In a high-class hospital, in a luxurious VIP room, the quiet atmosphere combined with the convenient layout provided the patient with privacy and thoughtful care.
Aaron, small and fragile, lay on the hospital bed, with an IV drip still running through his arm. The wounds on his body had been carefully treated and bandaged. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious, only that his mind still felt hazy. As he slowly opened his eyes, Aaron noticed that the sky outside had already turned to night. His gaze swept across the spacious room; his body still ached, but a strange sense of safety filled his heart.
He was searching for the figure who always appeared in his mind when he fell into the unconscious dark. He felt a worried gaze on him, and by reflex, he turned… but unfortunately, the person he was hoping for was not there.
-"Young Master, you're awake!" The familiar voice of the butler rang out, carrying relief and joy. He quickly approached the bed, his gaze filled with concern. It was clear this had been Lucian's arrangement.
-"Where's Lucian?" Aaron spoke, his voice still weak but laced with an urgency that was hard to hide.
-"Master has left. He said you should stay in the hospital for a few days to recover. I will take care of you in his stead." The butler answered calmly.
Aaron fell silent. His mind was filled with thousands of questions: "Lucian… where did he go?"
He knew well that Lucian couldn't always be by his side, but why wasn't he here now? With Lucian's personality, during moments like this, he should have been here with Aaron. Or… was something happening to him?
But one thing Aaron was sure of—during the time he had been unconscious, Lucian must have been by his side. He could feel it. Lucian had been watching him for a long time, examining every detail of his face, every strand of hair… especially the injuries on his body.
Aaron could imagine Lucian's cold yet heartbroken gaze as he saw the bruises. He must have been furious. He must have wanted to crush the person who had hurt Aaron with his own hands. But for now, at least Aaron was still alive. He was safe. And somehow, Lucian had brought him back to his side.
In the following days, Lucian still didn't appear.
Aaron waited every day, but he never saw him. During the long nights, he lay in the hospital bed, his eyes fixed on the door, hoping for a familiar figure to walk in. But as each day passed, the room remained filled with only him and the butler quietly tending to him.
Lucian was avoiding him.
The truth gradually sank into Aaron's heart, leaving a void that was hard to fill. He didn't understand. Why did Lucian choose to distance himself from him now? Had he done something wrong? Or… was there something happening that Aaron didn't know about?
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Tonight, as Aaron drifted into a light sleep, he suddenly sensed the presence of someone in the hospital room. He was certain it wasn't the butler, as it was late, and he had already gone home to rest at Aaron's request.
-"Who are you?"
Aaron's voice broke the silence, followed by him slowly opening his eyes. His gaze was inquisitive, but there was no fear in it.
-"You're awake, I see."
The voice responded, but its owner remained focused on arranging flowers, seemingly indifferent to Aaron's presence. His eyes were fixed on a of the valley, a look of delight evident on his face.
The figure was small, and there was a dangerous aura, a sense of lethal intent that didn't belong to an ordinary person. Aaron was sure of this. But strangely, he didn't feel any malice from this person.
Aaron made a slight movement, trying to sit up, his eyes still fixed on the stranger, waiting for an answer. The person finally finished arranging the beautiful flowers into the vase, then walked over to place it neatly on the table by the bed. It was only then that Aaron could clearly see the stranger's face. Youthful but hard to read, and on his left hand, he wore a glove.
The corners of his lips curled into an intriguing smile.
-"Jimson Snake."
A short name, providing the answer to Aaron's question. The man stood straight, as if waiting for Aaron to ask more.
-"Where is Lucian?"
Aaron asked directly, without hesitation.
-"I don't know. I haven't seen him for a while."
Jimson Snake answered lightly, his indifference clear.
Knowing there would be no more information from him, Aaron shifted his focus to observe the man. He was certain of one thing—this person was not Lucian's subordinate. The casual tone and lack of respect indicated that. But what caught Aaron's attention more was the mysteriousness, tinged with a momentary softness in Jimson's gaze.
-"Lily of the valley… Is this a flower suitable for visiting the sick?"
Aaron glanced at the vase, his tone neutral.
Jimson Snake tilted his head slightly, his sharp eyes piercing through Aaron.
-"What do you know about this flower?"
Aaron responded slowly:
-"Lily of the valley is elegant, with a sweet fragrance, graceful. If I'm not mistaken, it's also used in perfumes."
Jimson Snake chuckled softly, leaning closer, his deep voice whispered by Aaron's ear:
-"But it also contains a toxin. Cardiac glycosides—can affect the heart rate if ingested."
Aaron fell silent, his gaze never leaving the man in front of him. Indeed, a dangerous individual.
-"You're not Lucian's subordinate?"
Aaron asked again.
Jimson Snake chuckled softly.
-"Not exactly."
A vague answer, but enough for Aaron to understand that this man was not simple.
He looked at Jimson, and suddenly blurted out:
-"You're really handsome."
Jimson Snake suddenly laughed, a light but amused chuckle.
-"Ha… You're the second person to say that to me."
-"Is that so?"
Aaron replied casually. Now, he was sure this person meant no harm.
Jimson Snake leaned back comfortably in his chair, his tone indifferent:
-"I came here today out of curiosity. I wanted to see what kind of person Lucian would go so far as to bring back. Seems like… his judgment isn't too bad."
Aaron listened in silence, not responding.
Jimson continued:
"The first time I met you, I had prepared a gift. But it's better to wait until Lucian takes you to see it."
With that, Jimson stood up, seemingly having accomplished his purpose and preparing to leave.
Seeing this, Aaron quickly spoke:
-"What do you mean? Why bring that flower?"
Jimson Snake suddenly stopped. He turned around and slowly walked back to Aaron.
His voice was calm but cold as he spoke:
-"You know… this world is very dangerous. A being like you… could easily be swallowed whole."
Jimson Snake bent down, looking deep into Aaron's eyes, his words carving themselves into Aaron's mind.
"If you want to survive in this world, you must be like this flower—beautiful, yet dangerous."
With those words, Jimson turned and left.
In the quiet room, Aaron sat there, his gaze following the receding figure of Jimson Snake. His words felt like a reminder.
Aaron knew… it was time for him to change.
——————————————————
In another place—a place where traitors or those who oppose Lucian are held. The air is filled with screams, the smell of blood clinging to the walls. But within this hell, there is a room so luxurious it seems out of place.
Lucian sits in a chair, his gaze sharp and cold, like a king surveying his domain. But it seems he's lost in thought.
Suddenly, a knock sounds at the door. But before Lucian can speak, the door is pushed open.
Jimson Snake steps inside. Clearly, the knock earlier was just an announcement, not a request for permission.
He casually sits in the chair opposite, where the desk for work is placed.
Lucian speaks first, his voice carrying both authority and coldness.
-"You're starting to be late these days?"
Jimson Snake lets out a soft laugh, unphased.
-"Sorry, I was just at the hospital checking on your 'angel.' Took a bit more time."
He leisurely leans back in his chair, continuing in a nonchalant tone, "Indeed, not disappointing. Very beautiful."
Lucian narrows his eyes. His voice is still cold, but there's a hint of mockery.
-"You actually remember the face of someone else?"
Jimson Snake hesitates slightly. He looks down at his left hand, where he wears a glove.
A moment of silence.
Then he responds indifferently, as if he doesn't care about his own story.
-"Don't remember. But the impression was good. Just know… beautiful."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly becomes tense, silent except for the ticking of the clock.
Lucian inhales a puff of smoke, the faint mist fading in the yellow light.
After a while, he speaks again, without emotion.
-"Why are you still keeping those people alive?"
Jimson Snake picks up a glass of wine from the table, gently swirling the amber liquid inside before replying.
-"I recently invented a new drug. Need some people to test it."
He pauses for a moment, as if recalling something more interesting.
-"And that guy Raihan… Don't you think a single shot to kill him is too light?"
Lucian doesn't respond immediately. He silently puts out his cigarette, his deep eyes unreadable.
-"You want to torture him?"
Jimson Snake smirks slightly, his tone unclear whether playful or serious.
-"Not sure. But consider it a gift for your 'wife.' It will be interesting."
Lucian narrows his eyes, his voice lowering, as if assessing Aaron's capabilities.
-"You think he can do it?"
Jimson Snake sets the wine glass down on the table, his eyes deep and containing something difficult to read.
-"Sometimes, there are hatreds… that only a death won't be enough to resolve."
The room falls into silence. The atmosphere between the two dangerous men becomes tense without any threats being spoken.
They both know well—that some sins cannot simply be paid for with death.
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In the quiet VIP room that Lucian had arranged, Aaron had fallen into a deep sleep. Only then did Lucian silently open the door and step inside.
His gaze softened as he stopped to look at the sleeping boy's face. Gone was the usual coldness, and he gently pulled the blanket, carefully adjusting every crease as though even the slightest roughness would wake him. Afterward, he silently sat down, his eyes watching the peaceful form of his little angel.
Lucian wanted Aaron by his side. He wanted to make him his wife. But because of this, he began to feel fear. A man like Lucian, who had never hesitated to take anyone's life, now feared that Aaron would be in danger if he stayed with him.
In the past, he had seen Aaron as something to possess. But now, he loved him—seriously, deeply, to the core. And that made him think a lot.
He was a demon, and Aaron was an angel. If he wanted to keep him by his side forever, Aaron would have to become a demon like him. But… he couldn't bring himself to do that.
Lucian sighed softly, reaching out to take Aaron's hand, his fingers tightening as if trying to make up for the long days of separation. The more he gazed at the delicate face, the deeper his heart sank in the emotion known as love.
But then, his thoughts shifted when he remembered Raihan—the one who hadn't died because Jimson Snake had spared his life.
Lucian wondered, if he had killed Raihan that day, would Aaron have been heartbroken? Even now, he still didn't know if there was a place for him in Aaron's heart…
Lost in thought, he didn't realize his hand had tightened around Aaron's.
Lucian snapped out of his reverie and looked down, just as Aaron's dazed eyes slowly opened. In the stillness of the night, their gazes met, and neither spoke, but between them, it felt as if an invisible thread had tightened.
EndofChapter9.