Chapter : 31

  The heavy glass doors leading out to the balcony suddenly pushed open. The sound of hard, angry footsteps echoed against the marble floor. Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

  Ken did not even open his eyes. He just kept chewing his squished sandwich and let out a long, dramatic groan.

  "Oh, come on," Ken mumbled out loud to himself. "Are you kidding me? I just found this spot. It is the perfect hiding place. Please tell me you are just a lost guard looking for the bathroom."

  "I am not a guard, you filthy peasant," a sharp, furious voice hissed from behind him.

  Ken slowly opened one sleepy eye and turned his head. Standing a few feet away, blocking the only door back inside, was Zefar.

  It was the same arrogant noble from earlier today. He was the son of the powerful Senator and the top servant for the 5th Prince. Zefar was no longer wearing his fancy red silk suit. He was wearing an expensive dark training uniform, but his face looked exactly the same as before. It was twisted into an ugly, hateful scowl. His eyes were burning with pure, unhidden anger.

  Zefar had spent the entire afternoon boiling with rage. The 5th Prince had scolded him, embarrassed him, and treated him like a foolish child in front of hundreds of people. And in Zefar's mind, it was all Ken’s fault. If this messy, stupid commoner had just bowed down and cried like he was supposed to, none of this would have happened.

  Zefar had watched Ken sneak out of the guest rooms and followed him. He wanted revenge. He wanted to take his anger out on the person who had ruined his perfect reputation.

  "You think you're safe because the Princess is watching?" Zefar said, taking a slow, threatening step forward. He cracked his knuckles loudly. "You think you can just embarrass me in front of the 5th Prince and walk away without a scratch? You have no idea how the real world works, boy."

  Ken turned around completely and leaned his back against the railing. He looked at Zefar with half-closed, bored eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out another crushed sandwich.

  "Oh, hey," Ken said, his voice completely casual. "It’s the guy in the shiny pajamas. Man, you really need a new hobby. Following a guy to a balcony in the middle of the night is a little bit creepy, don't you think?"

  "Shut your mouth!" Zefar snapped, his face turning red. "There are no Royal guards out here. There is no Vice-Captain Sayma to stand in front of you. There is no Princess Iris to save you. We are completely alone. I am going to teach you a lesson you will never, ever forget."

  Ken let out another loud sigh. He looked down at the crushed sandwich in his hand. He really didn't want to deal with this right now. It was so much work.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "Look, man," Ken said, offering the squished food toward Zefar. "I told you earlier, you just need a snack. Your blood sugar is probably really low. It makes people super cranky. Just eat this tiny bread swan, go back to your room, and let me enjoy my quiet time. I promise I won't tell anyone you were crying about your Prince yelling at you."

  That was the absolute worst thing Ken could have said.

  Zefar’s eyes went completely wide with pure fury. The veins on his forehead popped out. "I WAS NOT CRYING!" Zefar screamed, his voice echoing off the balcony walls. "You are nothing! You are a piece of trash from the dirt! I am a Senator's son! I am going to burn that stupid, goofy smile right off your ugly face!"

  Zefar raised both of his hands. He did not hold back this time. He was so incredibly angry that he pulled on a massive amount of his magical energy. The air around him instantly grew blazing hot. Bright, roaring orange and blue flames burst to life around his fists, swirling and crackling like a wild bonfire.

  The heat was so intense that it made the cool night air shimmer. Zefar’s face was lit up by the glowing fire, making him look like a crazy demon. He was cornering Ken against the railing, leaving him absolutely no place to run.

  Any normal person would have been screaming for their life. A normal commoner would have dropped to their knees, crying and begging Zefar to stop. A normal servant would have tried to jump over the balcony to escape the deadly heat.

  But Ken was not normal. And he was getting really tired of this guy interrupting his snack time.

  However, Ken decided to try one last time to play his usual role. He decided to give Zefar one final chance to walk away before things got ugly.

  Ken threw his hands up in the air and slapped his own cheeks. He widened his eyes as far as they could go and let his jaw drop. He put on his most exaggerated, completely fake expression of absolute terror.

  "Oh no! The scary fire is back!" Ken yelled out loud, his voice cracking on purpose to sound like a frightened cartoon character. "Please! This is the part where I should make a scared face! Let me make a super scared puppy dog face! Woof! Please do not turn the potato boy into a French fry! I bruise so easily!"

  Ken even made his knees knock together, creating a silly tapping sound against the marble floor.

  Zefar did not laugh. He did not care that Ken was acting like an idiot. His mind was totally consumed by anger and pride. He wanted to see Ken scream in real pain. He wanted to see this commoner burn.

  "Your stupid jokes are not going to save you this time," Zefar hissed, stepping closer. The flames grew larger, ready to be thrown. "I am going to turn you into a pile of ashes, and I am going to tell everyone it was a tragic accident. Goodbye, peasant."

  Zefar pushed his hands forward, preparing to blast a high-level wave of deadly fire directly into Ken's chest.

  Ken dropped his hands from his cheeks. His goofy, silly smile completely vanished. His lazy, slouching posture disappeared. He stood up perfectly straight.

  "I tried to warn him," Ken thought to himself, his internal voice completely shifting. It no longer sounded like the lazy farm boy. It sounded cold, sharp, and deeply annoyed. "I tried to play the fool. But some people just really want to touch the hot stove."

  The playful game was over. The slacker was gone.

  Ken Eliot didn't run. He didn't even flinch. He just stared directly into the roaring flames, and he slowly lifted one single finger.

  ----

  Zefar thrust his glowing hands forward with all his strength. A massive, roaring wave of blue and orange fire shot out, aimed directly at Ken’s face. It was a spell designed to completely melt a human body in seconds. Zefar smiled a cruel, ugly smile, waiting to hear the sound of the commoner screaming in pain.

  But the scream never came.