19- The night visitor (5)

Raihle is a strange person, and that made Raven feel uneasy, but his actions towards him made him develop an unfamiliar warmth right above his heart.

Raihle brought two extra pillows and used them to support Raven's back and to help him breath better.

Then he sat by his side.

"You probably don't have appetite but you have to drink something." He held a cup in his hand.

Raven didn't know what it was but he realized why Raihle sat next to him.

"I can drink by myself!"

"No, it's hot, you might burn yourself."

Even though Raihle used a calm voice, the dominance was clear and Raven wasn't in a position to argue.

He put his arm behind Raven's neck and held the cup by his mouth.

Raven drank the warm drink without even knowing what it was or how it tasted.

His head was in a mess and his heart was captured in the middle of storm of emotions.

He was embarrassed; he had never been treated like that in anyway.

Raihle's long hair was tickling his ear.

He was feeling hot, but the warmth coming from Raihle's body felt different, it was calm, gentle, slowly climbing his body and washing away all the moments he ever felt cold, He felt like he was assured;  you are safe, and you will be okay.

Even though Raihle didn't say those words, that's what his actions felt like to him.

Raven's eyes suddenly became blurry; it wasn't because of his sickness.

"Go"

His voice was cracking.

"Go away."

'Go away before I start to believe it.'

He couldn't look at him; he didn't want him to see his watering eyes or he would really think of him as a child.

He snapped, "Go to sleep! Aren't you a prince? Don't you have to wake up early and do what princes do?"

Instead of hearing an answer, he felt a hand caressing his head in the softest way possible.

"I said_"

"How can I sleep when you are sick?"

Raven's eyes opened up and turned his head at Raihle.

'How..'

'How can you look so cold yet talk so sweetly?'

But when he opened his mouth, he said something entirely different from his thoughts.

He sounded weak and childish, but he didn't care at this moment.

"So, you are going to stay by my side?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"Until you are better."

"Even if it takes long?"

Raihle knew well the injuries Raven had; they weren't the cuts on his skin or the fever inside his body.

So, he didn't hesitate as he spoke.

"I will stay as long as it takes."

Raven's eyes shook; he blinked the tears away and closed his eyes, then leaned on Raihle's chest.

"That's a promise; you know what I will do if you don't keep it."

Raihle started caressing his hair; he felt immediately powerless and sleepy.

The last thing he heard was Raihle's voice.

"Yeah, I know."

He might be hallucinating, but...

He sounded like he was smiling.

Raihle stayed at Raven's room until the sunrise, He tried lying down on the couch for a bit.

This situation reminded him of the times when his students got sick and he would watch over them.

Raven especially reminded him of his oldest student, who just turned fourteen years old..

Ryon, his first and oldest student was a stubborn and impulsive kid, unlike any of his other calm students.

Perhaps it's his age or maybe because of the way he was raised between all the other children, either way Hyun Wa, a single man who never took care of a child I had a hard time with him in the beginning.

But After a few years, pulling Ryon out of trouble became a part of his routine, and he dealt with his sudden tantrums. Thankfully, he developed a way to handle each special personality of his students. 

The problem was that the man inside his body now wasn't him.

Beside the young ones, can Real Raihle handle his preteen troublemaker student?

No, That wasn't even his biggest concern.

His biggest fear was the idea of Real Raihle taking his body and walking away. abandoning the children, Hyun Wa devoted himself to teaching.

His world wasn't ideal; he knew that very well, and he also knew what kind of danger might happen to his students.

The question that prevented him from sleeping at night was: can he trust Real Raihle to keep them safe?

He unlocked his eyes and turned his head towards Raven. He covered him well and kept the towel on his head, He saw his chest raising and falling quietly while his expression loosening up.

"Hah..."

Without realizing, a tired sigh came out of him and he got up.

In another few hours later, Raven woke up and Raihle wasn't there; instead, there were Hugo and Loka.

"Oh, you woke up? How are you feeling?"

Hugo was sitting on a chair by his bed and holding a newspaper.

"Where is he?"

"Is this the first thing you're going to say?"

Raven scowled even harder "Just answer me, old man."

Hugo threw the newspaper aside. 

"No, Seriously, why do you and that bastard call me an old man? I don't even look old! Right?" He growled at Loka, "Right?"

Loka avoided his eyes "Yes, of course, you look like you are in your thirties."

"I'm in my thirties."

Loka quickly looked at Raven.

"His highness just left; he said you would probably wake up soon so he went to bring you something to eat."

"Ah.."

Raven didn't know why the corners of his lips were twitching.

"I have no idea what he is planning to do with you," Hugo suddenly said while crossing his arms.

Raven lost his desire to smile and frowned at him.

"Bringing a Sorcerer of all people," Hugo rubbed his temples. Sorcerer can be classified as a monster rather than humans, citizens see them as killers even without proof, and unfortunately, Hugo knew how the law is biased against them.

"Moreover, you have no background and you even used magic in public."

Raven remember when he sent the doctor flying the other day, He hadn’t the slightest idea it was a big deal.

Mages are required to study at a special school and by specific tutors, but Raven had no records and he was brought from nowhere. Eventually, he will be in the center of unwanted rumors.

His face started getting gloomier and gloomier.

"It will definitely affect Raihle's image and we can't afford that right now, He is already in a sensitive position, and what if your identity got exposed? He might even go to prison.”

Raihle is the only legit heir to the throne so the court wouldn't consider executing him but he will definitely be punished for breaking the law and for hiding a Sorcerer in his palace.

Hugo eyed Raven sharply.

"I'm trying to make that boy an emperor so please don't start any troubles."

Raven lowered his head and pressed his lips together.

'It's not like I chose to be a Sorcerer!'

What had happened to him was out of his control, and no matter how much he wished to undo it, his blood and Corrupted magic already became one with no way to separate them.

"Sorcerers Nature's place is the Abyss," Hugo mentioned, The sorcerer were monsters and most monsters naturally belonged to the Abyss. "I will see if I can get you there secretly"

Raven flinched and almost shouted. 'I don't want to go to the Abyss!' But Raihle faces flashed in his mind and he choked.

Wouldn't it feel better if he left by himself instead of being abandoned by him?

He couldn't imagine Raihle throwing him away, but he still didn't know Raihle enough to trust him not to.

The door was opened then.

"Good, you woke up."

Raihle came in with a tray and placed it on the table next to the bed.

He put his hand on Raven's forehead.

"You Fever is better; I guess we don't need to call the doctor back."

Raven didn't say anything; he was gazing at Raihle while trying to hide his thoughts.

'This person is going to abandon me.' He was repeated to himself to stop his feeling from growing roots in his chest.

Raihle saw through his awkward behavior and said, "I went to change my clothes and to make sure you eat a hot meal when you wake up, that's why I asked these two to watch over you."

He explained nonchalantly, then raised his finger at Hugo.

"This man probably spitted some nonsense about you preventing me from becoming an emperor or something."

"What do you mean nonsense_"

"Just ignore it all."

"Huh?"