Chapter 179: The K in Kaelis means Koward. Pt. 1

Fifteen years ago...

’Ugh. This is so...tedious.’

High-pitched laughter surrounded him, loud and grating against his ears, hands brushing against his arms, his sleeves, his shoulders, as taller women leaned in too close, fawning over him, circling him like a bunch of vultures that didn’t even try to hide what they wanted.

’If only I didn’t have to do this....’

It was for the kingdom.

A request from his father to gather information, to play along, to listen, to observe, to let people underestimate him.

And personally...

Kaelis needed the distraction, even if it were a group of older women hoping to prey on the ’seemingly innocent’ second prince, who was barely a teenager and whom they thought was easy to charm, easy to manipulate.

’They think I don’t notice.’

But Kaelis was more or less done.

The smiles he gave were getting harder to keep up, the polite responses starting to feel more forced than convincing, and the way their hands lingered just a bit too long was starting to irritate him more than he wanted to admit.

It was tiring.

And if he was being honest with himself, it felt...degrading.

’Enough.’

He was ready to tell the women that he had to go, already opening his mouth slightly, already preparing an excuse that wouldn’t offend them too much.

Until—

A noise.

Not loud.

But out of place.

The distinct sound of something shifting too quickly, followed by the dull thud of someone falling.

One of the ladies gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "What was that?"

Kaelis’ expression changed instantly.

The softness he had been forcing disappeared, his posture straightening as his attention snapped toward the direction of the sound, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Stay here, ladies. I will go and have a look," he says, lifting his hand just enough to signal them to remain where they were, his tone no longer playful, no longer accommodating.

It was firm.

He didn’t wait for a response.

’Is someone spying on us?’ He thought, his steps already moving toward the source, quiet but quick, his brows pulling together. ’Could it be the bad people that father was talking about?’

Kaelis moves around the tall bush, his steps quiet but deliberate, his body already braced for something worse, his shoulders tense, his eyes sharp as he prepares himself for whoever might be hiding there.

But when he pushes past the leaves—

He stops.

’Oh, Aurethys.’

There was no threat waiting for him.

Just a figure on the ground.

For a second, he couldn’t see the face clearly, only the way the boy had fallen, one hand pressed weakly against the ground as if he tried to catch himself but failed, his body slightly curled in on itself.

Then Kaelis’ gaze catches the hair.

Soft, pale, blonde hair.

It was unmistakable.

And he knew.

His breath hitched before he could stop it.

’It’s him.’

Ezra Belloren.

The boy he had been trying to see.

The boy he had been waiting for.

Relief came first, sudden and warm, followed by something sharper, something closer to excitement that made his chest feel tight in a way he wasn’t used to.

’Finally...’

For days, he had been sneaking out, leaving bread, waiting in the same spot, hoping for even a single chance to speak to him.

Only for his older brother to forbid him from telling the truth.

Kaelis thought it was hopeless.

And now—

He was right here.

Kaelis straightens quickly, almost too quickly, forcing his expression back into something composed, something casual, like this wasn’t something he had been anticipating.

’Say something normal.’

His thoughts scrambled, faster than he could sort through them.

He didn’t know what to say.

He didn’t know how to say it.

So instead—

"Oh, it’s just you."

The words come out steadier than he feels, his tone controlled, almost indifferent, like he hadn’t been thinking about this boy for days, like this moment didn’t matter more than it should.

’That sounded stupid.’

Behind him, he hears movement.

Soft footsteps.

Fabric shifting.

The women.

Of course, they would follow.

Kaelis’ expression tightens just slightly, annoyance slipping in as he turns just enough to block their view, his body shifting without making it obvious.

"Do not fret, madames. It is merely a boy who got lost," Kaelis says smoothly, his voice slipping back into that practiced charm, easy and composed. "I’ll take him back and return shortly."

He doesn’t give them time to question it.

Doesn’t give them time to look closer.

’They don’t need to see him.’

Because he already knew—

If they saw Ezra properly, they wouldn’t leave him alone.

And Kaelis didn’t like that thought.

Not even a little.

So he bends down without hesitation, reaching for Ezra’s arm, pulling him up carefully but firmly before the boy could even react.

"Come on."

There was no room for argument.

He pulls him away immediately, his pace quick, almost impatient, not stopping until the noise behind them fades, until the laughter disappears into something distant and meaningless.

Only when he’s sure they’re far enough does he slow down, his grip loosening slightly, though he doesn’t let go completely.

"There we go," Kaelis says, his voice calmer now, though there was still something beneath it, something he couldn’t quite smooth out. "Now let’s get you out of here. You’ve interrupted my time with those ladies."

It was meant to sound like a complaint.

A joke.

But it didn’t land the way he intended.

Because he didn’t mean it.

Not really.

’Why am I acting like this?’ Kaelis thought, glancing at Ezra for just a second before looking away again, his jaw tightening faintly. ’It’s just him.’

But even as he thought that—

He knew it wasn’t that simple.

Kaelis kept walking for a few more steps before slowing completely, his hand still loosely around Ezra’s arm, his thoughts running faster than he could keep up with.

’Say something again.’

He glanced at him.

Then again.

He kept wracking his brain, searching for something that didn’t sound awkward, something that didn’t give away how long he had been waiting for this moment.

But the more he thought, the worse it got.

So he just...stared.

And that’s when he noticed it.

Ezra wasn’t just quiet.

He looked...afraid.

But also,o there was some sort of defiance in his eyes.

Which was weird.

There was tension in the way he held himself, the way his shoulders were slightly drawn in, like he was expecting something, like he was waiting for something bad to happen.

Kaelis frowned slightly.

’Why is he scared?’

And...angry?

He hadn’t done anything yet.

He hadn’t even said anything meaningful.

Before he could think further—

"I-I’m sorry for interrupting," Ezra blurted out suddenly, his voice uneven, the words coming out too fast, like he was trying to get them out before he lost the chance. "Please let me go. I know my way—I can leave—"

Kaelis blinked.

That...wasn’t what he expected.

Not even close.

The panic in Ezra’s voice caught him off guard, hit him in a way that made his chest tighten unexpectedly.

’He thinks I’m going to do something to him?’

And for some reason—

That didn’t sit right with him.

Kaelis’ grip loosened instinctively, but instead of calming the situation, his own thoughts started to spiral.

He panicked.

And when Kaelis panicked—

He said the wrong thing.

"Do you know who I am?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he already knew.

’That was stupid.’

It was a useless question.

A pointless one.

But somewhere in that rushed thought, in that split-second reaction, Kaelis had hoped—

Hoped Ezra would recognize him.

Hoped that somehow, the boy had seen him before.

That he had noticed.

That he knew.

That he was the one who left the bread.

That maybe—

It wasn’t all for nothing.

But Ezra only swallowed, his expression tightening as he tried to answer.

"N-No...? Yes—uhm... you’re Prince Helios’s brother," he said quickly, like he was trying to correct himself mid-sentence, like he didn’t want to get it wrong.

And just like that—

Something in Kaelis dropped.

Not visibly.

Not enough for Ezra to notice.

But it was there.

A quiet kind of disappointment that settled deeper than he expected.

’Of course.’

"Of course," the prince murmured, almost under his breath, the words slipping out before he could stop them. "That’s all anyone ever sees, isn’t it? Helios’s brother."

The moment it left him, he realized how it sounded.

Kaelis straightened slightly, his jaw tightening as he pushed that aside, forcing himself back into something more composed, something more fitting of who he was supposed to be.

’Get a hold of yourself.’

"My name is Kaelis," the prince continued, his tone sharpening just a little, more controlled now, more deliberate. "I am the second prince. Not just Helios’s brother."

He held Ezra’s gaze this time.

But Ezra’s gaze... something inside it felt so... cold.

’Was he always this cold?’