Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Emperor Audric IV and Grand Duchess Camellia were alone in the Emperor chamber. The mighty glanced at his older sister every five minutes before trying to distract himself by eating the snack, drinking tea, or fiddling with his fingers.

He didn't know what to say to his sister after the incident of assassination attempt yesterday. It was completely out of his mind that the strict patrol around the palace couldn't prevent two assassination attempts. It was a relief that Aster was unharmed, but his sister might be mad because of this.

"Big sis, about Aster..." Emperor tried to open conversation, but Grand Duchess didn't even throw a glance at him. She purposely ignored him.

"Big sis... I'm sorry, what should I do to make this better?" Emperor whined. His handsome sculpted face looked pitiful as he begged to his sister like a little boy. He tried to reach Grand Duchess' hand, but she deflected it.

Grand Duchess finished her drink and then stood up. She glanced at the Emperor once and said, "You can make yourself useful by making your wife out of my sight, at least when I'm around the palace. She disgusts me."

Emperor Audric IV was relieved. He thought his sister would ignore him forever. But if just needed to make that ugly woman busy, it wasn't such a big task. "Yes, big sis! I'll do it, please don't be mad, okay?" Emperor begged.

Grand Duchess snorted, "Whatever, I'll leave now, I need to see my son."

"Big sis... you're leaving without giving me a kiss?"

"A kiss? You're not doing anything, you let my son in danger, and you spend the night everyday in the same chamber as that ugly hag. Hah, what makes you think that you deserve it?" Grand Duchess laughed mirthlessly. She opened the door and left the speechless Emperor alone in his chamber.

Grand Duchess was escorted to Aster's chamber. Not long after, the guard opened the door. Grand Duchess saw Aster was with someone there, a handsome, tall man using glasses around his early thirty. He wore regular butler uniform, but from his bearing, it was quite obvious that he wasn't just regular butler.

Grand Duchess peered and deducted that this man was one of Aster's subordinate, the one that he gave his guard medal to. Grand Duchess switched his focus to Aster and saw him unscathed, no, there wasn't even a trace of fear in his eyes.

'I see, my son has grown up now.' Grand Duchess smiled in his heart. If his deduction was right, then Aster finally understood how to play in this palace. However, Grand Duchess couldn't act like she knew Aster's plan, because she knew that deep inside, Aster still thought that she was a kind and caring mother.

'It's not wrong though, I am kind and caring to my dearest son.' Grand Duchess said in her heart. Gradually, her golden circle turned into pure gold eyes and then she rushed to Aster and hugged her.

"Oh, my son! Are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere? Please tell mother!" Grand Duchess' panic expression softened Aster's heart. He had plenty of questions to his mother, but he should set that aside from now and enjoy this warm feeling with his mother. He hugged Grand Duchess back in a warm, tight hug. Aster sank his head to Grand Duchess shoulder, feeling all the warmth he could get before it disappeared once more.

"I'm okay, mom. I'm just a bit shocked."

"Thank god, you're alright." Grand Duchess rubbed Aster's hair.

"Mom, I missed you a lot. Can we have a talk?" Aster said.

"Yes, surely."

Aster instructed Jain to bring them tea and snack. However, Grand Duchess refused that and said, "I think, we just need a time alone. Would you mind to leave the room?" Grand Duchess asked Jain.

Jain glanced at Aster, waited for his master's command. Aster nodded, then Jain left the room.

Grand Duchess was finally sure that this butler was Aster's secret subordinate. No regular butler would follow Aster order above hers, even in the palace. She smiled in satisfaction.

Aster and his mother talked about the situation in the Grand Duchy and the situation about his father.

"Was he still busy with business?" Aster asked.

"Well, indeed. Your father has never stepped inside the duchy since you left," Grand Duchess sighed, "Well, I don't blame him, the duchy has become a bit abandoned without you. I also have to leave the duchy almost everyday."

"Mom..." Aster suddenly remembered about the fact that his mother had to pay hefty price just to visit him before. If she would need to pay another price to Uncle Emperor just to visit him again today, it'd make him feeling very guilty.

"Oh, are you worried about my visit to you today?" Grand Duchess smiled. "My Emperor brother give me leeway today. In fact, I was planning to visit the palace for another reason, but it somehow coincide with this assassination incident..."

"Another reason?" Aster asked.

Grand Duchess went silent and stared at Aster deeply. She couldn't hold back her tears and then slowly, tears welled in her eyes.

"M--Mom, what happened?" Aster tried to wipe Grand Duchess' tears, but Grand Duchess refused. She wiped it with her own handkerchief.

"Aster... do you want to leave this palace?" Grand Duchess asked abruptly. She had her voice shaking, but tried to stay strong. "It was my mistake that let you to be trapped here. I... I don't want my son to suffer, so I want to make a deal with Brother Emperor once more."

Aster was pained seeing his mother cried bitterly. She was trapped by her own brother and then had to deal with plenty consequences just to see him. "What deal you want to make to take me out of this palace, mom?"

"I'm planning to give half of our land to the Empire. In exchange, you would be freed from this contract."

Aster's eyes widened. There was no way that it was a good deal. It was very disadvantageous for Grand Duchy, and might led to horrible financial loss. Aster's body trembled, he saw his mother hopelessly holding her bitter tears.

'For my mom to be this desperate just for me...'

Aster would be lying if he said that he didn't want to leave. This palace is a hellhole. It was extremely magnificent and beautiful from the outside, but it heavily controlled by that disgusting Empress and Emperor. It had plenty of schemes going around in the ministry too.

There was no wish better than leaving this palace now. But when Aster saw how desperate his mother had become, and even boldly going to offer half of grand duchy's land just to free him. It was too much, too much for him.

Aster wanted to cry and then confessed that he really wanted to leave this palace, and this palace had made a killer with schemes. But he knew, he couldn't. It was impossible for him to let this trade between his mother and Emperor happen.

"Mom, the situation might not be good now, but I am okay here..."

"Aster, please don't lie. You're the most important for your dad and me, and also for grand duchy!" Grand Duchess exclaimed. However, Aster shook his head and smiled.

"I am fine, it's almost a year already now. I just need to wait another year and I will be back."

"But..."

"Also, don't visit me too much mom. You might need to pay hefty price for it," Aster added.

Grand Duchess was doubtful, but she nodded unwillingly.

Aster suddenly remembered the sentence that Lady Merse had said to him before. This was the right time to test it with his own mother.

'I might hesitate because I missed my mom too much. If my mom said the same thing, it would clear my mind.'

"Mom, can you promise me that you'll always be on my side and protect me?" Aster asked softly.

Grand Duchess raised her brow, she chuckled and hugged Aster, then naturally said, "Of course, I will always be on your side. I will always protect you, Aster. You're my dearest son."

Aster absorbed every word that came out from his mother's mouth. He tried to brush off the weird feeling in his heart. But when he listened to his own mother saying the exact same line as Lady Merse, something felt off...

'Why does it feel different? I... I can't feel the same warmth with my mother than with Merse?'