Shuu’s presence made Prince Kaiden’s mind go blank. There were so many words he had prepared for him. But at this mont, all he could do was look at Shuu and the child in his arms.
"I just ca here to see you. Am I not even allowed to do this much?"
Prince Kaiden asked, but his usual confidence was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he sounded hollow, almost as if he was too tired to do anything else but stand there.
Shuu felt bad for him, but he was also not sure what Prince Kaiden wanted from him.
"You ca... to see ? Alright, now that you have seen , what next?"
Shuu asked once more, wondering if Prince Kaiden would leave now. But the crown prince stood still and kept looking at Shuu. It was starting to get worryingly annoying now.
Finally, Prince Kaiden blinked, and the tension in the air lessened.
"May I hold him?"
He asked, gesturing toward Caelis, and Shuu imdiately stiffened up.
It was now obvious why Prince Kaiden had co to him-to et Caelis, his oldest son. It had not been for Shuu-
"Here, take my hand. You were going out for so food, right? I am heading to the dining hall as well. We can eat together."
Prince Kaiden felt so kind at that mont that Shuu felt stumped. But recalling back, Prince Kaiden had always been like this.
He had always taken special care of Shuu, especially when it ca to his diet. It had beco so natural for him that he had not even questioned it.
Still...
"I don’t think it’s a good idea. Lady Sera might misunderstand-"
"Misunderstand what? That I want to take good care of you? That won’t be much of a misunderstanding if it’s true."
Now that felt like a huge bomb that Prince Kaiden suddenly dropped on Shuu’s head. He felt his mouth freezing, not knowing what he should say.
Prince Kaiden just sighed and wrapped one of his arms around Shuu’s waist, tugging him forward.
"Let’s go eat sothing. You don’t have to worry about my relationship with Sera anymore. After all, it’s not like we have much of it anyway."
Prince Kaiden pointed out, and Shuu’s mouth felt dry. But not for the sa reasons as anyone would believe.
The reason behind his sudden discomfort was the glare he was getting from Lady Sera at the other end of the corridor.
She and her handmaids had frozen in shock as they watched Prince Kaiden walking with his son in his arms and one of his arms around Shuu’s waist. He stood closer than he ever had with Lady Sera.
That picture did not bode well for anyone who was on Lady Sera’s side, but that was not even the important part.
The more important part was Lady Sera’s mood, which had just plumted straight into the ground.
"Prince Kaiden, isn’t it rather inappropriate for you to be doing this? After all, you are still an engaged man-"
"Hmm, you are right. I should take care of that first. Then, Lady Sera, I would like to break our engagent now. I don’t need a reason to keep it going anymore. You are free to leave the imperial palace any ti you want."
Lady Sera and her handmaids froze at those words. They glared at the cloaked figure standing by Prince Kaiden’s side with annoyed looks.
But Prince Kaiden just guided Shuu out of that ss without looking back.
Shuu followed with a blank look on his face. He did not even want to think about what had happened because he felt like his mind would explode if he did.
"As I told you-don’t worry about it. Sera and I might have had sothing in the past, but it is not sothing you should feel concerned about now. Just focus on yourself and your son."
Prince Kaiden’s words brought Shuu out of his own headspace, and he blinked at him in shock.
His eyes fell on his son, who currently slept quietly in Prince Kaiden’s arms, and he felt a calmness taking over his mind.
’Prince Kaiden is right. I only need to focus on Caelis and what I can do for him. No one else is of any concern to .’
Shuu agreed and followed Prince Kaiden to dinner.
As much as he did not want anything to do with Prince Kaiden, he also knew that he could not avoid him anymore. Especially if he wanted Caelis to grow up well.
His son deserved his father, even if Shuu wanted nothing to do with him anymore.
’Is that really true? But I can feel it-you want to be in his arms, for him to hold you close. You might be able to lie to yourself, but for how long?’
Shuu closed his eyes as the voice in his heart asked this question. And the truth was-he did not know.
Was he truly here in the imperial castle for his son’s sake? Or was it for his own sake?
A cold hand pressed against his face snapped him out of his daze, and he looked up at Prince Kaiden’s calm face.
"Don’t think too much about it. Just do what feels right to you. And if you feel like you are falling, just lean on ."
Prince Kaiden promised, and Shuu felt himself nodding.
He knew he should not trust Prince Kaiden. Especially after everything that had happened to him. But his heart still believed in Prince Kaiden.
’Maybe giving him one more chance might not be a bad idea.’
Shuu decided and nodded.
His life had suddenly turned relaxing and happy, but he was not sure how long this peace would last.
After all, Lady Sera was not soone who would take her defeat lying down. Especially not with the way she had looked earlier.
"Still, if you are worried about Sera, I guess I should not delay her treatnt any longer. Once she takes the dicine I procured for her, she will beco free of her cursed condition. Then, she will be free to live her life as she wants."
Prince Kaiden promised, and Shuu just nodded.
Truthfully, he had not even been aware that Lady Sera had been cursed. But now he was, and that changed nothing for him.
Breakfast was a normal and boring affair. Everyone kept looking at him, but those looks no longer bothered him as much as they used to.
After having lunch, Prince Kaiden kept him company for even longer, causing rumors to spread even faster about their relationship.
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