CHAPTER 136: PRE... WHAT?

Caspian’s lips trembled as he bit them. He immediately lowered his head as he stopped Rin.

"Hold on! Please... Please don’t... Don’t do that, Rin. I’ll do whatever you want. Don’t join hands with the Vortellions,"

Rin smirked, sliding his fingers through his hair. He wore a proud look on his face like he already knew what Caspian’s weakness was.

’This is going just as I want, but I can’t make any decisions without Aunt Lirien’s help,’ he thought. He turned to leave, pausing at the door. "You should visit the brothel later. We’ll discuss over there. The palace isn’t safe since the Duke must have planted spies to watch you."

Caspian nodded, forcing a smile. "Sure, I will. I hope you don’t go on a date when I visit," he said jokingly, though his voice was strained.

Rin snapped his fingers, and with a flicker of dark energy, he vanished, leaving Caspian alone in the room.

Caspian collapsed onto the couch, his hand pressed to his chest, his breathing uneven.

"Damn it! I almost ruined everything due to my arrogance!" he muttered, his voice shaking. "I’m glad everything went well in the end. There’s no way I’m letting Rin slip out of my fingers. He belongs to me and only me... He’s my secret strength and also... my weakness. He’s the key to making sure I don’t end up as a puppet king in the hands of the Vortellions."

.

.

Rin didn’t just arrive at the brothel... he appeared in a flash of dark energy, materialising in the middle of his room. Kiro, who was scrubbing the floor with a rag, flinched and stumbled backwards, knocking over a bucket of water. The liquid splashed across the wooden floor, soaking his pants.

"Uwa... Rin? Why? How did you appear out of nowhere?" Kiro yelped, his eyes wide.

Rin poked Kiro’s forehead, his voice teasing. "Aren’t you supposed to be glad I’m back?"

Kiro groaned, rubbing his forehead before wrapping an arm around Rin in a quick hug. "My bad! I’m glad you’re back! We were scared you’d end up becoming the prince’s concubine, like the rumours said."

Rin smirked, shoving Kiro off. "As if I’d let that happen." He glanced at the spilt water, raising a brow. "Clean that up."

Kiro grumbled but bent down to wipe the floor, muttering under his breath about Rin’s bossy attitude. Just then, the door burst open, and Lia and Soren barged in, their voices loud and excited.

"Kiro! Are you slacking off again...? Huh? Is that Rin?" Lia paused, her eyes widening as she spotted him. "Shit! It’s Rin!"

Soren shoved past her, rushing to Rin with a grin. "Rin! When did you return? Did you get any sweets from the palace?"

Rin sighed, touching his forehead as a headache started to form. The noise was overwhelming, but it was better than the tension in the palace.

"No... I didn’t get any palace sweets," he said, shoving Soren away gently.

Lia turned and shouted out the door, "Everyone! Rin is back! He’s returned!"

The brothel erupted into chaos as people flooded into the room... dancers, workers, even a few of the Crow Team assassins. They crowded around Rin, their voices overlapping with questions about the palace, the prince, and the attack that had already spread like wildfire across the kingdom. Rumours of a bounty on the "golden goose" had reached every corner of the capital.

"Did you escape from those assassins? I heard there were over a hundred of them," one dancer asked, her eyes wide.

"Is it true the prince kissed your hand?" another giggled, nudging her friend.

"What’s the palace like? Is it as fancy as they say? Did you attend a ball?" a young worker chimed in.

Rin stayed silent, his crimson eyes scanning the crowd as they argued among themselves.

’Fuck. Should I just go back to sleeping with Caspian?’

he thought, half-joking.

His mind drifted to Lucien, left behind at the palace, and his accusation about Julian Vortellion. Rin didn’t want to believe Julian killed Ezra, but the idea gnawed at him. After all, Julian had sent those assassins after him, all for a bounty.

’What was his deal? Why does he hate me when I have no idea who he is?’

He groaned in frustration, rubbing his forehead. "Everyone’s noisy!" he snapped, his voice cutting through the chatter.

Lia frowned, stepping closer. "Are you alright, Rin?"

Soren crossed his arms, his voice sharp. "You’re the one who called them here, Lia! Go get the doctor to check on Rin. Kiro, get everyone out, immediately!"

The crowd grumbled but obeyed, filing out of the room to give Rin space. He sighed in relief, grateful for the quiet, but his frustration wasn’t about them. It was the Vortellions. Every single one of them.

’If Julian Vortellion killed Ezra and exposed my identity to the academy, what was he trying to gain? Why would he do that? Was it because of me? Did Ezra die because of me, for no reason?’

The thoughts twisted in his mind, each one heavier than the last. He didn’t want to think about Ezra’s death again, but it haunted him, a wound that refused to heal.

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice Theron slip into the room until cold fingers gently grabbed his hand. Rin flinched, his crimson eyes snapping to the doctor.

"What the..."

"Are you alright, Rin?" Theron asked, his voice calm but concerned, his grip firm as he checked Rin’s pulse.

"I’m fine," Rin said, trying to pull his hand back, but Theron held on.

"Hold on, Rin. Just let me check your body. It won’t take long..." Theron said, his eyes scanning Rin carefully.

Rin snatched his hand away, his voice sharp.

"I said I’m fine. They’re just worried about me."

Theron frowned, his brow furrowing.

"Why? Why won’t you let me treat you? Is it that you don’t trust me, or are you... pregnant?"

Rin’s jaw dropped, his eyes widening in disbelief. "What? Pre... what?"