Bound by the Mark of Lies (BL)
Chapter 92 - 87: The only one (3)

Chapter 92: Chapter 87: The only one (3)

The door opened quickly and with practiced ease. Gabriel expected a servant, perhaps a palace attendant unfamiliar to him, but instead, he was met with the composed, familiar presence of Edward Walton. He had previously seen him in the Emperor’s presence and was aware that he was one of his most trusted men.

"Good morning, Your Grace," Edward greeted, his voice carrying its usual steadiness, but there was a warmth beneath it that Gabriel had never noticed before.

Gabriel studied him for a moment, still adjusting to his surroundings. He was still dressed in yesterday’s clothes, with his robe on one of the chairs. Edward did not seem surprised to see him there. If anything, the butler’s expression was one of quiet satisfaction, as if everything had finally come together.

A shiver ran down his spine, wondering if he had made the right decision last night.

"You’re not even going to ask how I ended up here?" Gabriel asked, arching his brow.

Edward’s lips curved into a faint smile. "I have been serving His Majesty for many years. There are few things that surprise me anymore."

Gabriel huffed, shaking his head. "I am afraid to ask what he put you through."

Edward’s smile didn’t waver, but there was a glint in his eyes that hinted at a long history of trials and tribulations. "Let’s just say His Majesty has always been a force to reckon with."

"I guess I walked directly into his plans." Gabriel sighed and tussled his hair back.

"You did." There was a brief pause before Edward stepped forward with his usual efficiency. "His Majesty has already given instructions to ensure your comfort. Breakfast will be served here, unless you prefer to dine elsewhere."

Gabriel exhaled, pressing his fingers against his temple for a moment. His official attire was soiled and creased; he needed a bath before anything else. And coffee.

"I need to take a bath; can you tell me where it is? " And a coffee with breakfast would be nice." He said this as he rose from the bed.

The room was grand, and Gabriel was used to riches from his family manor, but this was something else. He disliked nobles’ opulence, but he understood why it was necessary. Nobles paid high prices for artisans’ work, putting their money into circulation throughout the Empire’s economy, and the palace was a prime example of this.

"With pleasure. Follow me." He said this while leading him to a door on the right side of the room, which he opened with a fluid movement, revealing the bath that had already been prepared for him. Edward seemed eager to serve him.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes slightly. "You approve of this."

Edward didn’t deny it. Instead, he inclined his head, his brown eyes steady. "His Majesty has always taken firm decisions. For years, I feared he would be alone, unable or unwilling to share his burdens. But it seems I was mistaken."

Gabriel’s chest tightened at those words. Alone. The idea of Damian being alone seemed strange, but when he thought about it, he realized how little he knew about the emperor’s private life.

Gabriel scoffed, trying to ignore the uncomfortable weight in his chest. "You speak as if this is some great destiny."

Edward’s expression didn’t change. "Isn’t it?"

Gabriel stilled.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The only sound in the room was the distant crackling of a fireplace and the faint rustling of fabric as Edward adjusted the cuffs of his uniform.

Gabriel sighed and gave in. "I’ll take my breakfast here."

Edward nodded approvingly. "Very well, Your Grace." He hesitated briefly, then added, "Shall I inform His Majesty that you are awake?"

Gabriel should have refused. Should have drawn a line between last night and today, making Damian squirm slightly. But, knowing him only through their professional interactions, he would not take it lightly. He sighed; he was not prepared to confront Damian’s personality just yet.

Instead, his lips parted, and he found himself saying, "Yes."

Edward’s gaze flickered with something knowing, something pleased, but he simply inclined his head. "Understood."

Gabriel stood motionless in the grand bathroom after Edward left, his reflection in the polished mirror looking back at him. Despite his best efforts to ignore the opulent surroundings, the warmth of the room was undeniably soothing. The silence enveloped him like a soft blanket.

As he sank into the bath, the heat of the water washed away the remnants of fatigue, and his mind cleared. There was no need to fight anymore. He had made a decision, one that felt right for the first time in days. Damian was a formidable ally, but Gabriel didn’t need to be bound by George Claymore’s expectations or play second fiddle to Maximilian Claymore’s pre-existing bond.

’I do not have to be anyone’s second choice’, Gabriel thought, his chest tightening slightly at the weight of those words, but it felt strangely liberating. For so long, he lived in the shadow of George’s designs, bound by a contract he could not even remember. The idea that he no longer had to play that role, that he could finally control his own destiny, was liberating.

He closed his eyes, letting the water wash away the tightness in his chest, the unease he had carried for far too long. Damian could break the magical contract. He could free him from the chains that had clouded his past, erasing his identity. And with that, Gabriel realized, ’I can finally breathe.’

He no longer had to deal with the looming threat of George controlling his every move or with his fake mark. His future was more secure; he saw himself as Damian’s partner and Empress, and he could deal with him while the others were busy.

Damian would help him reclaim his independence, or at least more than he already had. His family had good intentions, but they were overbearing. Damian seemed like he trusted him. And in that, Gabriel found peace—not just in the comfort of the room, but in the prospect of a truly his own future.

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