Chapter 144: Stay away from him

Chapter 144: 144: Stay away from him


"Do you think it’ll work?" Lenny asked.


"It’ll have to work. I doubt he’d kill me that easily—especially when I tease him about the information I have."


Lenny nodded. "True. Makes sense."


"But before going, I’ll need a backup plan."


"What plan?" Lenny tilted his head.


"Some powers. Ones that can lead me through my visit to him. So I’ll have enough strength to save myself in case anything goes wrong." Eden was already planning ahead.


"So you need Felix right now..." Lenny pointed out.


"Exactly. But I suppose he’s nowhere to be seen whenever you actually need him," Eden sighed.


"I guess he’ll probably come," Lenny stated. "But the issue is how to make him give in to your demands for a lasting intimate moment—enough to trigger a longer magic time."


"I guess I’ll have to seduce him actively then. Because I’ll really need his cooperation for it," Eden suggested.


"Good luck with that then."


They were still in the room, planning for what they would do the next day, when a knock suddenly came on Eden’s door.


They froze, their eyes darting to the door.


"Who’s that?" Eden whispered.


"Maybe it’s Felix?" Lenny suggested.


"He comes through the window," Eden pointed out, then called, "Who is it?"


"You have a message from the crown prince," a male voice announced from outside.


Eden and Lenny paused, staring at each other and then at the door.


Eden stood and headed to the door. He pulled it open and found a guard standing in front of him.


"What?" Eden raised an eyebrow.


"The crown prince wishes to see you. He demands you meet him in his room this instant," the guard informed.


Eden blinked. "Oh. Sure."


The guard left as Eden turned back to look at Lenny, who lay on the bed, having overheard everything.


"You should get going then," Lenny said.


"Is that so?" Eden sighed. He wanted to ignore the message, maybe take a break, maybe think of an excuse not to meet him. He would have probably found a way around it if Lenny hadn’t spoken up.


But since it was already out there, he guessed he’d have to go meet him at least.


"I’ll be back then."


Eden soon left the chamber.


---


Eden arrived at Elvis’s chamber door.


He hesitated for a moment, pushing at the entrance but pausing to think before stepping in.


He was certain Elvis hadn’t summoned him just for the sake of it. No—Elvis always had a reason. He probably wanted something. Information, most likely. Eden was already aware of his characteristics, so he prepared himself mentally.


Taking a steady breath, he finally walked in, passing the two guards stationed at the door.


"You called for me?" Eden entered, his eyes falling on Elvis, who was already standing.


Elvis had his back turned, staring out the window when Eden walked in. He was dressed in white robes that draped down to his legs.


"Is there an issue?" Eden asked, scanning the room, noting it was the same as always.


But his eyes fell on Elvis’s attire. It wasn’t what he expected. Especially around him.


Elvis had always been wary of Eden—he knew Eden tended to take advantage of him. Because of that, Elvis usually kept a distance, never dressing in a way that could be considered provocative.


But this time, he was dressed in a simple white robe. His hair was wet, still damp from a bath he had clearly taken just a while ago.


Eden noticed the droplets of water that slid down his skin, tracing the length of his legs.


"May I help you?" Eden asked casually, ignoring the distracting details, though his eyes lingered for a moment longer on Elvis’s damp hair.


"You haven’t visited in a while," came Elvis’s voice.


It was calm and deep, unreadable. Eden couldn’t tell what emotion lay behind it.


Elvis slowly turned, his dark eyes locking onto Eden.


Eden blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sight.


Elvis looked breathtaking. His wet hair fell lazily over his forehead like bangs. Water still dripped down his sharp face, beads running along his jawline. Some drops slid down his neck, vanishing into the robe.


His collarbones were bare and glistening, water dripping down to his chest.


The robe was V-shaped, exposing the top of his torso—his chest damp, his skin gleaming under the light.


For some reason, Eden found himself staring. His eyes traced him too long, almost as if he were stripping Elvis bare with his gaze.


"Which is rare, because you were always the one to pester me," Elvis added, his eyes never leaving Eden.


Eden finally freed his gaze and smiled slyly. "Well, I guess you missed me a lot."


Elvis’s expression remained calm, though his eyes were darker, sharper. "It had me thinking. Maybe you’re actually up to something."


Eden placed both hands behind his back, feigning innocence. "Me? Up to something? No. Never. I could never be up to something—especially without you knowing."


"Is that so?" Elvis’s voice was low, suspicious.


"Of course," Eden smiled. "You of all people should trust me."


"So you going to the library with my brother means nothing?"


"Huh? That? Well, I went to help him with his education. He’s falling behind and needs some tutoring. So, I figured I should help."


Elvis’s cold stare made it clear he didn’t buy a single word. Eden knew that.


"And what makes you qualified for it?" Elvis questioned.


"Because I’m more educated than you, maybe," Eden shrugged.


Elvis paused, his jaw tightening. "You should stay away from my brother."


Eden’s expression hardened. He folded his arms, glaring. "Why? It’s not like I’m killing him or something," he scoffed, amused by Elvis’s words.


Elvis let the silence hang for a moment before adding, "He’s still a kid. So you should cease playing your shameless games around him."


It took Eden a moment to fully process what Elvis was saying at the moment.


When he did, now raising and eyebrows, his eyes narrowing.