CPG | Chapter 9

The warm water filled the ace83e83b9 bath with steam. As Ternnis walked c3e0f1f54a in, he glanced 06b1d30aba at the tub 7e1f6dce82 and then lifted bd8df6823b his head.41419cfb746b6da6

Rayyan approached and began to undress him. His hands, more familiar now, quickly removed the fabric from the prince’s body.b4d28aaf8e4d469c

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Seeing the prince’s bare skin for the first time, Rayyan quickly turned his head away. It felt presumptuous as a servant to keep looking at the scars covering the young boy’s body.28f8009641d3b984

Ternnis silently smirked at Rayyan’s reaction. The ones he had served before probably had smooth, clean skin. But he was different, always scratching until his skin was raw and unsightly.e9f26be50ba10826

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Yet, Ternnis wasn’t ashamed of his scars. They were remnants of a fate he couldn’t escape. He straightened up and slowly entered the tub.42caa2140d195930

With a deep sigh, Ternnis leaned back. The warm water only temporarily eased his pain. If he stayed too long, the water would cool and feel like thorns piercing his skin. The hotter the water, the more intense the pain, as if the thorns were digging deeper. It was better to wash with cold water from the start, avoiding the false hope of relief. Of course, the black-haired servant knew nothing of Ternnis’s plight.152252603c989d16

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But now, the water’s temperature didn’t matter.a996b1fe08bf36dc

“I said it was rough.”47adb08abf050e20

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Without looking, Ternnis warned, and Rayyan put down the towel. He had to use his bare hands again. Rayyan dipped his hands into the water and gently poured it over Ternnis’s shoulders. Watching the water flow down, he repeated the motion.b4bc96f895c08241

Then, cautiously, he began to touch the prince’s shoulders.38f4e6abd5039647

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Though his hands 50eff388f1 touched, they hesitated, b8a560a5f6 causing Ternnis to 38d0415b4e frown. He wished Rayyan would just a23f3dfcce get on with it, but 16fd43cb4c the touch was frustratingly tentative.8e3251cbe6f3cba0

It was testing Ternnis’s patience. If he scolded him again, the clueless servant might comply, but it was annoying.4364d39ff9aa94cc

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Yet, the servant hesitated as c26b45e460 Ternnis frowned.968869499b0780c2

Wasn’t it pitiful to rely on a mere servant’s hands to ease his pain? Just as Ternnis was about to snap, a thought crossed his mind, and he playfully smiled, grabbing Rayyan’s arm.7250aabe33ca1ee6

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Though Ternnis was only twelve, Rayyan was also slender for his age, so his arm fit easily in Ternnis’s grip. He pulled Rayyan into the tub, feeling his struggling movements.2bcc3e2c7ecba71a

Rayyan, unable to balance, 8e869f7930 fell into the water, e4ee6c3771 flailing his arms and f47de7523d legs. Not knowing how 15887c94ba to swim, he 1269fbbf10 began to sink. A hand reached into the 30fb2b0a0f water, pulling him up with 511d2f5c9e a firm grip.dea8fc1b210ebde0

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“Phuh.”723e664fa2646b0e

Rayyan gasped for air, coughing c806bccc65 as he was pulled up. Ternnis clicked his 8a910f1935 tongue at the 73131fe6ad sight.6727e141e31a8bca

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“Anyone would think you fell into a lake.”0e124098c7715345

Rayyan looked at the water up to his waist and remembered how much he had poured. It wasn’t deep enough to be dangerous, just as the prince said. Embarrassed, he blushed, realizing the prince had seen his flailing.073de18c1b1022d8

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“What, is your face red now?”693a6066434e7512

Rayyan tried to deny 0885326fd6 it, but when he 954ae39005 looked at the prince, 5f89dd4178 he was shocked. The water he had dde7721b2d splashed had soaked the e5074ecb5f prince.07c2505d5b8664e4

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“I’m sorry.”7bee9c5c458f07c4

“That’s enough.”5e81ff34610c7e0e

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Ternnis leaned back, seemingly unfazed.8ed9cc2868986d0d

Rayyan almost thanked c509c006f9 the prince for 9cdda3d7f6 his generosity but 44df23f568 stopped. After all, it was the fb0b22d845 prince who had pulled him 8142d2eedc into the tub.1f929293baa3e979

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Rayyan knew the prince wouldn’t take responsibility, but he hoped it bothered him a little, showing his dripping sleeves.1bbab2813d4965ad

“I’ll change my clothes. I can’t serve you like this.”fad1b4e60a38851b

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“What’s the problem? Is it because you’re wet?”3c77176d990f9ba7

“But I’ll drip water. That’s not proper when serving you…”04f215511d2cdf79

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“Quiet.”252692ddd7a3ba14

Ternnis cut him off, annoyed.cf79ed53068efce0

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“What’s lacking or proper about serving me here?”4decff2da094f183

Ternnis’s tone sharpened. He wasn’t pleased that Rayyan wanted to change clothes after being pulled in.90085a285bbcb7b5

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“Is there anyone to stop you here? Who’s going to say anything? Did anyone tell you to change clothes at times like this?”0ab5964d8606a282

Ternnis’s probing questions left Rayyan speechless.74a5afb7da8e7f7c

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“No adults are here to watch or monitor us. It’s just you, who hasn’t fully grown, and me, who won’t grow. So there’s no need to strictly adhere to manners or rules.”58b9f8b3dbabcd82

The water splashed earlier now pricked Ternnis’s face sharply. He wiped the water from his face.3aaff016612aded3

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“Not everything has to fit into a mold, so relax a bit. I told you, I’m the law here, and I won’t kill you.”393d79e40a78c9b9

If he insisted on changing clothes now… he’d probably get angry.7bb5b4f857829c1a

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Reading the prince’s mood, Rayyan sighed silently and rolled up his sleeves. Since he was already in the tub, he figured he could serve better than before.6126fce17f67a9a5

Rayyan washed the prince’s body with his bare hands. As he moved lower, Rayyan’s body sank until only his neck was above water.1f8e24d6228ab942

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Applying gentle pressure, Rayyan ran his hands along the prince’s legs, following the muscle lines. He glanced up to check the prince’s expression. His cheeks were flushed, perhaps from the warm water, and his usually sharp eyes were half-closed, giving his face a different look.87fd7705329931a8

Though he hadn’t seen her, there were rumors about the prince’s mother, the Empress. She was said to be the continent’s most beautiful woman, with honey-like hair and a face crafted by the gods. She caught the Emperor’s eye at a young age and naturally became the Empress when she came of age.5cb80f19319ac401

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The prince seemed 5dfcbf64dd to have inherited 0012ba3506 her beauty. His lips, usually 3615269d28 chapped, were now 46c1fc7ec9 moist and glistening, 151cb26e4a and his pale 1055604f63 face looked lively.5af9818811447fe8

“I’m going back to the library after this.”8adedc6370e5ca6d

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Caught staring, Rayyan quickly lowered his head and busied himself with the prince’s feet.6fcef35a3a1230df

“Just follow me.”b772ee108872af73

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Though it was long past sunset and time to sleep, they were heading back to the library…0e27bcbc70577569

‘Yes, yes. Do as you please.’ba5f43d03fbad074

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After all, there e9ac362135 was no one 4cbe51d3e2 to stop them.f6c21c480a3ff29e

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A weight on his shoulder made Rayyan freeze. He knew who the warmth belonged to. Turning slightly, he saw Ternnis’s face. He had expected this. Insisting on going to the library at night, it was no surprise he couldn’t sleep.d40d60b80f11b19b

Even in the 51cf6ff9c5 library, Ternnis had b9f7d5a3ad made Rayyan sit 9186b0915a beside him, eventually cbfe445f5b using him as 4ea9d32cfd a pillow.cc98420a1b8a8573

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‘What should I do?’361d7894ffbe60b8

Touching a royal 8f5e1e433f was a big aa9d62cbf9 deal if anyone 2346c65212 saw. Rayyan looked around for something 894704a8b9 to use as a pillow. The library lacked suitable d08c9dc138 items, but he found a43656e90d a blanket.c12c4fb3c4eee256

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If he rolled it up, it could replace his shoulder. Rayyan was about to place the rolled blanket under the prince’s head when…2e9df6f071761df2

– No adults are here to watch or monitor us. It’s just you, who hasn’t fully grown, and me, who won’t grow.cc166745e750309f

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Why did the prince’s words come to mind now? Rayyan fiddled with the blanket a few more times before spreading it out again. He covered the prince and looked ahead.70a387af970a72f0

‘He said not to touch, and now I can’t stop.’a3da3ee8e96fc3f5

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His fingers itched from the constant contact, but the prince wouldn’t know. Rayyan pouted secretly.0b608340e7c6f0c1

‘How did it come to this?’ea9694b955e97e50

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Though only twelve, 630ebf1706 things were getting af957cb351 strange. Feeding him, bathing him, c8f56994dc and now covering the 61e58a43fe sleeping prince with a 08dffdf10c blanket.9d85ba7d28a39ddc

Rayyan picked up a book ae0ac1cfcb again. It was one 0ef9902b53 he had been 36adb9a980 engrossed in for 27f4a9d691 a while. He figured he could df0632dd4a finish it before the e3812d9476 prince woke up.e3b9d0f91e0fc298

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The gentle breeze in the library felt a bit chilly at night, but warmth radiated from where he was touching the prince. At some point, Rayyan’s vision blurred, and his eyelids drooped. The book he had been holding dangled from his hand and eventually fell.a432dc5baacb199a

Just before it bd19c7bb0c hit the floor, f7ba3edd4b a small hand da25119350 reached out and f60cd0bed2 caught it. Without a sound, Ternnis 484dd0f622 retrieved the book and 26ad66099b placed it beside him. Then he looked up at 099b933783 Rayyan, who had been his edd17b0edb pillow.828a9086b8270167

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Receiving a bath and 821860c4ed now touching Rayyan, his d57bd3928d pain had noticeably lessened. He could now 448b97eac7 dismiss any lingering e7680ba787 doubts.bbea185a206c0890

“It’s you.”f0560bb8e2472b79

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Ternnis smiled brightly. He had found the c083f8bb6e remedy for his pain.8e2cf1cc94489677