Chapter 134

Igni? Could it be that the name of the horned tribe leader was just mentioned?

Kinaine raised his head in confusion. The voice came through more clearly than before.

–Not only can I not return home, but to be used like this by a human! My situation is truly pitiful!

Though it was a child-like voice, the manner of speech was exactly like that of an old person, creating a sense of dissonance.

More importantly, this voice was identical to what he had heard earlier. He had thought only he and Hasan were in this prison, but was that not the case?

"...Why is there a child in a place like this."

"What? What are you talking about?"

–Sob, waaah!

"Why are you pretending not to know? The crying voice..."

–Sniff, huh?

Kinaine, who had been answering with difficulty in a rough voice, stopped speaking due to the sense of dissonance.

As if to prove it wasn't just his imagination, two voices poured out simultaneously.

"Who on earth is crying? Surely the demonic energy hasn't spread to your brain."

–Human! You, can you hear my voice?

Could it be that Hasan couldn't hear this voice?

Certainly, it was strange that Hasan, who would normally grimace at a child's crying, had shown no reaction so far. If so, it seemed this voice was only audible to him...

'Am I really going mad?'

It was a possibility he didn't want to consider, but if the demonic energy had spread to his brain, it could be possible. Rather than going deaf or losing the ability to speak, becoming insane was the worst outcome he had imagined.

...But, if he wasn't going mad.

–Human! Please help me! I am...

"Well, I don't care whether you're crazy or not. Take him away!"

The moment Hasan removed his hand from Kinaine's chin, the voice abruptly stopped.

Before he could assess the situation, the sound of footsteps rushed in, and a strong force grabbed Kinaine's arm and pulled him up.

As he was being dragged away helplessly, Kinaine suddenly dropped his head.

Though his senses were dulled and he couldn't notice immediately, with each step he took, he became increasingly certain.

Something was wriggling around his ankle, hidden by his trouser cuff.

At first, it felt like a many-legged insect, but at some point, it wrapped around his ankle like an anklet.

"...Chirpy?"

Kinaine muttered in a small voice.

Though the usual chirping wasn't heard, judging by the tapping on his ankle, it seemed he was correct.

The sensation of a snake's cool scales brushing against his ankle would have given him goosebumps in normal circumstances, but now he felt only relief.

'Thank goodness. I was worried something might have happened to you, but you're safe.'

Well, being a creature that could evade even a dragon's eyes, it must be quite skilled at escaping.

It was fortunate that it had been caged in a birdcage rather than a box without any holes. It could have transformed into a tiny insect and escaped through the bars.

Realizing Chirpy's presence somehow brought comfort. It wasn't just because this spirit beast could serve as his eyes. It was the relief that came from not being alone, from having someone else with him.

Kinaine calmly waited until Chirpy crawled up onto his shoulder. And the moment Chirpy poked its head slightly out from between his clothes, he borrowed its vision.

His dark vision gradually brightened, and soon the view of the royal palace corridor came into view.

"..."

What took his breath away was that everything was exactly as Kinaine remembered.

This was the first time he had seen the royal palace since the day he and Hasan had switched bodies.

Contrary to his expectation that something would have changed over the long years, even the decorations set up in the corridor and the stains on the walls remained the same.

Kinaine looked at his hands bound in chains. Somehow all his nails were broken and bleeding. His hands, full of scars and calluses, made it difficult to even recall how they had once looked when they were intact.

Suddenly, he felt indignant about being hit by Hasan.

'I haven't changed?'

That couldn't be.

How could he not have changed after experiencing so much? Even the hardest iron would wear down after countless impacts with the ground.

He was no longer the second prince of old.

It wasn't just about his physical appearance. If he had been the same as before, he would never have left an evil person like Hasan alone. He would have tried to stop him somehow. For that, he would have willingly endured any adversity and suffering.

But what about now? After failing to kill Hasan, he had immediately given up, and even considered suicide as a matter of course...

After more than seven years, both his body and mind had worn down so much that he could no longer find his former self.

'What on earth did Hasan see to say I haven't changed?'

A bitter smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

Perhaps the one fortunate thing was that Asad didn't know how he had changed.

Thinking about it, Asad, Helio, seemed to have quite liked his original appearance. No, not "seemed"—it was certain. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stared at his face so intently every day.

When he joked that his face would get a hole in it from the staring, Helio would only briefly turn his head away, only to quickly return to his original position.

It wasn't just his face, but his body as well. Kinaine's original body was the embodiment of a dominant alpha male, so he had thought it might be off-putting to a partner who was to be penetrated. But Helio had overturned that notion in various ways. Touching and licking at every opportunity... sometimes it felt as if honey had been spread on his body. Judging by that, it was clearly to his taste.

Helio liked many other things about 'Kinaine' as well. His innocence, playfulness, confidence born from not knowing the ways of the world, righteousness bordering on arrogance, and so on.

As he was thinking this, Kinaine suddenly realized.

'I have lost everything that Helio loved.'

So even if he regained his memories, he would not love him.

That fact hurt far more than Hasan's fist, more than the pain inflicted by black magic when he tried to speak the truth.

* * *

Not long after being dragged out of prison, Kinaine realized why Hasan had kept him alive.

"Is that the..."

"Don't look, you'll be cursed."

"Did he really not die?"

The gazes of those who saw him fell into two categories: those who feared him, or those who wanted to kill him.

Though the negative emotions emanating from others stung like thorns piercing his body, Kinaine showed no reaction as he knelt and scrubbed the floor.

'Making a blind person clean. This is just about making me the target of abuse.'

He was now wearing a rough, worn tunic typically worn by the lowest-ranking servants. But there was a clear difference between him and the servants—a thick chain collar around his neck, the kind that might be worn by a fierce dog.

For three days, Hasan had decorated Kinaine as if to say, 'Here is a criminal, come and see,' and sent him to various places to do menial tasks. Sometimes he would deliberately visit those places to humiliate him ostentatiously.

People who had initially kept their distance out of fear of the black mage gradually became less afraid of Kinaine as time passed. In place of fear, only anger and contempt remained.

After realizing that Kinaine couldn't see, they began openly cursing at him or throwing stones. They probably thought he couldn't retaliate, but since black magic was a power that could be manifested through will alone, blindness wasn't actually a problem.

Of course, Kinaine had no intention of retaliating against them with black magic, so their assumption was correct in the end.

'Leaving me unattended like this. Does Hasan not care what I might do to these people?'

No, Hasan might even hope for that. He would be the one most pleased by Kinaine's corruption.

Even if Kinaine went berserk and turned everyone here to stone, Hasan alone would remain safe through some method he knew.

...More importantly, that voice hasn't been heard since leaving the prison.'

"Ah."

When Kinaine suddenly paused while scrubbing, the chain was immediately pulled.

"Don't try any tricks and do it properly."

The one holding the end of the chain was Tiron. Under the king's orders, Tiron had been assigned the role of monitoring Kinaine's physical condition to ensure he didn't die, while also keeping watch over him.

The reason for assigning Tiron to Kinaine was obvious. It was both a reminder that there were hostages and a warning that if he tried to escape, the doctor would be the first to die. Though Tiron probably didn't know this.

Kinaine moved his body as Tiron pulled the chain. Otherwise, his neck would be strangled, making it difficult to speak.

"I'm not trying any tricks, I think something just got stuck in my foot."

"What?"

Since criminals weren't allowed to wear shoes, Kinaine was barefoot. Tiron discovered a small, sharp stone embedded in the sole of the foot Kinaine had raised.

"Something felt like it was in the way. I found it quickly this time."

"..."

The foot opposite to the one he had raised already had a bandage wrapped around it. The same thing had happened yesterday, but because he couldn't feel the pain, he had continued walking, causing the stone to become deeply embedded, ultimately requiring an incision to remove it.

"...I'll bring medicine and bandages, keep your foot still."

Tiron returned shortly after and began treatment. Fortunately, since it was discovered early this time, the stone wasn't embedded too deeply and could be removed quickly.

"I wonder why His Majesty keeps you alive?"

Tiron muttered while wrapping a bandage around the injured foot.

Why indeed. Hasan wanted to make Kinaine realize his situation.

He probably wanted to see the second prince, once loved by everyone in this royal palace, now shunned and hated by all.

But there was one thing Hasan didn't know.

That he had a helper by his side whom no one knew about.

"Thank you."

When Kinaine expressed his gratitude, Tiron turned his head away as if he hadn't heard.

Thus, no one saw Kinaine's sleeve unnaturally moving.