn’t moved since Aaron told him to sit.

Kai heard the command and quickly grabbed a piece of stewed meat from the plate with his hand.

Virouse didn’t say anything, just chuckled softly as he ate. He glanced at Kai now and then, who never looked up from his plate. The slave’s hands were messy from the stew as he stuffed food into his mouth.

Kai had never tasted anything before, and he loved it. His cheeks puffed up as he tried not to dirty the table or his nice clothes.

He almost choked from taking in too much food. Aaron sighed and handed him a glass of water.

"Eat slowly," Aaron said gently.

Kai drank the water and let out a relieved breath. Then he bowed respectfully. "T-thank you, master..."

Aaron saw that Kai had finished his meal. He pulled the handkerchief from Kai’s chest and wiped his hands clean. Kai kept thanking him.

Virouse placed his fork and knife down. He stopped Aaron from serving dessert for now.

Aaron nodded and told the palace kitchen staff to clear the table and bring dessert later.

Virouse asked everyone to leave. Once it was just the three of them, he turned to Kai.

"Did you like the food?" he asked.

Kai nodded and smiled slightly. "Thank you, Master..."

"Now I’ll explain what you need to say in the courtroom. They will call you to testify. Here’s what you’ll tell them: First, Prince Sylas ordered you to take the poison and give it to Misil."

"Understand?" Virouse asked, checking to make sure Kai got it.

Kai nodded hesitantly and repeated the words Virouse had told him.

Virouse nodded, pleased. The slave wasn’t stupid. He remembered well.

"Second, say that Prince Sylas left the palace to meet you, but you had already given the poison to Misil. So Misil carried out the plan while Sylas wasn’t in the palace."

Virouse had Kai repeat and put the sentences together.

Although hesitant, Kai managed to say it clearly.

"Third, say that when you were about to return to Omino, you met Prince Sylas, and he brought you back to the palace."

"Fourth, say that you received a large payment so you could escape from Omino, and that no one from Omino was involved."

Kai felt a headache coming. He repeated everything slowly, but remembered it all.

He kept wondering, was this really what Sylas wanted? Would this help? What if he said nothing? Would Sylas be killed like Virouse said?

Kai was quiet for a moment. Then he gathered his courage and looked at Virouse. "M-master, if Master Sylas is accused of carrying poison, will he be punished?"

In Omino, that was a serious crime, and the punishment was death.

Virouse chuckled. "No. No. Don’t worry about that. If you don’t testify, he’ll be beheaded. But if you do, you’ll save him. I’ll make sure he goes free, and I’ll take him to Emeria. You can go with him. You’ll live in peace."

Kai closed his eyes, his head throbbing. Something didn’t feel right. But if Sylas really was going to die, and Kai was the only one who could stop it, he had no choice.

He would die for that man. And if Virouse was telling the truth, that they could live in peace. It would be worth it.

That night, Vlad entered the palace. He couldn’t stop thinking about Alvaro. He went to Sylas’s room and asked the prince to show him where Alvaro was.

Inside the room, a guard jumped at the stranger’s sudden arrival and drew his sword. He was about to call the others when Sylas stopped him.

"You don’t need to worry. He’s not an enemy. If you tell anyone about him, I won’t forgive you," Sylas warned.

The guard froze. He had never seen the prince threaten anyone before. He quickly nodded.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Sylas told the guard to leave, then walked over to the sofa.

"You surprised me, Lord Vlad," Sylas said.

"I don’t have time, Your Highness. I want to see Alvaro," Vlad replied.

Sylas was stunned. No one had ever spoken to him like that before. Not in front of a prince.

But Sylas just took a deep breath. "Lord Vlad, I need your help!"

Vlad didn’t seem interested. "Well..."

"If you refuse, I won’t let you see Alvaro," Sylas said.

Vlad chuckled. The boy dared to make a deal with him.

"I could find Alvaro without your help, but fine. I’ll listen. What do you want from me?" Vlad asked.

Sylas asked Vlad to sit on the sofa. The vampire stepped forward and dropped himself onto it, sitting comfortably.

Sylas sat across from him, looking serious.

"My father won’t wake up. I only have one chance left, and I need your help."

Vlad looked bored. He didn’t want to get involved in palace politics, and Sylas knew it.

"I won’t drag your name into this. I promise."

"You know the Rampesh doctor, don’t you? Did you get the potions from him?" Sylas asked. He wasn’t sure if there were other doctors besides the one he had met with Kai.

Looking at the potion John had given him, it looked exactly like the one the doctor gave Kai. With the same effects.

He’d been thinking about it all day. And by chance, that vampir was here.

"I need that doctor."