Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Aster read a book while waiting for his servant to come. In a flash, Jain appeared in front of him, kneeled deeply. Aster closed his book and stared at Jain's shoulder.

Jain somewhat felt that his Young Lord's attitude wasn't right after he visited late Empress two months ago, however, he kept his silence until Aster opened his mouth.

"Did you complete the task?" Aster asked. His tone was colder than usual.

"Yes, Young Lord. I have eliminated the spy instantly," Jain replied. He still had his dagger under his sleeve and blood dripped from his sleeve. Aster saw this and nodded, then shifted his attention back to the book.

Jain itched to ask, "Young Lord, I could also eliminate the informant, but why did you only let me kill the spy?"

Aster sighed. He closed the book again and looked down on his servant. "Do you think if you killed the informant, what would they do?"

"They would dispatch another spy and informant on us," Jain replied.

"Correct, they will repeat the same thing and we might never get anything from them."

Jain seemed to catch on something, "Then, Young Lord, you planned to bait this informant?"

"I need to know who has been spying on me, but after this, the other party might be deterred for a while. For the time being, as long as you see someone spying on us, kill the spy and let the informant. I need them to know that I'm not someone who could be messed with."

"How long will you plan to do this, Young Lord?"

"Until my contract under Emperor ends and I can be free. My position is very disadvantageous now, I need to find my foothold before making a move over this person. Who knows that person might have a very high status," Aster replied.

To other people, this insidious expression of Aster might frighten them, but Jain was not intimidated even a bit. He smiled sincerely, "Then, this servant will follow Young Lord as long my blood runs hot."

Aster nodded. He didn't pay in mind about another oath from Jain. He already knew that Jain could be trusted.

"Young Lord, may I know why would Young Lord care so much about this person who spied on you? Spying on nobles aren't uncommon, but as long as you stay guarded..."

"Honestly, I would like to just torture the informant to death until he spilled his master. But informants and spies who dared spying on high nobles are usually fate bound by their masters, thus, there is no use to torture them," Aster learned this fact by his mother. His mother had plenty of spies, and all of them are fate-bound, if they dared spilling secrets, their entire family and relatives will be killed.

"Someone with informant like that, usually have high position. It might be Emperor, my cousins, another duchy, even vassal kingdoms or enemy countries. My position is fragile currently," Aster explained.

'Besides, I need to find the person who might be the mastermind of all this.'

After he visited late Aunt Empress before her demise, he expected Aunt Empress to wail and begged for forgiveness. He expected guilt to eat that woman completely. But somehow, he didn't even feel it.

There was no trace of guilt on her eyes, nor a trace of hostility. It was full of ridicule combined with tiredness. It was as if, Empress didn't even know what Aster was talking about.

'You're blinded by rage. I have no interest talking to an emotional kid.'

That sentence came out from Aunt Empress mouth was like a thorn in his heart. It was the sense of ridiculousness and ignorance combined into one, making him looked a joke on her eyes.

Aster couldn't sleep well just because of this and he wanted to visit Aunt Empress again the next day. However, when he came to the high tower, he already saw many guards surrounded a spot on the ground, then he saw Aunt Empress with body broken beyond recognition, they said she landed with her head first.

It had been two months, but he still couldn't let go of this restlessness in his heart. He thought with Empress death, everything would be well. But it wasn't. Nothing changed, and his bad premonition finally came true after Jain told him that someone was spying on him.

There were only two possibilities with this, whether it was new person who targeted him, or he had mistaken everything, and Aunt Empress was never his opponent nor opposed him.

If the second one was the truth, Aster felt like he was ridiculed to the point of making him an idiot.

'I don't want that to happen... but...'

Aster's premonition was different than his wish. There was high probability that he targeted the wrong person and already unjustly trapped Aunt Empress.

Aster gritted his teeth. He wasn't a kind person, but he wouldn't hurt someone without any wrongdoing. If it was true that everything was misunderstanding, this constant regret in his heart might burst.

"Young Lord?" Jain called him few times, but his master seemed to be dazed.

"Oh... yes?"

"This servant wonders whether you have a plan for Irion," Jain asked. Irion was still guarding the door outside. He was a very capable soldier and second son of Swordheart, a disgraced house, but still with plenty of loyal followers. It was a waste to just station him as a door guard.

"Yes, I have a plan for Irion. But I could only run this plan until I have a foothold, at least until he have enough pride to carry my name."

"I'm sure Irion already have enormous pride to carry your name..." Jain muttered softly.

Aster heard it but decided to ignore it. He stared at Jain. This thirty years old man, very tall and handsome, yet decided to be an unnamed assassin.

"Jain, you will follow me through many steps I will go through, are you ready?"

Jain nodded deeply and smiled, "This servant is devoted to Young Lord until the world ends."

"Good," Aster finally showed a small smile.

Aster knew his journey would start after he could escape this palace. He was not someone ambitious, but it seemed that he needed to do something, needed to have a foothold. Because there was great power threatened him and his grand duchy.

He needed to be strong.

If he was strong, then he could have a good life with his Ramuja, his darling servant.

Aster's golden circle wavered and his pupils slowly turned golden. He stared at the book he had been reading, it wasn't a study book or a literature. It was just a regular book, but filled with his notes.

To fill his time, he wrote everything about himself and his servant. From the first time they met at the summer market, their awkward conversations, their daily walk in the flower garden, punishment Ramuja had gone through, and their parting.

He also wrote their latest meeting during Spring Festival. Although it was very unexpected, just looking at his servant protected him impulsively melted his frigid heart.

--I could feel your gentleness,

Enveloping me with such tender touch

And your sincere eyes, sincere smile, sincere embrace

Melted me, even with the tears dripped on my face--

Aster smiled, he made plenty of poems to describe his feeling. He even wrote some of the future plan for both of them. He couldn't help but to grin excitedly.

'Do you know how much my heart longs for you?'

'One year. Ramuja, wait for me.'

'I will make everything better. Even if that means I have to be a demon, just like them.'