His Highness’ Generous Offer

As Kaiser paid Elias, Elias couldn't help but mutter as he gave The Grand Duke's change, "When could I see you again?" 

Elias felt a lump in his throat as he asked the question. He knew it was wrong to ask such questions to a grand duke. He didn't want to disrespect The Grand Duke, but he also couldn't help but wonder when he could see him again. He felt a mix of emotions, a combination of guilt and longing.

The Grand Duke smiled faintly, "You're welcome at the palace, You can enter whenever you want." 

With that, Kaiser and Matthew left the bakery. Surprisingly, there's a carriage waiting for them, who could send a carriage? it's probably Luxe, waiting impatiently for Kaiser yet why would she be impatient, does she have in mind to tell Kaiser? 

The two settled in the carriage as Matthew finished his Napoleon, Kaiser propped his hand to his chin as he looked at the window. When Elias had said to him, 'When could I see you again?' A dead memory core immediately erupted in his mind.

In this flash of memory, a one year old boy was playing with him in the study of his father. In that separate area of the study, he played with that blonde boy who adored his wooden toys, especially with the wheels on. A voice speaked, it was sweet and gentle, "Let's go now, the king and I had finished discussing, let them continue the Archduke's grand celebration, hm?" 

The little boy hesitated first before holding his mother's hand to leave, the little boy stared at him with big blue eyes, those long eyelashes stared at him with a hint of longing.

The little boy is just one year old and does not speak so fluently, gathered his little courage up to speak correctly, his voice small and soft like a whisper, "When could I see you again?" 

Kaiser was jolted out of his thoughts when the carriage came to a sudden stop. What had happened? He looked out the window to see Luxe standing beside the carriage, her expression impatient. Had she really sent the carriage for them? Why was she in such a rush to see Kaiser? Matthew quickly opened the door and stepped out, holding out his hand to help Kaiser down. 

As Kaiser walked towards Luxe, she approached him with a determined look on her face, "Kaiser," she whispered softly, "I need to speak with you." Her eyes darted to the side, as if checking to make sure no one else was listening, "In private." 

Matthew looked at the two of them, puzzled, before climbing back into the carriage. Matthew waved a hand to bid a farewell to The Grand Duke, which Kaiser saw and nodded. 

Luxe ushered Kaiser into a nearby bush before entering the palace, then turned to face him with an expression of such seriousness that it made him uneasy, "Kaiser," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "I have something important to tell you, something that cannot wait." She held Kaiser's hand, "Please, let me speak."

The Grand Duke became irritated as she nagged, the touch, too, which made his blood boil. Kaiser quickly snapped, "What is it?! Spit it out!"

Having this response from her husband, she was quite hurt but nevertheless, she spoke, "W-Why did you accept Matthew as your concubine? What's wrong with you?! You already have me!" 

The Grand Duke knitted his eyebrows, his expression was again, in disgust and disdain as he looked at Luxe through his lavender eyes.

That expression again.. Luxe thought, then she uttered, "Am I not good enough?" Her eyes threatened to pour the tears as she gazed at Kaiser with pitiful eyes.

"A commodity will remain a commodity," Kaiser said bluntly, "I harbor no feelings for you, you're a commodity and you will be. I am never once attracted to you, because I never liked the idea of marrying my own cousin for the sake of sitting on the throne." 

Luxe staggered back at the Grand Duke's words. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I please him? The tears that threatened to pour from her eyes were suddenly replaced by an intense anger. She clenched her fists as she glared at the Grand Duke. 

"How dare you speak to me that way!" she cried out, her voice shaking with outrage. "I am not just a commodity that you can discard whenever you please! I am your wife, and I deserve to be treated with respect!" 

The Grand Duke just shrugged his shoulders, clearly unbothered by Luxe's outburst. "You can yell all you want, Luxe," he said coldly. "It doesn't change the fact that I have no desire to be with you." 

Luxe's heart ached at the rejection. She couldn't understand why the Grand Duke didn't see her as worthy of his affection. She tried desperately to think of something to say that would change his mind, but nothing came to her.

Kaiser replied coldly, "Don't worry, If I became the king, you could cheat on me and find another man to love with, I will not bat an eye." With that said, he turned to leave, his flock cloak fluttering in his strides as well as his raven hair.

Luxe was stunned. She had always heard such cold, unsympathetic words from Kaiser before, but this one seems to crush her own role as his wife. His response made her feel worthless, like she was nothing more than a piece of property to be discarded as soon as he had no more use for her. 

"How could you say that?" Luxe whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I thought we were supposed to be partners, husband and wife. How can you be so heartless?" 

Kaiser stopped in his tracks and looked at Luxe with a mixture of pity and indifference. "I'm not heartless, Luxe. I'm just practical. Our marriage was never about love, it was about politics. We both knew that going in." 

"But I love you," Luxe said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I thought you loved me too."

Kaiser shook his head. "I never loved you, Luxe. And I never will. You were just a means to an end for me. Nothing more."

Luxe fell on her knees, her tears trickling from anguish and frustration as Kaiser entered the palace, receiving warm greetings from his servants. Luxe was part of the royalty family, but their tradition was biased among the genders, if in the current generation and it has two families, one must have a male child to their heir. This child will be considered as the Archduke and the King himself, his fate was already sealed from the moment he was born as a male, and that is Kaiser Dämonisch.

Nevertheless, it wasn't Kaiser's fault.

As for Luxe, since she was a female, she was discarded and off for school for formalities and manners to please her husband. Being a girl in Dämonisch is an unfortunate fate, never they were allowed to be the Queen of their own unless they became the King's wife.

Obviously, Kaiser's power is greater than Luxe, it wasn't surprising enough. She felt alone and unwanted, despite being part of one of the most powerful families in the kingdom. She had thought she had found a soulmate in Kaiser, someone she could trust and lean on. But it seemed that she had been wrong. 

Luxe struggled to compose herself, wiping away her tears and standing up. She had a responsibility to fulfill, even if her heart had been broken in the process. As a member of the Dämonisch family, she needed to carry herself with grace and poise at all times. 

Deciding to face her problems head-on, Luxe walked into the palace, her head held high. She knew that she couldn't allow her feelings to distract her from her duties. She was a member of the Dämonisch family, after all, and her name carried a certain weight and responsibility. 

Even though Kaiser had rejected her and made it clear that he had no feelings for her, Luxe resolved to continue her duties as best she could. She knew that she was capable and determined, and she would not let the opinions of others hold her back.

Luxe cursed under her breath as she recalled the events of the day. It had started off promising, with her doing her best to please Kaiser, but then Elias had ruined everything. He was just a commoner, a child no less, yet he had managed to capture Kaiser's heart and attention. It was almost as if he had been sent to torment her. 

And now, she was stuck. She couldn't kill Elias without risking Kaiser's wrath, but she couldn't let him continue to interfere with her plans either. She needed to find a way to get rid of him without getting her hands dirty. And if she couldn't do that, then maybe he would have to simply disappear.

"That child," she growled to herself. "That commoner has caused me so much pain. How dare he interfere with my plans to please the Grand Duke."

Two months had passed in a single blur, The first school of Landroich was now built, they built about three public schools for the common like The Grand Duke had planned, fortunately enough, one of the schools was built at Elias' hometown, Handun Broch.

Obviously, Elias was excited, he nagged and nagged to his father to sign him up for school. Tobias was, however, grateful for The Grand Duke, Kaiser had successfully fulfilled the plan to lift up the poverty in Landroich. It may take some time but Landroich will get there, to their goal.

The Grand Duke's coronation was also approaching in a week, the whole Landroich was again invited for the ceremony. But since the rumor of the Tyrant Duke was still alive, one-fourth of the population wanted to go, that includes Elias and Tobias. Of course, Ezra didn't come, who wanted to see a tyrant? 

The first day of class would start in 5 days, and Tobias had received a letter from the Grand Duke's palace, inviting them for a celebration for building the first three public schools that he had built. Yet he couldn't understand, why would The Grand Duke invite them instead of the elites, or the nobleman? but it would have been a thick face for him to refuse such an invitation, so Tobias bought new clothes for him and Elias at the market to look much more presentable.

Tobias and Elias arrived at the Grand Duke's palace in their new clothes, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation. The palace was grand and imposing, with ornate masonry and towering spires. As they walked through the halls, they passed by opulent decorations and luxurious furniture. 

When they finally reached the celebration, they found themselves surrounded by the elites and noblemen of Landroich. They felt out of place in their new clothes, and Elias couldn't help but feel intimidated by the wealth and status of the other guests. 

Tobias felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Luxe, wearing a stunning dress made of golden silk, "You both look wonderful," Luxe said with a smile. Tobias was surprised to see her there, he bowed his head to greet in respect, "What brings you here?" Luxe asked.

"I received an invitation from the Grand Duke," Tobias Said, his voice is gentle, his tone is respectful, "And I couldn't resist the opportunity to congratulate The Grand Duke." 

Luxe raised an eyebrow, "Why is it so important for you to see us?" 

Luxe hummed, "You know, I actually wanted to see how you both were doing," she said. "It's not every day that a commoner and a lowborn are invited to such an event."

Tobias and Elias lowered their heads, they didn't know what they did to offend Luxe in such a way. Luxe reached out a finger to lift up Elias' chin.

Her tone is sweet, but surely her words aren't, "Oh, long time no see, Elias. I believe the palace's gates are open to you, the Grand Duke favored you more than his own wife. Aren't you ashamed?"

Tobias and Elias were stunned by Luxe's words. It was clear that there was something more than just a simple compliment or congratulations at play here. Luxe's question was almost a taunt, a dare to defend themselves against whatever accusations she was making.

"I-I am not ashamed," Elias stammered out, "I-I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given, and for the chance to better myself."

"Hah!" Luxe scoffed, "Look at you, you lowly rat, you dare to talk back to the duchess?!" Tobias and his son had no power to protect themselves, so they let their dignity be trampled on. Tobias wanted to protect his son, but once again, he was useless, he failed again as a father.

Tobias felt a pit of despair in his stomach at Luxe's scornful words. He knew she was right, that he was powerless to protect his own son from the duchess's insults. He had no social standing, no wealth, no power - nothing but the clothes on his back and the love he had for his son. 

Luxe continued to sneer at Elias, her words dripping with contempt, "How dare you speak to me as if you were in any position to demand anything. You're nothing but a commoner, the lowest of the low. You'll never be anything more than that."

Elias was just a young teen in a big world, what did he do to deserve this? Because of his status, he had hated the world, except The Grand Duke, who treated him equally unlike the others. The Grand Duke who treated him like a normal being, not like a rat from a disgusting sewage.

Suddenly, they heard a glass, which seemed to be broken into pieces, alerted the people quickly and so did Luxe— Her eyes widened in the sight, It was The Grand Duke. She quickly removed her finger to Elias and lowered her head.

"Making a scandal in my celebration, aren't you ashamed?" The Grand Duke approached slowly, his voice dropped low with anger, "Ridiculing a commoner, where are your manners?! Are you even the 'duchess' that you claimed?!" 

Tobias felt a sense of dread wash over him as he saw The Grand Duke walking towards where they were standing. He knew that Luxe had gone too far with her insults towards Elias, but he wasn't sure if The Grand Duke would take their side or Luxe's. He had heard rumors that The Grand Duke had a reputation for being fair and just, but he had never seen it for himself. 

As The Grand Duke approached, Luxe's eyes widened in alarm, but Tobias saw something else in them too: fear. She knew that she had pushed too far and that she was about to face the consequences of her actions.

"I do not tolerate this kind of demeanor, for welcoming my guests." The Grand Duke said, "You may leave." Kaiser said.

Luxe couldn't hide the shock on her face as The Grand Duke asked her to leave the celebration. She tried to form a hasty apology, but before she could speak, Kaiser continued, "I will not tolerate such disrespectful behavior at an event of this caliber. Your actions have embarrassed not only the Crown, but also yourself. It is my hope that you will learn from this experience and treat others with the respect they deserve, regardless of their status." 

Tobias was surprised by The Grand Duke's firmness. He had never seen him act in such a way, as Luxe was one of the most powerful individuals in the Landroich. It was clear that The Grand Duke held a certain level of respect for Tobias and Elias, and that he was unwilling to tolerate any disrespect towards them. 

Luxe, on the other hand, looked to be at a loss for words. She knew that she had made a grave mistake, one that would no doubt have consequences for her future. Without a word, she turned and left the celebration, accompanied by her entourage.

Tobias couldn't help but feel a twinge of gratitude for the Grand Duke's generosity. He knew that the Grand Duke had saved him and his son from humiliation, and he was grateful for his kindness. He shook the Grand Duke's hand, smiling weakly. 

"Thank you, Your Grace," Tobias said, "We are grateful for your hospitality." 

Elias echoed his father's sentiments, although his voice trembled slightly as he spoke. "Thank you, Your Grace," he said, "I'm sorry for any trouble that we caused."

Kaiser's expression turned solemn, "You both haven't done anything, It is I who should have apologized, please accept my apology on Luxe's behalf." The Grand Duke bowed to them.

As he got himself up, his expression softened when he turned his gaze to Elias, though his lips aren't curved to a smile, his eyes were curved instead. He said, "It's nice to see you, Elias." 

Elias didn't know what to speak for a moment, like a malfunctioning robot, he stuttered to respond, "G-G-Good Evening.. Y-ou-r Grace." then his cheeks were, not in a second, flushed.

Elias was screaming internally, The Grand Duke is an absolute beauty, handsome tonight! He wore a pair of earrings, which Elias noticed in their first meeting in the Rosette river. The Grand Duke is dazzling, how flashy! In a second of his arrival, the kid's heart fell again and again, just how.. perfect he is!

Elias swallowed hard, feeling his throat go dry at the sight of The Grand Duke's beautiful features. He had always been extroverted, happy and open around people, especially Ezra, but he could never prepare himself for the feeling of his heart pounding in his chest at the sight of The Grand Duke. 

Tobias, on the other hand, could see the adoration in his son's eyes, and he chuckled to himself. He knew that Elias had a deep admiration for The Grand Duke, and he was happy to see it. He didn't believe in forcing his son to be someone he wasn't, and he was proud of Elias's kind and gentle nature. 

As The Grand Duke walked, beckoning them to a hall, Tobias nudged Elias gently, "You should thank him for his kind words," he said. "He's one of the most important people in our country, and it's important to show respect." 

Elias nodded, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment. He knew that he was a bit childish in his reactions to The Grand Duke, but he couldn't help it. Something about the man just made him feel things he couldn't describe. 

Tobias put a comforting hand on Elias's shoulder. "It's okay to be a little starstruck," he said, "But don't forget to be yourself, too. That's something that no one can ever take away from you."

As they followed The Grand Duke in a hall, they entered another room, but this room was rather for discussion, there is a large rectangle table and a few bergere chairs surrounding the table. The light is dim and the atmosphere is very richy.

On the table, there are two envelopes, one was large and one was small yet long. The Grand Duke sat first as he gestured to the two to sit down. It was Elias' first time to sit in a cushioned.. seat, It was very comfortable! Elias sat in the cushioned chair, feeling a sense of luxury that he had never experienced before. The chair was soft and cozy, and he couldn't help but sink into it as he adjusted himself.

The Grand Duke picked up the large envelope and passed it to Tobias, Tobias received it with a bow and opened it carefully. In a moment, Elias saw how his father's azure eyes widened. Tobias uttered, "Y-Your Grace.. I-.. you don't have to do this.. I.. I can't thank you enough.."

The letter contains Elias' scholarship for his future, and that he was enrolled in one of the schools nearby Handun Broch, it was The Grand Duke who already arranged Elias' enrollment, who gave clean water to his muddy and dirty life. 

Elias, however, didn't understand why his father was shaken by this, what was it? He couldn't ask but only watch the two elders in front of him.

The Grand Duke gave another envelope, it was the smaller one with a length. Tobias reached for it and received it as he bowed. As he opened his eyes, his hand wrapped around his mouth in shock.

"I hope that amount would last for about.. a month? or a few? Well, Uncle Tobias, please use it wisely." The Grand Duke said.

"Your Grace, you shouldn't do this.." Tobias said, his voice is faltering.

"Why shouldn't I?" The Grand Duke chuckled softly, "I'm doing for my friend." 

At that moment, Tobias realized with a pang: The Grand Duke still remembered Elias, that one kid who approached him alone to be friends. 

Though Elias doesn't remember it, It was Kaiser who remembered every bit, every smile and words from Elias, he remembered it all. 

"Feel free to be here, Elias. You could visit me here, everytime. I will teach you and give you lessons to write more fast and swift, with more elegance and bold strokes." The Grand Duke said.

Elias was, however, worried, so he said, "I'm afraid that you may be.. busy with work, Your Grace, I'll only disturb you." 

The Grand Duke shook his head, his earrings dangled as his hair swayed, he said, "I've always got time for you, Elias."

Elias couldn't believe his ears. The Grand Duke's words were like music to his ears. He had never felt this way about anyone before, and the thought of getting to spend time with The Grand Duke, one-on-one, and even being taught by him personally— it was almost too much for him to bear. 

Well, isn't this the most romantic thing that Elias has ever heard? his heart pounded so hard that his heart could leap out of his ribs. His eyes widened and he immediately blushed at The Grand Duke's words. Once again, his young heart fell in love again. He couldn't believe that someone who was so powerful and important was making time for him.

Elias wanted to say something back, but he couldn't find the words. Instead, he simply nodded and managed to mutter a faint "thank you."

But as he looked at The Grand Duke, Elias saw something else in his eyes. It wasn't just kindness, but something deeper, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He felt like he was looking at a person who had experienced loss, pain, and struggle, and yet had managed to come out of it all intact.

This time, Ezra's words echoed in his mind, saying, "Do you think that The Grand Duke is fond of you?" He wanted to say 'yes' but, as he considered the situation, it was The Grand Duke helping a friend, not being fond of him.

Time to time, he was falling in love deeper than the Atlantic ocean, The Grand Duke's syrupy words, his exceptions pulled him deeper in the ocean of love. His love make want to protect the Grand Duke, he wanted to give everything in the whole world. But what could a mere commoner do? 

Elias sighed silently, feeling a mix of agony and bliss. He knew that he had no chance with The Grand Duke. The Grand Duke was a powerful and wealthy man, while Elias was a commoner who barely managed to make ends meet. And yet, despite his hopeless situation, he felt a deep affection for The Grand Duke. His heart ached with love for the man, and he longed to be by his side, to protect him from all the evil and danger of the world. But he knew that this was just a foolish dream, one that could never come true. 

And yet, the thought of being with The Grand Duke, even for a moment, made him feel alive. It was a feeling that he had never experienced before, one that made him feel as if he was truly living for the first time. It was a feeling that he craved, and one that he feared he might never experience again.

If a war broke out in Landroich, Elias swore that he would join mercenaries to protect The Grand Duke, he didn't want to protect Landroich but The Grand Duke. Elias would die for him, he'll protect him at all cost even if it meant life, to prove his love.

If.. The Grand Duke ever reciprocate his feelings, but without The Grand Duke himself knowing, would Elias take it as a yes? He's in between the tug of shame and love, but he was too young to think about this, so, in the meantime, all he could do was swear in his heart, promising that he would take this risk at the right time.

"The evening is getting deeper," The Grand Duke said, "Please, spend a night in the palace, I'll give you both separate rooms if you two would like."