CPG | Chapter 1

A boy followed a man walking briskly, like a shadow. His long black hair covered his eyes and neck, making him seem even more like a shadow, as if his face was hidden.

The chief attendant nodded in satisfaction at the silent presence following him.

“From today, you’ll be working at Sanges Castle.”

At the chief attendant’s words, the boy looked at the dense thicket ahead. The path they had taken was quite rough, and he forced his ragged breath to calm down.

“What should I do there?”

The boy’s voice came out so calm it was almost suppressed. The chief attendant replied as if it were no big deal.

“Just do what you’ve been doing.”

The boy lowered his gaze from the chief attendant. It meant he should act as if he saw nothing, heard nothing, and knew nothing, like a mute.

Rayyan remained still with his head bowed, and the chief attendant smiled faintly. From the start, he felt Rayyan met his standards and wasn’t disappointed. The chief attendant then shared what Rayyan needed to know.

“The 13th Prince, Prince Ternnis, is there.”

Even hearing the name, Rayyan asked no questions. Instead, the chief attendant added an explanation to inform Rayyan of what he would have to handle.

“He’s so weak he could die any day. You just need to take care of him until he does.”

“What happens to me after that?”

“I’ll give you the promised money. Of course, I’ll guarantee your life.”

A promise directly from the chief attendant was trustworthy. Rayyan nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly.

“Every morning, ingredients will be left here. It’s your job to cook with them, and there’s a well nearby for water. Even if he’s close to death, you know you mustn’t touch a royal body carelessly, right? Especially since he is…”

For the first time, the chief attendant paused. He seemed to reconsider continuing his explanation and fell silent.

“When the prince’s breath stops, come to me to collect your money.”

“Understood.”

The day Rayyan collects the money will be the prince’s death anniversary. As the explanation ended, Rayyan bowed deeply.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“If… what if His Highness the Prince doesn’t die and gets better?”

It was the first question Rayyan, who usually acted as if he didn’t exist, had asked, but the chief attendant’s response was negative.

“That probably won’t happen. But if we were to imagine…”

As the chief attendant’s words trailed off, Rayyan looked at him for the first time.

“He’d rise to a place you couldn’t even dream of reaching. After all, he’s the only legitimate child of the current Empress.”

With those words, no further conversation flowed between the chief attendant and Rayyan. Since instructing him to witness the prince’s death, the chief attendant’s gaze had been quietly somber. He gave Rayyan a final look, patted his shoulder, and retraced his steps.

Left alone, Rayyan lifted his head to see the exposed roof of the castle. His hair fell back, revealing a round forehead. Sixteen? Seventeen? He looked younger than expected, but his deeply sunken eyes made it hard to guess his thoughts.

“The abandoned prince…”

A prince who might die any day due to an incurable illness. Should he be grateful that the prince wasn’t sent outside the castle, or pity him for having to live out his days in solitude?

It wasn’t something Rayyan needed to consider. After gazing at the castle for a moment, Rayyan walked straight into its depths.

***

Rayyan wasn’t originally of common status. However, due to certain circumstances, he had to live in hiding for life.

Rayyan lacked the strength to face his family. So, avoiding their eyes, he eventually drifted into the Imperial Palace. It had been years since he fled from his family, but he felt they were persistently tracking his traces.

For Rayyan, who didn’t want to be caught by them, the prince was a timely opportunity. If he could seize the chance to serve the prince, he could evade their eyes and buy time to escape anywhere. Though the prince might die soon, Rayyan considered it the perfect place to hide temporarily and deliberately lingered in front of the chief attendant.

From the start, he knew the chief attendant was looking for someone to care for the prince. Rayyan was aware of the subtle rumors circulating within the palace. Naturally, no one wanted to serve a prince who was soon to die.

At that moment, Rayyan caught the chief attendant’s eye, and everything proceeded smoothly from there.

Rayyan picked up the basket of ingredients he saw on his way in and circled around the palace to see what was there. Besides the path to the well, there was nothing but overgrown weeds.

Still, the ground was flat, and if he cleared the weeds, he thought he might be able to make a small field just in case. The path to the castle wasn’t easy, and if the basket got washed away on a rainy day, it would be a big problem.

Having confirmed that the land wasn’t bad for farming, Rayyan finally turned his attention to the castle. Forcing open the rusty door that hadn’t been used in a long time, he stepped inside and looked around. The dim interior revealed only silhouettes in the sunlight streaming through the door.

The few pieces of furniture in the vast, empty interior were covered with white cloth, creating a gloomy atmosphere. Rayyan took a step forward, looking at the chandelier covered in dust and cobwebs at the high ceiling. His footsteps, which had been quiet until now, echoed for the first time. The castle seemed to be warily acknowledging the intruder in the empty space.

Rayyan’s footsteps, which echoed through the space, disappeared as if by magic when he reached the stairs. The carpeted stairs, though dusty, completely muffled his footsteps.

As Rayyan climbed the stairs, he thought more about the prince who must be somewhere in the castle than the castle itself. There were no signs of anything being touched, so where was the prince? Even Rayyan left traces as he walked. The dust was so thick that wherever Rayyan’s feet or hands touched, it left a mark.

His growing curiosity quickened Rayyan’s pace. Not running, but walking briskly, he climbed the stairs and turned towards a particularly dark and chilly area.

Rayyan couldn’t explain why he chose that direction. He just felt he should go where his instincts led him.

Creak, the old door opened with an unpleasant hinge sound. Rayyan set the basket down beside him and groped along the wall with his hand. When he felt something beyond the fabric, he pulled it aside.

As the curtain Rayyan had grabbed was pulled, a window was revealed, and bright sunlight poured into the dark room. Squinting his eyes, which had adjusted to the darkness, Rayyan waited for them to adapt to the light and turned around.

In a room he thought was empty, he sensed a faint movement. Taking a step closer to examine it, Rayyan stopped.

The moment he spotted a small figure curled up on the bed, Rayyan felt he shouldn’t approach. At that moment, the other person seemed to notice Rayyan and pulled down the blanket that had been covering them.

Twelve years old, maybe? The first thing Rayyan noticed was the pale face of a boy who looked younger than him. His lifeless lips and thin body screamed “patient.” His cracked lips opened, and a raspy voice came out.

“Who… are you?”

Just as Rayyan was observing him, the boy seemed curious about Rayyan. Seeing his eyes moving busily, Rayyan noticed something else about the boy. Despite being a bit dry, his golden hair and jewel-like eyes revealed he wasn’t an ordinary child.

Even covered by an old blanket, the noble atmosphere and brilliant eyes told Rayyan that this boy was the 13th Prince, Ternnis.

That was their first meeting.