Your Grace, Whose Heart Do You Really Desire?

"You never cared about me like this." Luxe said, her voice quivering with hurt. She had always known that Kaiser's attention was often divided between his duties and her, but she had never realized how much it had bothered her until now. 

"Are you done?" The Grand Duke said coldly and blunt, putting his quill down, "Scram at once."

He lifted his lavender eyes, piercingly cold looking to Luxe, waiting for her to respond— more likely seeing her off.

Luxe was taken aback by the Grand Duke's abrupt dismissal, but it wasn't surprising in the slightest. He had never been one for sweet words or gentle gestures - or at least not before today. She tried not to let her disappointment show on her face, but the hurt was too sharp to keep it from slipping through the cracks in her mask of composure.

Luxe stood still, stunned by the cold dismissal from Kaiser. She had never seen him this way before - it was as if he was a completely different person. But before she could utter another word, Kaiser waved a hand in her direction. 

"Get out!" he ordered, his voice devoid of any warmth or affection, as if there's nothing in between them. Luxe couldn't believe her ears. Was this Kaiser's true face, the one he hid behind the public persona of a loving monarch? As she turned to leave, she felt a deep sense of betrayal and hurt. She had always thought that Kaiser truly cared for her, but now she realized it was all a facade.

At last, The Grand Duke gained peace by making Luxe begone, he really hates it when someone disturbs him by making such unreasonable excuses. He doesn't treat Luxe like his own fiancee but rather just a mere annoying cousin, nothing more. 

Even though they were engaged, he didn't feel the love he should be feeling. 

Incest was a tradition in the Dämonisch familly to keep the blood thick. and Incest was normal in noble family, especially royalty. Luxe was nothing more but a commodity for him to be a King. 

In fact, he got someone in his eye.

In the following 4 months, they would hold a wedding ceremony, and a coronation event at the same time.

As the Grand Duke sat alone in his working chamber, a sense of relief washed over him as he finally had the opportunity to focus on his work without any distractions. It was true that Luxe had taken up too much of his time recently, and he hadn't been able to give his full attention to his duties as King. 

But as he sat there, a faint smile crossed his face as he remembered the person who had captured his interest. It was someone he couldn't stop thinking about, someone who he found himself drawn to in a way he never had before. He didn't know what it was about this person that captivated him, but he knew he wanted to learn more about him.

The only know about himself was, He liked pretty things, in particular, Elias's ocean eyes.

—

The Grand Duke finally finished his prioritized paper works as he leaned to his seat. Oh.. it's afternoon already? He thought as he glanced at the window. His eyes subconsciously turned to gaze at the pile of envelopes that surely contains letters from who knows where. He grabbed a handful of envelopes and he picked one out of the neatness and white it looks. As he was shuffling the envelopes, an old looking envelope caught his attention. 

This envelope was made of brown, textured paper and looked well-loved, like it had been passed around from hand to hand throughout its lifespan. The Grand Duke's interest was immediately piqued, and he quickly opened the envelope, eager to see where it had come from and what its contents might reveal.

As he removed the letter from its envelope, the Grand Duke noted how soft and worn the paper felt in his fingers. As the Grand Duke looked closer at the envelope, he noticed that the handwriting was messy and hurried, as if it had been written in a state of panic or fear. He felt a pang of worry as he wondered what could have caused such a response from the sender. 

Perhaps there had been some kind of emergency, or a terrible event had occurred. But it happened probably more than 10 years ago, judging by how old the envelope looked like. As he read the contents of the letter, he held his breath, unsure of what he was about to discover.

..It was a letter about the assassination of the noble woman named Elise Chambers which was supposed to be delivered to Tobias Acker.

Acker? The Grand Duke immediately realized the surname, Is this.. Elias's father? or a family member? The Grand Duke didn't know what to do, his heart and mind in turmoil, should he break this news to him? but he wasn't obliged to do so. Yet at the same time, he feels like Elias should know about this person's death.

The Grand Duke sat there, staring at the letter, a sense of unease began to creep over him. The revelation that he was holding a letter that held such monumental news for Elias's family was overwhelming, and he wasn't sure how to react.

He knew that he should probably tell Elias about the letter, but at the same time, he didn't want to be the bearer of such sad news. As he sat there, his mind racing, he knew that he couldn't keep this secret from Elias forever. He had to find a way to break the news to him, in the kindest way possible.

The Grand Duke called a servant to his study chamber, the servant immediately responded with a bow as they entered.

"Look for the blonde boy named 'Elias Acker' in my custody, tell him that I wanted to see him," He instructed as he tucked the letter again into its envelope, "And find Tobias Acker, send him my words: I have a letter for him to give." The Grand Duke added. The servant quickly obeyed and quickened its steps to reach custody.

The servant quickly made their way to the custody area, searching for Elias amongst the prisoners. As they walked past cells and cells of prisoners, the servant finally spotted the blonde boy they were looking for. "Elias, His Majesty has summoned you to his chamber." the servant said, trying to keep their tone neutral. 

The servant turned to the Imperial guard who was on standby, the servant whispered and after the servant passed the word, The imperial guard left in a hurry with 3 more guards as his companions.

Elias's face turned pale as he realized what was going on, and he began to shake with nervousness. He knew he was in trouble, but he had no idea what exactly was going on. As Elias made his way to the Grand Duke's chambers, he couldn't help but wonder what his master wanted with him.

Elias's thoughts were running wild as he was assisted by a servant on the way to the grand duke's chambers. Panic and fear washed over him as he wondered what his master wanted with him. "Oh my, am I going to die?" he thought. "Or... if I won't die, what will the grand duke do to me? A toy?!" The possibilities that raced through Elias's mind only made him feel more anxious and uncertain. He had no idea what the grand duke had in store for him, and that only added to his sense of fear and dread.

As he approached the Grand Duke's chambers, Elias's nerves only grew more and more tense. He didn't know what to expect from the grand duke, but he knew that the grand duke was capable of some pretty extreme things. 

The thought of being made a toy or being killed for the entertainment of the Grand Duke was almost too much to handle. He reached the door and took a deep breath before knocking. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest that he could almost feel it in his ears.

The door opened slowly and Kaiser's eyes met Elias's. Elias's heart sank as he saw the cold, unreadable expression on the Grand Duke's face. 

"Take a seat." was all the Grand Duke said, his tone calm and flat. Elias's mind raced with a million questions, but he didn't dare ask them. He just followed the Grand Duke, the letter from Elise still tucked into his pocket.

Elias obeyed, taking a seat in the chair and trying to calm his racing heart. The Grand Duke motioned towards a nearby pitcher of water and some glasses, and Elias gladly accepted one, taking a few deep breaths as he sipped the cool liquid. 

With each passing second, Elias's mind raced with possibilities. He couldn't think of what the grand duke might want with him, and the suspense was almost too much to bear.

"Elias, do you have something to say to me?" said the Grand Duke, expressionlessly and his tone is awfully cold. 

Elias shivered in fear and quickly responded, "I hope your grace forgives me and does not take my head!" He lowered his head, and somewhat, The Grand Duke found it hilarious but he bore the urge to laugh.

"I really am sorry if I did such a shameless act of CPR! Your grace, it wasn't avoidable to have a lips to lips contact in order to send air to your airway. yet I.. I really violated you! Please.. forgive me, your grace, I would do anything!" Elias pleaded desperately, and The Grand Duke understood nothing because of his accent and how fast he spoke, he just knew that Elias was asking for forgiveness.

The Grand Duke chuckled lightly before saying, "You would do anything?" and it hit Elias with a pang.

Elias's heart skipped a beat as he heard the Grand Duke laugh at him. He had never heard him laugh before and the sound sent a shiver down his spine. Elias swallowed hard, his throat feeling dry from fear and anxiety. He felt like a trapped animal, his only escape was to say everything the grand duke wanted to hear. 

"I would do anything." Elias repeated, his voice quivering. He didn't know what the Grand Duke had in store for him, but he knew he couldn't say no. The Grand Duke's power was absolute and Elias felt like he was at his mercy. Elias felt a wave of embarrassment and shame wash over him as the grand duke chuckled at his words. He knew he had been too forward and had allowed his emotions to get the better of him. He couldn't help but feel like he had failed, not just in his attempt to save the Grand Duke's life, but also in his attempt to prove his loyalty. 

The Grand Duke cold and emotionless demeanor made Elias feel even more vulnerable and exposed, as though everything he had done had been for nothing. Elias was filled with a sense of dread, unsure of what the grand duke might do next or what kind of punishment he might face for his perceived transgressions. He knew that he was powerless and at the mercy of the grand duke, a thought that made his heart race with fear. 

Elias felt a wave of panic wash over him as the Grand Duke's tone suddenly changed to one of amusement. He couldn't read the Grand Duke's expression, but he knew this was not a good sign. 

And then, to his horror, Elias heard the words that sent a shiver down his spine. "Would you do anything?"The Grand Duke, a cold smile spreading across his face. 

Elias could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he realized the full extent of his mistake. He should have stayed silent, he should have run away, but instead, he had begged for forgiveness and now, he was at the mercy of the Grand Duke, "W-what do you mean? I-I would do anything for you, your grace!" Elias stammered out, his voice cracking with fear. He was willing to do anything, anything at all. 

The Grand Duke could ask him to lick the floor, to sing and dance, to beg and kneel, and he would do all of it. Elias had no pride left, he just wanted to survive. At that moment, Elias was the most pathetic version of himself, broken and completely surrendered to the Grand Duke's will.

"Very well." Said the Grand Duke, The Grand Duke leaned on his table and his expression quickly changed to the face Elias met when he entered the room— or to sum up, the Grand Duke turned serious all of the sudden, "What was the cause of you losing the control of your speed for running down the terrain with fear in your eyes?"