Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Today was the winter feast celebration in the palace, and it was already seven o'clock at night. Aster looked to his window and saw that there were already many nobles dressed in their extravagant apparel just to show off to each other. Aster hated this kind of event that was filled with people who thought they were already rich, who thought that they were already strong enough to hold their nose high up, people who thought that the world was in their hands. But they still licked his grand duchy and the royals' boots for some benefit to their houses.

Aster hated these pretentious people to the bone.

However, in this occasion, he needed to bear it and joined the crowd as someone different than his regular self.

Aster was already dressed up and looked at the mirror. His wavy golden hair looked fluff and fresh. His pale face was flawless, with that deep eyes and a mole under his left eyes. His rosy lips smiled gently.

He wore a blue vest that was enough to warm his body, but did not cover his perfect slender figure. He wore a loose white shirt underneath the vest that made him both appear striking but soft at the same time. He wore a tight fitting leather pants with dark boots, and he wore a silver bangle that fitted well in his small wrist.

To normal eyes, god definitely personally carved Aster's appearance.

However, to the owner of such appearance, he still felt lacking.

'Is this enough? I need to look good for this feast… but somehow, I still feel something is inadequate…'

Charles opened the door and saw Aster attentively checked his suit for winter feast on the mirror. When Aster heard someone opened the door, he turned his back and saw Charles standing there, stupefied.

"Charles?" Aster frowned, Charles didn't answer his call, but he hastily approached Aster.

"You should… not be too striking…" Charles said.

"Huh?"

"This… That…you will draw too much attention, I don't like it…" Charles tried to unbutton Aster's vest.

"Hands off!" Aster swiftly backed away.

Charles finger grabbed the air, there was some disappointed in his eyes, but he immediately hide it. "I just think that you're too striking, this kind of appearance… is not acceptable…" Charles said softly.

'This beautiful you, only me can see it, Aster…' Charles thought.

Aster rolled his eyes and tried to ignore Charles while continuously fixing his hair in the mirror. Charles approached him from behind, his hands swiftly held Aster's waist and his face drew near his nape. Aster could feel Charles' breath ticking his nape.

"Charles?" Aster called his cousin, but he didn't respond. Aster tried to wiggle out of Charles' embrace, but the hands around his waist tightened. Aster started panicking, knowing that Charles seemed to act weirder and weirder by days.

"To tease me like this… what should I do, cousin? Why do you need to test me?" Charles asked softly.

Aster started struggling, he saw the mirror and saw Charles' eyes turned pure golden and glimmered, unlike regular human.

"Charles!" someone entered the room and immediately shouted Charles' name. Both Aster and Charles turned their heads and saw Rosalie with her unusual stern face.

Charles bright golden eyes dissipated slowly, turning it back to regular golden circle eyes. He frowned and realized that his hands were already in Aster's waist and saw Aster's frightened expression.

He immediately backed off and bowed his head awkwardly, "Oh, sorry Aster. I was just--"

"You are ready, right?" Rosalie cut Charles' speech to turn the tension down. Aster tried to shift his attention away from Charles and faced Rosalie. He tried to smile, but it turned to be an awkward smile.

"Yes, I'm ready," Aster said.

Rosalie smiled and gave a light chuckle, "Why are you so beautiful today, you made me jealous as a woman and golden princess here," Rosalie said with joking tone.

"You sure? I think I look just okay…"

"Sigh… forget it, just don't draw too much attention, I just want you to be closer to some people we targeted in this feast, not to be the star of winter feast."

"My job is just to smile and talk like I am eager to communicate with them, right?"

"Correct… but seeing you smile and such… I don't think this task will be easy for you," Rosalie hesitated. "Oh well, let's just see."

Rosalie grabbed Aster's hand and dragged him out of the room. Charles was treated like air and ignored. However, when the door closed, his smile bloomed once more.

'I'm touching his waist, slender, supple, his nape smells very fragrant, like a garden of roses…'

Charles' bright golden eyes appeared once more.

***

Aster and Rosalie walked in the corridor, they could see the nobles in the feast from here. Rosalie said in low voice, "Your target is that thin woman in red dress, Lady Merse from the House of Thana," Rosalie pointed to a woman in red dress, probably in her thirties, and her face was really thin.

"The second is Lord Gamasiel, the current king of vassal kingdom Rhea." Rosalie then pointed at a handsome young man with slightly brown hair and muscular build.

"And last, there, Miss Claudia, the only daughter of the second richest merchant in the entire empire, though, not as rich as your duchy," Rosalie smiled and pointed at a meek girl in a white dress sitting alone with her cake.

Aster frowned, Lord Gamasiel wasn't a stranger in his eyes. Though he just remembered his name after Rosalie mentioned them, he was one of few people who tried to impress him before. But Lady Merse and Miss Claudia… this was the first time Aster saw them.

"Why them? And what is their connection?" Aster asked.

"They're all Mother Empress' followers and they have some entanglement. Miss Claudia and Lord Gamasiel is actually in relationship, Miss Claudia is only Empress' follower because she has a deep love with Gamasiel and naturally followed his alliance. Your job is… to seduce Gamasiel."

"Gamasiel? Not Miss Claudia?" Aster frowned.

"Claudia is a very shy girl, if you approach her, she might faint. Besides, her love to Lord Gamasiel is already run deep in her blood."

Aster brows furrowed even more. He knew he needed to do some ridiculous stuff in this event, but seducing a man whom also happened to be the king of a vassal kingdom… was surprising.

"Just engage a conversation with Gamasiel and smile," Rosalie suggested. "For Lady Merse… you don't need to do anything, she will eventually be interested in you," Rosalie smiled mysteriously.

"Interested in me? But she's almost as old as my mother."

"You'll know why, soon." Rosalie replied lightly. Aster was unsure with his cousin, but he finally nodded.

They walked out of the corridor to the hall where the feast was being held. The aroma of delicious foods and perfumes mixed into one that made Aster slightly dizzy.

When Aster entered the hall, everyone's eyes were on him. They saw Aster curled his lips up, showing a light smile. Then, the entire crowd went silent, some people stared in daze, some dropped their foods, and some swallowed their saliva. Everyone's eyes was on him that even the beautiful Golden Princess besides him was ignored.

Emperor and Empress were sitting in the balcony upstairs, watching Aster with their disdainful eyes.

Just like this, Aster already drawn too much attention.

'Sigh… I know this will be too hard for him,' Rosalie sighed in her heart.