CHAPTER 45: I’LL BE YOUR SLAVE

Anam stared at Sylas with a sweet smile, saying nothing. That only made Sylas more suspicious.

"Are you really behind all of this?" Sylas repeated.

"Sylas, that’s a serious accusation."

Even so, Anam didn’t deny it.

Anam sat comfortably, watching Sylas, who looked more and more annoyed. He couldn’t take his eyes off him. From the first time they met, Anam had known Sylas was his first love. He would do anything to have him.

Sylas was a gentle, polite prince—even his laugh was soft. But he could also be dominant and stubborn. That was what made Anam fall so deeply for him.

No one knew how disappointed Anam had been when he arrived at the palace and Sylas wasn’t there. Then an unexpected problem came up. When Sylas finally returned, Virouse offered Anam a deal.

He never intended to hurt Sylas—not ever. He couldn’t. The deal with Virouse was simple: he would take Sylas away and protect his name. He’d bring him to Emeria and live happily with him there.

He knew there was a chance things could go wrong. But Virouse had assured him it wouldn’t.

"Please, leave, Prince Anam," Sylas finally said. He couldn’t trust a man who would do anything to get what he wanted.

Anam felt the conversation was getting too personal—too dangerous. He looked at the guards in the room who were watching over Sylas.

"Can you leave us?" Anam asked.

But the two guards bowed politely and replied, "I’m really sorry, Your Highness. We can’t do that."

Anam turned to Sylas. "Can you ask them to leave?"

"Thanks to you, I don’t have the authority to do that anymore," Sylas said bluntly.

"Why? What did I do wrong?"

Sylas took a deep breath, trying hard to stay calm despite Anam’s innocent act.

"Sylas, you’re making me really sad. I was only trying to protect you. You’re my world. I’ll do anything to make you happy."

Sylas held his breath, feeling sick at Anam’s words. He wanted to throw up. He had never seen Anam act this boldly before. The prince was always cheerful, but usually knew his limits.

"Prince Anam, please forget whatever plans you have. Even if you want to help me, does it make sense for me to leave when my father is dying here?"

Besides, he couldn’t just run away while the person who made his father suffer remained unpunished—and he, who was innocent, had to flee.

Anam went quiet. His smile faded the moment he saw Sylas was truly angry. He hadn’t thought about that. He’d forgotten how much Sylas cared about his father.

Anam quickly stood from the sofa and moved to Sylas’s side.

Sylas was startled.

"I admit, I didn’t think about it. I didn’t mean to ignore King Adrien. What I meant was—"

Sylas stayed on guard, slowly stepping back. But Anam suddenly grabbed his arm and hugged him tightly.

"I’m sorry, Sylas. You must hate me now. I really am sorry. We’ll get married once King Adrien recovers, and I’ll take you to my palace," Anam said, full of guilt. Sylas must be tired and sad after everything. How could he have been so selfish, only thinking about his own happiness?

Sylas tried to push Anam away. "Prince Anam... please... let me go," he said quietly.

Anam immediately let go and looked at Sylas’s angry face. "I’m sorry..."

Sylas kept his distance, watching Anam closely to make sure he didn’t come too close again. His hands were ready to defend himself.

"There’s nothing more to say. Prince Anam, I don’t know how else to say this, but I can’t accept your proposal."

Sylas knew his father would be furious if he found out he had rejected Emeria’s prince so directly. But right now, he didn’t want to make things worse. Emeria wouldn’t start a war just because their prince got rejected... would they?

Anam fell silent, his gaze deep. The cheerful smile he always wore was gone. Sylas immediately felt uneasy.

"I’m sorry," Sylas said. He didn’t want to explain further—because the truth was, he simply couldn’t love Anam.

Anam looked completely shocked, as if the truth had knocked the wind out of him. When he finally found his voice, he gave a faint smile.

"This is surprising. I always thought you loved me," he said, shaken.

Sylas frowned. In what way had he given him that idea? They’d barely spent any time together. When Anam sent letters, he only replied formally.

"You always smile at me," Anam added.

Sylas stayed silent. What could he say? It was his duty to smile at royal guests. How could he treat Anam coldly for no reason?

"You’re also very kind and gentle," Anam continued, still trying to understand.

He was perfect—handsome, rich, powerful, with Emeria’s full support. Who would reject someone like that?

And now Sylas, became the only one on the list of people who rejected him. And it hurt. It hurt more than anything. He could barely breathe.

"Sylas... you must be really sad. I think I came at the wrong time. I won’t take it seriously," Anam said, trying to brush it off.

Sylas opened his mouth to explain that it wasn’t about timing—he just couldn’t love him. But Anam cut him off.

"I know. I just don’t want you to regret letting me go," Anam said, grabbing Sylas’s hand and holding it tightly.

Sylas stared at him, shocked by how serious Anam looked. The man had unbelievable confidence. Sylas was speechless.

The guards in the room stood still, listening to everything in silence. This was huge. If they weren’t trained never to repeat what they heard, this conversation could shake both kingdoms.

But everything would stay buried in the prince’s chambers. They would remain silent witnesses.

Anam slowly recovered from his shock and smiled again.

"One more thing, Sylas. If it means anything to you, I don’t mind being the bottom. I’ll be your slave in bed. You can do whatever you want. I’ll be your sweet little dog," Anam said with a widening smile, looking at him lovingly.

Sylas stared in disbelief. What vulgar words had just assaulted his ears?

He glanced at the guards, who still showed no emotion. But they clearly heard everything—they were just looking down now.

Sylas wanted to cover his face.

"Prince Anam... You—"

Anam smiled even more. "You don’t have to be shy. I know you like being on top. I don’t mind. What matters is being with you."

Silence.

"You seem to have misunderstood, Prince Anam. I don’t—"

Anam held Sylas’s hand tighter. "Tell me what I have to do to change your mind. I’ll do anything, as long as you’re comfortable with me."

Sylas looked at Anam, who seemed sincere and serious. He felt guilty that he couldn’t return the prince’s feelings.

He tried to pull his hand away, but Anam wouldn’t let go. Sylas had to use all his strength to break free, almost falling backwards.

"Go ahead and rest. I’ll stay with you until morning. I know you need someone right now," Anam said softly. He wanted to be Sylas’s support.

But to Sylas, the offer was far from comforting. What he really needed was to be alone with his thoughts. Anam’s presence only made his head hurt more.

***

Meanwhile...

Kai felt completely lost. He was scared and walked slowly behind Terion. Everyone around looked at him impatiently.

Terion kept glancing back to make sure Kai was still following. He didn’t understand where Sylas had found this servant.

James, the palace’s grand steward, greeted Terion with a respectful bow. He ordered other servants to take him to the guest room. Even though Terion’s arrival was sudden, James was always ready. He had never failed in his duties.

"Your Grace, should I take your slave to a separate room?" James asked.

Terion glanced at Kai, who had his head bowed, then looked back at James.

"He’s Prince Sylas’s servant. Put him wherever you think is best," Terion replied. He didn’t want to waste time on a mere servant.

James studied Kai from head to toe. There were no disabled servants in the palace, and this young man looked very pale and weak.

"It didn’t seem like Prince Sylas brought any servants with him when he left the palace. Are you sure he’s the prince’s servant?" he asked carefully. He didn’t want to let in a spy or intruder.

"Prince Sylas asked me to bring him. So I hope you’ll treat him well. If you’re unsure, just ask His Royal Highness when he leaves his room," Terion replied.

James nodded. "Please rest, Your Grace," he said, signaling for Terion to follow the servant.

Kai was confused when Terion left. He wanted to follow him but was too afraid to move. In the end, he just stood there, frozen.

"What’s your name?" James asked.

Kai was startled by the sudden shift in tone. "K-Kai, Master..."

James looked at him again. "Show me your hands."

Kai quickly held out both hands.

James noticed the numbers and year marked on Kai’s wrist. He didn’t know what they meant.

"Are you a spy?" James asked bluntly.

Kai looked terrified, shaking his head. Being accused of spying was a death sentence in Omino.

"N-no, Master... I-I came with my master..."

"Who is your master?"

"... S-Sylas..."

"How dare you say his name so casually?! Don’t you know who he is?" James’s voice was quiet, but full of anger.

Kai immediately dropped to his knees, trembling. "I-I’m sorry, Master... P-please forgive me..."

James stared at him, unsure whether to be angry or confused. Who was this young man?

He turned to the servant beside him. "Take him to the royal cells until I can confirm his identity," he ordered.