"Buaaaaaa, Your Highness! Aaaaaah."
"My, my. It's okay, it's okay. No need to cry."
Lucian gave another scarf to Argus, who continued crying. He would blow his nose into the handkerchief and receive another to wipe away the tears of emotion that insisted on running down his thin face.
"I-I never thought I would be able to see Your Highness get married. Buaaaaaaaa, I feel so relieved."
Uttering a low laugh, Lucian stroked the shoulder of his loyal servant. He would not judge him, after all that was a feat that even the true eighth prince could not achieve. Nor was in the original story the approach between Lucian and Magnus in a romantic way. In fact, the only interaction that both characters had was Lucian murdering Magnus.
"I should be careful around Magnus..."
"What did you say, Your Highness?"
"That you are crying too much, do not need to be so emotional."
"But of course, Your Highness!" Argus stood up suddenly, with his chest stewed. "I will finally be able to prepare myself to fulfill my duties as apprentice of the butler, in the future I will be the butler of the Grimwood."
"Oh, so you were anxious to know which family would serve beyond the Imperial?"
"I am not the only one, Your Highness. You can bet that Bella, the housekeeper in charge of Prince Cadec's palace, is also anxious to know which family will be served when the first prince marries."
Well, personal servants followed their masters when they married. Because they are alphas, Cadec and Lucian will leave the imperial palace to live with their omegas.... That is, depending on who they married.
In the case of Lucian, his future husband was none other than the Grand Duke, the head of the Grimwood family. It was natural for Lucian to adopt his surname when he became his consort and take care of the tasks of the mansion while his omega rules the territory. Argus, as his personal servant, would follow him to serve him in his new abode and become an apprentice of the Grimwood butler.
In a way it seems like a sudden change of status. Depending on who you marry, that would be something to be ashamed of.
"It seems that I was very lucky to have managed to hook my little villain."
"Buaaaaaa, Your Highness! Please live many years together with His Grace."
"Thank you... I think. Now stop crying and go through the list that the Emperor sent us."
"Right... sniff, sniff." Argus wiped the tears and held the letter sent by the Emperor. "Here he asks that Your Highness's clothes be made to match those of the Grand Duke. It seems that a jeweller must come to your palace to choose the ring to be given to the Grand Duke."
"And I thought there would be some kind of ring passed from generation to generation..."
"If you became the crown prince, you would probably get something like that."
"So let's not dream about it. Go ahead."
Argus looked back at the letter and reviewed each task that Lucian would have to fulfill. Visit the tailor, the jeweler, visit the Grimwood residence to meet their brothers-in-law, attend social meetings with Magnus...
It seemed like an endless list just to show that he and Magnus were together. That Lucian still had other tasks to accomplish, of which he has wonderfully postponed for some time. Now that, not everyone knows what to do with a diamond mine in your name, is it?
And between taking care of a prince's affairs and daydreaming with his villain, what would be the least option?
For the next few days, Lucian barely stopped in his small and abandoned palace. Every day he needed to go and solve some outstanding issue about the engagement, among these was to prepare his alliance with Magnus. The Grand Duke could not be so participative in those meager details, since he had much work to do, however this little bothered Lucian.
At dusk a few days after the instructions of the Emperor, after returning from the city center and having his body measured in all possible ways and trying several different tissues, Lucian looked at the blackboard and kept writing down the story he remembered.
It had been days since he had devoted some time to that big problem. Lucian was immensely unmotivated for not finding anything at all about a soul possessing other bodies and traveling to other universes within his library. Although it sounded a great delirium when he thought about it, because it was inside a novel that was going on in an era where there was no electricity.
"As long as I am in his place... there is no chance of Magnus being killed. But as a precaution, this marriage will prevent Lucian from being manipulated by the true villain of this story. Staying under the care of the Grimwood will ensure the safety of both..."
The chalk slid through the frame, creating a variable.
Nothing prevented the villain from using someone else to try to kill Magnus.
"Considering that keeping him alive could be the key to my coming... Haa, what if it's not this? How do I go home?"
Leaning his forehead against the blackboard, Lucian sighed and closed his eyes trying to find answers.
He had changed the story, it would bring consequences that he did not have the slightest idea of what they would be. He needed to be ready to deal with the problems, while trying to survive within that story. At least so far he has stolen all of Magnus' attention, preventing him from fulfilling his villainy.
Only that their marriage was about to trigger the biggest twist
"Your Highness? You have a visitor."
Without raising his forehead, Lucian just answered.
"Let it in."
No matter who was, Lucian could only focus on the problem at hand: keeping Magnus safe. His favorite character was the only thing that Lucian could think of as his key to come into this world.
"What is it? Have you gone crazy?"
Just hearing that voice made Lucian raise his head quickly, encountering the crimson eyes looking at him with suspicion.
"Magnus! I didn't know you were coming today."
"Of course, I just came to deal with some political matters with His Majesty and was humbly pressed to come visit you."
Lucian let out a low laugh, probably the Emperor has given a suggestion that Magnus visit him now that they are engaged.
"Thank you for coming to see me, it is very nice to receive visitors."
"Your Highness, forgive me for intruding, but it seems a merchant wishes to see you now."
"All right. I hope you don't mind, Magnus, I swear I'll be back soon."
"Don't be in a hurry."
Lucian left the library, and only Magnus stood there. The Grand Duke entered the library and crossed his arms as he assessed that space so... simple. While Argus was serving tea on the table where Lucian used to work, Magnus stopped nearby and sighed low.
"Why does the eighth prince have such an empty library? In fact, his entire palace is empty."
Surprised by the sudden speech of the Grand Duke, Argus thought carefully about the answer.
"His Highness never bothered with decorations and was also never a working prince, so the budget for his palace has always been minimal."
"How much bullshit. Even Cadec, who is a rather discreet prince, has more servants than Lucian. This looks more like an abandoned place."
Argus did not bite the bait, despite wanting to. The servant just left the cups on the table and took a few steps back while waiting for the return of his master. Magnus approached, picking up the cup and sipping a sip of tea as he assessed the blackboard full of notes with strange symbols.
"What is this? Is there some kind of secret code?"
"No, sir. It's just some notes that His Highness makes."
"Is he crazy? Why are him using this kind of strange symbology?"
Argus smiled lightly, after all he himself surprised when he first saw. It was the scariest thing Argus had seen since he started working in the eighth prince's palace. That's how Lucian managed to get up from the bed after waking up from that sudden evil, thin and weak who could barely stand standing, Lucian leaned over the table and began to write incessantly those strange words.
There came a point when the paper no longer contained that mess of symbols, and Argus arranged that blackboard for Lucian. However, he now fully understood his master, and knew what the subject was even though he could not read that language.
"Your Grace will understand in time that His Imperial Highness is more special than he imagines."
The crimson eyes of Magnus fell on the servant, and narrowed with some suspicion.
"Special? What are you talking about?"
"I'm sorry for the delay" Lucian said slightly panting. "Haa... frankly, this castle is huge."
"Did you run?"
"Now don't judge me. How could I delay knowing that you are here?" Lucian sat down in his chair and took a deep breath trying to calm down from the rush. "I'm happy to enjoy your presence, the jeweler just gave me this."
Lucian took a small velvet box from his pocket and handed it to Magnus. The Grand Duke held the box and frowned slightly before opening the box and finding the pair of gold rings with delicate details. Both rings contained two threads, one with diamond and the other with ruby that gave the whole round in the alliance.
"They are..."
"That's right, our engagement rings" Lucian smiled up from his chair and picked up one of the rings, the smaller one, and then held Magnus' hand gently.
Lucian's long fingers slid through the Grand Duke's black glove, giving him chills. The piece slid gently as the prince took it out without any haste, putting the ring on Magnus' bare long fingers.
"Ah, it was perfect, don't you think?"
When Lucian looked up at each other, he noticed the intense blush on Magnus' cheeks. The Grand Duke looked away slightly and covered his face with the other hand, looking ashamed of something.
"What is it, Magnus?"
"It was nothing! Damn... And why are you already wearing that ring?"
"To show off, of course. Besides, it would be good for you to use to prevent other alphas from approaching. That will be enough to spread some gossip."
"This is not necessary. We will have to attend the dinner of Baroness Vaugh, and you will be my companion."
"Oh, so that's why you came?" Lucian smiled as he put the ring on his finger. "Although the Emperor was not very clear about what events I would have to attend, I was advised that I would represent him."
"Now you know. I will come to pick you up myself, so be ready in time."
Lucian held Magnus's hand and bent slightly kissing the knots of his fingers. Raising his blue eyes, he was the charm in person that would cause a nerve in Magnus.
"I will be waiting for your coming, my fiance."