[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-reborn-king":3,"chapter-the-reborn-king-the-reborn-king-chapter-448":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},1101055,1437,"Chapter 448: The Prank","the-reborn-king-chapter-448",448,"\u003Cp>On the field, Balder walked over to Astrid with a small smile. \"Astrid.\" Balder happily called out, interrupting the group of girls Astrid was a part of, \"Can we talk?\" Fiddling with his fingers, his tone was shy. Astrid stared at him suspiciously and sighed, getting up and patting down her dress. Following Balder away, the two moved out of range, so no one could hear them. Only Violet stayed close by, making sure to listen to every word the two said and to protect them from any unseen danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it?\" Her annoyance was clear at having been taken away from her friends, but seeing the shy look on her twin brother’s face, she couldn’t help but ease up slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I...\" he paused, peeking towards Violet. Taking a deep breath, he smiled, \"I want to say sorry to Edward. But also have my friends do it as well.\" His words put Astrid on edge, trying to find the hidden reason behind Balder’s action. She knew her twin brother better than anyone else and knew that there was no way he would do such a thing unprepared. Balder could see her suspicion and suppressed the frown that was forming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Even now she trusts him more than me.’ Out of everyone, the only person he hated looking at him with such a gaze was Astrid. They had been together since he could remember; the two were never more than fifty meters apart at all times. Alfred could look at him with disappointed eyes because Balder knew he loved him, but had to be strict. He didn’t like Edward or Isra, so they didn’t matter to him. But Astrid was his sister, his twin. The only person who understood his feelings when the adults stared at him with those strange looks he couldn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please. Don’t make such a face.\" Balder sincerely said. Astrid touched her face, not realising that she was looking at him in any special way, and closed her eyes for a second to fix her appearance. \"Father punished me. He knows I don’t like Edward, but I shouldn’t do anything in school.\" Balder paused. He knew his sister wanted their father’s attention more than anything, always trying to please him. \"I think it would make him happy if I made everyone apologise to Edward before class.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Balder.\" She brightly smiled, hearing that, forgetting her previous worries. A strange sense of pride filled her as she saw her brother grow as a person. Coming over, she hugged him happily, \"Of course, I’ll help you then. I wanted us to all get along in the first place.\" Astrid broke away from the hug, \"Edward is fragile after all. We have to look after him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fragile. He’s...\" Balder stopped himself from firing off the insult at the tip of his tongue. Looking towards Edward, he was anything but fragile to him; he was a monster in human skin. He had been told the creation story the church of Sol had and heard about the monster child of Khors and the First Lady. To him, Edward was the child of the story. His father was a great man, almost like a God, the way people described him, but for some reason, he married Isra, an evil woman. The fact that Edward was born as proved that something was wrong. \"He’s more than that.\" Balder carried on, each word quieter than the next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not understanding his true meaning, Astrid smiled and nodded, \"What do you want to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll ask Miss Jenny to let us apologise and have Edward accept. Then I’ll try to be kinder. I want you to help me and talk to Edward.\" Astrid looked happily at their half-brother and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll go now. I’m sure Edward will love being friends with you.\" Astrid gave Balder another hug and ran off, Violet following behind as Balder returned to his group of friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have something to ask.\" Seeing that neither Violet nor Abu was lingering around, Balder quietly whispered, afraid that his friends’ servants would also tell on him. They all huddled around Balder, snickering. \"I want to play a prank on my brother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boys all froze, suppressing the urge to look at Edward. \"Of course. That mon...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have to call him Prince or Edward. My father says so.\" Balder quickly corrected. Although he was to play a prank to get back at his brother, his father’s warning was still clearly in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mention of Alfred, the boys didn’t dare question Balder. All of them knew their parents were terrified of Alfred for some reason, and even when tasked with getting close to Balder, Edward and Astrid, they had been warned numerous times about how terrifying he could be. They only felt safe mocking Edward because Balder was the one leading it; if not, they wouldn’t dare think something rude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you want us to do?\" One of them asked, and Balder smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We will apologise to Edward before class later. After that, the big man around Edward will be less scary to us.\" Balder smiled, \"I’m going to try and bring him outside at the end of class when Miss Jenny leaves.\" Balder peeked at Abu, who warmly smiled as Astrid happily explained what Balder had told her. \"When I do, lock Edward in the closet at the back of the classroom. Samuel may fight it, but don’t worry. His dad must listen to mine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balder thought about Alfed and Issac. Even though he knew the truth—that the two were friends—his friends around him didn’t. Everything was perfect. He would be away when it happened, so even if Alfred found out, he couldn’t get in trouble. His friends were less enthusiastic about it and looked at one another with expressions of fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balder sighed and smiled, \"Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that you don’t get in trouble. Trust me. You haven’t been in trouble yet, have you?\" With the final bit of confidence, the boys nodded and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay.\" They happily said and quickly broke from their whispering state, making jokes with one another and laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-----------------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edward sat with a small smile on his face. Ever since Balder and the others apologised to him at the start of class, he had been over the moon, wondering if it was the start of something new. Abu’s advice to him before seemed unimportant now, and although he would make sure not to forget it, for the first time, he felt lucky that things were going his way for once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All his life, for all he could remember, he had been unlucky. He remembered how Isra would sometimes drop comments when speaking with Abu about how he had gotten better after the incident. Playfully folding his piece of paper, Miss Jenny looked outside and clapped her hands after finishing her final sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay, children. That will be all today.\" Jenny’s gaze swept across the room. Remember today, everybody. What the boys did for Edward was both kind and thoughtful, and I hope you don’t forget it. And Edward, it was good that you forgave them after such a thoughtful gesture.\" Edward nodded to himself, lowering his head in embarrassment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Packing her things up, Jenny smiled and left the room, ready to go home, whilst a few children stood around talking to one another. Most left as soon as they could, quickly following behind Jenny. Astrid looked at Balder. Seeing her brother approach Edward, she smiled and left the room with Violet in tow to wait for her brothers outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike his usual look, Abu softly smiled and knelt down to meet Balder at eye level, seeing that he wanted to talk to him. \"Erm. Can I talk to you outside? In private?\" Edward noticed Balders’ eyes darting between him and Abu, and whilst the man in question was hesitant, seeing Edward flash a bright smile, Abu relaxed and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>------------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, BAu didn’t stray far, standing just outside the room, always scanning to see if someone who shouldn’t would enter, ready to act. \"What is it, My Prince?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balder smiled, \"I want to get Edward a gift. Whilst the apology was fine, I don’t think it was enough.\" Abu chuckled and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You want help.\" Seeing the meek nod in reply, Abu sighed and fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>------------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door closed behind Abu and Balder, and Edward happily watched as Samuel walked over. \"I don’t believe it.\" His tone was one of complete surprise. Edward was different, although he knew that Balder may not have meant his words, and only apologised because of their father, he still expected something like this after he was grounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My dad must have made him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. My da...mmmm.\" A hand wrapped around Samuel’s face as a boy jumped on his back. Another held him in place as another two grabbed Edwards’ chair and unlocked the brake. With great difficulty, they managed to push it over to the closet and open it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samuel desperately tried to break free, but could hardly move, being held by two of the boys. Edward opened his mouth, but seeing the dark closet, he unconsciously froze, unable to make a sound. The darkness before him was like a pit of hell, waiting to swallow him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boys made sure to be careful not to hurt Edward, even as they pushed him and his chair into the closet. When the chair wouldn’t fit, they looked at one another with panicked faces and made a split-second, silent decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pushing the chair, on the small bump at the bottom of the closet, they tilted it forward, letting Edward fall off. When he didn’t cry out in pain, they sighed in relief, glad they hadn’t hurt him. They pushed the chair away and closed the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samuel struggled to break free, and, through his muffled cries, clenched his fist and bit down on the one holding his mouth. \"EDWARD!\" Knowing Abu wouldn’t be far, Samuel screamed to try and get his attention. All four looked at one another. In a split second, they stopped what they were doing and ran out of the room, through the other door at the back of the room. As they left, the other flew open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---------------------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He likes to re...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"EDWARD!\" Abu’s happy words were cut off from the cry within the classroom, and without hesitation, he spun around, kicking the door open. His powerful and well-placed kick nearly broke the hinges of the door that was stuck to the wall as the other opened. Abu iugnroed the group of boys rushing into the classroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balder watched and carefully followed Abu in. Seeing the chair outside with no one on it, he took a sharp breath, unable to breathe, wondering how they could mess up so badly. He didn’t want Edward to get hurt. He knew his brother was afraid of the dark and just wanted him to be trapped for a few seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Samuel sat on the ground. As he was about to say something, he paused and forgot to breathe. The murderous look on Abu’s face, added with his deep breathing, made him too terrified to make a sound. All he could do was sink into his shoulders and make himself as small as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Balder, Abu’s presence wasn’t the most terrifying thing. He had heard Edward complain when he was in a dark room for a long time, and one time cry from his neighbouring room when the candles went out. When he heard nothing, his heart went cold. No fear, no pained yelps at being out of the chair. It was complete silence.\u003C\u002Fp>",1946,"2026-06-03T11:17:48.775Z","2026-06-03T11:17:51.401Z",1,"novelbin.me","ff21d69ffdbd378d5d0ad8bfa74fbd4b5c30fe446fd73e213469d1e198a575ab","the-reborn-king-chapter-449","the-reborn-king-chapter-447",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-king-cover.jpg"]