Chapter 174 - Damaging Games

"Mmm..."

The man's eyelids twitched as a groan left his lips. Sensing the sunlight on his face, he turned his head to the opposite side and moved his hand to cover his eyes. 

He put his arm on his eyes and tried to fall asleep again, but that didn't work.

"Haaa!"

With a yawn, he finally opened his eyes with regret. Looking at the white wall in front of his eyes, he lowered the hand shadowing his face and slowly rose his upper body. 

"I was having such a nice dream..."

He mumbled under his lips.

"I wanted to see the end of it... Sigh."

While saying that, he moved his hand to push away the curtain of the bed. On the other side, there was a huge window on the wall. He looked out of the huge window on his side. He couldn't see much from there. Nothing but some buildings and the sky as his room was on the highest floor.

"It must've been a few months..."

The man rubbed his eyes and pushed the long white hair strands back from his shoulder. Not caring about his messy long hair, he moved the blanket aside and sat at the edge of the bed. 

"Hmm..."

Humming to himself, he stood up from the bed and slowly approached the huge window. He gazed upon the people down the tall building he was residing in. He could see a lot of people, and all of them seemed busy. 

He looked at the fancy carriage that the servants were designing with colorful flowers and at the fountain in the garden that was as beautiful as he remembered. Looking at the scene, he smiled.

"It was about time to wake up I guess... But... I didn't really like to be wakened up by that... message..."

He took his eyes off of the people in his mansion's yard and gazed at the horizon. On the other side of the city, he could see a huge structure being built. It looked like the construction was nearly done as the holy-looking building looked almost like the blueprint.

"Did he start moving again?"

He slightly frowned his brows. Just slightly.

"Why after so many years?"

But although he was frowning, an amused smile slowly formed on his lips. He stared at the building and thought to himself for a while, before mumbling something else once again.

"I thought you finally decided to live your peaceful life, my prince?"

The smile grew wider. 

"Pfft! Hehe! Maybe I should give him a visit before things finish on this side, huh?"

He smiled happily like a kid that was about to go meet his friend in the park and play with him for hours. 

Knock Knock

Someone knocked on the door at that moment.

"Hmm? Come in."

The door opened and a servant entered the room with slow and elegant movements.

"My lord, I didn't notice that you were awake. My deepest apologies-"

"How long was I asleep?"

Cutting odd the servant's words, the white-haired lord talked in a serious voice.

"About three months, my lord."

"Hmmm."

Turning around, he picked up a comb and walked to the mirror, happily combing his long silk-like hair.

"I need a report of the events."

"Yes, my lord."

The servant bowed.

"Also!"

The lord pointed at the servant with his comb.

"Bring me food."

"Yes, my lord."

The servant bowed even more and left the room.

"Hmm~ Hmm~"

Once again alone in the room, the lord combed his hair while humming under his lips.

. . . . . .

BANG BANG BANG BANG BAANGGG

TAT TAT TAT TAT TAT TAT TAT TAT

BANNNGGG

"Hehe!"

BIOOO BIOOO

BANGGG

"...."

With a face that was a mixture of exhaustion, annoyance, pain, and boredom, Kairen held his hand in front of someone.

"Ariyan, give my phone back. Enough playing games it's not good for your health."

"NO!"

Grabbing the phone with both hands, Ariyan jumped down from the bed and crawled under the bed, 'hiding' there.

BANG BANG BANG BANG

TAT TAT TAT TAT

"...."

Too lazy and fatigued to move his body, Kairen just blankly stared at the place where Ariyan had been sitting a second ago.

"Give my phone back I need it!"

"NO! Uncle was also playing games the whole day!"

Look at this brat!

"I need it to finish the game! Ariyan!"

BANG BANG BANG

BANG BANG BANG 

BIOOO BIOOO

Ariyan paused for a moment while the sounds coming from the game got stranger and louder.

'Is he beating a boss monster or something? But I don't remember having such a game on my phone though...'

Realization dawned on his face soon enough.

'Did this brat download games on his own?'

How did a little kid know how to download games? 

Did it tap the big 'Download now' button on the advertisements in the game he was playing?

Kairen took a deep breath and closed his eyes. No, you shouldn't get angry with kids. No, keep calm.

"At least lower the volume of that damn-"

No. You shouldn't curse in front of kids.

"Dam- dam- damaging game! Ahem!"

"What is a damaging game, uncle?"

Instead of lowering the volume of the game, Ariyan increased the volume of his own voice, almost shouting to Kairen.

Still lying on the bed, Kairen massaged his chest and also answered in a loud voice. 

"A game that deals damage to you!"

"Damage? What kind of damage?"

The kid sounded confused. Kairen turned his head to look out of the door while making up an answer for the kid.

"Physical damage. You see it is not good for your health to play with a phone so much when you are still a kid. It will harm your eyes and brain and back and arms and legs and stomach and heart and nose and elbow also your ears and knees and all of your inner organs."

"Gasp!"

The kid gasped.

"R-realyy?"

Seeing the one approaching the room, Kairen started to smile as if he had seen the savior of his life and added another part to his explanations.

"Yes... And maybe emotional as well."

"Emotional? How?"

He heard Ariyan's confused voice at that moment.

"Like this!"

"ARIYAN!!!"

Alessia completely opened the half-closed door.

"EEK!"

The kid's gasp came from under the bed.

"What did I tell you about playing games? Huh?"

The voices coming from the game stopped at the exact same moment. No voice came from under the bed as if there was no one there, like Ariyan and Kairen's phone had ceased existence. Kairen even started to worry if the kid actually broke his phone or something due to fear.

"Ariyan, come out and give uncle's phone back to him!"

"...."

Shh shh shh shh

Then, the small sound of something moving was heard.

"Ariyan! Come out of under the bed!"

Shhh

A small voice was heard from under the bed.

"I-I... Ariyan is not here! You are mistaken, mama- Ariyan's mama!"

Alessia's lips twitched as soon as she heard that. She placed her hand on her mouth and coughed once before her face turned all serious again.

"Is that so?"

"Y-Yes!"

The voice under the bed answered.

"Then I will go look for him in the other rooms, and I know what I will do to him once I find him!!! How dare he secretly play games??"

"Gasp!"

After hearing the kid gasp, Alessia turned around and left the room while smiling.

After a few minutes, a small head popped out, followed by two small hands that were holding a phone. The kid crawled out of the small space under Kairen's bed and looked at the door, ready to go back to his hideout if danger was spotted. He then turned to Kairen and stared at him with his shiny and round dark gray eyes.

"Mama left?"

"...Yes."

"Un!"

Ariyan stood up and held the phone in front of Kairen with both hands.

"Damaging game no good..."

He said with a pout.

"...."

Taking back his phone, Kairen suddenly felt guilty. 

"Yes. Damaging games are bad."

"But uncle always plays damaging games!"

"Uncle is already damaged so he is now immune."

"OOHH!!"

Kairen looked at his phone, hopefully, it was not broken. He stared at the bunch of new games that had somehow found their way to his phone and deleted them one by one, thanking God that he was connected to the brat's father's house's wifi when these games were downloaded and nothing was charged on him.

Meanwhile, Ariyan climbed the bed again and sat beside Kairen.

"...."

"...."

"What?"

Ariyan stuck to Kairen's side in a comfortable position.

"Uncle is immune, so you play damaging games. I will only watch."

"...."

"I won't grab it and run again! Promise!"

With a sigh, Kairen leaned back on his bed again. 

'Alright, I'll do as you want, master!'

It was at that moment.

D-ding

[Low on battery]

"...."

"Uncle uncle what is this?"

"...."

Kairen looked at his phone with teary eyes.

Why? 

Why did he have to carry such a cruel fate?

He was given a few days off to rest and get better after that mission, but instead of resting, he had been only a means of entertainment for this kid the whole day.

"Haaa!"

Kairen felt it was even harder to breathe now than yesterday.