The Substitute Healer (BL)-Chapter 89: “The hell is he doing?”

"Did I do something to Elias?"

Soren stiffened with his heart racing and his cheeks burning as the prince stood too close. That’s because the memory of what they had done flashed through his mind, catching him off guard. He then swallowed hard, feeling a mix of awkwardness, embarrassment, and anger all at once.

He didn’t even know how he was supposed to feel. Part of him felt strange happiness because he had shared a bed with a prince while another part of him wanted to kick Cael for taking advantage of him.

The emotions collided, leaving Soren confused and tense as well as unsure how to react with Cael looming so close.

"Elias?" Cael continued, unimpressed. "I don’t even know who’s who, much less care." His eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned in closer. "Besides..." his voice dropped, quieter and sharper "don’t you have something you should be saying to me?"

Soren swallowed while frowning as he looked at Cael’s mocking expression. It was a very familiar stare that Soren had grown used to seeing. It was humiliating, as if Cael was looking on someone as his prey, someone to look down and discriminate, someone he despised.

"T-that’s right, Your Highness. I... I have something to ask..." Soren stammered.

At that, Cael leaned forward, then stepped back slightly while tilting his head with a smug smirk. His hands rested on his hips, clearly enjoying the moment as he waited for Soren’s question.

"Hmm, go on," Cael said, his tone teasing but sharp. "Say it already. Stop wasting my time. Do you think anyone can just talk to me like this? Did you know it’s supposed to be you people waiting on me? Come on, ask. I have a lot of things to do."

"I..." Soren tried to speak but the words were catching up in his throat. He wanted to ask why Cael had done what he did that night, the night they made love while he was sick but he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.

Well, it’s not like it’s really what he was about to ask but feeling the prince temper, instead of asking about Elias, he ended up thinking about such specific thing about him and the prince.

"N-no, I have nothing to as-..."

"Hmm, if you mean when we... had sex," Cael interrupted smoothly while leaning closer again, "what? Are you going to ask me to take responsibility? Hmm... I can’t give you that. Besides, didn’t you always take cock up your ass?" He scoffed with voice degrading and mocking. "Right, you think I wouldn’t know that you used to have a lot of men back then, shoving themselves inside you? It’s not like it was your first time with a man. So, what’s the big deal?"

Hearing that, Soren’s eyes immediately dropped.

Without warning, tears welled up while spilling over and hitting the floor. Every word cut deeper than he expected because the things Cael mentioned were all part of his past, horrors he had survived but never wanted to speak of.

To have Cael use them now as a tool to humiliate him... it stung far worse than any public gossip or degradation could.

He felt small, broken in a way that had nothing to do with the present as everything he had endured in the past came rushing back, twisting in his chest like a knife.

Seeing Soren’s reaction, Cael paused for a moment while rolling his eyes with a sigh. For him, it had only been a joke and nothing more so he didn’t understand why Soren looked so crushed.

"Hmm, did I say it wrong?" he muttered while tilting his head again. Then, as if a thought struck him, he added, "Ah... you’re asking about Elias, right? Who even is that?"

He scratched his chin awkwardly, sneaking a quick glance at Soren before rolling his eyes again. "Tsk... you’ve been so boring these past few days, huh? Crying in front of me now, too... really, it’s so unsightly."

He leaned back slightly, letting his words hang in the air as if expecting Soren to snap out of it immediately but the tension in the tent lingered, heavier than Cael seemed to realize.

’Damn... was my joke that bad?’ Cael muttered to himself with a sigh while shaking his head. Without so much as another glance at Soren, he turned back to his work while moving with lazy, easy motions as if nothing had happened.

A few moments passed, and then he noticed that Soren was gone.

"Argh," Cael grumbled, leaning back slightly. "I guess he’s not funny anymore, huh? Time to find another prey, then?"

He smirked to himself, already letting his mind wander while leaving the empty space where Soren had been without a second thought... at least outwardly.

Meanwhile, Alaric finished reading a letter and looked up then his gaze landing on Sylas and Lyric, who were lounging lazily in their chairs.

"So... the capital’s High Priest is coming, brother?" Sylas asked with unconcerned tone while clearly more interested in resting than the news itself.

"That’s right. Anyway, where’s His Highness? And what have you two been doing these past few days, huh? Stop wasting time on unnecessary things, and stay on high alert at all costs especially now, with the High Priest coming himself to inspect the north."

"Alright, brother. Got it," Lyric replied. "I’m heading out for a bit. Just tell me what needs to be done next, and I’ll take care of it."

He stepped outside to get some fresh, cold air. When he reached his usual hiding spot, he noticed Soren there with a faint glow pulsing from his palm as it rested on his chest. Soren’s head was bowed, so Lyric couldn’t make out his expression clearly.

"The hell is he doing?" Lyric muttered under his breath while frowning at the unexpected sight.

Ever since he learned that Soren had slept with Cael, he couldn’t help seeing him as... disgusting. The revelation caught him completely off guard, and before he could think, his anger flared uncontrollably. In that moment, he decided to treat Soren the same way he had in the past.

"The hell... what am I even doing here?" he muttered more at himself than anyone else.