Chapter 5: Curiosity

Alaric felt defeated as he surrendered to Carlton's relentless kisses on his cheeks. He was trapped in the chair by the grip of Carlton's hands on his shoulders, and the weight of his body on his lap. Despite drool running down his face, Alaric kept a flat expression while looking at Kastiel with accusing eyes.

"You should have told me earlier..." Alaric muttered, blaming Kastiel for warning him too late about Carlton's surprise visit.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness..." Kastiel replied guiltily, while watching Alaric struggle under Carlton's affectionate onslaught.

Carlton suddenly stopped kissing Alaric and looked at him with confusion etched across his features.

"By the way husband, I'm so confused why everyone is calling me Duke again instead of Empress?"

Alaric and Kastiel were stunned by his question. "E... Empress?" Alaric repeated incredulously.

Carlton let out a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "At this rate, I can't wait until Luca comes of age so I can hand over this title." He murmured to himself, before continuing with another question. "Oh yeah, husband, where are our children? They always come to us when they have time. Are Malcolm and Helena studying? What about the others?"

Alaric felt his head spinning as he tried to process everything that was happening. Carlton being an empress instead of a duke was already shocking enough, but his questions about their children made him feel like he was in the land of nowhere. He looked at Carlton's face, trying to make sense of it all, but found an unfamiliar expression there.

It was not the same expression that he had grown accustomed to seeing on Carlton's face - there was no downward curl of the lips, or icy gaze that made others feel like they were in the middle of a snowstorm. Instead, Carlton wore an upward grin and loving gaze that exuded warmth and love. Is this really Carlton...?

But then, the possibility of Carlton having a brain injury from the previous night suddenly crossed Alaric's mind, and he felt guilty for not forcing the drunk Carlton to stay overnight in the palace. He decided to speak patiently and slowly to the man on his lap.

"Carlton..." Alaric spoke softly, but instead received a scowl from Carlton.

"You usually call me 'my love', 'darling', 'sweetie pie' or whatever. What's wrong with you, husband?"

Alaric cringed at his words and felt veins popping in his head, as he tried holding himself together. He ignored Carlton's words and continued talking.

"Listen to me well. We're not married and we don't have children either. We're just best friends." He paused for emphasis before continuing again. "And also how can you be the empress? I'm still the crown prince... A-"

Before he could finish speaking further however, Cartlon's hands held both of Alaric's cheeks tightly and pulled him close so that their faces were almost touching each other. Alaric panicked at this sudden proximity, his face flushing red as he remembered the kiss they had shared this morning. He tried to push Carlton away but was met with resistance.

"Geez... I just realized your face is so young now..." Carlton said, breaking Alaric's train of thought. "You said you were still a crown prince? When did we get back from the two-year war?"

Alaric replied to Carlton, his voice calm yet tinged with a hint of surprise.

"We only returned to our kingdom yesterday..."

The prince couldn't help but feel taken aback by the ease with which Carlton seemed to take in everything he had said earlier. Yet now, as Carlton appeared lost deep in thought, analyzing something intently, Alaric almost felt like his best friend was back to his old self once more.

However, those hopes were short-lived as Carlton's next words shattered them completely. "So we just returned from the war yesterday...? Husband... I seem to have gone back in time... to 11 years ago..."

Silence hung heavy between them for a moment before Alaric spoke up again. He thought that he wouldn't be surprised by anything else coming out of Carlton's mouth at this point, but it seemed fate had other plans.

Oddly enough, the idea of going back in time seemed more plausible to Alaric than Carlton being pregnant. His shock was momentary as he quickly composed himself and asked his best friend for more information.

"Do you dare to claim that you're Carlton from 11 years into the future?" Alaric asked, his voice filled with suspicion. "What proof do you have for your words? Everything you've said so far has sounded completely abnormal. You even dared to suggest that you are the Empress, as if showing disrespect towards our current ruler."

Alaric's gaze was unwavering and firm as he stared at Carlton, waiting for a convincing response. He wasn't going to tolerate any more strange or delusional behavior from this man.

"If you're really serious about claiming such wild things, then I demand clear evidence." Alaric spoke again, his tone unyielding and determined. "Otherwise, I will not hesitate to confine you within these walls until your mind returns back to normalcy."

He expected Carlton to respond seriously this time and back up his claim - instead, he watched in shock as Carlton's face flushed with a deep blush. His pupils took on a love-shaped form, and he spoke in a flustered tone.

"U-um, husband... It's been such a long time since you've given me such an intense gaze..." Carlton said softly, his gaze locked onto Alaric. "I think I might be falling in love with you all over again, your younger version is just as charming as you are 11 years from now."

"....."

Alaric's exhaustion was palpable, it seemed that even the two years of war hadn't drained him as much as his conversation with the sacred being on his lap. Kastiel could sense how Alaric's energy had been sapped away, leaving him feeling like a mummy.

In truth, Kastiel knew he should have left the room earlier. However, his insatiable curiosity and love for drama had kept him glued to his spot. Little did he know that he would come to regret this decision later on.

"Duke Carlton... may-" Kastiel began to speak tentatively, hoping to suggest something useful. But before he could finish, Carlton suddenly turned towards him. The Duke looked at him intently before pointing an accusing finger directly at Kastiel.

"You! I just realized who you are! You home wrecker!" Carlton exclaimed with surprising intensity.

"....."

".....???????!!!!"

What? Me? I'm just an innocent bystander! What did I do wrong?!