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 no explicit content. Mild mentions of medical injuries.

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"Father?" a young boy, with pitch black hair and dull green eyes. A man who looked nearly exactly like him, looked down to his son and gave his boy a smile.

"Yes Maknae-adeul?" the man said, warmth in his eyes making his green eyes glow.

"Do you love me?" the little boy asked in a dull manor, as his father's eyes softened with sadness. The older man bent down, holding out his hand to his son. It was his way of asking for permission, permission to touch his son. The little boy looked a little hesitant but reluctantly touched the older man's hand. 

His smile, which had fallen, blossomed once again, seemingly glowing with happiness. It always brought great joy and honor to the man whenever his youngest son allowed them to hold him. To offer their youngest comfort. 

"My dearest maknae-adeul, Lee Hyu. I do not know who was the person that had once harmed you so badly a lifetime ago, who made you feel that your family will not love you" the older man started, his hands gently holding the smaller hands like it was glass.

"But I promise you, my adeul" at this, the older man lifted the smaller boy onto his lap, giving soft and gentle pats to his dark hair.

"Your mother, your brothers, as well as myself, we will love you even if we have already passed. We love you no matter the lifetime. We love you, you are our family and we love you" the man softly said, giving a small kiss to his son's forehead. 

Alexander would never be able to forget his appa's soft hands, missing it forever more.

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Kim Lee Hyu is suffering. Suffering from the worst of the worst of scenarios. He is suffering through the worst of all betrayals. A betrayal he would never recover from, never heal from. His soul is dying, never to return to his body. Never again will Kim Lee Hyu trust another from this, never again can Kim Lee Hyu-

"My prince, please stop dramatically monologuing in your head. This isn't that bad" Kale, the traitor who placed him in this situation, said like the bastard he is.

Bastard even has mind-reading abilities, or perhaps his young child body gave away more than he would prefer. Curse this child body of his.

Kim Lee Hyu didn't give the man the time of day, only scowling as he turned away from him. Which was difficult due to all of the blankets he was wrapped in. He wasn't sure how many layers he was wrapped in, but it seemed like he was a worm preparing his cocoon. It was very embarrassing, and it was only through Kim Lee Hyu's sheer stubbornness that he could even move even the slightest.

Kale, the absolute traitor, hadn't let the boy go and brought him back to a worried and panicking Diland. Apparently, the butler had in fact chosen to check on him early in the morning. Kim Lee Hyu was just lucky that he had left earlier, cause if he didn't then Diland would have seen him awake and sick. Not that it matters, since Kale found him and showed the boy to the overly worried man. When Diland had found him, the butler's panic increased and quickly called for Sora. Then Kim Lee Hyu was washed, cleaned, placed into his nightgown before being wrapped in multiple blankets.

Not that he really mind, the blankets were comfortable and strangely enough, he felt cooler than earlier. Or maybe that's just the fever talking. But Kim Lee Hyu hates the nightgown.

It's essentially a really long shirt, or maybe a formless dress is more accurate description.

If he could, he would burn all of them, but it's just an illusion and his torturer could easily conjure up new ones. It isn't worth his effort.

Kim Lee Hyu really didn't want to have to think too hard about Diland, the feelings he had towards his father figure were always complicated. The fake Diland was acting too similar to his actual dad. Sure, he knows that his torturer must have used his memories so that fake Diland truly acted like his dead dad, but it still hurts. It hurts to remember Diland, to remember the first dad Kim Lee Hyu had ever had.

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"Alex" Diland called softly, the older man looking at him with softness. His dad, the man who taught him what a father is supposed to be, looked at him with a love he had never received from the emperor.

Alexander's dad, Diland, and Kim Lee Hyu's appa, both men who were once gentle fatherly figures to him before they both died. The green-eyed boy, now 9 years old, looked at the only person who had stayed with him.

The palace wasn't the most extravagant place, most of the valuable items having either been sold or stolen. There wasn't a single servant in the palace, there was no funding ever since the Empress made the Emperor cut off the funding. Diland hasn't been paid ever since the youngest prince was 7. Yet he still stayed, still took care of the young prince. The only way they've been able to survive is through Diland's own money. 

Opal Palace, the palace of the abandoned. It only hosts two people, a father and a son. But there were others, friends of Diland who still helped the ex-bulter whenever they could. These people would one day swear to serve Alexander for the rest of his life, only to be led astray and get corrupted. But that future wasn't today, no, today it was just a father and his son. A butler and a prince. Just Diland and Alexander.

Alexander looked up at the older man, giggling slightly as his dad's long hair tickled his nose. "Yes dad?" he asked, holding a small tomato, a tomato he grew with his father. 

Both of them were in the garden, a garden that they both created. It wasn't the most beautiful garden, wasn't the best garden, but it was theirs. It was created through the fruits of their labor. The garden was something that belonged to Alexander. The older man gently cleaned off some dirt on the child's face, everything about the ex-butler seemed to be entirely soft.

"Don't strain yourself too much, I don't want you to get hurt" Diland said, knowing damn well that Alexander would only listen to his warnings if he added his worries. 

Alexander looked a little guilty, but the short boy gave a nod before smiling brightly. It pained the older man, to see how short the boy was. As a normal child, his height was pretty average for his age, but Alexander was from the royal family. They grew taller than most children their age, nearly being as tall as some teens. Alexander's mother was also a very tall woman, and yet the boy was short. Diland did his best to feed him properly but with limited resources, his own obligations, and the prince's sickness, it was difficult to get the prince into a normal state for his body.

"You worry too much dad! I'm going to be fine, I promise!" the boy said with a brilliant smile, eyes closing into crescent moons, as his face beamed like the sun. 

Diland didn't know how he got so lucky, so lucky to gain this angel in his life. His only dream, his only wish, was to protect this angel's smile with his life. He smiled back, grateful for his son. The red-eyed man would do anything to keep him alive, anything to keep the last good thing in his life alive and well. He would even give up his life, all for his son.

"No matter what happens, I promise that I will survive!" the prince promised, if only he knew of the future, maybe he wouldn't have made such a promise. Maybe then would his soul know rest.

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Kim Lee Hyu was lost in memory when he was suddenly disturbed. He glared and huffed when Kale suddenly patted him, but he was a little grateful that the taller man managed to snap him out of his memory. But still! The gardener doesn't seem to care that he's angering a prince, even if the prince is hated. Not that Kale seemed to care about royalty. The older man treated the prince too casually. Barely uses titles, and doesn't seem to understand how most commoners should act around nobility. Although Kim Lee Hyu prefers to be treated in such a way, he doesn't know how the other people who share the same sperm donor with him would react.

Ah, not the time to think about those little brats. Instead, focus all your anger on the gigantic fake himbo in front of him.

Diland had (thankfully) left, but only because he had to (unfortunately) call for Sora. The butler asked Kale to watch over the prince, apparently trusting the gardener to have the ability to stop the boy from escaping.

Kim Lee Hyu would have said that Diland was too trusting of Kale, if he didn't know that they all worked for the same demon. Of course, there's someone to watch over him. His health could worsen, then he would die and escape his punishment. Plus, Kale is annoyingly strong. The gardener is very obviously used to carrying heavy bags of soil, or even heavy potted plants.

Even without his gardener background, demons were naturally strong. Annoying demons. Stupidly following their master to torture and punish the once black-haired man.

The green-eyed boy was snapped away from his cursing when Kale suddenly flicked his forehead.

"Didn't I tell you that monologuing won't help you?" The lilac-eyed man said with amusement glittering in his eyes.

He only scowled even deeper, only for the giant to once again flick his forehead.

"My prince, if you keep scowling your face will freeze up and remain permanently scowling" Kale told him, it was something Kim Lee Hyu heard many times before when he was younger. When the older man had been alive, it had been his appa that had often told him that saying.

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'Maknae-adeul you shouldn't always scowl! If you do it for too long then your face will freeze and you'll be stuck with that expression forever' his appa said. The older man had a weak body, his face dirty from poverty, but yet he glowed with happiness.

Long wavy black hair, similar to his own, framed the elder man's face, as warm emerald eyes looked at him fondly. As a prince, the Emperor had never once looked at him with love, eyes cold towards his youngest son. Yet this man, who is poor and should have hated the extra burden, always looked at Alexander with so much love, like he was the greatest treasure to be ever given to him.

Like he was worth something.

Like Alexander was someone to be loved.

Alexander hated green, hated his green eyes that looked so much like the emperor's. But as he looked into the man, in his appa's warm, beautiful eyes, Alexander thinks that he might grow to love those eyes.

Back when he was still Alexander and not yet Kim Lee Hyu, it was his father, his appa, that opened the boy's heart.

It's what made his death hurt so much more.

But as he stared at his parents graves, the people he loved with all his heart and who had loved him back, he promised to always love the beautiful green eyes that his appa had gifted him.

Kim Lee Hyu lost two of his fathers to death. So he will continue to honor the gifts they had left behind.

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Kim Lee Hyu expertly dealt with Kale's insolence by sticking his tongue out.

"If you stick your tongue out it might end up falling off as well"

"Kale" the boy called as he gave a smile that was so clearly fake. Kale returned that smile, full of amusement.

"Yes my prince?"

"You're so full of shit"

Kale only laughed in response.

"It's not proper for a prince to swear, prince Alexander" the gardener told him mock seriously, a teasing smile on his face. Not that it was obvious, to anyone else he would have just been wearing a normal smile.

Kale had slight differences in his smile. The slight tilt to his lips, the way it seemed to be the tiniest bit stiffer than usual like he was trying to hold back a laugh, all tiny, miniscule, hints that his smile was teasing.

When he did one of his fonder smiles the gardener's lilac eyes would soften, smile smaller but more sincere. The differences were so difficult to find since Kale normally looked sincere in his kindness.

Wait a minute, fuck! Kim Lee Hyu could un-ironically tell the differences between the older man's smiles. Er, then again the man is always smiling, so of course he ended up recognizing each and every different smile.

Not the point! Kim Lee Hyu growled at Kale, glaring at him. Knowing his current chibi face, and Kale's own reaction, it wasn't at all scary.

"Shut it traitor, I'm not talking to you" he growled out, barely crossing his arms due to his blanket cocoon.

"That's alright my prince, I can do the talking for us ^ ^"

...

How the hell did he say an emoticon???

The green-eyed boy shook his head in disbelief. Honestly, he should really stop talking to Kale before he infects the smaller boy with his idioticy. His eomma told him before that stupidity spreads. With his already declining mental maturity, thanks child brain, he needed to avoid being infected and getting worse.

He tried to wiggle away from the stupid giant, not to run away or anything, but just to get away from the man.

The gardener watched him, his smile shaking as if trying to hold back laughter. Yeah laugh it up, he knows he looks stupid wiggling around in a blanket cocoon. He probably looked like a worm like this.

Somehow, he managed to make a far enough distance from Kale. He then turned so that he didn't have to deal with the infuriating man any longer.

A small silence filled the room as the gardener could only look at the young prince with fond amusement. It didn't take long before Kim Lee Hyu heard shifting as he was suddenly flipped over. He yelped as he was slightly tossed in the air and fell on his back, only to lock into lilac eyes. This motherfuc- no, calm down. Kim Lee Hyu is already in his late thirties, he was older than the Kale who was only in his late twenties. He needed to act maturely. Set an example for the younger generation.

"You know my prince, it's pretty rude to turn away from someone when you're talking with them"

This-

He trashed violently in his cocoon as Kale only laughed again. The green-eyed boy didn't know how long he trashed for, but he was pretty tired after it. He glared at the gardener for his current state.

"You're so weird" he couldn't help but say, only for Kale to easily deflect him.

"Ah! But my prince, I thought you wouldn't speak to me anymore?" The smug look in the man's lilac eyes told Kim Lee Hyu that he knew exactly what he's doing.

Before he could try to break out of his cocoon to beat up the older man, the doors suddenly slammed open.

"PRINCE ALEXANDER!!!!!!!"

Oh no.

Wide, worried blue eyes locked into green eyes as the blond man marched his way to the bed. Sora easily shoved Kale away as the priest gently touched his forehead. Kim Lee Hyu couldn't help but stare as the giant of a man was easily thrown away.

"Your highness, you must be in so much pain" the priest said, tears building up in his eyes. From his back, Diland helped Kale stand back up.

"Uh, I'm feeling fine, actually Kale seems to be-" Kim Lee Hyu tried to say, only to be cut off.

"But not to worry, Your Highness! Father Sora is here now" Kim Lee Hyu could only stare at the distraught priest before sighing. He wasn't going to able to walk after this.

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Sora's healing was very nice. Even if its origin was from the biggest Bastard of all the bastards. Sora's own mana, his intents, his feelings, and his soul, felt so very pure, safe, and warm.

Kim Lee Hyu had found out (more like just realized) that Sora was a priest under that Bastard who blessed his sperm donor when the blond had first healed him (while he was awake at least. And the man did introduce himself under the Church of Light). Normally, he would never associated with priests under the God of Light.

Kāin hated him, and he hated that Bastard.

It was kinda of ironic. A child from the Oriel royal family, the descendants of the God of Life, blessed with not only the white hair gifted to the family but also with emerald green eyes, hated by his own patron God. That hatred was mutually reciprocated by the God as well. Although green eyes aren't that rare in his world, this world is different.

In this world, eye color is something extremely important. Green eyes are rare, essentially impossible to have unless you are of elven blood or a blood relative to the Oriel family line. After all, green is the eye color of that Bastard. In the royal family, green eyes were a symbol of purity, it meant you were one of the most worthy to claim the throne. Of course, this doesn't automatically mean that they will be the ruler.

It's just a 'sign' that they have been blessed by the God of Light and Life. So many emperors had brilliant green eyes. Out of all the royal siblings, it was only the crown prince who had green eyes.

Until Alexander was born.

It's why the Empress hated him so much, why she thought that the Emperor might be secretly supporting him. His stupid eyes.

When he was Alexander, he hated his green eyes so deeply. There were nights where he would scream and cry, asking why Kāin had hated him so much, yet gifted him with his green eyes. As Kim Lee Hyu, he didn't hate his eyes, not since it's the same color as his appa. His kind and wonderful appa, the second father figure of his life.

If Diland had been the strong support that Alexander needed, his appa was the cool waters that gently soothed his flames. Kim Lee Hyu knows he doesn't completely love his face, love his hair, love himself. The pain he felt from his lifetime as Alexander made it difficult to love himself.

But he tries, he tries so hard to learn to love and accept. He understands that there are days where he feels worse, that there are days when he can't accept his eyes. But he tries.

And so, Alexander hated green.

While Kim Lee Hyu loves the color green.

It is everything, it's in nature, in trees and grass. Green is the color of life, and once upon a time, he hated it. But now, with all the experiences he's had, all the people he lost, and all the lives he saved, Kim Lee Hyu loves life.

Loves it, cherishes it, mourns for it. Every soul is important, every soul deserves the chance to make a choice. Make a choice not dictated by tyrannical Gods.

Sure, he hasn't accepted his hair. Hasn't accepted the pure white strands that could never turn any color other than white.

It might take a hundred more years before he stops hating white hair. Before he gets over the memories that come along with it. Kim Lee Hyu knows that it's okay, that there's time for him. Even if he hates his torturer, hates being a weak child, unable to do anything, he knows that one day, he'll be alright.

Kim Lee Hyu has faith in his family.

Ah, he's getting a little sentimental. Maybe it's due to how many times he's thought of his two fathers in his separate lifetimes. Or perhaps it's his own longing that just can't go away. What was he thinking again? Ah yes, that Bastard.

Any holy healing from a priest under the Church of Light has always been weak when it was on him. Since that Bastard doesn't even care about him, and instead actively made his healing worse. The other Gods didn't care enough about him to spite his healing, but they disliked him enough that it was still weak. At least their healing worked, unlike that piece of shit.

Every priest under the Church of Light was to always be avoided. The only exceptions to this issue with healing being the annoyingly nosey priest he knew a lifetime ago, and now, this overly worried blond. Maybe it's because both of them had pure souls, maybe it's because both of them had genuine kindness. Or maybe it's just another trick by his torturer to let him get attached. Get a priest similar to the one priest he had actually gotten attached to.

All Kim Lee Hyu could tell you was that Sora didn't belong in hell. He's probably a poor angel forced to heal the prisoner of the Gods.

Maybe that's why Kim Lee Hyu, for all that he hates being fretted over and complained about Sora, never felt angry at him. Never got angry at the priest.

The man didn't deserve his hatred. Not when his soul was so fucking pure and his intentions to help so strong. Not when mana can't lie to Kim Lee Hyu.

It's been hours now, and the healing session didn't seem to stop.

Healing always took a while. The human body can't heal that quickly on a natural base, even with holy magic to help, the body can't handle the strain. That's why instant healing never existed, there were always backlashes that were never worth it.

Young priests, especially those who didn't have proper training, always made these mistakes. It causes those patients to end up with slower healing rates. Their bodies slowly deteriorate as their own self-healing breaks down.

(It's why potions were used. It was always painful, the power of healing took away any discomfort from sudden growth and healing. But potions were different. They could instantly heal, and it didn't permanently destroy your body's own ability to heal. The only thing is that it was painful.

There's no soft barrier between the pain, and you would feel the way your bones would snap together, your skin melding back, or even the way your teeth were growing back in.

It wasn't popular here in this world, to painful for most of them, but in his world?

Where war was so prevalent and a small wound could be fatal?

It was a godsend.)

Children are even more sensitive to these problems. It's why healing for children is so difficult. One wrong move could easily permanently damage that child. For a young sickly boy like him? Especially with a mysterious illness like his? Even the slightest mistake will kill him. Just a bit too much a mana could kill him, just a bit too little could kill him.

Kim Lee Hyu knows how vulnerable he is to healing magic, that a priest could easily kill him with just a little holy energy.

When he was Alexander, it was easier for him. He never got healing from a priest in his most vulnerable years, his years as a child. And when he was a teenager, he had been living on borrowed time so he didn't really care. Diland's gift had been the only reason he had lived. Without it, he would have died from getting healed.

Now, Kim Lee Hyu knows that he's at his weakest. His strange disease, a disease that he had never solved nor found a cure for, seemed to have gotten worse.

But at the same time his soul and will had stayed the same. Strong and stubborn, refusing to break down. He won't break.

Not unless he wants to.

Not only that, Diland's gift, his Diland not this fake one, had still followed him.

Sora's mana continued to move, and Kim Lee Hyu was careful to guide it away from Diland's gift. The priest hadn't noticed it at back when the prince had been unconscious since Kim Lee Hyu trained himself to hide it even when he was knocked out.

People would have different reactions if they found the gift that had protected and made him live for so long. As Kim Lee Hyu, others would feel suspicious, but most shrugged it off for more important things. As Alexander, it was a death sentence.

After all, it was difficult to explain why there was black magic protecting his heart.

Diland never explained why he could use black magic. Why his mana was dark and held the most cruelest of symphony. Why, despite the gentleness of his mana, his color was a dark black.

Kim Lee Hyu couldn't ask him back then, only ever finding out about his father figure's secret after the older man's death. The fake wouldn't know the truth either, so he didn't bother to ask.

As Sora focused hard on giving proper healing, Kim Lee Hyu turned to the two men behind the priest.

Diland, or really the fake Diland, was watching from behind like always. He always watches, always around him. Kim Lee Hyu sometimes forgets his in the room cause of how used he is to the butler's presence. The butler already prepared a towel and some water. If he looks a little farther, he could see another nightgown prepared for him.

Kim Lee Hyu always gets sweaty and weak after. It wasn't common that Sora would heal him.

Only once every week so as to not strain his body. His body can't handle too many heals, his maximum being once per week. The priest is going slow, really really slow, since Kim Lee Hyu had his weekly healing session done four days ago.

Apparently, from what he overheard from Diland. The priest told Diland that even a simple fever could potentially be deadly to the prince's health, and to call him immediately if he did catch one.

Kale probably didn't know this, since not every servant and staff knew just how bad his health was.

Er, well at least that's what he thinks from the information he managed to collect.

Speaking about Kale, the gardener was still in the room. He hadn't left yet, ignoring his responsibilities in the garden.

The gardener was standing beside the butler, looking solemn as he stared at Sora. A complicated expression was on his face, frowning slightly behind the man. Lilac eyes shifted to his, before the man gave him a reassuring smile. Kale pointed to the his head before mouthing out.

'Stop monologuing :)'

The prince scowled at him before turning away.

Kim Lee Hyu shifted his attention back to Sora as he heard a small tsk escape from under the priest's breath. His green eyes turned back to the blond as he watched the priest's frustrations in real time.

Sora was clearly struggling, sweat going down his face as his eyes were narrowed in concentration. Diland could probably clean his sweat, but it could also distract the priest.

The prince felt a little bit of pity towards the blond man. Having healed others himself, Kim Lee Hyu knows how difficult it is to heal someone when that person's body was incredibly fragile. Back in his day, Kim Lee Hyu had moments where his soldiers would run out of potions and the commander had to resort to using healing spells.

The green-eyed man had to be careful, especially since one wrong move could reverse the healing process instead of helping it. It's why so many had died, why they couldn't so easily defend against those monsters.

Kim Lee Hyu's body, even in his original one, was always annoyingly complicated. As Alexander, it was a horrible pain that he could never escape from. His body, so weak and fragile. Breakable and useless. The black star that marked his body had at some point claimed his entire torso when he had been Alexander. He was a corpse walking in a body of flesh.

As Kim Lee Hyu, it was healthy, but complicated. It was weak to healing magic, holy magic, or anything that promoted regeneration. Potions were useless and he essentially had to worst immune system know to man. It was naturally weak, muscles took a while to build up but his healing factor was alarmingly fast. It's why some had thought he wasn't human.

He didn't need healing most of the times, since he's wounds would often heal while he was still in battle.

Now, as a child, wounds easily appeared on his tiny body.

It has already been two hours of continues healing, it's clear that Sora was slowly running out of mana. The signs of mana exhaustion were slowly creeping in, from the way his mana started shaking, to how his mana was slowly thinning out.

Diland moved swiftly, holding a mana replenishing potion near Sora as the priest quickly grabbed it and drank it down like it was a shot of alcohol. From what Kim Lee Hyu knows, the two have been doing this the entire time he was passed out. As such, they've build up some really great teamwork.

Kim Lee Hyu could feel his body getting better, but it was still a slow process and his fever was still raging in his system. As someone who knows his body well, Kim Lee Hyu knows that the pond, as strange and as dumb as an idea as it was, actually helped him. He has no idea how the pond had helped cool him down so well.

The pond was just normal in the garden, the only abnormality being the dense amount of mana located around it.

When he's fever was raging, he hadn't really noticed, but with his mind clearer he realized how dense the mana was. Since he was so out of it, he didn't remember exactly how it felt, but the mana was nice, warm, and familiar. Strange.

It was curious, very curious. Mana couldn't just gather around an area like that naturally, not unless the place was blessed. But the garden was normal, and from all the times that Kim Lee Hyu has passed by it, the mana levels had just been average. Why did it suddenly increase?

Mana can't be manipulated that easily, and even his torturer shouldn't be able to do something like that. Only a higher life form, like the Gods, could get mana to move easily like that. Any normal mage wouldn't have noticed the change in man, but Kim Lee Hyu has reached the peak of mana. He could easily tell differences in mana.

The mana, although he couldn't fully remember, definitely didn't have a single trace of godly energy. Even when his mind wasn't in the right state, he could easily detect the Gods presence. It's how he knows that those bastards haven't looked at him yet, only glancing at his suffering occasionally.

Kim Lee Hyu could easily manipulate mana as well, but that was due to his knowledge from this world. No one, other than Kim Lee Hyu and the gods know how to move mana to their wills.

So who was it?

From the way this was going, it will take at least another hour in the shortest to finish, and at least three at the most. Knowing Sora, he will most probably go the three hour mark so as to not hurt the prince.

His eyes once again locked into Kale's, tired of looking at Sora and not wanting to look at the fake Diland.

'Rest' Kale mouthed, as he mimed going to sleep. For once, Kale gave an actually good idea. Still, he didn't want to admit it so Kim Lee Hyu rolled his eyes before slowly closing his eyes.

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Diland squeezed the towel in his hands, the water dropping into the empty bowl, before dumping the fabric into the clean cold water beside him. The prince was still asleep, his breath going in and out calmly. He smiled, relieved that the prince was alright.

It was good that he wasn't having his morning daze.

In the early mornings, his prince would awaken, eyes unseeing as he shook silently. Alexander never spoke, never screamed anymore, but tears would stream down his eyes as he got lost in memories. No matter what Diland would do, he wouldn't respond. The child would only stare and stare, his gaze distant and haunted. It was concerning, it was horrid, and it was heartbreaking.

Diland could only gently wipe away his sweat, wipe away the tears, and offer a hug once the prince had broken out of his trance. He had to be gentle, careful that no one else entered the room.

The last time someone had found the prince in one of his trances, the boy had tried to jump off the balcony.

It was at times like these that he felt that his Lord was being cruel and unfair. The feeling of anger he felt towards the Emperor was always filled with regret.

Diland couldn't let out any of his grievances to his Lord. Not when he had sworn absolute obedience, not when he had been ordered to never speak about prince Alexander.

Alexander didn't like talking much about his vulnerabilities, didn't even bother to talk about it.

The prince does his best not to make it too obvious when he is no longer listening to Sora, as the priest tries to talk about his health. Oh yes it seemed he was completely utterly focused, adorably nodding up and down whenever the priest tells him something he needs to respond to. Yet Diland could tell he wasn't listening, the white-haired boy's face was easy to read. At least, it was to the brown-haired man.

Looking down at the sleeping prince, his face calm without a single worry in sight, Diland smiled. He leaned down, gently moving the white hair out of his face.

"Rest well my prince," Diland's voice was soft, filled. "May your dreams be happy"

Behind the butler, Kale and Sora were arguing passive aggressively. Diland ignored them, they seemed to always have issues with the other.

"I'm sure you are much needed within the garden, sir Kale. Why don't you return to your work, and leave me- Diland and I to take care of the prince? After all, there is no need for you here" Sora's tone was only filled with kindness, but his words were filled with hidden venom.

'Your useless here, get out' is what the priest was essentially saying.

They always argued, always glaring at the other when no one else was looking. Whenever the prince wasn't looking, or anyone really, the two with act like sworn enemies. But if others are around, they'd act civil and friendly to one another. Their fights felt like watching a cat and a dog, both fighting for their master's attention. But they were fine with acting like themselves when Diland was around.

Neither of the two seemed to care that Diland was watching, and often tried to rope the butler into their arguments.

"Although surprising, I thank you for your worries, Father Sora. There is no need to worry, I am not the only gardener of the garden. I'm sure my colleagues could handle a day without me ^ ^" Kale said with a closed eyed smile.

'Stop pretending to care, I won't be leaving'

The gardener opened his eyes, smile still on his face and yet his eyes were cold.

"I worry for prince Alexander, and you and I both know that our little prince is quite the slippery fellow. Sir Diland trusts me to help keep our prince safe, surely you'll be fine with me helping the two of you?" Kale's smile turned into a smirk as he looked down to the blond man.

'You can't stop the prince if he escapes, but I can. I won't leave unless Diland says so'

Diland couldn't help the alarmed look that passed through his face at the mention of his name. Please don't tell him that they're bringing him into another argument. He doesn't think he has the energy to play mediator.

"After all, the more hands the better" Kale finished, essentially leering down on Sora, the only time that the friendly man showed aggression.

Sora smile turned cold, and for the briefest of seconds, a scowl passed through the holy priest's face.

"Oh your too kind! I would love for you to help us, but I can't make any decisions. How about you ask sir Diland if you can be excused from your duties to join us?"

'I don't want you here, the only reason your here is because Diland hasn't kicked you out yet'

...

Perhaps Diland should let them solve their problems by themselves. He actively ignored them as turned back to the sleeping prince. Pretending to be deaf even when they kept calling out his name
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Let's just all agree that this author takes a while to upload ;-;

So hey, I'm finally back! Uhm, I meant to check this up and decide either to post it or not, but it took a long time since I'm not really used to my new duties at school. So if you've read the notice from Ren, yeah we're nursing students!

Our school makes us go to outreach activities, and since I'm a 2nd year I now have shifts in the hospital where I basically act as apprentice nurse. I don't actually do stuff, but I'm mostly there to observe how nursing is in the real world.

Anyways, I'm back from my retreat. It was so painful not having any electronics, I really felt like I was gonna die! /;A;/

I've finally checked on this chapter, and Jesus Christ did I have to delete certain parts of the chapter due to how angsty it was! Then again, it was Ren, and they're not the best at keeping things fluffy. I still left some of the tiny hints of angst, but that's mainly cause KLH isn't in the happiest of places.

Chapter 10 will probably come out tomorrow since I no longer have any brain power. Thanks for being so loyal and waiting for so long! I'll write more whenever I have free time, which isn't a lot cause damnnnn 2nd year is killing me ;u;

Update!
Change of plans, I'll upload both chapter 10 and 11 at October. Because Ren and I have midterms coming up. I can finish looking over chapter 10 after midterms. And maybe, if I help Ren finish it, we can even upload chapter 13. Sorry again for the failed promise, it's just been so hectic and busy ever since I've had t start my duties while also having my classes ;-;

Notes from Ren:
"막내아들" (Maknae-adeul) - Youngest son

아들" (adeul) - son

"아빠" (Appa) - dad/daddy

"엄마" (Eomma) - mom/mommy