Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Chapter 142: The Cresthold In Love

Aster was sitting alone inside his guest room. He couldn't sleep, probably because he had slept for the whole day. He didn't bring anything in this escape, only the apparel in his body. Aster's eyes wandered around, this guest room was really a regular room, which made him relieved.

'If Gaum gave me a special room, it would definitely alert the servants, they might think that Gaum and I had a special relationship.'

Aster was already in a dire situation right now, he didn't want to face other people targeting him in foreign places. Aster didn't even have Jain with him, no one that could really protect him like usual.

'Irion is a knight, he wouldn't be able to hide somewhere and guard me unofficially, and Ramuja'

Honestly, Aster didn't wish Ramuja to be his protector, or to fight at all. He was really afraid that Ramuja might get hurt. But it seemed that Ramuja had a firm willpower to train himself.

'I will still protect him, maybe he doesn't know, but as long as he is safe'

Aster was reminded when Ramuja was heartbroken because he kissed Charles in that meadow. It was meant to save Ramuja, but it was understandable that Ramuja was really hurt. Because Ramuja was determined to fight Charles to protect him, he was ready to die.

'I'd rather be humiliated than seeing Ramuja die in Charles' hand.'

Aster sighed. He tried to move his leg and it seemed his leg was still cramped, his body still felt really weak after that long nightmare. He could've asked Irion or Ramuja to help him, but they must be tired after the long trip.

Knock! Knock!

Aster heard the door was knocked, he asked, "Who's outside?"

"It's me."

Aster knew this familiar voice, Gaum opened the door and entered Aster's room. He came with a food trolley. Gaum closed the door and pushed the trolley beside the bed, he sat beside Aster on the bed and asked, "How is your body?"

"Hnn, I feel weak, but other than that, I'm fine," Aster replied, he saw the food on the trolley, he felt hungry of course, but he thought about different things, "Can you give some food for my servants in another room?"

"I had my butler to deliver food for them," Gaum said.

"Good, thank you for your generosity," Aster smiled. The window didn't have a curtain, so the moonlight showered Aster's body, which made him look weak, but ethereal at the same time. His thin smile made Gaum's heartbeat quicken.

'It's like the goddess had been waiting for me in his bed'

Gaum shifted his body to approach Aster, he did this few times until their shoulders were touching. Aster was a bit uncomfortable, "Can you move a bit? The bed is too small for us

"Isn't it nice like this? You and me, under the moonlight, on the bed," Gaum chuckled. He put his hand on Aster's nape and pulled Aster to his chest. Gaum caressed Aster's neck gently, "Like this, we are like a husband and wife after a wild night, right?" Gaum giggled.

Aster frowned, his body was really weak right now, thus he couldn't struggle, he warned Gaum, "Just because I couldn't move my body, doesn't mean that you can joke like this, let go."

"I'm not joking," Gaum smiled mysteriously. "You still keep my Gardenia of Blooming Desire, right?"

"Yeah" Aster remembered when Gaum gave him his gardenia of blooming desire, a rare preserved flower meant to propose to your loved one, "I keep it, in case you want it back because you just gave it to me as a joke."

"I said, I'm not joking," Gaum repeated, "I gave my golden pin to you, didn't I tell you before that I love you in Autumn Banquet?"

Aster stared at Gaum. Gaum's smile had dissipated, turned into a serious frown, "I never lie when I said I love you."

"You know that we cannot be together," Aster said seriously. He was never interested in Gaum in that way, but Gaum was still his ally and they had a good relationship, rejecting him outright was unwise now.

'I cannot reject him harshly, I'm under his kingdom now.'

"Is it because of that servant of yours?" Gaum shot Aster with the truth right on the spot. Aster's eyes widened. Gaum laughed lightly and said, "You can't hide it from me, I know that you keep glancing at your servant when we talked before. Maybe he was your assurance?"

"You are overthinking it," Aster denied it.

"Yeah, true, how come Young Lord of Grand Duchy Stormhill need some assurance, they hold the economy of Golden Camellia," Gaum pretended to be in a deep thought, then he grinned, "Maybe Young Lord of Grand Duchy Stormhill fall in love with his own servant?"

"HHow could you"

Gaum pinched Aster's chin and kissed his lips abruptly. He knew he couldn't savour the inside of Aster, but at least he could taste Aster's cherry lips. Aster tried to push him, but his body was still too weak to resist.

After the kiss, Aster's face turned red, while Gaum laughed.

"See? I can still kiss you even though your heart belongs to someone else," Gaum sneered, "If I can kiss you, then I can also"

Gaum checked out Aster's body, Aster immediately pulled the blanket to cover his body, he felt like a maiden in a story, afraid that someone took his purity. Aster warned Gaum again in a low voice, "Leave now before I call my guards."

Gaum laughed, "Remember, you are in my palace."

"But you are depending on me to supply your citizens!" Aster fought back, "Leave now!"

Gaum wanted to rebuke that, because his citizen was already free from poverty, but he still needed this loan from Aster in order to stabilize his position in Empire court. Gaum sighed, "I will leave you then, but you should know, I will never give up."

Gaum rose from the bed, he prepared the food on the small cupboard beside the bed. Gaum opened the door and seemed to talk with someone outside, then he turned his head towards Aster and smiled mysteriously, "My darling Aster, I'm not the only one who wants you here."

Aster had a bad feeling about this. Gaum already left the room, but he could hear someone's footstep outside and the door was opened again.

A tall man with a short robe draped on his left shoulder stood in the doorway, he wore a dark vest and the ring of a ruler on his finger. He was around late twenty, but he still looked young and handsome, although there were traces of maturity and virtue in his face after years of being a king, unlike Gaum.

Aster's heart sank, Gaum said this man was in love with him, but Aster found it hard to believe. Since Aster was the one who indirectly caused the crisis in Vassal Kingdom Rhea.

Aster tried to bow his head slightly and said, "Greetings to the king of Vassal Kingdom Rhea, Lord Gamasiel."

Gamasiel's hand trembled when he saw this man again. This man haunted his dream every day, he couldn't sleep without thinking about that night. Aster seduced him and said that he felt very hot, but Aster ran away before they could do anything, probably because he was too scared.

'If I hold him tighter that night, maybe it would be a wonderful night for both of us. He is like a scared white bunny, as long as I can force him a bit'

'I can take him to Kingdom Rhea and marry him'

Gamasiel was ecstatic when he saw Aster sitting quietly on the bed. He was entranced with this figure of Aster showered by the moonlight, like a goddess. Aster's wavy golden hair bounced whenever he shook his head, his perfect facial feature combined with his deep blue eyes and golden circle. He was still as pale as before, but now it looked like he had grown a bit, it showed the mix of purity and maturity, a strange mix that bewitched people around him, including Gamasiel.

'What Gaum said is right, he does look fascinating.

Gamasiel recollected his calmness, he didn't want to scare Aster again. He sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "Are you okay now?"

Aster was still alerted, but he smiled and said, "Yes, I'm okay, just a bit weak. I thank Lord Gamasiel for sheltering me in Vassal Kingdom Rhea."

"IIt's okay, I'm happy that you are safe," Gamasiel fiddled his fingers. He had many thoughts about Aster before, he planned to say many things if they could meet again, but when facing the real person, he became too nervous to utter anything.

"Is there something important for Lord Gamasiel to come to my room at this hour? If not, I would like to rest," Aster said. He didn't want to talk to his possible foe in his vulnerable state, he would be able to deal with him when they were on equal footing, but he was far below Gamasiel now.

"II want to make sure about something," Gamasiel said.

"I will try my best to give a satisfying answer," Aster braced himself in case this man wanted to pressure him about something. 

Gamasiel kneeled in front of Aster, he took something from his pocket and presented it in front of Aster.

"Will you take this Gardenia of Blooming Desire?"