11. Successfully Escaped

The Prince of Darkness, who never publicly revealed his appearance, had a good reputation among his father's subjects.

Some citizens began to dislike Xavier, who was claimed to be a potential successor, shifting their focus to the second Prince, who, even though only appearing as a kingdom's shadow, had fewer antics.

"I deeply apologize, my King," Xavier apologized in a manner that befits a Crown Prince.

"I also heard that you fought with Kane, Where is he now?" the King asked. He wouldn't forget the third Prince.

Xavier was confused, panicking when asked about Kane. After Kane took Claude, he didn't know where Kane went. "Ka-Kane, he's..." Xavier stuttered. He didn't dare say that Kane had escaped with the Duke's child.

"I'm here," Kane said suddenly, appearing before his father, carrying the wooden puppet on his back, surprising the palace residents with his unusual demeanor.

Meanwhile, Xavier was wide-eyed, not noticing Claude with Kane.

"Hey, where's Claude?" Xavier whispered, worried.

"He ran away," Kane casually replied.

"You let him go?!" Xavier exclaimed. If he had known, he would have stayed with Claude.

"I didn't let him go! He escaped on his own," Kane replied, equally angered.

"Why did you make him escape?" Xavier shouted, frustrated.

"He disappeared on his own, idiot!" Kane wanted to strangle Xavier's neck, but he restrained himself before the presence of the kings.

The King squinted suspiciously at his two bickering sons, mentioning Claude, Amber's child. "I heard there's another culprit besides you two," he said.

The King instructed an informant to explain everything and about the second child they meant. Apparently, the child from Amber, a troublemaker, seemed to have created another troublemaker.

"A blond-haired child with Xavier's eyes, a noble child from the Rosel family known to have died in a fire," the informant explained.

The King immediately looked suspiciously at his two sons. "So... was the fire your doing to release Claude?" he asked.

Xavier shook his head. "No, I didn't do that!"

"Kane, it must be you, right?" the King guessed.

Kane nodded casually, cleaning his nails with his thumb.

"You have committed multiple offenses. Do you think I will forgive you for causing chaos in the market?" the King threatened.

"And you, Kane, you will face multiple charges," the King warned him.

"Fine, just apply the law to me," Kane said, still busy with his nails.

"Troublemaker," sneered the mother of the second Prince, the concubine who always accompanied Kane and Xavier during their punishments.

"And anyone who finds the blond-haired child with Xavier's eyes, hand the child over to me for beheading," the King declared once again.

Xavier and Kane were shocked. "No, father! Don't, let us be punished, kill us, hang us, imprison us, just don't touch him, don't punish him, he's innocent, I beg you," Kane panicked.

Xavier stared, increasingly wide-eyed, hearing Kane's words. "Us?! You say us?!"

"Do you want Claude to die, huh?! I'm just trying to protect him with those words," Kane retorted.

"In that case, I will send you both to the Monastery. Don't come home for four years, shall either of you shows any disobedient, as the King of this Kingdom, I shall revoke your status as Prince!" the King declared finally. It was his last statement, and it couldn't be contested.

"No!" Kane and Xavier yelled simultaneously.

"Don't, father! I don't want to, if I come home, I'll be busy with palace affairs. Four years is too long," Xavier pleaded.

The King would not retract his words.

The King rose from his throne and approached his two sons, touching Kane's abdomen and Xavier's chest near the heart.

"To minimize your escape, I will seal half of your mana," the King declared, impervious to any objections.

"What?!" Kane and Xavier exclaimed simultaneously.

****

"Ah shit, I did a transmutation spell and left my puppet in Kane's hide out! He will able to track me down with his magic," Claude lamented.

Claude had moved beneath a tower in thick foliage where his puppet had fallen before. He had exchanged places with his wooden puppet.

"And I... ended up back in my home area again," Claude complained anxiously.

Claude then emerged from the bushes, cleaning himself. There, he saw one of his wooden puppets displayed under the tower, adorned with chrysanthemum flowers.

Claude took the puppet. He carried it on his back and began to walk away, distancing himself from the mansion.

Unfortunately, just a few steps away, his two older brothers were there. They ran towards Claude, who stood out with his blond hair.

"I'm done for," Claude panicked.

Claude ran as fast as he could.

"Claude? Is that you?" Michael, his brother, asked.

"Brother..."

His brothers ran swiftly, catching up to Claude, who was panicking.

"Don't, don't touch me!" Claude immediately pulled away.

"You're not my family..."

"I don't want to be tormented in a cruel, evil, violent family. I'm not an animal!" Claude exclaimed in fear. When he was tortured, his brother never defended him at all. What kind of brothers were they?

Misca and Michael felt guilty. They lowered their heads.

"Allow me to escape. Allow me to be free from mother and father, and I will acknowledge you as my brother. Help me escape from here," Claude pleaded.

Michael frowned. "How dare you give orders to your brother?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"Fine, if you don't obey, get out of my way," Claude commanded angrily.

Michael refused.

"Do you know your role here? Trash, that's who you are." Claude taunted both of them. "Step aside before I kill both of you!"

Michael immediately released his grip when he saw Claude's murderous intent while Misca dropped to his weak knees, unable to withstand the horror in his mind.