The Next Prince, Chapter 15 pg2
The Next Prince, Chapter 15 pg2
“...” At this point, Charan, even as a child, seemed to understand something more. Though he felt sad every time he had to be away from his mother, he was strong enough not to make his mother worry too much. So he did not act like a child, as he did this time.
“Charan, you will understand more than just that... Because Charan you are the next leader of the Pithakthewa family.” Charan was impressed with the last sentence that his ancestor had left them before they could never meet again.
“...”
“Anyhow, we cannot escape our duty... Because our duty is to protect and take care honestly and lovingly of Atsawathewathin lineage. This is what our ancestors' spirits wanted us to do...”
“...”
It was the last time they saw each other and talked like this. The young man blamed himself many times for not understanding the world enough back then, even though he understood the sacrifice of worker bees when they released their stingers to protect their hive.
If only he knew... things might not have turned out like this.
Every dream image slowly faded away like a haze of smoke. Some people had said that the more joyful a memory was, the sadder it would become when that person was gone.
Charan agreed that it was true.
The hot and restless movement of the person next to him woke Khanin up in the middle of the night. The small-bodied owner rose and reached for the lamp near the bed before widening his eyes slightly to see the paler face of Charan.
“Are you...?”
The end of the sentence was swallowed up in the palm of Khanin's hand, which touched the sleeping man's arm, then felt the higher-than-normal temperature.
Khanin's gaze turned to the bottle in his hand, lost in thought as he pondered why the other person had fallen ill before his eyes could even shift to the Aztec-patterned cloth on the sturdy armrest, which seemed like an answer to his question.
Or was it that the wound had become infected?
“Are you...not feeling well?” he asked, but it was meaningless. Charan still seemed trapped in his own thoughts, not even waking from a doze. The other person didn't respond at all, leaving the boy to look around worriedly. The sweat seeping out of his pores mingled with the rush of hot wind, revealing that another person was suffering. Khanin fiddled with the light switches until the entire room was brightly lit, then turned back to survey the others once more.
The young boy released a soft sigh when he saw the grimace on the face of the sick person. Khanin used his forefinger to gently brush the other person's forehead before deciding to get up, but as he made up his mind, some people refused to let him go. They wouldn't even step aside and let him through.
“Don't go...”
“Hmm...” The small, slender wrist was held by the larger one, and the voice that had once been soft now sounded hoarse, adding a layer of intense anxiety to the situation.
“....”
What did you say?” Khanin wasn't sure if Charan was fully conscious or just delirious from the fever. The younger person hesitated to move away while the other person refused to budge.
“Don't leave.” The request made the corners of Khanin's mouth turn down even further. The boy swept his eyes over the other person's entire body before finally nodding.
“You're so hot, you need a wipe down. I'll go find a cloth for that.” Khanin mumbled, trying to pull his hand out, but the other person seemed more determined to hold on than ever before.
“No need to go.” Charan whispered, slowly opening his tightly shut eyes and locking gazes with Khanin. In those dark pupils were tears that threatened to spill out at any moment. His breaths were shallow and filled with hot air that seemed to linger inside his body.
“But...”
“Can't you stay here?”
“Uh...”
“I want you to stay here...together.”
After finishing his sentence, the sick person pulled Khanin's hand towards himself and pressed it against his own cheekbone. The pitch-black gaze of the two people interlocked for a moment before slowly closing again. The rhythm of their breathing was in sync and steady.
Khanin felt like he had been hit by a strong electric shock as he stood there motionless. He didn't even think about doing anything wrong, just let himself stand there holding onto the other person's cheek. That was all.
This was a situation where he was better off than others because the other person had once come to comfort him on a day when no one else was around...just being together like this, taking care of each other during times of sickness and fever. Why would Khanin not do the same?
Though he didn't think much about it, the truth was that he would have to stand by someone else's side while thinking about the meaning of life every day... The pain in his back began to manifest itself.
But that was still better than having no one.
The young boy waited until Charan fell back into a deep sleep before finally hesitantly pulling his hand away from the other person's grasp. He twisted and turned, trying to dispel the fatigue before he could find something suitable to use as a container for water.
“You, move a little.” Khanin called out to Charan again after pouring water from a glass into a fake fruit bowl placed in one corner of the room.
The young boy dipped a clean cloth into the basin and then gently nudged the sleeping figure. However, Charan did not even budge, his older body remaining motionless like before.
“Well then, I apologize.” I said.
“...”
“May I help you take off your shirt...?” Seeing that the other party did not respond well, Khanin immediately took off Charan's shirt.
Taut abdominal muscles were the first thing that caught the eye. In Charan's navel, there was a slight tremor as hairs stood up due to the sudden influx of cool air rushing against his skin.
Khanin hastily used a clean cloth to wipe the body of the older man because he felt embarrassed and wanted to quickly finish his task.
The two-layered eyes avoided each other and instead looked at the handsome face. Khanin tried to make Charan more comfortable by adjusting his blankets, but the person still shifted slightly probably because of the cold temperature.
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