The Young Prince

After being forced to donate my blood to Zachary Doolithe, my wife Anna Lang's childhood sweetheart, I died in the small quarters that she had personally decorated for me. Before I died, my five-year-old son ran to the main quarters and begged Anna three times. The first time, he broke in and said that I was vomiting blood. Anna scoffed. "I see he's improved his ways. He's even taught our son to lie." Then she ordered the servants to take my son out. The second time, he knocked on the door and said that I was already beginning to convulse in pain. Anna tutted. "I only asked for a little blood, didn't I? It's not like I cut out his heart. Why is he pretending?” The servant stepped forward again and forcefully pushed my son out of the main quarters. The third time, he knelt at Anna's room door, begging for a full hour. He told her that I was unconscious. Anna finally lost her temper. She snapped his arm and threw him out of the main quarters. "I told you, your father won't die. If you disturb me again, I'll throw him into a mass grave!" He had no choice but to give his emerald pendant, a symbol of his status as a prince, to the young beggar at the door. "Young lad, I don't want to be a prince anymore. I just want my father to live." The beggar accepted his emerald pendant and quickly brought a healer. However, Zachary had the healer dragged to the kennel of his dog. He said calmly, "I'm sorry, Your Highness. Your mother was worried I'd be too upset over the dog's illness, so she specifically ordered all the healers in the city to be sent to my quarters. Your father will have to wait." Chapter 1 In order to stop the last healer, my son cried as he pleaded before Zachary Doolithe. The child who once would rather die than admit Zachary Doolithe's identity now called him 'Mr. Doolithe'. He had completely abandoned his pride, willingly kneeling before Zachary. "Mr. Doolithe, I beg you to give my father one healer," my son requested while pounding his head heavily. The blood stained the ground and made Zachary's mood even better. Zachary teased the puppy in his arms, smiling with pride. "Look at our little prince. He's even more obedient than my pet dog. Come on, woof like a dog for us." He paused for a moment, and then tears mixed with blood fell to the ground. "Woof." The servants present burst into laughter instantly, and contemptuous glances kept scrutinizing Arthur's tiny figure. "Prince, my foot. Even the beggars on the street are better than him." "Hush, don't talk nonsense. If Her Highness finds out, you'll lose your life." "What of it? In the entire capital, everyone knows that the princess only has eyes for Mr. Doolithe. How else would you explain the prince already being five years old and not having a full name?" Hearing the servants' whispers, Zachary grew even more smug, scoffing as he left with his men. My son was left kneeling there in despair, his body trembling uncontrollably. I lay on the bed and suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, as if sensing something. The door creaked open. "I'm sorry, Father. I'm useless. I couldn't find a healer." He came to my bedside, frantically wiping the blood from my mouth, his eyes frighteningly swollen. However, I could no longer see clearly. Through my blurry vision, I knew I was going to die and would not live to see my child grow up. To avoid frightening him, I mustered my last strength to force a smile and send him away. "I want to eat the almond cookies from the corner shop. Go buy me some, okay?" Chapter 2 My son was stunned for a few seconds. As if realizing something, he shook his head vigorously. "No, I won't leave. I want to stay with you. Father, don't make me leave." He gripped my hand tightly, as if he wanted to let out all the tears of his life. Swallowing the blood in my mouth, I pretended to be mad. "Are you disobeying me now? Go buy the almond cookies, and we can enjoy them together once you're back." Seeing my anger, he stopped insisting. He wiped his tears and agreed. "Okay, I'll go buy them right now. Father, wait for me. You must wait for me." The moment he stepped out of the door, I shouted with my last bit of strength, "Arthur!" Facing his puzzled gaze, I explained, "I've coined you a name. From now on, you'll be called Arthur Brighton Smith. It's so you'll lead an upright and honorable life. I hope you'll always be healthy and… happy." The child showed a panicked expression. "Father..." My consciousness began to fade. I bit my lip hard and smiled through the blood. "Go ahead. I'll wait for you to come back." Arthur let out a sigh of relief and quickly ran off. As his figure disappeared, I closed my eyes. "Arthur, I'm sorry I lied to you." … When I opened my eyes again, I had become a spirit, following Arthur out of the princess' residence. "Sir, I want some almond cookies!" Arthur shouted anxiously, tugging at the shop assistant's clothes. Looking at Arthur's disheveled face, the shop assistant waved his sleeve unhappily, shooing him away while shouting, "Go away! Where did this little beggar come from? Get out of here! Is this a place you can come to?" The other customers in the shop also covered their noses, looking at him like he was a pile of garbage. "Yeah, doesn't he know where he is? How can they let just anyone in here?" "How filthy." Hearing that, the shop assistant quickly smiled apologetically and pinched Arthur's ear hard. "You little brat, get out of here!" Arthur yelled in pain, "I'm Princess Anna Lang's son! My father is sick, and I want to buy him almond cookies!" The crowd froze for a moment before bursting into laughter. Hands on hips, the shop assistant spat in Arthur's face. "You? Bah! Take a good look at yourself in the mirror! What about you looks like you belong to a wealthy family? If you're a prince, I'm your king! Get out, get out!" He then shoved Arthur out of the shop. Arthur wiped the grime from his face and tried to go back in, but the shop assistant had kicked him hard in the stomach. The pain made him unable to get up. Just as he was about to despair, someone reached out a hand. "Child, are you alright?" A young woman carefully brushed the dust off Arthur and asked with concern. "Mother..." Arthur instinctively called out when he saw the tall figure. Then, he came to his senses and stammered a thank you. The woman waved her hand and handed Arthur a packet of almond cookies. Perhaps because he had suffered too many grievances that day, Arthur's eyes suddenly reddened at the kindness of a stranger. Clutching the paper bag, he bowed repeatedly. "Thank you, madam." She said sheepishly, "You don't need to thank me. I didn't buy this bag of almond cookies. Princess Anna distributed food and pastries outside the city to celebrate her husband's recovery, and I just happened to get one." Chapter 3 "If you really want to express your gratitude, why not wish Her Highness and her husband a long and happy life together?" Arthur froze briefly, his mind flashing back to the scene of Anna dragging him out of the main quarters. Then, he recalled when Anna forcibly drew my blood. His eyes gradually grew dim. "I see. I should thank… Her Highness." The pain was a hundred times worse than when I was being cut. Looking at Arthur's despondent expression, I recalled the past. Anna had once loved Arthur and me deeply. She even risked her life to give birth to a child with my bloodline for me. When I was being bullied by the crown prince, she rushed into his residence without hesitation and brought me back to the princess' residence with bloodshot eyes. On my birthday, she even secretly told me that her wish was for the family to never be apart. However, all of this came to an end on the day Zachary returned to the capital. He used his childhood bond with Anna to play the victim time and time again, pretending to be innocent and winning her sympathy. Then, he deliberately poisoned himself and framed Arthur and me, making Anna completely lose faith in us. From then on, everything changed. On the street, Ella nodded with relief and continued, "By the way, where's your mother? How could she let you run out alone?" Arthur froze and was about to speak when a gentle male voice suddenly came from behind. "Darling." A tall, young man, leading a boy about Arthur's age, called out with a smile, "It's getting late. We should go home." "Mother, let's go home." The boy, holding a candy, smiled innocently and lively. Ella let out a soft exclamation and quickly stepped between the two. Holding the man's hand in one hand and the child's in the other, she walked away. Only when they were completely out of sight did Arthur slowly withdraw his envious gaze. Looking at the almond cookies in his hand, he uttered his unfinished sentence, "My mother's... dead." After bidding the kind woman goodbye, Arthur quickly ran back to the princess' residence with the almond cookies in his arms. However, he bumped into the leisurely Zachary as soon as he entered. Zachary swayed. A flash of disgust crossed his sharply featured face, and he slapped Arthur across the face. "You little bastard! Who gave you the nerve to touch me?" Caught off guard, Arthur was knocked to the ground. Blood quickly seeped from his mouth, and the paper bag he was carrying fell to the ground. Ignoring the pain, Arthur frantically reached out to retrieve it. However, Zachary was not satisfied. He grabbed Arthur's hair, forcing him to look at him. "You're indeed a bastard, just like your useless father—always playing the victim. I'm warning you, stop putting on that pitiful act. If Her Highness sees you like this, I won't spare you. You hear me?" His gaze was vicious, as if he wanted Arthur to disappear forever. I was also driven to the brink of madness, desperately trying to pull Zachary's hand away, but it was all in vain. Self-reproach and helplessness suffocated me, while Zachary's smile grew even more triumphant. He gestured for a servant to open the paper bag on the ground. Seeing this, Arthur immediately began to struggle. "That's for my father! Don't touch it! Give it back!" Hearing the word 'father', Zachary's expression darkened, and he kicked Arthur squarely in the stomach. This caused Arthur to cough up a mouthful of blood. Chapter 4 "I'm your father from now on!" Zachary yelled as he scattered all the almond cookies on the ground and crushed them repeatedly. Seeing this, Arthur's eyes turned red immediately. He bit Zachary hard, thinking that this would make him stop. Zachary was in pain and immediately ordered the servants to lift Arthur. He pulled off the emerald pendant from his waist and stuffed it into Arthur's mouth, constantly jabbing at him. "Bastard, bite all you want!" Blood quickly stained Arthur's clothes. He struggled in pain, like a dying fish. "Mmmmm... Father... Save me..." My heart was breaking, and I was frantically hitting Zachary, trying to make him let go. "Let go of Arthur!" It was no use. I knelt again at Zachary. "You want my blood? I'll give it to you! You want to be the princess' husband? I'll give that to you too! I'll give you anything, just please don't hurt my child." Zachary could not hear me. He simply reveled in the increasing wounds around Arthur's mouth, laughing heartily. Just as he was feeling smug, a gentle voice suddenly came from behind. "Zachary?" Anna's incredulous voice startled everyone present. Arthur's dazed eyes suddenly lit up, and his lips moved. "Mother..." Anna's expression tensed upon hearing him. She was about to approach when Zachary, who had turned around, pulled her back. "Anna, why are you so late?" He gestured for the servants to block Arthur and expertly pulled Anna into a tight embrace. She sensed something was wrong and frowned. "What are you doing?" Zachary's eyes flickered as a vulnerable look appeared on his face. "You weren't here just now. Someone instigated His Highness to curse me and... deliberately knocked me to the ground. You know my poison has only just been neutralized, and the healer said..." Anna's expression darkened, the confusion in her eyes instantly turning into a furious, disappointed anger. "Nathan Smith is really getting worse at parenting! With a father like him, it's no wonder Arthur is such a good-for-nothing." With that said, she turned and left. I stood in front of Anna, repeatedly explaining, "No, no, Arthur is well-behaved. Zachary is lying to you. Don't abandon Arthur. Don't abandon him!" Arthur heard him and painfully cried out, "Mother!" However, the word was barely out of his mouth when a servant covered his mouth. Anna paused, wanting to turn back. "Did Arthur call me?" A flash of resentment crossed Zachary's eyes. He then released Anna's hand. "Go keep the prince company, then. I'm fine. Even though he poisoned me, almost preventing me from seeing you again, he's still young. I forgive him. Anna, go keep him company and don't worry about me." Hearing that, the hesitation in Anna's eyes immediately turned into determination. "A child needs discipline and guidance to reach their full potential. Since Nathan's bad at parenting, Zachary, help me educate him so that he won't become unruly and embarrass me later. I'll wait for you in the room." Watching her departing figure, the light in Arthur's eyes gradually faded until it became a hollow stillness. Zachary smirked smugly, walked up to Arthur, and said pitifully, "Look, even your mother doesn't want you. How pitiful." Then Zachary left. Chapter 5 Arthur was dragged back to my yard and left on the ground, his fate unknown. I knelt beside him, knowing it was futile but still trying repeatedly to bring him into my arms. "Arthur, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have asked you to buy almond cookies. It's my fault. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Tears fell on Arthur's wounded face, quickly turning into nothingness. It left me powerless and desperate. Just when I thought everything was over, the door was knocked on. Anna stood outside, looking at the silent quarters, her eyes dim and unclear. "Nathan! Get out! I know you're pretending!" No one responded. Anna frowned and looked past the courtyard walls. Just in time, she saw Arthur's motionless figure, her pupils contracting suddenly. However, she soon remembered something and calmed down. "Still pretending? What? Your father's pity act didn't work, so now it's your turn? Do you really believe that pretending to be pitiful will make me feel sorry for you? Ridiculous!" Anna stared at Arthur's back, her icy tone breaking my heart. I wanted to ask her why she was so confident and what gave her the right to maliciously speculate about Arthur when he was so well-behaved and sensible. She was still spouting threats when she realized that Arthur was not reacting. She finally understood something was wrong. She pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard. "Why aren't you saying anything? Feeling guilty? Get up now. I've seen through you, so stop pretending." Her words grew increasingly urgent, and her pace quickened with each step. Just as she reached Arthur, his hand twitched. Anna froze. The panic on her face instantly transformed into anger at having been tricked again. She kicked Arthur hard and shouted toward the side room, "Nathan, is this fun? You're happy to have me played, aren't you? Fine, since you like having the child pretend, then I'll play along. Let's see who's the one who'll be heartbroken in the end!" With that, she turned and left. At the door, Anna paused, turned back to look at the silent side room, and her anger could no longer be contained. She left with a cold laugh. After she left, Arthur suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood. He opened his eyes in a final burst of lucidity. Then, he carefully touched his chest and pulled out a clean almond cookie from his pocket. He had hidden it with his life. Touching the almond cookie in his hand, Arthur could not help but grin. A heartbreaking smile appeared on his face. "At least I still have one." Then, he struggled to his feet and stumbled into the room. "Father, I'm back..." Looking at my lifeless face, Arthur froze for a moment before quickly going to the bedside and putting the almond cookie in my mouth. "Father, I brought back your almond cookie. Father, try and see if it's good. Father, you lied to me..." With that said, Arthur fainted on the floor. The next day, a servant came to serve food. A scream echoed throughout the princess' residence. "Help! Mr. Smith is dead!" Anna, who was coaxing Zachary to take his medicine, jumped up, her face deathly pale. "What did you say?"