The Dork’s Unexpected Confessions

"Ezra, I saw my father at the palace earlier, why is he at the palace? For what reason?" Asked Elias, he's quite concerned about what might the duke say to his father. If the duke told his father that he stole pastries from the bakery.. he'll get some ass-whooping. Tobias never taught him to steal, and neither other people that Elias knew.

Yet why did Elias steal some pastries from Ezra? for what reason? In fact, Elias didn't really steal some pastries. Back to that day, Ezra and Elias were hanging out by the riverbank, Ezra was eating pastries, those pastries are new creations from her mother, Helen. Elias was curious at first, This pastry looked new. He thought.

Then he nagged to Ezra for a taste, yet Ezra refused, saying that, "I need to eat this! for the taste test, my mother asked me to." 

Elias was not swayed at this and smudged, "Why can't I taste it? I'm a customer too!" Then he grabbed the pastry off Ezra's grasp and sprinted away like it was a hit and run accident.

"Hey! Elias you little— you learned how to steal huh!" Yelled Ezra and quickly ran behind Elias.

Elias turned his head to look behind him- he immediately had goosebumps, "I just want a taste okay?! I'm sorry! I'll pay for it!" and Elias laughed off as he sprinted down the terrain, and that's how Elias bumped into the Grand Duke.

"I don't know, but there's four Imperial guards looking for Uncle Tobias, according to those four, Uncle Tobias was being summoned by the grand duke, and he needs to get there as soon as possible. They sounded very strict too, good thing they didn't harm Uncle Tobias." Ezra explained.

"Before Uncle Tobias was asked to come into the palace with the imperial guards, we were talking about your whereabouts," Ezra sighed, "It's my fault why you got into custody overnight. Uncle Tobias was very worried about you, he didn't sleep properly all night. I got guilty, that's why I'm in your home as we speak." 

"I told Uncle Tobias what happened before you were captured, I said we're joking around and you lost your control on running to the uneven terrain of the riverbank and rolled into the Rosette river with the man you bumped in, then later on you were captured by imperial guards."

"Uncle Tobias asked me what the guy you pushed in looked like, I said, "The man who Elias accidentally rolled with, has raven hair with silver strands, I think, he wears jewelry too. like a pair of gold earrings. Also, He's tall, he wears white peasant blouse and black pantaloons which are up to his waist. that man is attractive, and hot!" That's what I said, then all of the sudden, Uncle Tobias spat out his coffee and said, "That— That's the grand duke who Elias rolled with!" and then we panicked. though we don't know what to do, we're very worried that the Grand Duke might even kill you because.. I saw you perform CPR with him."

Elias lowered his head onto the table, he felt very embarrassed, like saving the Grand Duke's life is his biggest mistake. The Grand Duke's lips are vague in his mind, yet he still feels that warmth and how soft his lips are. He could savor it all day.

"Hey.. Elias." Ezra uttered. 

Elias got his head up to look at Ezra, "What do you want?" He sounded a little annoyed. Ezra smirked slyly and flicked Elias's forehead, "Ow! what the— what was that for?!" He shouted, maybe a little overreaction. 

"Mr. Culprit, you're all red, what're you thinking about?" Teased Ezra.

Elias blushed harder and looked away, trying to hide his embarrassment, "N-Nothing. Just thinking about something stupid." he muttered reluctantly, still avoiding Ezra's gaze. 

"C'mon, tell me!" Ezra insisted, grabbing Elias' chin and forcing him to look at him, "Please?" 

Elias hesitated briefly before giving in.

"The Grand Duke's lips." he said softly, almost as if talking to himself. 

Ezra's expression shifted from mischievous to confused. "His lips? Why were you thinking about those?"

"I-I don't know," Elias said, looking down at his food again, "I just can't get them out of my mind."

"Huh." Ezra said simply, not understanding why Elias would be so obsessed with the Grand Duke's lips, "Well, I guess it's not a big deal. Just don't do anything stupid and get yourself in trouble, okay?" 

Elias nodded, still embarrassed and unsure of why he was thinking about the Grand Duke's lips so much. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed and guilty.

Ezra was silent for a while but then she teased him and abruptly said, "Do you like men?"

Elias choked on the soup he was slurping and coughed constantly, "H-Hey! I was just kidding!" and she slapped Elias' back to help him.

"Why are you saying that I like men all of the sudden?" Elias coughed before speaking. 

"Well, you're thinking about a man's lips, isn't it odd?" Ezra teased more, poking Elias's shoulder.

"I'm not a homo, but.. the Grand Duke.. I.. I think I would be, for him." Elias admitted shyly. I mean, who wouldn't be attracted to the Grand Duke? He's rich, he's attractive, does anyone hate an attractive billionaire? surely not!

Ezra laughed, and hadn't got enough teasing, "Oh wow.. our little corn is getting on his puberty!"

Elias blushed at being teased, feeling embarrassed by his admission. He knew that liking men was odd and frowned upon in their society, and he worried about how his confession would affect his relationship with Ezra and others. 

As Ezra continued to tease him, Elias became more and more anxious. He tried to deny his attraction to the Grand Duke, saying that it was just a fleeting thought and not something serious. But the more Ezra pushed, the more Elias felt compelled to be honest with himself. 

Finally, Elias took a deep breath and admitted, "Okay, fine. I admit it. I'm attracted to the Grand Duke. I don't know what that means for my future or how people will react, but it's the truth."

Ezra couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had always known that Elias was different, but she never expected him to be gay. She was initially surprised and shocked, but she quickly recovered and started laughing, "Oh, Elias. You're so cute," she said with a smile, "I'm proud of you for being so honest with yourself. And don't worry about what other people think. If they can't accept you for who you are, then they're not worth your time anyway." 

Elias felt a sense of relief wash over him as Ezra accepted him for who he was. He was grateful to have such a supportive friend by his side, and he knew that he could always count on her to be there for him, no matter what.

"But Elias, why the Grand Duke?" Ezra asked, genuinely curious.

"How about you, why that shrewish lady? an engaged one, even." Elias had his revenge by asking back, he actually not sure if Ezra was really attracted to that lady, but he also thinks that Ezra was just captivated by that lady's beauty, nothing more isn't it? 

Ezra rolled her eyes, "you know that the Grand Duke is a tyrant, right? he's very strict according to the rumors, I really thought he'll be the death of you, but turns out, you're a flagpole."

Elias laughed and finished his soup, "Y'know, you might piss your pants if you encountered the Grand Duke, he's a true tyrant. When he ordered to seize me, he reasoned that the reason why I am being seized is that I violated him by doing such an intimate act. I thought that's a ridiculous reason, the most unreasonable reason I've ever heard, I bet that Grand Duke is allergic to physical contact." He got up, washing his dish in the sink.

"But hey, when he left furiously, his ears were all red!" Elias exclaimed happily, which made Ezra hooked to his story, "How did you know? I mean, how did you see that his ears are red?" 

Elias snorted, wiping his hands to a clean rag, "It's windy at the riverbank, At first, I was looking at him with doe eyes for mercy, but then I noticed how pointy his ears are, it was odd then I noticed his ears are all red! isn't it intriguing? his right ear has a mole too!" 

This bastard. Though Ezra, He doesn't know that it's a crime talking behind the Grand Duke's back. 

"Oh yeah, Ezra, you need to go with me tomorrow at the palace." Elias said, Ezra was startled, just why is she involved with it too?!

"Me? nah, I'm good. you're old enough, go to the palace all by yourself." She replied.

"Nope! it was the Grand Duke's words. Apparently, he doesn't trust me by just handing you my payment to the pastry without his watch so he needs you there to confirm that I paid you." Elias said, there's a hint of teasing in his tone, considering the fact that it was Ezra's turn to meet the tyrant, he couldn't help but be overjoyed.

"Fucking hell," she cussed, lowering her head, as if regretting her whole life decisions, "I'm going to shit my skirt."

Landroich's Mini Theatre:

Ezra: [Teasing] "You might pee your pants when you meet him at the palace."

Elias: [Grinning] "Oh, Ezra, you need to come with me to the palace tomorrow."

Ezra: [Shocked] "Me? Why?"

Elias: [Smirking] "Because the Grand Duke doesn't trust me to pay you for the pastry without his supervision!"

Ezra: [Sighs] "I'm going to need extra tea for this."