Chapter 1: The southern Duke I

The sound of the carillon ringing echoed through the streets of the empire, indicating the end of the mass.

There were scores of acolytes and priests leaving the temple assessing the high priest to exit the church. When high priest stopped his pace and turned to look at a man in black standing under an oak wood seemingly waiting for someone.

With a few meters apart, he can still see how stunning the man looked. His golden hair dancing along the whisp of wind, those peach eyes with a very deep blue pupils, tall and straight nose, and a lips pursed in a straight line. Looking down, he wears a formal suit. The man has a tall, lean and well proportioned body. Coincidently the man turned his head towards his direction. The man's clenched lips suddenly raised. He smiled but that smile didn't reach his eyes.

' Do humans really love to smile to hide their real feelings '. He thought.

" Your hollyness you needed to go back to your quarters to get ready for the banquet " one of the acolyte's urgent plea made him stop his tthoughts from flying further.

" A banquet? " He asked in a soft tone, tilting his head to face the young acolyte.

" Your hollyness, your presence is needed in the imperial banquet or else those ministers would, again spread some rumors about you being disrespectful towards the empire ". The young man explained, convincing him to quickened his pace to get ready for tonight's event.

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" His hollyness the High Priest, Genesis Ahitophel is entering!! " the knight announces his arrival opening the large door towards the imperial banquet Hall.

All the people inside the hall turned their attention towards the door as it revealed a long haired man, his upturned fox eyes caged two deep emerald orbs, ostensibly reflecting a light of glimmer. The bridge of his nose is high and straight. The facial features are somewhat feminine but they have a very attractive masculine charm. He has a look that cannot be forgotten no matter what.

Even though he oath to be devoted to his god, the people present still wanted to be with this man in their bed.

Genesis walked towards the man wearing a golden clothing who was talking to his ministers, the emperor. He also noticed the man he saw in the morning, standing beside the emperor listening.

" Your Excellency " He greeted.

The emperor looked at him and dismised his officials to talk to the high priest. He also invited the man beside him.

" Your hollyness, you finally have the time to see this old mortal, you know that I don't have any companion who can understand me from my suffering from old age " the emperor complianed and handed him a glass of wine. Genesis gratefully accepted the offer of the emperor and chatted with him.

" You still had the energy to go hunting this spring and managed to have a sixteenth son last summer so you're not that old your excellence " He said in a gentle tone, but his sentence carried a lot of gunpowder.

The emperor twitched his smiling face before calming his nerves and replied " Well I'm not like his hollyness that already reached a few hundredths of his age yet he still look young, so your hollyness why don't you accept my third daughter, maybe you can also have an heir " he smiled brightly after saying his piece. And looked at the priest's reaction in front of him, but to his disappointment, Genesis just brushed off his offense with the sentence-

" Your majesty, I took an oath in front of Luminas that I would offer my all to him " He smiled and looked at the man enjoying the conversation he and the emperor had. The emperor also noticed his gaze and took the liberty to introduce the man.

" Right, your hollyness this is the Southern Duke, De Novo Than. He's currently here because of the event and also my summmon, this might be the first meeting between you and the new head the Southern Dukedom " the duke smiled, he extended his right hand and clasped the slender and white palm of the priest. He brought it in front of his face and kissed the back of the priest's hand.

A cool touch that made his insides burn, he reflectively snatched back his hand because of that strange sensation he felt. His body suddenly got hot all over, and chugged the drink in his hand to calm it. Genesis, then again looked at the Duke standing beside the emperor and saw the man smiling with a hint of mirth in his eyes.