Bai Xing struggled to free himself. As a result, Prince Kalid slammed him to the wall to stop his movement.

"What parts of you has he stolen away? Tell me. I'll make sure to claim it back ten folds." Prince Kalid squinted.

Bai Xing pressed his lips tightly.

"So you are going to be stubborn about this?" Prince Kalid flipped him so that his back face him. He looked at the red mark coldly, "Let's start from here, shall we?"

Bai Xing was terrified as to what the prince was going to do to him as he felt Prince Kalid's breath on his nape.

"Just close your eyes and trust me."

"Close your eyes and call my name."

Bai Xing shut his eyes and called out, "Grey…H-Hel–"

"Gh–!!"

Bai Xing hasn't finished his word when the oppressive strength behind him disappeared. In exchange, he could hear Prince Kalid's grunt of pain and the dull sound of his body hitting the floor.

Bai Xing slowly turned around and saw Prince Kalid lying on the ground with a dagger piercing his heart from his back.

"Y-You…!! When did you–!?" Prince Kalid coughed out his blood.

Standing next to him was Grey with thick bloodlust in his eyes. He mercilessly bashed down Prince Kalid's head with his staff.

"Do not worry. I will deliver your family to accompany you soon. It is the least you deserve for touching my beloved. Your country shall pay for you hurting him."

Prince Kalid couldn't give any response as he breathed his last.

"…G-Grey…"

Grey looked at Bai Xing. The other was trembling with tears in his eyes. The bloodlust in Grey's body receded.

"This is who I am, White. This is not the first life I took and will not be the last. Knowing so, can you still accept me?"

He was stunned when Bai Xing suddenly threw himself into his arms. His body stiffened and for the first time, unsure of what to do.

"Thank you…"

"…" Grey sighed and returned the embrace, "Are you sure about this?"

Bai Xing looked up in askance. Grey rubbed the wet stain under Bai Xing's eyes, "I am not a good person like you. Will you still be able to entrust your heart to me once the blood I spill drowns us both? After all, we have only met yesterday. There is a mountain of things you have not known about me."

Bai Xing's arms tightened around Grey, "I…It'll be a lie if I say I'm not s-scared. But more than that…I…I'll trust you more," he buried his head on Grey's shoulder, "I believe…there are treasures hidden in that mountain."

Grey's breath was taken away by Bai Xing's words.

On the contrary, Bai Xing felt his face heated up until his head steamed from his own words. He slumped to the ground and covered his face from the shame.

"P-P-Please forget wh-what I just s-s-said!!"

He now realized how thick Grey's mental fortitude was to be able to say all those flowery words to him. Was it from self-confidence? Shamelessness? Or Was it his default speaking style??

Grey pried Bai Xing's hands away from his face and pulled him up, "I will remember it as long as my heart beats. In that regard, I must confess to you about one thing."

"?"

"I caused Prince Kalid to go out of control. I do not amuse seeing him doing whatever he wants to you and ordering you around. I expected him to confront me from my provocations, but I did not think he would go after you instead. I apologize." Grey kissed Bai Xing's hands in apology.

"…"

So you planned to kill him in the first place?

"I failed to prevent your tears from coming out. What do you wish for compensation?"

"Can you…spare Prince Kalid's family and country? They're…innocent."

"As you wish," Grey agreed, "From now on, I vow to never betray the trust you have given to me."

"But…" Bai Xing looked at Prince Kalid's body, "What are we going to do about him…?"

"Rest assured, he will be of use to us."

The next morning, Jaffar took a group of palace guards and broke into Aladdin's room.

"What do you think you are doing!?" Aladdin woke up in shock.

He was immediately seized by the guards. Jaffar eyed the lamp briefly before smiling maliciously at Aladdin, "You are under arrest for your crime of murdering Prince Kalid, the Prince of Nekhiru," he signaled the guards, "Lock him away. Mr. White will bring him to Nekhiru to be trialed and punished."

"That is an absurd accusation!" Aladdin protested in anger as his hands were locked by a thick metal block behind his back, "I have never even gone close to his quarters!"

The princess appeared at the door in a rush, "What is the meaning of this, Advisor Jaffar?"

"Your Highness, this false prince is guilty of taking the life of Prince Kalid from Nekhiru."

"That is impossible. He was with me last night." The princess tried defending Aladdin.

"All night long?" Jaffar raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"No, but–!"

"Then, that alibi is not valid," Jaffar hid his triumphant smile, "If you do not believe this, we shall head to the audience hall. My brother, Sorcerer Grey, will present us the truth."

The people present went to the audience hall as Jaffar suggested. Inside, the king, Grey, Bai Xing, and other guests who were woken up from the ruckus have already gathered.

"Enlighten us, Sorcerer Grey, what is the base of this accusation towards Prince Ali? He has never interacted with Prince Kalid. It does not make any sense for him to be the murderer." The princess glared at Grey apprehensively.

Grey calmly gestured at a servant to step forward. The servant was holding a tray with the decorative dagger Grey used last night.

"This is the tool that is found in the scene, piercing the heart of our unfortunate prince. It is the dagger used as an ornament in Prince Ali's chamber. Though an ornament, it is very much a real dagger. There is not one fake item in this palace after all." Grey explained.

"That does not explain anything. Anyone could steal it to frame him." the princess refuted.

A guard entered the hall with a piece of crumpled clothing in his hand. Grey accepted it and unfolded it.

The princess immediately recognized it as the clothes Aladdin wore last night on their travel.

"I see without needing any more explanation, you are familiar with this garment, Your Highness."

"But…But he does not have any reason to…" the princess faltered.

"You have been lied to, Your Highness," Jaffar showed the lamp in his hand, "He is not a prince. Never has, never will. It is only thanks to this magic lamp that he could act all his farce."

Jaffar rubbed the lamp with excitement glinting in his eyes. Soon after, black smoke emerged from it, gradually forming into a humanoid figure with blood-red eyes.

Bai Xing instinctively took a step back. He clutched the back of Grey's robe in fear. This genie…definitely wasn't the original one. Rather than a genie, it would be more accurate to call it a demon of hell.

Grey promptly shifted his position to shield Bai Xing away from the genie's eyes.

The genie grinned wickedly, exposing his jagged teeth, "Master, what is it that you wish?"

Jaffar smiled grew wider, "I wish for you to lift all this false prince's enchantment to show us who he truly is!"

"Your wish is my command."

Instantly, Aladdin's rich sleepwear transformed into his dirty street clothes. The princess's eyes widened in disbelief as she has indeed met with the young man once in town.

"No, Princess, this is–"

"Behold, Your Highness! He is just a commoner, a street monkey who is pretending to be a noble. He is just using you to get the throne! Envy and greed are more than enough reason to kill."

"That is not true!" Aladdin hurriedly cried out, "Princess, I truly do love you!"

"Silence!!" the king finally snapped in rage, "How dare you make a fool out of my family! You even commit such atrocious crime of killing our respectable guest."

"Your Majesty, I–"

"You and your descendants shall be banished from Agrabah! Sorcerer Grey, throw him out of my kingdom this instance! As far as possible."

"F-Father, wait!"

Grey nodded and raised his staff. An intense blizzard surged around Aladdin, trapping him in the center. Once Grey dropped his staff down, the storm rapidly narrowed into its center and vanished along with Aladdin.

The silence in the hall was broken by Jaffar's low cackle. Everybody in the room stared at him as he exploded in laughter.

"At last, the lamp is in my hand!!" he looked at the genie with craze, "Genie, heed my second wish! I wish to be the greatest, the most powerful sor–"

Whack!!