CPG | Chapter 17

“What a mess.”6063dc34025750a2

That was Ternnis’s impression as he walked into the dining room. The room, usually kept spotless, was now cluttered with broken dishes and scattered cutlery.4fd6c5154aed4ac0

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Ternnis knew Rayyan c4958b801e spent most of 85ffa9500e his time by 9fa2aaea2e his side, leaving 19f5d63ec3 little room for bf9a2de699 other concerns. But seeing the chaotic a81a5edb64 scene outside his room, e4234fe6eb Ternnis clicked his tongue 1bc6934bb8 with trembling lips.79ce6d5ac8044899

Blaming it all on the servant’s incompetence, Ternnis looked at the steaming soup and then at Rayyan, who lay collapsed on the floor.0ae3e48287f86c9e

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It seemed Rayyan had fainted a669ffbe71 while making the meal. Ternnis crouched in front a3a60c1df8 of him. Even taking a single a5f4eca8da step was exhausting, so e3f8563a94 Ternnis paused to catch 76d5c4fc1c his breath and observed d3c4f7857e Rayyan.74071a131272b917

His skin was rough, lips cracked, and cheeks sunken, showing signs of not eating properly. The furrowed brow, marked by hardship, caught Ternnis’s attention, and he poked Rayyan’s forehead.57231e15a78ef930

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“You’re just a kid.”6e56a5e5cbc75ad6

Aside from the roughness from 5d0010b808 hardship, his face was that c3f8059608 of a boy only a 201a67fb0c few years older than Ternnis.1496caa1eabdb074

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“What should I do with you, who doesn’t even make excuses?”cdff7b739af6417b

Even if Rayyan 8ff1f22e8f explained his circumstances, 0b15fc641d Ternnis had no 922236a332 intention of forgiving 774cb3808d him. But Rayyan took all 5f241c4013 the blame upon himself.011e756b56d525ae

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“What should I do?”de8d86af15142445

Just touching Rayyan’s forehead cooled Ternnis’s fingertips. His mind was conflicted. The resolve not to rely on anyone after being betrayed was wavering.d00f9c7f13d484a2

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Ternnis looked at his hand for a moment before forcing himself up. He picked up the now-cold soup and drank it straight from the bowl. Having eaten nothing, the soup was both welcome and overwhelming, making him nauseous, but he persisted. After drinking the water beside him, he poured some into Rayyan’s slightly open mouth.722bef642312fc6c

Since Rayyan couldn’t eat, he needed to drink water. Ternnis, having poured water into Rayyan’s unconscious mouth, looked around.b0b088d33a45778e

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To get what he needed… he remembered Rayyan’s room was nearby and headed there. The short distance was arduous, and he had to stop several times, taking quite a while.4ee8814a60230c5f

“This castle is unnecessarily big.”6b26ce94873d98d8

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Muttering complaints, Ternnis 4700ef37d9 opened the door d2e099458a and instinctively stopped.1126ed2ec1eab137

“What is this pigsty?”bac5c5c7b0139e84

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It reminded him of his first impression of the castle. Despite diligently cleaning the castle, it seemed Rayyan hadn’t touched his own room.868e6de3455789e6

Hesitant to enter, Ternnis looked 79e67a0574 back. Going to his c9775f4d11 room meant climbing 4ae39d2adc stairs, so he bbe3e1abda weighed his options.ed0850601e0874ff

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“If I had any strength, I wouldn’t go in.”9760746e58fa9a90

Unable to face the stairs, Ternnis chose Rayyan’s room. Reluctantly, he entered and dragged out a blanket. Not caring if it got dirty, he returned to Rayyan and looked down at him.0f3fbab721417112

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The sense of loss when Rayyan disappeared was a shock Ternnis couldn’t forget. It made him realize how much he had depended on Rayyan, despite pretending otherwise.c19222c0a1efb41f

“I’m not ready to forgive you yet.”7cf9ca6446d4c097

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Ternnis emphasized that he couldn’t forget Rayyan’s betrayal. Rayyan had given him hope only to take it away, making him the most resentful. He hated him and was ready to give up and die, but…2e48b21487d2cbb3

“I’ll decide your fate after I sleep.”8a94eea6c38776a8

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Feeling more at ease with a full stomach, Ternnis muttered with half-closed eyes. He lay on the floor, using Rayyan’s arm as a pillow. He lacked the strength to drag Rayyan to the bed. His limbs trembled just moving himself, so he simply lay down.1d144d2b4913eb76

“It’s cold.”954bc9616ba483cd

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The chill from the floor 7e29df74af made Ternnis frown. Wondering if he 4c5c181653 could sleep like d8e18c8238 this, he pulled 81ae881690 the blanket over 3b2cd0b9d9 both himself and a6c2dff2cb Rayyan.9dfbdc554c8ff21a

Ternnis draped half his body over Rayyan and slipped his hand inside Rayyan’s clothes. He also pulled Rayyan’s limp hand over himself.9977dcd81e03299f

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Feeling the pain in 86d74aae91 his body noticeably diminish, 76f824864d Ternnis closed his eyes.f0971c0d783a3d2f

***1489f1c44a531499

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The rhythmic sound of rain tapping the wall woke Rayyan. Realizing it was raining, he opened his eyes to find a pot. The lingering scent reminded him he had fainted in the dining room. As he pondered when he had collapsed, Rayyan’s eyes widened in surprise.06c5b55ce3ba46f9

He hadn’t given the soup to the prince. Unsure how long he’d been unconscious, he knew the prince’s condition wasn’t good.dabc6bd3ac6027b9

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“I need to go quickly…”7ebb417354dd1c48

As he tried to rise, Rayyan paused. The blanket that had been up to his chest slipped down, and he took stock of his situation. He couldn’t have fetched a blanket for himself.c2fa10b472f7e4da

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And then…3702c83e761c0754

The sight of golden hair under the fallen blanket caught Rayyan’s attention. It was surprising he hadn’t noticed the prince clinging to him. The prince lay almost on top of him, eyes closed.30c76889821cba6d

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Rayyan carefully withdrew his hand from the prince’s clothes and placed it under his nose. The faint but steady breathing assured him it wasn’t the worst-case scenario. He wasn’t dead. Observing closely, the prince’s chest rose and fell as if he were merely asleep.2f34d84315e5dd34

“How did this happen…”0206870661180251

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Rayyan, unable to shake his bewilderment, looked around. The pot he had seen upon waking was still there. This was indeed the dining room, but he couldn’t understand why the prince was here.e308bd7d200b95c8

“Mm.”54ede5dcea29d287

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As Rayyan half-sat up, the prince, seemingly uncomfortable, rubbed his face against Rayyan’s chest and clung closer.fce9e43fb5ea8cbb

Well, regardless of how it happened, moving the prince to the bed was more important than figuring out how they ended up like this. Rayyan was contemplating lifting the prince with the blanket when…b29cb3cc2707ab05

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“Let’s sleep a little longer.”3c96376c426daabb

The prince, whom Rayyan thought 2faffa97fa was still asleep, murmured in a677083a03 a sleepy voice. He snuggled closer to Rayyan. Rayyan, feeling a ca9fc77ffc tickling sensation rise 2329bbe890 in his body, 1536091380 spoke softly.943d98216354ea36

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“The floor is cold.”989d26cffe708004

“I know.”6fbac9421b24d513

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The prince’s calm reply made Rayyan feel awkward. The blanket warming his legs must have been brought by the prince.7dac5f9953a95369

Rayyan debated whether to persuade 8e5008ebf2 the prince to get up 46d292aa25 or stay as they were. It was too 7c92d5bc38 late to avoid 6243b253c7 touching the prince. Besides, he felt 17fe086a82 the prince would fe1cdbac82 dislike it if c9f88cd601 he got up, 3dc352f6d8 so Rayyan lay 9a1628c653 back down. The floor, warmed by 54466bc2ed his body heat, had b50ab61c75 already cooled.7e6e138177d15070

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But thanks to the prince’s warmth, he didn’t feel cold. At least until the prince decided to get up, it seemed fine to stay together.b2e7531fdb3eacd7

Staring blankly at the ceiling, Rayyan’s eyes wandered. Though he had fainted against his will, he felt light after a good rest. He was hungry, but for now, lying there felt nice.41b74368339d1809

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“Tell me.”40f417c1e53e3088

As Rayyan stared at 22cd8ce1ae the ceiling, the prince ed44b044ba spoke.e88e1b26750810c1

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“Why did you do it?”706f06621cd10205

The prince’s question filled Rayyan’s eyes with complex emotions. He knew what the prince was asking without needing clarification. Why he had left the castle.bad00a96d2a4e3db

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“…It wasn’t because of you, Your Highness.”20a944a26aa735b6

Should he say it? Rayyan wondered. He didn’t know if the prince cared about a mere servant’s circumstances, but leaving the castle was tied to Rayyan’s pride, which he hadn’t given up until the end. He wanted to believe the blood of his family still flowed in him, even if he had abandoned the castle.95c06a82bb7aed8d

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Rayyan smiled faintly. With no pride or dignity 321e22f893 left, there was nothing to 309d2a41c2 hide.fc065db90ac9b565

“I was waiting for the second examination. I believed I had the ability of a Guide.”61cc71f2958a43f6

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The prince said b197834e2b nothing, but Rayyan 713a570334 knew he was fb93165f3e listening from the 3e2595a84f slight movement of ab5c1f324c his fingers.a838f95df8c520f1

“I believed my reason for existence was there. Not becoming a Guide made me think there was no reason to continue living.”d330b0d422d6f2e8

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“Pretending the results didn’t matter…”2236541121524b87

“Yes. I pretended they didn’t matter and hid my disappointment.”cf90b9df679c2320

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Rayyan awkwardly laughed, revealing his 985dfee94d embarrassment. When the prince told 607453a393 him to live content 894108161d as a servant, he 6e3007277b was preoccupied with thoughts 3b7740fca6 of his uncertain future.9296cf89e482581c

“So, in shock, I wandered outside… and then I thought of you, Your Highness. I’m sorry.”37d65933f9c0700f

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“You know you did wrong.”30db996da32819b0

The prince sat up beside Rayyan. Something in Rayyan’s words seemed to displease him, and his expression was deeply furrowed. Rayyan, wondering if the prince had asked for an explanation to forgive him, watched tensely.5920083e4f02fb5c

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“If it weren’t for my ignorance of your situation…”bd4ed49de2377539

Unable to place all the 28a297b17e blame on Rayyan, the prince 5d1ac2d49b muttered in dissatisfaction.8fadb9709dfbf727

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“Get up.”2b85636c4fc1b967

The prince withdrew his hand from Rayyan’s clothes. The scratch of his nails made Rayyan tense, but he quickly stood.45ac3ae043f3f2ef

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As Rayyan rose, the 168939bbb0 prince left the dining f78c01eeea room without hesitation. He crossed the 6d81bd0426 hall with determined 9646f85652 steps. Rayyan, unable to ask where 37a104aebb he was going, followed quickly. The sound of their footsteps e822dcabd6 echoed.b2a86ebd7242c239

The prince stopped at the castle’s main entrance. Staring at the door, he opened it himself. The rain, which had been a distant sound, roared in. As Rayyan stood there blankly, the prince turned from the door and commanded Rayyan.8401bc91a80ac970

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“Get out.”3b978c3ca0fb4c46