Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Chapter 151: Long Live the King

Gaum opened his eyes, he blinked a few times and saw Aster was sleeping beside him peacefully. After a month of them sharing their bed, Gaum had come to know a few habits of Aster when he was sleeping.

Aster would usually pout when he was sleeping, or grumbled. Sometimes he would sleep talk, and he would suck on his thumb like a baby.

'Well, a seductive baby'

Gaum smiled, he fiddled Aster's lips and then pecked his lips gently.

Aster smiled after the short kiss, which made Gaum feeling satisfied. But his satisfaction immediately diminished when he heard Aster sleep talking again, "Ramuja more kiss me more"

Gaum was extremely displeased, he lost count how many times he pecked Aster's mouth when he was asleep, but his words were always Ramuja-Ramuja-Ramuja. He almost lashed out on Aster.

'I'm the one who sleeps with you! Goddamn this!'

Gaum noticed that Aster's eyelid twitches, Gaum's sour face turned into a bright smile instantly. He wanted to greet Aster with his bright smile, so Aster might fall in love with him through habit. But Aster only saw him once and then shifted his eyes to the ceiling.

"What day is it?" Aster asked.

"Today is the day for my announcement," Gaum said. He knew that Aster never really took him to his eyes, but it still hurt seeing Aster didn't even stare at him for more than a second.

"Then, you are going to be the new king," Aster pondered, "I would need your assistance after you become a king."

"Anything for you. Although, I don't want to be the one at disadvantage, remember that," Gaum said, and Aster nodded. He kept imagining Ramuja in his dream, he imagined that Gaum was Ramuja and kissed him in his sleep.

Turned out it was Gaum instead.

"Alright then, I will leave," Aster got up as fast as he could and left the room without even saying good morning. Gaum gritted his teeth, this was not the kind of warm he wanted. Aster was so cold to him.

No, don't do it. If I force him, he will retaliate.'

Gaum took a deep breath, today was his announcement that King Gamasiel was unable to carry out the title as king anymore because he had been comatose for the whole month after he was almost beaten to death by that servant. Gaum smirked.

 'Aster and I will have a tight bond after I become a king, I guarantee it.'

***

Aster hurried to his room and immediately took a cold bath, he didn't even care about the cold winter that swept Golden Camellia this year. He just wanted to scrub this nasty feeling in his body.

Yes, he didn't feel the disgust and the retch when he was sleeping with Gaum. But he still felt extremely nasty after he woke up. Because every night, he imagined that it was Ramuja who slept with him. He dreamed Ramuja every day, so this nasty feeling would subside temporarily.

'Everything feels so disgusting except Ramuja.'

'What did he do to me? Why am I so disgusted by human contact except with Ramuja?'

Aster sighed. He finished his cold bath soon and wore the clothes that had been prepared for him. Today was the day where the ministers and officials of Kingdom Rhea would gather and Gaum would announce that Gamasiel was unable to carry out the status as a king because he was still comatose for the whole month. Thus, Gaum will take the throne.

'With him in the throne, I can finally return to Grand Duchy with an army, whether my mother would accept me or not, it doesn't matter.'

'It is my time to take what I deserve, then I shall separate myself from her, or I will'

Aster had thought about it, he didn't know how much his mother had manipulated him. Maybe all her manipulations were dated back when he was a kid. But one thing to be sure, he was living in a lie up until now.

'But am I ready to fight her?'

Aster had realized that his mother was a very calculative woman, who knew that all his activities right now had been calculated by his mother and she prepared to strike him.

Aster shook his head to clear the doubt in his heart. What he needed to focus right now was to get Gaum to be the king, and then return to his grand duchy. Aster opened the door and saw Ramuja and Irion already standing there.

Aster said nothing and just walked towards the king's public chamber, Irion asked a few things to him which he replied shortly. As for Ramuja, it's been one month and both of them never talked to each other.

Because they felt shameful and guilty for what they did to each other. Ramuja felt extremely guilty because he was the one who caused trouble to Young Lord, and Aster felt shameful because he slept with another man every day.

'I I want to talk to him but'

Aster glanced at Ramuja who lowered his head the whole time. His heartbeat skipped a bit, probably because Ramuja was always in his dream every night. Since he couldn't face Ramuja in real life, at least, in his dream, he talked to Ramuja every night.

Aster hid his bitterness and opened the king chamber. It was already crowded with officials and ministers waiting for Prince Gaum. When the door was opened and they saw Aster, all of them were stunned silly.

Aster had expected this, because he never showed up in the public of Rhea. He was always inside the Rhea's royal family private area inside the palace, thus, only few servants and guards ever saw his face.

There were some gasps and drools as usual, but they almost lost their mind when Prince Gaum appeared from behind and hugged Aster. He circled his hand around Aster's waist, "Why didn't you wait for me?" Gaum said with his deadly flirtatious tone.

Aster was also stunned, he glanced on the right to check on Ramuja. Ramuja was clenching the hem of his shirt, his body trembled as he tried to hold his wrath, but he still casted his eyes down.

This was a nightmare for Aster too. He looked around to see the ministers were expecting him to say something to Prince Gaum. They never saw this mesmerizing man before, was this Prince Gaum's spouse?

'He fucking pitted me here! He wanted to show everyone that he owns me!' Aster cursed in his heart. But on his face, he smiled and said, "Prince Gaum is polite, this is a public area"

Gaum chuckled, "Oh? So if it's not a public area, your answer will be different? My Sweet Aster is a naughty one."

'Fuck you, Gaum! Fuck you!'

"Prince Gaum should announce the state of the kingdom right now, people are waiting," Aster said politely, still with his beaming smile that fascinated people.

Gaum laughed lightly and then kissed Aster cheek, "Alright then, come with me, you should stand beside me."

Gaum separated him from Ramuja and Irion, he pulled Aster and stood in front of the crowd. He took the text that had been prepared and read it loud.

"Good morning my beloved subjects, today, we are passing unfortunate news. Our beloved king, King Gamasiel Cresthold, had been targeted by a treacherous man and his murderous servant. The man and his servant had been executed to carry the justice for King Gamasiel. But he had been in vegetative state for the whole month without any sign of recovery. Thus, I, Prince Gaum Cresthold, announce that King Gamasiel is unable to carry out his task as the ruler of Kingdom Rhea," Gaum stopped reading to see the reaction of the people.

Some were excited, some were depressed, but it was indeed a mixed reaction. The people might have loved Gamasiel because they didn't know how incompetent he was, but these ministers and officials knew exactly how hard it was to work with Gamasiel.

"The throne shall not be empty. Thus, to carry out the task to rule Kingdom Rhea, I, Gaum Cresthold, Second Prince of Kingdom Rhea, shall be the new king of Kingdom Rhea. If there is any objection from my beloved subject, I will allow you to object now."

One second, two second, three seconds and no one raised his hand. Because most of them already knew how well Gaum handled the dire economic situation of Rhea for the past two years. Without him, the kingdom would simply fall.

The ministers and officials started clapping one by one and some of them shouted, "Long live King Gaum Cresthold!"

"Long live King Gaum Cresthold!"

Gaum grinned smugly, he glanced at Aster's nonchalant reaction. As if, his declaration today meant nothing to him. Aster was distracted the whole time. He followed Aster's line of sight and it stopped at one person.

'That slave again, huh.'

Gaum's smug countenance dissipated. It was not a surprise, but a raging jealousy appeared in his heart again. Suddenly, a wild idea propped in his head, he suddenly hugged Aster who was startled and announced to his ministers and officials.

"This is Aster di Arlingdon, Young Lord of Grand Duchy Stormhill. He is a very intelligent, kind and absolutely gorgeous man, but he was ousted by his mother because of his love for me."

Gaum smirked charmingly to his officials, "I, Gaum Cresthold, in the name of Rhea, shall bring justice to his mother, Grand Duchess Camille. I shall prove to her that our love is true and undefeatable."

The ministers and officials were mesmerized with the sight of two handsome men, one was devilishly charming, the other was as mesmerizing as an angel.

'A perfect pair,' they thought in their head.

Gaum hugged Aster who was still stupefied by the sudden turn of events, and Gaum whispered to him, 'If you want my soldier, then you need to steal their heart first. Dont worry, I am their heart.'