~ The frost of time progresses with the tone - IV ~

"Young brother, are you okay, you really look unwell."

"I.. I am f-fine," I wheezed, "what else did you hear?"

I felt scared to even listen to them now, it made me fidgety.

"Well, those who saw them said that the master and his lover were feeding each other, and the lover seemed very..." she hesitated, "they said he was a bit suggestive and too forward, but the master didn't seem to mind, almost complying with any wish. They said the boy was young but very pretty and beautiful, his features were delicate and his figure was a bit attractive. I really want to see how beautiful is that man, because I know he must be ugly. Ugly people are the only ones who would behave so lewdly. And what beauty, he must have chanted some weird spell on him."

I... did not know how to feel about that. But the girls really did hurt my pride.

I wasn't ugly.

"Do you two find me attractive?" I asked genuinely but they both blushed, the deep hue on their cheeks blazing red.

"A-Are you hitting on us?" the first girl asked me with slight anger, but I wasn't fazed.

Sighing I shook my head.

It was simply unbelievable.

"I leave you for one minute and you go around doing such things."

I jumped, when I heard the deep voice of Xi Ken, and looking at the girls, I really resisted rolling my eyes.

Those starry beads they called eyes were sucking in Xi Ken's appearance like moths. How funny.

"Xi Zuen, you are back," I smiled at him, making a show of holding his arms and dragging him up the stairs, clearly at an advantage over the girls who could only ogle at him from a distance.

And yes, call me ugly.

I was sure they did catch my weird behavior, since the glare I was send was laced with heavy poison.

All the while Xi Ken seemed unbothered with how I was literally dragging him around, not complaining in the least.

"I did not buy any scenting oil for you, sorry for that," I pouted at him, still feeling the poison glare. But they were the ones who called me ugly and accused me of taking advantage of the man.

Well, I will put on a show then, even seducing was an art. And ugly or not, no simple fool would be able to do it.

"It is alright, it seems like you took a shower?" Xi Ken had sharp senses, so he easily smelled the change.

I nodded, clinging to his sleeves like a sly fox, tilting my head to the side, "Do you smell it? I applied some." I even elaborately held on to his wrist and brought up his palm next to my neck, puppeteering his fingers to drag on my skin, pressing my voice to make it breathy, "My skin feels super soft today, the scenting liquid was really nice..."

Xi Ken chuckled, lowering his body to take a sniff of my neck, the fingers I had been using as a prop, coming to life, seizing the crook of my shoulder under a hard grip.

"How is it... Xi Zuen..." I didn't have to try hard this time, since his touch and hold, even the musky scent itself behaved like an aphrodisiac.

"Do you have a fetish of putting on a show?" he asked me calmly, his lips breathing out in my ear, sending a surge of arousal deep into my gut.

"N-No," I closed my eyes, as he dragged his fingers down towards my chest, parting the bathing robe I wore, scratching my skin teasingly.

Stopping right above my navel, and pinching it with a soft twist, really making me tense.

I gasped when within another second, he bit my neck, as if trying to tear off the skin. And in response I held on to his sleeves, a bit tighter, feeling my breath hitch when his other hand pulled me close, making me lean onto his sides.

"The scent seems nice."

I nodded dizzily, peering up at him coyly, "Very nice."

"Then get ready, we are leaving," he ordered me softly with a chuckle, snapping me out of my trance, before climbing back down the stairs, and leaving for the reception hall.

I sucked in a deep breath trying to calm myself down. My heart stuttering at me.

What was that?!

I could feel my brain kicking me for my stupidity.

What was that?! Like what!

I groaned aloud in frustration, I had never thought Xi Ken would tease me back and I was surprised that a gentleman like him who resisted immoral values, would react to my game play with equally suggestive actions, if not more.

I looked back down the stairs, almost in reflex, and felt my cheeks flushing red, since the two girls were still there, gaping at me with wide eyes.

And a hint of recognition flashed in their expressions.

Why though...

Oh!

I mentally slapped my stupid face. I had really spoken Xi Ken's name out loud, but I hadn't said Ken, just Xi Zuen. So would they know?

Maybe I was thinking too much.

Shrugging, I left the scene, to get ready for the day. Trying to forget what happened as if I could.

~~

It was by the mid afternoon when we reached the town central, the magistrate circle referred to as Agora.

The stone pavings and the grey tiled roof was not eye catchy, but the bright yellow bricks used for laying the brick walls, and the tall pillars circling the area, were the highlights.

"This place is nice..." I considered asking what we were to do here, but Xi Ken was busy with talking to a young man like myself, short and chubby, but his smile exceptionally bright. He didn't look afraid of Xi Ken, in fact he looked relaxed even. "Master Xi Ken, please give me tips for inking, my brush keeps breaking even after several trials, now I do not know whether I could repair it the next time it breaks."

Xi Ken did not express the same cheer as he received, but he did respond in kind, "You can always use less force in your strokes, and never use water to prepare your ink, always use seed oils with a mix of sour berry pulp, your core will balance out with these external factors."

The student, I assumed, was happy to learn, since he bowed twice and left us alone immediately after.

"Who was he?" I peeked up at Xi Ken to see his reaction, whether he was happy, sad, disgusted, angry... his serious personality was hard to judge.

"He was Hummer, a student of my friend's."

"You have friends?" I asked in surprise, although right after my expression changed, "sorry, of course you would have friends."

It was I who was the loner.

"Worry not, I will introduce you to them."

"If you want to..."

~~

The magistrate building was not only expensive, but it also gave the vibe of threat. The halls were silent and the counter desks were all empty.

I noticed the building was pretty old, the wooden floor boards creaking when I stepped on them, but considering the town's walled layout, I concluded the magistrate building and the town came up together, and such was the reason for its natural aging.

"Is it a holiday today?" I wanted to know why the entire building felt so silent.

"No, they are all waiting for you in the testing hall, since I asked them to prepare a room for you."

I stopped in my tracks, "What are you talking about, I thought we were gonna get some certificate or simply record my name in some old record scroll."

He clicked his tongue at me, "How can you believe you will be recorded before any testing, it is an obvious factor that you will have to put in some efforts."

But it was scary, why couldn't he understand that?

"And..."

I waited for him to continue, urging him on, "And?"

"If you fail, I will leave you behind."

I gulped. Was that a threat?