While Kieran racked his brains to settle on a method to convince Estella, the cue for waltz music was visible in plain sight. Many male nobles mustered their courage to ask Val, who was pleased by the scrumptious food and enjoying the sight of fabulous robes the vampires wore. Seeing Duke Callisto stride towards the blue mermaid, men ran away from his vicinity. The women peeked at him, curious about his next move.
Meanwhile, Val was busy observing the red wine and the delicacies laid out in front of him. Surprisingly, in front of him stood the duke, who bowed respectfully, reaching out for his hand. "May I have your first dance?"
Val didn't refuse for the duke appeared to be sincere with his request. "It's an honor." He put down the wine he was about to drink on the clothed table.
Placing his hand on top of his, they stepped up into the spacious area where the chandelier is brightly lit. Val stood a shoulder distance away, facing Callisto. Under the pressure of many eyes upon them, they remained relaxed. Pleased by the entrance of a melodious but fast paced tune, Callisto stepped forward to take the lead. Trying to make this dance finish quick, he took Val's hand, wrapping his right hand around his palm.
Displaying his antics, Val trailed his finger along his palm before interlocking their fingers and squeezing it tight. In response to his trick, Callisto suddenly pressed forward. Val retreated, in a swift, flexible manner, eventually adapting to the female dancing part. With the guidance of Estella, at least all his efforts to learn both dancing parts paid off. But, the more impressive individual here was the duke.
Despite his unpredictable mistakes, the duke still managed to mask those errors using his long, thick cloak. Even when his foot was stepped on two times during the dance, the one who was stepped on wasn't bothered. Instead he was the one worried for him and looked as if he was in pain. Perhaps entertained by his adorable reactions, the duke smiled slightly.
As the long blue hair flowed freely back and forth in the ballroom, with their immaculate and precise steps, their fast paced but synchronized dance stole the limelight throughout the ball. Perfectly in tune with the beats, they've traveled from the corners of the room back to their original position as if they were in their own world.
Along their journey, they captivated the nobles, who would usually scrutinize to distinguish mistakes while their children were dancing. The nobles knew the melody was played suited the two more than anyone else here. Hushed to a silence, nobody talked, purely enjoying the dance, as if wanting this wonderful slow waltz to never end.
Chancing upon the duke's soft eyes, gazing at Val and his gentle smile, the nobles were truly taken aback. Such a charming yet deadly impression was never shown to them, not even once… At least this was the case before the blue mermaid's appearance. Even by the side of his former wife, he had never smiled nor did his eyes ever ooze kindness.
By the time the two's enticing spell faded, the noble ladies snapped out of their pondering thoughts. An absurd idea that those two matched well as a couple intruded their minds. While their rationality stopped them from matching the two together, their hearts supported the fact that the two matched the other as a couple.
Though after this imperial banquet there were no public interactions between the two, the fanbase for this ship was expanding after pictures of them dancing splendidly were shared on Ywit, a social media app exclusive to vampires. Later, in the salons hosted by ladies in the capital, there were two major opinions divided on this hot topic of debate.
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"'Perhaps, he liked men all along?! Was that why his marriage failed?!' were the questions the nobles had on their face throughout the whole banquet, young master! Can you seriously let those rumors be?" The butler berated him.
"You were there?"
"No, but I heard it from the servants in this mansion and the ladies in the capital! To hear your situation from the others was just pleasant!!" Alfonso interrogated him. "Are those rumors true?"
Let's go back in time just for a bit.
Staying in the imperial banquet for a day, Callisto was drained of all his energy, especially because of those nosy nobles, who would come rushing over to him for no reason. Convinced that he wouldn't be able to keep this up for a whole week, he sent his superiors a letter, including his excuse, and left the banquet confidently.
The guards weren't able to hinder him due to his high rank and the overwhelming disparities between their abilities. By the time the duke stepped out of the gates, those guards knew their pay, unfortunately, would be deducted. That night, it gave them the resolution to save up enough money to quit this high earning job.
Located in the north of his domain, a butler's hurried steps towards his reckless master could be heard throughout the whole mansion. As soon as Alfonso Diablo heard his young master had arrived, he bursted through the doors, walking up to Callisto, who had a feeling his ears were going to suffer.
Though bestowed with the same surname 'Diablo' as the first duke, Aleister von Diablo, Alfonso wasn't qualified to inherit the title of duke because of his blue eyes that took after his werewolf mother, qualified for the position of Gamma in a wolf pack. Nonetheless, since he was a half-blood, he was regarded as a powerless bastard. Since his blood didn't belong on either side, he was shunned and outcasted by both societies.
His parents decided to leave him in the hands of a trustworthy orphanage, whose staff drugged his meals and delivered him to a slave auction. When Alfonso woke up, he couldn't use his might to break free from the iron chains. Trapped in the dull, muddy prison for days without adequate nutrients to fill his stomach, he was gradually growing weak, hopeless about his only wish to get out of the darkness.
No one was kind enough to share him some food or take him out. When it was finally time for him to be sold off, the slave traders carried him on their shoulders to display him in a cage - a protective measure to prevent him from running away - as their product.
In this theater-like auction, where seats become higher the further behind the row you are seated, the audience had to go through strict security check ups and wore masks to hide their identities. In the midst of an undercover investigation, Callisto was looking for any individuals he needed to assist in escaping when he noticed Alfonso von Diablo, forcefully shoved into the golden cage like a trapped bird that lost its wings.
The theater was built for entertaining plays. Do those noble werewolves and aristocrats find watching the weak struggling for their life entertaining? Those low ranking werewolves and humans were so bold to sell high ranking nobles. Do they not fear the repercussions that would come from it or...? Were they guaranteed protection from someone?
Dispelling his questions, he listened attentively to what the auctioneer had said about Alfonso. His advantages and disadvantages were described as if he truly were part of products. The last time he saw Alfonse was when he was still fighting for his position, growing connections and power. Alfonso had participated in numerous banquets, including ones that Callisto didn't bother attending, that he couldn't help but remember his distinguishable features.
Since the slave traders dyed the dark brown hair, which represented the Diablo name, black, his hair and his glowing blue eyes that were glaring at them, reassured the customers that he was no noble. Unlike the cheerful young master that he'd seen before, his body was all skin and bones, with a gaunt frame. His chubby cheeks, strong long legs and his impish, rabbit-like personality were gone, replaced with an exhausted expression.
Seeing the little duke in such dire state, he was reminded of his past self, not having anyone dependable to rely on during his most difficult times. It seemed he had to speed up the plan. With a silent cue, he ordered his spies to secretly kill the traders inside and secure the entrance to block the consumers from leaving.
Not disrupting the auction, he bid 10 gold coins for the half blood. For the auctioneer, seeing someone bid a few gold coins over a slave was amazing enough, what's more astonishing was that the market price for a hybrid soared immediately to 100.....150...200 gold coins.
Before the bid was decided, a scream faltered the auctioneer from resuming. He ordered the slave traders beside him to go check the situation. While the audience were flabbergasted by this sudden circumstance, Duke Callisto dauntlessly walked up to the center of the stage. In front of his path were several guards, who were all killed in a single stroke, not stopping his casual saunter as if mocking them silently.
But, he was right. No one - not the slave traders, not the knights, not even top 2 assassins - could obstruct him from making it to the stage. As the blood splattered throughout the auction, many nobles, who read the situation, sneakily ran away before they were killed by the duke. Callisto's knights, disguised as nobles, obstructed them from leaving.
Alfonso, who regained his consciousness, was frightened to see a person covered head to toe with blood in front of him, but he was relieved to no longer see those terrifying slave traders. Freeing him from the cage, the duke carried him easily in his arms, sauntering towards the exit. Before falling asleep, he gave the duke his genuine thanks.
Callisto pondered it had been a long time since anyone had voiced their true feelings to him.
Alfonso jolted awake to the soft sensation of his bed. He was disappointed that he was not in the familiar villa he once lived in. He asked Callisto what he had to do to remain in the mansion. He was aware he could no longer return to his parents and long cut off his affection for them. The only thing he had to focus on now was his future.
Callisto didn't remark any further, allowing him to do whatever he pleased during the three days he was going to stay here. After warming up to the idea of remaining, the duke, explaining to the child what a guardian contract was, signed it so that Alfonso could stay in his mansion securely. His parents weren't keen on the idea of leaving their dear son in the hands of the 'bloody' duke, but they had no other solution.
To provide him a stable salary, the duke offered him the empty position of butler who retired due to old age - a reasonable excuse he gave to the naive Alfonso. Even after 8 years passed, he never voiced how difficult the job was nor expressed he wanted to leave this job.
And going back to the present conversation, the duke was barely holding himself back from firing the little butler.
Haa...
Did he want to get fired? Alfonso was nearly trekking the same path as the other butler. Why do both of them care about his marriage more than he did? It was as if they were going to choose their wives. Choose that lady from that family....blah...blah...blah....This would be better… Do they have nothing else to do other than being a matchmaker?
Alfonso, unlike his mature sounding name, was quite childish and merry-go-lucky. Not hearing what his master said, he asked for clarification. "What did you say?"
Callisto sighed. "Are you my nanny?" Though he wasn't one to get hot-tempered, hearing his butler say this to him 50 times this week was such a headache that he wanted to slam his fists through the pitiful fragile desk. The way his butler's repetitive words were echoing in his mind was simply unbearable. He wondered if Alfonso cast a spell or put in a drug for hallucinations?
For the 101st time Alfonso mentioned the topic of marriage, Callisto confronted him. "You are my butler, not my mother or my guardian. Don't overstep the boundaries I gave you."
He warned him.
Alfonso wasn't discouraged in the least bit. "Okay! I can accept any position as long as I can give you some advice for the future, young master!"
"I am not a young master." He refuted.
"But...." The butler whined. A spitting image of a puppy with drooping ears.
Callisto glared at him. "I am the master of this castle."
Perceiving his change in tone, Alfonso withdrew. "I got it. Master, sorry for being a nuisance, but you know as well as I do that these malicious rumors among the vampire society are a double edged sword for you. Don't you remember how bad the consequences were when those low lives learnt that you consumed the hunter's blood?"
"I know. I am trying to be cautious." Callisto sighed for the 5th time this week. "I have a plan that benefits the both of us."
Alfonso panicked. "Who do you mean by both?"
"Take a guess?"
Alfonso seriously pondered the duke's current options. Utilizing the method of elimination, the only one he would be willing to meet now was.... "Don't tell me....that blue mermaid?" The duke's smile blinded him like the glowing sun. He held back his desire to flatter his master's appearance out loud, maintaining composure. "Are you sure?" His eyes wavered, not wanting to hear the answer.
The duke tucked the chair under his desk, getting ready to go out. "Are you going to stop me?"
He looked at Callisto nostalgically. Through these 8 years he had been with the duke, there was never once a person who made him smile except for madam and the blue mermaid. Because he was his savior, he wanted to somewhat make the duke's life easy and happy without troubles. But, whatever path his master chose to walk on, as a servant, he would happily follow his master even to the depths of hell. "No. I will prepare all the documents for your work when you return."
Callisto perceived his opinion about his plan had changed. Though Alfonso wasn't a family member, he still took care of him devotedly, reducing the workload, and taking care of the estate when he was away. Thus, he was glad that his butler agreed to it. "I will be back soon."
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The portal teleported him to an alleyway that was a shortcut to a boutique managed by Val Asmodeus. Before making his way to the boutique, he already investigated Estella's company.
The accounts were all clean, the finance for materials used on customized suits and dresses were all reasonable. Moreover, they didn't make any deals with doubtful business partners. This meant he could safely entrust his personal request to the owner, except rumors of them meeting in public might cause Val some inconvenience.
Remembering the shortcut, his steps took him inside the Woven Thread of Fate, a glamorous boutique, where wide sofas with cushioned chairs enclosed the table, except the front, in the middle of the room. Enclosing the center area were 2 black racks of dresses on the left, clothes shelves displaying new styles of suits. Between the two sections, chic dresses combined with suits, which was not a popular trend in noble society, were displayed on a few mannequins.
As the bell rang, Val rushed out in a hurry to welcome the guest. If not informed early through the handwritten note in the imperial ball that the duke was coming, he would have been astonished to see him come to his shop as a customer.
The duke made himself at home and sat on one of the sofas, looking around at the design of the clothing as Val fetched some refreshments with a naturally sweet herbal tea for the guest. Glancing upon the items on the silver tray, Callisto remarked. "Are you mocking my old age?"
"What?" Looking down at the type of tea he brought, he tried to explain his actions.
"Don't worry, you can say it outright. After all, I am quite aware of my age."
"No! Well, it's true that you are old, but this is just something I made yesterday. I brewed too much in my house. I thought I ought to share it with the customers."
"I don't see many people inside your boutique today."
"They only come when it's a couple of months before an official banquet or salon."
"Is that so? Unlike managing territories, I am quite ignorant about matters in the marketing and the fashion industry."
"Are you being sarcastic in saying that I am not in charge of a big job with responsibilities like you?" They felt comfortable opening up to one another as if they were old friends.
"Nah. I was being truthful in all my words." Callisto sipped the tea comfortably, muttering. "I guess I am the first customer today."
Sitting down beside him, Val chewed the mini chocolate chip cookies delectably. Seeing his adorable cheeks puff out after taking in bits of the cookie bite after bite, he couldn't help but smile, thinking he resembled a petite hamster. "What brought you here, Your Grace?" The atmosphere around Val changed drastically when they were down to business.
The duke set down his tea cup on the cold, marble table. "I need you to tailor a suit for me."
"From the looks of it, you hate going to bustling events like these. Is it someone superior ordering you to go?" Val inquired.
"As expected you are smart." Callisto had nothing to hide. "You probably didn't see me leave early in the imperial ball. Their Highnesses said they lost their face because the guards weren't able to stop me and that I had to attend another short event they were holding 3 months later."
"I see. I am glad you entrusted our boutique to design your formal attire. With your robust figure and slender figure legs, you suit both a customized dress suit or a tuxedo. Which do you prefer?"
"A customized tuxedo, please."
"Then, I will need your measurements." Val came out of a room, hidden behind the mannequins, holding a measuring tape and a laptop on his other hand. Ushering the duke to stand up, he spread arms wide to let Val measure his arm length. As Val got close to his shoulders, the area he touched twitched, slightly tense. From the shoulders to the waist, he measured the length and width of legs. "Do you want me to make you shoes that match your suit?"
"Yes, please." Callisto uttered, after remembering that he didn't buy that many pairs of shoes for formal events because he thought he could refuse to attend. He forgot. The only ones he couldn't refuse were the royals.
Discerning his job was done, he sat down on the sofa, waiting for Val, who was swiftly typing the summary of his visit and the duke's measurements for the customized tuxedo. "Done!"
"If you are finished, I would like to discuss the deal with you." Originally, at the ball, via the tiny note, he asked Val to wait for him today, partly due to the suit but mostly because of a personal suggestion he had for him.
Val wasn't dumb. He could tell the duke's request for a suit was a cover up. "I admit I am quite curious. To welcome your presence comfortably, I drove the staff away, because you hate being touched by strangers. I thought privacy was required when talking about such matters, so I made sure no guests were coming today." His eyes were smiling, as cunning as a fox.
"I appreciate your hard work." Despite a high possibility of rejecting his offer, it was better to have his permission before moving on to the next part of the plan. It might trouble the designer to receive anonymous gifts, which he would probably send daily, in addition, his arrival at a well-known vampire boutique could attract unwanted attention for Val. If he declined, it might be hard but he would have to find another reasonable individual to help him out with this matter.
"No problem."
Callisto bluntly asked for his consent. "Can you accept it if I pursue you starting from today?"
Hearing this joke coming from the duke, Val almost spit out the tea he just swallowed. He feared his ears weren't functioning well and somehow misinterpreted the duke's statement. "Did I mishear something? You want to pursue who…?" Please say he was wrong.
He pointed at him firmly. "You. And you didn't misunderstand my words." He was serious.
Despite his calm visage, Val was mentally shocked, trying to recover from the damage. He really hoped the duke didn't mean what he said and that he was just fooling around.