Ethan struggled to remain calm, but his voice trembled more and more. He couldn't accept the terrifying prospect awaiting him. His eyes filled with tears, brimming with pain and pleading.
"The journey is long and perilous—can I even survive to reach there? There are countless traps in a foreign land; I could be falsely accused, harmed, tortured to death. My whole life, I would only be a slave to the royal family of Helios. This journey offers me only two paths: humiliation or death."
He choked on his words, almost suffocating in the intensity of his emotions. Ethan knew he was not just begging for his life but also for the compassion of the father he revered. His heart surged with a sense of helplessness and despair.
"Father, I am also a prince, your son. How can you let me live in disgrace, trampled by the royal family of Helios? How can you abandon me like this?"
Ethan's words pierced the king's heart like daggers, each sentence laden with fear and indignation. He hoped, even a little, that his father would change his decision, that there would be another way that wouldn't push him into danger.
The king, seeing Ethan still overwhelmed with emotion, tried to gently advise, his voice warm but full of authority:
"Ethan, you must understand that as members of the royal family, we must always place the nation's interests first. In my heart, there is no pain greater than sending you to the enemy, but to preserve our kingdom and ensure peace for our people, I have no other choice. This is the price our royal family must pay, the sacrifice you must make. Please understand my heart."
The king looked sternly at Ethan and continued with suspicion:
"Was the accident last time not a coincidence? Did you stage it to avoid your duty to the Kingdom of Helios?" His voice grew cold and angry.
Ethan looked up at his father in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief and pain.
"Father, do you doubt me?" His voice trembled, filled with both outrage and sorrow.
"Father, how can you think I would do something so despicable?"
He looked directly at the king, his voice resolute:
"I swear on my life to prove my innocence! It was entirely an accident!"
The king’s eyes were full of doubt.
"To prevent any mishap, from now on, you will stay within the palace, and I will assign two more squads of guards to ensure your safety."
The queen took Ethan's hand, her voice gentle but firm:
"Be strong. We are always with you, always love you."
Although she felt sympathy for Ethan, a talented prince, the safety of her own child remained her top priority. The queen silently breathed a sigh of relief that her son would not be a hostage in a foreign land.
With a stern expression, the king decisively issued his order:
"My decision is made. In a month, when the Helios military arrives, they will escort you on your journey. Prepare yourself now."
Not giving Ethan a chance to react, the king waved his hand and left, his mood far from cheerful.
After the king and queen left, Julian Pierce, now in the body of Ethan Caelan, felt the fate of the fourth prince was so tragic. The space was silent, with only the sound of sighs and conflicting thoughts in his mind.
"Four sons, and Ethan Caelan was the one chosen to be a hostage? He seems less loved than his brothers," Julian thought, filled with doubt and confusion.
"Yet even while imprisoned, he still protected them... How pitiful! Ethan Caelan was too kind."
Julian sighed, his mind tangled with conflicting thoughts. He pondered his own plans.
"I'm not Ethan Caelan; there's no reason for me to endure this imprisoned fate. But if I escape, Ethan will be seen as a coward, guilty of treason. Can I survive with that reputation?"
He tried to recall the script, but the vague details worried him. Julian sighed:
"Haizz! I should have read the script more carefully back then. All I remember is that Ethan was commanded to go to the kingdom of Helios as a hostage, and then he would be imprisoned and threatened. A noble prince, living in luxury, with looks as beautiful as an immortal, forced to live under the control of that tyrant king..."
Thinking of this, Julian shuddered.
Julian's thoughts became increasingly complex and chaotic.
"Being the emperor's male concubine, what would that entail? I've never even dated before, let alone imagined such things! Since becoming a trainee, all my relationships have been closely monitored. Before, it was just reading scripts and acting; it wasn't real. I'm only 25."
A sense of fear crept into his heart.
"What should I do? Running away is cowardly; staying means enduring humiliation."
Julian looked out at the sky, worried.
"If it were Ethan, what would he do? Right, with his self-sacrificing nature, he would accept it as a prince's duty. After all, now I am Ethan. I have to live according to the character's personality, follow the plot, and see it as an experience."
Thinking this, Julian felt a bit more determined.
"Anyway, this isn't the real world; consider it a long-term role."
"But... oh dear, being a male concubine for a tyrant king, I can't even imagine. If I act well, maybe he'll treat me better?"
Julian smiled gently.
"Let's try living Ethan's life, facing all challenges. Maybe there's a chance to turn the tide. But still, I'm scared; being a male concubine... what a challenge, unlike anything in my acting career."
He stood up, walked out to the yard, and gazed at the sky.
"Life is unpredictable. Just yesterday, I was a movie star with a packed schedule; now I'm a prince about to be a hostage in a foreign land. Life sure knows how to test people."
Julian felt his heart lighten, as if he had found a direction for himself.
"Whatever happens, I must be mentally and physically prepared. I can't let myself be caught off guard. Ethan Caelan, you lived a noble life; now it's my turn to continue this role completely."
Valerius Evander had just finished dealing with the state documents. For the past few days, his mind had been entirely consumed by Ethan Caelan, leaving him with little energy to focus on state affairs. Now that Ethan had finally regained consciousness, it felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from his chest.Eager to see Ethan, Valerius left his desk and hurried toward the Jade Heart Pavilion. From a distance, Doctor Henry Thorne greeted him with a respectful bow and began his report.“Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince, has just finished soaking in medicinal herbs. He is now in the garden, basking in the sun to recover,” Henry informed him.Valerius turned his gaze toward the garden. “How is he faring?” he asked with a note of concern.Henry hesitated before replying, “Your Majesty, his life is no longer in immediate danger. However…”“What’s the issue?” Valerius’s voice betrayed his impatience.“His Highness has a naturally cold constitution. After falling into the lake previou
Ethan Caelan also understood that he had no way to escape Valerius Evander at this moment, nor could he accept the kind of love between men that Valerius spoke of."So… even if I were to die, I can never return to my world?" Ethan thought, despair casting a shadow over him like a suffocating fog.Closing his eyes, he tried to piece together the fragmented memories from his dreams—his mother, lifetimes of suffering, the curse, Valerius Evander, Lucian Evander. They all felt like scattered shards of a puzzle, chilling him to his core." Lucian Evander … the Four Heavenly Dragons… those noblemen… What connection do they have to me? I need to start by understanding them."Ethan struggled to rise from the bed. He had been lying still for far too long. The moment his trembling feet touched the ground and he attempted to stand, his body collapsed onto the cold floor."My legs… why can’t I feel my legs?" Ethan exclaimed, panic lacing his voice.Hearing the commotion inside, Henry Thorne rushe
Lucian’s eyes roamed hungrily over Ethan’s flawless, ivory skin, flushed with an enticing hue that only fueled his desire to conquer. "Look at this… seems like Prince Ethan of Aria is craving me as much as I want him…" Lucian murmured, pressing his lips to Ethan’s collarbone, tracing down to his chest. "Little beauty… I’ll make you feel so good…"“No!... Let me go…” Ethan cried out, trembling.“Let you go? It’s an honor for you to be used by the Four Dragons,” sneered the crimson-moled man. “We don’t often share, you know. You should be grateful we're making an exception for you.”The group of men closed in, circling Ethan. "Aaa… get away! Don’t... don’t touch me…” Ethan struggled, his cries growing desperate."Ethan!... Ethan!... wake up!” A familiar voice cut through his torment, yanking him back to reality from his horrifying nightmare.Ethan’s eyes shot open, his whole body shaking. Terror lingered in his gaze as cold sweat trickled down his face, soaking his clothes. The terrifyi
"Hahaha... resisting only makes you more beautiful, little beauty." He forced Ethan into a rough kiss, one hand gripping him tightly, the other pressing his jaw to force Ethan's mouth open. Seizing the opportunity, he plunged his tongue into Ethan's mouth, invading every corner.Disgusted, Ethan summoned all his strength to bite down hard on the man's tongue, shoving him away. "Get lost!"Interrupted unexpectedly, the dimpled man pulled back in pain, wiping blood from his mouth and snarling, "You filthy whore, you dare bite me?!" He slapped Ethan hard across the face twice: "Smack! Smack!" The blows sent Ethan crashing to the floor, his cheeks immediately swelling with the imprint of five fingers. Dizzy, he tried to open his eyes, but his vision was blurring."Quite the prize indeed, even his kiss has a hefty price," the man with the high forehead commented with amusement.Lucian smirked, watching Ethan. "Pour more wine for him!"Immediately, the man with the crimson mole approached E
His voice softened as he whispered into Ethan’s ear: “It’s my fault, I was wrong… Ethan… I swear I will make it up to you…”Valerius gazed at Ethan, his eyes filled with sorrow and regret. He knew that his words would never be enough to ease the pain in Ethan’s heart. Gently, he pulled Ethan closer, holding him tenderly in his arms.Ethan trembled in Valerius’s embrace, torn by the contradiction within him. Though he loathed the closeness of the man who had once violated and humiliated him, his soul now longed for a shoulder to lean on, someone to help him through the agony of losing his mother, the haunting memories of his own tragic fate through each lifetime, and the despair he felt about the future awaiting him.Suddenly, Ethan wrapped his arms around Valerius, burying his face in Valerius’ chest. It didn’t matter who it was, just as long as someone stayed beside him, offering him warmth to dispel the coldness in his heart.Valerius was stunned for a moment. This was the first tim
But Ethan, with his kind heart, reincarnated quickly. The curse of vengeance followed him through each life.Ethan looked at the scenes of his tragic past, feeling as though hundreds of arrows pierced his heart, leaving him gasping in agony. “Mother… I don’t want to continue anymore. I want to return to my true life, as Julian Pierce.”Victoria shook her head, her eyes filled with tears. “Julian? Look again.”The mist shifted, revealing the blurry image of Julian Pierce at a party, flashes of cameras in his face, deafening music pounding in his ears. Glass after glass of alcohol was offered to him, and he couldn’t refuse. Each sip burned his throat. He felt dizzy, his body losing control, burning up like he was on fire. He tried to stand, but his legs trembled, unable to support him.“Julian, you’re drunk. Let me take you to your room,” came the voice of a film investor.The scene shifted to a lavish room where Julian was surrounded by powerful men. He struggled, resisting with all hi