░11░ Dirty Blood

After Selby left, as well as after they have cleaned the bakeshop, Iris went to the kitchen to see that the bird. It had already woken up as it sat on the clothed box chirping its way in the kitchen. This made Iris smile at the sudden singing of the bird in its little boxed house

"There you are little birdy, are you well enough now? You know I'm a good healer, right? Just kidding but seeing you all well now made my heart feel at ease. I should call you, Ellie from now on" Iris talked to the little bird, in the clothed box chirping, looking at her way. It was now twinkling its eyes as it agrees to its name

"Okay, it seems like you've agreed to it. Ellie seems like a cute name after all," she said caressing Ellie's little face as it snuggled closer to her fingers. That gesture only made her smile grew wider

'You made me think of El the first time I looked at you. The first meeting we had this day and the rest was just unexpected. I never thought to meet another guy friend – other than Selby - with this age of mine but I'm glad I met him and got to be friends with him'

Thinking about that, it made Iris smile as she never noticed that Damon was looking at her from the shadows.

'That's a gorgeous smile I had ever seen in my life, no wonder I thought of her as a noble the first time I saw her. The first time I saw her hair fell to her pale neck. She's been gorgeous from the very beginning'

Damon thought focusing his sight on the lady in front of him smiling and talking to the little bird that they saved earlier from the forest

'I'm glad we saved the bird if not, I wouldn't be able to see her smile like that'

"Alright seems like you're a bit hungry, ey! Let's look here if Selby stocked some of his biscuits," Iris said looking at the cabinet if there was. Yet, suddenly Damon came into view and appeared in front of Iris making her be surprised again

"You know what El? You're quite surprising as well, come here," Iris said walking near him. She was pulling him towards the little bird – named El.

"From now on, you should call it Ellie. A nice and adorable name isn't it?" Iris said removing her arms from Damon’s. Now, she was smilingly looking at the little bird while it continues to chirp

Damon at first looked at how Iris reacted and next was to the bird

'So she named the bird next to my fake name El. So thoughtful of her'

Damon thought as he looked at Iris. He was now unconsciously smiling at the way she smiled. The way she acted when the little bird chirped, and the way she cared and aid it, everything made him thought about her. Everything about her makes Damon drawn more into her. He never know that he could want this moment to last forever, only until now that he want her to be always at his side. He wants to see that smile of hers, those gorgeous and kind personalities she had

'I don't know what I'm feeling right now but I felt warmth just by seeing her smile. I felt like I'm truly El for a moment when I'm with her. El, the imaginary person I created if I'm not born a noble after all'

Damon thought while still smiling at the view that makes his smile grew wider

"Ellie, here's El for you! I'm glad you're alright compared to what happened to you earlier," Damon said talking to the chirping and cheerful bird with a baby voice. It only made Iris laughed a little and gently patted his arms.

"I think Ellie's been hungry for a while now,"

"Yeah, I think so too, good thing I have some biscuits in my pocket,"

"Oh! Thoughtful for yourself, El?"

With that, they laughed at each other as they gave Ellie biscuits to eat

'Yeah maybe I can live with this fake identity I've created for a little while. I just want to be together with her, with Selby, and this little bakeshop'

***

"You never learned, have you? You dirty blood!" Derius exclaimed as he faced Lucius from the hallway. After saying those and with that, he immediately grabbed Lucius' arm and roughly dragged him towards the torture room. The servants of the grand duke wait patiently outside of the room as they can’t do anything for the moment

Even the servants can't voice out what they were feeling inside because one wrong mistake might lead them to their demise. So they had no choice but to ignore the wrongs of the duke and pretend like everything was fine. They had to pretend like Lucius was never dragged to that horrible place, to begin with

Inside the torture room, Lucius faced the wrath of the duke

"You never changed! You! You know that I know very well what you're doing, bring the papers back here or else you might pay with your life if not!" Derius angrily said cornering Lucius to the wall but he won't budge

Lucius won't fight the duke with the torture he always received from the room. For he knows that he looked so lifeless in his situation. As much as he wanted to speak out, he kept quiet and never said anything back. While, the duke continued to grip tightly at his clothes up to his neck

"Wait, how could it be you in the first place if you never knew what those are, hmm? For a second thought, that person might be the one to intrude at the house, huh?" Derius rebutted his previous accusation about Lucius who was still emotionless. He was just looking at the ground while the Duke removed his tight grip from his neck

For a second, Lucius never choke in front of anyone because he was used to the way Derius was treating him. He was already used to it when he was still young

'I shouldn't kill this person right now, I still have plans for the empire, and for that to achieve I must use him no matter what, and he's a loyal puppet after all'

That thought made Derius faked a cough signifying Lucius to turn his back and remove his upper clothes. In that way, another scar will be put on his body again like the usual ones when he was still younger

Upon seeing how Lucius reacted, Derius walked near the drawers beside the wall and opened them. He opened them only to see many torture items that were only used in torturing criminals and traitors. Yet, all was already used on the poor guy - Lucius - because of him being dirty blood to the family. As well as him being a secret illegitimate son of the Duke not being known by the public

There, he picked one of the biggest sticks for the day and looked at how magnificently curved it is to hurt his son just because of some misunderstandings

"You should do what is being tasked for you to do and not to play around like some child, understood?" Derius talked like a good father to him when in fact he's just manipulating him. He wanted to make him be his trusted spy that can never betray him no matter what

"Yes, Father" was what Lucius only said with his deep manly voice that every girl can dream to hear. However because he's in that situation, he obediently looked down while waiting for the punishment he'll receive

*Slap*

*Slap*

*Slap*

Sounds of someone hitting something was being heard around and outside of the. Yet, no one dared to enter even with the servants around because they know very well how the duke can get angry. At the same time, they know the consequences of interrupting the duke. So they knew they can't do anything but to hear it especially that they don't have any power in that situation

Derius slapping Lucius felt thrilled and at the same time sadistic because he wanted to hurt him badly and put scars all over his body. It's the result of being psychologically impaired when it comes to dirty blood and commoners. He wanted to kill them or use them

He never thought to hesitate one bit upon hurting his son - his blood - because of the sadistic behavior he uses to portray such a thing. Only did he stop when he saw that his back was swelling and bloodied all over. Afterward, he left the weapon fall on the ground and laughed evilly while still looking at his back

Lucius, on the other hand, didn't feel any pain at all. He was numbed because he's used to it even after hearing his father’s evil laughter, he never felt anything at all. That only made him lifeless at the moment. He stayed like that until he heard the duke's footsteps fading in the room. Until he opened the door and walked out of the room leaving him behind with a swelling and bloodied back

He's that kind of man, sadistic, psychologically impaired, and great pretender to all. However, he's still Lucius' father and he's only sadistic at him not on his legitimate children. After knowing that the duke already left, it was the moment Lucius put on his upper clothes not minding how his back was bloodied and swelling. All that matters to him was to find out the truth, the truth about his birth

Not minding the pain, he immediately walked out of the room like a drunk man. He walked unsteady until then he immediately felt the pain that he almost fell to the ground. He almost lost his balance if it weren't for the wall being his support. He stayed there for a few minutes while breathing hard, enough to calm himself thinking of possible ways to go in his room and start treating himself enough for the day

Even though he just felt the after-effects of the pain, he still managed to go to his basement room without being helped by others. There he began treating himself one more time as he fell asleep while doing so. In his sleep, he was with someone who loved him the way he is. Even though he had no status there but the face of the lady was blurred enough. Upon realizing that he was in a dream, he woke up knowing that it's already night

'It's about time again'

***

"So I guess, I'll have to keep Ellie for a little while, I'm pretty sure my brother will love Ellie," Iris said holding the white-clothed box smiling at Damon after they closed and locked the bakeshop

"Yeah, I guess you'll have to keep it for now. Besides, I don't have any money to feed Ellie so I just hope you take good care of it," Damon said lying in her face because he knew he can't bring any animals in their duchy as the duke and duchess were allergic to them

"Alright, bye for now. Don't forget to be early tomorrow and on time,"

"Yeah, I will, you too. Take care on your way, it's already getting dark,"

"Hmmm, Don't worry about me. I'm a fighter you know that!"

With that, the two had their separated ways and walked their opposite paths

'She's the very first friend that made me feel alive for a moment. I could never forget you, Iris'