I'Am Raising A Son For A Cheated Scroundel

The royal playground was filled with the cheerful laughter of young princes, the golden sunlight casting long shadows over the grass. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, my patience already wearing thin. Today, I had to get this done.

Mousy, perched on my shoulder, pointed at a boy who was laughing too loudly. "Host, what do you think of this one?"

I barely spared the child a glance before shaking my head. "No good. He looks far too happy. I'm going to raise a prince, not raising him for a comedy act."

Mousy twitched his whiskers and pointed at another. "There... What about that one?"

I eyed the thin, frail-looking child and sighed. "Too thin. He looks miserable. I fear I won't be able to keep him alive."

Mousy pointed again. "That one?"

I clicked my tongue. "Too young. By the time he has the ability to dethrone that scumbag king, till that day I'll probably die because of old age."

This time, Mousy dared to point at Consort Yahiya's eldest son. "This one is old enough..."

I nearly choked. "Wow, you dared to meddle with Consort Yahiya's eldest son! Do you have a death wish?"

At this point, Mousy lost his patience and yelled at me. "We are here to adopt a prince, not to buy some cabbage from a market! Are there actually any you think as a suitable candidate?"

I sighed, finally giving in. "Alright, alright. I got your point."

I scanned the playground, observing each prince carefully. Then, I saw him.

A boy sat alone, his expression blank, his small hands gripping the hem of his robe. He wasn't laughing or playing like the others—he looked forgotten.

I turned to Mousy. "That one. Who is he?"

Mousy twitched his nose. "That's the Fourth Prince, Raazi. His mother died long ago. He was originally adopted by Consort Yahiya, but later on, he was passed to one of her maids."

A forgotten prince, abandoned even by those who took him in? How fitting.

I walked towards the boy, lowering my voice just enough to sound kind but firm. "You are Raazi, right? I am Consort Sefa from the Palace Harem."

The moment he heard my title, Raazi hurried to his feet, bowing stiffly. I noticed how tense he was—used to punishment, no doubt. I asked, "Where is the in-charge maid?"

As if summoned, a woman rushed forward, kneeling before me. "Your humble servant offers my respect. Consort Sefa..."

"Pft..." Mousy muttered under his breath. "Does your name stand for 'SERVICE UNIT'?"

I turned to glare at him. "Do you want to be barbecued again?"

The maid, hearing my name, hesitated before speaking in a small, shaky voice. "Consort Sefa?"

I kept my tone neutral but commanding. "Are you the maid in charge of the Fourth Prince?"

She nodded quickly.

"The emperor has ordered me to adopt the Fourth Prince. So, pack up your things and come to my Palace Chamber with me."

For a moment, Raazi stood frozen, his expression blank, his small hands trembling slightly. He didn't move.

But the maid did. Without warning, she shoved Raazi forward—as if he were nothing more than a burden to get rid of.

I lost my patience.

"Pushing the Prince is a crime! How dare you?! Drag this filthy servant out of here, and whichever hand she touched the Prince with—cut it off."

Screams echoed behind us as Raazi and I left the scene.

As we walked away, I noticed Raazi glancing back at the maid. His face was unreadable, but I caught the flicker of something in his eyes. Pity.

I raised an eyebrow. "What is it? You have a soft heart?"

He quickly shook his head. "No… not at all."

I turned to him fully, voice calm but firm. "Remember… You are a prince. A noble child from royalty. And you are my son now. No one can bully you… Learn how to be a Lord."

Raazi's small fists clenched at his sides. His shoulders trembled. And then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he muttered:

"I will never let you down."

Mousy sniffled dramatically. "Such a cute little puppy, and you are going to turn him into a rabid wolf."

I smirked. "What? Do you know in the original story, he gets tortured to death by that maid before Noor Giza's child was even born...."

Mousy's eyes widened, his small body shaking. "So, so that's why you adopted him? Boohoo, Host, you are really a kind person."

I flicked his forehead. "You are overthinking things. That bunch of young princes all get defeated by Noor Giza's son. Thinking of that, I may as well adopt a prince who has no chance of going to war... Perhaps he can perform miracles."