" Then why insist?"

Meiyang peered to him and saw that he was still nonchalant. He must have been meaning that he only did it because someone forced him.

‍****

With his shirt still on , Shejin exposed his torso and un-wrapped half of the bandage . Soon after he started to press regions on his skin . No matter how bruised, torn or reddened they were , they didn't even hurt at all . All other the parts were just pale and shockingly bluish. No matter how one looks at it , he seemed like he was in comatose agony and unmissable discomfort but was in complete , anesthesia-induced denial.

He was sure that he is definitely in a dream. He doesn't feel pain , fatigue and can't see his reflection. He doesn't feel hunger but just a subtle emptiness. Of course this can all be confusing if one considers how he cried like a baby when attacked by the green demon.

His emotions are trigger based. For example he will only feel the pain of a burn when his hand is in the fire , he will feel the pressure of a punch when the impact strikes and he feel a slight tinge of fatigue for the brief moment when he wonders why he isn't tired, after that it fades away.Sort of like the way his brain only registers the onset of something and not the process . If there is someone who causes him pain, anger or fear , he will only feel those when he is looking or thinking about them . If he redirects his eyes or attention , he will shift so drastically and so cleanly

He continued in that manner and he turned his head to the windows that were currently open and he saw a shadow duck away. It looked too solid and almost like a figure than a shadow but it was also rather too small to be an actual figure.

It's not absurd to see things like that especially in a dreamstate. So he pushed it off.

He took another bandage and tried to wrapped himself and just then , someone's cold hands moved underneath his and started to wrap him softly. He closed his eyes , imagining something else and for some reason he felt like a brush of wind was going to cascade his ear.

They moved around his waist and over his torso. Systematically he turned over and she was right there. He smiled at her but somehow thought it would have been someone else. Basically just like all the other times , he faked the pleasure of seeing her.

The question of when will he ever enjoy seeing her, touching her and adoring her is beyond him but another thing is that , he forgets about her the minute she leaves and recalls her existence when she reappears.

" You look so much better after sleeping four days",

" Four!!", He screamed and she cursed at him .

She told him that he had been so unconscious and motionless that they could barely feel his pulse but then suddenly he is awake and standing. She added that she couldn't visit often because the guards were always by his door and it would look weird if she persisted despite every attempt to derail her. Only yesterday there was reported reaction but only the doctor and guards saw it . Anyway by order , she had prepared some bath water and food for him but she didn't bring it yet as the doctor wanted to examine his condition first

" go call him , I am starving", He giggled and she nodded then quickly escaped.

The first place he looked was to the window and there again the shadow hid away. He thought to approach it but he didn't. He knew knew that lightning doesn't strike the same place twice so there definitely was something there. Howbeit he didn't seem curious or enthusiastic to see what it was as it will most definitely attempt to disappear again.

He walked towards the bed then bent over and took his coat. He had only put it on when a gush of air flustered his ears from behind and he quickly shifted to find Yamin smiling at him.

Shejin smiled in return. He didn't want to think it but something tells him that Yamin had been persistent in coming here and blowing on his ears. Like she had said, he was non-reactive so Yamin might have been triggering the response doing that. But he really wishes he had seen those slim lips pushing air so tenderly. Not for any reason except that it must have been adorable.

" Can I help put on the bandages?", He requested permission he knew he would never be denied and after a nod, he took the ones on Shejin's hands and followed the same pattern she did only this time , Shejin seemed to wish the bandages were a little longer . Afterwards he adjusted the cloth over his body then tired the strands.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Like he was trying to reward his audience at him , Yamin kept his head bowed and smile slyfully , knowing very well that Shejin was looking at his lips . Surprisingly both of them knew that nothing expect looking is likely to happen. Nevertheless teasing each other like this is so fulfilling even it is still PG.

He finished and he found Shejin looking sinfully stunning and staring at him with a little more yearning than innocence. Shejin didn't even hide it or pretend. For no reason Yamin used his own hand then tucked Shejin's hair behind his ear . He didn't know what Shejin thought and Shejin didn't react any way but the lack of emotion resembled happiness in him.

" Your face is mischievous", he spoke while still fitting his hair softly and running his fingers along the strands. His eyes moved from his hand to Shejin's neck , his chin and up to his lips.

' why is he so tantalizing but not electrifying? ', Shejin couldn't understand but atleast with him he doesn't dispute intimacy.

Seconds later those seeking and soft eyes raised to Shejin's eyes but were soon diverted. A knock interrupted their sweet moment . Yamin went to open the door but the kitchen boss lady barged in boldly without anyone inviting her in. She eyed Yamin and condensending Shejin to cover up.

" I am relocating staff in the palace and want to have someone assigned to you for delivering food. Now that you are unwell it is apparent to do so. I was ordered to give you some young girls and you will see them after your recovery. And another is going to start tending to you personally, according to orders ",

"Orders?", He spoke fixing his overgarment

" Who else if not the king? ",

" How is he?",

She responded that he can go find out for himself and without wasting anytime he stepped out of the room . He didn't bother telling the lady to leave nor the details of his bulleting off just like she didn't bother asking for permission to enter.

As he stormed away , he collided onto a petite maid in rose-gold and emerald but without explanation she shamefully ran away . he had already recognized her as Iseul's maid.

" Wait !", He called but she blast off .

He will visit Iseul later .

He ran to the king .

****

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍He knocked on the doors and felt a little bit shaky. The run was a bit heavy but he didn't feel tired , just misplaced and a hint of minimal dizziness. These are probably signs that he might be hungry but they are just greatly mild and ignorable .

Anyway in no less that ten seconds, some maids opened the door and when they mentioned it was him, the king said to let him inside .

Shejin thanked the maids and when they all came into the room, he couldn't find the king. He looked all over place and when he eyed the maid, she pointed towards the showers that he was in there. Shejin isn't sure what time it is, but he is really certain that the king wouldn't be bathing with the sun so high in the sky.

Shejin nearly walked away but the king erased his mission by asking him why he was here ? He then told the maids to wait outside .

His voice was very faint like he was in a dream, so distant and unreachable. Sort of like he wasn't using his vocal apparatus to propagate it.

After the doors closed , Shejin moved a bit closer to the showers so that the king doesn't have to scream or struggle to hear. Shejin announced that he was simply concerned about the king since the attack for that reason he came to visit him.

" It was said that you have been sleeping for four days. The first thing you did was come here , because you were worried about me?", He asked casually making Shejin feel like a fool, mostly because he can't stop the fortune.

It was mentioned in the novel that after the sighting of a phantom at the palace, the king was not well the following day and his health proceeded to get worse days henceforth. The prince started to get even more crazy as he witnessed his father in that state . He didn't know what and made his father sick nor what could cure him let alone what exactly was making him ill

" The sect has investigated the bodies and have found nothing useful. Like you said that there was a demon, and they apparently think that is what was affecting the people. ",

Shejin kept quiet. The tonal disharmony was proof that the aforementioned weak health has onset. He felt awful that he is aware of this

" I also don't believe that conclusion. Such power means a long thought and servants don't usually have that much hate . One cultivator had said that the north weapons can help to defeat the nightmares...", He paused taking a deep breath in

" But how long will it take to find such weapons and to device a plan to save more people. The Yee ,Long , Kim and Mang households have been reported to have such a disorder going on . A lot more were seem sighted and the police are trying their best to provide safety but everyone can see that it's like promising happiness in a storm",

He vented his problems to Shejin and would periodically have unmissable difficulty in respiring.The king sounded really tired

" I will bring answers . ", He vowed to him in pittance .

He knows that the king is going to lose his life due to this illness and not a single individual would be able to stop it.

the king told him that he doesn't need answers, he needs a solution that will stop all the drama that is going on. His people are dying .

He coughed and just as Shejin was about to move closer ,he stopped him. A wave of Deja Vu cascaded in as he recalled the day doctors stopped him from entering the room when his grandfather was having a seizure.

The king asked him if Shejin had eaten to which he replied no.

An air of quietness came back and with it a sudden unknown pain and heaviness was begun within his brain. It felt so tremendously paralyzing and burdensome like a forgotten obligation. It was no different from a tarted black cloud that suddenly dawns on one when they remember that they are destined to a horrid fate.

He felt the need to ask him if he is okay but he knows he isn't.

Should he go and see? Should he help him find the antidote? Should he tell him about the disease?

The king allowed him to leave and so Shejin bowed to him . But he was troubled. Somethings are really difficult to say.

How is he going to look Yongsun in the eyes knowing his father is going to die? How will he make him understand this? Should he wait until later to tell him ? In the meantime, should he act puzzled to everything?

" Do you have something to say?", He asked hyperventilating but instead of Shejin running to him , he gave the excuse of going to prepare meals. Basically Shejin didn't answer that question.

After he left the room, the king coughed and coughed. He wiped his nostrils of blood and threw the tissue on the pile that was next to him. He drank the black mixture on the dish next to him .

As the bitterness feel down his throat he wanted to cry because it hurt too much .

He looked to the side and the green phantom that attacked Shejin was gawking at him . It had the same shape as him , just that everything was like jade . It signaled him to drink the liquid.

The poor man obliged with tears falling down his eyes. He doesn't want to be in this situation, commanding thousands of people while he is being commanded by a green thing. He sipped it once more and as it descended into his gut, blood flew out his nostrils.

The liquid wasn't to help him, it was Poison!