CHAPTER 136: THE LAST FIREWORKS

Gremblin was startled to hear a voice behind her, and when she turned around, she was even more shocked. Her eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of her head.

Gremblin was stunned to see Sylas in the dormitory. Behind her!

And... in the worst situation she could imagine.

"Y-Your Highness..." Mrs. Gremblin hid the bag of coins behind her back and bowed respectfully.

Sylas walked into the room, his eyes fixed on Kai, who was still kneeling and staring at him with sparkling eyes.

"Stand up, Kai," Sylas ordered.

Kai quickly obeyed and stood up. He didn’t understand why Sylas was there, but he was very happy to see him after just one day apart.

Sylas held out his hand in front of Gremblin. "Hand over the bag," he said.

Gremblin panicked, trying to look confused and clueless.

"You know, stealing and forcing others to give you their property is punishable by imprisonment. You took those coins by force, which is a crime," Sylas said calmly.

Gremblin stared at Sylas’s outstretched hand, her heart pounding fast. Cold sweat instantly covered her face, and she felt like she had run a marathon.

"Forgive me, Your Highness. But I think you misunderstand. I was helping him keep the coins while he was here," said Gremblin, making excuses.

"I heard what you said earlier. You don’t need to make excuses. Give me the bag," Sylas urged.

Gremblin reluctantly took out the pouches. She handed them to Sylas, each containing two silver coins.

Sylas looked at the coins. "Three coins per pouch, and you still dared to take two coins that were the result of someone else’s hard work. Aren’t you paid by the palace?" he asked. His voice was calm, but filled with anger.

Gremblin looked down. "Your Highness, this is really a misunderstanding."

Sylas looked at Kai. "Kai, you know you can’t lie. Did she ask you for coins?"

Kai looked at the frightened Gremblin. Then he nodded.

"How much did she ask you for?" Sylas asked again.

"H-half of the coins I had, Master..."

"Half?! And you just gave it to her?" Sylas raised his voice slightly.

Kai was now scared too. He looked down and clasped his hands together.

Sylas looked at Gremblin. "Please give back all the coins you ever took," Sylas said firmly.

Gremblin swallowed hard. The problem was that she had already used the coins to buy things for her house and food. She never saved any money.

Sylas’s eyes sharpened when Gremblin stayed silent. "Are you listening to me?"

Gremblin nodded. "I’m sorry, Your Highness. I don’t have any coins right now."

Sylas stared in disbelief. How could someone dare take what belonged to others and use it without guilt?

But forcing her now would get him nothing. He looked at Kai, who was still looking down, his hands trembling. Sylas wanted to hug him, but now wasn’t the time.

"What is your name?" Sylas asked.

"Maria Gremblin, Your Highness."

"I will speak to the headmaster. You know what will happen to you," said Sylas, making Gremblin’s heart drop.

She knew she would probably be punished or expelled. But she wouldn’t be the only one to suffer. Her brother Bram would be affected too. They would both be expelled from the palace.

Gremblin realized what terrible things were waiting for her. She immediately knelt down. Her heavy body made it difficult, and when she grabbed Sylas’s hand, she almost pulled the prince down with her.

Luckily, Sylas managed to keep his balance, holding Gremblin’s hand while waiting for her to kneel fully with great effort.

"Your Highness. Please forgive this old woman. I have nothing, please forgive me. I will pay everything back when I get my salary, I promise!" Gremblin’s voice trembled, her eyes glistening. She looked truly terrified.

Sylas stared at her. "Please let go of my pants." He tried to pull Gremblin up.

But the woman held on tightly, pulling at his pants. She shook her head, refusing to stand until the prince promised to forgive her.

"I don’t know what you’ve been doing all this time. With the responsibility you have, and yet you abuse it, how many people have you harmed? Do you know that honesty is very valuable, because you won’t always have someone watching over you?"

Gremblin shook her head. "I swear I’ll never do it again, Your Highness!"

"Stand up, please, let go of my pants. You’re going to leave me naked," said Sylas.

Gremblin cried, but finally gave in when Sylas helped her stand up.

She wiped her tears when she finally stood. She looked down, shocked to find herself in this situation. She truly regretted that Bram might be dragged into trouble because of her stupidity.

Kai looked at Gremblin, feeling sorry for the old woman. But he was scared too. Still, he had to do something.

He looked at Sylas. "M-Master, I still have some coins. I don’t mind if she takes them."

"This isn’t just about you, Kai. She shouldn’t have done that. Not to you, not to anyone."

Gremblin looked at Kai. "He doesn’t need those coins, Your Highness. I need them more. I haven’t gotten anything for months. I only get food and summer vacation when everyone else is on break, but there’s nothing else I can eat. I only took half of his coins, I’m the one who takes care of him while he’s here."

"Mrs. Gremblin, I don’t know why you think it’s acceptable to take the rights of a student who only earns a few coins from his work. You take care of this place, how can you not be paid?"

Gremblin looked at Sylas with teary eyes. "I swear, I haven’t gotten a penny in months. I’ve never taken coins from anyone before, but if I don’t even get food, how can I survive?"

Sylas shook his head. "I’ll talk to the principal. Whatever the reason, what you did was very wrong. And the way you act like it’s nothing makes it even worse, Mrs. Gremblin. You don’t realize you’re taking away other people’s rights. Do you know this is considered bullying?"

Gremblin looked down. She thought only about her and Bram’s future if they were expelled. They had been living comfortably in the palace without having to pay for anything.

Then she realized this might be the end of that life. Regret washed over her. Why had she done something so stupid?

"Your Highness, I beg your forgiveness. I swear I won’t do it again."

"You are no longer a child, Mrs. Gremblin. You should have thought before acting," said Sylas. He looked around the small room.

"One thing, why did you give him this room? Don’t you have any other decent rooms?"

Gremblin swallowed hard. "That... Your Excellency, I’ve cleaned all the rooms. This room wasn’t going to be used until the new school year."

"So, you gave Kai this room because you didn’t want him to use the rooms you had cleaned for a month?" Sylas didn’t believe her explanation.

Gremblin looked down.

"Help pack his things. Give him a proper room," Sylas ordered.

Gremblin stared at Kai’s neatly closed suitcase. There was nothing she could do. The room was clean, and it looked like Kai always put his clothes back into the suitcase. She lifted the suitcase with difficulty, given her condition.

Sylas stared at the bed covered with thin fabric. Had Kai been sleeping on that bed all this time? And the young man hadn’t said anything to him.

Sylas asked Garry to help Gremblin carry Kai’s suitcase, and he requested a room on the first floor to make things easier for Kai.

Gremblin hesitated. "Your Highness, but... the first floor is for servants who serve the royal family. Maybe I should ask him to leave when the new school year starts."

"Oh, don’t worry. Kai will stay at the royal residence. He doesn’t need to move. And stop treating him badly just because you think you can."

Gremblin shook her head. "I never treated him badly, Your Highness."

"I don’t need your explanation, Mrs. Gremblin. I’ve seen enough."

Gremblin opened her mouth to speak, but Sylas told her to be quiet. He looked at the new room. It was a little larger with a more comfortable bed. There was also a wardrobe, a table, and a chair.

Garry helped take out Kai’s clothes and put them in the wardrobe.

Sylas asked Gremblin to leave. Then he looked at Garry.

"I asked you to watch him. Why didn’t you report this to me?" Sylas asked.

Garry was shocked when Sylas said Gremblin had taken Kai’s coins. He hadn’t known. He bowed and apologized.

"I’m sorry, Your Highness."

"He won’t say anything to you, or to anyone else. So please, report anything that happens to him," said Sylas.

Garry bowed. "Yes, Your Highness. I’m truly sorry."

Sylas told him to leave, and now he looked at Kai, who was still staring down. The room was bright, and the young man’s face was clearly visible.

Sylas noticed Kai’s clenched, trembling hands. He couldn’t help but smile. He grabbed one and pulled Kai closer.

Kai looked at Sylas fearfully, but when he saw the prince’s smile, he felt a little relieved.

"I was very angry when everyone treated you so badly, but why did you stay silent?" asked Sylas. Instead of talking or reporting it, Kai had been afraid of being scolded.

To Kai, he didn’t need anything special. A room, a place to sleep, was enough. He had nothing to complain about. As for the coins, he didn’t need them, so if someone asked, he would just give them away. It didn’t matter to him.

Sylas looked at Kai’s calm face, now showing worry, and he couldn’t help but hug him.

Kai felt Sylas’s warm embrace.

"You worry me. What if I die? What will happen to you?" said Sylas. The thought suddenly crossed his mind. How could he make Kai stand on his own, know his rights, and be able to demand them?

Kai froze when he heard Sylas’s words. His chest trembled at the thought of Sylas no longer being there. Just imagining Sylas leaving him was painful enough. If Sylas died, what would he do?

Sylas was surprised when he felt Kai’s arms wrap around his back. He smiled. "I know, you don’t like that thought either."

That night, they went to the town hall. The guards in charge of the fireworks were already prepared. Sylas made sure they had a good spot, away from the crowd.

They sat on benches under a large tree. The place was quiet, and the guards surrounded the area so no one could approach.

Kai jumped several times at the sound of the fireworks exploding nearby. But his eyes widened in awe when the sparks filled the sky.

Yesterday, he had only seen them for a moment, but now he could watch them to his heart’s content. For some reason, the fireworks filled his chest with joy. He smiled many times without even realizing it.

Sylas, on the other hand, was focused on Kai’s excited face. He was sure no one in the world could match his innocence. Maybe for others, Kai was unattractive, too weak and passive, but to him, he was adorable. He wouldn’t regret protecting this young man for the rest of his life.

Kai’s innocent smile strengthened Sylas’s resolve to bring more happiness to him.

Kai was still staring at the sky when he felt Sylas’s hand slide around his waist, followed by a soft kiss on his cheek.

He turned his head, looking at Sylas, who was smiling and also staring at the sky. "Look up, Kai."

Kai touched his cheek, his heart warming. Sylas had just kissed him. He smiled, and now the fireworks looked even more beautiful.

"I hope this happiness isn’t like these fireworks."

Kai looked at Sylas, confused.

"Beautiful, but only for a moment, then gone. I hope we can get through anything together."

Kai was still trying to understand when Sylas kissed him gently on the lips. And that night, he lost count of how many times he felt Sylas’s kiss.