Candlelight flickered upon the wooden table. The scrape of a fork against ceramic echoed through the dark kitchen. Across from it stood a young boy, confusion written plainly across his face.
What is going on?
On the other side of the table sat Pieter, stabbing what was supposed to be the boy's dinner with an expression of complaint painted all over his face.
"Surely this is not your dinner for tonight, Your Highness?" the man asked, lifting the very stale bread between two fingers.
The young prince, still bewildered, retraced the series of events that had somehow led him to this situation.
I ignored the man because his offer seemed ridiculous. Then he kept going on and on, asking me to accept his offer as we walked back to the palace and to my room. He even pushed the cart for me as I attempted to bring it to the kitchen. And now, we're both here, staring at my dinner.
"Why… are you here?" the boy asked, squeezing his eyes shut in a grimace.
The man dropped the stale bread, causing it to make a clanking noise as it landed on the ceramic plate.
"I still haven't heard your answer."
"Is silence not an answer?"
"It can be… But in this case, it is not."
The boy leaned back and crossed his arms. With a confident expression, he looked at the man and spoke bluntly.
"Then my answer is no. Now, please leave."
"I refuse your refusal," the man replied. "And I also refuse to leave."
"What in the—This is my property, and you are trespassing. Leave before I call the guards!" the boy threatened.
However, the man remained completely unfazed.
"I don't see any guards here," the man chuckled.
Tsk.
The boy clicked his tongue as he turned his head to hide his frustrated expression.
He couldn't deny the lack of guards in this palace. They existed and even had shifts, but none usually showed up at this time of night. Whether it was planned or the guards were simply lazy, this was a very common occurrence in the Black Palace, making Cleus very vulnerable.
"I tell you what. What if I bring you to a place where you can eat good food?" the man offered.
"I don't follow strangers."
"Stranger? Didn't I just tell you my name? Pieter Bellevue."
"Well, excuse me, Mr. Bellevue. I barely know you at all. And besides, you said it yourself—the moment I step out of the palace, I'm as good as dead," the boy barked back, both hands clenching the table as he leaned his face toward the man.
"Did you forget my offer to change your appearance?"
"I did not, but I ignored it because it sounds silly and impossible."
"And how is it impossible?"
"Because nothing can hide these cursed green eyes! Not even magic!" the boy exclaimed, his voice fading into silence as he retreated into himself.
The boy turned away and looked at the water basin on the counter, staring at his eyes with resentment.
"I am subjected to live with these eyes. I cannot escape my fate because of them… Unless I gouge them out."
A long pause filled the kitchen until a creak from the seat was heard, followed by slow footsteps heading toward him.
"What if it is possible?" Pieter spoke softly.
The boy turned his head to see Pieter holding a small box in his hand.
"What is that?" Cleus asked, looking at the box.
"See for yourself," the man said proudly, handing the box to the prince.
Cleus carefully opened the box to see a ring made of darkwood. It was plain and looked like it was made from the same material as the cheap carriage he rode earlier. It rested in the center of a small blue velvet cushion inside the box.
"What is this supposed to be?" the boy asked, holding up the ring with his small fingers.
"An artifact."
The boy's eyes widened as he looked at the man.
An artifact?!
Artifacts are rare objects that can be carried or worn. They are found in ancient tombs or made by mages. They are embedded with mana and take precision and genius to create. Some create positive effects, such as healing enchantments, increased mana, or acceleration. Others cause curses such as sleep reduction, debuffs, or insanity.
The duration of the effects depends on how the artifact was made. The stronger the enchantment, the longer the effect. Some may only last for days or can be activated for only a few minutes a day. Others may even last a lifetime and never come off a person's body. Some enchantments take effect immediately when an artifact is worn, and their effects dissipate if it is taken off.
"Go on… Give it a try. I made it for yo—myself. In case I needed it, but I never found the need to hide my face," he said proudly, showing off his perfectly sculpted face.
The sentence pissed the boy off, but his caution outweighed his annoyance. He looked at the man for a moment and placed the ring back in the box, returning it to the man's hands.
"Eh?!" the man uttered, his eyes widening in confusion. "Why?"
"I'm not going to wear a strange object you gave me. Especially from someone I don't trust at all."
"I promise you that it is safe, Your Highness! You have nothing to be cautious about!"
The boy ignored the man and turned away. However, the silence bothered him, and he couldn't help but sneak a glance at the man, only to see him dejected, his eyes devastated.
Guilt slowly crept within him. His mind knew he shouldn't fall for it, but he couldn't brush the look on the man's face from his thoughts.
"Ah! Fine!" Cleus said, taking the box from Pieter's hand and taking out the ring.
Cleus couldn't help but tremble as the ring slowly approached his finger. When he finally put it on, the ring was undeniably huge.
"Uh… Mr. Bellevue, you forgot to consider that this ring is too big for a kid like—"
Suddenly, the ring moved by itself, like a snake, slowly wrapping itself around his ring finger. Within just a few seconds, the large ring became a perfect fit on his small finger.
"How did that happen?!"
"I made it adjustable. So, no matter how long you wear it, even into adulthood, it will grow to fit your size," Pieter explained. "It will always be the owner's perfect fit."
The boy continued to stare, unable to fathom the phenomenon he had just witnessed. But another wave of concern flashed through his mind.
I don't even know what this ring does, yet I wore it!
"I've been a fool! I might've been cursed by you!" he said, pulling at the ring and expecting it to be stuck.
However, the ring slipped right off, so easily that it was hard to believe it was a curse-type artifact. Usually, curse-type artifacts embed themselves into the wearer's body for their effects to work.
"I would never curse you, Your Highness," the man smiled. "Put it back on so you can see what it does."
The boy did as he was told, and like before, the ring fit right onto his finger.
"Now what?" the boy asked, his face still full of doubt.
The man simply glanced at the boy's long hair that was resting on his shoulder. Cleus slowly lowered his gaze to see a feature of his body that looked completely different from before.
He slowly reached for his hair and pulled it gently, taking an even better look.
His silver-white hair was now jet-black.
The boy ran to the water basin near the window and looked down. There… a reflection that was undoubtedly his, but at the same time, felt like a stranger to him.
His jaw trembled as he stared at himself, unable to believe what he now looked like.
His face remained unchanged, but his hair showed no hint of the silver-white hair he had inherited from the emperor.
But something specific caught his attention, something he never thought was possible at all.
His emerald-green eyes had become a deep hue of blue, like the ocean.
His eyes welled with tears. Anxiety, confusion, and disbelief twisted together inside him, but slowly, one feeling rose above the rest.
Hope.
Relief.
He had always seen his eyes as a curse, a chain he could never break out of. He had considered blinding himself just to get out of the palace and be able to walk the streets of Dhara.
Without these emerald eyes, I can just be like any other person.
But now… a sliver of hope appeared in front of him. Like light in the middle of a dark field.
He never knew this was possible. Every book in the palace showed that it was impossible. He couldn't care less if this was a scam by the mage. It simply showed that he could live like any other person and get out of this suffocating life as a useless royal.
It was a chance.
A chance of a lifetime.
Cleus turned to the man, the corners of his mouth rising, his face brimming with excitement. But his expression changed when he looked at Pieter's eyes.
His face was expressionless, but his golden eyes made it look like he was in pain, like a man witnessing a ghost. Those very same eyes softened, and the man made a slight smile.
"You… look just like your mother."
.
.
.
[The Black Palace, year 285]