THENEXTPRINCE, Chapter 41: Plan/Strategy.
The sky above the Royal Palace was covered in scattered clouds during the morning, while the outside air was hot and humid, unlike the secretive meeting room with its chilly air conditioning, having two machines.
Everyone in the room had a tense expression, except for Khanin, who was sitting as the chairman, with a calm and serene face. The reason for everyone’s abrupt gathering today was to strategize for an upcoming event that required their help in analysis.
Prince Kalavin finally spoke up after silently listening to everything that
Ramil had to say, “If what Young Lord Ramil said is true, then is Puchongpisut just being the scapegoat for someone else, and this competition isn’t just about a regular position for the Sovereign Kingship, but rather it’s now a war within the city.”
Mr-Ramil’s father did not have big plans, but they were interfered with, causing tension in the room. This happened when they realized that everything that was about to happen was bigger than they could handle. A man from a foreign country told a story that explained everything in an easyto-understand way, from beginning to end.
Every member in the room was made fully aware of their current status thanks to Khanin’s analysis. At this point, they were not only just fencers competing for the Sovereign King position for Atsawathewathin, but also a team of defenders protecting against any unforeseen intruders.
Khanin couldn’t predict how everyone would react to the situation, but they all knew that the incident at the recent banquet under the watchful eye of Puchongpisut was just as concerning as a black hole at the center of the city.
It was widely known that Khanin hoped that everyone would understand that this wasn’t just a simple competition, as it could very well escalate into a full blown rebellion.
However, Khanin didn’t want to waste any time and immediately asked, “Can your country provide any assistance if what you said turns out to be true?” The answer was exactly as he had expected.
Kalavin replied with a somber expression, “I’m afraid I can’t help, it’s far too complicated. If anything goes wrong, it’ll affect my position in the country. But also, it would seem like I’m interfering within another country’s internal issues.”
“…”
“If we send someone to help with the preparations, it won’t benefit me regardless of who wins or loses. Plus, it’ll be bad if anything goes wrong if one country knows about another country’s internal affairs. Oh, and as for Phitakthewa’s people, why don’t they lend a hand? They’re an ancient and renowned family, but their leader isn’t very skilled. They probably just talk without any substance.” Ramil questioned Khanin while glaring at the man sitting next to him.
The vulgar language of the Young Prince of the Puchongpisut family caused the tense atmosphere to shift to a moment of laughter, with even the leader of Phitakthewa’s family having to step in to ease the situation. Meanwhile, Khanin briefly smiled before returning to his serious expression.
The way Ramil spoke confirmed that the other party didn’t have a deep understanding of his own team, someone who didn’t care about investigating other people’s stories, saw themselves as the center and dared to accuse their opponent’s father directly of their wrongdoing. Is this person overconfident or falsely trustworthy?
At least there is no trickery, unlike some who appear calm but may secretly gather information on everyone for a future purpose.
There are only two possible cities… Meenakarin and Thawetmetha.
Thawetmetha’s motivation may sometimes come from when the father watched his only daughter not being able to lose and give up. Because Evaa seems to be trying very hard to prove herself as a representative of women, who can achieve anything just like men.
Khanin does not know Chana. Every time they meet, there seem to be no issues, but he cannot trust him now.
As for Meenakarin… if it is really Uncle Waseem, what is the motivation behind this?
“I don’t want anyone from Phitakthewa involved in this, it wouldn’t help.” The older guy was deep in thought alone. The voice of Charan grew louder, causing his nerves to shake. Khanin furrowed his brow as he looked at how his cousin was shepherding the conversation.
“Why is Phitakthewa so useless? Saying that the nation is like the sun of Phitakthewa is just a lie.” Ramil hugged his chest and smiled awkwardly, the atmosphere in the room becoming tense, but no one dared to say anything.
Khanin approached the people around, looking at their faces that still showed fear of him.
He began to recall the words he had heard from Chakri. At first, he didn’t believe it, but the butler had previously stated that he was the “sun” of the other party. Khanin thought that it was just a beautiful word that the other party used to impress him as a boss. However, when the memory overlapped with the encounter with Waseem, he became even more confident.
At this point, this sentence probably has a significant meaning for the people of Emmaly.
Khanin is now more confident.
“If Charan is on the team, it will be comforting. He is smart like his mother. He will definitely help the nephew.”
“…”
“Atsawathewathin is also like a sun to Meena Nakharin. Therefore, if there is anything for me to help, I will surely tell even if it is the wrong ruler.”
This is not just an admonition, but it implies that the speaker must be like a sunflower that only looks at himself as the sun and must love and care for the person who lifted him to be the boss.
As a boss, Khanin became Chakri’s sun. It taught him that he needed to take care of his own sunflowers and honorably look after those who sought refuge with him.
But what about Meenakarin? What practices did he have as Atsawathewathin’s sun?
“It’s impossible… Phitakthewa is still a country noble like before, Your
Highness. However, this matter is complex, and Phitakthewa is one of
Emmaly’s training units. Therefore, they will all rise up to protect the Sovereign King, even if the person holding the position is not the right one.” Charan was silent for a moment before revealing what was on his mind.
Simply put, Phitakthewa cannot be involved in internal matters. It is because no one knows who the next Sovereign King will be or how they will come to power, and regardless of the result, Phitakthewa must protect their boss.
What is there to wonder? Phii Ran would prefer not to get involved with his own family if it’s not necessary.
“So it seems like you don’t intend to take sides and only choose to win, right?”
“Young Prince misunderstood, I did not choose a winning side. Although in my position I am the keeper of the leadership of Phitakthewa, I have no claim to any other family…” The corners of his mouth formed an unspoken grimace as he explained.
Charan’s sharp eyes found Khanin and stopped looking, as if to convey the truth he had in mind to give to only one person.
“…”
“Because the sun of Charan… is only Young Prince Khanin, Your Highness.”
Khanin’s eyes widened like quail eggs, the beating lump in his chest now evident. He knew it wasn’t supposed to be a sweet love talk, but his fair face immediately flushed upon hearing it from the person he liked.
The non hurting side of the hand extended to hold hands beneath the table tightly, to show how much he was touched right now. Khanin smiled until his eyes narrowed. Although not responsive, because it is his job and the topic of conversation is serious.
However, Khanin wanted Charan to know the surge of emotion in his heart, the atmosphere seemed to be sweet for a moment, but seconds later it dissipated.
“Where is the tray, butler, bring it here.” In this place, the only person who seemed to have the most trouble was Ramil, the younger cousin, with an indignant face before turning left and right to call for Chakri.
“Why do you need it, Your Highness?” Chakri asked like that, but still took the small leaf garbage bin he had found.
“Hey! It’s going to overflow!”, Ramil took it quickly and looked annoyed, spoke loudly, gestured like the old expression really looked like he was winging it, looking back at Khanin.
Now it’s serious and almost dying, yet they are still playing around.
“Your Highness thinks that Young Prince probably knows about this best, no matter who it belongs to, Phitakthewa or anyone else, it cannot be used. Otherwise, today the Young Prince will probably bring Petai to participate too.” It seems that Charan’s words have commanded everyone’s attention. Ramil kept quiet immediately, his tall figure bowed first and then turned to the other side, apparently admitting defeat in this discussion, and the topic returned to the main issue again.
“We don’t know who the culprit is, we only know that they infiltrated the event, anyway, there is a chance that they are someone inside.” The atmosphere in the room became tense again, but Khanin didn’t intend to release the strong grip of his thick hand even for a moment.
Charan was no different, the older person used his index finger to feel his other hand under the table. Some moments, if the opportunity arises, he will send a gentle smile to subtly tell that they will stay close.
“And Nong Nin, what is the motivation that makes the culprit harm you like that?” Itti asked instead of everyone in the room. That question made Khanin have to breathe out with exhaustion.
“As we discussed, there are two families that are suspected… but as far as I can think, there is only the motive of Thawetmetha city alone.”
“…”
“I think it’s possible that Lord Chana wants to let Evaa win this competition.
Because there was an issue before where Evaa was a woman and initially
would not have the right to compete. Perhaps Your Highness wants Evaa to prove herself.”
“But if Evaa wins. It means that Uncle Chana must ascend to Sovereign King. People like Uncle Chana want to be the Sovereign King.” Ramil really disagreed.
“…”
“It’s too complicated for the liking of a royal uncle who enjoys taking photos with film, spending days in the darkroom, and sometimes he disappears, traveling abroad for months, leaving his wife and children almost forgotten. royal uncle aka Chana, likes technology, is progressive, and doesn’t like to be confined. People who love freedom like this will take themselves to a prison called the royal palace, why?”
Ramil is better at analysis because he knows these people better than Khanin. He briefly shares what information he knows, to lighten the burden of others’ analysis.
“People can always change, and sometimes power can be sweet. Or is it possible that one likes technology so much that they use up their own funds, and might resist quietly when their golden money is taken away if they acquire a country, and might even have a larger budget than this?” Khanin ponders.
The white person intentionally puts bias in their speech, to make others analyze it more naturally.
“It’s impossible, Young Prince Khanin…” That’s right, the real knowledgeable person has arrived. Prince Kalavin Li explains, and as the chairman, Khanin gestures for the other party to speak what they know.
“…”
“I can speak because my country is one of those who hired Thawetmetha to take care of technology for data collection for our country, and my own company is a middleman that distributes airplanes which Thawetmetha created.”
“…”
“So the budget constraint issue could be easily resolved. Even though Thawetmetha’s wealth may not be as much as Atsawathewathin’s at this point, they have received research funding from many countries, they hardly have to use their own funds for research purposes, which leads to Thawetmetha having a reputation as a city that emphasizes research more than government work.” PrinceKalavin Li’s words carried a lot of weight.
Khanin reluctantly looked at Ramil, as many heads nodded in agreement…
It’s true. As Charan said, the Young Royal is grateful to the older man.
If Charan didn’t give the idea for everyone to gather today, they all would have been thinking in different directions from small amounts of information by themselves.
“You don’t know, and that’s not surprising. Because you just arrived here a few months ago, everything is true as PrinceKalavin said. I thought it couldn’t be, but the royal uncle disappeared, and another thing… I’ve told you before, my royal uncle doesn’t get along with my dad, there’s no way he can come and brainstorm ideas with my dad.” Ramil finished with a muffled voice.
The young royal from the snake dynasty has a dangerous glint in his eyes, the thick hands clenching so hard that the nails threaten to cut into the flesh, after raising a fragile topic.
Yes… we should not forget some people who can manipulate the Prince’s mind…
“To be honest, your father didn’t like me at first.” Then Ramil brought up another topic that had led Khanin to think further.
He remembered one day when he had a conversation with Rachata, it was a day he coincidentally met on the way to practice the dance, but the person who was older than him spoke negatively and unfriendly, thinking that he was worthless.
“Yes, my father doesn’t like you. Because he thinks that your family played trickery before, my father thought your family was conspiring together, hiding you, letting you practice in advance to be better than others, and then accelerating to compete for the Sovereign King position, preventing others from getting ready.” What Ramil said wasn’t entirely wrong.
If asked how long Khanin had prepared himself before anyone else had, he would probably say that he had spent almost his entire life in training.
The question that he had always wondered about why he had to train more than others in terms of sword fighting, language, music, and economics.
And all the questions were answered as his feet stepped on the land of the country of Emmaly.
“Just like that… If your father is confident that his child is talented, why would he be afraid of me?” Khanin threw away those thoughts and immediately changed the subject, his cute face calm. His dark brown eyes turned to look at the children, both older and younger ones.
“I don’t know about that. Because at first, I wasn’t afraid of you. I didn’t feel like there was anything to fear, but my father…” Ramil furrowed his small eyebrows, as if pondering something in his heart.
Ramil’s hesitation in his response made Khanin think of something.
“Normally, it’s possible that we may not like some people from the first time we meet them, with various reasons for the ‘dislike’. Either you don’t like them because they are a competitor, you don’t like them because they treated you poorly, you don’t like them because they remind you of something bad, you don’t like them because people around you don’t like them. Your dad may not like me for some reason.”
“…”
“Khun Jae, normally when actors perform, they need to have something that makes them believe that they are that character. They must have imagination, thoughts, feelings, link to that character, to make it believable that they are that character, right?” When Khanin saw that Ramil didn’t respond, he turned to ask a strange question to the only actor in the team.
This action made everyone suspicious, not excluding Charan.
“Environment, Your Highness… the environment helps you to immerse into the character.”
“And if you don’t have that belief in the character at all, what can help?”
In the midst of confusion about the young actor’s words, the representative of the Puchongpisut family spoke firmly.
“Say what you want to say, no need to hesitate.”
“It seems that your father does not like me because my appearance made him inferior. There must be someone who made him feel like that, not just for a short time, but for a long time.” Khanin summed it up, as in the proverb “The falling piece of wood doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“Huh?”
“Just think, is there any reason that a person who holds himself highly and treats himself that high, would hate me so much that he would resort to hurting me? If the people of your household don’t firmly believe in dignity, then you probably won’t have that either.” Khanin shortened his thoughts.
But at first, if Rachata was the type of person who liked to secretly undermine others. Ramil himself might have that personality, but the evidence speaks for everything.
Rachata’s son holds respect and noble status. Rachata himself was probably no different unless there was an environment that made him think that he was inferior, to the point of being afraid of losing prestige and not being able to accept defeat.
To the point of resorting to dirty tricks and of course, this manipulation should not just be for a short period of time…
I guess this idea must have deep roots for a long time.
“Are you going to tell me that someone has been whispering in my father’s ear for a long time, and that person planned to use my father as bait all along?”.
“You are very smart, Ramil… Yes, what I want to say is, even if you, the one who competes with me, aren’t afraid of me, why should someone with as much power as your father have to be afraid of a little child like me?”.
“…”
“Someone like you who has a royal status, Rachata. If we compare me to what Evaa sees in me, then there is no need to lower yourself to do this, right?”.
“…”
“Unless someone whispered in his ear from the beginning… and that person must have permission to say what they wanted to say. So it must be someone with a comparable status.”.
“Uncle Waseen came… it’s impossible, that person… is not smart.” Ramil immediately mentioned a name without having to think, the name of a person that made Khanin burst out laughing.
From the information leaked by the heir of Puchongpisut, Khanin began to feel confident that he and Ramil were thinking in the same direction.
The only person allowed to say anything that comes to mind… that would be Uncle Waseen.
“Who said he’s not smart.” Khanin raised his eyebrows. His two layered gaze turned to Ramil, who seemed confused.
“Dad always says Uncle Waseen is soft hearted.”
“Soft hearted? Then tell me, which soft hearted person can tell someone that their child is stupid to their face.” Khanin brought up yesterday’s conversation, the words that Ramil said to him still lingered in his mind.
“…”
“Which soft hearted person can read the game that I played with you, and still know that you will lose.”
“…”
“You yourself know that a soft hearted person can’t possibly observe the game I was playing and decide who will win or lose.”
“…”
“Or, if he is really soft hearted, it means he must have experienced this before, which means he himself must have participated in this type of game, or maybe Uncle Waseen has never been a soft hearted person, but had to show it to everyone because the environment dictated it…” Khanin lowered his gaze, observing the interesting reactions of the older boys. Ramil seemed to have just remembered something, while the other was still bewildered.
The competition between him and Ramil cannot be decided immediately. Outsiders think he has the right to lose throughout, although the rules emphasize the importance of the budget, the points are only worth thirty percent.
So why does Uncle Waseen seem so confident that he will defeat Ramil to such an extent… or maybe Uncle doesn’t have any confidence at all. He just wants Rachata and Ramil to think in a different direction.
“The environment is such that it’s possible… because in the past, Meenakarin was not like this. Dad often speaks of Meenakarin as once a prosperous city. It had both bubble tea and bird nests, and it had a coastal area, another important food source.” After a pause, Khanin revealed new information. In his eyes, there was a growing intensity and danger.
“…”
“But the Meenakarin declined due to natural disasters, and Royal Uncle
Waseen’s poor decision making… When it declined, Grandpa lent a hand by restoring Meenakarin through the government, as well as providing financial aid, not long after, Meenakarin decided to build a high speed train…”
“…”
“At that time, everyone thought Meenakarin would have to join either Atsawathewathin or Thawetmetha, but ultimately Uncle Waseen teamed up with my dad. Meenakarin had problems with Atsawathewathin because Uncle Waseen pushed for it to be created, my dad said that he did it because he wanted his own trade routes, so that he wouldn’t have to rely on Atsawathewathin for transportation, and he could reduce the cost of transporting seafood throughout the country.”
“But in the end, did he do it? Because I didn’t hear the teacher talk about this during class.” Khanin tried to recall, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t remember if Emmaly, the high speed train, was ever mentioned, which Ramil replied to.
“Yes, he didn’t. Because Meenakarin didn’t have the money. Before building… the capital required signing an agreement specifying that if he were to build, it had to have five primary cities as both starting and ending points, the country would only allow the construction to be for twenty years, after which it had to become the property of the country… that’s why my dad didn’t want to do it.”
“…”
“And at that time, the Sovereign King himself lent the money to
Meenakarin, not taking interest, but requesting for full repayment within five years…and then where would Meenakarin get the money to repay. If he were to borrow from foreign sources, he would need approval from the central bank first, and where would he get the additional funds to pay for the various lands?…”
“…”
“My father prepared money only to build the road connecting my city to the capital and Meenakarin, and it would be impossible to help Meenakarin pay off his debts as a shareholder.”
“What happened after that?”
“My father had said that in the end, Uncle Waseen went to plead with Prince Tarin about expanding the debt repayment, requesting to be seen again by the Sovereign King, but negotiations seemed to fall through, and you and my mother…were assassinated before anything could be resolved.”
“Ah…” Actually, he had already read about this in old news, but when he heard it from Khanin his heart sank.
People close by can detect emotions, and the grip on Khanin’s arm tightened until he had to turn and whisper softly, “What’s wrong?”
But instead of calming down, his sharp eyes flipped down to observe himself. Khanin noticed the sadness in the glimmer of those pairs of eyes, and the young man left his gaze fixed on the face of Charan. Until Ramil spoke up again.
“That’s it. In the end, we didn’t create…we just let the issue go like that, and my father withdrew from the high speed railway project, uninvolved with this issue.”
“So, did Meenakarin repay the debt to the Sovereign King?” Luckily, he was able to adjust his mood quickly so as to not look too depressed. Khanin pulled his attention away from his sorrow.
“He paid…I think, I don’t know by what means. Because in the end, Meenakarin was able to get his debt all paid but I still don’t see the state’s finances improving.” Ramil answered the question unconcernedly, but that made Khanin connect a few things in his head.
“Maybe they had to impose higher local taxes to repay the debt. If so, it would be difficult for the people in the state…right, Mira?” The young royal turned to the one who had been sitting silently the whole time, the only young woman in this place. She looked back and gave a faint smile as the answer.
“Yes…we have had such a difficult time that we even had to generate our own electricity.”
The young man still had a good memory of the day he invited Mira to join the team.
Before talking to her, he had studied the future prospects of the team and found that this young woman was a little more special than others. Because she came from such a poor city that she couldn’t even play fencing, due to expensive equipment beyond the reach of ordinary people.
People in Meenakarin really had it hard.
If that’s the case, it’s not surprising…nothing is strange about it, it’s all locked up and terrifying.
If Meenakarin saw Atsawathewathin as their own personal sun and Atsawathewathin allowed the state under his control to be in difficulty…habits like pressure and dissatisfaction would be there.
It’s not surprising that he would rise up to do something big like this.
“So, it means that motivation comes from hardship, it’s easy to think like that. In the end, Uncle Waseen had experienced a similar incident. Uncle was forced to repay the money to the Sovereign King within five years before he even got to building a railway, the agreement seemed unfair. How much money would it take to build the initial roads for five states, if he were to agree? He wouldn’t and just left.”
“…”
“If that’s the case, then it can be understood that the logic royal uncle had in mind was, and the intention was clear from the moment he said he did not want to be pressed by Atsawathewathin… and so he went along with my father.” Khanin felt like he was playing the role of an observant character in a detective series.
He tried to find inspiration. The more he dug, the more it seemed like he found nothing, but deep down there was still something lingering in his mind. Khanin had a suspicion that this matter might be related to the Sovereign King’s warehouse.
But he chose to keep this matter quiet for now. Because if he spoke out, it could have negative effects on himself.
“And if that’s the case, why didn’t he do it from the beginning? Why wait until the competition for Sovereign King… and why do it to my father as well.” Because my father is the best suited to be a shield for that person. He likes to hold himself above others, is confident in himself, and does not think that those beneath him would dare to bite back.
While he was lost in thought, Ramil’s question brought Khanin back to reality, and the young man took a breath. Because that was the matter he had spent all night analyzing and filtering through in order to make it easier for Ramil to understand everything.
“Why do it to your father in this way…”
“…”
“And he was afraid that if he just let your father go, then your father would come and compete for the thing he wanted, so he had to eliminate my father, using him as a tool alone.”
“…”
“As for why he didn’t do it from the beginning, then I ask why did I come to be in The Royal Palace now? It’s because according to the law, no one can enter or leave the palace freely. Except for during the competition for Sovereign King, and the coronation of the new Sovereign King, and even then the funeral ceremony of the previous Sovereign King had to be held back in their hometown.”
“…”
Only this competition allows everyone in the royal family to come and go freely in the palace. Another thing… Everyone participates together from different places. If it were you, you would have to fight four to one. Would you choose to fight them one by one until everyone else joins in and bites you, or would you gather everyone together and win in one fell swoop?”
“…”
“So the second option is already chosen: eliminate them all, tie them together, borrow the strength of others in areas where you can, and wait for the opportunity. The game is to eliminate enemies. Now everything is as easy as having someone peeling a banana and putting it in your mouth.”
“…” Ramil was quiet, the person who used to be so arrogant that he was trembling, showed clear signs that he agreed with Khanin’s thoughts until he couldn’t argue anymore.”
Inside the meeting room it was quiet again. Khanin’s eyes closed, the more information he analyzed, the clearer it became what game he was playing.
The young man thought back to the day several months ago when he practiced sword fighting with his father, recalling the words the other party spoke to him as a warning that what Tanattai had taught him was only useful at that time.
“My father trained him to be a real swordsman, but sword fighting is a Finite game, the game ends within a specified time. Therefore, the thing his son needs to consider is what.”
“Maintain the rules, defeat the opponent within the designated time.”
“Correct. So if you want to defeat an opponent who is superior within the designated time, but you still have to maintain the rules… what should you do?”
“There are two options. The first path is to practice by reading the opponent and finding weaknesses to exploit. As for the second option… It is to make the opponent violate the rules… and then we will win.” However, we cannot behave in such a way in every sport. Cheating during a competition will only make us dishonest.”
“But outside of the game, it may be possible to do so… right?”
“It is true that we can act appropriately outside of the game… therefore, the player must keep themselves in check, live mindfully, consider pros and cons, see the true intentions of people, who does what for whom, why… because in life, we cannot know for certain who will play outside the rules, a slight lack of attention may harm the player.”
“…”
“Do not forget that in every competition, we only want one winner, the player must observe how the game is played, how it unfolds, and do not forget, the truth is that, in this world, humans are inherently diverse and there are many people willing to break the rules to win. Because they believe it is easier than competing fairly.”
What father taught him allowed him to read the situation in a precise manner. At first, he may not understand the intentions of the person who initiated this evil story, but with enough information, it will allow him to understand it better.
Khanin collected all the relevant information he knew today, analyzed it and presented it for others to see instantly.
“If Thawetmetha is the one who is behind everything, it means that the side wants to use this opportunity to let Evaa win without any bloodshed. Because the rules state that if an ancestor of any state wins, the father will immediately ascend to the position of Sovereign King.”
“…”
“But if not… if Meenakarin is the one behind everything, It means that Waseen planned everything well, rashly playing every possible method outside of the rules. In the rules…”
“…”
What do you think would happen if the Sovereign King had to step down from his position, without anyone winning… it means, the position of Sovereign King would be temporarily empty, and if anything happened to Khanin, the ruler of Atsawathewathin and Thawetmetha would surely reject the promotion as Sovereign King, as for those who are eager for this position, like Rachata, they will face charges of assaulting members of the ruling family.
Finally, if we eliminate the Atsawathewathin, and no one will want the Puchongpisut leader, and the Thawetmetha has no son, who will this position belong to?”
“…”
“The position became appropriate for the favorite nephew of the previous King: Waseen, who was just and fair, right?” Khanin looked around everyone with his eyes, and they all agreed with what he said without any objection.
“…”
“Even if there is no one running the race, Meenakarin still wants everyone to think that Waseen deserves this position.”
“…”
“It is about becoming Sovereign King in a fair way, right?”
Everything fits perfectly. Both sending people to harm him, pinning the crime on Rachata, making Chana the suspect, was to make the real culprit disappear out of sight of everyone.
When the time comes… that person will emerge to claim everything he wants.
Without losing anything himself.
He will not allow it to turn out that way…
“Therefore, we will not let him have that moral victory. We will compete cleanly, let him know defeat. It would be even better if the results were clear that day… This is our plan of action.”
“…”
“After this, we will come up with a plan to counterattack and catch the villain.”
As the comfortable atmosphere in Young Prince’s conference room of Atsawathewathin battled the raindrops falling against the windows.
The sky turned crimson, resembling a storm brewing. Lightning flashed sporadically, but this time the weather outside did not cause even the slightest tremble to the people working at the table.
Although the meeting had been going on for hours, Charan still could not stop thinking about Khanin’s conjectures. While waiting for the host to arrive, the young man decided to take out his iPad and check his email.
The information in the iPad made Charan feel more uneasy than before because what was in the email was a recording of a conversation between Vetis and someone in Meenakarin…
Going back to a month ago, after returning home, Jae Jirat had Vetis investigate the case of the attacker with a limp. From the day he brought Khanin back to Emmaly, there had been deaths from poison.
In the meantime, Vetis had been sending interesting information for his close friends to check the nationwide purchase of cyanide, and discovered that three states, Atsawathewathin, Puchongpisut, and Thawetmetha, all used it legally and found out what they used it for.
Only Meenakarin did not purchase this poisonous substance… but even so, Charan could not rest easy and instructed Vetis to keep an eye on them.
Until recently, Vetis’ investigative line was able to infiltrate among the locals, and the other side reported there was new leakage.
The investigation followed from the time when Meenakarin was the only state licensed to open a gold store, before these stores began closing down due to natural disasters affecting the economy of the state. Many shops became empty, but they were still selling poisons, especially cyanide, in large quantities.
This information made Charan feel uneasy.
In truth, it was impossible for the closed gold shops to have enough poison to sell as much as customers required. Some shops closed for years, but still offered the poison for sale in kilograms, including lots to expire in five years’ time.
This meant that Meenakarin might have secretly ordered this poison from abroad, using these gold stores as warehouses… if not, then the poison would have to be old stock, and there should be new stock available all the time.
This further connected with the information learned from Tanattai. Charan was even more confident that there were people trying to create a power base quietly under a very good disguise.
And if everything went according to Khanin’s conjecture on this day, it meant that the person who tried to harm Khanin was one of Prince Waseen’s men…
If this were true, then it would be necessary to be wary of Prince Waseen.
He believed in the sharpness of Khanin’s eyes, even though he was just a child. He was said to be a person who had a sharp gaze, with no prejudice, and the other side would see everything clearly.
There were still many unanswered questions, but it seemed that Khanin’s ideas were bringing him closer to something that had been lingering in his mind that he had never touched upon.
There were a variety of questions that had yet to be answered, but it seemed that Khanin’s thinking was bringing him closer to something that had been lingering in his mind that he had never touched upon.
If the real villain is Prince Waseen, it is highly possible that he was the person who brought the news to him, causing suspicion about the Sovereign King’s involvement in the death of his mother, could be the same person.
If that’s the case… then Waseen must have some motives.
Or maybe he wants Phitakthewa to be on the opposite side of Atsawathewathin.
Are they deliberately trying to confuse him? Charan took a deep breath, closed his eyes and let himself float away with his thoughts for a long time, until he lost track of time and woke up again when he felt someone’s magic scented breath blowing on his cheek.
“Ah, I forgot, I wanted to steal some perfume.”
The sound of a gentle tapping brought the person who had just woken up to a laughing fit. The young man adjusted his mood and gestured to the person in front of him, beckoning him to sit on the stool.
“Now that I am blind, I can still smell.”
“You can’t even act surprised.” The white man complained softly. Khanin, who was still wearing a bathrobe with one arm linked, shrugged and smiled, trembling, causing Charan to carry the person on the stool to the bed, then turned to pick up the remote control for the air conditioner to adjust the temperature to the right level.
“I think it would be cold, it feels good.”
“I like the cold.”
“You may get sick.”
“Getting sick is good, Phii you can take care of me.”
“Do not forget that you have to participate in the competition tomorrow, no matter what happens.” Charan pressed his stubborn nose lightly and recalled the memory of the person who insisted on not delaying the competition.
Still planning step by step for the team to follow, the evil was such that he began to fear that if Khanin had planned more than this, he would certainly become a person who could not forget someone.
“That’s right… but for me it is not that easy to get sick.”
“Even if you’re not easily sick, you still have to take care of yourself. So is it better to sleep more so that my arms can recover quickly?”
“Are you sleeping yet… I want to talk to you, Phii.” Khanin reached out and tapped the elbow of the other person. Charan, who turned to close the lamp, stopped and turned back to talk, frowning, looking at the little boy with suspicion.
“You’ve been talking too much today, aren’t you tired of talking?”
“What does Phii Ran think, do I talk too much?”
“Is it true?”
“Yeah…” Khanin pursed his lips, and the little boy became slightly quiet, wanting to look at each other sweetly. “But… Do you dislike me talking too much?”
The childlike worry made Charan forget the previous stress, and his thick hand gently stroked his head.
“No, I am just afraid that your throat hurts.”
“Oh. It doesn’t hurt that much, I’ve been screaming all night and still not in pain… Ugh, mmmh-mmmh.” Charan realized and closed his tiny lips with his hand. The young man breathed in and out heavily, feeling embarrassed that he reacted to a soft moan like that all over his body.
“What do you even say in situations like this… pervert kid.”
“What gibberish are you spouting now… I am talking seriously.” he chided.
‘This kid.’ he thought to himself, his face emotionless. He pushed the white man onto the bed before covering him with a blanket, starting with his small chest. Then he lay down next to him, gazing at him gently with soft eyes.
Khanin’s lips were pursed, and the cute gesture made Charan move closer to him. He pressed his thick lips onto the smaller one’s, pouring his love into the kiss.
Charan locked eyes with the person lying next to him, as the Young Prince moved closer to cuddle him. It was quiet for a moment before he spoke, his voice laced with longing.
“Aren’t you afraid of the rain, Phii Ran?” The heavier rain outside had made Khanin anxious, and the person cuddling him looked up at him with concerned eyes.
“I still don’t like it, but now that you are here, I don’t feel as bad.” he replied honestly. Having Khanin beside him during the difficult times was better than being alone, he could touch and smell the other person.
He didn’t know when it started to rain. Whenever he looked back at the times when he felt stronger than before, Khanin had always been there. This change was mainly due to the other party.
“Ahh…” The young man moaned softly, slipping his hand to caress the white cheek with a look of infatuation.
“If I didn’t have you…I would probably feel empty…but because I have you, I’ve been able to do everything up until now. I’m still here because of you…” The young man’s soft voice combined with the sentence structure resulted in a faint smile.
He liked having Khanin here, hearing him say that they were lucky to have each other was like a light in the previously dark life.
“Same here.”
“I know this, because I am your ‘sun’.” The other person moved closer, giving off the scent of clean shampoo, their nose tip pointing downwards, buried in the soft bunch of hair behind the younger person’s ear, with a playful expression in the eyes as he uttered the words inviting a heart-to-heart conversation.
“Really?”
“Really? Mr-Charan himself told me.” The speaker’s face showed signs of confusion, gesturing to move slightly away in order to get a clearer view of the older person’s face.
However, Mr-Charan refused to let that happen. As the pale body leaned back, he pulled the younger person’s waist closer, and deliberately used the bridge of his nose to nudge the tip of their nose aside, all the while following his heart’s desire.
“Yes, it’s true. Nin, you are like the sun to me.” Charan whispered. He deliberately looked up at the deep brown eyes that looked back at him, wanting to see the other’s face more clearly.
“Nin made me feel lucky to have him here.”
“So sweet. If Ramil heard this, he would be jealous again.” Khanin laughed softly before pressing his face down onto the hard chest, listening to the heavy beat of his heart.
“Gosh, forget him…”
“Wow. Khun Charan, you leveled up fast. Forget him? That Young Prince
Ramil, Puchongpisut guy.”
“I don’t want to care about anyone else, whoever they may be… right now, I only want to focus on Nin.” Charan thought so as he looked at Khanin’s injured arm, his heart aching.
Protecting others has always been his duty. But when someone else he wanted to protect for real, he let his guard down and the persona wanted to protect ended up in pain like this.
He’s just not capable…
“Don’t make that face, let’s change the subject… Let’s end this tangled mess and go somewhere to relax.” Khanin seemed to understand his feelings, and so he reached out and touched Charan’s face to change the topic.
“Where do you want to go?” Charan whispered while leaning down to kiss the forehead of the person in front of him lovingly, one hand holding onto his thick hair. Khanin, who had become longer and quieter, slightly turned away.
“Shall we go where we first met?”
“England?” A smile spread across his face as memories flooded in like a river. Charan thought back to the time when the person in his arm was arguing until he almost died.
And now, they had sex and tossed and turned like he was trying to test his bed every day.
“Wow, England…” Khanin murmured, his movements captured by Charan’s eyes.
“Are you homesick?”
“I do miss my old life” The white haired person chuckled lightly, and a flicker of the once bright eyes seemed to dim.
“Wherever you want to go, I’ll take you…” Charan spoke honestly, because he thought Khanin might need someone to lean on, and of course, he himself wanted the other person just as much.
“Okay then, let’s sleep, hearing this gives me the encouragement to keep going.” Khanin did a muscle stretch, then returned to his snuggling pose, his small chin resting on the broad chest as he grunted while trying to find a comfortable position. “Phii Ran, you have to help me… you shouldn’t back down now and make others see that I made the right choice by choosing you.”
The contest between the losers and the winners must continue with Nin. Khanin didn’t want to give up his determination, and Charan’s expertise in sword fighting still remained a secret.
Normally, he wouldn’t want to show it off to anyone. Because he didn’t want to be involved in the fuss of inheriting his family head position. But this time it was different.
Charan was happy and willing to show it to others. Because of Khanin’s desire.
“I’ll do it… but you yourself can do it too, if you can’t take it, don’t force it.” Charan looked at the line of freckles on the kid’s arm. His dark brown eyes followed his gaze. Then he turned his face up with a smile.
“Don’t worry. I won’t be stubborn. I have a dead stance.”
“You do, do you?” The mischievous pose of the person around him made Charan burst out laughing. Khanin looked confident that he had a backup plan, so much so that Charan wondered if the other person had a secret strategy that he hadn’t told him yet.
“Come on, give me your face for a kiss and I will whisper it to you.”
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