Priceless Slave (BL) Chapter 88: The Grip of Fear

But Sylas seed calm as he packed many items into the suitcase. Kai grew even more afraid. Was Sylas going to abandon him?

Kai clenched his hands anxiously as Sylas closed the suitcase.

Sylas looked at Kai, who had gone pale. "All your belongings are ready. You can use anything here while you’re in the dorm. If you need more, tell the dorm mother to give it to you," Sylas said.

He looked like a father sending his child off to school for the first ti. His gaze was worried, and he grew even more concerned when he saw the fear on Kai’s face.

"What’s wrong, Kai?" he asked gently.

Kai took a deep breath, his fear pushing him to speak. "M-master, p-please don’t throw away..."

Sylas was stunned, shocked by the slave’s words. "No! Who would abandon you? You’re going to school. I told you yesterday, didn’t I? You’ll go to school and be my personal servant. I’m not abandoning you, Kai. You’ll still live in the palace, just in the dormitory."

Kai swallowed hard, staring at Visen fearfully. But that man was going to take him away. He was sure the man was evil.

"I-I don’t want to go, Master..." Kai shook his head and clung tightly to Sylas’s arm, trying to stop the man from leaving him with Visen.

Visen looked impatient, but he stayed silent.

"Kai, go with Visen. I’m not abandoning you. If you want, you can ask the dorm mother to let you co here to see , if that makes you feel better," Sylas said reassuringly. He could feel how tight Kai’s grip was.

Kai lowered his head.

Sylas asked Visen to carry the suitcase. Then he pushed Kai gently to stand.

Kai swallowed hard, looked at Visen, then lowered his head again. But when the captain pulled his arm, he went on alert, terrified.

With a limp, he ran to the side of the sofa and fell there.

Sylas and Visen were startled. "Kai!"

Kai knelt behind the sofa, peeking out with wide, frightened eyes.

"P-please don’t take away..." he said in a trembling voice.

Visen clicked his tongue; he didn’t have all day for this. He bowed respectfully toward Sylas, asking permission to take Kai.

He walked quickly toward the back of the sofa.

Sylas didn’t understand, at that mont, Kai was like a wild animal being dragged to a cage. He struggled hard to get away from Visen. He even cried when the man pulled his leg closer.

"N-no, please!!" Kai cried out, his voice low but urgent. He clung to the sofa legs.

When Visen grew tired and let go, Kai quickly crawled away.

"What’s wrong with you!" Visen shouted. He was used to being harsh with his guards, and Kai’s behavior was really getting to him.

Sylas signaled for Visen to step back. He stood and approached Kai, who was curled up behind the sofa.

"Why, Kai? He won’t hurt you."

Kai shook his head. "N-no, please don’t let him take , Master..." Tears stread down his cheeks.

"Kai, please go with him. Don’t make things difficult for him," Sylas pleaded.

Usually, Kai would obey, but he was certain that man would kill him and separate him from Sylas forever, so he refused. No matter what.

Visen walked quickly again and grabbed his arm. But Kai clung to Sylas’s leg like his life depended on it.

"M-Master, please don’t let him take ..."

"Kai, don’t be like this. Go with him."

"N-no, please..." Kai’s cries grew louder as Visen pulled his arm tightly.

"Kai..."

"Nooo!! Master, please...." Kai’s cries cut like a knife, like an animal about to be slaughtered.

Sylas took a deep breath; Kai’s grip was iron-tight. The slave was sobbing uncontrollably. Neither he nor Visen could pull him away.

Kai kept muttering between sobs. "No, no, no, no, no..."

Sylas gave up. He looked at Visen. "I will talk to him. You can go now, Visen. I’ll ask Jas to take him later."

Visen glared at Kai for a mont before finally nodding.

"Alright, Your Highness."

After Visen left, Kai stayed behind the sofa for an hour. Sylas waited patiently, talking to him.

Sylas couldn’t bring himself to get angry when he saw Kai trembling. He didn’t understand why the slave was so afraid.

"I won’t kill you, you know that. Don’t you trust ?" Sylas asked.

Kai stayed silent, looking down. He trusted Sylas, but he believed many evil people wanted to separate them.

Sylas stayed with him that day, calming him until Kai agreed to sit on the sofa.

***

Alvaro was bored in his room. He had received a letter from Huron saying his suspension had been lifted at King Adrien’s request. He was sure Sylas had asked for it.

He sat on a chair near the window, gazing at the palace courtyard, which was busy with festival preparations. The faint sound of hamring mixed with the noise of servants carrying large chests filled with lanterns and colorful fabrics.

He was a little happy to be working again—he was bored from just practicing all the ti.

But strangely... his thoughts drifted to another figure.

Vlad.

He sighed deeply. Just thinking about that na made his chest feel strange. That night, after their eting, the vampire had disappeared without a trace. Until now.

"Why should I care?" he murmured softly, trying to push away the odd feeling. Wasn’t he the one who told the vampire never to co back?

Vlad’s arrival would only leave his body in shambles.

But he realized the vampire had also shattered his heart. He was sure it was so trick to make him keep thinking about him.

He couldn’t think straight when it ca to Vlad. But deep down, he hoped that was the reason.

What if Vlad was really gone? And never ca back?

He looked out the window again. The evening sky turned orange, its light reflecting off the palace walls draped in blue and gold fabric. Amidst the commotion, Alvaro felt uneasy.

"Damn! He’s not dead, is he?" he thought, worry suddenly creeping in.

He rembered how pale the vampire had looked the last ti they t. Had sothing happened to him? He couldn’t stop thinking about it—after all, thanks to Vlad, he no longer felt pain.

Alvaro clenched his fists tightly. This feeling frustrated him. He should be focusing on work, on Sylas, on protecting the palace. But the vampire’s shadow kept haunting him.

A knock on the door broke his thoughts. "Alvaro," the guard called softly.

Alvaro snapped back to reality. He told the guard to co in.

The young guard peeked in and grinned. "Want to see the festival preparations in the capital?" he asked.

Alvaro shook his head lazily. "No."

"Co on, join us. We’re off today. It’ll be good entertainnt before we go back to work tomorrow," said one of them with a big smile.

Alvaro raised his eyebrows. "No, I—"

But they cut him off. "Ah, don’t be so stiff. Just this once. You haven’t been out in a long ti."

Before he could argue, they grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room.

The guards exchanged knowing smiles, they had an important mission tonight, and it couldn’t fail.