.
However, until the next week, Jylan and Sebastian both simply chickened out from seeing each other. Jylan because he couldn't bring himself to tell the prince he had openly breached a royal's privacy and risk losing his six-figure income again, and Sebastian because he had expected Jylan to steal something or try to kill him, and not a kiss. The things in the castle went on as usual, with a normal flow of letters coming in from Lei, and Sebastian gaining his eye bags yet again. Jylan was also sufficiently busy, stuffed between taking care of the wolf and doing his job as a butler. Finally, the next week ruled around, where a royal ball was being held, and it was up to Jylan to make the prince look like a fashionista and not a tired office worker.
To Jylan's utmost horror, it took a full 3 bottles of concealer, 2 palettes of foundation, and half a vial of highlights to cover up the prince's eye bags. Many makeup brushes also suffered the same fate, bristles worn and fallen out, scattered along the vanity table, but ti was well worth it. Without his eye bags, Sebastian looked like something out of a dream. "You should sleep more, my prince. You might get exiled for witchcraft at this rate." Jylan said jokingly, and the prince huffed. "And you should watch what you say more, my butler. Let me remind you that you'll lose your job if I get exiled for anything." Jylan now moved on to combing through the prince's hair with a comb, and now let two strands hang on the side and a nice layer on the back. "There are too many strands sticking out, butler. I look like a cloud." Sebastian commented, lightly patting the top of his head. Jylan shrieked, making the prince jump up in his seat. "No! No! Noooo you'll ruin itttttt!" The butler wailed, grabbing the prince's hands by the wrist and yanking them back. Sebastian leaned his neck back to see Jylan and smiled through clenched teeth. Jylan flinched, and then nervously smiled as well.
"Then you should have the same hairstyle as me too, no? We should suffer equally."
"This looks… My Prince…" Jylan said hesitantly, and Sebastian made a sound somewhere between a cough and a sigh. Jylan was dressed now in identical makeup a white suit that had black buttons and a black tie that clashed in a handsome way with his tanned skin, with the opposite hairstyle as Sebastian. Since Sebastian's hair was swept to the right in the wave with a few strands sticking out, Jylan's was swept to the left - 'opposites'. Sebastian was wearing a dark black suit with white buttons and a white tie that complimented his light skin, also in a handsome way. In other words, what people in those days would have called,
"A couple outfit".
"I noticed it too, Butler. Do you have a death wish?" Sebastian said, his hands covering his face to hide how red his cheeks were, as the butler stammered, "No, on the contrary, I would like to live, but it seems I willingly gave up any chances to do so…" The prince now barked a laugh, and the butler stared at his toes. There were a few whispers already passing around, and Sebastian hated rumors so much that he grabbed the butler by the wrist and dragged him in a beeline towards the nearest door to the balcony.
"My prince? What are you-" Jylan said, but Sebastian stepped on his foot. Lightly, as to not hurt the butler, but enough to make a point. As soon as the door was yanked open, Sebastian closed it equally as fast. The balcony itself was studded with smooth marble tiles, making it perfect since (and Sebastian had learned this the hard way) even though a lot of tiles weren't soundproof, nothing went through marble. The butler was now opening and closing his mouth, at a loss for words, which was funny because that was usually Sebastian's line.
"I have something to tell you, my prince," Jylan said finally, in a voice barely above a whisper, a hand tightening around his sleeve. Sebastian nodded. He had something to say as well. "Let's say it at the same time then, butler."