Gardenia of Blooming Desire - Chapter 247: Intertwined By Fate II

“Milord, I’m here.”

Aster could finally hear the voice of the man that he loved the most. Although they were separated by this piece of wooden door, Aster felt that their forehead touched each other’s, sharing the connection that he had longed for so long.

“Ramuja, are you alright?” That was the first question that came out of Aster’s mouth. Ramuja lowered his head in shame, he didn’t know what happened to him, but he almost took an innocent woman like Mariette.

“Ramuja, answer me,” Aster ordered him to speak.

“I am not okay, Milord…” Ramuja replied, “I feel like losing my sanity every day because I couldn’t see you. I got frustrated,” He already knew his fault, and Milord must’ve known about his heinous deed of killing many innocent lives in Roagelt, although he was controlled by his anger and guilt, he was by any means, still responsible. Because he let this monster inside his body go berserk.

“Milord… you just faced the same monster who killed the people in Roagelt City Center,” Ramuja’s head drooped low, he almost prostrated in front of the wooden door, “Milord, if I’m begging for you merci, will you spare a merci on me? I am a mass murderer who ruined many family’s lives.”

Aster was silent. He could feel that Ramuja prostrated in front of the door, thus he got off from the chair and sat on the ground. They couldn’t see each other, but Aster could definitely feel what Ramuja was doing right now.

‘He is prostrating to me, even though his position right now is obviously stronger than me. He can live a free life as the Crown Prince of Sun Kingdom. He will be crowned as the new Sun King too…’

“Ramuja, don’t lower your head in front of anyone who is lower than you…” Aster said, “You are a prince now, the Crown Prince of Sun Kingdom. Please don’t beg and prostrate in front of me. I am currently sitting on the ground too, so your head will not face my feet.”

Rather than seeing this as a suggestion, Ramuja saw this as a rejection. His body trembled instantly, his face paled. Although the wooden door in front of him blocked the view, Ramuja was paranoid that he thought Milord already rejected him because of his newfound power.

Ramuja unhesitatingly said, “Milord, I will step down from my position as the Crown Prince now. I will never have anything with Sun Kingdom anymore! Milord, I will live as a slave forever as long as I can be with you!”

Ramuja put his forehead on the ground, his forehead tapped the wooden floor a few times, the sign that he was desperately begging.

“RAMUJA!” Aster’s voice thundered inside, “Don’t you dare saying such thing! Your life is important!”

Ramuja saw this as an even more firm rejection from his master. He almost couldn’t handle it, he whimpered, “M—Milord… please, I’m begging you. I will serve you forever, I will never ask for anything… please don’t reject me…”

Ramuja sincerely begged, which surprised Aster and Mariette together, especially Mariette. She had been the bystander who watched this drama between Aster and this servant. She was terrified with the monster that almost killed her a few minutes ago, and she was already determined to keep Aster in Great Arctyr forever, so he would be separated from this unknown beast called Ramuja until his death.

But this guy in front of him was so different, he didn’t have the terrifying dark scarlet aura that almost suffocated her to death, he didn’t have that low grunting voice that gave off this alien feeling that almost made her faint.

This guy called Ramuja was also the same guy titled as Crown Prince Rama of The Sun Kingdom. His name soared in only a few months because he would be the next Sun King, and he would inherit all the newfound richness of the Sun Kingdom.

His name also soared even more after he was accused of killing many civilians in Roagelt City Center, but the Sun Kingdom didn’t budge at all. In fact, they let their prince roam around the Golden Camellia and became the top fugitive instead.

He could just live comfortably with all the gold mines under the Sun Kingdom, but he decided to return back to the place where he was enslaved and abused for so long only to find Aster again.

For the first time, Mariette felt uncertain, because this was simply illogical, ‘This is Crown Prince Rama of Sun Kingdom, the man that could live with all the lavishness the world could offer. He could get as many men and women as possible and fathered a lot of healthy children.’

‘But the same Prince is now smashing his forehead on the wooden floor, prostrating and begging lowly. He didn’t even think twice about letting go all his power and wealth…’

Mariette gulped. She finally realized that Prince Rama was serious. She observed Prince Rama’s deeply saddened eyes, as if one rejection from Aster could break him.

‘Does Tuskan have the same amount of love to Aster? Will he let go of everything as long as he could live with Aster?’ Mariette questioned herself in her heart, while she already knew the answer to that, she still denied it firmly.

‘Tuskan also loves Aster, this is his first love and I don’t want him to get hurt…’ Mariette observed the situation again. Aster kept telling Prince Rama not to be rash and not to say something like stepping down or let go of power, the more he said it, the more Ramuja felt that he could die by his Milord’s words.

‘Even Aster’s love is strangely powerful. He is a golden blood, his love should be that of greed and possessiveness, recalling the other golden bloods, they wouldn’t hesitate to break the leg of their loved one as long as they got what they wanted.’

‘Yet, Aster told Prince Rama again and again that his position is more important. He truly wants his golden circle to live well even without him…’

Mariette bit her lips, her hand trembled as she reached the door key on her pocket. She walked to the door and then put the key in, then she unlocked the door.

Ramuja and Aster reacted immediately and Ramuja looked at Mariette dazedly, he didn’t say anything, but his face was hesitant. He didn’t want this to be a test that would put his master at disadvantage again, “I will open the door slightly, you can hold Aster’s hands, but no more than that, you cannot see him.”

“But!” Ramuja wanted to protest, but Aster inside immediately stopped him, “Ramuja, follow her instruction. She is the one that saved me, and she is the one that protects me.”

Mariette nodded and took a few steps back again. She was still the bystander who watched over this love drama, ‘Tuskan, this is the best I can do. I will always support you, but I cannot lie that their love is just something else…’

When Aster reached out his hand towards Ramuja, Ramuja immediately held his master’s hand gently and then kissed the palm lovingly.

His tears dripped to Aster’s palm, in which Aster chuckled, “Hey, I just want to hold your hands.”

Ramuja immediately realized that he had made his master’s hand wet from his tears and kisses. He took out his handkerchief and then wiped Aster’s hand gently, “Milord, are you holding a cane or something? I can see that you are using it so much, your creases are getting deeper…”

“Ramuja, you are nitpicking!” Aster laughed. Ramuja also chuckled lightly. Then, he put his fingers around Aster’s and their fingers intertwined perfectly. They shared each other’s warmth and then Aster said, “Ramuja, promise me that you will not bow to anyone, you will be a new king.”

“I will not bow to anyone but you, Milord,” Ramuja said, “Anyone who called me Ramuja is considered as offending me, but for you… you are the only one I will be bowing to, you are the only who can call me Ramuja.”

“Milord, I may be the next sun king, but I am still your Ramuja. I am still your slave, servant and… lover…” Ramuja blushed slightly, “I am also your future husband…”

“What? I am THE husband!” Aster protested, in which, Ramuja also argued, “Milord, you are very delicate and beautiful, although you are a man, you also have a great tenderness to everyone, you fit well as a wife…”

“A HUSBAND CAN DO THAT TOO!” Aster protested even more, his pride was at stake, “I don’t care! I will be the husband!” Aster was throwing a tantrum.

“Milord… but can you do it in our first ni—”

Cough!

Mariette stopped this embarrassing conversation because she was the third wheeler here, “This will end soon,” she reminded.

Ramuja was unwilling, but he nodded and took a small box from his pocket. He opened the box and a ring popped out. The ring was a small diamond ring, he put the ring in Aster’s ring finger.

“Milord, this is the ring that I bought with my own money, I swear that I didn’t use the Sun Kingdom’s money for this. I collected all my payment from you and bought you this…”

Ramuja finally let go of Aster’s hand. Aster felt the ring in his finger. He almost cried out of joy, but the door was slightly opened, Mariette could definitely see his expression, thus he refused to cry and said, “It’s beautiful, does this mean…?”

“Uhm… that’s not the wedding ring, but I want you to keep yourself, so you will not marry someone while I’m trying to fight in Golden Camellia…”

Aster laughed. He put his index and middle fingers together and kissed it, “Ramuja, put your face near the door.”

Ramuja followed his master’s command, and when he put his face near the door, Milord’s middle and index fingers touched his lips gently, “That is an indirect kiss. Now, fight for our freedom, my knight. I will be waiting for you.”

Ramuja was stunned with that indirect kiss, he wanted more, but Aster closed the door by his own initiative. Ramuja was disappointed, but he promised to his master, “Milord, I will definitely win our freedom, trust me.”

Ramuja looked at Mariette and he bowed politely, “Thank you, I’m sorry for scaring you,” and with that, Ramuja disappeared.

Mariette was watching the whole thing. After Ramuja left, one thing that popped in her mind, ‘Ah, I want to have this kind of love in my life…’