[CHAPTER 6: WHAT WILL BE DECIDED?]
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"You're overstepping the line with your jokes, Your Highness," The ravenette snapped at Evrin with a venomous scowl, "Do you truly think that I would allow you to use me like a dog?" Evrin couldn't help but smile wider at his words. He has never seen the ravenette get this angry before; it was surprisingly amusing to see a small crack in him.
"Overstepping the line? Am I perhaps getting too personal with my words?" He retorted with a look of disbelief as he hid his anticipation of seeing him get angrier. "I'm not wrong, am I? I mean, isn't it known across the entire continent that you're the Emperor's loyal mutt?" He taunted the ravenette while poking his chest, feeling how toned it was through his clothes, "What's wrong with his son wanting to take the loyal mutt from its owner?"
Unconsciously, the ravenette's fingers rubbed against each other as he felt anger boil inside him. "Ah~ Is it perhaps of your curse? Are you afraid that the Emperor would throw you away because of those markings on your skin?" Evrin's taunts pricked a sensitive spot in the ravenette's consciousness, even if he didn't actually mean to do it in such a malicious manner.
"You're afraid that you will get abandoned!" Evrin continued to taunt him, getting more aggressive by poking his chest, "Just stay a loyal mutt to him if you're that scared! Maybe he'll compliment you for ripping his enemies apart as if they're toys! That's your speciality, right?! Being the beast that you are!" It felt like something snapped inside him when he heard those familiar words.
Suppressed memories of childhood flooded his mind and grew loud with voices overlapping each other. "...up..." He mumbled in a quiet tone and his bangs covered his eyes. Yet, Evrin continued to say harsh words. "It's all because of the curse in your lineage! You can never be considered a human! You're only seen as a demon and a mutt!" He yelled with a more crazed yet excited expression, "You're the reason why your father disappeared!"
Out of nowhere, slender white-gloved fingers wrapped themselves around Evrin's throat, almost crushing his windpipe. His amethyst irises widened in surprise and horror when his world spun. "Gah!" He gasped when his spine made harsh contact with the floor, sending a large shock throughout his entire body. Instinctively, he held Erix's wrist with a pained face, choking from the lack of air and pain.
"Shut up," The ravenette growled out with pure venom and his eyes peeked through his bangs; they were glowing with malicious intent. "H-Hey...! You... You... should let go..." Evrin's vision started to flicker a bit as his lungs felt like they were on fire, begging for oxygen. When he saw that the ravenette made no motion of letting go, he started clawing his wrist while frailing under him.
It was even harder to breathe or to move from how heavy the ravenette was when he straddled him. Evrin glared up at him, ignoring how his eyes started tearing up. "Was it entertaining?" The ravenette coldly asked, innocently tilting his head at him, "Was it so fun for you to test my patience, even to the point that I attacked you?"
Evrin couldn't answer him and only continued to glare at him, digging his nails deeper into the ravenette's wrist. "Do you know why people don't dare to speak about my father in front of me?" He queried as his lips curled into a bloodthirsty smirk and his eyes narrowed at Evrin. "The answer is simple," He leaned closer to Evrin, who grew even more tense and anxious.
"It's because I won't allow them to see the rising sun ever again, Your Highness," He snarled as he gave his throat one final squeeze before releasing him. Annoyed, he climbed off him and raised a brow at the stinging pain in his wrist. He ignored it and glanced at the prince, who immediately started coughing and gagging to get oxygen into his lungs.
"This is the reason why people don't taunt me, Your Highness," He sternly warned while crouching next to the prince, who was struggling to sit up. "Take this as a near-death experience," He chuckled with an awkward frown and held out his hand to him. "Allow me to heal the bruises on your throat, Your Highness," He added while looking to the side, sheepishly rubbing his nape, "...I feel bad now..."
"Just get it over with..." Evrin scoffed with a sigh and tilted his head up, revealing the purplish finger-shaped bruises around his throat. The ravenette nodded and raised his hand towards his throat; a small blackish-gold magic circle with three tiny circles around it appeared from his fingertips. Evrin raised a brow when he felt a warm yet comforting feeling around his throat and secretly watched how the bruises disappeared in a blink of an eye.
"All done," Erix mumbled with a small smile and pulled his hand away from his throat. He helped the prince to his feet and took his hand back to his side when he stabilized himself. "...Just to let you know," Evrin hesitantly started with his gaze to the side before facing the ravenette with an uncomfortable frown, "I didn't mean to say all those things to you... My apologies..."
The ravenette didn't say anything, however, something in his eyes shifted to a soothing manner. "Hmm," He hummed, looking away from him with a strained smile. "Also," Evrin mentioned as he took an object out of his pockets and presented it to the ravenette, who tensed up in disbelief at the sight of it, "I meant it when I said I was going to buy you a collar to spite my Father."
The object was a thick black material collar with small silver details sewn into it. Hanging from the large amethyst in the middle of the collar was a circular clip where another clip can be attached - for example, a leash. "Your Highness, no-" He wanted to protest, however, before he knew it, Evrin already wrapped it around his throat and attached the two tiny clips together at the back of his nape.
Speechless, the ravenette looked as if he turned into stone while Evrin proudly clapped his hands at the sight of him. "Now, let us resume today's schedule!" He exclaimed as he turned around with a hop in his step, leaving the room. With a deep sigh, Erix dragged himself out of the room and followed the prince. The moment he was in the guest area with the prince, he could feel how the customers stared at the fancy yet simple collar around his throat.
'This is so embarrassing,' He wanted to dig a hole and hide in it from how embarrassed he was. It only got worse when Serina spotted the collar and sent him an approving thumbs-up. After finishing up their business at the boutique, the two men headed to a nearby restaurant for lunch. "Are you going to attend the Imperial Summer Ball as Father's aide or as the heir to the Malefic Archduchy?" Evrin asked when they sat down at a table located on a balcony, a perfect spot where people didn't bother them.
"I still have to ask His Imperial Majesty about that, Your Highness," The ravenette answered as he waved to catch a waiter's attention, "I also haven't been able to commission my outfit for it yet." The prince's jaw fell open at his words and grabbed the back of his nape when he felt his blood pressure skyrocket. 'How busy can he be if he hasn't had time to get that done??' Evrin stared at him with disbelief and sighed.
He was in a daze-like state when he watched how the ravenette started ordering lunch for them both. He had to admit that Erix was extremely good-looking and he felt a bit nervous about that fact. His gaze trailed towards the collar glimmering around the older man's throat. Evrin leaned his chin on his palm and covered his child-like smile with his fingers.
"I ordered both of us some roasted beef with steamed vegetables and rice, as well as a bottle of Sorciphe Noir, Your Highness," The ravenette stated while the waiter left to give their orders to the kitchen. He rose a brow when he noticed the Evrin was staring at him with an excited smile.
"Oh my! Is that you brother Evrin?" A feminine voice startled them as thunderous-heeled footsteps approached them from the side. The voice belong to a nine-teen-year-old girl; who had oceanic-blue cat-like eyes and long obsidian black hair. She was dressed in a simple yet modest marine-coloured dress and heels. She was around five foot six or so with the heels.
She was accompanied by a knight, who had shortish crimson-orange coloured hair and sharp turquoise blue coloured eyes. Anyone could see that he was a swordsman from how muscular he was, even if he wore the imperial formal knight's uniform. "Ah, sister Canticle," Envrin greeted with a strained smile, a bit annoyed that one of his step-siblings interrupted his time with the ravenette.
Canticle Aeonian was the second princess of the Emperor's Second Concubine. She was famous for her magic formulas during times of war and subjugation. "Oh, good afternoon, Suzerain Malefic," She greeted in a sheepish manner when she recognized her father's royal aide, who bowed his head to her as a greeting. While she took a seat on the left side of their table, the ravenette raised a brow when he felt a piercing stare from the side.
The knight - Callisto Artuate - was the owner of that stare. Rather, he was glaring at the raven-haired man for some unknown reason. "Um, sir, is there something on my face?" Erix awkwardly asked with a chuckle as he turned his head towards Callisto. The knight's shoulders tensed up for a second before he bluntly answered, "Too pretty." His blunt words caught everyone off-guard, especially the ravenette. Evrin almost choked on his spit while Canticle covered her mouth with a small 'Oh my~!'.
"Is... Is that so?" The ravenette cleared his throat, trying to ignore how his ears were bright red from embarrassment. Luckily, the waiter returned with their orders before it could get awkward. Canticle ordered herself a light meal while the two men poured themselves a glass of wine. The two royals and ravenette started to have a small conversation during the meal. However, at some point, the ravenette started to tap his fingers against the surface of the table before excusing himself.
All three of them watched how he left the second floor to possibly use the restrooms but they weren't sure. After a few minutes, they started to get worried that he hasn't returned. Callisto gestured that he would go check on him. He went to check the restrooms and didn't find him. Suspicious, he patrolled outside the restaurant and raised a brow when he walked past an alleyway.
He paused when a heavy iron scent fluttered past him and his skin crawled, knowing what that scent was. Cautiously, he entered the alleyway with his hand on the hilt of his sword. He was expecting that a drunkard was the reason for the bloody scent, but, he never expected the gruesome sight in front of him. "H-Help... me..." A man in a hooded robe begged as he crawled towards Callisto - both of his legs were sliced off and leaving a bloody trail.
"H-Help-" The man was silenced when a shadowy tentacle plunged itself through his skull, ripping it apart before retracting back to the shadows. Callisto forced the vomit down his throat when it wanted to come up at the sight of brain matter and skull spilt to the floor with a wet thud. He flinched when he heard an anguished scream from deeper in the alleyway before it was eerie quiet.
"Goodness, that was quite unnecessary," A familiar voice groaned as a tall figure - who was covered with blood and gore - stepped out from the shadows. "Hm?" The ravenette hummed with a raised brow while wiping the blood splatters off his cheek. "Oh, sir Callisto?" He called out with a surprised expression when he spotted the knight staring at him with narrowed eyes.
"Suzerain Malefic," Callisto sneered his name as he took in the bloody state he was in after mutilating the cloaked men. "Ah, right," The ravenette mumbled after realizing why the knight was acting so hostile and cautious with him. "Now, I know this looks bad but they-" Before he could explain, Callisto cut him off with a venomous glare, "What the hell were you thinking?" A disappointed sigh escaped the ravenette's lips and he placed his left hand on his hip, "Of course, he would not listen to me if I try to explain..."