"He is not waking up."
"The intruder got away."
"There are no other injuries inflicted on him."
"How did this happen to him all of a sudden?"
"I should have checked more around this area. I apologize, Your Majesty."
"It's not your fault. This is something all of us have not predicted."
"Do you think this is the first time?"
"We don't know, but based on why the crown prince is the only one..."
"This is worrying."
He opened his eyes to see blurry objects. His ears are ringing from the murmurs around him. He couldn't clearly hear what they were talking about.
He tried to look for someone, but he groaned when pain struck his neck and head. He touched his head.
'What the hell happened to me?'
"Michaelis? Micha? Can you hear me?"
"Dear, step aside for a moment for Celix to examine him."
The empress backed away with a concerned face while being held by her husband. Celix stepped forward to see the waking child. Michaelis leaned against the bedhead.
"Your Highness?"
Michaelis blinked his eyes repeatedly. He could see a blurred blue colour.
'Celix?'
"Did you see me?"
"It's.. blurred."
Celix frowned.
"I apologize, but I'll need to examine your eyes right now."
Michaelis felt someone touch his face slowly, and he flinched slightly.
"Please don't close your eyes, Your Highness."
He did as told and opened his eyes for Celix to examine. Light came through his eyes, and he blinked. After a few seconds, Celix let his face go.
"Could you see my hand?"
Michaelis squinted his eyes. He did see something that looked like a hand.
"Yes, but blurry."
"Did you see how many fingers I showed?"
He squinted his eyes again.
"Two?"
Celix stepped back after finishing questioning Michaelis. He faced the emperor and empress.
"There is nothing wrong with His Highness's eyesight. It could be a temporary occurrence, so I'll need to examine him further tomorrow. If not, there may be some injury to his nerve cells. His Highness will need further treatment if that happens. The nerve in his neck may be damaged by the fangs. Fortunately, there is no poison detected in His Highness's body."
Zera covered her mouth with her hands, shocked by the news. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern.
"I'll leave his treatment to you, Celix."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Celix bowed down.
"Leave us for a while."
"Yes."
Michaelis heard the sound of footsteps and the sound of the door closing. He frowned when his eyes seemed too blurry for his liking. He had never had difficulty seeing before. He also never wore glasses in his past life. He felt like he now had myopia greater than -6.00.
"Micha. It's me."
"Mom."
He saw a blur of green and yellow sitting next to him on the bed. A hand was touching his face.
"Are you feeling fine?"
"I'm fine, mom. Don't worry."
He smiled without knowing that a frown slowly formed on the woman's beautiful face.
"Michaelis, do you remember what happened last night?"
He did. He just remembered what happened to him last night. The third time, his blood was sucked out. The snakeman was acting like a vampire who was hungry for blood, or was the snakeman actually a vampire?
He also remembered what the snakeman said before he passed out. About drinking his blood and healing him.
Is that why he always felt fine after waking up in the morning the two times the snakeman drank his blood? Did the snakeman really heal him after he drank his blood?
That would make sense if Michaelis thought about it again. He never felt the dizziness of losing blood. The wound on his neck is also gone. He never felt fatigued but was more energized than the day before.
Michaelis touched his neck where the snakeman bit him last night. His hand touched the bandage around his neck. He put pressure on the bandage and hissed a little.
The wound is not closing.
"Don't touch the wound. You might bleed again."
His hand was grabbed by a large one, away from the wound.
"Yes."
"You don't remember?"
He was asked the same question again.
Michaelis is contemplating. He is curious. He knew this was a stupid decision that might endanger him. He might die the next time and not manage to be saved on time.
He is curious, and he wants an answer. He wanted to know why that snake-man chose him. Why did the snakeman heal him afterwards? Why did the snakeman do all of those?
If he wanted the answer, he needed to make sure they could meet again in the future. He needed to make sure the snakeman managed to come into his room again. If he told them, the snakeman might have difficulty coming back here because Asteric might increase the security in his palace and around him. Well, he's sure Asteric would still increase the surveillance around him.
Michaelis just won't give them a chance to search for the intruder easily by giving the descriptions.
It might be an easy task for the snakeman to sneak into his room; moreover, he didn't know how the snakeman got into his locked room. Michaelis just has to wait for the snakeman to come again. Well, the snakeman seemed like a reasonable one last night.
Not really; Michaelis just thought that they could have a civil conversation now that he knew the snake could actually talk. Michaelis didn't mind risking his life just for this. To answer his curiosity.
Curiosity killed the cat?
Nope, he never believed that. He is not a cat, after all.
"No. I don't. What actually happened? Why is my neck so stiff and my head hurting?"
He just needed to tell a lie. It's not like this is his first time.
"I think it is better for you to not remember anything. We are just glad that you are safe now."
Asteric let out a sigh while looking at his only son. Before, his son had almost drowned to death; now, he was attacked by an intruder who had been assumed to be a beast.
One thing came to mind after he saw the bite on his son's neck: vampires. The creature was said to be extinct 100 years ago.
So, how did this happen? Is the vampire actually out there somewhere? If yes, why did they target his son? Did someone send the vampire to harm his son again? He can't bear to lose his son. He needed to make sure his son was safe anywhere he went, but now his son had been hurt and injured more in his own home.
Asteric could feel the failure of a father. He should be more attentive.
"Dad?"
Asteric came back from his bubble of thought.
"Yes? Do you need anything?"
"No. I just could feel that you were upset. Are you okay?"
Asteric let out a silent sigh again. He also dismissed his wife's concern for him by rubbing her shoulder. He patted Michaelis' head slowly.
"I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me. You should take a rest."
Michaelis just nodded in silence. Zera and Asteric stayed by his side until nighttime. Nasharis also joined them in the evening.
×××××
"I heard what happened."
Must be from Sir Raihan. Or the rumour about him has spread throughout the empire. News sure travels fast.
"I'm fine."
"You still couldn't see properly?"
Rezal waved his hand in front of Michaelis.
"Still blurry, but I'll manage."
"When will you get the treatment from Sir Celix?"
"He will come later to check on me."
Knock. Knock.
"Your Highness, Sir Celix is here."
Speak of the devil.
He gave Riri permission, who was waiting outside. The door opened, and Celix walked in.
"How are you feeling today, Your Highness?"
"Like a shit."
"Please no cursing, Your Highness."
His neck is still stiff. Maybe he really should just let the snake-man suck his blood and heal him afterwards. He didn't like the pain.
"Please stay aside, Young Master Rezal."
Rezal just obliged. He doesn't want to interfere with his friend's treatment.
"It looks like you can't see properly yet. I will begin your treatment then. Stay still, Your Highness."
Eh, what would he do? This man won't just suddenly poke his eyes or something, right?
He didn't know how they treated an injury like this in this world. Does their medical treatment advance as much as his past life? Are they going to use some kind of magic?
"Don't open your eyes before I give you the instruction to do so."
Michaelis hummed in understanding. He suddenly felt a warm sensation around his eyes. He prevented himself from opening his eyes. He could also hear a gasp from Rezal.
After two minutes, the warmth vanished in an instant.
"Open your eyes now."
Slowly, he opened his eyes. He blinked his eyes repeatedly.
"Oh."
"Is your vision becoming normal again?"
"Yes, how did you do it? No, what did you do?"
He looked at Celix, now clearly visible. Rezal came near them.
"Healing magic. The basic requirement for an imperial doctor."
"Wah, there is also healing magic?"
Rezal asked in amazement.
"You guys learned magic but didn't know anything about this?"
Celix took out a lollipop from his coat pocket.
"You never told us about it!"
"Oh, my bad."
He didn't feel bad at all.
Celix touched his bandages. The doctor slowly unwrapped the bandages from his neck to see the wound. Celix groaned slowly when looking at the wound. Rezal also frowned when looking at it.
"The bleeding has stopped, but the bite wounds have not closed yet. This will take a while to heal."
"Can't you use your healing magic, sir?" Rezal asked.
"I already did, but there is no effect. I need to investigate how this happened. So, I'll need to come and clean your wound to avoid infection."
Celix took out his supplies from his bag. He pulled out a pair of gloves before he wore them.
"Please don't move."
Celix pressed the cotton that was soaked with the yellow liquid onto his wound. Michaelis hissed at the contact when he felt the sting, but he didn't move.
Celix's movements are fast. After five minutes, his neck was neatly wrapped again.
"Well then, that's all. Ask this brat to call for me if you need anything, Your Highness."
"Who did you call a brat, huh, old m—?"
Celix pushed a lollipop into Rezal's mouth to stop him from continuing to talk before he walked away. Michaelis let out a scoff at the irritated Rezal while holding onto the still-wrapped lollipop in his hand.
"So, is there anything I can do to help you today?"
Michaelis raised an eyebrow at the sudden question. Oh well, if Rezal asked, he wouldn't reject such an offer.
×××××
Hiss.
"It took you long enough to come back."
The golden-eyed snake hissed again before he opened his mouth.
"You have been waiting."
"We should have a talk, intruder."
A smoke came out from the snake. After the smoke cleared, a silhouette of the same man could be seen.
"Very well. Let's have a nice talk, kiddo."