Kai looked at Sylas, then down at his own dirty, smelly body. He had been holding in his urine all this time. He really needed a bath.
He was about to stand up, but Sylas stopped him.
At that moment, Sean entered the room with quick steps. But before he could reach the bed where Sylas was, the prince raised a hand to stop him.
"Sean, can you call a servant here? And prepare the bathroom," said Sylas.
Sean looked confused, since he had assumed Sylas wanted to eat first. That’s why he’d stopped the servant from coming. His gaze swept over Kai, who was sitting quietly on the bed, but he quickly nodded.
"Yes, Your Highness."
It didn’t take long for two male servants to arrive, carrying a tray with bathing supplies. They bowed deeply to Sylas, then, as if used to the task, went straight to the bathroom to prepare the warm water and everything else needed.
Inside the room, Sylas kept asking Kai several questions while they waited. But Kai couldn’t give any useful information about who had brought him from the prison cell and tied him up. The slave remained mostly silent, his body trembling.
"Are you hungry? You’ll eat after you bathe," Sylas said.
Kai kept his head down, which made Sylas worry.
"Kai, look at me," Sylas said gently.
Kai looked hesitant but finally lifted his head, their eyes meeting.
"Don’t you like seeing me? I got you into trouble, didn’t I?" Sylas asked, trying to understand Kai’s fearful behavior.
Kai froze, unsure how to take that question. He shook his head. He was happy to see Sylas—of course he was. That was what he had been waiting for.
He wanted to touch the man, but Alvaro’s warning still echoed in his mind. If he didn’t need to, he wouldn’t dare. So he just stared at Sylas with a pleading expression.
"M-Master... I’m going to die. But I don’t regret meeting you," Kai said weakly, barely holding himself together.
Sylas smiled. "No, Kai. You don’t need to think about the execution anymore. You’re safe. You did something great for me. You can ask for anything you want in return. Is there anything you’d like to have?" he asked, locking eyes with him.
Kai took a moment to process those words. It slowly sank in—he wouldn’t die on the gallows. And Sylas was offering him a reward?
Kai looked confused. It was too sudden. Too much.
"You can think about it later," said Sylas, noticing the puzzled look on Kai’s face.
A few moments later, one of the servants approached the bed.
"Your Highness, the bathroom is ready. Would you like to bathe now?" the servant asked.
"Take care of him," Sylas said, placing a hand gently on Kai’s shoulder.
The servant looked puzzled. Kai looked like a slave from the streets. They had never been ordered to bathe someone like him—especially not in the prince’s room. But they quickly nodded.
"I apologize, Your Highness. We’ll take care of him quickly," said one of them.
Sylas gave a brief nod. He turned to Kai and softly touched his head. "Go with them. Don’t be afraid. You’re safe now."
Kai nodded obediently. He took a step, but his legs were still shaky, making his body sway. The servants quickly held him on both sides and helped him walk toward the bathroom. Official source ıs novel(ꜰ)ire.net
Kai stumbled when one of the servants pulled him too hard. He winced, trying to keep his balance while enduring the pain that shot up from his injured leg.
To Kai, the bathroom inside the room felt very far away. Every step was painful.
Meanwhile, Sylas motioned for Sean to come closer.
Sean immediately followed the order. He helped remove the prince’s clothes and changed him into comfortable pajamas.
"Did you bring clothes for Kai?" Sylas asked.
Sean quickly bowed. "I’m sorry, Your Highness. Should I bring him servant clothes?" He didn’t know what kind of clothes would be appropriate.
"Give him one of my pajamas," Sylas finally said.
Sean nodded, a little hesitant, but quickly went to get the clothes and brought them into the bathroom. After that, he stepped out again.
"I’ll return when you’re ready for dinner," Sean said.
"I already had dinner with Father. So there’s no need to bring much food," Sylas replied.
Sean nodded quickly and left the room.
Sylas walked over to the sofa, then glanced at Amos, who was still standing at attention.
"Amos, go rest. I’m not going anywhere tonight," said Sylas.
Amos looked around, checking if there was anything else he needed to do, and then gave a respectful nod.
"Good night, Your Highness."
In the bathroom, the servants were getting impatient with Kai’s slow movements.
"Come on, hurry up. We don’t have all night," grumbled one of them. They clearly felt degraded, having to serve a slave .
Kai didn’t respond. He just lowered his head and tried to move faster, even though every step made him wince.
"Lift your feet—don’t drag them like that. Can’t you walk properly?" snapped the other servant, pulling Kai into the center of the bathroom.
Kai stood there silently, staring at the spacious room in confusion. Then one of the servants tried to remove his clothes. Kai quickly lowered his head.
"I-I can do it myself," he said, hoping they’d leave.
But the two servants stayed where they were, staring at him.
"Oh, come on," one of them muttered, clearly annoyed. "I don’t want to stand here watching you all night."
Kai flinched as they roughly undressed him. He fell to the floor when they yanked his pants too hard.
He quickly relieved himself in the toilet. Afterward, one of the servants grabbed his arm and forced him to his feet, then pushed him into the bathtub.
Kai winced as his body touched the warm water. The wounds on his skin still hadn’t healed completely, and they stung. But the water smelled nice—calming him a little.
Kai wiped his arms to clean himself. He hadn’t expected the servants to actually help him wash.