"Ah, be gentle!"
"Don't move! It will hurt much more if you resist!"
"I said— aww!"
"I don't want to be harsh, but you're the one who asked for it."
"Bastard."
"Thank you."
He rolled his eyes before the syringe that was used to draw his blood from his forearm was taken out. Sora slowly put a cotton ball on the spot where the needle pierced the skin.
"Done. Look, it's much easier if you cooperate with me, Leviathan. Don't act like a child, but bite people with your fangs. That hurts more, you know?"
"I don't need to hear your lecture."
Leviathan hissed at Sora before he pulled his arm away from being held gently by Sora. He also snatched the cotton.
"I heal him afterwards anyway." Leviathan rolled his eyes after saying that.
Sora put the blood in a small tube before he put the tube in his inventory of his system. Leviathan furrowed his eyebrows when he saw the tube suddenly vanish in front of him. But no, he wouldn't question it.
"Is that all?"
"No, perhaps I need more, but I'll tell you later."
Leviathan let out a sigh before he looked towards the bed, where Michael was seated with a bowl of food. The boy spooned up the food into his view before he tilted the spoon until the food fell back into the bowl. A grimace was evident on that young face before he reluctantly ate a spoon of the wonted congee made truly by Sora.
'I don't want to be demanding, but I felt like I ate water every day.'
"Kiddo, something's wrong?"
Michael raised his head to look at the dark-green-haired lad, who was making himself comfortable on his bed.
"Nothing."
Leviathan eyed the half-eaten congee in the bowl before he spared a glance at Sora, who was busy with his research. He poured the colourful substances into one beaker after another before grinding some leaves to put in the same beaker. He heated the beaker until some smoke emerged before he shook the beaker slightly.
"Oi, brat."
"What? My hands are full right now."
"What the hell are you giving a sick kid to eat? Water?"
Sora looked behind him at Leviathan with a bored look.
"Do you expect me to ace everything?"
Sora continued his experiment, putting a drop of Leviathan's blood in the mix he just made before the liquid turned a dark red colour. Sora raised the beaker towards the light to see better before he spoke once again.
"I'm aware I'm capable of everything, but cooking was not my forte to begin with."
The allusion to pride was clearly felt by the two, and they rolled their eyes.
"So, feel free to use the kitchen to make something edible for him, or better yet, for us all."
"If you let me out of here, I could make something for me to digest. There's no doubt your cooking was the worst I ever tasted."
"That's not even food, but a drink with rice. Mister who-knows-all, can't even use a proper knife technique to prepare a dish."
"Shut your trap, vampire. You should know you are in my territory."
Leviathan raised his hands in a surrendering manner.
"Michael, I'll not allow you to move too much in that condition. But if you insist, Leviathan needs to carry you upstairs and help with your cooking."
"Oh, easy!"
"Why would he carry me? I could walk."
"Doubtful. You must have taken a long time to crawl upstairs before. Even now, you couldn't stand up properly without supporting your body with something."
"Tsk."
Michael made a distasteful expression at the facts Sora threw at him. Who's going to lie? When he woke up for the first time here, he tried to walk but failed miserably. Therefore, crawling upstairs was his only option at the moment because he was curious to know where he was.
It took him quite some time before he tried to stand up again when he arrived there. What he didn't expect was to hear the door open just after he stood up straight. He looked through the crack in the opened door to see Sora outside.
He decided to reveal himself after Sora settled himself in front of the fireplace.
"What did you eat when you were here anyway? Grilled meat?"
Leviathan snorted at his own inquiry but stopped when Sora didn't give an answer.
"Wait, you're kidding."
"Grilling meat is easier. Go up and stop disturbing me if you want to eat that much. I don't have many ingredients, just some rice and meat I hunted the other day that are still edible to eat."
"Hm, then I'll prepare something and clean up afterwards."
"Kiddo, why are you so nice to him but not to me?"
"You give me a bad first impression; put the blame on yourself, Leviathan. Now, carry me."
Leviathan huffed but eventually obeyed, carrying Michael in bridal style.
"Wait, wait, not like this!"
Leviathan ignored him.
×××××
"Since when did you know how to cook?"
"Since I live alone."
"You live alone? I don't remember such a thing."
"Quit talking like you know everything about me."
"Maybe I am."
Michael ignored him before he put three plates of meat-fried rice on the table. He didn't know if the fried rice had enough taste because Sora just had salt, sugar, coffee, and tea powder. Also, his taste buds were not in good shape yet.
"Call Sora to eat. He has been doing that for hours."
"Hm."
The sound of the chair echoed in the kitchen before Leviathan walked towards the door to the basement.
Michael wiped the mess he had made in the kitchen with the rag while supporting himself against the kitchen counter. But the sudden touch at his back made him still for a moment.
"Michaelis, let's run now."
The hand slowly pulled his hand away from the rag.
"You could die if you stay here for longer. He is stronger than what he looked like."
His body was turned around to be met by Leviathan.
"I will bring you back to where you should be."
"To where exactly?"
"Kiddo—"
"I think you've misunderstood something here. We are strangers. I don't know you, Leviathan. Sora is the one who saved me from dying years ago. I am grateful to him."
"Micha—"
"You are someone new to me, and we just met when you attacked me. You knew me while I didn't."
Michael pushed Leviathan's hands from his shoulders while looking straight at the golden eyes.
"Keep this in mind when you are staying here, Leviathan. The past me in your memory is no more. Whoever I was before was neither my concern nor Sora's."
He pushed Leviathan away before he continued to wipe the dirt.
"You could leave if this is too difficult for you to understand; if not, go call for Sora to eat now. It's better to eat when the food is still hot."
Hiss.
"You are so cold, kiddo."
The sound of a footstep slowly faded before it came back with an additional one.
"Oh? You really know how to cook."
"Guess my age."
"It slipped my mind for a second."
Michael glanced at Leviathan before he took a seat.
"Well then, don't blame me for a stomachache later."
"Did you put poison in it?"
He shrugged.
×××××
"Father."
"Ah, my son. Come here, how was your day?"
"Never better, father."
"How is she?"
The younger boy smiled slyly.
"In my grasp, father. Just a little more, and she would act as my puppet."
His father laughed, patting his shoulders repeatedly.
"I know you will succeed. You are my firstborn, after all. A befitting leader."
"This is all thanks to you, father. You raised me to be someone incredible like this."
The older man smiled fondly and patted his son's shoulder again, proudly.
"Don't ever disappoint me, son."
"Failure is not an option. If ever failure came in my way, disposing of me is recommendable."
"I believe in you."
"Thank you, father."
"You may leave now. Get something for her on the way to meeting her. Let her get dependable on you more."
His son nodded at him before he walked out of the office. The man looked at the closed door with a satisfied expression before he turned to look outside the large window behind his desk. Tonight, there is neither a moon nor a star in the night sky. His heart felt lighter in the dark like this.
"Abandon me however you want. I promised myself I was the one who would ruin the imperial family."
"Is that so, Leret? Such an aspiring goal."
His breath hitched before he quickly turned around to be viewed by a robed person he had not met for years.
"You.. you—!"
"Forget about me already? How ungrateful, Leret. You should remember who gave you the power to be in this position right now."
"I...I apologize."
"Hm, hm, never mind. My pawn did a good job years ago of eliminating the obstacle that you did not manage to get rid of. But your service is required once more."
"I'll do anything. Please tell me what I should do."
"The attitude that I like. Bring her to this place at this time."
A piece of paper was thrown on the table. Leret picked it up before he folded open the paper to see neat handwriting.
"I gave you enough time to prepare, so don't disappoint me again, Leret."
"Yes."
A slow chuckle could be heard before the robed person vanished from his view. The cold sweats were trailing down his forehead. He punched the table frustratingly.
"Damn it!"
He crumpled the paper in his hand.
"Of all time, she comes back after I almost got their weakness!"
It felt like the robed person knew exactly what he had been planning this whole time and just waited for the right time to meet him. He should know better after working under her for decades.