Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Chapter 217: Trust and Doubt

"Crown Prince Charles said to me that he will give me a lot of money and noble position as long as I help him! I can be more than Aster! He is just a useless bitch lord!"

Ramuja zipped his lips and directly choked Merry with considerable strength. Slowly, Merry's feet lifted up to the air as Ramuja pulled the girl up. Merry struggled to catch a breath, she kicked Ramuja's body repeatedly to no avail.

Ramuja was really furious at this point, seeing this girl who was once he treated as a dearest little sister became a despicable woman, "You really have a loose mouth, staying in Dionde for too long is not good for your personality, I think."

Ramuja pinched Merry's neck slightly, Merry was struggling and her face turned red, "Hhelp"

Seeing the powerless face of Merry and her call for help softened Ramuja a bit, he sighed and dropped Merry slowly. Merry coughed as she tried to inhale as much air as possible, she really thought that she would die in the hand of her future husband.

"I'm sorry, Merry. I got too angry. You should reconsider"

"HELP! RAMUJA IS TRYING TO KILL ME! HELP!!" Merry screamed as loud as she could, which startled Ramuja.

Ramuja immediately covered Merry's mouth, but Merry bit Ramuja's fingers hard and struggled.

"SShut up!" Ramuja was hesitating. He didn't want to hurt Merry, but Merry was getting out of control.

"RRAMUJA IS TRYING TO RAPE ME! HELP ME!" Merry screamed frantically. Ramuja was stunned with the sudden accusation, he would never touch Merry with perverted thought, let alone take her virginity.

Knowing there was no other choice, Ramuja took a potion inside his pocket and chugged Merry with it. Then he let Merry go.

Merry took few steps back, she wanted to curse at Ramuja, "Ramuja! You are blind! Just follow Crown Prince, we can be rich! Don't you want to have a rich life like the nobles?! Crown Prince will Urk!"

Merry could feel her stomach churned and she fell to the ground, "WWhat"

"It's just another form of low dose paralyzing potion, you will be fine," Ramuja said coldly. He approached Merry and carried her. He put her on the bench and then said, "If you won't calm down, I will not give you the antidote."

"YYou! Ramuja, you are my boyfriend, my future husband! You should be protecting me! Don't you know about those gallant men in many tales? They are handsome and gallant, like the Crown Prince! I still love you, but you should be more like them!"

"Stop your bullshit fantasy!" Ramuja rebuked harshly. "I've lived a life of hell since my childhood, nobody every protected me and nobody ever cared about me, until I met Milord!"

Ramuja's chest was rising up and down, he was in a constant battle with his wrathful side inside his mind. He really wanted to choke Merry to death right now, because he had offended Milord Aster and himself. But at the same time, his conscience still said no.

"Merry, what are you thinking right now? Do you really think that submitting to the Crown Prince will land you goldmine? You are dead wrong!"

"Hmph! You can say that, but he already gave me a hundred gold coins! Unlike that stingy bitch lord, the Crown Prince is generous!" though Merry's body was paralyzed right now, she could still move her head and spit on the sidewalk, "I would never kneel in front of that bitch lord! Disgusting!"

Ramuja raised his hand, ready to slap Merry with enough power to dislocate her jaw at least.

"Stop." A calm voice interrupted him from behind. Ramuja turned his head and his body shook instantly. His heart sank to the deepest level, as if the world had shattered in front of him.

Milord was standing calmly, his expression was lukewarm, and he crossed his arms. Behind him, Irion lowered his head, dared not to see what would happen next. After that, the silence filled the atmosphere, nobody dared to start a conversation, until Merry opened her mouth first, "Milord, Ramuja is trying to harass me! Look, he paralyzed me like this."

"Hm I see, maybe you thought that I've just arrived. I guess I will believe your silly little mouth," Aster said sarcastically, which shut Merry instantly.

Aster smirked at Merry, "I really had yet to hear anything, if that is the case, then I will give Ramuja proper punishment."

Aster shifted his gaze at Ramuja and then ordered him, "Give her the antidote, who allowed you to use potion and poison like that inside my Lantern Palace?"

"MMilord, I"

"The antidote."

Ramuja gulped, his master was in no room to negotiate now. He took the antidote from his pocket and chugged Merry with it. Not long after, Merry was finally able to move her body back to normal. She ignored Ramuja and went straight to Aster. She didn't kneel, instead she stood straight in front of Aster and said, "Milord, about my job as the singer of winter feast"

"Hm? I told you that I hadn't heard anything, right? You will be the Singer of Winter Feast, worry not. Now, go, I need to punish this servant of mine for harassing a maid here," Aster said coldly.

"Thank you, Milord!" Merry glanced at Ramuja and said to Aster anxiously, "Milord, don't punish him severely, we just had a small fight. That's all."

Aster smiled meaningfully, "I thought there was a big fight with almost a sexual harassment here, did I mishear?"

"JJust don't kill him! He is mmy boyfriend!" Merry said, then she ran away from the garden, leaving Ramuja, Aster and Irion in the garden. The atmosphere was dreadful at this point.

"Irion, you can go now. Remember to return when I call you," Aster ordered. Irion glanced at Ramuja whose blood had been drained from his face. He gritted his teeth and nodded obediently, "Certainly, Milord."

Aster calmly sat on the chair and patted the chair beside him, "Sit here."

Ramuja was standing like a statue, there were countless doubts and dread in his heart, but he followed his master order and sat beside his master cautiously. He saw that Milord's eyes didn't turn ink black, but he just heard Merry say that she was his girlfriend.

'W what is going on inside Milord's head?'

Aster took a deep. He put his hand on Ramuja's palm and held it gently. He asked, "Ramuja, care to explain?"

"I" Ramuja was ready to drank the suicide poison inside his pocket, or killed himself with a knife, in case Milord's eyes turned black and became crazed like Crown Prince or Late Grand Duchess. But no, Milord's eyes were still clear as sky, although it did become slightly colder than usual.

"I I amI am not her boyfriend" Ramuja said slowly.

"That one, of course I know, you are not that kind of person," Aster chuckled, "I just wonder what did you hide behind me? What was your relationship with Merry before?"

Ramuja gulped, his eyes were unfocused and he was afraid that this was just a calm before the storm. This was just Milord's way to execute him, maybe he would also be mutilated into pieces and becoming stray dogs' food.

Aster saw how horrified Ramuja was, he intertwined his fingers with Ramuja's fingers and said, "Whatever you said, I believe in you."

Ramuja and Aster's eyes met. Aster's eyes were ever so gentle, there was no trace of hostility in his eyes, "I I have known Merry and her family since the late Grand Duchess sent me to Grand Duchy's logging business. Her family was a peasant that got liberated and stayed to work in the logging business I live with them because I have no one there."

"Then, what do you think about that girl called Merry? Why is she like this?"

Ramuja gulped, 'If I said everything truthfully, it will definitely trigger Milord's memory slip, I don't know what would happen with Milord if he triggered his memory slip now'

'Milord, I'm sorry.'

"She confessed that she likes me, but I rejected her. After that, she keeps chasing me, even chasing me to Dionde city like this"

"So, you never accepted her confession? You two have never been in a relationship before?" Aster asked again. Ramuja felt that he was already lying too much, he couldn't utter other words, so he just shook his head.

Aster hummed for a moment and then nodded, "Well, I believe in you."

"WWait wha" Ramuja was dumbfounded. He noticed that there was no doubt in his master's eyes. It was, as if, Aster really trusted him.

"I trust you, because you are my lover," Aster said, "Besides, I wouldn't trust that girl. She is a bit crazy in her head."

"Milord"

"That being said, I still want her to be the Singer of Winter Feast. I will try to bait Charles with it," Aster said, "I trust you because I love you, Ramuja. Do you trust me too?"

When Ramuja and Aster's eyes met again, this time, Ramuja shifted his eyes, because he couldn't bear lying to his lover even more, "Of course, I trust you too, Milord"

"Then it's fine. I do hope that you can be more careful though. Don't be angry over small things, I didn't take that girl's insult at heart, because I know that she's just a lunatic," Aster said.

"Yes, Milord"

"Alright, I will head back to my room, you should go and take a rest," Aster smiled.

"Milord, should I escort you back to your room?"

"No need, I will have Irion for that," Aster called Irion and in a split second, Irion appeared. Irion held Aster's hand and they disappeared. Leaving Ramuja in his doubt.

'Milord, how could you trust someone this much now I'm unsure whether everything right now is just an illusion or not'

***

Aster arrived inside his room and then ordered Irion to leave. Irion hesitated and asked his master first, "Milord, about Ramuja and that girl Merry."

"I trust him, and I know what I'm doing. I will use the girl to bait Charles, so I know what is his full plan. You may leave now," Aster said firmly. There was no room for a talk, so Irion only clenched his fist and disappeared.

Aster sighed, he sat on the bed, blankly staring at the balcony, 'In fact, I don't think I know what I'm doing. I am simply doing everything with my feelings right now. I want to trust him, but I know it's not that simple.'

'Maybe I am the coward, because I don't want to face the reality.'

Aster clenched his heart, because it started to grow painful, 'I refuse to doubt him. I believe him, because I know that he has a pure heart.'

'Ramuja, don't disappoint me. I'm begging you.'