Sylas pulled Kai’s hand toward the sofa and asked him to sit down. Then he told Sean to bring Kai’s shoes. He had ordered them, and they had just been finished yesterday.
Sean was about to hand them to Kai, but Sylas took the box first and opened it. The shiny black leather shoes glistened under the light.
Sylas was very pleased with them, even though they looked a little small. He hoped they would fit Kai’s feet. He looked at Kai, who sat quietly, staring at him.
"I ordered these especially for you. I hope they fit," Sylas said, walking in front of Kai and kneeling down.
The guards and Sean were shocked to see this. Alvaro just sighed, wondering how many times Sylas would kneel in front of Kai. If the guards had seen Sylas kneel in the forest to let Kai climb onto his back, they might have fainted.
Sean and the guards didn’t dare say anything, but according to the rules, they should kneel when Sylas knelt. Still, the prince’s posture looked so romantic that they just stepped back and bowed their heads.
Kai watched as Sylas carefully removed his old shoes and put the new shiny ones on his feet.
Kai’s heart pounded with the prince so close. He could smell his perfume and could even reach out and touch his hair if he wanted to.
Sylas was right there.
Kai looked down, feeling a strange vibration in his body that made his face flush red.
He gasped when Sylas called his name again and again. It seemed he had been daydreaming.
"How does it feel? Do your feet hurt? Are they comfortable?" Sylas asked as he pulled Kai up and tried to get him to walk.
Kai walked with a slight limp. The shoes fit perfectly and felt soft inside. Very comfortable.
"Does it hurt?" Sylas asked.
Kai shook his head. "They’re very comfortable, Master..." he replied, staring at his new shoes.
Sylas double-checked to make sure Kai was being honest and wasn’t too afraid to say otherwise. But the young man truly seemed comfortable in the shoes.
Relieved, Sylas sighed and invited him outside.
It was already common knowledge in the royal residence that Sylas gave special treatment to a servant. Some still wondered who the servant was, but those who served Sylas personally knew it was Kai.
Even so, they kept it very private. Discretion was one of the most important duties of the royal servants. When they heard rumors about Sylas and Alvaro’s relationship outside the palace, they chose to stay silent.
This time, Sylas chose to ride a horse instead of taking a carriage. They left through the back gate, the one usually used for disguises.
The gate guards immediately understood and noticed the plainclothes bodyguards following the prince, who wore a summer cloak over his shirt.
When they passed through, the guards only wondered about the figure in the black cloak sitting in front of the prince. The hood covered his face, so they couldn’t see who it was.
Once they were far enough from the palace, Sylas pulled down Kai’s hood and slowed his horse to let Kai look around. Read full story at ⓝovelFire.net
Kai’s eyes widened as he looked at the streets full of lights and decorations. He had seen them in the palace, but the atmosphere out here on the grand avenue was completely different.
Several beautiful carriages passed by. The whole street sparkled with festive decorations.
"Look over there," Sylas said, pointing at the fireworks visible in the distance.
Flashes of light lit up the sky. Kai’s eyes widened even more, and he almost forgot to blink.
Sylas smiled, watching Kai’s amazed expression. Then he urged his horse to go faster.
In the crowd, they had to be careful, especially when they reached the city center. Many people were moving about, but Alvaro rode ahead to clear the way.
Kai didn’t notice the guards working to protect Sylas. His eyes were too busy taking in everything around him. The lively atmosphere captured his heart completely.
Lanterns lit by oil and gas glowed yellow along the streets, creating a warm, romantic feeling that contrasted with the noisy crowds.
Kai saw people in a large field carrying colorful paper lanterns. They shouted and laughed as, one by one, the lanterns floated into the sky. Applause followed. Some groups walked by with lanterns still in their hands.
Kai watched as more and more lanterns rose into the air. Dozens of them decorated the night sky. Some floated higher and drifted with the wind.
He heard people laughing when a lantern dropped instead of rising. Without realizing it, he smiled at their excitement.
Sylas noticed Kai turning his head to watch them. His smile grew as he saw Kai’s own smile widen.
They needed to leave their horses somewhere, but Kai would struggle to walk far. So Sylas asked the guards to take his horse while he and Kai stepped down onto the field.
Alvaro dismounted to guard the prince while the others went to tie up the horses away from the crowd.
Kai glanced at his shiny shoes and the dirt field in front of him. He hesitated to step forward, but Sylas was already holding his hand. The sudden touch surprised him, but the prince’s grip was firm and warm.
Alvaro scanned the area carefully, then looked back at Sylas.
"You’re not planning to fly a lantern, are you?" he asked, seeing Sylas’s expression.
Sylas looked at Alvaro and smiled. Alvaro immediately sighed at that look. But he had no choice. He had to wait for the guards to return, because he couldn’t leave the prince alone.
No one could measure Kai’s happiness at that moment when he finally held his own lantern. Sylas and the guards, watching from a distance, simply stared as the young man carefully released the lantern with the candlelight inside into the air.
But before he could let it go completely, Sylas held his hand.