Chapter 34: The Crying Child

Three days had passed since Kai and Elysia started taking classes from Ray. In the present day in the class, Ray sighed, "Again…" his gaze falling on the empty seat next to Elysia. The seat that should've been occupied by Kai. Elysia, not sure of what to say remained silent, her eyes avoiding the vacant chair.

Ever since the first class, Kai had been absent. He spent his days sleeping in his room, dismissing the classes as "Boring." Hiro and Sakura tried to talk to him about it, but he told them he will attend the classes "after some time." But now, four classes in, and Kai was still a no-show.

"That's it," Ray stood up from his chair. "I had enough," he thought to himself. He gave Elysia some questions to solve and left the room, his mind set on confronting Kai. As he reached Kai's room, he slammed the door open, revealing Kai sound asleep in his bed, with his wig still on.

Around the corner, Mary was bringing some desserts for Ray and Elysia, "Hmm~ Hmm~ La la la~" she was humming a tune, when she heard the loud bang of a door opening. "Huh? What was the…?" She followed the noise and found Ray. Irritation etched on his face, gripping Kai's collar.

"Why didn't you come to the class?" Ray asked, his voice laced with frustration. Kai just yawned and scribbled something on his notebook, still being held by his collar. "Do you need to learn what you already know?" he wrote, his words dripping with arrogance.

Ray's left fists clenched at his side. He couldn't believe what he was reading. Kai was claiming to know everything that was taught at the Magic Academy. Unable to hold back his anger, he shouted at Kai.

"Are you for real!?" He roared, letting go of Kai, pushing him back. Kai fell down as looked towards Ray. "Do you even know what you're saying!? You say you already know all that!? The studies that are taught only at the Magic Academy!? Don't joke with me!!"

As Mary saw all that, she ran in search for Sakura, who was taking a stroll in the garden. She ran until she saw Sakura through the window, "My lady!!" she called her out, when she looked behind. Sakura asked, "What's wrong?" a worried look on her face to which Mary explained what happened so far. Listening to it, Sakura's eyes widened and she rushed inside the mansion. Mary as well followed her, towards Kai's room.

Sakura and Mary arrived at Kai's room just in time to see Ray storming out, his face full of anger. "Ray…," Sakura tried to call him, but he was too irritated to hear her voice. Sakura rushed to Kai's side, her heart pounding with worry. "Kai, are you alright?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Kai simply nodded, his eyes avoiding Sakura's gaze. He scribbled something on his notebook and handed it to Sakura. "I'm fine. I just need some time alone," he wrote.

Sakura sighed, her heart aching for Kai. She knew how hard it was for him to adjust to the new environment and the pressure of the classes. "Alright, Kai. But remember, we're here for you," she said, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze before leaving the room.

As Sakura and Mary departed, Kai let out a long, weary sigh. "What's his issue?" he pondered, when Eva chimed in. "He was pretty angry at you, Sir." Kai responded with a faint smile, "Whatever…"

He paused for a moment before asking, "Hey, can you gather some information about him?" Eva responded, "I already have that, Sir. Would you like me to share?" Kai reclined on his bed. "Proceed."

"The Crown Prince, Ray Leonhart," Eva began her explanation, "As I mentioned earlier, his biological parents perished in an accident and he was adopted by the Emperor. He was a mere 4 years old when he lost his parents. The Emperor and Empress cared for him deeply and when he turned 14, he was bestowed the title of Crown Prince. Also, he was betrothed to the eldest princess." Kai listened attentively, "And his academic performance?" he queried. Eva responded, "He was an exceptional student. He had an innate ability to grasp complex subjects with ease. Also, in the field of magic, he mastered two elements at a young age of 13, which was challenging even for the mages of the magic tower."

"Hmm…" Kai paused for a moment, as he stared at the ceiling. A sense of unease crept over him. Something was missing. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt a strange disconnect. His mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle. Suddenly, it hit him. "That's it!" he exclaimed to himself. "Hey Eva, did he have any sad or traumatic experiences in his childhood?"

Eva confirmed, "Indeed, he did. When he was 7 years old, he was tormented by other noble children."

The scene transitions to the past, a decade ago. In the Magic Academy, within the first year's building. A child ran, tears streaming down his face. But he soon tripped over a rock and fell. He sat up, gingerly touching his bleeding knee. It was a young Ray, crying.

As he inspected his injury, a group of children approached him from behind. "Hey, Fake Prince," they sneered with contempt.