3.

Simon was lying in his bed, with fever and his eyes closed, his tiny body was shivering and his head, well, it felt like it could split anytime.

But he didn't care in his last life he has been through a lot of pain, so he eventually got used to it.

But he has no idea for how long this tiny body of his can lasts.

He might be strong and might have experienced, but his body was that of a child's and if he is not healed fast then his body could perish.

Nancy was by his side this whole time and suddenly a maid came in to tell something to Nancy," so Marchioness is here?"

When he heard this, Simon forcefully opened his eyes, "Mar... chioness.?"

Nancy and the maid looked at him and nancy smiled, "Yes Marchioness Diora is here young master, now your dad can hand over the responsibility to her and then go with you."

As Simon thought about Diora Corvina Demir, the gentle, kind, and ruthless woman, a smile crept on his face, "I want to meet her."

~~~

Yug was in his office when the guard had told him that the marchioness was here, "Call her in."

After the guard went out, a woman beautiful woman in a black uniform walked in, she had an enigmatic smile on her face, as she entered, "Greetings duke,"

Yug looked at the woman, and gently nodded, "Have a seat, Marchioness Diora"

He said and Diora sat on the chair, "So to what I owe this pleasure?"

Yug closed his file and spoke, "My son is sick."

Diora nodded and let him continue, "And I have to take him with me, in disguise, no one can know that my son is sick or the fact that I have left the residence."

Diora nodded, "Can I ask you, something Duke?"

Yug nodded, "Where are you taking young master Simon?"

Yug took a deep breath and thought about it a little before speaking, "I am taking him to the temple of Nirvana."

Diora didn't say anything after that, she took a deep breath and said, "Rest assured and have a safe journey. I will handle everything...here."

Yug turned to her, " If somehow the news that I am not here is reached to the royals or the temple,"

"Have faith in me. I will handle everything."

Yug nodded, he trusted her. She was one of the very few people that he trusted in this empire and the world of deceit.

"But I must warn you, duke, the route to the temple of Nirvana will not be easy..."

"I know." Yug said, "it's going to be tough."

Diora thought about something for a while before she spoke, "Duke...General is going to come soon, would you like me to ask him to come with you?"

Yug didn't say anything but Diora could see something flashing in his eyes something...warm and nostalgic. There was longing in his eyes.

But in the end, he sighed, "Marchioness, the general is coming back after a long war, let him rest and let him spend some time with his family. Simon is my son, and I will take care of him."

Diora nodded and a few minutes later Damian came in as well, "Duke, the preparations have been done... we are ready to leave."

"We'll leave at night..." Yug said and then looked at Diora, "Marchioness, I hope no one knows that you are here..."

"I came in secretly duke, no one knows about this meeting."

~~~~

When the night finally came, Yug quietly went to his son's room and gently changed his clothes to that of a commoner, Nancy was there to help him.

Simon was awake the whole time, but he pretended to be asleep, it felt so embarrassing to be half-naked; he was okay in front of his father but not in front of Nancy, whatever he was a tiny child right now.

So he has to deal with it.

Yug then wrapped him up in a warm blanket and gently picked him up.

"Have a safe journey, duke, and please come back soon..." she said and gently patted Simon's back.

"Bye nancy. Bye Marchioness" Simon said and Nancy nodded, "Bye young master," while Diora gently held his hand and kissed it, "You will be okay."

Simon smiled and blew a kiss on her, making her smile.

Yug tighter his arms around his son, while Simon had his tiny arms around Yug's neck. His head rested on his shoulder as he fell asleep in the safest place in the world.

"Let's go," Yug said to Damina who nodded, and soon they went to Yug's study room and opened the secret passage, and quietly walked out from there.

Nancy was there till everybody left and so was Diora and once they were out of sight, the door was closed.

Yug walked with Simon in his arms and Damina was with him, together they walked till they were out of the mansion.

They were wearing the clothes of a commoner, and they had makeup on their face to make them look like laborers.

Once they were out of the mansion, they reached the town.

"Duke, we will have to go further before we get horses."

It's not like Yug didn't have his own horse, but the horses used by nobility and royalty were far superior to those used by the commoners so anyone could tell the quality of the horse.

Simon slowly opened his eyes and looked around, the people were walking here and there. The town was lively and prosperous, but if you look closer, there was more than what meets the eye.

Simon's eyes wandered towards the alley, from where he could see little children peeking their heads and looking at him.

He was just like them a child but he was receiving a different treatment.

A few minutes later Damian brought the horse, and then they started their journey on the horse.

While walking down the road, Simon saw the town again and the people.

At first glance, anyone could see that people are happy and they are, but then Simon tore his eyes away from the glamour and looked at the cruelty.

Every alleyway was dark and full of rats and rotting humans, the shop was well decorated and lit up but Simon saw the workers; he saw the workers. Getting beaten or verbally abused by their shop owners.

And some even beat the workers mercilessly, treating them like property because they were not workers... they were slaves.

Slaves from the neighboring countries, war prisoners...and some minorities.

Over the years, the Gealach empire has conquered other nations and performed massacred, they have forcefully converted the people of different religions to follow the religion that is followed them to worship goddess Duat and Ankh.

The ones who rebelled were mercilessly killed, and their families were taken as slaves.

The empire's own people weren't safe, a bad word against the temple or the royalty is enough for the annihilation of the family.

Moreover, there was a power imbalance between the temple and the royalty both wanted to rule, both wanted to conquer, both wanted the end of the other.

And they didn't even spare their own people, The Gealach empire was founded after the Akkarian empire and the Sumerian empire the two most powerful empires fifteen thousand years ago, were destroyed, and the founder was from Akkarian empire Sean and the first ruler, Aaron was Akkarian as well.

Hence, there was discrimination was between the people who were originally from Akkarian and Sumedian respectfully.

Usually, the highest post always went to the people who originated from the Akkarian empire, and then came the sumedians and this has been the cause of many riots.

Sumedians thought that their treatment of them was unfair.

This kingdom was corrupt to its core, the nobles, the royalty, and the temple. Everyone was corrupt and no one can be trusted.

But the people were suffering, and he will not let his people suffer anymore, these were his people, the citizens of his country, and Simon will protect them.

"Duke..." Damian said, "We can encounter bandits on our way."

Yug looked straight with his poker face, "I assume that you can handle them."

"Yes my lord, I just want to warn you though...in this empire, everyone is after you, duke..."

Yug didn't need to be told how difficult it is to be neutral in this empire, Yug has neither supported the royalty nor the Temple making both sections to be wary of him.

Moreover, he didn't engage with other nobles; he didn't support them as well. He was loyal to his people and his country and that made the nobility to wary of him as well.

And because of Simon, his paranoia and fear had grown tremendously.

Until and unless Simion grows old enough to protect himself, Yug cannot afford to die or get injured.

The night passed soon, and the morning came as well, Yug and Damian had to stop when they had reached the end of the town and the guards stopped them for the verification and also to see their faces...Damian did the talking most of the time.

While Yug checked on Simon, who was asleep, seeing his pale face and sweaty forehead made Yug a little scared, so he lightly patted his face, took woke him up, "Simon...son."

Thankfully, after Yug called him a few more times, Simon woke up and when he woke up Yug sighed with relief, "father... my head."

No sooner than he said that blood came out of his nose and mouth, Yug panicked again and he felt that his heart stopped when he saw his son in pain and like this, he hated seeing him like this.

He prayed to God to give him the pain instead of Simon.

Yug wiped his blood and then hugged him again and then turned to look back to see that Damian was done with the verification.

But when Simon opened his eyes, he vaguely saw someone...someone that made his eyes widen.

It's him.

Simon can never ever forget the same sharp face, beautiful eyes, and tall stature.

"Father, father put me down. father please, please, put me down." Simon suddenly started to struggle and Yug tried to calm him down.

"No, Simon, stay put. You are not well,"

"Father please, please put me down." he started to struggle really hard and after some time, Yug did put him down but before Yug could say anything Simon ran towards the crowd and Yug ran behind him, "Simon!"

But Simon's small stature was easily able to pass through the crowd. However, Yug had to struggle to get past the crowd. There were so many people on his busy street and even worse, he bumped into a pregnant woman.

She nearly fell, but somehow managed Yug wanted to run after his son but the woman and her husband stopped him. Even Damian, who was with him, had lost Simon's sight."Move!"

Yug growled, the husband yelled, "How dare you to push my wife, don't you have manners what kind of man you are?"

The wife then saw a necklace mostly the sumedians wear. It was some sort of religious thing related to Duat, "He is a Sumedian bloody rat!"

The husband and the crowd also gathered over there, "Sumedians are always jealous of us Akkarians."

"You lower caste people are really nauseating and disgusting."

"SHUT UP!" Yug yelled, "MY SON IS OVER THERE AND WHOEVER STOPS ME FROM GOING AFTER SON WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH CONSEQUENCE!"

Yug said, and this time he didn't show any mercy. And pushed the crowd and ran forward while Damian was already looking for Simon, "Where is he, Damian?"

Yug asked but Damian shook his head, "we lost him..." Yug felt like his world collapsed, "FIND HIM!"

"SIMON!" Yug yelled and ran frantically. It's all his fault he shouldn't have put him down, it's all his fault he had no idea that Simon would run away, not after how sick he was.

Fuck, now where should he find him?