The Duke's Passion

Meanwhile, in the private estate where they had found the coffin for the members of the La Crox family. Noah stood in front of the estate, watching fire devour the place.

"Your Grace," he whispered, recalling Samael's pained expression when he left. "I'm sorry that the Remington's couldn't do anything during the late king's madness."

The children of the late king weren't born wicked. If one looked into them thoroughly, one could see that they were just children, trapped in a cruel place, and desperate to survive. Noah could understand this as the Remington had an almost similar system in raising children.

Their sins in the present were inexcusable, but they were pitiful in a way.

"I wish I could pat your back once, Your Grace." a bitter smile resurfaced on Noah's lips as he was concerned about Samael. The latter always had a soft spot for his family, so he couldn't imagine the pain Samael would be in once he had taken Alphonse's life. 

"May this all end tonight." Noah gazed up at the dark sky, taking a deep breath with eyes closed. "May we all find our peace after this."

******

On the border of the middle ward of the imperial palace, Dominique ground his teeth as he crawled away. Stefan had poked his heart for a slow and painful death.

He had stopped the bleeding by trying to stop his heart from pulsating than usual. He could still die, though. He was simply trying to prolong his life. 

'Stefan...' Dominique panted as his breathing shook, thinking what could've happened to his king. All he knew was that the king who was with him moments ago wasn't the king he served.

"Damn...!" he cursed under his breath as he stopped from crawling on the grass. What a pathetic situation they were in. 

Just how did things turn out this way?

His eyes blurred, zooming in and out. Was this his end? 

Dominique let out a shallow breath, rolling to his side with great difficulty until he laid on his back. His eyes fixed on the darkfield that swallowed the entire palace.

"It looks like that night," he whispered, recalling the night one year ago. "So pathetic."

He blinked weakly as he stabilized his breathing. Dominique didn't want to accept death, but he wasn't in denial about where this would all lead. Alistair and Alphonse had finally bared their fangs, and who knew what happened to the real Stefan.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, my brother..." came out a whisper as Dominique closed his eyes to succumb to his death.

"You can't die, just yet." 

Suddenly, a palm pressed on his chest, making Dominique snap his eyes open. He studied the person's face hovering over him and his brows slowly furrowed.

"Rufus?" Dominique called, but Rufus didn't have the time to fill his confusion.

"The man who killed me once isn't this pathetic." Rufus spat out while checking the hole in Dominique's chest. 

"Should we really have to save him?" asked Kristina, who stood beside them, gazing down at Dominique coldly. "I think he is better off dead."

"He is not, I'm telling you." Rufus didn't even cast her a look as he took out a knife and sliced his palm. He didn't waste a second as he shoved his wound on Dominique's lips. 

"I can give him mine."

"Mine is better," Rufus replied, pressing his wound against Dominique's lips, so his blood could go through the latter's system. 

Dominique was confused at first, but with blood dripping down in his mouth, his eyes glowed as his fangs sink into Rufus' palms. The myriads of question didn't matter to him while quenching his hunger.

"That's enough." Rufus pulled his hand, and Dominique's fangs ripped a piece of his flesh. He gazed at Dominique, who was gnashing his teeth for more. 

A faint sigh slipped past his lips before knocking Dominique unconscious. 

"Fabian will come here at any moment. Take the seventh prince to a safe place. We will still need him." He ordered, gazing up at Kristina.

She pressed her lips together and sighed. "Sure."

"Kristina, no matter how you abhor the La Crox, killing all of them is what the enemies want. Doing what they want is the least we could do for them." 

  "I know that, Captain. But that doesn't mean I don't see this situation as karma." Kristina shrugged while Rufus stood up. "Don't worry. I will bring him to a 'safe' place... though, not gently."

Rufus let out a sigh while rocking his head. "Just don't kill him."

"Right." She stepped aside to make way for him. Rufus took several steps away, facing the palace solemnly.

"Just what happened to this place in a year?" he mumbled, as this place didn't feel the same even before this ensued. "It looks like a literal hell now... just as what His Grace expected."

*****

Meanwhile, Yul and Silvia sprinted through the empty street of the capital with sharp expressions on their faces. Rufus and the knights had done a great job taking care of the civilians. 

After Yul drank Cassara's blood, the memories Samael erased came back to him. Now, they had recalled their own mission. 

Find where the other rats were.

"Do you really think he is outside the palace and not inside?" Yul inquired without looking at Silvia, who was sprinting at the same speed as him.

Silvia didn't answer as she had wondered the same. There were just too many questions, but surveying the capital and the outskirts were their orders. Every one of them shouldn't just look in one direction to avoid getting blindsided.

"Yul," she called with furrowed brows, narrowing her eyes at something glinting in a certain direction. "Did you see that?"

Out of instinct, Yul also gazed in the direction where she was gazing. "It's a signal."

"Charlie," Silvia whispered, as they could feel Charlotte's aura from the arrows. 

The two of them exchanged gazes and nodded without saying a word. Both of them increased their speed, hopping on the roof tiles as they rushed to where Charlotte was shooting at.

*****

While everyone was busy fulfilling their mission, no one had noticed the person walking through the imperial palace leisurely. Stefan hummed softly, walking over the corpses scattered around the hallways.

He soon stopped in front of a room. The king's room, planting his hand on the door and pushed it lightly.

The door produced a long creaking sound as his eyes landed on the person standing in front of the window inside the unlit room. The corner of his lips curled up into a smile.

"I knew you'd be here," Stefan uttered as his appearance slowly changed, revealing his actual face. "Heliot."

Heliot slowly turned around, studying the other man's face.. "Quentin."