BXBX NOVEL Chapter 41 41 - Leisure And Fencing
Waking up with a headache, Haruki glanced out the castle window. To his surprise, the sun was already high up in the sky, and yet he couldn't remember ever falling asleep.
"Did I sleep through the night?" Gathering up his strength, he got off of the bed.
Taking a quick look around the room, he realized that although the miasmic flytrap was protecting the door, Asuka, its master, was nowhere to be found.
'She was assigned a different room so maybe she's there?' Feeling a bit lost, he decided to go out and look for her. 'Staying in this room is suffocating anyway.'
The fumes from the veins were still spraying out, making the whole room feel like a strange combination of a swamp and a desert.
"Hide," Ordering the creature, Haruki made his way out.
As soon as he stepped out into the corridor, his eyes were once again fascinated by the amount of amber decorating the interior. From the flowing patterns on the tiles to the snail-like coil around the supporting pillars, it all reflected the fiery essence of the mythical Phoenix.
Walking further down the hallway, the sound of striking swords echoed into the empty hall by the staircase. Climbing down the stairs, Haruki began to follow the voice. Leading him into the open garden, he noticed Riley holding up his sword against another armored man.
"Oh, seems like we have company, "catching a glimpse of the duke, Riley withdrew his sword back into the cape.
Dismissing the guard, he walked up closer to Haruki. The weak smile on his face as he stood inches from the duke was conflicting enough to confuse the duke.
"Well rested, are we?" Taking off his leather gloves, Riley extended his hand toward Haruki. "If there's anything you need, please let me know."
Glancing him up and down, Haruki tried to judge Riley's intention, and yet not having a clue about the extent of his involvement in the attempted assassination, he couldn't be so sure if he was plotting something against him as well.
"Have you seen Asuka?" Haruki asked, shaking his hand.
"You maid? Well..." Pulling his hand back, Riley put his glove back on. "I heard she went to the kitchen to help with breakfast."
Knowing that Asuka was traumatized by the food outside of the Frost castle, Haruki had no reason to doubt Riley's answer. Besides, Haruki himself didn't wanna leave the food preparations to the workers in the Phoenix castle especially when their master was out to get him.
'I should probably have the demonic spies keep an eye on the kitchen, it was one of the only few places I couldn't see.' Back in his assigned room, Haruki tried to search for Asuka by closing his eyes and looking through the vision of his spies, but all he saw were empty bedrooms, desolate halls, and either busy or deserted corridors scattered throughout the place.
"I'll be off then, there's something I need to discuss with her," holding his hand up to wave, Haruki was stopped by Riley's arm reaching in his direction.
"Wait, there's something I wanted to ask you," the emboldened charisma in his eyes was replaced with a hint of reluctance. "I've heard, miss Asuka...your maid, she can use healing magic, is that true"
Unsure as to where Riley was going with the matter, Haruki's eyes squinted with suspicion. For all he knew, Riley might just be plotting something, and giving him this information would only make matters worse.
"Um...why do you ask?" Haruki mumbled, folding his arms.
"It's...a bit private actually," shyly looking down at the ground, Riley's right foot moved nervously in a circle. "Haaa...I think I'm cursed, I just need someone with holy magic to look at it."
"What do you mean curse? There doesn't seem to be any visible impairment in your body," the moment Haruki said those words, Riley gave him a cold sharp gaze.
'Is he talking about his appearance?' Taking a closer look at him, Haruki began picking out Riley's defined facial features. 'Long thick eyelashes, an oval face, and puffy red cheeks...yeah, maybe he's not that far off the mark about a curse, especially as the potential ruler of this land in the near future.'
Androgyny, while adorned by many and beholden as a craft by Lord Atlas himself, was bound to create controversy in Riley's case.
"Forget it, I'll send her to take a look at you," offering to help, Haruki went off his way to look for Asuka again.
While Haruki made his way to the kitchen, Riley was relieved by the thought that given Asuka's help, he might have a chance to escape the curse from his birth mother.
"Again!" He yelled out to the guard to pick up his weapon. "Duel me!"
Expressing his rage through reckless fencing, he was trying to get rid of his anger. And despite being distracted by the thoughts of his late mother, he strung an attack right through the gap in the guard's armor.
"Ughhh!" Holding his hand over the pricked wound, the armored man twice the side of Riley flopped to the ground.
'If you wanted a daughter, you should've just asked for one.' Expecting a daughter, Riley's mother had picked out a girly name, and even though her wishes didn't come true, she had given him the name right before her death. 'It's all your fault.'
"Get up, before I take your other hand," drawing the sword again, he held it directed firmly towards the man.
"But sir!" Jumping into the exchange another guard spoke. "That was his dominant hand."
"Allure..." knowing the guards wouldn't adhere to his orders blindly, he charmed them by using an ability. "Are you afraid of me now, lieutenant? Come on, fight me ahaha."
Biting his own lips, his whole demeanor changed that of a girl. Even his straight posture hunched forward a little, almost as if he was trying to strike a better pose for the men's eyes.
'I hate this ability, why don't we have any women guards?' Remembering how masculine he felt using the skill on women, he could feel the excitement raging in through his lower body.
"Come, get me," he mumbled with his eyes seeming dreamy.
"Yes!" Huffing like a dog, the guard quickly sprang up to his feet.
'At least, I can charm these idiots with my looks.' Not too happy with the predicament, Riley leaped forward with his sword.