Chapter 52 Dreams of a Past Life

His voice softened as he whispered into Ethan’s ear: “It’s my fault, I was wrong… Ethan… I swear I will make it up to you…”

Valerius gazed at Ethan, his eyes filled with sorrow and regret. He knew that his words would never be enough to ease the pain in Ethan’s heart. Gently, he pulled Ethan closer, holding him tenderly in his arms.

Ethan trembled in Valerius’s embrace, torn by the contradiction within him. Though he loathed the closeness of the man who had once violated and humiliated him, his soul now longed for a shoulder to lean on, someone to help him through the agony of losing his mother, the haunting memories of his own tragic fate through each lifetime, and the despair he felt about the future awaiting him.

Suddenly, Ethan wrapped his arms around Valerius, burying his face in Valerius’ chest. It didn’t matter who it was, just as long as someone stayed beside him, offering him warmth to dispel the coldness in his heart.

Valerius was stunned for a moment. This was the first time Ethan had responded to him. The warmth of Ethan’s body spreading into his own made his heart melt. A flood of emotions surged through him: joy, sorrow, love, regret... they all blended together.

“Ethan… you’ve finally accepted me,” he murmured in bliss.

Each tear that fell from Ethan’s eyes felt like salt in the wounds of Valerius’ heart. He bent down, gently kissing Ethan’s hair, his voice low and warm: “It’s all my fault…”

He softly stroked Ethan’s silky hair, trying to offer comfort and warmth. All he wanted was for this moment to last forever, so he could savor the feeling of holding Ethan close.

Time passed in silence. Gradually, exhaustion overtook Ethan, and he drifted off to sleep in Valerius’ warm embrace. Valerius continued to hold him, gazing at him with love and compassion.

He leaned down and softly kissed Ethan’s forehead: “Sleep well, my Ethan…”

"Drink up, drink up, little beauty!" The loud laughter and chatter made Ethan's head spin.

Ethan found himself surrounded by a group of men, each exuding an arrogant, regal aura, taking turns forcing drinks upon him. One of them, with a crimson mole just below his lip and a jade ring on his finger, grabbed a fistful of Ethan’s hair and pulled his head back, pouring a whole jug of wine directly into his mouth. "Finish it! Yes, drink more! Haha..." he laughed with delight, his laughter mingling with Ethan's desperate coughs.

"Cough... cough..." The strong smell of wine filled Ethan's nostrils, leaving him dizzy.

"Why am I in this miserable situation? Who are these men? I've never seen them before; why are they treating me like this?" Ethan wondered in confusion, "Am I dreaming?"

"Prince Lucian, such a precious gem you managed to obtain!" said one of them with a dimpled smile, lifting Ethan and placing him on his lap. Ethan struggled, but his strength was gone, and he was held firmly within the man's strong arms, his head resting against his chest. "Be good and stay still for me..."

Another, with a high forehead and deep-set eyes that exuded intelligence, kept his gaze fixed on Ethan. "The prince of Aria's face is so flushed—it's thrilling to see!"

"Prince of Aria? Hah!" sneered the man with the crimson mole, grabbing Ethan's chin and forcing him to meet his gaze. "I’d say 'whore of Aria' is more fitting…" He laughed lewdly, his tongue grazing Ethan's lips, his breath heavy with the scent of wine. "If you hadn't been clinging to the king every day, you'd have been in our beds long before now, don’t you think?"

"So you all dare play with something that belongs to the king?" the man with the high forehead said with a smirk.

Lucian merely chuckled, "Anything I want, my dear brother will grant…"

"I heard the king is captivated by your beauty… so I’m sure you’re skilled at pleasing men?" the one with dimples added, running his hand under Ethan's clothes, caressing his chest. "With a soft body like this… Make sure to share him with us after, Lucian!"

Lucian laughed smugly, "Of course! We must all make sure our honored guest from Aria gets a taste of all the pleasures Helios has to offer."

"I don't want this… Let me go," Ethan protested, struggling against the men's hold. Their words cut into his pride like knives. Under the influence of the wine, his skin had turned flushed, emitting a burning heat, but his limbs were weak, his attempts at resistance only adding to their delight.

Lucian stared at Ethan's helpless expression with excitement.

"Let the little prince go and play with us for a while…” said the man with dimples, smiling slyly as he pushed Ethan back into the middle of the banquet table. Since he had arrived, only wine had been forced upon Ethan. Shaking, he used all his strength to try and stand, desperate to escape. But his body was too weak; even the effort to sit up left him immediately collapsing again.

The man with the crimson mole held up a bunch of green grapes, glistening with dew, in front of Ethan's face. "Come here… I’ll give you a reward."

Ethan bit his lip, turning his head away in refusal. Displeased, the man tightened his grip on Ethan’s jaw, forcing his mouth open. "Open up… dare to refuse me, huh?" he sneered, shoving the entire bunch of grapes into Ethan's mouth. The sour juice spilled from the corners of Ethan's lips, causing him to choke and cough, "Cough! Cough!"

"Seems your grapes don’t appeal to the prince, brother!" the man with dimples sneered with a malicious grin. "Let me take care of him..." He then turned to Ethan with a sly smile, "Little beauty, I’ll be gentle with you…”

With that, he pulled Ethan close, pressing his strong body against Ethan's. Ethan struggled to push him away, but this only made the man laugh in satisfaction.