He chuckled. “Ladies, I’m afraid that I have to bother Herr Schulz for a second. If you don’t mind, Herr Konrad?”

Klerien pursed his lips. They were talking about werwulfs before he came in? Maybe, Leos was truly going to help him. But then, he was truly curious about their relationship. How did Schulz know Leos and where did Leos meet the man? All he gathered was they were friends. They were even close enough to visit the bookstore and discuss werwulfs; a subject that were mostly avoided even in this town.

“Herr Konrad, what if we left them alone, while I assist you in that offer that suggested?” Lady Charlotte was glad that the tension was broken. She immediately latched her hand around Konrad’s arm.

As Leos lead him away from the strange young man and his daughter, Leos’ actions did not go unnoticed under his observant eyes. He saw that the lad gave meaningful glances at the young, confident Konrad. He cleared his throat but didn’t mention anything about it.

If the boy knew about the outsider, he would soon learn about it. However, he wouldn’t let the opportunity pass. “Herr Konrad.”

Leos stiffened beside Lampert. Klerien willed his face to stare blankly at the older man. “Do you have anything you want to impart to my friend?”

“No.” Klerien taunted. “I was merely thinking about his familiarity. I thought that I already saw him somewhere, it seems that I was mistaken. Shall we, Lady Charlotte?”

The two watched as the three figures disappeared from the store. Leos adjusted his tight clothes. He needs to be more careful.

“Do you know that lad, Leos?”

“No…”

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“Did you find anything pertaining to that urgent matter? I told you to only return if you found them.” Verdun sat behind his desk, scrolling through documents, when two men suddenly entered his office. He has been feeling the start of frustration in his system for the past few days. His men still haven’t found anything, resulting in him having nothing to present to his lord.

The least thing that he wants to do is to be the reason for his lord’s ire.

“Sire.” Without raising his head to look at the men, he resumed reading his documents. “His traces disappeared at the edge of the forest. We’re afraid that we no longer have any leads that we can trace back to them.”

“What did you just say, pathetic useless ingrate?!” Verdun slammed his fists on his scattered and abandoned parchments. His patience finally snapped with those words. The irrational anger immediately sprung from the tips of his fingers until it reached his head. The bastard that tried to infiltrate their system has been causing frustration in him. They almost came face to face, one day, when he personally pursued him, but he never did catch him.

The two stared at him with large, wide, and fearful eyes. They unconsciously took a step back from his outburst. They dreaded reporting their findings to their sire, but the two lost. They were practically the sacrificial lambs that will face their sire’s ire. They just hoped that their other news will somehow alleviate their sire’s mood.

“We also have some pleasing news, Sire!” They lowered their heads, almost bending their bodies in half to show their respect and submission. When Verdun remained silent, the words quickly stumbled out of their stuttering mouth.

“Pertaining to Gilles’ clan, Sire, we believe that some of his people might be looking for him and already infiltrated Hemlock.” His stutters didn’t help in dousing the irritation in Verdun’s head. “And, for the other matter, Leonard’s killer might be hiding at the forest along the outskirts of the town.

“Might?” He mockingly said before scoffing.

“We found their traces at the outskirts of the town, Sire! We are certain of their presence!” If it’s possible to lower their head until it reaches the floor, the two men would have already done that. Verdun straightened at the fear that his men emitted. He could almost smell the scent of the delectable fear floating in the air, and he was the one causing it.

“Good.” He muttered with a calmer tone, causing both men to flinch. “I’ll immediately depart and inform my lord about some vital piece of information.”

The audible sighs of both men can be heard as soon as the door softly shuts, signalling the departure of their Sire. “Gilbert let us be certain to never lose from those bastards again. I never want to feel such intimidation again.”

ՓՓՓ

The clapping of the horse’s hooves on the pavement caused the thin layer of dirt to create thick clouds of dust. Verdun rode his horse, with a ramrod posture. With a permanent scowl on his face in place, as he dashed towards the chapel from his lord’s mansion. He needed to immediately hand Gilles to the vicars. There had been a change of plans and he would not waste another time from obtaining their captive in Marc’s hands. Verdun would not put it past that bastard to once again break their captive.

“We won’t have any use of a broken whimpering man.” He hissed, glaring at the direction of the chapel. “Gee up!”

“Marc!” Verdun’s imposing voice accompanied by the loud slamming of the wooden door disrupted the groans inside the small room. His skin crawled at the expected sight that welcomed him. His disgust caused his tone to rise. “I thought that I told you to not be too rough on a precious specimen of evidence. When will you remember to obey my orders?! Can you hold your sick desires to yourself even just once!”

Marc only paused to smirk at the sudden intruder before finishing. The man underneath him didn’t even moved at the assault above him. His palms laid flat by his side as his naked body slumped on the floor after Marc pulled away from him.

Marc started laughing as he gazed with triumph at his new prey. “How can I resist a man like that?” He asked no one in particular, ignoring the boiling Verdun behind him. He stood with both hands placed on his hips as he licked his lips after a very pleasing meal.

“You’re disgusting. I don’t know why my lord still insists on letting you handle such matters.” Verdun loathed the scene displayed in front of them. He was deeply disgusted by Marc’s inhumane and abnormal habits. Gilles had been stripped of his dignity. His naked body slumped on the floor covered in red and white fluids. The scars that decorated his whole torso throbbed angrily, swollen and deep red. His lower half was bare in the open and left in its bended state.

“What did you do to him this time?” Verdun muttered through clenched teeth. Marc smiled at his work while slipping in his garments. He felt amusement at Verdun’s answer despite the knowledge that he already had.

“You already know that I have an appetite for both men and women, especially with strong-willed ones. Why ask?” Verdun stared at the sick man and played a lot of scenarios on his mind with various ways of killing the criminal. He chose to ignore the pitiful and silent form of Gilles on the floor.

“I want to know how much you break him to determine whether I still have use of him. Again, you chose to ignore orders and did whatever you want. You’re not even supposed to leave that many scars on him. How will the people view him now?” Verdun calmly stated and clasp both hands behind his back, maintaining his composure with a frown in place.

Marc smiled. “Alright, I broke him.”

“And?” Marc shrugged. “The man is tougher than I thought. During my assault, he never uttered a word. It was like I was thrusting on a dead body, a warm one. Gilles will never say anything that will implicate his people. He is more than a man than your men. I may even go and say that he might be braver than me. Truly fascinating.”

“Hold your thoughts, Marc.” Verdun spat after seeing him licking his lips like he can taste something delectable. However, he knew that he would not allow that to happen until he’s inside the room. “At the least, learn to control yourself until I’m gone.”

“You will never know the pleasure if you won’t try, Verdun.”

Verdun never fathomed how Marc could stomach committing the little death with the same sex. His stomachs revolted and rolled at the thought of it. “I have no interest in your fetishes. I carry news.”

Marc’s eyebrow rose at the sudden change of subject. He narrowed his eyes at Verdun’s smirk. “Unfortunately, his sacrifices and endurance are for naught. He has very loyal, but foolish men.”

Marc started laughing at the information. How will his precious prey react to that? “Gilles, is I am right, your people are currently searching for you in Hemlock.”

“Truly unfortunate Gilles.” He shook his head as he crouched beside Gilles. With his bloody hands, he touched Gilles’ hips. His smirk twitched at the flinch caused by his touch. This man would never forget what he did to him, and he would find pleasure in that small knowledge. “Don’t worry, I’m certain that you had a great time with me. However, I’m afraid that this is the end.”

No response. He scoffed, He did break the man.

Outside, Gilles couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t even feel his lower limbs. His lower half, stomach, and throat was burning. Inside, it felt like there was a volcano awaiting to erupt, but outside was cold. The cold reality poured on his entire being. He kept on cursing himself in his mind. He should have followed Nikolaus’ words. He should have heeded to his younger brother’s pleas. He missed his people, his only family... his brother.

“I assume that your lord wants me in his presence?”

“Yes, we have no time to waste. The benediction will commence in the next two days. We also need him as a prop, but he can survive.”

“Then, what are we still doing here? Let us head to the mansion before the lord burst a vein.”

“Do not talk about my lord so casually, Marc! And clean yourself first. I cannot have you staining the floors with that creature’s filthy blood. Be aware that you might be infected by having such deep contact within him.”

“It was, indeed, deep.” He mischievously taunted and Verdun glared at him.

Gilles could hear their words but all he could do is stare at the dirty wooden floor covered in a pool of his blood. If he could move for just a little, he would have scoffed at his situations. How could he even allow himself to be captured? How could he allow his dignity to be easily stolen from him?

How pathetic, Gilles.

The dim light inside the room vanished as the door shut after the departure of the two villains. A small voice in the tiny room croaked with an attempt to chuckle. Darkness chased the corners of his eyes.

He could feel the throbbing of his backside caused by his torturer’s assault. He could feel the stings of the lacerations that littered his torso. He could feel blood flowing from his lower half, adding to the pool of blood on the floor. He could feel the freezing cold engulfing the rest of his body like darkness. He could feel the life being sucked out of him with the stale odour of the room. He could feel his impending death.

However, before he succumbed in the inevitable, a single drop of tear fell from the corner of his swollen eye.

If only this was but a dream…