18 Chapter 18: But not this one!

Illay's sly response led to a bewildered expression apparent on Noah as he continued staring blankly at his charming face. From the moment he entered the castle, he faced absurd moments frequently and was getting used to it. But, it amazed him to watch a possible royal member being nice to such a lowly mere servant.

Noah fidgeted and lifted his nervous gaze down from him before he mumbled his confusion, "As per I have heard the rule here, My Lord, servants and all lowly people must bow their heads down whenever someone from the royal family passes by them. Or else...t-they get beheaded. That's why I was anxious..."

Immediately a mysterious cold smile sliced on Illay's soft red lips as he walked another step closer and gazed down keenly at him as he responded, "That kind of rule must be made by Xanthus, and I never agree to his rules."

Noah flinched and quickly looked up at his face with much curiosity. Even though he sounded much cordial, but he didn't fail to notice his unusual cold expression, along with a strange persistence in his tone. The way he addressed Crown Prince Xanthus informally, Noah understood his hunch about him being a royal member was accurate!

"But," all of a sudden, the vague smile on his face disappeared when Illay frowned his sharp brows, looking at him with a solemn face. "What happened to your hand? You are soaked in blood!" His voice grew a little hoarse.

"Huh?" Amidst the chaos in his mind, Noah had completely forgotten about the major wound on his blood-soaked finger, but he was surprised to find he noticed it instead. He quickly covered his injured finger with another palm and shook his head obediently, "It's nothing much serious, My Lord. Just a small wound---"

"You mustn't overlook any injury."

Before Noah could complete his nervous mumble, Illay went down on his knees and grabbed his blood-soaked palm, causing him to wince from his touch. While he looked at his throbbing cut, his facial expression grew dense as he addressed him, "Sometimes small wounds lead to incurable scars that hurt you for a lifetime. And, it looks like a deep cut."

Illay took out a refined quality silk handkerchief from his waistcoat and covered his blood-soaked palm with it, leaving Noah speechless for a while. Before he could put any objection, he smiled tenderly at him and murmured, "Wrap it on your injured finger, for now, kitty."

Along with his kindness, what startled Noah more was his way of addressing him in that absurd manner. He fidgeted and looked a little uncomfortable while he pondered, 'what's wrong with everyone here? That naked pervert I met before also called me little lamb...and now, this person is calling me kitty... Is it normal here to speak to strangers with such corny names? Or am I the only crazy one?'

"Don't catch any infection and remember to rub medicinal herbs over it from time to time. You will heal quicker." He continued speaking cordially to him, though his big brown eyes were glued curiously on his timid face.

With a perplexed, uneasy look, Noah bowed his head and moved his palm away from his grip. Countless muddled thoughts were bothering his mind and in an anxious tone, he chose to ask one, "M-My Lord, may I ask, why are you being so nice to someone lowly as me? Besides, you didn't have to soil your precious handkerchief with my blood---"

"You are the first person who looked at me with such fear. I can't deny it, but I liked that look in your eyes."

A crafty response came back from him as he cut in his sentence, grinning at him. While Noah was startled by his answer and continued gazing at his bewildered face, Illay smiled wider and mumbled to him, "hope we will see each other again, kitty."

Leaving him awestruck, Illay gracefully stood up from the ground and firmly marched forward like a work of art. While Noah continued looking at his elegant broad back from behind, he peeked once at the silk handkerchief on his pal which had soaked red in blood.

A small smile arched on his lips as he mumbled on his own, "I guess, not all the royal members are heartless here, kindness does exist here. He was a bit weird, but still, he looked worried for a nobody like me.

Besides, why are men so damn gorgeous here?" He exhaled a small sigh when without realizing itself, he recalled a glimpse of that sheer golden-eyed mysterious man he had met near the lake inside the woods.

"He was undoubtedly handsome but I think the naked pervert was the most gorgeous one I met here till now. His eyes, his complexion, his face... everything was beyond perfect.

But wait, why am I thinking of that pervert now?" Noah panicked with this quick fluctuation of thoughts and shook his head anxiously a few times. "No, no! I mustn't think about that jinxed pervert again! Damn, now I think about it, nothing good has happened to me since the moment I met him."

With a long, heavy sigh, Noah peered a glance at the way Illay just walked away and clenched that soft silk handkerchief with his other arm. With a deep gaze in his ocean eyes, he whispered on his own, "I am grateful for your kindness, Mister, but I think, we won't meet again. I just need to survive here tonight and tomorrow, it will be all over---"

"What are you doing here, brat?"

Before he could complete his mumble, Noah flinched at the hoarse feminine voice that called him from behind. He turned around and saw that the old lady had a concerned look on her oval wrinkled face as she gazed at him.

"Madam?"

"I heard that you had injured your hand, brat. You are really a handful," she exhaled a long sigh and sounded a little agitated. Though her eyes couldn't hide her concern.

"Ah, it was a small cut actually. You don't have to worry much," with an embarrassing nervous smile, Noah mumbled.

"Come with me, I will treat you." In a cold grumpy voice, she ordered him before she started walking inside the quarter.

...

As soon as Illay reached a giant metal door, two royal guards cordially bowed their heads and opened the door wide for him. Taking a heavy sigh, he walked inside a large, sumptuous banquet hall glorified with crystal golden chandeliers.

A huge wooden dining table for the banquet was placed at the center of the hall. Alpha Valerie and his queen Lorelia were seated at the front of the table. Xanthus who was seated next to Valerie, with an ice-cold expression on his face. Just opposite to him, Alpha Raven and his daughter Melissa were seated too.

As soon as Illay entered, their curious eyes shifted at the door and Lorelia's face lit up with a smile as soon as she saw him. She first greeted him with a warm smile, "Illay, my child, what took you so long? We all were waiting for you here to start the banquet."

Illay rotated his wadded eyes to sneak a glimpse at Xanthus who didn't bother to glance at him once. Slowly, he reached them close and pulled the empty chair next to Xanthus to have a seat beside him.

"I am sorry, you were waiting for me." He smirked, holding a crafty gaze in his eyes as he continued, "I found an injured kitty on my way back here, that's why it borrowed some time of mine."

"Kitty?" This time, Xanthus shoveled a cold, curious gaze at him, narrowing his golden eyes a bit. "But I thought, you have always hated cats?"

"I still do, but not this one." Illay smiled vaguely at him as he responded.