Chapter 41: The House of Svarozich

"Let's go home."

Those words were all it took for Jian Li to breathe again. It was as if he was pulled up from the depths of drowning, to miraculously inhale another pump of air that resets his life.

There was no need to explain the warmth of safety he felt from the other's fire that crawled on his shoulders. The ache that existed from the balls of his feet up to the crown of his head vanished along the burning logs, his pain taken away by Lev, who in fury, tried his best to turn the other's agony to ashes.

Before passing out completely on his friend's support, Jian Li feels his the excruciating pricks of his body dying body. A warm, blue fire, flows everywhere on his chest, followed by a cool sensation that soothes him. These magical flames would crawl on to his wounds and aid them, resulting Jian Li to feel completely numb instantly after. The only thing he recalled before losing his consciousness to the other's shoulders was the faint scent of sandalwood on Lev's neck.

Lev felt the weight of the King's head fall on his shoulder and the body leaning on him wobble its knees as well. He took it as an indication that the other boy had fallen asleep on him, regardless of the heaviness, the added weight didn't even budge him from standing still and effortlessly supported Jian Li by the elbow.

He looks up and exhales the hot air slowly, focusing his mind on the roaring flames as he presses down his eyelids tightly while taking a moment to absorb nature's energy. As soon as he felt his heart contort and his nape run a hot shiver, he flashes open his eyes and glared by the horizon, fiercely ordering the flames around him.

"Open."

Immediately after drawing out the fire's power from his red glowing eyes, the whole area's heat intensified and a growing fire blizzard warned the soldiers to fall back. The wind behaved like hurricanes and twisted the fire into a circle, then suddenly dived in the center, devouring Lev and Jian Li in it.

The soldiers in disbelief of what they saw was utterly frightened, proving that what was happening to their King was indeed bizzare and supernatural. Something evil and threatening like this must not exist for the safety fo the kingdom.

"Even the flames despise the King." Deverus watched intently on his seat while observing the scene unfold and die down. The shocked and lost soldiers around him agreed heavily on what he meant.

Meanwhile the two that was inside the flames vanished when the fire enveloped their bodies. Only the sparks, the burning embers of the logs, and falling ashes were left inside the fire. Lev's fire diversion still kept burning the remaining logs, not letting the soldiers see that they are already gone from the execution area.

When Lev successfully teleported them in front of his manor, approximately around twenty people in two line greeted them on Lev's left and right. The fire that was acting as portal closes behind him as he quietly lifts the knocked out Jian Li off the ground to haul him without trouble.

As he trudges on the red carpet, teens bowed their heads down low on Lev's majestic arrival, these teens standing beside the long lined carpet were mostly kids around the age of fifteen and lower, meanwhile servants wearing black also bowed their heads deeper just behind their young masters.

To describe the manor's picture, the color that stood out the most was the strong, astounding red. The high and long curtains outside the manor, the lanterns, and the pigments that they used to paint the building's columns were all in deep red.

The manor had a stone base, a roof with excellent maroon tilings, and a wide garden yard that was thrice the size of a usual noble house. It is a prominent fact that it was the tallest manor out of all noble houses that was built inside the kingdom.

Over these years, Leviticus, the head of the Svarozich house has already managed to snatch the top rank of the biggest contributor out of all noble houses of the kingdom, so it is just as natural that their manor being the highest.

Leviticus's manor is undeniably impressive in size and grand in design that its architecture are very eye catching even from afar, the whole manor was renovated about a year ago just after the former head Raius Svarozich died from the fire 'incident' leaving Lev to rebuild the as a manor that gave off a strong appearance.

Transporting Jian Li in the middle of the night was no easy task. Although Lev had practiced the trick hundreds of times already, it still posed a heavy burden on his body. But whatever suffering he must take, it was nothing compared to what the latter has experienced from waiting for him. Now he successfully saved his friend and retrieved him to safety, what's there to worry about besides him and him only?

"Father. Welcome home." Smiled the well dressed kids in unison. They are the orphaned kids Lev gathered for the past year and the tragically sold ones that he scarcely managed to redeem from different noble mansions. He never allowed himself to abandon any of them and brought each of those kids back to his manor no matter how challenging it was to find them. He housed and fed other orphans and salvaged them from any more slavery from other noble houses, he kept them healthy and educated, busily building a comfortable environment for their growth.

"Your Highness, our King—"

The man carrying Jian Li hushed the teens in a soft manner, "Okay, pipe down kiddos." Them, who heard their 'father's' order heeded him in a flash and minded their voices, trying not to make any noises down to the lowest decibels, careful not to wake their father's esteemed guest.

On the entrance of the manor stood three other boys, obviously something like the manor's main masters too. They were the three orphans that Lev took in from the incident of the auction house fire.

The three were named: Dub, Duther and Dian Svarozich.

The three bowed quietly on their father's return.

"Have you prepared his room?"

The boy in the middle nodded, "Yes father, everything is well." His name was Duther, a slim youngster almost with the same physique as Jian Li, however, he was shorter and wore rectangular glasses, always having this irritated, scrunched expression. His face would spell "discipline" if you look closely. If he was to be a substitute of Jian Li to be a Crown Prince, he'll probably pass because of his refined manners.

Whenever he makes rounds around the manor, the younger kids would feel this chill as he passes over them, he was extremely intelligent and his hands would always possess books or notepads. He was also incharge of the paperwork of the manor despite being so young, Lev saw him as a competitive young master and trained him to be able to handle their business, making Duther a famous young noble among the business section. At the peak of his fame where every noble parties talked about his excellence on his projects, he actually found this pleasure strange and uncomfortable. Wanting to avoid their eyes and remain incognito. He wore conservative clothes with absolutely no skin shown even up to the neck. He would wear scarves and even gloves. And hell, it was always black. He ended up looking like a gloomy teen, however, he would still maintain this polished image, this dignified air that actually just made him stand out even more as a scrupulous looking boy that values properness and has a strict regard of manners, like the perfect son any noble house wants.

Lev nodded, adjusting his grip on the body that was slipping away, "Dian, position every of our men in each corner of this house. Do not leave anything unattended. Stay out of the King's room and report everything to me. I wont allow any mistakes to happen." The three flinched by the sight of his glinting eyes. After unconsciously pressuring them, he proceeded to enter the manor doors.

Dian gave a smirky smile and put up a thumbs up, unbothered by his father's aura. "Leave it to me, dad."

A vein of annoyance grew on Duther's forehead. "Hey, what did we agreed about calling—" As this manor was supposed to be formal, they were not allowed to call Leviticus as 'dad' here. Duther was the most observant with rules, so its only natural that he reacts on small slips like this.

"Zip it li'l bro, dad will ground both of us if we keep disturbing him and his guest." Dian said with a enchanting sneer.

This one, however was the most outgoing out of them that if Duther was to take a note for his character, these would be:

Dian Svarozich:

Red haired

Pretty

Loud

Skin everywhere

Duther just sighed, his head already getting stressed just by the sight of Dian. "Dub, help older brother?" Dian was the oldest of them, yet also the most jolliest. Dian likes to shower his little brothers love in the most ticking way Duther can take, without a single shame at all.

"Mn." Dub nodded at Dian and let himself get taken away by the arm.

For the youngest's introduction, let's just say Dub is one of a big boy.

Lev heaves Jian Li up again as they walk up the corridor. The rustling of the robes and Lev's heavy steps are the only sounds that filled the orange hallways. Even though Lev was the head master, the smell of blood and mud on Jian Li makes him want to cry, he wants to cry so bad for his friend's injuries, it was so hard to see him being this hurt so badly.

The door creaks as they enter a simple yet elegant room, the four sides of Jian Li's private room had red curtains draping down the ceiling, and there were also lanterns lit here and there. The wood interior furnitures had excellent craftsmanship making the ambience comfortable and not spacey at all. The entire room was showered with the Lev's scent, the manly scent of sandalwood.

The white cladded body was finally settled down by Lev on the red satin bed. He dragged the heavy chair close to the side of the bed and observed Jian Li with an anxious expression.

He pulled up his robes and sat down. "Haaa...." He frowned and placed both of his elbows on the bed, clasping his palms and sighing heavily. So many thoughts flooded his mind, so many things, so many questions. His breath becomes shaky as he close his eyes, he had become so distraught in his worry for his friend.

This same sight, this same feeling. He hated these things. He hated blood, and tears, he hated this type of heaviness. No matter how much he tried to preparing himself for this, his tears answered his fleeting, upsetting thoughts.

Looks like he wont be getting any sleep tonight.

Lev silently wiped his tears and stood as he felt someone's presence outside the door, Duther knocked on the door and quietly went inside the room with a servant pushing a small trolley with all sorts of things that Jian Li might need.

"I'll stay with him. Thank you Duther." His voice went back to the normal, low one.

The son nods quietly, noticing the redness of his eyes. "Of course, father."

As soon as the two left, Lev pulled the cart just beside the bed and started to nurse Jian Li. He began by taking off his gloves and dipped the towel to the basin, trying his best not to make any noise so that only the dripping of the warm water from the towel that he was wringing was heard.

'I failed to protect him. Curse you.' He was referring to the blue moon, which was the main reason why their powers were unstable on that day. Lev folds the towel neatly and gently patted Jian Li's white cheeks, wiping the blood stains with the smooth towel he's holding.

While he was deep in his thoughts, he jolted in surprise when Jian Li groaned lowly, his brows drawn closer together.

Lev emptied his right hand and summoned blue fire on his palm, some moisture on his skin evaporated and made a 'pshhh!' sound the moment his cold flames appeared.

As he watches the other's expression, he sits on the bed and stretches out his arm, running his palm on Jian Li's forehead and pushed his brows back and then he brushed his hair back with his fingers. After the blue flames coursed around his head, his tensed face loosens and his expression softens. Lev sighed when he saw him wearing a slight, unnoticeable smile.

'Haha. Why do we keep repeating these same scenarios from the past?' Lev chuckles inside his head, wondering if it was really just a coincidence or if it was the universe's provided fate.

The two who was separated for seven years without a single idea when to meet again are now only within an arm's range. They now stay under the same roof, live inside the same home, and breathe the same air. As things was seven years ago.

He continues to wipe Jian Li's bruised and cut wrists as light as possible, minding his expressions carefully too.

'If possible, i want my hands to be your blanket, and my words to be your lullaby to get through the night without feeling any grief at all. If that is only possible.'

He lays Jian Li's hands properly on his stomach and pulls up the satin sheet to cover him, silently putting back the towel on the trolley.

He walks across the room and fixed a scented incense on a flower carved burner. Letting the smoke of a single stick flow around the room while one of the windows were also open. The incense he used was a type of an aromatic treatment where the herbs that was mixed in it when burned emits a smoke that produces multiple healing attributes to the body when inhaled.

'Go to slumber,' He takes his seat beside the bed again. '-and wake up whenever your morning comes.'

'Because i will be waiting, when you are finally ready to get up again.' Lev lands his eyes to the sleeping person.

Only the sound of the rustling of paper and the light strokes of the quill filled the room, Jian Li and Lev's quiet breathing overlaps from time to time, sometimes as Lev was sketching a figure, he would unconsciously sync his breathing to the other and just chuckle lowly after noticing.

Even though a lot of things are needed to be taken care of around the manor, he decided to stick around to nurse Jian Li and to leave the matters of running the manor to Duther for some time. Of course, there was also a hidden agenda by his actions, probably a rest for Lev, and also maybe a time for him to play around while doodling faces of a sleeping friend all day.

He smiles sadly. "My little one, take a rest. However long you need."

Just know that I'll be by the candle light, sitting right beside you.