Chapter Twenty-Seven
_ Cayenne Cyrus
* * *
"Here we are, you can open your eyes..."
Ariana blinked before revealing her two orbs that embraced the warm morning sky. She had guessed she was in a garden or a greenhouse from the fragrant scents, but imagining something and seeing it are completely different. The greenhouse before her was utterly magnificent; it was made entirely of transparent crystal and surrounded by white flowers. Someone looking from the outside would see nothing but white, while someone looking from the inside would feel the white flowers surrounding them as if the clouds of the sky were gently embracing them. The garden did not only contain white flowers but carried many, many blooms of all colors, arranged in a distinctive color sequence. Being inside this greenhouse was like paradise—the diverse scents and the warm feeling surrounding you...
"It is my favorite place. My mother created it when she was pregnant with me and took care of it herself. Surprisingly, my father, who never cared for these things and was always busy, looked after this private garden with all his love."
He ran his thumb over her cheek and smiled warmly...
"So, whenever I felt nostalgic, I would come here. I feel their warmth, and sometimes I feel as if they are embracing me here..."
'This place belongs to Raphael; I can feel it. Even if we have devised a plan, there are things that weren't necessarily supposed to happen. What Raphael is showing me are his feelings. Is he fond of me?! Perhaps... let us wait together anyway. I will try to defeat him and confess my feelings... but let us take it slow..'
Raphael was looking at this place with warmth and nostalgia; it was clear how deeply he was connected to the spot...
"They would be happy with how far you've come, Raphael.."
The feeling of her small body surrounding him was sudden; Raphael felt confused and a heat in his face. The woman with him did not hesitate for a moment to drive his mind and heart to madness. He looked at her honey-like hair, patted it gently, and embraced her. She didn't embrace him because she was afraid, sad, or missed him as was the custom, but to reassure him... to bring him happiness this time..
'Ariana, can you hear my heart? ... Do you want to drive me crazy? ..'
The sound of Raphael's loud heartbeat made her certain—despite her attempts to deny it—that he had feelings for her. She felt an indescribable happiness...
'Let's take things slowly for now; everything has its time..'
She pulled away from his body, and a slight chill washed over her due to the disappearance of the warmth, but she looked into his eyes with a kind and warm smile.
"Thank you for sharing this beautiful feeling with me.."
Both were aware that the other had feelings for them, but there was determination in both their eyes..
'Let us build the path first... for we still have much ahead of us.'
Raphael placed his lips on her forehead and kissed her with pride and limitless love..
"Aya, can you help me by being my fiancée?"
He looked into her eyes, but she frowned in a cute way and said in a mischievous tone:
"And if I refuse, will you force me?!..."
Laughter flowed from his lips as he looked at her, feeling a strong urge to laugh and pinch those cute peachy cheeks. She was that kind of person... she had the desire to play pranks even during the most emotional and intimate moments...
'Perhaps that is why I can control my wild feelings... and always feel comfortable in the most embarrassing moments.'
"Alright, what would please Your Highness?!"
He bowed in a slightly exaggerated manner and spoke with craftiness and a cunning look..
"Well... I agree. I feel evil dripping from your eyes..."
Raphael blinked innocently several times and looked at her like a puppy saying, "When did I ever act like that?"
But she didn't answer him; she approached him, grabbed his elegant nose with slight roughness, and said:
"Don't be mean.."
Raphael laughed, held her cheeks lightly, and said as if defending himself:
"You are the one who always starts it... "
She pulled her hand away, and he in turn pulled his hands back. They looked at each other and burst into laughter. The peaceful and playful moments were special, and neither wanted to waste them thinking about frightening matters despite the presence of much news...
* * *
"Did you see? His Majesty pulled her from the middle of the crowd.."
"Is the Emperor in love?!"
"How can he love at first sight?! It's madness."
"Did she manipulate His Majesty's heart with magic or something similar?!"
"Don't speak recklessly; if someone hears, it will be considered blasphemy."
"Why did His Majesty choose the young lady of Marquis Silas?!"
"You know that Silas is one of the strongest families in Cassian, even though it is of Marquis rank..."
"A political marriage.."
"It doesn't seem that way... he looks like a man in love.."
The two sitting in the corner looked at the groups gathered to discuss the strange event, in their opinion, but the two seated were looking at the matter with confidence.
"Did His Majesty intend to act this way?!"
"He told me not to worry about hinting at our connection, and I must trust him that no one will look at the matter differently... "
"Was he planning to choose the Empress, or more accurately, to show his relationship in public?!"
He looked seductively with green eyes sparkling with adoration, took her hand, and kissed it.
"It seems His Majesty has chosen us as an ally, and has paved the first step for that, Elena."
"What do you mean, Duke?"
She answered nervously with a red face as she tried to pull her hand away from embarrassment. Philip laughed and kissed her hand again..
"No one cares about us. We have confirmed our feelings for each other; stop calling me that..."
He spoke with frustration and relaxed his hand, so Elena seized the moment, pulled her hand away, moved back slightly, and spoke in a playful manner..
"Umm, do you want me to stop calling you the Duke?!"
"Elena, why do I feel like you are planning something?"
She laughed cunningly, moved her head, looked at him mischievously, and whispered:
"Let us bring down the Temple together."
Her eyes were intensely powerful, making Philip bow in respect to her. He took her hand, kissed it, and whispered:
"I won't accept only this..."
"..."
"I don't just want that, I want us to get married..."
Her face flared up, but she controlled her emotions and looked at him with a confident smile.
"I agree."
After they felt bored, they decided to return to the Duchy, and Philip was comfortable with his decision..
* * * Weeks before the party...
In a lush mountainous area that was almost empty of people, there stood a medium-sized mountain house, elegant and clean, appearing to be well-managed. In one of the halls in front of the house's entrance, there was a man with blonde hair sitting hunched over in a chair with anticipation and a premonition telling him he must meet. The meeting place was specified by him according to the letter. He looked at the young woman with a slender and strong body pouring tea into the cup in front of him..
"Are you nervous, Duke?"
"Elena... the matter is confusing. He is not a man who thinks logically... he is.."
"Didn't you say that in recent months he started acting well.."
"I still fear he might act crazily.."
"What did the letter say?!"
Philip took the letter out of his pocket and read it for the second time.
["Let us meet tonight. Bring Baroness Elena Brion with you. It is secret and urgent... tonight, you can specify the place..."]
"He didn't use any flowery or long rhetoric; he spoke to me directly.."
"Let us wait.."
She patted his hand comfortingly until they heard a knock at the door. When he moved to open the door, it was forced open. Then a man in a black cloak appeared, with that silver hair clearly visible, and someone was behind him. Raphael spoke to Philip, who was in front of him, with genuine embarrassment:
"My hand pushed forward by mistake, I truly apologize.."
Even though the house was old, the doors and windows were reinforced with magic and were very strong. Philip gathered his composure, breathed patiently, and said:
"No problem, the house is old... you may enter."
"Thank you.."
Raphael stepped forward with his large, massive body, followed by a tall man with a strong build, though he didn't reach Raphael's size. When they entered, Philip guided them to seats..
"I have not greeted you, Your Highness..."
"There is no need for that."
Philip sat down and Elena sat beside him. They looked at Raphael, who smoothly removed his cover, and the disguised man. Before saying a word, the disguised person removed the cover to reveal brown hair and looked with young, bright green eyes.
"Greetings Duke Philip Silvano and Baroness Elena Brion..."
He bowed slightly while seated and looked at his master to continue.. and it was Raphael who spoke in a playful manner:
"You two seem very close.."
Elena was about to deny it, but Philip held her hand to stop her, looked at Raphael calmly, and said strictly:
"Did His Majesty come to tell us that?!"
"I like your honesty, Philip Silvano... Evan, begin."
Evan stood up, bowed slightly in silence, looked at Philip and Elena, then at Raphael, and sighed, grumbling about his master internally.
'Damn you, acting without explaining anything; this man will drive me crazy one day.'
"Miss Brion, is it possible for me to ask you to stand and come forward here for a moment?."
Contrary to his burning thoughts, Evan spoke calmly. Elena became tense, but she drew courage from Philip and stood in the spot Evan designated. When Evan placed his hand at a certain distance, he released an azure beam from his hand that surrounded Elena, who was watching in silence and looking at Philip. When the light disappeared, Evan bowed, thanked her, and returned to his place...
"Can I now know what is going on here?!"
Raphael relaxed and looked at Philip and Elena, saying in a mischievous and playful style:
"The Duke surely wishes to protect his woman..."
"..."
Philip was flustered, and before he could continue, Raphael said cunningly:
"Don't you expect that the Temple will try to take Lady Brion?"
"What does His Majesty mean?"
'She has bad memories because of them... I have looked into the matter.'
Elena's voice was anxious and shaking, which Raphael noticed, then he looked at Evan.
"Lady Brion possesses immense holy energy and is not a member of the Temple. The Temple has plans to take the talented and recruit them, and those who do not comply with their orders, they erase. .."
Philip looked at Elena, whose warm energy he had felt months ago, so he instinctively protected her so that no one would know about the matter, even though he himself did not know the nature of that power.
'Her energy is pure even without getting close, I can feel it. That is why they tried to take this woman in the other life as Ariana said...'
"From the Duke's reaction, you seem well-aware of the matter. ."
"I had felt it, but I do not want to put her life in danger..."
"I am strong, I can protect myself. ."
"They have the deception and cunning to topple kings; do not be deceived by yourself, Lady Brion.."
Evan's response was harsh, causing Elena to flinch and say angrily:
"And how do you want us to trust you, you. .."
"Elena, do not forget."
The Duke's voice was calm, knowing she was anxious, knowing she didn't want to be a cause of his weakness. He looked at the calm Raphael and said:
"What is His Majesty aiming for?!..."
"I apologize for the rude behavior that day, and in truth, it was not an intentional act. .."
Philip glanced at him with misunderstanding and waited for him to finish his words..."
"It's just that I drifted off for a moment that day, and it seems my behavior was annoying. Consider it a normal matter, but people love to exaggerate things."
Raphael's tone was very sincere despite his obvious grumbling about the nobles' view of simple matters. This made Philip look at him with puzzled glances. He was completely honest.
'Is this man not a monster?! ...'
"But everyone considered it an insult to me. Even if I accept His Majesty's apology here, this will diminish my respect as Duke Silvano, representative of the noble faction..."
"I am not a person who is that careless; I cannot apologize to you as well, but I have a solution..."
The indifferent and playful style was something Philip was not used to. He looked at Evan and then at Elena, for he knew who the Emperor was...
'How did this man change, or was he hiding his elusive personality...'
"Doesn't everything have a price?"
"I like the Duke's intelligence. Certainly, I want a price... it's fine for now that we are allies..."
"Does His Majesty want the support of the nobles?!"
"In fact, I can destroy the Temple without the nobles, but I do not want to turn Cassian into a battlefield. Perhaps isolating the Temple little by little will suffice for now. .."
"I like the idea. .."
Raphael spoke with confidence and in a cunning, playful manner that made Philip trust that this person was capable. He looked at Raphael and said:
"What must I do, Your Majesty?!"
"The Duke has begun to think like me. .."
The two men looked at each other with cunning glances, and both finally began to understand the other.
* * *
'It seems the party is about to end. If only I had been a little later, it would have been better...'
"Count Cyrus!!"
The strong body, the platinum blonde hair meticulously combed, and the purple eyes glowing under the dark night sky made anyone who saw their owner gasp from tension. The knight swallowed his saliva and spoke with attention:
"I did not expect to meet you here, sir..."
"It's fine, I had an urgent mission. Did something happen?!"
Cyrus's smooth and kind manner made the knight relax a bit and say:
"Not exactly. Everyone is busy now inquiring about the lady who captured His Majesty's heart. .."
'A woman captured Raphael's heart?!'
"People are curious. She will be a wise Empress, since His Majesty chose her."
"Certainly, for His Majesty is a wise man, ..."
"...."
"It seems sir has a lot of work, I will excuse myself. ."
The knight smiled broadly and supported Cayenne's words, then took his leave, for he realized that Cayenne Cyrus was a busy man. This made Cayenne breathe with relief, as he hated gossip and pointless matters. But the subject, even if it was just gossip, was striking to his interest.
'It is certainly a plan from that man. Raphael is not a friendly person with people, let alone women. Didn't he leave Princess Veronica Nathan crying at the end-of-year party, showing no consideration for anyone and leaving the party.. His stance was logical to exit and not release that insane energy and kill thousands of people, but he acted without regard for his status as Emperor. He has started hiding a lot from me. What truly bothers me is that he has started relying on Wilton and Caros in a strange way. He has started assigning them many tasks in secret. There are many things happening that I do not know about. ...'
Cayenne was walking while thinking and didn't realize himself until he almost collided with someone, but he avoided the collision when the other party moved backward...
'Quick reaction . ..'
When he raised his head to apologize to the person he almost collided with, he was surprised by a beautiful girl with eyes the color of a warm, pure sky and honey-colored hair. He realized she wouldn't be that strong to retreat and avoid the collision, but he noticed the other person who seemed to be holding her—rather, he was the one who moved her away from him because she was indeed a fragile and small girl. The hair was silver and the eyes were the color of pure silver. The arms surrounding the girl were strong and gentle, holding with pride and tenderness—an affection that did not resemble that person. Cayenne felt shocked for a moment, but as a strictly trained person, he bowed with discipline.
"Cayenne Cyrus greets His Majesty..."
"Cayenne, are you exhausted?!"
Cayenne raised his head and looked at his master, who seemed truly worried and spoke kindly and in a comfortable manner. Cayenne hesitated and said:
"Perhaps I was distracted and didn't pay attention. My greetings, my lady... I sincerely apologize for my behavior. ."
"I am fine, it's no problem."
Ariana smiled kindly, and Cayenne looked at her kindly with scrutinizing and precise eyes. He saw her familiar hairpin, then looked at Raphael.
'Did His Highness change the brooch, and what is the same design doing with this girl?!'
He felt as if a hammer was striking his head from delayed realization. A girl capturing the heart of the stone-hearted Emperor. Is it his imagination, or are they allies?
"Excuse my rudeness, I did not greet the lady in a proper manner. Count Cayenne Cyrus greets the young lady."
"Ariana Silas is happy to meet the Count."
............ To be continued ............