Chapter 223: Back To That Key Moment ⑤

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Chapter 223: Back To That Key Moment ⑤

During his recuperation, Shang Ke’s daily routine consisted of eating, sleeping, and rehabilitation.

Ever since the incident with Gabriel, security at the hospital had been tightened, and Ravel was currently Shang Ke’s only visitor. When the original Cage lived on Tayma, everyone around him had fallen under Gabriel’s sway. After Cage secretly returned to Draconis Planet, everything had changed and he had no relatives left to rely on, so naturally no one came to visit. Gabriel, who should have helped him rebuild House Bick, had instead been sent to prison by Ravel. At present, Cage was effectively the only descendant House Bick had left.

Ravel entered the ward to find Shang Ke sitting upright in a wheelchair. A portable computer rested on the rolling table before him, its screen displaying a game. Shang Ke worked the virtual keyboard deftly, completely absorbed. Soft light fell over him, outlining his figure with a faint halo.

“Ravel, you’re here? Give me a second. I’m about to clear this level.” Shang Ke greeted him without stopping his hands. Gaming was one of his rehabilitation exercises, intended to restore dexterity and coordination in his fingers while also helping him pass the time.

Ravel sat down in silence and watched Shang Ke’s fingers fly across the controls as he played happily. In the entire Nova Empire, Shang Ke was probably the only person who dared neglect him for the sake of a game.

A few minutes later, a pleasant chime sounded from the screen, followed by special effects of flower petals floating through the air to celebrate the player’s victory.

Shang Ke smiled with satisfaction, pushed the mobile table aside, turned to Ravel, and asked, “Have you eaten? Let’s eat together.”

“Sure.” Shang Ke asked casually, and Ravel answered just as naturally.

The Nova Empire had only just been founded, and the situation remained unstable. Ravel was busy every day, yet he still made time to visit Shang Ke.

“Today’s the Butterfly Set. It’s easy on the stomach and easy on the eyes.” The so-called Butterfly Set was a menu Shang Ke had designed for himself, with the dishes and their combinations arranged according to the doctor’s dietary recommendations.

“Mm.” Ravel had no objection.

Shang Ke skillfully placed the order, poured a cup of hot tea for Ravel, and began chatting about his rehabilitation and the interesting things he had experienced that day.

Ravel reclined comfortably on the sofa like a sleepy lion, a trace of laziness between his brows. The fatigue of the entire day vanished as he listened to Shang Ke’s unhurried voice. The first time Ravel had met the boy was in the torture room, and he had been deeply impressed by Shang Ke’s perseverance. But it was only in the past few days that they had truly begun to get along.

After that ordeal, Ravel had thought that even if Shang Ke recovered physically, he would be left with unforgettable psychological trauma. But after several counseling sessions with Shang Ke, the psychiatrist told him very clearly, “This boy is in very good mental health— much healthier than Your Majesty!”

The word “much” was heavily emphasized, as if it were meant to imply that he had a psychological problem. Ravel pretended not to hear the implication. As long as he knew Shang Ke was all right, he was relieved, though the psychological treatment was not canceled.

Shang Ke did not resist any of Ravel’s arrangements. Whether it was the tedious rehabilitation exercises or the endless physical examinations, he completed everything conscientiously. He always seemed to enjoy himself, even during his three daily meals. In just a few days, all the doctors and nurses caring for him had become his followers.

As long as Shang Ke was by his side, all Ravel’s worries vanished. Ravel began considering whether to discharge Shang Ke early so that he could move into the palace.

“The memorial service will be held the day after tomorrow. Have all the arrangements been made?” Shang Ke had not forgotten about the assassination that might take place that day. Security for the memorial service was tight, but because it was being held in public, people could not be prohibited from watching from a safe distance.

“Yes, it has all been arranged.”

“When it comes to weapons control, are there devices like the Cryo-Devil?” Shang Ke asked as casually as he could.

“The Cryo-Devil?” Strictly speaking, the Cryo-Devil was not a weapon but a rapid-freezing device. Its extremely high cost and energy consumption made it terribly impractical, and by now it was almost impossible to obtain. However, it had one distinctive feature: security scanners could not detect it. If it were modified into a biochemical weapon, it would indeed be extremely difficult to guard against.

Ravel pondered for a moment and took the reminder to heart.

The next day, when his deputy reported to him, Ravel mentioned in passing, “Add five types of offensive non-thermal weapons to the security screening.”

Besides the Cryo-Devil, Ravel named several other devices that could be modified into weapons yet evade ordinary security scans.

With that offhand remark, Ravel successfully averted a fatal crisis.

The day before the memorial service, Ravel brought Shang Ke back to the royal palace. House Bick’s former estate had been razed by House Kruse more than a decade ago, leaving Shang Ke, the family’s sole remaining descendant, with little more than the Bick name.

However, with his current reputation and the connections his father had accumulated, it was only a matter of time before he could rebuild his family.

When Shang Ke walked out of the bathroom, he looked up and saw Ravel standing in the room.

Ravel placed the clothes in his hands on the bed. “Here are the clothes prepared for you.”

“Thanks.” Shang Ke removed the towel from his head and walked slowly toward the bed, making no attempt to avoid Ravel’s lingering gaze.

Shang Ke had just taken a bath, and droplets of water still clung to his skin. As he approached, the faint scent of his body drifted into Ravel’s nose.

A towel was the only thing around Shang Ke’s waist, and his long, slender body was covered with scars of varying depths.

As Ravel watched, Shang Ke casually pulled the towel from his waist, leaving his beautiful body completely exposed before him.

“Your Majesty, at a time like this, shouldn’t you politely turn around?” Shang Ke picked up his underwear and twirled it around his finger.

Ravel’s gaze lingered on the spinning underwear for a moment. “If you had said that before pulling off the towel, I might have observed the proper etiquette.”

It was the first time Ravel had ever seen someone so “honest” and unpretentious spin his underwear in front of him while standing naked. More than thirty years of strict self-control were now facing a severe test.

The instigator, however, merely dropped the underwear and pulled on his trousers with a completely straight face.

“…You’re not wearing underwear?” Ravel asked.

“I’m only trying on the trousers. There’s no need to make such a fuss.”

Ravel: …So you don’t even wear underwear to bed?

After putting on his trousers, shirt, and coat and tying his bow tie, Shang Ke stood in front of the mirror. Dressed in black formalwear with a severe design, he looked solemn yet elegant, exuding an ascetic beauty.

Ravel came up behind him, his tall figure overlapping Shang Ke’s slim body and forming a stark contrast.

“How is it?” Shang Ke asked.

“Good.” If one ignored the fact that he wasn’t wearing underwear.

“I think the waistband is a little loose.”

…Are you sure it isn’t because you’re not wearing any underwear?

Ravel placed a hand on Shang Ke’s waist, and a warm sensation immediately spread across his palm. The waist was so slender that he could almost wrap both hands around it.

“You’re too thin,” Ravel remarked, still holding his waist.

“I can’t help it.” Shang Ke said helplessly, “I’ve been disabled and lying in a hospital bed for more than two months. At present, I can barely manage to walk upright.”

Ravel: Walking upright… What are you, an ape halfway through evolution?

“I’ll have someone adjust the size for you.”

As soon as Ravel said that, he saw Shang Ke neatly pull off his trousers, revealing two long, white legs. Beneath his shirt lay a beautiful expanse of skin, stirring an urge to explore it.

Ravel’s abdomen tightened, his eyes darkened, and a flame seemed to ignite inside him.

Shang Ke took off the rest of his clothes, folded them, and handed them to Ravel. Then he slipped beneath the blanket, exposing only his head.

Ravel stared at him for a moment and concluded that Shang Ke liked to sleep naked.

Shang Ke saw him standing there motionless and asked, “Do you want to sleep together?”

Ravel paused, took the clothes, and walked out of the room.

Shang Ke assumed he wasn’t interested in the suggestion. But when he was half-asleep, he suddenly felt the space beside him sink as another person slipped beneath the blanket.

“Hmm?” Shang Ke turned his head and reached over to touch Ravel. “You’re not wearing pajamas.”

“Mm. I like sleeping naked too.” Ravel lay flat on his back with an impeccably solemn expression. If Shang Ke had not already asked the adjutant about Ravel’s habits, he might almost have believed him.

Shang Ke lay down, looked sideways at Ravel, and said, “I’ve heard that people who like to sleep naked are generally very confident about their bodies.”

“That’s right.”

“Sleeping naked also improves blood circulation, relieves stress, and helps with headaches, insomnia, diarrhea, and other ailments.”

“I’m not sick,” Ravel said seriously.

“Really?” Shang Ke smiled. “But you look nervous.”

“That’s because you’re touching me.”

“The one I’m touching isn’t you, but jealousy.” Shang Ke lamented, “When will I ever have a body like yours?”

Ravel gave him a glance.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking just because you have a poker face. Your eyes have given you away.” Shang Ke glared at him.

Ravel withdrew his gaze and continued staring at the ceiling.

“Forget it. I’m only twenty-one; I still have room to grow.” Shang Ke consoled himself. “You’re already fully grown. You can’t change anymore.”

Ravel: “…”

“I’ll stop talking now. We’ll be attending the ceremony tomorrow, so we need to stay refreshed and pay our respects to our ancestors in the best of spirits.” Shang Ke patted Ravel’s chest, then tucked himself into the blanket and closed his eyes.

You got me all worked up, yet you’re going straight to sleep? Ravel turned onto his side and gazed intently at him, only reluctantly falling asleep when the moon had crossed the sky.

The next morning, after a good night’s sleep, the two of them washed and dressed with the attendants’ help.

Ravel helped Shang Ke tie his bow tie, and Shang Ke put on Ravel’s cufflinks. Their actions were so natural that they seemed like an old married couple who had been together for many years, leaving the attendant beside them secretly shocked. Why did the whole world seem to have changed overnight?

Was it really a good idea to start flaunting their relationship this early in the morning?

Are you sure you’re going to a funeral today and not a wedding?!

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