7 Aurelion

Aurelion stepped out from behind the peonies and calmly approached the pavilion. His face remained cold and impassive, the perfect Odum poise encompassing his every move.

It's a shame, however, this frosty demeanor was ineffective in the face of Neo, who knew where to spot the telltale signs of Aurelion's true thoughts.

His eyes landed on the boy's right hand and saw a slight movement discreetly being made between the thumb and index.

Aurelion would pick at his thumb when his mind is fraught with nerves.

As if noticing Neo's gaze, the boy tucks his hands behind him, shielding them from his line of sight. Blue sapphire eyes meet his own in a challenging glare, defiant and chilly.

Neo raised his teacup to hide his own expression.

His memories may be rusty, but he spent years watching this younger brother of his. It is merely one of the many significant observations he's made during the span of this lifetime.

The nervous gesture could be considered endearing. It speaks character--how Aurelion isn't as perfect and aloof as he appears.

Unfortunately, if this information ever falls into the hands of his political opponents, he would be easily pushed down by those who are dangerously more perceptive than the average person.

Who could believe a small and insignificant habit would potentially cause the Ducal to suffer a loss if anyone were to find out? Those of nobility are best at reading the language of the body. As they say, the body does not lie. Those with eyes that can see details unseen to the common eyes will always come out on top.

Neo is keenly reminded of his past and current sins when he thinks about those who desire to harm the Odum House. For those specific ones, he has no regrets for what he did to protect what he claims as his own.

Foolish sons and daughters of lower houses who dare yearn for control of the Ducal should wish less for what doesn't belong to them, lest they want to lose everything they have.

Nazareth had habitually threatened and blackmailed those who came close to realizing Aurelion's weakness, going as far as to get rid of them if they prove to be more trouble than they're worth.

It was a decision made after weighing his pros and cons. He would certainly lose likely allies, but they are no allies if they seek to bring misfortune to his family.

It was a twisted form of love for his family and brother Some may call it being protective of what he considers his own, but to those who know better, Nazareth had selfish reasons to protect the brother he desired to kill.

It didn't make sense to shield Aurelion, but did it make sense for a bastard son to force his way into running for heirship?

Nothing he did made any sense, but what can you do when you're a crazy bastard?

He could have let his little brother fall from grace, allow his enemies to take advantage of his weakness, and maneuver their way into high positions of power. Aurelion could have failed as the Odum Heir and he would be there waiting to snatch the title out from under him.

But Nazareth didn't allow any of that to happen.

Nazareth was a walking contradiction who saw such dirty schemes as below him. Yet, he preferred to plot overly excessive assassination attempts against Aurelion without any hesitation.

Was it pride and arrogance that made him decide on such foolish tactics? Or was it something else?

Six years ago, the moment he was able to figure out how to commit subtle atrocities, he did them with no remorse or hesitation.

Yet, for Aurelion, he chose violence and physical altercations. His attempts were all very straightforward, sending gangs and assassins every couple of months to do the dirty work.

Nazareth had stopped 'poisoning' Aurelion when poison plants became accessible to him.

This 'benevolence' didn't change the blood staining his fingertips. Neo isn't any less innocent than he was before.

He had been clear-minded the first time he murdered a man.

When branding Rainier, his thoughts were all thought out meticulously.

When ordering a kill order on his brother, he did so in a manner similar to grocery shopping.

Saying he had drowned in his lunacy doesn't excuse what he did when his head was clear of any madness. His descent into that madness was bound to happen with every sin he made.

The crime was his own and his punishment was due. Nazareth was already on the edge. If he had lived any longer, he would have been a threat to the Empire and its people.

It was a constant cycle of contradictions that he perpetrated for himself. Slow torture of gentle agony eating him away.

He didn't know how and didn't know when, but eventually, all his ambitions carried him into a state of insanity that he couldn't recover from.

The only end for him was death, for he knew at that moment, standing on the cliff, there was nothing for him anymore besides the sweet release that death would bring him.

He never really worked smarter when it came to Aurelion. Just harder and harder until it drove him further down the path of destruction.

Neo's gaze turned rueful for just a moment, the calm and open expression collapsing on itself the more he is reminded of his actions.

He covers it with the rim of his teacup and takes a long sip. He puts the cup down.

Facing the source of his purpose and downfall, Neo could only voice out a question that seemed impossible in his first life.

"Did you need something from me?"

---

Aurelion should have just run for it. His pride had placed him in this situation and now he's screwed.

He kept a fair distance between him and his older brother and internally cursed himself.

The western garden is his brother's domain. He's pretty sure there's a body or two hidden somewhere, with an excuse attached to their foot that explains why they're dead, along with a long list of fabricated crimes.

That's about how much he trusts his safety when in the hands of his brother.

Nazareth's blood-red vermillion eyes seem to flicker to his hands for just a second. The younger knew he was being read like an open book. Immediately shoving his hands behind his back, he forced his posture ramrod straight so he wouldn't appear intimidated.

Even sitting there with a table full of pastries and a teacup in his hand, his brother still looked like he can kill him behind the facade of friendliness he had taken up.

Aurelion knew long ago that he couldn't trust his brother. How can he? It wasn't like the older ever hid his intentions. In this lifetime, Nazareth had shown him that there can only be one son in the Odum Family.

But as hurt as Aurelion had been when his older brother first exposed his intentions, he was still the rightful heir. He refused to bow down to the whims of a brother who is clearly mentally unstable.

Nazareth raises his cup and takes a long sip.

Aurelion assumes it's to stretch out the awkward silence.

Under the pavilion of this garden, the power goes to his brother. But the strange inquiry that Nazareth asks sends his mind reeling with assumptions.

Did he need anything? From him?

When has he ever needed anything from Nazareth?

No one can blame Aurelion for staying alert. He's always read between the lines of his brother's words to understand his meanings.

Nazareth didn't lie.

He liked to play with your head with words you can't trust, but somehow, he never lied.

It was either you were too stupid to understand him, or he is purposely making himself difficult.

Rather than what he needs from Nazareth, it should be what Nazareth wants from him.

Or perhaps it is a genuine question?

His brother isn't a liar. He has never hidden his intentions from him.

But this time, Aurelion really can't understand him.

Yesterday, Nazareth cut his hair.

Without those messy strands getting in the way of his face, you could clearly see his eyes and every aspect of his features.

His face is as superior as an Odum, but rather than the cold scowls and the promise of violence, today his expression is astonishingly neutral. it didn't fit the narrative Aurelion believed in.

His mood darkens considerably the more he contemplates his current predicament.

This is all Benedick's fault! If he hadn't spouted those classist rhetorics during the meeting with the crown prince, Aurelion would not have grown so furious.

And if Aurelion wasn't so blind by his anger, he would have recognized which direction to take when he entered the manor ground. Then, perhaps he would be in his office right now instead of standing in front of his crazy, murderous, scummy, trouble-making brother!

Nazareth gently places the teacup on the table with a soft clank. It seems like he's become tired of the silence between them.

Aurelion internally scoffed. What game is he playing this time?

However, his assumptions are challenged when Nazareth sighs in a helpless manner and raises his hand.

Aurelion finds himself freezing on the spot, wondering what his brother will do next.

"Sit with me. You should be hungry after your meeting. Rainier told me you skipped breakfast."

The words that came out of his brother's mouth sounded... nice?

He was taken off-guard.

Nazareth doesn't--shouldn't--be speaking like that...

No! More importantly--what the hell, Rainier?!

Aurelion shot Rainier a look. He isn't sure if the blindfolded man had caught it, but he would like to think he did.

As a Capable Servant, Rainier can't lie if he's asked a question by his brother. It is considered a 'breach of trust', technically, but the servant is already his spy.

They've already crossed that line of trust long ago when he chose to work for him against his monster of a brother.

Telling his older brother his itinerary is a terrible idea!

However, that's the least of his worries now!

Looking at the extravagant display of pastries on the table, Aurelion grows even more nervous.

Nazareth had stopped poisoning his tea eight years ago, but Aurelion still doesn't trust him to hold that record.

Even with Rainier here, his brother still has other underhanded means to poison him.

He's witness people go missing after offending Nazareth, and it's usually after he offers something to eat or drink. Aurelion has no evidence of his brother poisoning them to death, but he knows.

Nazareth smiles when the person he offers a treat to doesn't show up at school the next day.

---

Watching Aurelion grow pale as he stiffly made his way over to a chair was a sight to see.

The poor kid looks like he wants to be anywhere but here.

Nazareth felt guilty. Does Aurelion feel obligated to stay?

"Are you alright?"

He couldn't help but voice his concern.

Aurelion merely nods, his face turning even more glacial than before.

It is said that the frostier an Odum gets, the harder it is to tell what they're thinking.

Aurelion is the definition of this. Neo's afraid his brother's going to evolve into an iceberg at this rate.

"If you're not comfortable, you can leave--"

"I'm fine."

Neo raised a brow. What a stubborn brat.

It's clear that the other isn't comfortable with him!

In all honesty, he doesn't know how to do this. He's as much of a mess as his seemingly distraught brother, but perhaps he's better at hiding it than the walking ice cube.

"Here,"

He pushed one of the cakes on the table towards the younger.

Aurelion's head snaps up to look at him directly, but Neo has already turned his gaze down to his teacup, feeling embarrassed.

He didn't have any younger siblings in the modern world. There were a few adoptive cousins he got to see during the holidays, but his parents could only keep up with one child.

Neo would like to assume he was an easy kid to take care of--but the one who has real first-hand experience were his parents. He was apparently quite fussy as a baby and was harder to deal with in his teenage years.

But that's beside the point.

Sitting in front of his biological younger half-brother who he hasn't seen face-to-face for decades, the experience is really awkward, you know?

In two years, this boy is supposed to kill him--which is crazy to think about because Aurelion had been what? Seventeen?

That's way too young!

Says the pot to the kettle...

Okay, maybe not too young if you put into perspective his own crimes, but Neo is technically a modern man.

At seventeen in the modern world, he was dying his hair green and piercing his nose.

How do you fix a mess like this!?

Rainier approached him from behind and dutifully refilled his empty cup.

Neo hadn't noticed it was empty.

Was he even drinking anything for the last five minutes?

He feels deeply embarrassed.

Burden by the knowledge of the coming future, Neo couldn't keep himself from softening his voice. He spoke as if he was talking to a kid.

"How was your day, Aurelion?"

---

Aurelion is startled by the seemingly innocent question.

His brother spoke with a gentle voice he'd only ever heard once or twice before.

When Guinivere was still little, Aurelion had heard him talk to her with that tone, which was a cross between the elegant elocution of the aristocracy and something light and airy he couldn't quite pinpoint.

He sounds like a concerned parent and Aurelion isn't sure what to make of that.

Aurelion had always assumed it was his brother's natural way of speaking, likely from his years on the street. He trained himself out of it to better fit Noble Society, but sometimes, the voice would still slip out.

Their father never mentioned where Nazareth came from.

Some people at the Academy had done some digging and revealed that his mother was a whore.

Not that it made Nazareth any more inferior. Bastard child or not, his older brother was still the same crazy guy that everyone has grown afraid of.

Besides, even with his mother's background being exposed, it still doesn't explain anything about his past.

Aurelion silently accepted the cup Rainier had brought for him.

He can trust Rainier not to poison him. The servant had personally brew him his own pot of tea, just in case, his brother tampered with something.

He still didn't reach for the cake.

He trusts Rainier, but the same can't be said for Nazareth.

For all he knows, the other could have added something into the cake when he gave it to him.

Aurelion takes a slow and deliberate sip. He's kept quiet for this long. Sooner or later, Nazareth will get bored and leave once he realizes he's not going to talk.

He pretends to savor the tea but immediately spits it back into the cup once the astringent flavor of ceylon falls on his tongue.

He furrows his brow at the bitterness.

Across the table, Nazareth laces his hands together and leans forward, that damn smile on his face remaining ever gentle and soft.

If Aurelion didn't know any better, he would say that his brother is taking great joy in watching him.

Which... doesn't make sense at all.

Nazareth would prefer looking at him when he's dead.

"Is it too bitter? Do you need any cream or sugar?"

He flinched.

Why is his brother still talking to him?!

"You really don't have to stick around if you're uncomfortable, Aurelion. You know that, right?"

Again with those words!

He's taunting him! He's definitely taunting him!

Aurelion stubbornly remained in his seat.

He's afraid if he leaves, there might be a trap awaiting him at the exit!

Rainier comes over with some milk and sugar, pouring both generously into his cup.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Aurelion, Neo didn't mind his silence. The older commends the brat for being so uptight and cautious. He knows he isn't worthy of any trust from his brother. Not yet. Not with the way things are.

Aurelion took careful glances at Nazareth from the corner of his eyes, observing him secretly under the guise of 'admiring the scenery.'

Nazareth was staring into space--or maybe also 'admiring the scenery?' Occasionally, he would raise his cup and drink, but he didn't eat any more of the desserts on the table.

The rest of the food remained untouched so the only sounds that could be heard under the pavilion were the clinking of cups and the occasional noise of tea being poured.

---

Step 7. Hold a peaceful conversation with your younger brother who killed you in the past because you've tried to kill him many, many times before.