"This will make you feel better," Ezra whispers softly, gently cupping Lior’s cheek while carefully tilting his face upward.

Lior sniffles again, tears still clinging to his lashes as he tries his best to stay still despite the trembling running through his small body.

Ezra’s chest hurt seeing that.

Because even though this was technically only the second time this had happened—

Lior already seemed familiar with the routine.

Like he already understood that the pain would eventually stop if he endured long enough.

And god—

Ezra hated that.

’I don’t know how long I can keep doing this to him.’ Ezra thought painfully as he carefully lifted the small bottle.

But this time felt worse.

Much worse.

Lior was shaking harder now, his breathing uneven as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly before Ezra could place the drops in.

"It’ll sting for a little bit," Ezra murmurs gently, brushing his thumb softly against Lior’s cheek. "Just a little, okay?"

Lior nods weakly.

Then Ezra carefully puts the eyedrops into his eyes.

Lior immediately winces.

A tiny broken sound leaves him as his fingers clutch tightly against Ezra’s sleeve.

"It hurts..." Lior whispers shakily.

"I know," Ezra says quickly, his own voice tightening despite trying to stay calm. "I know, little one. Just a bit longer."

Carefully, Ezra finishes applying the drops, making sure not to miss even while Lior trembles beneath his hands.

Then slowly—

Very slowly—

The bright gold in Lior’s eyes began fading.

Gold.

To Amber.

Amber.

To orange.

Ezra finally exhales shakily the second he sees the dangerous glow disappear completely.

"Blink a lot, little one," Ezra whispers immediately, still holding Lior carefully. "The pain will disappear soon."

Lior nods slightly, still sniffling as he obediently blinked over and over just like Ezra instructed him to.

A few seconds passed.

Then Ezra finally saw it.

Lior’s shoulders are slowly relaxing.

His breathing is evening out little by little.

And then—

Lior takes one deep breath.

A real one this time.

Not broken.

Not shaky.

Relief hit Ezra so hard he almost sagged forward himself.

"There you go," Ezra whispers, brushing damp strands of hair away from Lior’s forehead. "That’s better, right?"

Lior blinked a few more times before looking up at him with watery orange eyes.

"...doesn’t hurt anymore," he whispers softly.

Ezra shut his eyes briefly.

Just briefly.

Because only now did he realize how terrified he had actually been.

’Thank Aurethys,’ Ezra thought shakily, one hand pressing lightly against his own chest for a second.

Because when Lior’s eyes turned gold—

Ezra genuinely thought everything was over.

That Kaelis would see.

That Lior’s secret would finally stop being just theirs.

And the worst part was—

It would’ve been Lior’s father who saw.

Ezra’s stomach twisted painfully.

’No,’ Ezra immediately shut the thought down before it could continue any further. ’Don’t think about that right now.’

Right now, Lior mattered more.

Only Lior.

"Maman?"

Ezra immediately looked back down at him.

Lior was staring at him quietly now, still teary-eyed but calmer, his lashes damp while he blinked slowly through the exhaustion settling across his face.

"...I wanna sleep," Lior whispers. "I’m tired from crying."

That made Ezra’s chest ache even more.

Because Lior sounded so small saying it.

So drained.

’My baby...’

Without another word, Ezra gently lifted Lior into his arms.

Lior immediately curled against him instinctively, weak from earlier, his small fingers bunching lightly against Ezra’s shirt while Ezra carried him further onto the large bed.

Carefully.

Carefully enough, like Lior might break if he moved too fast.

Ezra settled him against the pillows before sitting beside him, one hand immediately moving into his pale hair again, slowly caressing the soft strands to soothe him.

"I’m sorry," Ezra whispers after a moment, guilt thick in his voice now that the panic is fading. "This wouldn’t have happened if I remembered."

His fingers slowed slightly.

"It’s already been seven days."

And he should’ve noticed sooner.

Should’ve remembered the pattern immediately after the first time.

But too much had happened.

Too many revelations.

Too much fear.

And Lior ended up suffering for it.

"It’s okay, Maman," Lior murmurs sleepily, already sounding half-asleep as he snuggles deeper into the blankets. "I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me on porpos."

Ezra froze slightly.

Then his expression softened almost painfully.

Relief flooded through him so suddenly that it made his throat tighten.

Because that trust—

Lior trusted him so naturally.

So completely.

Even after crying in pain.

Even after everything.

’How did I get someone this precious?’ Ezra thought shakily, brushing another strand of hair away from Lior’s forehead.

But then Lior spoke again.

"Maman..."

"Hm?"

"You should say sorry to Kakay."

Ezra blinked.

"...What?"

Lior frowned faintly, though he still looked exhausted.

"You shouted at him," he says softly.

And immediately—

Ezra felt guilt stab straight through his chest.

"I..." Ezra exhales quietly, rubbing lightly at his face with his free hand. "I didn’t mean to yell at him like that, little one. I was just..."

Shocked.

Terrified.

Panicking.

"I didn’t know what to do," Ezra admits more quietly. "I got scared."

"I know," Lior says immediately. "But Kakay doesn’t know."

Ezra stills.

Lior’s sleepy orange eyes looked up at him seriously despite how tired he was.

"And Kakay really sounded hurt."

That made Ezra’s stomach twist uncomfortably.

Because now that the panic had settled—

Now that Lior was okay—

Ezra could still remember Kaelis’ face when he screamed at him.

Not angry.

Just stunned.

And worried.

"I hate being yelled at," Lior mumbles softly, his voice getting sleepier with every word. "It makes me sad."

Ezra’s chest tightened hard at that.

Because Lior wasn’t wrong.

Kaelis didn’t even fight back.

Didn’t argue.

Didn’t force himself closer.

He just left because Ezra asked him to.

No—

Because Ezra screamed at him.

’I really shouted at him like he was the enemy,’ Ezra thought heavily, shutting his eyes briefly.

And the worst part was—

Kaelis was only trying to help.

Slowly, Lior’s eyes started drooping more and more.

"Maman..." he whispers again weakly.

"Yes?" Ezra asks softly.

"Remember to say sorry..."

Lior yawns slightly.

"...okay?"

Ezra couldn’t help the small, sad smile that appeared on his face.

"I will," he whispers honestly. "I promise."

Lior nods faintly at that,t as if he was satisfied with the answer.

Then finally—

His breathing slowly evened out again.

Soft.

Peaceful.

Ezra stayed quiet for a long moment after that, his hand still moving gently through Lior’s hair.

The room suddenly felt too quiet now.

Too still after everything that just happened.

And unfortunately—

Now that he had time to think again, Lior’s words kept replaying inside his head.

Kakay looked hurt.

Ezra exhales slowly, leaning back slightly against the headboard.

’He really did,’ Ezra thought quietly.

And somehow—

That bothered him more than he expected it to.

Because Kaelis truly had been nothing but kind ever since Ezra returned.

Annoying sometimes?

Yes.

Too teasing?

Definitely.

But cruel?

No.

Not once.

He didn’t realize it until now.

’He has been nothing but kind...’ Ezra thought again, and honestly, even thinking about Kaelis still felt strange to him.

Almost unreal.

For years, Ezra had already decided what kind of person Kaelis was in his head.

An irritating prince.

Attention-seeking.

Overbearing.

Insensitive.

But now that he actually looked back at everything—

Kaelis had always been trying.

Trying to talk to him.

Trying to lighten the mood.

Trying to stay near him despite Ezra making it painfully obvious that he didn’t want him around.

And somehow—

Kaelis still stayed kind anyway.

Ezra slowly looks back up at the familiar ceiling again.

That same ceiling.

The ceiling was tied to memories Ezra spent years trying not to think about.

Unwanted memories.

Dangerous memories.

But now—

Instead of that night replaying in his mind, Ezra found himself remembering Kaelis from earlier instead.

Not the Kaelis from years ago.

Not the prince from the ball.

Not the stranger tangled up with him in the dark.

No.

He remembered the Kaelis from today.

The one coughing because he got flustered.

The one babbling nonsense while Lior innocently bullied him.

The one hiding behind his own hair because he got embarrassed.

Ezra suddenly lets out a quiet laugh under his breath.

’Who would’ve thought he was weird?’

Because truly—

Seeing a prince stutter like that felt absurd.

Especially Kaelis.

The same Kaelis who always acted so confidently.

So smooth.

So shamelessly charming around everyone else.

And strangely enough—

Ezra didn’t dislike that side of him at all.

Sure, years ago, it probably would’ve bothered Ezra.

Back then, Ezra expected princes to act perfectly.

Speak perfectly.

Behave perfectly.

But honestly—

What even was a perfect prince anymore?

Helios was perfect,t too.

Perfectly charming.

Perfectly kind.

Perfectly loved.

And now Ezra didn’t even know who Helios truly was underneath all of that perfection.

Meanwhile Kaelis—

Kaelis was strange.

Blunt.

Too honest sometimes.

Emotionally obvious in the weirdest ways.

A good kind of weird.

And somehow, that felt more real.

’I already thanked him for the bread, but...’ Ezra thought quietly, his fingers absentmindedly brushing through Lior’s hair again.

Lior was right.

Ezra really did need to apologize.

Not just for yelling at him.

But for misunderstanding him so badly for years.

For assuming the worst of him every single time without ever trying to look deeper.

Still—

Ezra couldn’t afford to make the same mistake twice.

Because Kaelis had gotten too close earlier.

Way too close.

He almost saw Lior’s eyes.

And gods—

That part still made Ezra’s stomach twist painfully.

Because it broke his heart hearing Lior cry out for Kaelis while Ezra forced him away from the room.

Lior trusted him.

Wanted him there.

And Kaelis wanted to stay.

Ezra knew that much now.

But if Kaelis found out—

If he saw Lior’s golden eyes properly—

What then?

How would Ezra even explain any of this?

Why did Ezra disappear for years with a hidden heir?

And of course, who among the three was the father?

Ezra slowly shuts his eyes.

’I have never felt guilty hiding Lior from Kaelis, but...’

His chest tightened faintly.

Why was that changing now?