The night of the party. Caelan wears the black-and-silver servant uniform, hair slicked back, eyes dead calm.
His face is a perfect mask. But beneath, his chest feels tight.
He slips the poison into a glass of imported crystal wine. Lucien hasn't arrived yet.
He watches high society monsters laugh in gilded rooms. He wonders if Lucien is one of them—or something worse.
Then the doors open.
Lucien enters.
As expected, Lucien was with his men, all high ranked. No emotions,
And Caelan's breath catches.
Not because he recognizes him.
But because for the first time in years, his heart skips a beat—and he doesn't know why.
As the party started Caelan approaches Lucien with the tray.
"Drink, sir?" he says, smooth. Charmer smile. Every word rehearsed.
Lucien looks at him—really looks at him—and something shifts in the air.
He smirks.
"You've got kind eyes. Dangerous hands, though. Sweetheart"
That 'sweetheart' coming from Lucien's mouth was enough to make caelen's heart reach unknownly but he masked in quickly.
Caelan freezes for a half-second. Then forces the smile.
Lucien takes the glass.
Turns away.
But Doesn't drink.
Caelan watches from the shadows. Waiting. Hoping. Dreading. "Come on. Drink! Drink.."
Lucien never sips.
He swaps the glass behind his back and hands it off to a greedy noble.
That noble drops dead an hour later.
Caelan retreats to a balcony. Shaking. Confused. Furious.
Why didn't Lucien drink it?
Did he know?
Does he know him?
He runs his fingers over the coin in his pocket again. His breathing falters.
He tells himself it's guilt.
But it feels like grief.
Caelen slammed his fist down on railing, only to freeze as he heard the guard from outside yelled at him. The guard were leaving but when he heard a noise– he stopped.
"Young man, it's not your goddamn house!"
"Leave, we have to lock the doors or else you gonna get locked in too."
With an annoyed sigh, and a forcing smile, "Yeah. Coming." He muttered.
The guard left just after locking the front door when cealen left the house.
"What an weird guy" the guard wispers to second guard.
"Never seen him around here though." The other guard sruggld as the both of them heading out.
"Can't deny he's handsome." One maid giggles, gossiping with other
"I know right! He deserves to be some prince. Can you imagine him being a boyfriend!" Second maid giggles only to get a warning look from the first maid to not be loud.