Chapter 128

Hasan had always thought.

That the gods did not love him.

No, no. To be precise...

The gods loved only his younger brother.

Otherwise, why would he never get what he wanted no matter how hard he tried, while his brother had everything without even wanting it?

Hasan remembered when he first saw his newborn brother. His weakened mother, holding the wrinkled baby and smiling happily.

'Hasan is a big brother now, so love your little brother.'

Those words became his mother's last, and Hasan knew in that moment that he would never be able to love his brother.

Even if his mother hadn't passed away, he would have ended up hating his brother anyway.

'You are my successor. To fall behind your younger brother like this, how could anyone think you worthy?'

His father always blamed him. He whipped him to try harder, to make more effort.

Each time, Hasan gritted his teeth.

He had tried too. He had never stopped. He studied through the night, swung his sword until his palms were raw.

But what about Kinaine? The excellent younger brother easily surpassed him even in the level of effort. With intense passion that could never be overcome by ugly jealousy.

On the day he was utterly defeated by his brother in front of their father, Hasan had to accept the fact that even effort could not surpass Kinaine.

When sunlight is strong, shadows grow deeper. The more brightly Kinaine shone, the more Hasan felt covered in pitch-black darkness.

'Did you hear? The Second Prince presented as a dominant alpha.'

'I thought so. Who else would be a dominant alpha if not him? Being dominant, his presentation was extremely early. The First Prince hasn't presented yet.'

'He'll present soon. The First Prince must be an alpha too, right?'

'Of course. He's going to be the next king.'

Brilliant talent, an intelligent mind, and dominant traits. It was as if the gods had labeled these things as his brother's from the beginning.

What could he do, watching his brother monopolize all the gift boxes?

'Your Highness, with all due respect, you have presented as a recessive omega.'

...Even if he wanted them desperately, he could never have those boxes.

What made Hasan most miserable was that Kinaine didn't even want those things.

'Brother, regardless of what people say, I have no intention of becoming king. That position is yours. I won't covet what belongs to you.'

Kinaine, who had come to see him after he presented as a recessive omega, said this.

He knew those words were sincere. Having always watched him, he couldn't help but know. That Kinaine didn't particularly want the throne or people's praise either.

That made Hasan feel even more miserable than realizing he had presented as a recessive omega.

'You have no reason to covet what's mine. You already have everything I couldn't get.'

"..."

'I hate you. I truly despise you...'

Hasan genuinely hated Kinaine. Yet, just as much, he desperately wanted the gift boxes with Kinaine's name on them.

Had that desire finally reached the gods?

As if the gods had given him a chance too, Hasan saw hope for the first time. Hope that he could make everything his own.

Though those things clearly weren't his...

Then what if he became not Hasan, but 'Kinaine'?

Having just obtained the power to do so, there was no reason not to.

And so finally... Hasan became the being he had desired to be.

His father, stricken with illness of the heart upon learning his child had become a black mage, gradually wasted away and finally departed to the gods' side. The one who succeeded him was the blessed second prince. Everything that had once belonged to Kinaine became Hasan's.

However.

"Your Majesty! They say the black mage is alive."

At this moment, Hasan felt the eerie sensation of a nightmare he had long dreamed suddenly appearing before his eyes.

***

"How is he alive?"

Hasan muttered anxiously as he descended to the underground prison.

That day, he had definitely pierced Kinaine's heart with his sword. The sensation was still vividly present.

"By what means is he alive..."

Finally, Hasan confronted his nightmare in the underground prison.

But Kinaine's appearance was different from what he had imagined. The man wearing the body that had once been his looked as wretched as a sewer rat. The shining prince was nowhere to be seen.

Fear gradually disappeared, and in its place, glee stealthily took over.

His joy reached its peak when Kinaine attempted to use black magic against him.

"...How?"

Kinaine couldn't continue speaking and vomited blood.

"Did you think I would appear before you without any precautions? Even in this state, you still underestimate others."

The one who had always looked down on him was now beneath his feet. Hasan's eyes gleamed with a damp light.

"Let me advise you, just in case, don't try again. It's useless."

"...What trick have you played now?"

"Trick?"

Slap! Hasan struck Kinaine's cheek. The dominant alpha's hand was large and firm, capable of delivering a significant blow just by slapping a cheek.

"It was always like that. Everything you did was good and righteous, while everything I did was sinister and evil. You were always right, and I was always wrong..."

Hasan reached out and roughly removed Kinaine's blindfold.

"Open your eyes. Look properly."

"..."

"Look at who made you like this!"

When Hasan's fingers dug into his shoulder like hooks, Kinaine finally lifted his eyelids.

"..."

Upon seeing the unfocused black eyes, Hasan couldn't speak for a while.

Because he was too delighted.

Shortly after, laughter that seemed to rise from a dark, deep place echoed throughout the prison.

"You really are lucky! Not having to see what you don't want to see, truly blessed by the gods!"

Even when he first appeared in the prison, Hasan had only pretended to be calm while being wary of Kinaine. With an enemy he thought he had dealt with definitively reappearing, he couldn't help but feel chilled to the bone.

But now Hasan was convinced he was the victor.

I won. I really won!

He shouted at his nightmare.

It was then that Kinaine spat out the blood pooled in his mouth and smiled wryly.

"You look happy. Is this all you wanted?"

The elated mood sank in an instant. The smile slowly disappeared from Hasan's face.

"...What?"

"So much time has passed, yet you haven't changed from the child who enjoyed tormenting me."

"Haven't changed? No. You've lost everything, and I've gained everything. Everything has changed. You're a dying criminal, but I'm the king who rules this land. My command is law, and everyone kneels before me!"

"A king who has lost two-thirds of his kingdom to magical beasts. A king who can protect neither his land nor his people—the title of king seems wasted."

Unable to contain his anger, Hasan struck Kinaine's cheek again. Kinaine's head turned limply, but he wasn't intimidated at all. The pitch-black eyes, now without light, stared at Hasan.

"Thanks to my efforts, at least the capital remains safe! If you had become king, even the capital wouldn't have survived!"

"'If I had become king,' you say? You speak so naturally of something I never even imagined. As if you had imagined it every day."

"...Shut up."

"Even after more than seven years, Hasan, you're still living in the past."

"Shut up!"

Hasan gritted his teeth and struck Kinaine again. But the victor's expression was no longer visible on Hasan's face.

Kinaine had always seen situations clearly. Even if he, having lost everything, had no choice but to remain in the past, he noticed that it was strange for Hasan, who had obtained everything he wanted, to be unable to move forward and remain stagnant in the past. A fact that even Hasan himself hadn't realized until this moment.

"The things you possess are 'Kinaine's,' so you must have had to keep imitating me to avoid losing them. In the seven years you thought I was dead, you never stopped thinking about me, did you? Congratulations. You've truly become destined to live forever in my shadow."

"Eeek!"

Hasan strangled Kinaine with both hands.

"Don't, blame, me. You, made, yourself... like, this..."

Even while making hoarse sounds from being choked, Kinaine was still smiling. Hasan realized that Kinaine did not fear death.

Doesn't this attitude seem more like he wants death?

Hasan slowly released his grip.

"No, you shouldn't die so comfortably. Not after coming all this way."

He muttered as if convincing himself. His eyes gleamed fiercely as he looked at Kinaine.

"Look forward to it. I'll make you regret not dying back then."