Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Chapter 144: To Ruin an Incompetent King

"How many hidden soldiers and shadow guards have we trained so far?"

Irion was stupefied with his master's sudden question. He counted all the current shadow guards in his training and he replied, "We have around thirty shadow guards, Young Lord."

Aster took a relieved breath, "That's more than I expected, good."

"Young Lord, may I know why are you asking this so suddenly?" Irion asked. Aster sighed and opened the drawer beside the bed. He took out a preserved, pink-white beautiful flower and showed it to Irion.

"I got this thing," Aster replied.

Irion remembered the time Jain told him that his master received a Gardenia of Blooming Desire by the second prince of Vassal Kingdom Rhea. Since it was a very important symbolism in Golden Camellia, giving it to someone that you didn't think deeply was just plain stupid.

'But there is no way that Gaum has two Gardenia of Blooming Desire, unless!'

"Young Lord, did Gamasiel, King of Rhea, give the gardenia to you?"

Young Lord nodded unwillingly, "I do not plan to accept it, but he forced me. He even threatened me with my status as a runaway. He is sheltering me here, and he simply traps me until I give him the 'final' answer."

"Young Lord, what is your final answer?" Irion asked.

"Of course, no! I don't know him much, at least I thought he was a decent man. But he dared to force me in my current status and took advantage of it!" Aster gritted his teeth. He was furious with Gamasiel's cowardly attitude. It was unbefitting for a king to take the opportunity while his enemy was disadvantaged, like kicking an already defenceless puppy.

Irion observed that Young Lord's eyes had turned slightly dark, he said, "This guard will follow your order, Young Lord. What should I do?"

Aster had planned about it, before this, he had read information about all the houses that were allies or enemies of the grand duchy. He collected their past and current rumours from his informants and noted it, in case he needed to fight them himself.

When he read the rumours about Vassal Kingdom Rhea, it was noted that Kingdom Rhea's citizen was extremely patriotic, thus, if someone was there to sow discord within the citizen of Rhea, it would be impossible. They loved their king so much with all his incompetence.

Vassal Kingdom Rhea had undefeatable citizen morale, with charismatic kings and their loyal citizens and soldiers, but there was something noticeably disturbing in this powerful combination.

"You know that Rhea has disturbingly loyal citizens and soldiers?" Aster asked.

Irion frowned, because he never saw the citizen of Rhea as 'disturbingly loyal.' He called them nationalistic instead, "This subordinate doesn't understand Young Lord's plan, begging Young Lord to elaborate."

"Well, disturbingly loyal as in, they never questioned the state's decision-making and just accepted everything that their past and current kings did," Aster thought of something sinister, at first, he thought it was too much of a scheme. But when he remembered that this man was going to disgrace him by making him the queen, Aster steeled his heart.

'He deserves this.'

"I want to test their loyalty if they saw their already useless king neglecting all his royal duty to spend time with a man, especially if that man is bewitching him into making bad decisions." Aster said coldly.

"Young Lord, will you make a rumour out of it?"

"Not Just a rumor, I want them to riot against their own king because of this," Aster uttered coldly. He had thought about it and found that the best way to ruin this devoted country was to let the citizen itself decide what would happen. 

"... certainly, Young Lord."

"We have few shadow guards, right?"

"Yes, Young Lord."

"Summon them to my side tonight and I will tell the rest of the plan," Aster ordered firmly.

"Young Lord, you will not let yourself be touched by him, right?" Irion raised his head, "I shall follow your orders, but if that order includes you being disgraced, then pardon my impertinence, I will interfere with your plan, Young Lord."

Aster smiled mysteriously. He had expected Irion would say that.

"You are underestimating me, I will not let myself be taken easily," Aster stared down at this Gardenia of Blooming Desire on his hand, which was owned by the king of Vassal Kingdom Rhea. Aster smirked and put the flower behind his left ear and said, "In fact, I shall return to my grand duchy with Rhea state soldiers working under my order."

Irion saw that his master's eyes turned darker even more, which made him shuddered with both fear and awe. He never saw someone so brave while facing such a dire situation.

"I shall not doubt you anymore, Young Lord."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

They heard familiar footsteps approaching. Aster knew that it was Ramuja, before Irion withdrew, he told Irion, "Teach him to be a knight too, so he can protect himself. I don't want him to get hurt here."

"Certainly, Young Lord," Irion said as he withdrew back to his station outside.

Aster put the flower inside the drawer again and sat calmly on his bed.

Ramuja returned while holding a big bucket of hot water. Since this was a guest room, there was no pipe for running hot water, thus, Ramuja had to do it manually by bringing a big bucket of hot water and preparing the bath. After everything had been set, Ramuja returned to Aster. He was full of sweat, but he seemed happy, "Young Lord, the bath is ready."

Ramuja also put a box that he was given this morning to Aster, "This is a set of clothes given by Prince Gaum for you, Young Lord."

Aster nodded, he saw Ramuja was sweating so much because he had to do extra work by bringing heavy bucket of hot water from the palace kitchen to Aster's bathroom. Aster joked, "Maybe we should take a bath together, you are sweaty."

Ramuja was struck with his master's statement. He blushed instantly and stammered, "YYoung Lord, BBut thatthat is not proper for us to uhm share a bath together."

"I'm just joking," Aster giggled. He stood from the bed slowly and walked to the bathroom, he glanced at Ramuja who was still staring at him dumbly, "Why are you still here? Leave, I will call you after I'm done."

Ramuja nodded silently and walked out of the room. Irion was standing outside to guard the room, and Ramuja was beside him. There was no sound until Irion broke the silence and said, "After Young Lord ordered us to leave his room, you shall train with me today."

Ramuja glanced at Irion's serious countenance and nodded, "Yes, thank you."

Irion side eyed Ramuja while silently observing this guy. He still didn't understand where did that monstrous strength go when he was around Young Lord.

'He was monstrously strong if it was about Young Lord's safety, but he was so docile and fidgety when around Young Lord what a freak,' Irion judged in his heart. But he didn't doubt this guy's strength at all, because sometimes, Ramuja can be very creepy when training.

Like at the day when Young Lord ran away from the duchy, in the morning, Irion punished him with one hundred push ups. Other guards-in-training would die out of exhaustion, but Ramuja didn't, in fact, Ramuja did the push up while he was dazed. He could even see Ramuja drooling, smiling and laughing while doing the push ups.

'Well, as long as he does his job.'

Aster finished his bath and dressed up for the day, he opened the door and saw Ramuja and jain standing in front of his door like a pair of obedient guards, Aster smiled, he said, "Call the palace butler, you guys can go and train outside."

"Understood, Young Lord!" Irion and Ramuja said together. They left Aster alone, then not long after, a butler rushed to Aster's room.

"Yes, sir, may I help you with something?"

"Hnn, escort me to the Second Prince Gaum Cresthold's office," Aster said.

The butler escorted Aster to a room on the eastern part of the palace, a room with a wooden carved with an illustration of a robin bird and his name on it. Aster sneered in his heart, 'This guy is really vain.'

Aster entered the room and found Gaum grinning devilishly. He sat on the sofa while eating some fruits as a snack, "Have you considered me as your suitor now? How about it? Dare to be my partner?"

"No." Aster replied short and cold.

"Ouch, you just hurt me," Gaum laughed, he patted the seat beside him and said, "Come here, I need some morning cuddle."

"That's not going to happen," Aster smiled, he sat on the opposite of Gaum. He crossed his leg and said, "How come you are not in the palace court? This is Monday morning, shouldn't you go and report to your king?"

Gaum laughed ironically, "Gamasiel is still sleeping, or maybe daydreaming. We haven't had any Monday court for years, he comes only for two hours and then leaves the court to daydream again."

"Daydream? About what?" Aster asked.

Gaum stopped munching his snack, he gazed deeply at Aster and smiled mysteriously, "Well, random things about someone."

Gaum laughed mirthlessly, there was a trace of anger and mockery in his eyes, which he concealed immediately, "How do you not know who is in his daydream every day and night, future queen?"