27 What is love?

Solis was shocked, to say the least! Noir…he actually cared for him so much! His heart was moved by him! Didn't that mean…Solis had a chance to make him fall in love with himself for real?!

"I don't know what love is," Noir was saying softly. "But I do know that I care for you very much…"

Solis couldn't take it anymore. He turned around and pulled the younger man into his arms, holding him tightly.

"I don't know what love is, either," he whispered. "I've never been loved, and I've never loved anyone myself, either…all I know is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, doing things together, seeing you smile at me everyday…" He buried his face in Noir's shoulder. "I feel restless without you…like I can't breathe if I can't see you. I feel like I would turn the world upside down if you asked me to. When I see something good, I want to show it to you, and I when I see something bad, I want to hide you away from it. I'm jealous when other people look at you with covetous eyes. And when I think of you wanting to be with someone else…I feel like dying…but then I think that if that's what makes you happy, I'd do everything in my power to help you achieve it, even if it is someone else's affection…" He paused. "Is that what love is…?

If Butler Hans overheard this conversation, he would be facepalming, for sure. After spending so much effort in "coaching" Noir…this was the result for these two oblivious idiots?!

Noir's arms came up around Solis, and he was surprised to find that Solis's entire body was trembling with some unknown emotion. Noir immediately tightened his arms, instinctively offering comfort to the other man, his own heart distressed at the sight of such turbulence in this magnificent man.

Rubbing Solis's back, Noir seriously pondered over the words spoken by Solis, and examined his own feelings. Weren't his own feelings very similar to Solis's?

After a long time, Noir withdrew his arms, and Solis, too, let him go. But instead of walking away as Solis had expected, Noir cupped Solis's handsome face with his own hands, forcing him to look into his eyes.

"Since neither of us know what love is," he murmured. "Why don't we learn together…?"

Solis was stunned for a moment. Then, realisation dawned, and a beautiful smile bloomed on his face.

Noir smiled, too.

"So…we can make our engagement real…" Solis murmured in a daze.

Noir chuckled. "Only if you go down on a knee and ask me properly!" he teased.

Without a warning, Solis immediately dropped to the ground on one knee and took Noir's hand, looking up at him with his grey eyes impossibly soft.

"Noir," he said seriously, placing a reverent kiss on the back of Noir's hand. "I will cherish you, and only you, for the rest of my life. Would you do me the honour of marrying me?" he asked.

Flustered, Noir could only nod shyly.

Solis sprang up and pulled Noir into his arms. And then kissed him thoroughly.

It was Noir's turn to be in a daze.

Solis was nothing if not efficient. Now that Noir had accepted him, he spared no efforts to serenade his sweetheart! Every day, Noir would be greeted with a smiling Solis presenting him with a pair of freshly-picked flowers, and the two of them wore matching flowers on their lapels. But it didn't end with that – there would be dozens of small gifts in store for Noir each day.

It looked like Boss Solis wasn't devoid of romance, after all – his subordinates thought. It was just that he hadn't found the right person to shower his affections on before this!

Butler Hans was very proud!

Noir, on the other hand, fawned over Solis day and night – he had been taking care of Solis for months anyway, but now, after the two of them affirmed their mutual affections and were in a proper relationship, they clung to each other so much that they were practically inseparable. Solis involved Noir in his business more and more, finding that the young prince was wise beyond his years, and that his viewpoint was always clear. He took into the account the bigger picture and carefully considered the consequences of even the smallest actions.

This was a prince who was born to be a great emperor, Solis found himself thinking. With his talent and foresight, Noir was capable of building the most prosperous kingdom in the world. No wonder he became famous and was revered so highly by the citizens, even though he had been with the royal family for only three years.

It made Solis wonder if there was more to Prince Noir's "accident" that brought him here. After all, he was a mythical figure in the modern world, so there wasn't much credible information about him. There were many versions – and the only thing they had in common was that Prince Noir's public life was a short three years, and he had achieved legendary status within that time frame. There were many different tales of his end – all of which mentioned the circus performance on his twenty first birthday. Some accounts stated that he died after that, while some said that he disappeared – and some even said that his demi-god master took him to the land of the demi-gods. Even the ones that claimed his death weren't consistent – some said it was an illness, some said it was an accident and some claimed that he was murdered. As to the motive for murder – it could have been his talents, which dwarfed all the other royal princes, who could have been swayed by jealousy – or it could be the emperor, fearing that Noir's extraordinary abilities may lead to a public demand for his recognition as a valid heir to the throne, decided to root out the problem.

Solis didn't know what the truth was, and he was reluctant to bring up the matter in front of Noir, afraid of making him sad.