The Next Prince, Chapter 34 pg4

 The Next Prince, Chapter 34 pg4

   “That's really fun.” 

   “And do you like it?” Do you like it, too? It's a question that lingers in my mind but I'm too afraid to ask. Charan lets Khanin take photos until he finishes, waiting patiently. Occasionally, he turns around to look at each other without any embarrassment, and he offers a smile. 

   “What do you like? Riding horses, maybe? Do you like it here too... I wouldn't have known that the palace has such beautiful places if you hadn't brought me here.” 

   “That's good then... So we can relax. Because we have to train harder from now on.” 

   “Let's go then, I'm not afraid anymore. Khanin, hold on.” 

   “From now on, we'll have to train together more often... Is that okay, Nin?” 

   “Okay, I won't be okay if I can't be with you all the time...” His voice trailed off as if he was hesitating. The gaze in his eyes, as he looked up, played with the trembling hearts of the observant ones. 

   Charan blinked at Khanin, with many answers bubbling up in his head, rotating relentlessly, wanting to find a way to express them, but time at the moment is too difficult to spare. 

   “Just stay with me all the time... I'll help Nin... I'll do everything I can.” 

   … 

   The Royal Palace was particularly hot because it was entering the rainy season. Clouds formed clusters, causing the outer sky to change into a hazy color. 

    

The outdoor atmosphere was not conducive to any activities, so Khanin stayed quietly inside the building. Charan didn't want him to go out and face the changed weather, for fear it would affect his health. 

   During this time, he had to train exceptionally hard. Although today there was no team practice, he still had to train one-on-one with Charan, as the heir to the Asthawa-Tin lineage. 

   Khanin had to maintain the appearance of the royal family, so that the outside world would see him as a naive chicken, but when it was time to reveal himself, he had to demonstrate his capabilities so as not to be a subject of ridicule by the public. 

   Intensive training in the morning ended after Charan assigned homework for Khanin to practice with a training dummy. Today, the young man trained hard, just as he had said, so intense as if he were fulfilling his childhood dream of riding horses. 

   A thin figure walked, dragging his feet along the corridor on the lower floor. The weakness and numbness in his legs made him reluctant to hurry. But even though he felt sore and tired, Khanin didn't think about showing any vulnerability to anyone. 

   Especially to those who followed closely behind, like Butler. During the occasional visits to this palace, the Young Prince was taught to become more aware of his feelings. He knew very well that if he mentioned the symptoms he was experiencing, Chakri would have to go through the trouble of taking him to the royal physician, causing other scheduled activities to be postponed. Everyone might have to suffer a bit because of him, and it would be seen as creating undue trouble. 

   “Just keep it to yourself.” 

   “Understood.” 

   A conversation from another corner of the hallway caught Khanin's attention, prompting him to raise his head and meet the gaze of someone he had become acquainted with about a month ago—someone who used to be part of the royal family. Their brown eyes instantly connected with his body. He turned his gaze away from the lady in a red dress carrying a tray of food and looked respectfully at the dignitary, following Emma's example. 

   Khanin's eyes shifted from the noble lady in a red dress holding a tray of food to the high-ranking individual. He then bowed his head in respect, mirroring Emmaly's demeanor. 

   “Hello, Uncle Waseen.” 

   The owner of the smiling face accepted the greeting and then moved closer to Khanin, firmly clasping his shoulder, inviting him to talk. 

   “How are you? Are you comfortable here? Are you getting used to palace life?” the uncle's gentle voice inquired. 

   Khanin paused slightly and replied, “I'm fine. I'm starting to get used to it.” 

   “That's good to hear, young man. We barely had a few encounters, but palace life has taught you how to respond and present yourself. Now you're skilled in reaching out to the elders.” the uncle praised subtly. 

   However, he couldn't hide his curiosity and desire to see more. His doublelayered glance veered towards the tray held by the noble lady once again before shifting to the nearest grand door, which led to the Sovereign King's private chamber. 

   The other party had probably brought ceremonial offerings... 

   “By the way, Meenakarin and I have specially prepared a bird's nest as an offering for you, ah... I mean, an offering for the Sovereign King. It seems like he's meditating. It's a fine bird's nest we obtained from the island. Have you ever tasted it, Khanin? If you have and like it, I will have someone warm it up for you, and we can all eat together and chat.” the uncle suggested. 

   “Thank you, Uncle Waseen, for your kind offer. However, I can't accept anything for now because I still have training scheduled.” Khanin fibbed politely. In reality, he didn't have any training to attend, but he declined softly just because he didn't like to consume bird's nest soup, which was Meenakarin's specialty. 

   “Oh, that's a shame then. I heard that everyone has completed their training sessions.” 

   “It's still possible, Uncle. Thank you for your kind consideration. But it's not necessary. I'm part of Charan's team, and he's as caring as his mother, probably able to assist me, whether a lot or a little…” remarked Khanin, with a thin smile tugging at the corners of his thick lips. Waseen gently looked at the person referred to as the grandson. “Just like Atsawathewathin is similar to the sun for Meenakarin. So, if there is anything, Uncle can always ask for assistance from me, as I'm in Khanin's team.” 

   “Thank you, Uncle, once again.” Khanin bowed his head in respect, before requesting permission to leave as the other party assured it was no problem. 

   It had been almost a minute since Waseen left, but Khanin still stood there, reflecting on what he had heard. 

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