The Next Prince, Chapter 14 pg2
The Next Prince, Chapter 14 pg2
“This is Itthi, my friend, and this is Khanin.” Charan did not disclose his status, but merely made a brief introduction, as if performing a ritual to maintain decorum, rather than wanting them to get to know each other for real.
“Have you had a tiring journey?” The bar owner returned greetings in English. Khanin smiled slightly before choosing to answer truthfully within his heart.
“Just a little bit.” The corners of his mouth formed a smile on Khanin's face, making him wonder if he could speak the truth before walking in. They almost died several times before arriving here...
“How are you?”
“As you can see, I'm fine. It's been a few years since I last saw you.” Itthi made a pensive gesture while talking to Saran.
“Two or three years...this time I might have to bother you for a couple of days.” The tall man's words did not surprise the younger one. Khanin could understand that they probably couldn't take the same flight back because for some reason, they had to wait at the airport. It was too dangerous.
“Fine, I already had the kid prepare a room for you.”
“Thank you very much, Itthi.”
“It's a small matter, Ai’Ran. We're already friends.” The friendly address made it clear that they were genuine friends. Khanin looked at Itthi and invited the tall man to continue talking for a few more words. The bar owner then concluded the conversation.
“If you need anything else, just use the phone in the room to call. Go and rest.” To allow the tired travelers to go back and relax, Itthi didn't think about prolonging their time.
“Thanks, can I...do you have any bandages or something?”
“Sure, do you need anything else?”
“Just that I got a little wound while traveling.” Saran answered smoothly, saying that the wound on his arm wasn't a big deal. Itthi stopped walking and ordered something over the phone. Soon after, the male waiter returned.
Khanin thanked the owner before following the guide to the standard, ordinary-looking single bed room. But what made him feel impressed was that the inner wall was soundproofed so effectively that it blocked the outside noise completely.
Charan stood and talked with Itthi's employee at the door. The posture of the tall man seemed normal to the point where Khanin secretly admired his resilience, despite having such a large wound on his arm. Not only that, but he also spoke naturally with the third person in Thai.
“Don't you want to go to the hospital? Your wound is deep.” Khanin asked while another person closed the door and walked back to sit next to him with a first aid kit borrowed from the office.
The young boy sneaked a peek at his left arm and noticed that Charan was trying to minimize his movements as much as possible while tending to his wound.
“It's not close to the heart.” the older man replied calmly, using his right hand to handle various medical instruments while Khanin subtly observed his every move. He was agile and had a slight desire to empathize with the situation.
The young boy hesitated and sat still, but when he saw Charan roll up his sleeve, clean the wound, and administer medication quickly, he decided to relax and sit quietly instead of being a hindrance.
The atmosphere in the room was so quiet that it felt suffocating, except for the sound of tearing an eye patch. Two figures huddled in the corner, hiding away from view, while Khanin pondered what to do next.
“Let me help.” A timid youth approached and offered to hold the bandage for the tall man.
“Thank you.” Charan whispered, extending his arm for Young-Prince to assist him. One reason he accepted the offer was that he had assessed his abilities and realized that refusing help would not be beneficial in any way.
Khanin affixed a waterproof bandage onto the strong arm delicately, cautiously observing the situation. He then started a new conversation to break the silence.
“You...”
“Hm?”
“What do you think... How could the killers have known we were here... Or did they have a tracking device?” He upgraded from the word 'criminal' to a definition that he thought was more appropriate based on the recent events.
'Killers' seemed to be the most fitting term in Khanin's mind.
The behavior of those who acted with their faces and eyes covered indicated that they had come with malicious intent, shown by their unwillingness to hold back their weapons. Khanin didn't dare to guess what would have happened if Charan hadn't been there to help. Perhaps...he might have died a long time ago.
“There is no tracking device; it's just a possibility.” Charan breathed out slowly as he thought about the day's events.
What could happen if he failed to protect Young-Prince? Charan knew that he could not face Sovereign-King, who had been kind enough to take care of him, as a flawed person in his duty.
The young boy only knew that everything Charan predicted would inevitably come true. From what had happened in London to today's events...
“We'll have to take the train instead.”
“The train?”
“Yes, it will take longer, but it's better than standing still. We'll wait and check the weather again.” Charan spoke quickly and confidently, like a computer. Walking, the older man evaluated various escape routes as if he had already chased them down. Eventually, he answered without hesitation.
However, there was one point that made Khanin wonder about the young boy who furrowed his brow while processing a plan in his mind, lost in thought before deciding to ask a question.
“Check the weather? Why?”
“No reason, but we won't run away when it rains.” The response caused Khanin to stop staring at their conversation for a moment. They briefly brushed past each other. The young boy seemed to see a subtle current that was hidden within, which appeared for only a moment before disappearing.
Khanin did not return his attention to the boy and instead focused on tending to the injured person's wounds once again. The young boy fidgeted nervously until he could lift his head and saw that some people were already looking at them.
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