Chapter 149 - Eulogy of the Prince 24

"Okay, you are done for today!" Irion said.

I dropped the great sword, my body ached all over, sometimes I could feel my arm or my leg tremble uncontrollably, probably because of too much strain. Irion was kind enough to give me a calming oil to relax my muscles, but it was still too much even if I smeared my body with it.

"Well, I admit that you are probably the first person to survive this training without quitting or fainting at all," Irion complimented, "Most of them were too weak for this training."

Irion's training was dangerous, it was a full day of sword training with a great sword for hours, 1v1 fight with him sometimes he hit me hard until I couldn't feel my body at all, also added strength training without a break.

"T—Then, can I meet Young Lord now?" I asked. My feet wobbled and I fell to the ground.   

"Take a bath first, you wouldn't want Young Lord to meet you like this," Irion said.

I nodded and walked to the bathroom. Then I took a warm bath to relax my muscles. The palace was kind enough to provide a warm bath in a public bathroom like this. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to relax all of my aching muscles, I imagined something pleasant in order to relieve the stress.

'Me with Young Lord, we are in a carnival. I follow him around and he sees a cotton candy stall and buys one. He eats some, and then offers it to me, with a sweet voice, he says, Darling, eat it with me.'

"Eheheheheh…"

I giggled embarrassingly while imagining some cheesy scene between me and Young Lord. This was the only way to entertain myself, because if I continued the crazy training without imagining the face of Young Lord, I don't think I would survive long.

'It seems Young Lord really brings strength to me…'

I could vividly imagine the face of my master, the smile pertaining on his face, the cold yet seductive eyes of him, the golden shining hair of his. He was perfect, always perfect in my eyes.

Magically, somehow my strength returned and I would be ready for the next day.

"Well, it's time to meet him again," I finished my bath, dressed up and went to the kitchen.

The palace kitchen already prepared Young Lord's food everyday based on the request of both King Gamasiel and Prince Gaum. I was worried that Young Lord might be coveted by either King Gamasiel or Prince Gaum, because the rumor said that they fought over a man.

'And that man must be Young Lord, no doubt.'

However, as long as Young Lord said that they were mutual, then I need not worry at all. I trusted him that much.

I took the food tray and walked to Young Lord's room. I was used to opening the door without knocking nowadays, because Young Lord would often fall asleep early or worked really hard.

My left hand was holding the tray and my right hand opened the door.

CLICK.

"Young Lord, I'm here with your dinne��"

When I raised my head, I saw an unimaginable scene of King Gamasiel seizing Young Lord and Young Lord actually cried, the stream of tears were flowing freely and he looked terrified.

CLANK!

The food tray dropped, my mind went instantly blank, but there was a burst of terrifying anger in my head.

"DON'T TOUCH MY LORD!"

I charged forward and elbowed King Gamasiel's c.h.e.s.t until he fell to the side.

"Argh! You!" King Gamasiel looked angry, he recovered from the ground and threw a punch to my face. I restrained his punch with my palm, then twisted his hand.

King Gamasiel pulled his hand and stepped back, he looked at me dangerously, "Intruder! You shall pay for your crime!"

King Gamasiel fixed his stance and unsheathed the sword hanging on his waist. My focus instantly directed towards Young Lord. He was still panic stricken, he didn't react at all, only cried and sometimes sobbed.

I glared at Gamasiel who was ready to kill me anytime. The anger in my heart didn't subside, in fact, it blazed even more. "Wait," I said in a low voice.

I carried Young Lord and put him on the chair. I wrapped his feet with a second blanket so he wouldn't get cold. I joined Young Lord's hands together and rubbed it gently before saying, "I will protect you, Young Lord."

I kissed his hand and turned my back towards King Gamasiel again. Gamasiel didn't seem to know who I was. Thus, he asked, "Who are you? How dare you kissed Aster's hands just now!"

"I am his servant," I said short.

"A servant?! A servant dared to challenge a king?!" Gamasiel was dumbfounded, then he laughed mockingly, "I thought I was facing an enemy from a neighbouring kingdom that wanted to take Aster for themselves, but turns out, it's just a servant acted mindlessly!"

"I don't need a status as long as I can protect him," I said.

Gamasiel chuckled, "A servant talking big like he is something else! Fine then, let's see how long you will survive!"

Gamasiel took an offensive stance and charged with his sword towards me. I was ready for a fight of life and death, but turned out, this man, while skilled, his skill didn't match Crown Prince Charles at all. All his movement and strength were predictable, thus, I dodged it easily and swung my leg to his stomach.

"Urk!" Gamasiel winced when my shin hit his stomach. He wobbled backwards and used his sword as a support. Gamasiel glared at me and charged again, but this time, he sidestepped me and about to thrust the sword to my side abdomen.

'Too slow, he is too slow,' I've noticed that Gamasiel's movement was too slow, at least compared to Irion. I easily dodged it by twisting my body and grabbed his wrist, I clenched it tightly until Gamasiel g.r.o.a.n.e.d in pain and dropped his sword.

CRACK!

There was a sound of his wrist being dislocated. Gamasiel was in tremendous pain, but he refused to beg to a servant, and because there was Aster here. He didn't want Aster to see him begging for his life.

Ramuja grabbed Gamasiel's neck and clenched it slightly, he asked, "Why did you make Young Lord cry?"

Gamasiel had trouble breathing, and no matter how much he struggled, Ramuja didn't budge at all. It felt like he was fighting a furious bear, "I—uhk! I don't know!"

I glanced at Young Lord who was still blank faced, my grip on Gamasiel's neck got tighter, "One tear of his equals a drop of your blood, King Gamasiel, I may be a servant, but I will not hesitate to kill you."

Gamasiel couldn't breathe at all, it felt like his life was on his throat now. One more second and he would die, "I—I don't… know…"

Realizing that I put too much pressure on Gamasiel's neck. I immediately loosened the grip, not because I was afraid that I would be executed after killing him. But I didn't want Young Lord to see me killing someone in front of him.

Gamasiel struggled and called for help, "A—Aster… help… me…"

My blood boiled when I heard Gamasiel begged for his life to Young Lord that cried because of him.

"Rargh!" I flung Gamasiel to the wall and his body hit the wall hard until he fainted. After seeing Gamasiel either fainted or dead, my attention shifted towards Young Lord. He was still trembling, I immediately kneeled in front of him and held his hand.

"Young Lord, look at me," I said.

Slowly, Young Lord's eyes moved and he stared at me. There was a trace of deep pain in his eyes, like a trauma. I knew it because I had the same eyes before, when I was traumatized by my old masters. I called him again, "Young Lord, you are safe now. I'm here to save you..."

One second, two seconds, three seconds and Young Lord's eyes turned golden immediately and he threw his body to my arms.

"Ramuja!" Young Lord said, "Ramuja, where were you? I'm scared, I'm so scared…"

I was startled, but I immediately comforted him and said, "Young Lord, I'm always here."

Young Lord sobbed and his tears started flowing again, "You are not! I—I was so scared, I thought my life would be ruined! Ramuja, you are too late, too late!"

Young Lord tightened his hug to my body, his body trembled uncontrollably, "Young Lord, I will never leave you…"

"But you did leave me!" Aster wailed, "Please don't leave me, I beg you, I will do anything, just don't leave my side!"

I sensed something was wrong, I asked, "Young Lord, what's wrong?"

"He is going to devour me! He is going to take me away from you! I don't want to, Ramuja, I'm… scared…"

I c.a.r.e.s.sed Young Lord's back head gently and asked again, "Young Lord, I'm here with you now, don't be scared."

"But you are not at that night! You left me alone with that monster while you are dating a girl, her name is M… Me… I—I don't remember her name, but you had a date with her while I almost got devoured!"

His words hit my conscience hard as I realized that Young Lord was not talking about his situation now, but his situation before.

'When I had a date with a girl… Merry?!'

I remembered when Young Lord suddenly got very mad at me after the Autumn Banquet in Lantern Palace. I thought it was because I left him to go for a walk with Merry, but turned out, it was not the only reason…

'If—If the trauma was this deep, then it must've been a scary experience for him… and I'm not there to protect him…'

'He keeps everything inside his heart because… because he didn't want me to worry?'

'I… what kind of pain did I inflict to him?'

I tightened my hug and whispered in his ear repeatedly, "I will never leave you, I will never leave you, I will never leave you."

While Young Lord whispered in my ears repeatedly, "Don't leave me, don't leave me, don't leave me."

'Young Lord, I promise I will never leave you!'

~~~

A thick wall between our fate

And A thin string between our connection

My master, my life, I might be late

But I shall give you my greatest affection.

~~~