Gardenia of Blooming Desire - Chapter 184: Welcoming the Hero of Golden Camellia

Aster sat under a tent set by his guards to protect him from the summer sun, because Charles returned to Golden Camellia with complete glory, Aster had to hold his birthday combined with the feast to welcome the Crown Prince back.

Aster was frowning the whole time, he never hated the idea of sharing his special moment with another event, but not with this person. Especially when the people around him kept talking about Charles this, Charles that, Charles was perfect and other praises that made Aster almost lashed out to them to keep their mouth shut.

The fleet soon approached the port, the people boisterously clapped and screamed Crown Prince Charles’ name. They were ecstatic with the arrival of their beloved Crown Prince. The Prince who was ten times better than his predecessor, extremely handsome, very gallant and was a gentle man inside.

When the fleet pulled over to the dock, the first ship with a gold figurehead of a Golden flower stopped first. The long stairs were pulled, so the star today could walk proudly. Charles wore his gold cape that draped on his right shoulder, he wore a red vest and black pants and boots. It was casual, but the people got infatuated.

Honestly, Charles didn’t care about all these trash that kept calling his name. He didn’t care at all, because his eyes already focused in one spot, the tent with the Grand Duke inside.

“Crown Prince Charles!”

“So handsome!”

“Crown Prince Charles, I love you!”

“Crown Prince, you are the best!”

Rather than happy, Charles was slightly annoyed with these people unnecessarily chattering. Because Aster didn’t like this kind of noisy environment, that was why he immediately approached Aster in the tent.

‘Ugh, why do I have to do this?’

When Aster and Charles were facing each other, Aster bowed his head and then gave him the ceremonial flower bouquet filled with many kinds of flowers, “Welcome back, our beloved Crown Prince of Golden Camellia, Charles Audric Camellia. May Golden Camellia prosper until the last eternal petal falls.”

“Why ‘our’? It should be ‘my’ beloved, right?” Charles raised his brows mischievously. Aster glared at him and muttered in a low, almost inaudible voice, “Improper…”

Charles laughed, his golden circle flickered as he hugged Aster. However, rather than hugging his shoulder, Charles hugged Aster’s waist and trailed along his backline gently, he whispered, ‘I missed you.’

Aster shivered when Charles’ finger trailed in his back. He glanced at Ramuja whose face slowly filled with rage, when he saw Ramuja finally going to step to the stage, Aster immediately pushed Charles.

“C—Crown Prince shouldn’t do that, this is the public, everyone is watching,” Aster warned, he saw everyone were silent while watching the intimacy of these two.

Charles chuckled, “Then, we can do something more in private?”

The people gasped, then the men started clapping their hands while the women were blushing. They had been reading the new popular novel in Golden Camellia that had been selling like hotcake for one year already, Love me, Crown Prince. It was talking about the forbidden romance of Aster and Charles during Aster’s life in Golden Palace. It was a complete fiction provided by the rumour about the late Empress Cecilia hurting Aster because of his forbidden romance with Charles.

It was widely popular in Golden Camellia due to how gallant and strong the Crown Prince in the book and reality was. It even had a new sequel.

Grand Duke Aster and Crown Prince Charles are a good match!” someone said from the crowd, then the people agreed and started cheering their name together.

“Our beloved Charles and Aster!”

“Our beloved Charles and Aster!”

Charles chuckled, while Aster kept glancing at Ramuja. Ramuja was raging, he clenched his fist, Aster glanced at Charles who didn’t notice how Ramuja was going to step on the stage. Aster signalled Irion to hold Ramuja.

Irion nodded, he held Ramuja’s shoulder and said, “Don’t, you will only give Milord a hard time. You are going to harm Milord if you interfere foolishly, let them be, at least for now.”

At first, Ramuja only lowered his head, since he knew that his master needed to show the good relation of two popular and strong figures in Golden Camellia. But when the Crown Prince’s fingers trailed his lord’s backline intimately, he had a raging fire inside his heart.

And he almost acted out of instinct.

‘I can’t put Milord in danger, as long as he is safe then… I can bear this.’

‘But the people, the people keep screaming their name together.’

‘Compared to me, the Crown Prince is like a god…’

“It seems everyone is happy about our love story,” Charles chuckled, “Also, I bring you a gift for your birthday, but I will give it to you later at night, during the ball in Lantern Palace.”

Charles smiled mysteriously. Aster had a bad hunch about this, but he was too distracted by Ramuja’s dejected countenance. He lowered his head and cupped his hand together, perhaps to cope with his grieving.

At that moment, Aster knew that he had hurt his servant’s heart again.

The citizens enjoyed the feast provided by the Grand Duchy for the people of Dionde. Aster excused himself first because he had to prepare for his birthday party tonight, and Charles also left the feast because he needed to rest.

***

Aster arrived at the Lantern Palace and immediately said, “Ramuja, come with me to my office.”

Ramuja followed his master to the office, Aster sat on his chair while Ramuja stood facing him. Ramuja said nothing, but his gesture really showed how much grief he held, he dared not looking directly and he kept his distance.

“Ramuja, I… you know that I can’t say anything there.”

“Yes, this servant understands Milord.”

Aster frowned, “You don’t understand, I said, I can’t say or do anything there. I have no power when it involves Charles, and I don’t want you to act rash either.”

“I understand, Milord.”

“Then stop acting like you don’t!” Aster yelled at Ramuja. “Ramuja, you know that I haven’t cemented my position well in Golden Camellia, and Charles is really well loved by everyone. He is the hero of Golden Camellia. The true golden that is worshipped by the people!”

“Don’t praise him!” Ramuja suddenly raised his voice to his own master.

“Shut your mouth, low born! You have no right to raise your voice to me!” Aster raised his voice even more. He never got refuted by someone below him his whole life, but after all that words had been spouted, Aster knew that he said the wrong thing.

“R—Ramuja, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I’m not praising him, I’m just stating the fact that he is—”

“Milord, I have to excuse myself. I have to prepare for your birthday tonight,” Ramuja left the room after he said that. Aster was left dumbfounded.

Aster didn’t move his gaze from the spot where Ramuja stood before he left. He felt guilty, but at the same time, he didn’t feel like apologizing. Because what Charles did was out of his control anyway.

‘Besides, he refuses to listen to me. Why would I apologize to him?’

Aster sighed, “Charles has just arrived and it already creates this kind of thing between us.”

***

Charles was resting on his bathtub, he closed his eyes but the edge of his lips raised and created a smirk, ‘My darling Aster got more and more mesmerizing each day, but I have to be patient.’

‘Sponsoring and mass distributing that novel was a great idea. With it, I can completely shift the people’s support to me and Aster.’

Charles imagined Aster was here in the bathtub with him, he could stare at Aster’s slender figure all he wanted, maybe they could even do something even more intimate…

Charles’ manhood reacted and it erected instantly as he kept imagining about Aster.

Then the door was opened, a handsome medium built man around his mid twenty winked at Charles and then entered the bathroom fully naked. He saw the towering manhood of the Crown Prince. He shrieked, “Oh my god! That’s too big!”

Charles kept his calm, his eyes darted at this man who dared to enter his room, he asked, “Who are you?”

“Yes, Crown Prince, I’m Apollo. I’m the best man in Dionde city if you are in the mood for se—”

Charles jumped from the bathtub quickly and then strangled this man, within only a few seconds, the man’s face turned blue, Charles loosened his fingers and the man dropped dead in front of Charles.

He was so angry that he called his loyal subordinate immediately, “Acron!”

The loyal subordinate appeared in front of Charles and kneeled immediately, “Pardon this subordinate, Your Highness! I—I just thought that you need some relief and refreshment—”

“I said I don’t need a prostitute! Men or women, I don’t want them!”

“S—Should I fetch a virgin for you—”

Charles kicked his subordinate in the face, “I said, I. DON’T. WANT. IT!”

The subordinate recovered his position quickly, his nose was bleeding, but he ignored it, “Your Highness, pardon my impertinence. This subordinate just thinks that you should relieve yourself somehow.”

“I’ve already relieved myself, I already touched my darling and even felt his smooth back. Now, go dump this filthy whore somewhere! They are disgusting!”

Acron finally realized that his master really didn’t want to engage in any kind of romantic or sexual partnership with anyone except his own cousin.

Charles sighed, he stared at his hands and he clicked his tongue, “Now I have to wash it again. Goddamn, why are those people so fragile anyway!”

Charles washed his hands again, then he stared at the mirror, ‘Ah, my darling Aster. I’m sorry I just touched a whore, but I killed him right away, so you won’t feel disgusted. It must be nauseating for you to be close to a whore for so long, right? Don’t worry, I will save you.’

Charles’ golden circle slowly expanded and as he blinked, his eyes had turned pure golden.