The Next Prince, Chapter 21 pg1
The Next Prince, Chapter 21 pg1
Chapter 21: The Heir Apparent Person.
“Atsawathewathin will also participate in the competition... Bring Khanin in.”
The sound of authority faded away as the humble figure slowly opened the door, allowing the gentle sunlight to caress their smooth skin. The individuals who had been waiting eagerly inside the conference room tuned their gaze towards the person entering, their eyes fixed in anticipation.
The introduction of the significant successor put everyone once again in a state of suspense. Only Rachata continued to smirk, his expression mocking. However, Dhipabawon looked past him, focusing on the most important matter he needed to address.
“Those who have been summoned here today. In addition to announcing the competition, we also need to introduce someone important. This young man is our only grandson... the next successor who will oversee
Atsawathewathin, following Tarin.”
All eyes were fixed on Khanin... a face resembling an egg. His double-layered eyes, hidden behind a similar nose to Tarin, were a distinctive trait of someone with Atsawathewathin bloodline.
Just by looking at his face, it could be affirmed that this person had a clear resemblance to Tarin... a resemblance that was hard to deny. It was difficult to find someone who bore such a striking resemblance to a person in the Atsawathewathin family.
Khanin straightened his posture and placed his hands on his chest before bowing respectfully, following the teachings of Chakri. Within the young man's mind, there was a mixture of determination and worry. However, once he realized his decision, the slim figure straightened once again.
He had made up his mind to participate in the race. So the only thing he could do now was move forward. The young man composed a greeting in his mind. First, Khanin considered speaking, but then he chose to pause, observing the reactions of the royal relatives, assessing what he would encounter.
“How can we be sure... that this person is the true Young Prince? Everyone in Emmaly knows that the successor of Atsawathewathin had an accident and passed away before reaching adolescence. How can we be certain about anyone's true identity?”
The truth was not distorted from what was expected. Khanin hadn't had a chance to greet or say anything yet. As the muffled voice of the middle-aged man sitting on the left rose, the person in the classic suit with a snake-shaped brooch showed an unmistakable hostile aura.
“We already know that you would be the one who would ask...” Dhipabawon intentionally addressed Rachata as the main character, and a faint smile appeared on the lips of the elderly man before signaling to the royal officer. One person walked around distributing documents in front of each member of the royal family until they were all complete.
“...”
Silence engulfed the conference room once again, with no conversations taking place. Both sides were focused on reading the received documents, especially Rachata, who seemed to be reading every letter and ink stroke meticulously.
“This is the document confirming, whether it be DNA testing, previous residential history, or even photographs from childhood to adulthood, we have gathered everything to prove that this young man is the same person as the one involved in the events over twenty years ago.”
Then Rachata raised the corners of his mouth with a smile, but Khanin looked out, realizing that it didn't reach his eyes.
“And how can we be sure about this, Your Majesty? That evidence may have been tampered with, this child could be deceiving us... Deceiving even you, Your Majesty.” Mr-Rachata raised the corner of his mouth with a smile, but Khanin looked out, seeing that it did not reach his eyes.
The leader of the Puchongpisut family kept the flame of anger in his chest, partly because he wanted to see Tarin's reaction... The man remained silent, not speaking a word, uncomfortably quiet.
As for Waseen, he kept his head lowered, not exercising his right to speak as the ruler of Meenakarin, he was like a man who never had a voice, but only engaged in fish farming and supplying seafood to the city, acting as a watchdog for the Atsawathewathins.
Rachata scanned the highest monarch of the country with his eyes burning with anger. He despised the Atsawathewathin family because the family position made everyone bow under its authority and this family had produced successive Sovereign-Kings twice and still wasn't satisfied. Now this family was playing hide and seek with countless unknown tricks looking for a third term.
Despite knowing all along that they had a royal heir, they never opened his mouth, letting other families play the fool. It was only when they realized that there was an important rival to watch out for that he was about to step onto the battlefield.
If looked at from a darker perspective, perhaps Tarin himself did not want to miss the opportunity to become the Sovereign-King, and even collaborated with Dhipabawon to create a new character, disguising this new character as his own son and undermining the legitimacy of other royal lineages... so that Atsawathewathin would not be disqualified from the competition. Rachata couldn't easily believe all the evidence presented before his eyes.
“You can prove that better than anyone else, Rachata. If you're still unsure, I can have Khanin verify his lineage with the hospital affiliated with the Puchongpisut family, so there won't be any doubts about this test result, giving your people another reassurance…”
“...”
“You have to accept the truth.” Dhipabawon's words called for everyone's attention to focus on the highest priority.
Rachata frowned, while Thawetmetha remained still, listening intently to gather every detail.
“...”
“It may be difficult to admit that this child has deceived us. Initially, this child knew almost nothing. He only recently discovered who he really is, just like Tarin.”
“...”
“He never knew about Khanin's existence. It was me who kept everything hidden for twenty years... Because I wanted to protect him from the dangers and evils that could occur, hoping that you all would understand.” The soft voice at the end of the sentence caused uneasiness among everyone in the conference room, including Khanin, who was being talked about.
The young boy in a formal navy suit, with a golden horse-shaped brooch adorning his tie, discreetly observed the postures of each party. His eyes, hidden behind two layers, inadvertently glanced at the person whom the Sovereign King called Rachata, revealing a venomous gaze before quickly diverting his gaze.
The tension in the air made Khanin feel more uneasy than he could have anticipated, encountering the face of someone he could consider a potential adversary for the first time.
The glances of the two boys, who seemed to belong to the same generation, met without trust. Although they did not speak directly, the young boy's mind could anticipate a near future, filled with growing turmoil. It hung in the air like a gathering storm.
Perhaps his decision to compete was not as straightforward as Khanin had previously thought. It was not just a sword-fighting competition as he had understood before... It was an internal affair of this country, tied to governance and authority.
The more he saw with his own eyes, the more he understood what his father had taught him all along, while he was still alive... Every day, his father would present him with quizzes to search for answers. And one, in particular, stood out as a question that his father showed special concern for, which is...
“Do you see... who are friends and who are foes?”
If his father were still here, in this situation, Khanin would have only one answer to comfort Tanattai.
For him, there are no friends here... no political factions, no one he can trust.
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