Chapter 23: Fragments of Past [2]
"My son!"
It's the 8th day when Kaizer wakes up and Grand Duke Karsten immediately calls top talent doctors and magicians to look after his son's condition.
"Your excellency please don't get excited and let go of the young master."
Lancelotte held his master's hand trying to pull him upon seeing the magicians and doctors' pale and frightened expressions as they would lower their heads in an instant, afraid that once the duke realized they were looking, they would be beheaded on the spot.
Grand Duke Karsten just glared at Lancelotte.
"My son has been in a coma for a few days, come and check his health."
Kaizer is still in a dazed state as he rested his head on his father's torso letting himself be hugged. His unusual reaction made the duke nervous and refuse to let go of his beloved son, fearing that his son would break down once he let go as he can feel Kaizer's rare dependence on him.
"Come! Hurry!"
The magicians and doctors look at each other.
Lancelotte couldn't take it so he suggested first to avoid making the duke angrier: "Magicians could check first to see if his little highness's mana is circulating well without blockage and storing in one place so we can know if there would be another mana outburst that would happen."
The magician trembled but step forward under the pressure of the grand duke's eyes.
"T-Then please allow me to touch his highness."
Grand Duke Karsten: "Go on."
The magician sighed and held Kaizer's hand. The mana is now stable and circulating evenly inside the body. The magician knew that its the duke who made it because the process is polished and there is almost no sign of an outburst at any moment. Now, he wondered why the young master suddenly became out of control.
Wanting to go further, the magician immediately backed away and gasp.
"Ngh!"
Letting out a loud whimper, everyone look at the magician who suddenly jumped away in pain.
"What's wrong?" the duke asked.
"T-This, there is some strange force inside young master's body and it immediately repelled me."
Grand Duke Karsten's expression turned solemn and said, "Did you try to reach the core?"
The magician turns pale and immediately kneels, "I beg your mercy duke! I'm just curious about the young master's condition so I wanted to find out the root of his outburst, I mean no harm and had no bad intentions!"
"Raise your head."
Lancelotte face palm and couldn't help but pity the magician's boldness.
"What did you see?"
The magician trembles.
"I-I--- I swear I won't talk t---"
"I asked you, what did you see?"
"I-I--" the magician's face is full of despair and couldn't help but regret, "T-There is something forming in the young master's core, slowly swallowing it. I-I know I'm in no position to say this b-but, your excellency, his little highness p-probably have an a-another soul inside h-him and is trying t-to replace the y-young master."
Grand Duke Karsten's face eases up...
"You're quite talented, no wonder Arkiton send you. Don't worry, as one of Arkiton's disciplines I would be lenient with you."
The magicians bow repeatedly: "Y-Yes, this lowly one expresses his gratitude."
"You're not allowed to talk to others about this. You go back and report your mistake, I'll let them revise your punishment as I see potential with your ability."
"I-It's an honor, T-Thank you, your excellency!"
"Good."
Grand Duke Karsten: "The doc---"
"Mmmhh."
Kaizer shook his head and grab his father's clothes.
When he heard the conversation earlier, he couldn't help but be afraid. He thought that the voice inside his head is nothing of harm to him but he didn't expect that he'll have another soul inside him and is working to overtake his body.
What made him scared is that his father doesn't seem to care about this other soul inside his body, not even asking how to get rid of it knowing that it was consuming him slowly.
"Why is my son wronged?"
Hearing his father's sweet voice, Kaizer couldn't help but clench his fist.
"Dad, I don't want to disappear."
Grand Duke Karsten stiffen and said, "You won't disappear, inside you is your brother, the soul is not a stranger to us. Let's give him a chance to see the world because he died shortly after being born."
"Brother?"
Grand Duke Karsten caresses his son's head and drops a kiss on the forehead.
"That's right, you have a brother but he failed and died..." the first experiment wasn't perfect so the first child conceived by his beloved died shortly after birth "...and now you are born, he is probably unwilling to be forgotten by dad so he comes back using you...because you have the healthy body he hadn't."
Kaizer's forehead creased.
"Is that why mom became sick because my brother's death is hard to accept?"
Grand Duke Karsten smirked, "Yes, but don't worry, after recuperating your mom will come back to us and with your brother, we'll be a happy big family."
Kaizer fell into deep thought.
"But dad, m-my brother seems to like this one person!"
"Daddy knows, so to make your brother happy, we can keep him."
Kaizer's eyes widen "T-Then can he be my playmate? I don't like Rasiel and Casimin anymore, since my brother like him, I will like him too!"
"Yes, your brother is living inside your body so to compensate him, what he likes should be kept by you, what he liked should also be protected and treasured by you, got it?"
Since his father told him he won't disappear then it's fine.
His father is the most powerful, he believes in him.
This conversation...Kaizer let go of his fears but Lancelotte and the doctor who is listening aside turn pale and got frightened in turn.
They couldn't believe what they heard.
No wonder the son is also crazy, it is because the father is too crazy to teach his son badly.
"Do you want to see him? I asked the servants to give him a big and comfortable room, he's still sleeping though so you can't play with him for now."
"Can I sleep with him later?"
"Do you like him too?"
"I don't know, but my brother really like him, wouldn't my brother be happy if I'm always near the person he likes?"
Grand Duke Karsten agreed, probably the other soul would calm down if that kid is near his son. Anyways, it's not a problem to have two sons to pamper, you can just hold two weddings for his son and the brother, anyways, it's all blood, as long as it's that person and his child, he would do everything even if it put himself in a bad situation.
What he wasn't able to experience when he was still a child, he'll make sure his sons won't experience the same suffering as him under the hands of his father.
There's not only a De la Vallier but also a Karsten.
And he is a Karsten.
——The academy is full of noise because the entry test is already starting and the upcoming selection is getting nearer.
Timber who is scheduled to take a test battle today couldn't help but get nervous
What to do? He still had no news about Eugene and even after using his family's connection to visit the Granddukedom is futile especially since he was still inside the academy and is not allowed to go out without valid reasons.
He writes a letter to be sent to his mother but based on the replies he got, it was his stepbrother who is receiving his letter. He suddenly couldn't help but get confused knowing how much his mother hated his stepbrother.
How could his stepbrother have his letters instead of his mother?
His stepbrother also mention that his mother got sick and couldn't write a reply to him so he [Timber's stepbrother] wrote instead which made him worried.
How could his mother get sick?
He wanted to go home but the test is here and choose to let go of his concern.
Forget it, based on what his stepbrothers wrote, his stepbrother despite being hated is the one taking care of his mother in his stead. This information alone calms him knowing that his stepbrother is a good and caring person, he's been like that since he was a child...he was always being taken care of by his stepbrother.
Forget it...
The upcoming selection is near and he needed to pass this test.
Eugene would also probably wake up soon and contact him, he shouldn't worry too much.
"How's your condition?"
"I think I could pass this test."
Euric chuckled, "Well, it's my little brother who taught you, you better pass or it's a goodbye to your dream."
'Hmp, you don't need to tell me, I would!"
——Eugene had this long dream of his childhood friend.
"Hey, isn't that young master Su?"
"No way, the largest second holder of the Hesu Group? I heard he's sick so he rarely comes out--- Hey, isn't that young master He?!"
"It's them."
"Wow, the rumor is true, young master He and young master Su are close."
"Aren't they living together?"
"No way."
Su Eugene and Kaizer He, both are popular figures in the business industry. Not only they are known for their business ability but also their handsomeness and beauty as both have foreign blood in their body.
Su Eugene makes women jealous and at the same time desires him as a perfect husband while Kaizer He's dominant facial structure and aura make not only women but also men to become submissive. The two when seen in public are like a living prince in a fairy tale. However, not every prince is charming, sometimes one evil or an evil side is existing.
Wrapping his arms around Eugene's waist, Kaizer proudly passes by everyone.
This scene falls under the watchful eyes of everyone and couldn't help but gossip more.
"I told you, no wonder something's fishy since then."
"Right, President He refuses women, wouldn't it because there is someone more beautiful besides him? hahahaha--- ah, my bad." the young man immediately shut his mouth when he receives sharps eyes from countless people and glances at the two people far away.
Well, he's not wrong.
With how beautiful Eugene is, some bend men in the circle couldn't help but boldly pursue which made President He angry and almost made those people bankrupt and unable to get up again. With those pair of hunter's eyes, he already knew that President He didn't see Eugene as a friend at all and he was aware that others started to feel it too so sooner or later Hesu would drop a big announcement that would shake the business industry.
...and he was right.
Hesu Group drop a big announcement but it is something that he and other did not expect.
It was a year later when the genius president of the Hesu Group are charged with murder and it was his parents that reported him.
This event shook the whole business industry, especially the public.
Apparently, President He killed his long-time business partner Su Eugene out of passion and kept his body underground. A freezer in the shape of a coffin was found and it also stated upon autopsy that Su Eugene died shortly after being stabbed, a trace of being drugged is also shown but the worst thing in that announcement is that Su Eugene's dead body got raped numerous times.
Such a crazy thing made the public unbelievably angry.
Hesu's stock drops intensely and immediately announces bankruptcy. After their son was arrested, the couple couldn't help their guilt and committed a double suicide, leaving a regret note and some story behind Eugene's death.
The public couldn't give their sympathy to the He couple that committed suicide, because the content of the note is too ugly and cruel for them to digest.
"I never thought that the scene in novels could be this gruesome in reality."
"Trying to compare it with a novel? That's a real person's life!!!!"
"It's so cruel, imagine being killed and without knowing you are being raped countless times?!!!"
"Madman!!! Kaizer He should rot in hell! Give justice to Su Eugene!"
"I want a petition to make Kaizer He ends with the death penalty!!!"
——Eugene seems to hear countless voices as his eyelashes trembled, indicating that he was regaining consciousness.
In a huge elegant and expensive-looking room, Eugene who is lying in the middle of a huge bed opened his eyes in a dazed. He feels like he's forgetting something again and couldn't recall it no matter how many times he tried.
It's the 10th day when Eugene woke up, the day three days away from the upcoming selection.
Facing the unfamiliar environment, Eugene trembled and hug his aching head.
"Ngh!"
It hurts. It hurts him so much.
Just what the hell happened? He couldn't remember it at all.