Original: CEO ft Enice
"What did you say..."
Kanin's voice randomly burst out dryly, as if not his own voice. He walkedover and stopped in the middle of the living room, causing the reactions of thetwo people in front of him to be different. Tattanai, who was constantly worrying in histhoughts, felt his soul suddenly shrink and disappear into a wide-eyed stare.The middle-aged man's face turned pale and clashed with the calmness on Charan's face.
"Nin..."
"I asked... what did you say?" The beautiful pair of eyes trembled, feelingconfused, anxious, and worried, like a sharp sword that rushed in, intending tohurt the core. Kanin, still seeming out of place, looked at Charan, but he did notreceive an answer, turned his gaze to the man who was his father.
"Can anyone answer me what the hell is this all about?!" screamed Charan,standing up to his full height. The people who had been sitting in theconference room previously, shook hands and made gestures, turned to lookat Tattanai before falling silent.
"I will give you time to explain everything to the Young-Prince." There was noquestion beyond that, and Kanin noticed that his father could only bow hishead and not even meet the gaze of this man... the man who was walkingstraight towards them.
"Then I'll be back." The last sentence from Charan came with a gesturedirected at Kanin. The young man raised his head and looked at the personwho had just learned that he had royal blood flowing through his veins, beforethe long-legged man left this house. Leaving a silence to engulf the room.
"Nin, I'm sorry..." It took Tattanai more than five minutes to relent. Somephrases came out, but they were not what he wanted to hear. For a moment,Kanin felt like he was choking on something he had swallowed. His nerves,senses, and body were all in confusion because he knew his father's characterbetter than anyone else.
Tattanai is abnormal.
"Dad... Tell me that the man is lying." The weakness and uncertainty wereevident in Khanin's voice. Tattanai's pained expression was visible to Khaninthrough Khanin's tone of voice. The person known as "His Birth Father" hadbeen taking deep breaths all his life as if he had never fallen down before.
"All of that... is true." It was as if lightning had struck Kanin's chest, followedby a strong feeling of nausea that engulfed him. His mind was full ofquestions, but he couldn't seem to articulate anything.
"..."
"Emmaly is a country governed by the Sovereign-King, whose current name is Sovereign-King Dhipabawon. He is the lead of the Atsawathewathin family."
"..."
"The Sovereign-King had only one son, Prince-Tarin. Over 20 years ago,Prince-Tarin married Princess-Consort Kunita, and they gave birth to a youngprince... But before the young prince could reach the age of one, anunexpected event happened."
"Why are you telling me this, Dad?"
As Kanin asked his questions, Tattanai told him a story that he had heardbefore. Kanin's brow furrowed in confusion, just like a fool.
"The procession of Princess Consort Kunita was targeted and ambushed, she was kidnapped while on her way back from her hometown. The incident caused Prince Tarin to lose his Princess-Consort and a Young Prince, but inreality, nobody knows what happened. The Sovereign-King helped the youngprince escape and ordered the royal guards to take him out of the country for his safety."
"..."
"The Sovereign-King ordered the lord of the royal guards to pledge to protect Young-Prince with his life, by pledging his blood oath."
At this point, Kanin's body trembled uncontrollably, and his two-tiered eyeslooked down at the left arm of the man who was almost his father.
'Dad, I wanted to know why you like to sit and look at the scar on your own arm.'
'Because it reminds me of who I am and where I came from.'
"It's impossible."
The voice of the young man was shaking as Kanin stepped back, leaving agap between them. When Tattanai lifted his shirt sleeve to reveal a long scaron his flesh, Kanin recognized it as a wound his father never told him.
Father said that no bravery can be greater than the bravery to accept thetruth. The other side once said that accepting and understanding sometimesseems easy, but sometimes it is difficult to do. It is beyond explanation tomake someone understand.
"I... I don't want to listen anymore, Dad!" At that time, Kanin was just a youngboy. He simply listened to the teaching and let it pass throughhis ears. He thought that he was a brave person and not inferior to anyone.
"..."
"The young man's name is Tattanai, and the little prince is called..."
Tattanai refused to stop his request. The middle-aged man continued to speakout and fulfill his duty. Contrary to the firmness of his gaze in the past, it wasnow uncertain as if he wanted to hide his weakness, but he could not avoidthe truth.
"..."
"His name is Young-Prince Kanin." The truth that Kanin never expected...
He didn't even think that it could hurt so much...
The tall and majestic figure walked along the path with a steady pace,reminiscing about the situation that had just passed.
It was a scar that Kanin had never heard about before, but he knew it wasimportant from the way his father behaved.
"Do you remember the lesson about courage, Nin?" The beautiful pair of eyeswere hot and teary, and drops of water fell from the corner of Kanin's eyes ashe touched his finger to the scar. He remembered the lessons about braveryfrom his father well.
From a young age, Tattanai always reminded him to be a brave person.
His time calculation was not wrong, Kanin came back on time, and theimportant time was just right as Charan had planned.
The young man remembered the owner of the cute face who often looked hisway. Beware of danger and be cautious, that child has the bloodline of theAtsawathewathin dynasty. If he had to rate their intelligence and charm out ofa hundred, he would give them a seventy.
It can be said that Tattanai taught him very well in preparation for turningKanin into a complete Young Prince.
However, the matter of manners need a subtraction of its own.
Sneaking into the house smoothly was an interesting survival skill, but Kaninwas not vigilant enough. Charan even saw the reflection of the other party'sshadow from the stainless steel sugar bowl that Tattanai had placed with thetea set, the more the child moved closer, the more the mirror in the middle ofthe living room reflected his image more clearly, suitable for young eyes toobserve.
Subtract twenty points for impoliteness.
Even Tattanai himself was constantly worried and hesitant. Despite his effortsto negotiate, he could not even hear the sound of the intruder's footsteps. Theefficiency of his high-ranking guard position disappeared completely.
...
Charan stopped in front of the old church, he looked at the landscape of thetown that was mostly built with orange bricks. It was an unfamiliar sight... Theyoung man took a deep breath and organized the next steps in his head.
Because he didn't want to waste time and have to resort to ruthless methodsto invest, Charan knew that younger people had to run into traps. Even if hedidn't want to rely on it, at that moment he spoke out the most important thing.
Everything was just following the path that he had set out. Everything,including appearing in front of Kanin's eyes to talk. All of it was to makeKanin suspicious and uneasy.
In the past, he didn't think of ways to soothe and flatter like Tattanai didbecause he didn't want to cross the line and show too much respect to hisseniors. So, he didn't say much. But today, Tattanai made it clear that hewanted to save time. Therefore, Charan had to react quickly to end thisdragging story.
It may sound like a cruel act to the "Cicada Caretakers", but he thought thiswas the best way out. For the remaining time...
...
Charan returned to Tattanai's house again in the morning.
Another round of Earl Grey tea was placed in front of him. However, the middle-aged man on the other sofa seemed different from yesterday. Tattanai appeared somber as he spoke in a hushed tone, almost like a murmur.
"If the Young Prince is facing tough competition, what if we give him more time to get ready?"
"He was supposed to start getting ready almost two weeks ago, but I'm meeting you for the first time now," Charan said calmly, taking a sip of his tea. "I can't wait any longer. As I mentioned before, the Sovereign-King's health is getting worse every day. If others find out, the competition might happen sooner."
"..."
"Young Prince Khanin isn't prepared for the competition yet..."
"..."
"I understand."
"Based on Emmaly's previous government rules, if the current Sovereign-King steps down, there has to be a competition to determine the next one. Therefore, Khun Tattanai, you need to be aware of who will participate to ensure Prince Tarin becomes the next Sovereign-King. That's the reason for my visit here."
"It's a tradition that's been passed down for a long time in Emmaly. Every citizen knows about the competition to become Sovereign-King. Each family has to send their heir to take part. The winner can make their father proud, just like Prince Tarin did once for his father. When Sovereign-King Dhipabawon became the ruler of Emmaly, they established this system to support fathers in ascending to the throne, addressing the issue of family competition. The Emmaly family used different methods to ensure their fathers held the country's leadership position. Meanwhile, the Sovereign-King has the responsibility of governing the country with strength."
Charan's goal in life is to ensure that the sovereign position remains within the Atsawathewathin family.
"..."
With a serious look, Charan watched the two talking. He put his tea cup on the table. When Tattanai was quiet, Charan took the chance to calmly explain why it was important to be tough with the other party. This was different from the gentle compromise he had planned at first.
"There are many things for the Young Prince to learn because, from what I can tell, he appears to know very little beyond his native language."
"Yes, Khun Charan, you're correct... The Young Prince still has more preparation ahead," Tattanai admitted. He bowed his head in agreement and spoke softly, his words trailing off like someone cautioning themselves.
The old man breathed out slowly, no longer concerned with preserving the past. He opposed the young man more than before, standing up from the sofa and leaving the guest room. He came back with a medium-sized backpack.
Charan looked at the backpack placed in front of him, then lifted his eyes to meet the older man's dark gaze. Without asking anything, he stayed silent, waiting for Tattanai to provide an explanation.
"Inside this bag are all the necessary things for the Young Prince's life," the middle-aged man's eyes grew more suspicious as he moved his hand away from the object in front of Charan.
"Would it be better for me to keep it? In fact, keeping it with you might be a better idea," the younger man, with a higher rank than the older one, asked. He remained seated upright and didn't make a move to touch the bag.
"It's better to keep it with you. If I keep it... I might not be able to hand it overto my son."
The use of the pronoun 'son' by Charan to refer to Kanin indicated that the former guardian had shared bits of his heart with the Young Prince. The young man could perceive the sadness in both of their eyes, clear enough to mirror the emotions in their hearts. Where there is love, there is pain, regardless of its form. When the moment arrives to let go, the pain runs deep.
Charan believed that love was challenging and often led to loss and chaos. He had never considered giving his heart to someone, but that didn't mean he would be cruel or heartless towards others.
He would have to let it go at some point.
"I'll give you time to say goodbye to the Young Prince as if he were your son... but don't take too long," Charan said, understanding that Tattanai might need time to adjust after waking up from a long dream. Even if they were to go back together, the relationship between Tattanai and Young Prince Kanin wouldn't be the same as before.
"Thank you very much," Tattanai said in a stiff, quiet voice. His face seemed more relaxed now. Charan looked at him as if he might stand up but then paused, deep in thought about something else important.
"There's one more thing the Sovereign-King wants me to tell you about."
"What is it?" Tattanai asked.
"It's about the tea, sir." Charan looked at the teacup in front of him, frowned a bit, and then took out a small envelope from his shirt pocket.
"..."
"His Majesty wants to send the best tea back to Emmaly with this letter for you, sir."
The letter was placed in a sealed envelope and handed over. Charan, responsible for delivering the message, had executed all the orders flawlessly.
"Thank you."
Charan didn't know what was in the letter, but the sealed envelope meant he shouldn't open or ask about it. Despite his doubts, the young man could only stay watchful and observe everything from now on.
Knock Knock
The door opened, and heavy footsteps interrupted the conversation, abruptly stopping everything.
Charan looked away from his conversation partner towards the hallway. Suddenly, Khanin's cute face appeared but quickly disappeared as someone of higher status passed by and caught their attention.
"Nin"
"..."
"Come eat first, my child."
Charan remained silent, quietly observing and noting the situation in front of him. It appeared that everyone in the room was trying to recreate a sense of the past. Tattanai wore a light blue stained apron, busily preparing food on a table. Meanwhile, Kanin grabbed his backpack and headed off to school, although everyone was aware that things were not the same as they used to be.
They were all about to explode.
"I'm not hungry." The young one didn't even enter the dining room with the table, and Kanin left without saying goodbye or acknowledging the important guest. He walked out the door, slamming it behind him, creating a loud and unsettling noise.
Bang!
The etiquette score has to go down.
Charan didn't react to the child's action. However, it visibly affected Tattanai, who wore a sad expression and seemed more disheartened than before.
Khanin had already left, leaving behind an awkward atmosphere. Charan stayed silent, holding a cup of hot tea until he stood up and issued another important warning.
"The letter..."
"Please open that letter after I've left."
"Where is Khun Charan going?" an older person asked curiously. Charan buttoned up his suit, slightly nodding to the elderly person before turning to the other party. He spoke with a sincere voice, encouraging Tattanai to express himself openly.
"I didn't stop you from buying time... but my time is equally precious."
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TBC