Chapter 288
Chapter 288
Kaichen thought he was abandoned despite Hamal’s words. That’s when Julius said something about his birth; he didn’t find it funny.
However, he understood when he heard Lydan’s words.
When someone left him in the middle of the desert, perhaps they had given him a choice: to live or wither away in the desert.
It was a cruel choice between life and death, but he had chosen life and survived.
Whether it was an oasis conjured by magic to protect him or someone created it for his protection, he didn’t know.
But in that moment, a time he couldn’t quite recall, he felt like he had chosen to live. He didn’t choose to be born, but somehow, he chose to live.
So, when Julius heard that he was a prince, the first person he sought out was Lydan.
He was grateful for the opportunity to choose his destiny. Thankful for the chance to repay a debt.
Kaichen couldn’t help but smile. Julius reclaimed his noble status in the empire to repay Lydan’s kindness to ensure children who were discarded like him didn’t meet miserable ends.
Julius wanted to give the people of the empire a chance to choose their destiny, just as he was given an opportunity.
So, when Julius spoke like that, he accepted the position of the crown prince with humility and gratitude, along with the responsibility of a foolish emperor. And the half-princess was not a person who gives chances to her people.
Kaichen quietly watched Julius’s life. He found observing his friend’s life okay, even when it got annoying.
Julius sometimes complained like a lost puppy, seeking help. He was overjoyed when he heard that Lydan had a baby at a late age. And he got furious when he learned that her husband got into a bar fight and threatened to harm him.
When Lenia was born, Kaichen saw Julius shed tears as he held the baby in his arms.
Kaichen stood by Julius’s side like it was his job to be close and watch his friend’s life. He became somewhat of a ‘friend’ and ‘family.’
Kaichen didn’t have parents, but he did have a family. Julius felt the same way. Even though the Emperor, his father, was alive and well, Julius felt he had no parents. His half-sister, the princess, who always lived in fear, didn’t also quite fit into Julius’s family.
Only very special and dear people could enter that inner circle. Lydan and Renia held significant places in Julius’s ‘family.’
Kaichen didn’t fully understand these feelings but knew they were Julius’ main support.
So when he saw Turbeau wrapped in time magic, he couldn’t help but mutter a curse. It wasn’t a mere coincidence that it was the third location where time magic had manifested.
He hoped that the child wasn’t the conduit. But no matter how many times he wished, his ominous premonition came true…
“Ah… No.”
Julius’ voice trembled in a way different from usual. He recalled Dalia’s words that Julius led people with a cheerful, strong, and resolute voice. But the strength he had always possessed, which he thought would never waver, had now crumbled completely.
“Please… Say it’s not true.”
“…”
“Please… Kaichen, please…”
Kaichen wished he could respond as he desired. Julius’ world was falling apart, the solid ground beneath him was shattering.
Exchetra knew. She knew what mattered most to Julius. It wasn’t the people who offered him endless love and support, not even Kaichen, who supported him unconditionally.
Even if he lost his people, even if he lost himself, Julius’s determination wouldn’t break.
The ones who had always kept Julius strong since he was very young were his mother and the little sister who had given him the gift of life, even though they weren’t connected by blood.
The death of Lamia Sorel was merely a convenient event to divert Julius’s attention. The Marquis’ beloved and only daughter had passed away after becoming entangled with Yanghwa, a highly significant guest to Julius. Dalia Alshine was implicated as the suspect in the incident.
The incident briefly shifted the focus of the two men.
The grim reality and unwelcome truth weighed heavily on Julius, urging him to sit down and not get up again.
He gazed at the step he was sure someone had stood on just a little while ago. With a book in hand, Kaichen closed his eyes, feeling the chilling wind.
Exchetra knew them incredibly well. She knew how to break Julius. In the most terrible way, she brought Julius to his knees.
“Ah… Ugh…”
Clutching his chest and banging his forehead on the ground, Julius couldn’t even shed tears properly.
He was defeated by Exchetra once again.
—
The tragic story of Turbeau could be fully understood through the withered diary left on the step.
The medium was Renia. After Turbeau was enveloped in time magic, time passed by rapidly. She watched in a daze as time raced past, and everything except herself became a blur.
At first, she sensed something was amiss when she witnessed this phenomenon but felt powerless to intervene.
Even though she remained in the same place, people moved quickly, turning everything into a blur. Clouds streaked across the sky as if fleeing.
They acted as if she didn’t exist. All she could do was sob uncontrollably, trying to absorb the surreal scene.