[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-reborn-king":3,"chapter-the-reborn-king-the-reborn-king-chapter-441":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Reborn King",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1101048,1437,"Chapter 441: Edward and Samuel","the-reborn-king-chapter-441",441,"\u003Cp>The laughter of children echoed throughout the academy. Across the large field provided by the academy for children to play and train, numerous different groups formed all around. The youngest students were heavily watched by caretakers and teachers, allowed to play under watchful eyes. It was the freest of groups, the children all having small groups but merging to play larger games.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu scanned the rest of the field. Furthest from watchful eyes, the eldest students of the Academy lounged in the sun, enjoying the brief break from the intense lessons of their day. Abu had watched how the academy worked after arriving to care for Edward. Whilst the classes for the youngest students taught the children how to read and write, basic history and numbers, they were mainly left to their own devices and allowed to grow up to be more sociable people, a perfect breeding ground for the future members of high society and merchants. Only when they were old enough to look after themselves would the shift occur; the freedom they once enjoyed would be severely cut and replaced with a rigid timetable of lessons and order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was why, when he saw the eldest students of the Academy lazing around, he didn’t blame them, feeling it was a well-deserved rest throughout the day. They had split themselves into factions, resembling those of high society, but most were old enough to understand that they couldn’t bring any bad blood outside of the academy walls, into the respected establishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning to the next group, it was the largest, the middle ground between the eldest and youngest of the academy. Although there was a wide range of ages, many intermingled with one another, bonding over the shared hardship of their lessons. They had also split into groups and were much more vocal about it, with a small fight breaking out between noble children and their friends, only to be pulled apart by the teachers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most girls acted like their mothers and elder sisters, having makeshift tea parties under the sun, intermingling, sharing gossip and spreading rumours. The boys were divided into two groups: those who focused on academics and those who focused on combat, maintaining a clear distance between them. The final batch could only be described as the outcasts, who didn’t fit in with any of the major groups and were forced to befriend one another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu sighed and smiled at the sight. It wasn’t perfect, but when he thought about his homeland, it was vastly better. Children at all levels of society were allowed in if they proved themselves. The clear divide between nobles and commoners was ever-present, unable to be destroyed even with the academy’s rules, but it was a start. Thinking of his home, there was no nostalgia or love for it. He was a cruel tyrant and then a slave. It was a lesson to learn from not his home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearing his mind, he refocused on Edward and the children around him. His eyes narrowed as he watched. Edward sat alone, away from the rest of the students, holding a fairy tale and trying to read it. The other children either ignored him, playing on their own, or took pitiful glances his way, wondering if they should approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all knew he was the Crown Prince. Abu knew that the children’s parents must have told their children to get close to the Imperial family, and whilst many tried, none could ever get Edward to engage for longer than five minutes. It was why they were pulled to the other Imperial Children, Astrid and Balder. The two would talk and play, letting them follow their parents’ orders without getting close to Edward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu watched carefully. Astrid and her friends did their own thing, pretending to be mature adults. Occasionally, he would spot Astrid peeking over at her half-brother, but he couldn’t tell what was going on behind her blue eyes. Badler, on the other hand, was more open with his intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would sit with his friends and look over at Edward, saying something before the group burst into laughter. Watching them gleefully laugh at the Prince, several thoughts ran through Abu’s head.’Are they laughing at his disability again, or did Balder make something up once more?’It was sickening to him, and he wondered why Alfred hadn’t done anything yet. He wanted to say something, but knew it wasn’t his place to offer parenting advice to Alfred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching, he saw Sameul walk over to Edward. Unlike the rest of the children of high-ranking families, Samuel was different. He was sociable, but Abu noticed that although he made friends, he kept a certain distance. He wouldn’t laugh at jokes he found unfunny and wouldn’t make fun of any of the other children, unlike the rest. He wondered if it was the influence of Issac or if Samuel was simply smarter than those his age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-----------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Highness,\" Samuel spoke with a soft childish voice. His clear blue eyes stared down at Edward, and his careml coloured hair blew in the wind. Edward looked down at the clear eyes, his own empty, with no clear emotion behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sam,\" Edward said with a deadpan tone and looked back down at his book. Samuel didn’t get annoyed at Edwards’ cold reply. Edward felt the gaze on him remain and sighed, closing the book. Looking up at Sam, he stared blankly, waiting for him to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you want to join us?\" Samuel asked happily, without the usual mocking tone most children had when asking Edward to play. Edward’s face lit up slightly, but quickly went back to normal as he looked down at his legs. Whilst he wore loose-fitted trousers, he knew what was underneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw how others could walk about on their own. When he was younger, he had tried to copy them, pulling himself up on his chair and taking a step. The pain he felt when stepping on his malformed legs was something he would never forget, forcing Isra to put him to sleep just so he wouldn’t be in pain. Subconsciously, he touched his leg. They were incredibly thin, allowing him to feel the bones that were out of place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m... fine.\" Edward looked down at his book once again and opened it. \"Thank you.\" Samuel sighed and grabbed the book from Edwards’s hands. Pulling it away, he ran behind he chair and undid the lock on it, having seen Abu do it many times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t care.\" Samuel happily laughed and tried to push Edward’s chair. He only managed to roll it an inch before running out of breath and collapsing on the ground. Edward reacted quickly and reached over the armrest, locking his chair back in place, scared that he would roll away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"DON’T DO THAT!\" Edward cried out in panic, not noticing the thin smile on his face. Samuel looked up at it and laughed, spreading himself out on the floor. Looking at the other children who watched, laughing at the scene for different reasons, Samuel showed his white teeth with a wide grin, hiding his dislike for most of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his classmates laugh, he couldn’t understand most of them. To him, Edward was a quiet but interesting person, one of the only ones whom he could stand to have a conversation with, when he could ever start one. When he saw the others making fun of him being in a chair, he found it annoying and wondered why they even bothered to be mean to him. At times, he felt jealous that Edward could sit in one place all day, being pushed around. He had asked Issac before, and it was one of the few times he saw his father frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered the strange things he said.’The Prince will struggle in the future. Be kind to him.’He didn’t need his father to tell him to be kind; he wished to be his friend after talking to Edward a few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Edward struggle to relock one of the breaks on his chair, he looked over at Abu. \"Get the strong guy to help.\" After catching his breath, Samuel saw the big man running over in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His name is Abu.\" Edward quietly said, finally able to lock the chair in place, his voice slightly annoyed that Samuel didn’t know. Samuel looked up at him with a shocked expression, and when Abu towered over him, he realised how big the man actually was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Father’s friend.\" He said in surprise, having overheard Issac talk about Abu. Crouching down, Abu carefully picked Sameul up, planting him on his feet. \"He’s so big,\" Samuel muttered and stared at the bulging muscles that couldn’t be hidden by the thin clothing Abu wore.’Bigger than dad and Grandpa. Grandpa said he was a knight before, so is he a better one?’Looking at Abu, his mind spun, and as if Abu could read his mind, he chuckled and shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t unlock the Prince’s chair, young lord. It’s dangerous.\" With a quiet reminder, Abu picked up the book from the floor and handed it back to Edward. \"Lessons will start soon. Finish the page you were on.\" Edward nodded and opened the book, trying to read the confusing words on the page.\u003C\u002Fp>",1548,"2026-06-03T11:17:48.775Z","2026-06-03T11:17:51.401Z",1,"novelbin.me","99d23c5c2b346194997867d06882d0a9d090406f38b5e1acf307253a300dea72","the-reborn-king-chapter-442","the-reborn-king-chapter-440",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-king-cover.jpg"]