The warm, brilliant glow of the morning sun gently welcomed Julianne and Sebastian as they ascended to the summit. The air grew fresher, infused with the sweet scent of damp earth and blooming flora as they slowly took each step upward. Every time the wind took a breath, the lush blades of grass swayed softly in the breeze, creating a shimmering sea of green that danced playfully with each gust. Despite the breathtaking views surrounding them with every step, Sebastian found himself captivated by the warmth of Julianne's hand clasped in his. His gaze was glued to him as Julianne led the way. When they reached the peak, a vibrant meadow unfolded before them, bursting with weeds and wildflowers in various colors.
Who would have thought that such beauty was hiding behind the temple..
"Your lordship."
Julianne called, gaining Sebastian's full attention.
"Do you know why humans are called beings bound by greed?"
A sudden question slipped out of his mouth as the sun bathed him in its glow.
"That's because people tend to want things they can't have…. They'll never be contented, and I don't think I am any different…"
His gentle voice was somehow mixed with grief as he faced the empty cliff from below.
"I actually dreamed of living a peaceful life at the top of a hill like this, surrounded by dandelions covering the entire field. Yet, it feels like an impossible dream for a commoner like me to achieve."
He then slipped his hands away from Sebastian, slowly squatting down to pick the dandelions gently swaying at his feet.
"I do think that wasn't the case."
Sebastian replied, as thoughts wandered through his mind.
Julianne much deserved to be surrounded by the vibrant, colorful roses of the world; yet he would rather choose to lie among the weeds like dandelions. This thought made him ponder, for in his entire life, he had never found weeds appealing; to Sebastian, they were just weeds that held no value.
What's so pretty about it anyway—
His mind suddenly went blank, as if time had stopped, while he watched Julianne blow the dandelion in his hand. As the air grew stronger, it ruffled his hair, and the puffs of dandelion seeds swirled around them like a fairy tale come to life. The sun behind him created a halo, making Julianne appear almost ethereal. In that moment, he found himself mesmerized by his captivating smile, devoid of any hint of facade.
"Isn't it pretty?!"
Julianne exclaimed, his eyes were sparkling like stars gleaming in the void of the night. It was as if his smile had taken Sebastian's soul, completely locking his gaze on him as he unconsciously whispered a word in the air.
"Pretty… indeed."
Suddenly, a soft rustle in the grass caught their attention, causing Sebastian to instinctively tense as he guarded Julianne from behind, readying himself to strike. However, to his surprise, it was merely a rabbit with familiar ruby-red eyes, munching on the grass with its rounded, fluffy cheeks like clouds.
"Tia!"
Julianne called out, suddenly rushing over to the rabbit.
He then gently picked it up and planted a kiss on its soft fur. Within a minute, he suddenly paused, almost like a statue, as he slowly turned its head to look at Sebastian, who wore an amused smile, fully aware that it was the same rabbit from the palace.
"How amusing it is that the prey you're holding with those hands is the same pest that roamed the palace!"
Julianne couldn't respond; his gaze remained fixed on him, while wearing a pouty, guilty-like expression drawn on his face that puts Sebastian on edge.
"Ha! Seriously!"
He scoffed, a sharp sound escaping his lips as he swept his tousled hair back with a theatrical flourish, momentarily hiding his mouth in disbelief with both ears flushed in red like wine.
" I will never slipped my tongue, I promise..."
Hearing it, Julianne face lit up beaming with joy as he snuggled the rounded rabbit in his arms, cradling it close to his chest as if it held all his hopes in life.
"Thank you, my Lordship!"
A soft giggle then escaped his lips, like gentle melodies in Sebastian's ear.
"Have you heard that, Tia?!"
While watching Julianne enjoy his time playing with the rabbit, a heavy, suffocating feeling stirred in his chest as Keith's words echoed in his mind.
"Not everyone thinks and acts like you!"
The slight smile faded from Sebastian's lips, replaced by a serious expression tinged with sadness as his eyes watches him.
"Then let's just say you like him. But does he even like you?!"
He sighed, as if he had already accepted the loss in the war within himself.
"Ha! I've already reached my doom!"
Meanwhile, amidst the bustling murmur of the nobles' play in the temple, there stood Duke Rosmound, with features like aging wine. His elegant posture exuded grace that would steal the spotlight in any crowd. All of a sudden, his muted, hazy eyes darted like a startled deer, sensing the menacing aura behind him, though he already knew it was the head priest, who didn't even try to hide his hostility towards him.
Soon, they found themselves sitting in a room with high-end wooden furnishings, giving an old yet classy ambiance to the place with dust particles flowing through the window, illuminated by sunlight streaming through the glass. The room was then engulfed in silence until the sound of a cup clacking on its saucer broke it as the head priest set it down to speak.
The head priest then lifted his hand, revealing a fine paper with short arm cross shaped like a kite, embedded with the crest of the dukedom in a blue stamp.
"Are you aware of this?! YOUR GRACE?!"
His voice was firm, and his eyes were cold, as if he had no care for the Duke standing before him.
Both the duchess and the duke then looked at the enveloped in the head priest's hand, and based on his expression, it was clear that he wasn't pleased to see it.
"I think you're not that dense as to not know the reason I called you here."
The head priest spoke as he slid the letter across the table towards them.
The longer the duke sat staring at the letter from Sebastian, the more the veins in his face became visible, while in contrast, an anxious look settled on the duchess's face.
She spoke before tensions could escalate, her voice trembling yet assured.
"Fear not, for my so-son is different."
Her gaze pierced through him.
"I am quite certain that he would rather waste his time in the pursuit of preying with animals than engage himself in trouble in which I think...you've created in your mind."
She declared, with no hint of doubt.
Yet, it did not convince the head priest enough to believe her.
"You can never be entirely sure of that..."
A sighed came out of his lips.
"...I think you're forgetting that people tend to take interest in what entertains them."
Just then, the duchess gently wiped her mouth and formed a subtle yet cunning smile on her lips.
"Well, too bad. Sebastian has already been seeing a lady from the palace."
Still, the duchess convincing words did not change the head priest's view. He simply responded sarcastically, as if he were uncertain whether he agreed with the duchess's words or not.
"LIKE HE SHOULD BE."
As the duke heard the contemptuous tone hidden behind his words, it immediately triggered his switch. And, With a hint of callous, paired with a flaring gaze that seemed capable of burning the head priest in his sight, he spoke a words that made him flinch in his seat, almost causing him to forget how to sip the cup of tea in his hand.
"They say if you lock a fly in a jar, it will lose its ability to fly."
"Julio."
The duke's called.
"How about you learn to let go of the past so as not to appear IGNORANT?"
Duke Rosmound then took Sebastian's letter from the table without even opening it, crumpling it with his right hand as he spoke, and then threw it into the furnace, where it slowly melted in the fire, turning into a color similar to the steel-like hue of his eyes.
As they stood to leave the head priest's office, he spoke a word for one last time, and those final words he let go surely left a stain in the duke's mind.
"You'll never know when history repeat itself."
Although the duke did not pry for any further attention, the expression on his face told a different story. Because after the meeting with the head priest, Duke Rosmound immediately sought out Sebastian, whose shadow was noticeably absent from the temple grounds.
"Greetings, your grace—"
Greeted by the young priest's that was abruptly cut off by the duke.
"Pray tell, where is Sebastian?!"
His incensed voice sent a jolt of terror through the priest. The sight of the duke's tightened lips and eyes aflame with rage left him paralyzed. With a quavering chin and trembling hands, he had no choice but to respond, his voice barely a whisper. As the weight of the duke's fury pressed down on him, making every word feel like a desperate plea for mercy.
"I—I merely saw him ha-having a conversation with priest Ju-julianne."
The duke's expression darkened upon hearing the priest's stammering response, like a storm brewing beneath the surface. His fists clenched at his sides, while a flicker of rage crossed his face, creating an intense tension in the air. The priest could feel the weight of the duke's displeasure, making his blood run cold as though he were standing before the gates of hell.
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