"What are you doing, pervert?"
When Caspian heard Silas' voice in his head, he fell back into a deep sleep.
*It's okay, you're safe.*
The imperial physician stared at the emperor uncomfortably. He coughed.
"My assistant and I need to take his garments off to tend to the wounds, your majesty."
Emperor Salvatore ordered:
"Just do it."
They took the robes off and the physician looked at the wounds. After cleaning them and putting on ointment, he took the bandages.
"Use that first."
The physician grasped what the emperor handed him and opened the box. When the smell of the Idrisla flower wafted in the small servant quarter, they all looked at him, stunned. The guards, Eben, the assistant, and the physician were in shock.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes and the physician woke up. He used the balm on the wounds and, with the help of his assistant, put on the gauze. Once the gauzes were on, he placed the covers on Caspian and looked at the emperor.
After giving him back the salve, he said:
"I gave him a potion for the pain and to sleep. If I use his Majesty's salve for the next three days, he should be okay in a week."
Salvatore nodded. He looked around and ordered:
"Leave."
Once the room was empty, Salvatore walked to the bed. He studied Caspian, like he was searching for something. He leaned in to look at him from closer. He has a weird feeling about him, as though it isn't him, but Caspian feels familiar.
It's two opposite feelings he shouldn't have, but he does. It's bizarre, until today when he looked at him, he never felt that. He reached out and caressed his cheek.
He pulled back his hand when Caspian murmured in his sleep:
"Father..."
He looked at him one more time and left. Silas looked at him go with a frown.
Caspian woke up and looked around the room. He was in a tiny bedroom only furnished with a bed, desk, and closet. He sat up and let out a moan. His back still hurts, but the pain is mild compared to the day he was whipped.
He checked Silas and saw that three days had passed. He looked for Ezra and saw that he was indeed in the monastery. Caspian smiled, he checked what he missed, and was surprised when he saw that the emperor came to see him after what happened.
He even gave the physician his ointment made of the Idrisla flower, every time he came to change his bandages. The Idrisla flower grows underwater, it's the closest thing to a panacea in this universe.
Emperor Salvatore is Hades, which makes his actions that much more shocking. Salvatore is cold and ruthless. The Ellis believes that they hold all the power because Gray is the chancellor, but Salvatore only lets them believe that.
The chancellor isn't in charge, Salvatore, is. There's a reason why he is the emperor. He's willing to shed a lot of blood to have things his way, and he has. He's more like a beast than anything else, no wonder he's Hades.
Hades is the same, what makes it worst is how stubborn he is. Once he puts his mind to something, he can't think about anything else. It took him 100 years to catch him, when any normal person would've stopped after 4 or 5 years.
He tapped on his watch and looked at the 3D hologram of his body. He looked at the state of his back and smiled. Between the auto-repair mode and the Idrisla flower, he can go back to work.
He stood up and stretched.
*You should take it easy.*
Caspian smiled at Silas.
*I'm okay.*
Silas simply looked at him.
*I'm okay.*
Silas didn't answer.
Caspian looked in his closet and saw that they were only hemp robes. It's a good thing he has Silas, those robes are too uncomfortable and itchy. He went to the bathroom and took a long relaxing shower.
When he was done, he pulled out robes made of cotton and put them on. He's annoyed he can only wear gray robes because he is a servant. Once he is done downloading Hades' stupid soul-flake and getting revenge for the original, he'll be able to just have fun.
Although, what is more fun than tricking people and destroying lives? He opened his fridge and after eating something quickly, he left for the main palace.
Caspian made sure to arrive before Eben and knocked.
"Enter."
Caspian entered. He respectfully bowed.
"Good morning, your majesty."
The emperor simply nodded. Caspian opened the drapes. When he was done, he looked at the emperor and asked:
"Does his majesty wish to eat something specific?"
"We want the usual."
Caspian nodded and asked:
"What would his majesty like to wear today?"
Salvatore stood up and said as he walked to the bathroom.
"We don't care."
Caspian looked at the closed bathroom door with narrowed eyes. It's like the emperor is a child. Can't he pick out his clothes himself and get dressed? He went to his walk-in closet and looked at all the robes. He picked one randomly and put it on the chair.
When two maids came in, followed by Eben, Caspian ordered:
"Go help his majesty shower and make the bed. Tell the chef his majesty will have the usual, and make sure everything is set by the time he comes down."
One of the maids started cleaning the room while the other went to the bathroom. Caspian looked at Eben, who was frozen in shock, and ordered:
"Now!"
Eben's eyes flashed with anger, but he left. Caspian smirked, Eben has been working for Salvatore for eight years now, since Salvatore was 18. The emperor trust and depends on him. But when the original started to work for the emperor, he felt terrified.
Despite all his tactics, the emperor promoted him, so now he is his boss. Just like Camilla, he feels threatened by him. He thinks the emperor promoted the original because he is interested, when that's not the case.
The emperor doesn't like gers, his harem only has women in it, and for a good reason. He just liked that the original was efficient. Eben is another reason why empress Camilla was so scared of him.
Eben would make up stories about how close the two were because he knew she felt threatened. Caspian plans on making him pay as well. If Camilla were the least bit smart, she would see that the emperor trusted Eben more than he did the original.
If the emperor has his eunuch at his side even when he is in court, then it shows how much he values him. Even though the original was promoted above Eben, Eben was the one at the emperor's side during court every morning.
The original never set foot there, but Caspian will. To destroy Gray and his son, he needs to have a voice there. The fact that he is in this kind of universe is perfect, even if they live in a relatively modern era they don't have Wi-Fi, internet, computer and so much more.
Caspian lived in the year 5263, and he has his system Silas, so this will be a cakewalk. Caspian leaned against the wall as he looked at the maid making the bed. Once he is done getting revenge, he'll live the same way that lazy Salvatore does.
Salvatore came out of the bathroom followed by the maid, and two maids dried him and helped him dress. Seriously, he can't even shower and dress without help?
Caspian, who was still against the wall, rolled his eyes. His eyes landed on Silas, who had an amused smile on, and he smiled.
Silas asked:
*Are you okay?*
Caspian smiled gently.
*I'm okay, Silas.*
Silas looked at Salvatore and then at Caspian again.
He reported:
*The emperor is looking at you.*
*So?*
*You should be careful, or people might believe you're odd.*
Caspian said:
*I'm never going to pretend I'm not talking to you. People will have to get used to seeing me looking in a direction focused.*
Silas has been at his side since he was seven. He was bullied by people because they couldn't understand why he seemed to talk to someone.
He's used to people thinking he is a freak. They also thought it was weird that he constantly had his watch around his wrist.
He does everything with it. If he takes it off, he won't be able to hear Silas. He'll only have the system. Not only that, but he also can't see him without it, so he consistently kept it on.
Silas sighed.
*Cass... I'm only artificial intelligence installed by your late father. You were in prison for 300 years because of me, and now you're in this situation again. What if the lashing was the easiest task ahead of you? I think that when we're done with this universe, you should just go back to confinement and finish your sentence. I'm not worth it. I'm just an AI that became sentient. Even if I don't have a shell, it's okay.*
Caspian looked down after swallowing with difficulty. He'll never give up on Silas. He won't rest until he gets him a shell.
He's all he has left, and there's nothing anyone can say that will stop him. He closed his eyes for a few seconds to hide all those tumultuous emotions.
"Caspian."
Caspian opened his eyes and looked at the emperor. Salvatore looked back with cold eyes. Caspian felt surprised, but he concealed it and smiled gently.
"I'm okay, your majesty."
The emperor didn't react after hearing those words, but Caspian knew that he had answered the question he wanted to ask but didn't.
It was as though Salvatore asking Caspian if he was okay would show weakness. Caspian glanced away and checked Silas. After looking at a few interactions between the original and the emperor, he felt confused.
The emperor showed no type of emotion, so why did he look worried about him right now? The fact that he even came to his bedroom and made sure he was okay is odd, too.
Caspian looked at Salvatore and frowned. It seems like Hades is doubting whether or not he is the original. He could tell that just before he allowed him to take his brother's place, he was trying to peer into his mind.
When Salvatore peered at him, he looked away. No matter how hard he tries, Caspian will never tell him he's not the original.
Hades, that demon is seeking to catch him again, but it will not work. Caspian looked at Silas and warned:
*I don't want to have this conversation ever again. Is that clear?*
Silas looked at him in silence, and after nodding, he disappeared. Caspian stared at the place he was standing with pursed lips.