The Duke's Passion

Zero chuckled, shaking his head while walking through the hallway. Werewolves? Beatrice's cards never ceased to amaze him.

'A title of a Queen befits her talent and wits,' He thought as a smirk appeared on his lips. 'Too bad, she is barren.'

"Your Majesty." Suddenly, Tristan's voice intruded inside Zero's head, making the latter raise a brow. "Alistair had put a shadow on you and the princess."

'Is that so?' Zero's reaction was neither pleased nor displeased, it was nonchalance. 'It's to be expected, don't worry.'

"Those people in the seance want to take this opportunity to…"

'Tristan, tell them to sit back and relax.' Zero cut him off as he looked ahead, eyes glinting dangerously. 'If we make any bold movements right now, it will spoil all our preparations. All they have to do is watch quietly and enjoy everything unfolds.'

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will stop them from doing something foolish."

'Good.' He stopped in his steps momentarily before he asked, 'and about the thing I asked you?'

"The gift is heading to the person who will wrap it."

Upon hearing that, a sinister smile resurfaced on Zero's face as he resumed in his tracks. Whatever he was thinking, one could tell it wouldn't do anyone a favor but himself.

"I should prepare flowers and tea to comfort my dear fiance," he whispered in high spirits, excited to see whose schemes would win in the end.

*****

Stefan raised his gaze, hands over his sword's handle. His eyes immediately caught the figure who kicked the doors open.

"Hell," He called coldly. "You sure took your precious time. I nearly fell asleep."

"Forgive my tardiness, Your Majesty." Samael lifted his Catharsis to his shoulder. "This humble me lost his way in here."

"Haha, is that so? Then, forgiven." Stefan pushed himself up, standing upright while gazing down at Samael. 

"You are quite merciful, Your Majesty."

"That is the last mercy I will ever give to anyone, Your Grace." 

Then silence… The two of them stared at each other as if gravitating each other's strength with Stefan, revealing he had reached the peak as well. 

"Surprised?" Stefan inquired, noticing that Samael's eyes lingered longer in his hair. 

Samael peeled his eyes away and shrugged. "Unexpected, but not surprising. I had tested your strength recently, after all."

"Test… you mean, back on your wedding night?" Stefan sneered. "I don't think you are foolish enough to think that is all I can do. Just as I believed that you still held back that night."

"You think too highly of me, I'm flattered." Samael frowned as he let out a sigh. "I shouldn't fall for this sweet talk. You want me dead, after all."

"A battle between pureblood wouldn't end unless one of us perish, especially a battle between who had reached the peak." Stefan's voice grew solemn as his grip around his sword's handle tightened. "So, yes. I want you dead, Hell."

"Dying in your hands is not a bad idea."

"You are accepting your death so easily, which makes me wonder what plans you had to send her away." Stefan cocked his head to the side, sizing him up with narrowed eyes. "You know I can always drag her back in here."

"Well, let's just say I'm making you happy by thinking you can kill me." Samael smiled brightly, tapping the back of his sword against his shoulder. "After all, even when I say I will die a thousand times, the outcomes always differed."

"Make sense."

"Also, we had stayed here for far too long. I don't want to delay our schedule to leave."

This time, Stefan couldn't hold back his laughter. "Is that so? You sent her away first because you don't want to postpone your schedule?" he paused, marching down the stairs ever so slowly.

"Or is it because you don't want her changing her mind midway?"

"Well, think whatever you like, Your Majesty. I am the villain and villains always make surprises." Samael shrugged nonchalantly. "We just don't die, you know? At least, not the first or second try."

Red and dark mist started floating out of nowhere, filling up the entire throne hall that suspended the air. As their eyes locked with each other, the aura they exuded grew stronger and darker. One must have enough strength to enter their vicinity.

"Well then, I guess you will be the first villain who will die the first time," Stefan affirmed in a calm tone, raising his other hand as a small red ball grew under his palm. "Honestly, I don't want to kill you. If I have a choice, I would rather seize you and let you watch how I take everything from you."

"Everything… you mean, you want me to watch how you will take Lilou from me?" she was his everything, after all. "Aren't you a little sick in the head?"

Samael pointed to his temple, his finger doing a short circular motion. "You underestimate Lilou so much, even after you personally nurtured the monster within her. I don't know if you just lack common sense or you're not as smart as I think you are. Either way, I just think you are crazy!"

"Not as crazy as you."

"Haha! That's right." Samael laughed and then, in a snap, his face lost any emotion. "I am… the craziest."

His fangs slowly grew, licking them as he stretched his neck in a circular motion. "Catharsis, go back. I don't need you." And his sword slowly turned into an earring dangling from his ear.

"You won't use Catharsis? Your arrogance will be the death of you." Stefan pointed out but was not surprised by Samael's actions.

"It won't be fun if I slay you with a sword, Your Majesty. I want to feel how I will tear you apart with my bare hands." Samael grinned, staring menacingly into Stefan's eyes.

As silence befell them, they both disappeared from their standpoint in a blink of an eye. However, instead of the two of them clashing, two figures appeared in between them, blocking their attacks in a nick of time.

Samael snapped his eyes, tilting his head, baffled. "Yul, it is nice to see you. But you see, His Majesty and I are in the middle of important business."

"Silvia, step aside before Lancelot mistake you as his meal." Stefan cautioned while staring at Silvia, who was blocking his attack.