CHAPTER 38: [THE NATION’S PRINCE]

It was him.

It was actually him.

Caelen.

The Caelen.

The one Korenea had long dubbed "the nation’s prince."

And he looked the part.

He stood tall with an effortless kind of presence, his expression calm, almost gentle, as he entered the room.

His team—Arman, Punzo, and Jabby—immediately stepped aside, forming a clear path for their leader.

Eli couldn’t take his eyes off him.

Caelen’s steps were quiet, measured. Even his movements seemed rehearsed in perfection.

He walked with such purpose that Eli found himself unconsciously straightening, eyes wide as Caelen stopped directly in front of him.

Eli looked up.

’He’s...’

More intimidating in person than he ever expected.

"I apologize for resorting to such measures," Caelen said, voice as smooth as it was precise. "And for keeping you in Lion’s Fang’s detention room. It’s not exactly fitting for someone of your status."

He didn’t wait for Eli to respond. Instead, he turned slightly and reached for the file Punzo handed him.

The glossy folder looked ordinary, but from the way Caelen’s eyes scanned through it, Eli could tell it wasn’t.

The silence was heavy as Caelen flipped through the contents.

"Elione Noa Ahn. Twenty years old." He glanced back at Eli, one brow raised. "Very young."

Eli let out an awkward laugh, unsure what else to do. His brain still hadn’t caught up with the fact that Caelen was not only here—he was speaking to him, had kidnapped him, and was now reading off a file like this was a government interrogation.

"You’re the son of former actress Eloise Ahn," Caelen continued, "and Noah Ahn, CEO of E&N Weapons Incorporated."

Eli’s eyes went wide. ’No wonder Elione’s so fucking rich!’

And suddenly, his confusion about Elione’s vaguely familiar-looking mother made sense.

His actual mom—Lucien Kim’s mom—used to rave about Eloise Ahn constantly.

And Elione’s father...

CEO of E&N Weapons Incorporated.

One of the biggest names in weapon manufacturing, practically a household brand for hunters. Trusted, elite, globally renowned.

Caelen continued reading as if this were all perfectly mundane.

"You’re a freelance hunter who only accepts small dungeon raids. Primarily, you’re a full-time influencer and beauty vlogger. You stopped posting recently due to an injury. Monster attack. During the first tear."

’Damn. They have all the information about Elione.’ Eli stared, heart racing.

But none of this explained anything.

Why was he here? Why had they gone through the trouble of—well—kidnapping him?

Caelen finally closed the file and handed it back to Punzo.

That soft smile never left his face as he tilted his head ever so slightly, still observing Eli like something delicate and puzzling.

"The day you were discharged from the hospital," he said slowly, "was the same day you were seen fighting beside Kairo."

He leaned in just a little, voice calm.

"Correct?"

"Uh... yes?" Eli answered, blinking rapidly.

Caelen nodded, as if satisfied.

"Thank you for your honesty," he said. "And since you were honest, I’ll now give you the answer you’re most likely looking for."

His voice didn’t shift in tone, still polite and measured. "Why I had you kidnapped."

Eli didn’t say a word. He couldn’t. He barely breathed.

He just nodded faintly and let Caelen continue.

Then, suddenly, Caelen stepped closer.

Too close.

Eli’s breath caught in his throat, and his back instinctively pressed against the chair. Caelen leaned down, just inches from his face.

’Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.’

Eli’s heart was trying to leap out of his chest. It felt too fast, too loud.

"I had you kidnapped..." Caelen murmured, voice barely above a whisper, "because I’m curious about you."

Eli blinked.

Then blinked again.

"C-Curious?" he echoed, eyes wide.

"Yes," Caelen confirmed, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I saw your video. Quite impressive, really."

"W-Well... I didn’t really do anything," Eli stammered, cheeks flushing scarlet from their proximity. "It was Kairo who fought..."

"Mhm. It could be seen that way." Caelen tilted his head, gaze sharp and oddly amused. "...But to me, it seemed like Kairo and his team succeeded because you were there."

A bead of sweat slipped down Eli’s temple, trailing past his cheek as he stared up at Caelen. His throat tightened.

He was nervous. Intimidated. Flustered.

All at the same time.

"I had you kidnapped because of how impressed I was..." Caelen finally said, voice calm and unwavering. "And also because I got curious."

He stepped back with practiced grace, turning his back to Eli. One hand slid casually into the pocket of his coat.

Eli’s brows knitted together. From the corner of his eye, he caught Arman and Punzo exchanging a glance—one that looked almost... sympathetic.

Jabby, on the other hand, was grinning like she was watching a scene from her favorite drama.

’What’s with those looks...?’

It didn’t sit right.

It felt like they knew something he didn’t.

But before he could figure it out—

"Your ability is danger detection, right?" Caelen asked, his tone polite, conversational. His back remained turned, shoulders relaxed.

"Yes, it is..." Eli answered cautiously, voice barely above a whisper.

Caelen didn’t respond immediately. But Eli could see him shift slightly—still with his back to him—his fingers slipping deeper into his pocket.

Eli squinted, trying to catch a glimpse of what he was pulling out.

And then—

His heart skipped a beat.

There it was.

That familiar, painful pulse around his head.

Eli’s breath hitched. The throb in his head spiked like a warning bell echoing in his skull.

’What...is that?’

Caelen hadn’t moved much—his posture still graceful, his back still turned—but something had shifted. Something in the air.

Stillness.

Tension.

Like the split-second silence before lightning strikes.

And then—

His hand twitched.

So fast Eli barely saw it.

A flick of the wrist. A sharp glint.

Silver.

A blade whistled through the air with surgical precision.

Eli didn’t think.

His body jerked into motion before his mind could catch up—instinct roaring through him like a tidal wave.

He threw himself sideways, nearly toppling over the chair as he dove toward the bed.

Thwip—

The blade sliced the air beside his face.

Too close.

Too fast.

A breath too late—and it would’ve taken out his eye.

But even now, it still got him.

A searing sting flared across his cheek, hot and thin.

Eli hit the floor, hard. His shoulder collided with the base of the bed, and he winced, panting.

The sound of metal biting into wood echoed sharply behind him.

He turned.

The dagger was embedded in the wall, sunk deep into the paneling. It still vibrated—quivering from the sheer force of the throw.

Eli didn’t move.

He just reached up slowly, trembling fingers brushing the fresh cut on his cheek. His fingertips came away slick with blood.

He stared at it.

Then at the dagger.

Then—

Caelen.

Who was now facing him.

Calm. Perfectly composed.

Like nothing happened.

His orange eyes locked onto Eli’s, sharp and unreadable.

Eli’s chest rose and fell in shallow gasps.

"W-What..." His voice cracked under the weight of adrenaline.

’What the fuck?!’