Caution!

The following contains dark themes. Self loathing and suicide are present in multiple chapters. This story gets lighter as it progress, but be advised that the beginning is rather dark.

Current chapter has depictions of burning, mentioned tauma, self-harm and self-inflicted pain, body dysphoria, and psychological distress. Please be warned.

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Fire

Heat

Burning

Something he had dealt with ever since he was a young child. From the burning burning burning stares of the people who hated him. To the fire in his blood that always threatens to encompass him whole. A looming threat that he could never escape from. Fire, heat, burning, it has been with him his whole life. 

Following him even in his second life.

The simmering heat in his skin, always relentless in its sadistic torment, forever following the man with green eyes. Burning him, taking his senses, his strength, his people. His world, filled with those he loves, was a cruel world destroyed by war. Fire wasn't a stranger to the bloodshed of the enemy. Wasn't a stranger to his life, devouring everything in sight.

Devouring his body in his first life.

Devouring his people in his second.

The all-consuming blaze took hold of his fragile frame, this tiny sickly body of his.

Every cell within him seemed to radiate with searing heat, as if his very essence had been engulfed in an inferno. The fire coursed through his veins its tendrils wrapping around his weary limbs, constricting and squeezing. Waves of heat washed over him, assaulting his senses, as if he were trapped within a furnace with no escape. He could barely open his eyes.

Yet he did.

And so, Kim Lee Hyu woke up to the morning with puffy eyes, pain, and deep regret.

'Fuck, I shouldn't have done that' the boy thought, gritting his teeth as he did his best to ignore the burn.

'I messed up, I messed up so fucking bad' he thought in agony, gritting his teeth tighter.

He couldn't remember much of what happened last night, barely remembering the feeling of warm, not burning not scorching, but warm comforting arms hugging him, yet he vividly remembered crying on his torturer(!?). A huge part of him wanted to scream, the other wanted to die inside, but he ignored all of it for now. He could deal with that later, could deal with the meltdown on a different date, right now he needed to cool himself down.

Before he loses his damn mind.

Burning was something that Kim Lee Hyu was very familiar with. Something that follows him no matter the lifetime. Whether it be the burn from this cursed white-haired body, or the smell of smoke and blood on the battlefield, he knew fire well.

His body was always hot, permanently burning him away slowly but surely. It was normally ignorable. The boy had gotten so used to the feeling of smoldering pain that he could easily ignore it.

But it was different today. Almost like that day.

An invisible fire licked against his skin, sending waves of searing pain and agony that was so different to the warmth he had felt last night. He was burning so hot, his blood felt like lava under his skin, engulfing him in a merciless embrace, scorching his every nerve. He was being burned alive, and yet there was no fire burning him.

Burning, burning, burning. A never-ending inferno burns him. Burning his skin.

His skin was always a little warm, even during the winter it never got cold. But right now, it felt like it was on fire. Burning burning and burning away till his skin melts and he's left with nothing but bones.

The soft fabric of his sheets hurt, like his skin was one painful and irritable blistered wound. Kim Lee Hyu struggled to breathe, as he felt his lungs fill with smoke that did not exist, the oxygen in his body being devoured by greedy flames. He let out a loud breath, trying to desperately gulp up the air as he struggled against the inferno's suffocating grip. It sears through layers of skin, melting away protection and exposing raw, sensitive tissue to the merciless blaze. The unbearable heat blurs the lines between agony and numbness, as his senses are overwhelmed by the all-encompassing fire. Kim Lee Hyu felt like he was dying.

Fuck it hurt so badly, burning him down to his very soul. All he could feel was fire and heat. It was like the sun had fallen on him, scorching his skin in its heat, burning him again and again and again. When will it end-

He felt like he was back in his demon realm. The realm that held his loved ones. With demons that weren't kind, different from the ones he knew as a prince. The demons made him a prisoner, burning him over and over and over again while he kept his mouth shut, never answering the demons who wanted answers from him.

He isn't there anymore, he destroyed all of those wretched creatures till they were nothing but blood.

Every touch felt agonizing, overwhelming in a way that was similar to when he first arrived here. But that pain was worse, that pain had him knocked out for days, unable to move, unable to think as the inferno burned him till he was nothing. Till the frost froze his thoughts and his heart.

But that burning blaze isn't here.

As long as Kim Lee Hyu can think, he can move.

Even as his head throbbed with a merciless rhythm, pounding its cruel crescendo into the insides of his mind. It isn't the same pain, isn't as bad as it could be.

He could deal with this.

And what Kim Lee Hyu needed is to get somewhere cold now. He needed to get to a pond, needed to dip his body into its healing chill. The soft touches of water healing his blistering skin.

(Had he been a little more lucid, he would have remembered that he had an entire bathtub. Alas, his mind felt like mush, melting like his skin, burning his bones.)

Calling fake Diland would be a smart idea, but after last night, he doesn't think he could face the fake, horrid replication of his dad, or any of the other illusions to be frank.

Not after crying on their demonic master. He would rather be the saint of one- actually any of those bastards who call themselves holy, than to face anyone at the moment.

His body burned, but he pushed through. The battlefield didn't stop just because you were hurt and Kim Lee Hyu was always a survivor.

So he tried to get up, desperate to move his body. But his body betrayed him, too weak and unused to being pushed to its limit and even beyond that. Kim Lee Hyu sometimes forgot that he wasn't in his own body anymore, that his hair was white and not black. That he wasn't a tall, big, and strong adult. That things were taller and bigger than he once remembered.

His body isn't used to being pushed beyond human limits, isn't trained to take down opponents bigger, stronger, and tougher than his own. No, he was in a child's body. In the body with a face that looked most similar to his sperm donor.

This weak, small cursed body.

One that needed mana to even move.

He feels bad for his mana reserves as he once again called upon it, trying to push himself up. Ever since entering this illusion, it hasn't once filled up properly since he has to keep using it to move.

Oh if his big brother's we're here now, they'd be scolding him for abusing his mana. His most beloveds would undoubtedly try to strap him to a bed to make him rest. Kim Lee Hyu can almost hear their worried scolding hidden in sarcastic words as they lovingly nursed him back to health.

Ignore the burn.

Hell, if his master was here, she would definitely beat him up for his stupidity. Then force him into a lecture about the importance of managing your mana reserves and letting it actually heal and fill up.

He could almost imagine they were here with him.

That he was with them, celebrating their victory. That he was helping his army return home. Maybe even run away from the Prime minister before he yells at Kim Lee Hyu about his reckless behavior. That he's in his most beloveds wonderful arms. In any of their embrace.

That he's with his niece, with his-sister-in law. With his big brothers.

Deep in their safe embrace, loved by those who showed him that he deserved to be loved. But they weren't, they were far away from him. He wants to say sorry to them so badly, for disappearing, for breaking his promise. Gods know how much he wants to return to their sides. Yet he stayed alone here in his own torment. Away from those he hold most dear to his heart. Away once again. Taken against his will. Taken by one of those bastards who fucking abandoned him all those years ago. Who left him in a world that wasn't his.

Those bastards who made his life a living hell.

His dad's MURDERERS-

Ah, he needs to stop. He has to remain calm or he'll lose it once more. Just as he had many times while he has been in this illusion to play out his eternal damnation.

He needs to calm down before he dies from the heat.

He should really focus on getting up before Diland appears and realize he's not well. Before any of the illusions see him. So he gathered his mana and tried to coat himself with a thin layer of mana.

Key word is tried.

He hissed as his skin turned red, the smell of brining skin filling his nose as he bit his lip to stop the scream that threatened to escape his mouth. Blood dripped from his bit lip, staining the pearly white sheets.

IT BURNS

HE'S DYING.

Blinding white agony was all he could feel, all he could see.

The searing pain from the heat, from his headache, from everything, intensified so badly that he felt like he was about to pass out. It was a relentless storm of pain. He could barely think, could barely see. His head throbbed with an unforgiving intensity, a relentless drumbeat that resonated to the core of his being. It felt as if his skull was being crushed under the weight of a thousand suns, each pulse of his heartbeat amplifying the torment. The fever's grip tightened, squeezing his senses with a vice-like intensity, obliterating any semblance of respite.

Kim Lee Hyu felt sick and miserable, he's pretty sure he vomited at some point. Every nerve of his body protested, his skin felt wrong. It felt wrong, felt so fucking wrong.

This isn't his skin.

Porcelain skin, smooth and unblemished. So pale, so wrong. It hadn't been kissed by the sun, hadn't been scarred and made to survive harsh conditions. Gone were the scars that proved his strength, showed how he had been so strong. That he survived. This isn't his body.

This isn't his skin.

He pushed the sheets, he thinks he did at least, clawing at his skin that was just wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong-

IT'S WRONG, THIS IS A BODY LONG DEAD. HE IS NOT A L E X A N D E R.

The world seemed to spin, reality blurring as he fought with his consciousness, clinging to his will to stay awake. It felt like an eternity before he felt okay. At some point, he nearly lost hope as he felt himself slip into oblivion. But he had fought armies before, barely alive, barely breathing, only clinging to life with a vice grip via his will. His stubbornness to live another day. He will not die.

He gasped for air, gulping and gulping as he felt his skin cool to a manageably ignorable level. Kim Lee Hyu let himself stop, let his body and mind relax as he used his poor, horribly abused mana, make the room colder. 

Holy shit, that was not good. Understatement of the year, but honestly Kim Lee Hyu is going to go insane at this rate from this stupid pain-filled body of. So picky and sickly, can't even handle the slightest backlash from mana. He gets it, he'll stop being stubborn, no mana to his body, got it. Using his mana again, being careful in handling it, he formed a small ice sculpture that resembled a pillow. The discarded sheets were wrapped around the ice, Kim Lee Hyu didn't want to get frost burn. It was a welcome cold to his living inferno. He pressed it to his skin, letting out a content sigh of relief.

Well, at least he can still do spells, just no mana coating. Got it. His mana reserves weren't the best at the moment, so he couldn't use any of his usual spells.

Luckily he had enough mana to do some simpler spells. It was nothing straining, not that Kim Lee Hyu would have let that stop him. He'd fought with even lower reserves before, with an even more limited range of spells and still won. Granted, that was in his far healthier, stronger, and better-looking body, but Kim Lee Hyu was always the best at adapting to new circumstances. Right now he had more than enough to use his simpler, yet very useful spells.

For example, teleportation.

Obviously, the demon in charge of his torture must have realized this since he hasn't been able to teleport even a little bit away from the castle. Kim Lee Hyu didn't care, however, since he knows a certain pond that did not require going out of the castle. In fact, it's in his garden that the Crown Prince had gifted to him. Let's be honest here, the man he, unfortunately, shared DNA with most probably never made the garden for him. The most likely scenario was that a very nosey priest was the one who got Diland's help to make it. Sora was far too kind to him but was nearly as nosey as that priest who had been Alexander's go-to priest a lifetime ago.

Mind made up, he decided to do just that. Kim Lee Hyu pushed himself and somehow managed to sit up. He paused, however, as he felt his vision swim as his head felt like it was being squeezed by a rubber band. It felt as though the rubber band was tightening around his temples, squeezing relentlessly with each passing moment. The green-eyed boy gritted his teeth, focusing on the pain to stop himself from vomiting. Kim Lee Hyu barely swallowed down the rising bile of vomit. He breathed in and out, trying to calm himself. Trying to focus, to get his mind in place.

He needed to cool down before he suffocated from the fire that burns him, the smoke that clouds his mind fills his lungs till he can't breathe-

Okay, he needed to decide if he'll teleport into the pond, near the pond.

Right now, Kim Lee Hyu didn't feel like facing Diland right now, so he should avoid the other servants before they snitch on him. Pond it is.

Kim Lee Hyu gathered some mana to open his curtains, squinting his eyes as they adjusted to the light. The sun had yet to rise, and knowing how long he had spent trying to get his mind together after his mana backlash, he had most likely awoken in the middle of the night. The boy was lucky that it was still early, that he had woken up in the middle of the night. This also meant that most of the servants wouldn't wake him up yet, since they tend to wake him later in the morning.

Perfect, he could go for a quick swim to cool off and come back without anyone noticing. Most importantly, Diland wouldn't notice him off.

The man-turned-child hissed as his body crumbled down, a shot of painful fire rising in his blood as his hold on the curtain faltered. His hand shook, unable to stop or ignore the pain.

Fuck it's still so painfully hot.

He need a pond.

(Kim Lee Hyu has a giant bathtub, he did not need a pond.)

Kim Lee Hyu shakily gathered his mana, visualizing the pond he had seen in one of his many walks, as he silently went through formulas, equations, and incantations. He couldn't mess this up, if he did his condition might worsen. It could even lead him into another coma once again.

A misstep in the incantation, a lapse in focus, could easily lead to dire consequences. He could end up destroying his body if he loses focus, his arm teleported away from the rest of his body. Or his body could be re-arranged, brain switched with his heart. His focus hasn't been the best since he arrived here. The demons of his past life haunted him, his heart in pain as his mind wandered to ignore how realistic everything seemed. How it truly felt that the prince had returned to a life he hated. He couldn't lose focus now. Even Kim Lee Hyu, hailed to be the master of mana, knew that teleporting with his faulty focus was dangerous.

So he took a deep breath in, tried to calm his breathing. He waited until he could feel like he could breathe properly again, till his lungs no longer felt like it was filled with smoke.

Waiting was always annoying, but when it came to magic, patience was key.

He let his mind go blank, forgetting about the pains of his heart, his mind, and his body. All that he felt was mana, the pure energy of the world. Untouched by human greed and misery. No longer was he Alexander Oriel, the fourth prince and villain. Nor was he Kim Lee Hyu, the savior. He was just a human, one who was a simple instrument to the world, to the mana hidden away from human eyes.

The man could feel how this world's mana kissed cold shooting kisses to his burning heart. It didn't wrap around his skin, and he could feel sorrow and apologize in its soft hum as it was unable to touch him, unable to heal him. The mana of this world always kissed him with soft reverence. Loving, willing to work under his fingers. When he had been Prince Alexander, he had never run out of mana. The mana of his world was stretched thin, still so loving, still so caring, but unable to help him as much as it wanted. He loved it, all the same, surrendered to its love as its willing instrument. His fingertips tingled with the promise of power, as he harnessed the energy that coursed through the air. Gathering his mana, letting it circle through his heart as the mana became one with his body.

Normally, he didn't need to do this, his body was always breathing in and cycling through the mana around him. But he wasn't well, and he knew that. He needed to take his time.

Luckily, the sun hadn't even risen yet, he still had plenty of time.

The process took any normal person at least 12 hours. Although teleporting took little mana, it took a long prep time to complete. Took time to empty your mind enough that you didn't misplace anything in your body. Kim Lee Hyu only needed 2 minutes at most on a normal day.

His small, weak, and completely useless body took him nearly half an hour to finish the preparation.

'I need to train this body, but Diland and Sora keep getting in my way' he thought, a scowl appearing on his tiny face.

Shaking his thoughts away, he shut his eyes and focused, abandoning his thoughts once more. The air crackles with anticipation, eager, excited, and always willing to his movement. He began chanting, he let the mana use him, let it flow through as it carefully let him adjust. Almost at once, the world around him blurred into a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. He felt the air shift, his body moving through the space of mana, as he focused with all his might on keeping his body intact.

Kim Lee Hyu felt weightless, as he moved through here and there. It's the first time this body has teleported, it wasn't used to the sudden changes of movement. Of his body being pulled apart as his soul seemed to unravel into tiny pieces. Lost to the sea of mana. Lost to its warmth and love.

Time loses its grip, and the present moment stretches and distorts, elongating into an eternity that exists only in the blink of an eye.

It was a complete oversight on Kim Lee Hyu's part for forgetting that his real body had never been the same as others, instantly getting used to teleporting. Never feeling the same painful pulling that most felt when they traveled through magic. Luckily for him, mana had always loved him, and even this body hadn't felt pain.

The process ended almost as quickly as it began, leaving him completely intact with no missing limbs or organs. Only a soft kiss on his soul was left behind, dropping him gently into the cool waters.

A cooling feeling slowly embraced him, as the feeling of wetness increased. He opened his green eyes, not remembering when he closed them as he stared. A giant tree hid his small body in shadows, the sparkling water looked and felt ethereal. The air was different from his palace, the fragrance of flowers well cared for by Kale, filled with not only the soothing whispers of nature but the gardener's gentle care and love. The sun was slowly rising now, its rays danced upon the water's surface, the clear waters glittering like gems untouched by the destruction of war.

Kim Lee Hyu let himself breathe in the cool air, letting his body sink into the waters. The searing pain that had held him captive slowly receded, as a gentle chill began to soothe is. His body still felt hot, so so hot, but it felt better now. The cool waters seemed to embrace every inch of his being, embracing the green-eyed boy in its soothing grip. The pain, once a relentless symphony of torment, faded into the background as if muted by the icy waters that enveloped him.

His body, so burdened by anguish, now felt weightless in the water's embrace. The cooling touch soothed his fevered skin, it was as if the very essence of his being was being quenched, washed clean of the relentless flames that had consumed him.

With each passing moment, the cold water worked its magic, extinguishing the fiery inferno that had threatened to engulf him. As his body adjusted to the new temperature, a sense of relief washed over him. 

He closed his eyes, allowing himself to surrender to the healing powers of the cool embrace. The weight that had burdened his every movement lifted, replaced by a renewed vitality. Gradually, a sense of peace settled within him, as if the icy waters had not only extinguished the fire of his fever but also washed away the anguish that had plagued his spirit.

Gentle currents caressed his burning skin, and the cooling, healing chill of the water softly kissed his aching soul. He felt the mana around him, cold, and yet soothing. Loving him as it always does, happy that he was feeling better. The man-turned-boy let the mana gather around his body, as nature's mana whispered echoes of tranquility that felt so healing to him. 

He closed his eyes, surrendering to the cool waters, letting it envelop him completely. 

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Kim Lee Hyu isn't sure how long he stayed there in the pond, it was probably a long time, since the sun had fully risen now. He should really go back to his room, Diland most probably already went in to check on him. The butler must be freaking out, wondering where the young prince was. Sora must have also gone crazy, running around the palace in search of him. Kim Lee Hyu still didn't want to return. He didn't want to see anyone-

"Ah, so this is where you disappeared to. Prince Alexander" a very familiar voice said. Luckily, it had not been from the person he had been hiding away from. Nor was it the voice of his new mother hen of a priest.

Kim Lee Hyu opened his eyes, turning his head as he looked into amused lilac eyes. Honey brown hair clumsily gelled back fell into messy bangs that framed a strong jaw, clearly he hadn't used as much gel as he should have. Dirt seemed to be on him all the time, whether it be on his gloves, his shirt, or even his pants. The man wasn't afraid to get dirty to care for the beautiful garden. The boy was lucky that it wasn't Diland who found him, instead, it was the gardener of this garden. Instead, it was Kale, a man who Kim Lee Hyu didn't treat the prince like he could die from simply scraping his knee. Treated him like a normal person.

A small smile always seemed to be on his face, pure joy in everything he sees. On a normal day, Kale tends to radiate himbo energy. Today, his smile held a hint of mischief that only ever shows whenever the two were alone. Kim Lee Hyu had to look all the way up to even see the gardener's face. Even if the boy had been standing, he still would have needed to strain his neck when talking to the older man.

The gardener was unfairly big, even taller than Kim Lee Hyu when he was in his old body. His muscles were strong and firm, he could probably easily crush a head. The man's strong build would make him a wonderful tank or even a berserker. Plus, the green-eyed boy knew how hardworking the older man is. If Kim Lee Hyu could recruit him, he would make an excellent addition to the-

Ah- Kim Lee Hyu did it again, he really should stop that. It's been a while since he had thought of potentially recruiting someone but old habits die hard. Although, he was a little embarrassed to get caught so soon after swearing that he didn't want to see anyone.

Kale got closer to the boy but made sure not to get too close, or to suddenly grab the prince who was currently relaxing in the pond. Instead, he crouched at the edge of the pond, ready to grab the young prince if the boy began to drown. Or maybe to just grab him in case he tries to make a run for it. The man was strong and big enough to easily catch him, especially with how weak his body is. 

"What are you doing in the pond, my prince?" The older man asked, however, it took a second before Kim Lee Hyu realized the taller man was talking to him. Man, despite how much better he felt in the pond, he was still sick as all hell and completely out of it. Especially since he just cleared his mind earlier to teleport.

"Ah, good day Kale, lovely weather we're having," Kim Lee Hyu said pleasantly, completely ignoring the older man's words. "The sky is quite beautiful today" he added, giving a blinding smile. Had it been anyone else, they would turn away or be rendered speechless by his rare smile. They would have left him to his own device, weakly unable to stop or defy the young prince. However, Kale seemed to be immune to his bullshit.

So instead, Kale only smiled back at him, amusement rising in his lilac eyes. "It is indeed very wonderful my prince, but I'm sure it would be better for you to swim in your bath, instead of the pond," the man told him. He was still stubbornly reminding him that he was in a pond, but his words made him realize something that he had completely forgotten.

"..."

"Did my prince perhaps, forget his own bathing area?"

"Shut up Kale"

"Now, now my prince. It's alright to be forgetful on occasion. No need to be embarrassed"

He really couldn't respond to that, especially since he had been so ridiculously out of it that he had forgotten that he had a bathtub. Specifically, one big enough that he could essentially call it a swimming pool instead of a bathroom. Kim Lee Hyu tried his best to push his embarrassment down, but judging from the slight twitch in the gardener's smile, he hadn't succeded very well. Damn the man, how dare he take joy in the boy's embarrassment.

"Enough of that now, what brings you to this lovely pond that we are currently watching? " Kim Lee Hyu asked instead of properly responding.

"Watching? My prince, we are currently sitting in the pond. You have been swimming around the pound for far longer than I" the brown-haired man responded to his nonsensical question.

"My, my, sitting in the pond? Why Kale, I wouldn't have any idea how to swim. Much less swimming and then sitting in the pond. However, I'm sure it would be lovely to take a dive into its clear waters. But for now, I will simply remain on the riverbed and watch the pond instead" he said. When in doubt, gaslight, gatekeep, and girlboss your way out of the situation. Lilac eyes stared into green eyes, disbelief in them before he threw back with a laugh.

"The pond is quite nice as well, the natural air here allows it to feel cool and refreshing against the warm rays of the sun" Kim Lee Hyu added, ignoring the man's laughter instead of even addressing it. 

"And the view of the flowers is always a joy, truly a sight to behold. I can't say that I could see the same beautiful view in my bathroom," the green-eyed boy said with a close eye smile.

"Oh, is that so prince Alexander?" Kale asked, his smile twitching into a smirk as he wiped away a stray tear in his eye from laughing so hard. It was stupidly familiar how the brown-haired man smirked, amused and clearly not believing any of Kim Lee Hyu's bullshit. It felt like he was looking at one of his brothers.

Kim Lee Hyu almost felt like he was a kid again, as Soo Hyu-hyung caught him in the act of doing something stupid. His older brother watching in amusement as Kim Lee Hyu desperately tried to bullshit his way out. An amused smirk painting his face as he enjoyed watching the youngest try to lie out of the boy's embarrassment.

But it wasn't completely the same, Kale's smile felt softer, and somehow fonder than his older brother's. It's that smile that always made Kim Lee Hyu feel weird, making him feel familiar with the man despite having never encountered him in either of his two lives. Just like he sometimes felt with Sora. He snapped back into focus as he notes that the man had moved.

The giant of a man was now sitting in the pond, letting his feet and legs get wet as the older man just sat there. He was watching him, a smaller, impossibly fonder, smile. Sometimes, Kim Lee Hyu wonders if Kale knew him when he looked like this. But then again, Kale once told him that he had a son his age, so he was most likely treating the prince like he would his son.

"Are you still sleepy my prince?" he suddenly asked, giving him a closed-eyed smile. Kim Lee Hyu could only give him a confused tilt with his head.

"Huh?"

"Well, it seems you don't realize that you are currently laying in the pond now" Okay, he pointed it out again.

"Laying on the pool? But I'm completely dry, Kale. How on earth would I be in a pond when I'm completely dry? Honestly, I have no idea what you seem to be thinking sometimes in that brain of yours" Kim Lee Hyu said instead, stubbornly refusing to admit that he was in the water. The man raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing the prince's excuse. Okay, even the green-eyed boy could admit that his logic wasn't the best. It sounded a little childish, but then again he is in the body of a child. It didn't seem that off for a child.

Kale suddenly splashed him with water, making the boy yelp. "Ack! Don't splash me I'm getting wet!" the prince yelped out, as he scowled at the smirking man.

"Well my prince, since you've gotten wet it seems that you are now in the pond!" the adult said happily, a close-eyed smile on his face as smugness seemed to radiate from him. The adult splashed some water with one hand while the other started petting his head. Darn, he had used his own logic against him.

Kim Lee Hyu sneered as he fought against the offending hand. Of course he's wet, he's been swimming in the pond since early morning. Plus, the older man's been splashing water on him. Clearly, the man is well-versed in defeating bullshit logic. He's nearly impressed. Still, that smug face is annoying as it is fun to be treated like a normal person. Not wanting to lose against the smug gardener, he splashed back, smirking as he watched the man's shirt get wet.

Lilac eyes looked down, blinking repeatedly as the man looked at his now wet shirt. The green-eyed boy watched Kale, looking for his reaction, only for the older man to now use his other hand to mess with the prince's hair.

"Ah, it seems I have also gotten wet as well" he laughed, not at all bothered in the slightest. Kim Lee Hyu scowled at the reaction, as he fought off against the older man's hands that were still trying to mess with his hair.

"Looks like I am also swimming in the pond, my prince" Kale laughed again, as he looked at the smaller boy's frustrated face.

"Kale, we are not swimming in the pond. You're clearly hallucinating" Kim Lee Hyu replied, still refusing to admit that he was in the pond. He doesn't even care that he's clearly lying, he refuses to let the older man win.

"Don't worry my prince, I'm one hundred percent not hallucinating!" Kale was still smiling, ignoring the prince's attempts of punching him. Kim Lee Hyu scowled as he once again swatted away Kale's offending hand. Still, he didn't mind too much. He was fine if the gardener patted his head, it's just that he didn't want to admit defeat right now. 

Kim Lee Hyu huffed as he splashed even more water, making sure to aim for the older man's eyes. The prince refused to admit that he's in the pond, and he refuses to let the man pat his head for splashing him!

The gardener easily avoided the water, curse his tiny flabby arms, and instead splashed more water on him. He growled as he splashed more and more water, arms basically trashing in the water as the older man only laughed. Kim Lee Hyu dodged some water that was suddenly splashed at him. How dare Kale splash at him! He'll show him! The boy hit Kale, his little arms not even hurting the taller man. 

"Oh, does prince Alexander want a hug?" was his only warning before the giant of a man hugged him. Kim Lee Hyu was still so angry at being splashed that he hadn't realized he was being hugged. Not that he would have minded, Kale was oddly comforting and he didn't flinch as badly as he normally does. Still, Diland would have given a better hug. Not that he wants any hugs, he's still angry at the audacity of this bit-

Wait a minute.

He paused as he realized how he was acting.

Oh my fuc- He's acting like a goddamn child. 

He stopped trashing for a second, instead, he grumbled and scowled as he let the older man hold him.

Seriously, hanging around Kale always seemed to revert him to a more childish state. Or more like the man always seemed to be able to get him to put his guard down. Kale was too good at handling kids, and this stupid tiny body with its stupid child brain is affecting his own judgment. The gardener gently placed a hand on his forehead, frowning as the older felt the temperature.

"It seems you have a fever my prince" he noted as Kim Lee Hyu froze. Oh no, he realized that the boy had a fever. Now he would call Diland, and once that fake realizes that he's been in the pond in his abysmal state he would call Sora. Then Sora would make him stay in his bed forever. Then he'd be mother-henned to death! No, he couldn't let either Diland or Sora learn that he was sick. Despite Kim Lee Hyu making sure his expression doesn't change, he could still feel Kale's grip on him tightening. He looked up into his lilac eyes, and although the man was smiling, he could see the clear warning in his eyes.

"Sir Diland would be surely happy if you were to rest in your room instead of the pond, my prince," Kale said cheerfully, basically cradling Kim Lee Hyu in his arms like a baby as the prince began to thrash violently. No no no, he needed to escape now!!!

"Actually, why don't we tell him right now? I'm sure he isn't worried at all since he one hundred percent knows where you are. Right, my prince?" Kale's smile got dangerous, and Kim Lee Hyu knew he was screwed.

Scrambling his body, thanking the universe that it was actually cooperating, he tried to escape Kale's big arms that were currently cradling him like a baby. Sadly, being a tiny sickly six-year-old meant he couldn't easily run away from the gigantic tank of a man that is his gardener.

He trashed in the older man's arms, angry that Kale hadn't moved an inch. The gardener simply continued smiling, not even letting his trashing get in the way as he began to walk.

"Especially with this fever you have, you even forgot about your bath that was nearby and instead went to the pond that's a whole garden away" the brown-haired man continued talking. His voice was teasing, yet his arms held him gently and securely. Kim Lee Hyu focus! Stop noting minor details and escape this stupidly big and buff man.

"I do not have a fever, I'm simply a little hot due to the weather," Kim Lee Hyu said instead, only to watch Kale give him a look. He was clearly not buying a single bit of the younger male's bullshit. Like he even believed him. Kale hadn't believed a single lie Kim Lee Hyu had ever uttered, even when his mind was clear and he wasn't sick as a dog.

"Is that so, my prince? Well, we should go to sir Diland, I'm sure he would be delighted to help you cool down" The eye smile Kale kept sending him made Kim Lee Hyu scowl.

No way was he going to Diland. Kale was one thing, but Diland was clearly the favorite of the green-eyed boy's torture. He refuses to see that fake, even if a large part of him continued to seek out the butler's prescence. The male couldn't help it, fake Diland acts so similar to his father that it hurts to look at him sometimes. After all, why would he be so similar to the real Diland? Why else would he act almost exactly like his dad? If Kim Lee Hyu didn't know better, he would have thought that he was legitimately in the past. Not that it was possible with Kim Lee Hyu's faulty soul. 

Plus, Kim Lee Hyu was still embarrassed after crying over his torture last night. He never intended to be found by Kale, but he can sure as hell avoid Diland.

So, with a bit of mana, Kim Lee Hyu hit Kale in a spot that he knows would hurt like a bitch. The green-eyed boy felt a bit bad, but then again the older man is still a part of the illusion.

(He didn't actually feel bad. Kim Lee Hyu felt too hot and was in too much pain to care about harming someone, much less an illusion.)

It didn't seem to hurt as badly as it should have, thanks tiny body, but Kale should have at least been surprised. Or even slightly reacted. But the man only laughed at his attempts to escape. Hopefully, the gardener hadn't noticed that Kim Lee Hyu had used mana.

"Please reserve your mana, my prince, instead of attempting to escape"

Well there goes his hopes.

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Hello hello! It's been a while once again. Sorry for how long it took to upload this chapter. Things have been though lately due to certain personal issues, so I haven't had much motivation to write. Not only that, I wasn't really happy with how I wrote the chapter for a long while. So I kept re-writing it again and again. 

I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but it's the one I'm most satisfied with as compared to the rest. Really, I didn't plan to finish this draft of the chapter since I just couldn't write Kim Lee Hyu's sick monologue properly. It just felt empty and didn't feel right.

 Luckily Ren helped me finish it. I should have asked for their help since they've been sickly since they were young. Ren didn't really write anything, but their descriptions were very helpful! Ah yes, updates will most probably be changed to once a month since Ren, my helpful little friend, is now going to college as well!

Let's all congratulate them :3

But anyway, updates will probably be once a month, with either one or two chapters. But the chapters will be getting longer now, so expect for longer content hahah. I'd like to thank everyone for their support for this story, you've all been my motivation to finish this chapter!

Also this story is now submitted for the 2023 Watty Awards. I don't actually know what this means, but it seems exciting :D