Chapter 115: Mini-Ezra.

’Now what are they going to talk about?’ Kaelis thought as he watched Ezra step out of his tent from a distance and head off somewhere with Ricardo.

Kaelis didn’t really care about where Ezra was headed, at least not at this moment. He had spent half an hour watching the tent, debating what action to take next.

His mind raced, torn between waiting and seizing the opportunity now that Ezra was gone.

As soon as Ezra left, Kaelis acted without thinking—driven by his urgent need to resolve his curiosity and plans regarding Lior and Ezra.

With a neutral expression, he walked toward Ezra’s tent. As he got closer, he heard a child’s voice.

“Are they gonna take long? I wanna play,” the child, Lior, said curiously.

“He’s not going to take long. He’s talking to that sad man because he just lost his kids,” a man, Fizzy, replied.

“He… lost his kids? That’s sad…” Lior said quietly. “Am I… is there a chance I get taken too?”

“Pfft. Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know… sometimes I dream about getting taken.”

“That’s called a nightmare.”

“I know.”

Kaelis couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

“Uh oh. There’s someone there,” Kaelis heard Lior say.

’Smart kid,’ Kaelis thought as he stepped up to the entrance of the tent. “Hello there.”

Fizzy’s eyes widened. “Y-Your… Your Highness!” he exclaimed as he bowed. Lior’s eyes widened too, staring at Kaelis in shock, but he quickly jumped off the bed and bowed as well.

“Uhm. Captain Ezra was called by that Ricardo fella. He’ll be back soon, uhm… he told me not to let anyone in here, so I think you should—” Fizzy stuttered, clearly nervous.

“Look, Fizzy… right?”

’Shaking like a leaf. Why is he so nervous?’ Kaelis thought, tilting his head slightly.

“Y-Yes, Your Highness.”

“I want to talk to Ezra and the little kid. If I’m going to be suspended, I might as well get to know the famous child everyone keeps talking about.” The excuse was weak, and Kaelis knew it, but he was a prince.

Who was going to question him?

“But, Captain Ezra—”

Kaelis leaned in, fixing Fizzy with a steely look. “You get the situation, right? Get us some food. Ezra hasn’t eaten. They’re cooking meat. Make it quick.”

Fizzy looked up at him. “B-But—”

“Get me food,” Kaelis said, letting go of any pretense, especially with someone who served Helios.

Fizzy flinched. “Right… yes, I’m sorry, Your Highness. I’ll get you food now.” He glanced at Lior, who had been silently watching. “I’ll be right back, Lior.”

Lior didn’t answer.

Fizzy bowed again and hurried out, leaving without another word.

Kaelis let out a quiet snicker. ’Works every time,’ he thought.

Then he heard a small huff.

Kaelis turned his head and looked down at the child, who was glaring up at him.

“What?” he asked.

“You’re mean,” Lior said, crossing his arms.

“No, I’m not.”

“You were mean to Fizzy.”

“I’m simply exercising my right as a prince. You know princes are just below a king,” Kaelis said, crossing his arms as well. “So the common people need to follow.”

“Just below means… still not king,” Lior replied.

Kaelis’ eyes widened slightly as he grinned.

“Cheeky.”

“I don’t know that word.”

“It means you’re being amusingly rude. Not far from how I was,” Kaelis said.

“Okay, but I’m four. Ma–Master said I still have a lot to learn,” Lior shot back. “You’re fifty hundred years old.”

“Fifty hundred? Do I really look that old to you?”

“Yes,” Lior said quickly, without any hesitation.

Kaelis’ grin widened. ’He really is like a mini Ezra. How can no one else notice? Aside from the eyes, he looks exactly like Ezra did when he was younger.’

And he acts like Ezra, too.

“You’re creepy,” Lior said as he went back to his small bed and sat on it.

“What?” Kaelis was taken aback.

“You’re smiling at me like creepy,” Lior said with a huff.

“You’re really going at me, aren’t you? Didn’t Ezra teach you to respect princes?” Kaelis asked, more amused than offended.

“I was taught… but you not a prince. You have long hair, you’re a princess.”

“So if you think I’m a princess, you’re automatically not going to respect me? That’s low,” Kaelis teased.

Lior shook his head. “It means you are a liar. An impo… imposer!”

“You mean, imposter?”

“That’s what I said.”

Kaelis chuckled. “Alright, sure. Now, as much as I enjoy all your cheekiness, I came here to ask you questions.”

“No,” Lior said, shaking his head.

“You don’t even know my questions yet. They might be fun questions.”

“What your name?” Lior asked, tilting his head.

“My name?”

“Before you ask me questions, you have to tell me your name. You are Heeyos’ brother?”

’Of course he knows Helios,’ Kaelis thought as he nodded. “Yes, I am Helios’ brother. My name is Kaelis.”

“Kakay?”

“Sure,” Kaelis said. ’Is he saying my name on purpose?’ he thought, even more amused. “You can call me Kakay.”

“Why you allowing me?” Lior asked.

“What?” Kaelis blinked.

“I didn’t ask you to allow me. I will do it even if you don’t allow me,” Lior said, turning away.

Kaelis laughed again. He hadn’t laughed like this in a while. Usually, it was because Ezra was being hostile toward him.

Now it was because of Ezra’s alleged son.

“Now that you know my name, can I ask you my questions?” Kaelis asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lior looked at him and squinted, thinking hard. He took his time.

’Hm?’ Kaelis thought. ’Is he going to make this difficult?’

Surprisingly, Lior took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay? That’s surprising,” Kaelis said.

“Children are always full of surprises,” Lior replied, as if repeating something he had heard before.

“Indeed, they are,” Kaelis said. “Can I ask my question now?”

“You can.”

Kaelis chuckled. “How old are you?”

“I told you I’m four.”

“Right, my apologies. You did say that,” Kaelis said with a light, exaggerated tone. “When is your birthday?”

“Octopus twenty-one.”

“Octopus? You mean Octobe—”

“That’s what I said!” Lior exclaimed.

“Right.”

October twenty-one.

That meant he was born eight months after Ezra left for his so-called vacation.

And would have been conceived around… the same month as the ball.

The same ball that Ezra had disappeared from. Kaelis remembered the gossip, nobles whispering that Ezra didn’t respect the king enough to stay for the event held in his honor.

Kaelis couldn’t remember much from that night because of how much Alyce had pushed everyone to drink. Even Helios and Aurien had been drunk.

Almost everyone had.

’Could it be that Ezra left to sleep with someone? Did he have a secret lover?’ Kaelis thought.

The possibilities were endless, but Kaelis needed to keep confirming.

Because why was Ezra denying that Lior was his child? He didn’t have to admit he was the one who gave birth if his concern was hiding the fact that he was an omega.

At first, Kaelis had assumed Ezra might have gotten some unfortunate woman pregnant, before he realized Ezra was an omega.

There was also the possibility that it had something to do with the father’s identity, but he couldn’t be sure.

’All I need to do now is outsmart this kid, which shouldn’t be hard,’ Kaelis thought. Though he knew what he was about to do was a little mean.

“Tell me about your dad. Was he a good dad?” Kaelis asked.

Lior froze.

“My… papa?”

“Yes, your papa. What’s his name?”

“I—” Lior looked down. “I don’t know his name.”

“You don’t? Why?”

“Because… because…” Lior’s brows furrowed. “Because I don’t need a papa. I only need my Maman. That’s all.”

Kaelis pressed, “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes!”

“But aren’t both your parents dead?”

Silence.

It wasn’t just quiet. It was the kind of silence that made the air feel heavy.

Kaelis watched Lior, who still refused to look up, so he continued.

“I remember Ezra saying your parents died when you were two. Both of them. You don’t seem to know your papa… but you talk about your maman as if they’re still alive.”

“Uhm.”

“What are you doing here?”

Ezra’s voice came from behind him.

The shock was clear in it.

“…Prince Kaelis?”

Kaelis glanced at Lior and smiled. Lior looked up at him, fear in his eyes, as if he was worried Kaelis would say something he shouldn’t.

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