"Are you serious?" Val asked, not daring to see his reaction.
Shaking his head slowly, the duke responded. "I will pretend to be in love with you and chase you, showering you with gifts at the shop. The nobles will deem me as a pesky fool for love. Both of us will benefit from this."
To Val, his behavior resembled those chaebols - the Korean humans call the nova rich - who came up with an idea of a contract marriage in order to fool his parents and the lawyer into obtaining the inheritance left in the will. But, their case was different. Val wondered whether, whenever he spoke like this, the people around him would misunderstand his intentions.
Figuring out his assignment, Val heaved a sigh of relief.
If the duke was really in love with him, he wouldn't know how to handle this issue.
Val had more or less the same advantages in this deal. It could keep away creepy stalkers and could chase away several suitors, who he couldn't afford to refuse with his lowly status. Besides, the idea of deceiving the whole vampire society was thrilling. "I am in your hands."
Out of courtesy, the duke proposed to add more terms. "Like what?" Velda taunted him.
"An example would be receiving some compensation for complying with my proposal. It could be a car, a mine, anything you desire within a justifiable amount." He earnestly recommended it.
Stifling his laughter, Val asked. "Are you serious?"
Watching Callisto nod to his words was really satisfying, at the same time, he was so adorable that Val couldn't help but burst out in laughter. Though the duke's face remained unchanged, his eyes seemed to be questioning Val what made him laugh out loud.
"What you proposed was more or less enough for me. If you keep putting forward suggestions like these, someone will take advantage of you when bargaining."
"No one had ever stolen anything I wanted from me. I only offered it to you because I needed your help. You are a rational individual, who would keep it professional."
"What about other candidates?"
"There were no other potential partners. If you were going to decline, I might have had to search long for another one."
Certainly, the noble ladies in the capital weren't afraid of him. Rather, they would willingly seduce him for the duchess position, the second most powerful position, before the imperial family. The countryside ladies weren't suitable because they were too timid, in addition, they hadn't learnt the ways of aristocrats. So, he could only switch over to the men's side, but most of them were too old or too ugly to serve as an appropriate guise, thus, his only option was Val.
"If you had to resort to this method, the noble ladies must be giving you a hard time."
"They are. They are pestering me so hard that I need to do this. Rejecting them won't stop more fathers from recommending their daughters to me." Callisto leaned on the couch. "By the way, what made you go along with my plan? I was sure you were going to decline."
"It keeps away creepy stalkers. It also lowers the motivation of lower rank vampires to pursue me."
"Men or women?"
Val grumbled. "Both. Even if I lay out more terms, are you sure you can remember what I say until the day the contract is made and signed?"
"No problem, I can remember vividly what you say in my mind later." The duke tapped his temple.
"You have HSAM?" Val asked. "The Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory?"
"Ah," Callisto thought it sounded familiar. "I guess that's what humans call this condition."
Val mumbled. "I don't know if you are blessed or cursed..."
"I think I am blessed. It helps with paperwork and reduces the workload for my butler. I find this ability useful at times. I can remember any suspicious people in the streets, even if a long time has passed."
"If you say it like that, I guess it's useful."
"But then, it's not helpful when my butler nags at me. Whenever I think about him, I recall all his words of worry which trigger my headaches."
"You have a butler?"
"Yeah, his name is Alfonso." Seeing Val lost in his thoughts, Callisto answered his question with another inquiry. "Is it that surprising that I have a butler?"
Val nodded. "I thought you would live alone in an uninhabited mansion and be buried in a pile of paperwork."
Callisto frowned. "What on earth did you expect me to be?"
"I don't know. A loner who allows no one to come close to him? But then, you get along fairly well with the royals and the relationship between your butler seems peaceful. So, you might not be one. But then, at the banquet, with the absence of your wife, who was usually socializing in your stead, you really looked like a loner. Maybe that's why you are still popular."
"Really?" Callisto asked, not realizing this aspect of himself was what attracted ladies to him.
Val explained. "In the ladies' eyes, a cold, handsome man is worth conquering because they feel great satisfaction when they win over something other females couldn't. It also meant they could only see your gentle and bright side for themselves while the others will only be treated coldly. Thus, chances of you cheating or meeting new people are very low."
Callisto observed. "You sound like you know them well."
"Of course." And he wasn't proud to assert this aspect of his. "Everyday during my work hours, I had to endure many of the ladies' gossip in my boutique that I couldn't help but hear their words. I also know how men in general think."
"Oh." The duke's reaction was bland for he had an inkling of what Val was about to say.
"Not you, but men in general. They prefer submissive ladies who obey their orders and serve to please them. In the long run, they will find them boring and look for someone else. Sometimes, those men take a liking to feisty and wild girls who are hard to win over. As soon as they have subdued them, they will lose their interest."
"I can see where your opinion came from." Callisto agreed. Whenever he had to visit a noble for a supervision on their territory, the wife took no part in business talks and she was left in charge of the house matters. Among the low rank families - earl, count, viscount, he saw many lovers have equal standing beside one another. Was it just the upper ranks? "It must be tiring for you to work both day and night, guild master."
One reason why the duke wanted to form a good relationship with Val was because he was the leader of the famous information guild, Forsaken Ones. Unlike the normal information guilds, his spies were all loyal, bringing information that was always truthful to his ears, and delivered to the clients. Callisto could gain some information if he were part of his social circle.
Upon hearing his real occupation, Val crossed his legs, maintaining a straight posture. His eyes smiled, as cunning as a fox. He was quick on the uptake. "What would you like to ask of me? I know everything that goes on in the Valerian Empire, the Regalia and the Luz realm."
The Valerian Empire - where vampires live - is located right next to Regalia - where wolf packs dictate their territory - coexisting in the other world. The portals in the Luz realm, named after daylight, where humans live, enable the two species to teleport. No one figured out what technology was behind these portals, however, all he found out was that they began to appear in various after a conflict-free pact was signed between the three races. Perhaps their ancestors designed those portals without informing their descendants.
Why don't he test him? "Do you know of the technology behind the portals?"
"I don't understand how it works." Val shook his head. "But, what I do know is that the documents regarding the technology behind those portals are being spread in the black market and illegal auctions right under the nose of the royals."
"Ah, my butler told me about it. I didn't think it was a big deal because when I bought one, they didn't work. Maybe the papers needed to be combined to form a complete document."
"The documents for each part come out twice every year. Some may be scams, some may be authentic. It ultimately depends on the place and person you bought them from."
"Do you think they may be real?"
"They are authentic," Val affirmed, "because I was the one who distributed it. There are altogether 12 pieces."
He confirmed the duke's suspicions. "Why would you do it now? As far as I have known, you obtained the technology behind the portal half a year ago."
"I had to study whether it was safe to release this to the public or else I would be condemned as a conman trying to deceive the nobles. I remember its structure and the researchers' little notes about each component, however, this technology was simply not useful for me."
"In the auction, these could have gone into the wrong hands, but seeing how unfazed you are, these papers must be incomplete copies."
"Correct. I used them as bait to lure out the masterminds behind the drug incidents. Unfortunately, those old geezers were so afraid to come out that they sent out a non affiliated person to buy and pass on the documents to them."
"They should have at least left some trails. But, knowing their work, they must have silenced all personnel involved, except their trusted servants."
"Our spies are working our way within, but it's not easy. Their alliance is breakable if we discover the material we can use to blackmail them, however, the places they keep the evidence aren't effortless to break through."
"You…why are you sticking your nose into this case? It would be easier to turn a blind eye to it."
"I've been digging into these drug cases for years. You know how cruel the side effects of the drug were. During the process of enhancing their muscles, if some couldn't bear the power, they would burst to death or bleed slowly from within."
"I see. Then, why did you expose that you were the leader of the guild? You could have kept it a secret if you pretended to be oblivious about it."
Val shrugged. "No reason."
"Very well." The duke suggested. "Then, let's ask each other five questions that we have to answer truthfully."
"Sure." Val played along. There was no reason he would chicken out. "My first question... Why did you choose me as your partner?
Callisto grumbled, not expecting the curveball.
"See," he pointed at the duke, "that's my reaction when you asked me your previous question." Val remarked.
"I thought you would be a nice individual to get along with. Along the way, I was hoping I could become friends with you." Callisto said it all with a straight face.
"Why?" Val asked, wanting to tease him.
The duke blocked his attempts. "Your first question is used up. My turn." Callisto paused for a while, as if thinking over whether he should bring it up. "Why did you decide to be the master of an information guild? You are a single father. Won't it pose a threat to your children?"
Val was aware of how information could manipulate a person's actions. If given the wrong information, the staff working in the guild will suffer the repercussions. The higher the rank of the client, the greater the damages, unless it had a huge backer. This was something the Forsaken Ones, his guild, didn't have. The duke's concerns were understandable.
"Wow, you sure did a thorough background check on me." Val anticipated this much. "For the monopoly on information. In addition to the high earning pay from clients, I didn't want my children to suffer at the hands of evil, so I told them my occupation and showed them why anyone bad would go after them."
"They must have learnt a valuable but painful lesson the day you were attacked. Seeing your severe injuries heal with their own eyes was probably reassuring since you were safe and sound."
"Afterwards, I warned them of the signs of anyone bad coming for them. Stalkers, kidnappers, and especially murderers. They accepted my lectures quite willingly." Val spoke calmly, knowing the duke only received a report of what happened after the incident.
"It must have been their guilt for not protecting you." He asked, glancing at his perfectly functional throat. "Is your throat alright?"
"It healed." Val reminded him. "By the way, you used up your third question."
"I know."
"Then, I'll be asking you two consecutive questions." Val looked right into his eyes. "Why on earth do you want to be my friend?"
Callisto knew he was adamant in having this question answered today. "You are the master of the information guild. I thought I could make my butler work less by employing you with requests. And…I just got lonely and wanted to make friends that weren't nobles. They should be someone who I can keep in close contact with."
"I don't believe your last excuse at all! You just made it up on the spot, didn't you?" Val broke out of his serious character. "The duke, who possesses the personality of a loner, wants to socialize? Besides, I believe you aren't in close contact with me at all. It's clear that my boutique is very far away from your residence at the big condo."
"It seems you are not as updated as I thought..." Callisto muttered. Seeing Val staring at him for answers, the duke responded to him. "You will see later."
Not knowing what Callisto had in store for him, Val took his statement nonchalantly. "What ball was Your Grace invited to this time?"
"Duke Lecter's."
"I know him. The duke gained fame for letting his sons settle the inheritance issue not based on their power but rather their intelligence and connections. It's been a year but the succession test is ongoing. I personally think the duke let their sons fight so that they aren't focused on him and they are keeping the other in check."
"I am still not keen on going to that snake's banquet. Who knows? He might have poisoned the food for the guests."
Val realized he was joking. Even so, for him to jest about poison, his way of wording was too extreme. "Even if he did, I am sure you can recover from it. After all, you are poison resistant." Callisto remembered in Val's information paper that he had a photographic memory.
"Thanks for the compliment." He said, though he didn't look flattered at all. "Did you buy some enhancement drugs?"
"I bought one for my kids." The duke stared at him, pressing for answers. "I didn't buy it for myself, but I made sure the scent of those drugs were ingrained in their mind and I warned them to steer clear from it. I also motivated them by saying they will get a reward if they spotted anyone reeking with that scent in the neighborhood."
"Concluding how you brought up this agreement, I believe they couldn't fool you into giving them more pocket money."
"Yeah." Val chuckled, reminiscing about the moment his kids adorably ran up to him to complain they had found none. "There won't be one because I arranged for them to be in a security tight school, moreover, our house is a safe neighborhood, where there were rarely any crimes." Really? In this world, there was a phrase named, "There's more than meets the eye".
"What are the names of your kids?" Val didn't expect this question because he believed the duke to be disinterested in the private affairs of other people. His assumptions might have been wrong, judging by how personal his questions were getting.
"Their names are Raul and Rune, a boy and girl twin."
He could see Val was not ready to talk about this matter. "I see. I have used up all my chances. Your turn to ask."
"When did you get a butler?"
"8 years ago. It was 12 years after I fired the other butler."
"Why did you fire your former butler?"
"They betrayed me by following someone's scheme. Like a fool he was, he believed the lady he worked for would marry me as per their pact." A bittersweet smile appeared on his visage as he remembered his butler's last words, cursing him to die.
Richard, who stuck by his side despite Callisto's plain dislike towards him, was a commoner who with the mercy of the former duke worked in the household for years. He was a loyal caretaker, diligently carrying out his job - looking out for the wellbeing of the young masters and mistresses - when his employers were busy.
As time passed, Callisto didn't know when but he realized this change in the sweet Richard. Callisto wasn't insensitive, for he could feel the distance between them. He knew the sweet Richard who compiled with his demands was turning into someone he couldn't recognize.
That day was the same. Richard's sharp words were cruel daggers stabbing repetitively into his heart. Even now, he could remember every single word that was said to him the day he captured Richard, his former butler, red-handed with irrefutable evidence. As a severe drug addict, it was too late to save his sanity yet when Richard said he wanted to speak to him, a glimmer of hope sparked in him that his butler had regained his senses.
All of a sudden, Richard charged at him, thrusting the dagger deep into his chest. Richard was a former assassin. There was no way he would miss a vital point. As blood dripped from his regenerating wound and his mouth, he held Richard down by grabbing his shoulders, just to ask him a question. "During our times together, did you hate me so much?"
"Yeah." Richard growled at him, like a beast. "I hated you. The day I held you in my arms filled me with disgust. It made me afraid that your fangs would later turn towards my people."
'Not true. If you really hated me, as an assassin, you would have stabbed my heart, which is a vital point.' Callisto refuted silently.
"In the first place, I didn't want to come to this household because it was swarming with monsters! Your red eyes were terrifying as if it were staring into the depths of my soul. I hated that insolent look every time you conversed with someone. You are just a monster!"
Monster. He didn't rebut Richard's statement. It was true that he was a monster.
Vampire. Most nobles think being born into this species was an honor, but to Callisto, it definitely wasn't. They had more or less the same struggles as any other human in the world had to go through. If he had to use an analogy to describe this, a vampire's unquenched thirst for blood would be similar to a man not having drank a drop of water after being trapped in a sandstorm for days.
The guards rushed in, startled to see a dagger stuck deep in their master's chest.
Collected, he asked the guards to take Richard away and start the 'interrogation'. The results were brought in. He knew even before the incident, the cause of Richard's change was the drug's influence. No matter how much he told Richard to steer clear of it, in the end, he never stopped taking it. Regardless of the starting point, this situation was something he couldn't stop.
Even in his last moments, he never….
The sound of a finger snap at him brought Callisto back to his senses. Val was worried because the duke seemed dazed for a long time. "Are you okay?"
"Hmm," Callisto gave a vague answer, "if you are asking about my wellbeing, I am perfectly healthy. If you are asking mentally, I have long gone insane, waiting for someone."
At the sight of his devious eyes, paired with a gentle smile, Val trembled. To pressure a human with just their expression, vampires were truly no ordinary folks.
Looking out the window, Val saw the sun standing tall, attempting to scorch the people outside to the best of their abilities. "We've talked for too long." The time the duke arrived at the boutique was 10:00 a.m. Now, it was noon.
No longer in a bad mood, Callisto switched back to his usual indifferent countenance. "Would you like to have lunch with me?"
The kids were still at school. There was plenty of time before he had to fetch them back home. Val agreed. "Sure, I have nothing else to do anyways." After cleaning the tray and locking the store, they headed for the nearest restaurant in the vicinity because both were starving.