[CHAPTER 5: FORTUNATE YET UNFORTUNATE]
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At the crack of dawn, a single light was still burning inside a room. The candlelight illuminated the bedroom, colouring the luxurious furniture with its golden hue. A door that led to an attached bathroom clicked and creaked as it was pushed open. A familiar figure stepped out of the pitch-black bathroom with only a robe half wrapped around his waist. His shadows followed him as he dragged himself towards a tall mirror.
Once he was in front of the mirror, the candlelight illuminated his backside. From the nape of his neck, until his upper-to-mid back was decorated with markings. A black tattoo triangle-shaped flower that faded into a blade was in the middle of his torso and thick black borders stretched to his sides.
Just above his tailbone was a tattoo of a demonic-angel-wing-like cyber sigil – it almost looked like a succubus womb tattoo. Both of his entire arms until the top of his shoulders, collarbones and small side parts of his throat had rose-like tattoos with a few serpents.
His fingertips and sharp nails were painted in a black inky colour; which seemed to swirl around like shadows. "It's gotten worse..." He grimaced in a hushed voice as his sunset-coloured eyes were pinned on his reflection, "It's gotten worse again..." A small thud was heard when he pressed his forehead against the mirror while his shadowy black inked hand placed itself next to his head on the mirror.
"I never asked to be cursed like this, God Aeonian..." His hunched-over shoulders trembled while his voice cracked in an inaudible sob and he slid to his knees. A few tears blurred his vision, dripping down his cheeks and softly hitting the floor. "Why should I be punished for something that I didn't do...?" He choked out with a clenched jaw and slammed his fist against the mirror, cracking it entirely.
"I'm going to kill your most blessed creation," He emotionlessly mumbled, lifting his gaze from the floor to place it on the cracked mirror. For a split second, there was another face that appeared in the reflection - a man that looked identical to him, however, he had pure white hair and charcoal irises. Minutes passed as he continued to stare at himself through the cracked mirror. Gradually, he staggered back onto his feet, ignoring how the glass shards sliced the palms of his hands.
Blood dripped down from the wounds before they instantly closed up with a shadowy sizzle. Once he was back on his feet, he glanced at the looming windows that were covered by thick curtains. He fixed his bathrobe on his body and secured it with a knot. Slowly, he dragged himself towards the curtains and slightly pushed them to the side. He was met with the beautiful sight of the sun rising over the horizon as the sky exploded with colours.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the bedroom door, along with a familiar voice, "Suzerain Malefic, it's me, Albert... Are you awake?" There was a moment of silence before one of the shadows next to the door materialized itself into a tentacle, unlocking the bedroom door. The door clicked open as the tentacle returned to the shadows. Carefully, the door creaked open and Albert's worried face popped in.
He spotted the cracked mirror and frowned, knowing that the ravenette's mind was in a dark place again. "What do you seek from me so early in the morning, Albert?" Erix asked while folding his hands behind his lower back, still staring at the sunrise. "...His Imperial Majesty wishes for you to escort the Second Prince, Prince Evrin to the boutique today," Albert answered with a frown, feeling a sweat drip down the side of his face from how cautious he was.
Silence erupted between them for a couple of seconds. "...I see," The ravenette hummed, slightly tilting his head to the side as his eyes grew dull and eerie. Thus, Albert assisted in helping him get dressed and escorted him to the dining hall for breakfast. The servants - that had started their duties - glanced at the ravenette when he walked past them.
He was dressed in a high white collared long-sleeved shirt with a brooch, a dark crimson sleeveless vest with black trousers and loafers. His hands were covered in white gloves, hiding them. His hair was gelled back, showing off his sharp sunset-coloured eyes that seemed cunning yet dangerous. Two longish pillar-like earrings dangled from his ears - it was the finishing touch to the outfit.
After arriving at the dining hall, Erix sat down at the second-head chair. It wasn't long before maids set down plates of various foods in front of him. With a small hum, he reached for the bowl of strawberries and blueberries. Silently, he started eating them with simple cream crepes. He was unaware that a sparkling aura surrounded him as he enjoyed the refreshing breakfast. An hour later, he got up from his seat and allowed Albert to escort him to Prince Evrin's Annex.
As soon as they entered the annexe, they were met with the sight of maids and servants scurrying around. Albert asked one of the butlers where the prince was while Erix stared at a tall portrait. In the portrait was a handsome young man in his twenties and a woman in her late forties - he was the second prince and she was the Emperor's First Concubine.
The young man had short purplish-wine-coloured hair and strikingly sharp amethyst-coloured eyes. He was dressed in a dark royal uniform with jewels dangling off his blazer. The woman had extremely long dark-purple-coloured hair and fox-like magenta-coloured eyes.
She was dressed in a luxurious cocktail dress that exposed all the necessary skin. "Suzerain Malefic, His Highness is currently getting dressed," Albert's voice knocked him back into reality and he hummed, folding his gloved hands behind his back. Leisurely, they headed towards the prince's private quarters.
After reaching their destination, Albert knocked on the door, announcing their arrival, "Your Highness, I've brought Suzerain Malefic." The ravenette rose a brow when he heard something fall behind the door and muffled protests were mixed in with thundering footsteps. Immediately, the door was swung open, revealing a half-dressed wine-haired man.
He was a head shorter than the ravenette and was slightly muscular, showing that he only started to train swordsmanship recently. His pants were barely hanging on his hips and his white shirt wasn't even buttoned-up yet. The man's eyes grew wide as saucers, sparkling with surprise and joy at the sight of seeing that Erix was indeed there.
"Ha..." He muttered in disbelief as his gaze flickered over the ravenette's stoic face. While the man was staring at him, he glanced past him and spotted the distressed maids in the room. "I greet the 'Dark Iris' of the Aeonian Empire," Erix formally greeted as he took a step back to bow his head towards the man. "My, you truly are Father's dog..." The man muttered when he placed his fingers on his chin, staring down at the bowing ravenette.
"But of course, Your Highness," He agreed, raising his head with a charming smile, "If I were not, this humble servant might bite the hand that dares to attempt taming it." A chilling atmosphere filled the room. Everyone knew what he meant by saying that to him. A smirk stitched itself onto the wine-haired man's lips, completely amused by him.
"If you keep saying things like that - I might just steal you from Father, Suzerain Malefic," He chuckled before gesturing for Albert to leave, "Perhaps I should purchase you a collar today just to spite him..." Erix didn't respond to his suggestion and only continued to smile in silence. Albert sent the ravenette a worried glance, however, he received a nod from him.
'I will be all right, so rest assured' - the small nod meant as Erix entered the bedroom, following after the wine-haired man. Slowly, the doors closed behind him, leaving Albert in a deafening silence before turning to leave. Behind the closed doors, the wine-haired man approached the gobsmacked maids and impatiently snapped his fingers.
Immediately, they started dressing him with elegant movements. Erix silently waited for him by the door, closing his eyes to avoid watching him get dressed. Some of the maids glanced at the ravenette with curiosity and blushed at his handsome face. "When did you get piercings, Lord Malefic?" Evrin asked while fixing the collar of his shirt, his gaze was focused on Erix's appearance in the mirror's reflection.
"I got them on my twenty-first birthday, Your Highness," He nonchalantly answered as he slightly opened his eyes, causing them to be half-lidded. "My brothers insisted that we all get ear piercings as birthday gifts," He added and his gloved fingers started to rub against each other behind his lower back. "I see..." The prince hummed with a relaxed smile and twirled around to face him, surprising the maids with his movements.
He was dressed in a loose grey short-sleeved shirt with a black sleeveless vest and white trousers with short-heeled shoes. A white blazer hang loosely on his shoulders while a crimson brooch glimmered in the light. "Now, shall we get going, Lord Malefic?" The prince teased, grinning from ear to ear as he approached the ravenette.
"Of course, Your Highness," The ravenette agreed and opened the door for him, causing the prince to pause for a second to stare at his picturesque face. Slowly, he reached for the ravenette's gelled-back hair. Erix tensed up at the sudden touch from him and cautiously watched how he styled his bangs into a messy-business-like hairstyle.
"You look old if you style your hair like that for a simple trip as this," The prince stated with a mischievous grin and ran his warm index finger down his cheek in a teasing manner. "...I'll remember that, Your Highness," Erix retorted with a strained smile and watched how the prince walked out of the door, chuckling to himself. The moment he looked away, the ravenette clenched his jaw with a few veins popping out of his throat.
Silently, he followed the prince through his annexe until they reached the carriage. He helped the prince enter the carriage first before climbing in after him. "Let us depart," He ordered while knocking against the wall from inside, alerting the driver that they could leave. The prince was sitting across from him, crossing his right leg over his left thigh while openly staring at him.
Ignoring him, Erix took out his pocket watch from his breath pocket and flipped it open. The object caught the prince's attention and he was tempted to ask about it. However, his lips twitched in surprise when he spotted the signature engraved on the pocket watch; Z.M. 'Oh, so that's the watch Father was talking about,' The prince looked away from the item and gazed out of the window, watching the scenery pass them.
It wasn't long before they arrived in the Capital's buzzing streets, gaining attention from on-lookers. "Woah... The Capital is busier than usual!" The prince mentioned with shock as his gaze flickered around the crowded sidewalks and carriages passing them by. "It is because the Imperial Summer Ball is five days away, Your Highness," Erix stated with a small sigh, crossing his arms over his chest while leaning back against the cushions.
Soon, the carriage came to a stop in front of a luxurious building named 'Clair de Lune.' Erix got out of the carriage first to help the prince out. It was no surprise that on-lookers were gobsmacked at the two handsome men getting out of the imperial carriage. Once they were inside the building, they were greeted by an anxious young man, who had striking green hair and turquoise blue eyes, "W-Welcome, Your Highness and Suzerain Malefic!"
Erix sent him a small bow of his head a greeting while the prince ignored him. "We're here to see the fittings for His Highness's outfit for the ball, sir," The ravenette explained with a professional yet heart-swooning smile, which unknowingly caused other customers to grow flustered. "Ah, yes, um," The tailor stuttered out, his face was completely beet-red.
Four other tailors escorted them to the VIP fitting area and treated the prince with the utmost attention. Meanwhile, the ravenette flipped through the catalogue as he sat down on the couch. "...What bring you here?" A tired feminine voice questioned from behind him and a pair of cold fingers laced themselves around his jaw. However, he wasn't surprised by that movement - rather, it relaxed him.
"You sound tired, Serina," He noted with a relaxed smile and leaned his head back to look at her. Immediately, he was met with a cute yet attractive face. Her drooping ashy-blue eyes looked exhausted and her pinkish lips were in a disapproving frown. Her long pure white coloured hair tickled his face and the scent of lilies filled his senses. What made her more attractive was the white deer antlers that sprouted from the crown of her head.
"Hmhm..." She hummed in agreement and rubbed his jaw with her fingertips. Gently, he took her right hand off his jaw and gave it a small kiss as a greeting. To others, they might look as if they were lovers, however, they had no relationship as that. Both of them ignored the wide-eyed looks they were receiving from the other customers.
He noticed that she was dressed in ashy-black trousers with a loose long-sleeved buttoned-up shirt and flats. "Late nights?" He asked with a raised brow and gestured for her to come to sit next to him, which she obeyed. Once she was sitting comfortably next to him, it looked like her soul left her body when she finally sat down for the first time that day.
"So, are you here to get your outfit commissioned for the ball?" She asked, glancing at him with a raised brow. "Hmm... Nope," He bluntly answered as he continued to flip through the pages of the catalogue, "I'm accompanying the second prince for his fitting." At the mention of the prince, her face contorted into a disgusted expression.
He didn't expect that reaction from her and almost burst out laughing; it was a miracle that he held it in. Suddenly, she got to her feet and placed her hands on her hips. "Get up, I'm going to get you fitted so that I can start working on your outfit," She stated with a determined glint in her eyes. He wanted to protest but he knew that she wouldn't back down if he refused.
Casually, he placed the catalogue down and followed her to the private fitting room since she knew about the marks on his skin. After making sure that they had privacy, she turned towards him and bluntly ordered, "Strip." He rolled his eyes at her as he obeyed her order. Her eyes were pinned on him, following each movement when he took his shirt off.
Her eyes widened by a fraction when she saw how much the marks had gotten darker than last time. Quickly, she regained composure before he could see her reaction. Silently, she started to take his measurements for the outfit. While she was doing that, Erix closed his eyes to stop himself from looking at his reflection.
Suddenly, the door slammed open, revealing the prince roaring, "Lord Malefic! You...!" However, the prince froze in surprise at the sight of Erix. "Close the door," His voice was threateningly low and icy when he opened his sunset-coloured eyes. Evrin's fingers tightened around the doorknob when he saw how murderous he looked. "Your Highness," Erix called out to him, turning around to face him.
"Close the door," He repeated with a clenched jaw and the prince immediately obeyed his words. He closed the door behind him, his gaze never leaving Erix's cold eyes. "Serina, I think you should leave us for a while," The ravenette calmly suggested as he picked up his shirt, "His Highness and I are to have a discussion..." She sent him a worried glance before nodding. Quickly, she scurried towards the door, excusing herself.
Once she exited the room, a tense atmosphere filled the room. The prince didn't say a word while the ravenette started to get himself dressed again. "It's considered rude to stare, Your Highness," He stated with a frown and turned to face him. "Are those markings the 'Curse of Malefic' that my Father has spoken of?" Evrin asked, ignoring the ravenette's words.
A moment of silence was given as a response. With a deep sigh, the ravenette pushed his bangs out of his frustrated-looking face. "...And if it is? It's none of your business, Your Highness," He retorted, narrowing his eyes at him. He rose a brow when the prince started to approach him with a serious expression.
There was a certain glint swirling inside his amethyst-coloured eyes - an emotion Erix couldn't figure out what it was. "If you truly inherited the 'Curse of Malefic'..." He stopped a foot away from the taller man and leaned his head towards him, smirking with an obsessive expression that made him look like a maniac in love, "Then I want you more than before, Suzerain Erix Malefic."