A sharp, ragged gasp broke the silence of the room, followed immediately by a thin, reedy cry that vibrated through the air—he was alive.
Theo stood close, eyes locked on the child, as if daring the moment to disappear.
"Quick," the healer said, snapping back to action. "Let me see him."
Reluctantly, Charles loosened his hold just enough. The healer gently checked the baby — tiny chest, pulse, breathing.
Her hands froze.
"This is—"
She checked again.
Then looked up, stunned.She was too shocked from this –
"It's a miracle."
The word spread through the room like fire.
"A miracle?" one maid whispered.
"He wasn't breathing"
"He came back"
The quiet chamber erupted into chaos.
Servants rushed forward. Guards straightened. Someone ran to call the royal physician. Another hurried to inform the palace.
Charles tightened his hold protectively as too many people moved at once. "Careful don't crowd him"
Theo stepped forward.
And the chaos stopped.
Not completely.
But enough.
His presence cut through the noise like a blade.
"Back," Theo ordered quietly.
Everyone froze.
"No one touches him unless permitted."
The guards immediately formed a perimeter. Servants stepped away. Even the healer bowed her head.
Charles looked at Theo, surprised, still holding Oliver close.
Theo's gaze softened just slightly when it landed on the child.
"He fought to live," Theo said. "He will not be overwhelmed on his first breath."
Outside, footsteps echoed louder. News was spreading fast.
"The heir lives"
"It's a miracle"
"The emperor's child"
The palace stirred into motion.
Charles exhaled slowly, pressing his cheek against Oliver's head. The baby shifted, letting out a soft, sleepy sound.
Charles pressed his tear-streaked cheek against the crown of Oliver's head, sobbing with relief at the sudden, radiating heat coming from the small body that had been so cold only moments before.
"He's warm now" Charles whispered.
Theo remained beside them, silent and watchful.
Already calculating.
Already protecting.
Because chaos had begun.
And now that Oliver lived—
Everyone would want something from him.
Sleep almost claimed him.
Then discomfort spread through his tiny body.
Empty.
Cold.
His mouth opened, and he cried.
Soft at first.
Then louder.
Charles panicked immediately. "W-what's wrong? Why is he crying?"
He adjusted Oliver gently, but the crying only grew more desperate. His hands trembled as he looked toward Theo helplessly.
"I don't know what to do"
A maid stepped forward cautiously. "Your Highness I think the heir is hungry."
Charles blinked. "Hungry?"
She nodded. "Newborns cry like this. You should feed him."
Charles hesitated, clearly nervous. "I've never done this before."
"It may hurt at first," the maid added softly, "but it's normal."
Charles swallowed and nodded, adjusting Oliver carefully. As soon as Oliver was brought close, instinct took over.
He latched.
Warm milk filled his mouth.
His crying stopped.
But Oliver's thoughts froze.
…Wait.
He sucked instinctively, but his mind jolted awake.
The warm milk hit his throat, and Oliver's adult mind recoiled in a flash of white-hot embarrassment. Every instinct of his former self screamed against the indignity of it, yet his tiny, hollow stomach betrayed him, latching on with a desperation
he couldn't control?
The voice above him soft, trembling was unmistakably masculine.
Charles let out a small, pained breath. "It hurts"
The maid reassured gently, "It's normal, Your Highness."
Theo's deeper voice followed quietly, "If it's too painful"
"No," Charles said quickly, even as tears slipped down. "He's eating it's alright."
Oliver's thoughts spun.
He. he's feeding me?
Shock rippled through him.
He listened more carefully.
"Theo. he stopped crying," Charles whispered weakly.
"Yes," Theo replied. "He's calmer now."
Oliver's mind stalled.
Theo?
"And you, Charles," Theo added softly, "don't push yourself."
Charles?
The names echoed loudly in his mind.
Theo.
Charles.
A memory surfaced.
A novel.
Not just any novel—
An ABO novel his sister had insisted he read.
"Just try it," she had said. "It's good, I promise."
He had read it half-curious.
An empire.
Two male parents.
Theo the cold emperor.
Charles the gentle consort.
And—
A child who died at birth.
Oliver's tiny body stiffened slightly.
No way
Fragments rushed back.
The child never breathed.
Theo became ruthless.
War followed.
Then Theo died.
And Charles. broken by losing both became the final villain.
His thoughts trembled.he remember the book it is a dangerous but despite his protest he has to accept the truth that he was reborn as a villian son who was supposed to die.
But he was alive.
He was breathing.
He was feeding.
Which meant
The story is already changing.
Warmth surrounded him as sleep pulled him under.
One last thought drifted through his mind
My sister
You made me read something dangerous…
The child gasped.
A thin cry followed.
Alive.
Charles clutched him tightly, shoulders shaking as relief crashed over him. "He's breathing he's breathing "
Theo stood close, eyes locked on the child, as if daring the moment to disappear.
"Quick," the healer said, snapping back to action. "Let me see him."
Reluctantly, Charles loosened his hold just enough. The healer gently checked the baby — tiny chest, pulse, breathing.
Her hands froze.
"This is"
She checked again.
Then looked up, stunned.
"It's a miracle."
The word spread through the room like fire.
"A miracle?" one maid whispered.
"He wasn't breathing"
"He came back"
The quiet chamber erupted into chaos.
Servants rushed forward. Guards straightened. Someone ran to call the royal physician. Another hurried to inform the palace.
Charles tightened his hold protectively as too many people moved at once. "Careful don't crowd around him"
Theo stepped forward.
And the chaos stopped.
Not completely.
But enough.
His presence cut through the noise like a blade .The room went through silence
The air in the room seemed to drop ten degrees as Theo stepped forward, his gaze cutting through the panicked servants like a blade. 'Back,' he murmured, the low vibration of his voice commanding more authority than a shout ever could.
Everyone froze.
"No one touches him unless permitted."
The guards immediately formed a perimeter. Servants stepped away. Even the healer bowed her head.
Charles looked at Theo,
surprised,
Still holding Oliver close to himself, he couldn't shake the terrifying thought that this boy was his who came to life only for a moment. He gripped him tighter, convinced that if he let go, the dream would shatter and Oliver would vanish back into the silence from which he came."
Theo's gaze softened just slightly when it landed on the child.
Outside, footsteps echoed louder. News was spreading fast.
"The heir lives"
"It's a miracle"
"The emperor's child"
The palace stirred into motion.There was tal everywhere that the emperor son came back to life.
Charles exhaled slowly, pressing his cheek against Oliver's head. The baby shifted, letting out a soft, sleepy sound.
Theo remained beside them, silent and watchful.
Because chaos had just begun.
And now that Oliver lived—
Everyone would want something from him.