Work Text:
Neuvillette understood conceptually that being in a romantic relationship could change a person, softening their heart and making them view the world through rose colored glasses. However, it was only when he entered a relationship himself that he learned that other unusual changes could occur as well.
For instance, he's undoubtedly become more shameless in coming up with excuses to visit the Fortress of Meropide whereas he used to be cautious about bothering the warden with his presence. Of course, his excuses weren't too far-fetched but he would sometimes opt to discuss three points of agenda in three separate meetings as opposed to tackling them all in one meeting, which would have been far more efficient. Today, he came to discuss the timeline for gradually replacing some of the machinery in the fortress with more updated (and less rusty) versions which would hopefully result in fewer technical difficulties and more efficient energy use in the near future.
Well, that was the intention at least. Unfortunately, his plans were temporarily thwarted upon entering the duke's office and beholding the sight of Wriothesley running his hand through his hair, wearing a white tank top that had become a little bit translucent after soaking up some sweat. Suddenly, the iudex pursed his lips and decided against speaking until his lover took notice of him.
“Oh, Neuvillette, you've arrived. I apologize for my lack of professionalism. I'm just looking for something in the inner pockets of my uniform–well, uniforms, actually. I'm trying to look through several.”
It was only then that Neuvillette took note of the pile of dark grey long sleeved shirts with collars haphazardly folded on one edge of the warden's desk. Seeing Wriothesley looking frazzled and disoriented was such a rare occurrence that most of his subordinates never even believed that this side of him even existed. Hence, Neuvillette actually took pride in being one of the very few people to witness this secret side of the duke.
“Sorry, that's none of your business. Would you like me to dress appropriately before we begin our meeting, or would you rather start as soon as possible?”
“Please don't worry about your appearance. In truth, you look rather stunning.”
“...”
Oh no, did Neuvillette actually say that out loud?! Well, technically, he was allowed to make such a comment about his boyfriend but he still intended to keep the interaction professional. And besides, Wriothesley still hasn't taken well to receiving compliments on his appearance.
“Well…I suppose it's reasonable for you to appreciate my sweaty look considering how much you love water.”
“Ah, yes. The water…Anyway, what is it you’re looking for? I can help.”
“Remember when you asked me to provide some documentation to help with that trial on the smuggling syndicate? One of the ringleaders had a wife who discovered my identity based on the way her husband’s second in command wrote about me in his letters to her. Just last week, she saw me ordering tea at Hotel Debord and gave me this piece of paper with a meeting place for tomorrow. I put it in the inner pockets of my shirt since I thought it was a tip-off. I forgot about it and I put my clothes in the laundry bin. Good thing I didn't wash them yet. I need to find the note quickly in case she's about to warn me about something that’s going to happen in the fortress. And yes, I also had to check the shirt I was wearing just now since I sometimes rewear my clothes when I'm too lazy to do laundry. I’m such a mess. You should hose me down one of these days.”
“There’s no need for that.”
As much as Neuvillette was intrigued by the image of Wriothesley's clothes clinging to his body and his skin glistening with droplets of water, he also believed that the act of dousing him in water would be rather forceful.
“Anyway, if you're willing to talk while searching through my pockets, my proposed budget for the acquisition of new capital is around 50 million mora. How does that sound to you?”
“Isn't it a bit too little?” Neuvillette asked as he searched through the pocket of the first black shirt he got a hold of.
“I'll save the other replacements for next year. And besides, some of it can be paid off using our own earnings from the sale of gardemeks.”
“I suppose you'll be procuring the materials from the Fontaine Research Institute?”
Neuvillette was relieved to find out he could still carry a conversation with his incredibly attractive lover without faltering. Perhaps, the years of experience pining after him helped…
“Some of it. Other pieces of equipment can be produced at a cheaper price by Kshahrewar researchers in Sumeru. I'll send the list after double checking it.”
“Thank you. I can always rely on you to handle government funds.”
“Don't speak too soon,” Wriothesley teased with a little smirk that made the iudex die inside.
A knock on the door startled them both, disrupting their romantic little tryst…or work meeting, rather.
“Your Grace, a liaison of the Palais Mermonia is here to meet with you,” a prison guard shouted from the bottom floor of the duke’s office, unable to face Wriothesley who was on the second floor.
“We went over this already before, you can just say it's Clorinde.”
“But Your Grace, it isn't Clorinde this time. I've been told she's currently in a duel as we speak.”
“Is this urgent? Well, nevermind. They're here anyway. Might as well let them in.”
Wriothesley sighed deeply, upset by the fact that he had to put a pause on conversing with his beloved for some mundane work duties. Then immediately, his eyes widened, realizing that he wasn't dressed properly for an official meeting with someone who wasn't his partner. He turned to Neuvillette, silently pleading for help with his gaze.
Although Wriothesley was concerned about how disheveled and unpresentable he looked, Neuvillette was far more worried about having other people catch a glimpse of his boyfriend in an especially alluring state. No one else should be allowed to see him like this. With this thought in mind, Neuvillette hastily grabbed one of Wriothesley's uniform shirts, guided the warden's arms into the sleeves, and buttoned them up swiftly. Feeling a bit more impassioned, he also threw the duke's coat over him to cover him up some more.
As this surprise guest made their way up the stairs to the duke's work table, Neuvillette teleported away, settling on the stairs connecting Wriothesley's office to the secret area where the Wingalet was built. Meanwhile, Wriothesley stuffed all his shirts in one of the drawers under his desk.
“Ah, Savinien. What brings you here?”
“Your girl Clorinde is busy bringing a suspect to their knees in the duel ring.”
“I know. Looks like Sigewinne will soon need to treat a very badly injured inmate…Anyway, I assume there are some papers I need to sign. Would you like some tea?”
“That would be lovely, Your Grace. I've heard lots of things about you but I didn't know you were a good host.”
“That's for the best. We don't want the Fortress of Meropide to seem too warm and friendly, do we?”
As soon as Wriothesley got hold of the stack of documents, he flipped through them while waiting for the tea to steep.
“Huh? Where are the tick marks?”
“Tick marks?”
“So I know where to sign. Clorinde always does this for me.”
“Is that why she's your favorite?” Savinien asked with a certain slyness in his voice, as if to insinuate something else.
“She’s one of the most efficient employees of the Palais Mermonia.”
“So you two are not dating?”
“Of course not. You seem to be interested in gossip but you're terribly behind on the rumors,” Wriothesley responded, hinting at Clorinde’s relationship with Navia being the talk of the town.
“Listen,” the duke continued. “On page 11, it's asking for the machine's acquisition date. Does it mean just the month and year or does it require me to write the day as well? I know the documentation requirements vary a lot.”
“You can put in whatever you want. I'll be the one to take care of it,” Savinien winked. “You're so focused on work. Why don't you lighten up a bit?”
Wriothesley had to prevent himself from rolling his eyes. Savinien clearly didn't know him well enough. Clorinde would've said the complete opposite about him.
“The tea's ready. I hope partaking in afternoon tea counts as ‘lightening up’ for you. But as it is, your answer to my question leaves me no choice but to look through the records to find the exact date when we bought the equipment…”
“Oh come on, why don't you leave that for later?”
“You mean you'll pick up the forms next time?”
“Of course, if it means I'll get to see you again.”
God, I hope I never have to do official business with this man ever again, Wriothesley thought.
“Alright. I'll leave it for now. I don't want to risk filling them out wrong.”
“Good, good. Let's have a bit of a chat, Your Grace.”
Please stop, please stop.
“Make it quick. You know I'm a very busy man. The guards must have informed you that I was in the middle of a meeting with Monsieur Neuvillette himself.”
“Oh really? Then where is he?”
“He's doing a round of inspection. Something I requested. He wouldn't interfere on his own.”
“Then it's the perfect chance for us to find a way to pass the time while waiting for him to come back. I can't leave you feeling lonely.”
Bold assumption there. Wriothesley would've preferred to spend time consulting someone who could actually tell him how to fill those damn forms correctly, but Savinien clearly didn't understand the intricacies of such a process. It wouldn't have been a problem if he just admitted that he lacked sufficient knowledge to address the query and if he didn't act as though these details didn't matter.
“If you insist.”
“I must say, even as a champion duelist myself, I can tell your biceps look great. So strong and huge. What's your workout regimen like?”
“Manual labor. That's all there is to it.”
“Well then, would you like to do manual labor together?”
“I would if I actually had the time to spare after filling out these forms.”
Normally, Wriothesley wouldn't be this snarky when doing official business but the incompetence of the person in front of him was getting on his nerves.
“Shhh, I said I'll take care of you, remember? Maybe I can get someone else to do this for you. You know I'm well-respected back in the overworld.”
“Well, I hope you also know that I'm even more highly regarded in the overworld. If I truly believed this was a requirement I could bypass, I would've negotiated to remove it ages ago. Anyway, finish your tea. I think I need to send you off. I realized I have a lot more work on my plate than I remembered.”
Savinien let out a sigh and downed his tea in one go.
“So straight-laced. I hope you find good company in those papers.”
The inferior champion duelist rushed down the flight of stairs with heavy footsteps before opening the door and shutting it behind him with a loud bang. Good riddance.
Fortunately, his tensions were soon eased by a soothing presence.
“Why is it that my own lover respects my work more than this lousy duelist?” Wriothesley groaned as he rested his head on his palm.
“I believe it's because someone who truly loves you wouldn't want to bother you.”
“...I meant that rhetorically but that's a pretty good answer. What I really don't understand is his intention for lingering around. It's normal for an incompetent person to leave you without answering your questions properly but why did he want to stay and chat? Did he want to distract me from his inability to answer my questions? What was he trying to achieve by asking about my workout regimen? Is he trying to curry favor with me? But it's not like I have any impact on his professional career…”
“Wriothesley, do you really not understand?”
“No. Is there something I should know?”
“I myself am not the best at comprehending human attitudes and emotions, but I can confidently assert that Savinien was attempting to flirt with you.”
“What?”
“He complimented your arms,” the judge pointed out as he strode from the front of the duke's desk to right beside his chair, sounding as if he was recapping evidence presented at a trial.
“That’s how champion duelists are. Extremely competitive. Some of them even measure their muscle mass.”
“He mentioned wanting to see you again,” Neuvillette added, gently taking hold of Wriothesley's chin and tilting his head up to face him. He practiced great self-restraint in preventing himself from outright devouring his lover's face right there and then.
“Obviously, he wants to maintain friendly relations with officers in high positions of power.”
“But you said it yourself. You don't have much influence over his career.”
“Well, it certainly helps to be well-connected in a nation run with unreasonable amounts of bureaucracy.”
“You can hear the sheer admiration in his voice,” Neuvillette claimed as he pushed back Wriothesley's chair lightly and lowered himself onto the duke's lap. He crossed his legs and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulders, settling into a comfortable and intimate sitting position.
“Really? You must be hearing things. Savinien is as straight as a pole. Clorinde has told me about his rather misguided attempts at seducing women.”
“Perhaps he's bisexual.”
“You're really sold on this theory, huh?”
“The evidence speaks for itself.”
Admittedly, Neuvillette couldn't fully understand just why he was so insistent on letting his lover know about all the other people who were trying their luck at getting together with him. Perhaps, he meant it as a sort of warning–equivalent to instructing a person to wrap their cake in tissue paper or foil before the ants get to it.
“What if it's just circumstantial evidence?”
“But he has a motive. You're incredibly attractive.”
In the heat of the moment, Neuvillette captured Wriothesley's lips in a sensual, lingering kiss despite recalling that they were technically still supposed to be in a work meeting. As he asserted just now, the duke was so alluring that he couldn't help himself. Of course, that same attractiveness sometimes became too overwhelming for Neuvillette that he found kissing his own lover to be rather intimidating, but as of late, he's come to enjoy the feeling of nervousness mixed with giddy pleasure resulting from their lips touching.
“Hmmm, do you think it's safe to assume that other people think the same way as you?”
Neuvillette couldn't understand how his boyfriend could ask such a question when he was right here with his dazed, half-lidded gaze and hesitant smirk appearing as if a single kiss had gotten him drunk. Clearly, anyone (as long as they were attracted to men) would kill to be in Neuvillette's position right now. Wriothesley seems to possess everything desirable–strength, intelligence, judgment, kindness, humor, insight, humility, handsomeness…
Before the iudex could get sucked into that train of thought, listing an endless amount of positive traits in overwhelming praise of his lover's character, he decided on a simple response:
“I'm relying on my intuition.”
This seemed to be the best choice, as he was rewarded with the sweet sound of Wriothesley's chuckle.
“I won't question it then. But I really hope you don't worry too much about it. You know I won't reciprocate flirting from anyone else, right?”
Of course, Neuvillette understood that his partner intended to remain loyal to him and had absolutely no desire for anyone else. However, that wasn't really where his discomfort stemmed from.
“Mhm.”
Neuvillette kissed Wriothesley again as a form of affirmation.
“And besides, you're the most intense flirt I've come across, seeing as you're bold enough to kiss me in the middle of a professional meeting.”
Typically, Neuvillette would've lowered his head in embarrassment like a blushing maiden but after enduring the pain of overhearing Wriothesley get hit on, he no longer minded coming across as shameless.
“We've completed our agenda for today…except for our search for the note. Hold on.”
Just as he was about to search through the other shirts, Wriothesley's voice interrupted him.
“Wait. The one I'm wearing now–have we looked through this already?”
“Forgive me, but I don't recall…”
“Let's check to make sure.”
“...!”
Neuvillette chastised himself internally for immediately imagining the duke removing his shirt to reveal his white tank top as soon as he mentioned the need to double check for the note. While Wriothesley was being diligent in searching for a tip-off that could avert danger in the prison, all the iudex could think about was his lover's beautiful muscles…
“Darling, would you like to say something?”
“...”
Well, there was no point in hiding now that Wriothesley knew that there was something on his mind.
“May I do the honors?” Neuvillette muttered, phrasing the question as vaguely as possible to make it seem less like he was so eager to strip Wriothesley…
“By all means,” Wriothesley answered softly and gently as opposed to his typical teasing tone. Perhaps it was because he knew he was putting himself in a vulnerable position.
Upon receiving permission, Neuvillette removed Wriothesley's coat and proceeded to gingerly unbutton his shirt with his slender fingers. When he got to the last button, he was looking forward to catching a glimpse of his boyfriend's strong arms that appeared as though they were sculpted from marble. However, out of respect for him, he decided against getting Wriothesley to completely shed his clothing, instead opting to look into the pockets while the warden was still wearing his shirt. He has the privilege of ogling those biceps every night anyway.
After a bit of fumbling, Neuvillette pulled out a strip of paper feeling as though he had won some lucky prize.
“Found it,” he reported before unfolding the paper.
“What does it say?”
“It reads, ‘meet me in front of the Fountain of Lucine at 1900 on the sixth day of the week.’”
The first thought that entered Neuvillette's brain was that the Fountain of Lucine was an undoubtedly romantic meeting place. He often daydreamed of standing in front of the fountain while holding his lover's hand and relishing the feeling of water spraying on him lightly, but he knew that he could never fulfill that particular wish within his lifetime.
“Oh. I suppose it makes sense that she'd want to deliver the information to me in person to avoid the possibility of being intercepted, but couldn't she have chosen a more clandestine location? Perhaps, I can walk her to the outskirts of the city before she actually tells me anything…”
Neuvillette started to become frustrated with himself for thinking of strange selfish thoughts while Wriothesley was taking the situation seriously. Since when was he like this? He once used to be so calm, responsible, and impartial…
“Whatever. Who am I to question her strategy when I'm the one who almost lost her note? Anyway, I can't thank you enough for your help, Neuvillette.”
“Well, there is one thing you could do to express your gratitude.”
“Oh? And what would that be?”
Unexpectedly for Wriothesley, Neuvillette responded with yet another kiss.
“There. That should do it.”
Still a bit taken aback by what just happened, Wriothesley touched his lips lightly, taking note of the tingling sensation he just felt.
“You've been sneaking in quite a few kisses today. Be careful, Neuvillette–I might start expecting this from you every meeting.”
As per usual, he used his tactic of masking his embarrassment with dry teasing.
“Why not? Perhaps we should even include it in the agenda.”
Wriothesley snickered a bit mischievously.
“Good one.”
“I'm serious. I've come to realize that a little indulgence won't disrupt the fulfillment of our duties to a substantial degree.”
“Alright, but I'll let you be the one to initiate.”
Although Neuvillette wasn't absolutely certain about his interpretation of the statement, he had a sense that Wriothesley actually wasn't that comfortable about kissing at work and only agreed to the proposal to humor his lover. He took note of this and decided to drop the idea for succeeding meetings in the near future.
~
The Chief Justice of Fontaine doesn't need to leave the Palais Mermonia to find a refreshing glass of water or a warm cup of refined tea. He obtains water from various sources through a subscription service and a certain mysterious sender ensures that he has a constant supply of high quality tea leaves. Hence, there's no real reason for him to go to a café to purchase refreshments…
Except of course to catch a glimpse of something pleasing to the eye.
On some days, he wouldn't get the chance to find what he was looking for at Café Lutece but he made it a point to visit often just in case he'd strike lucky.
Fortunately, today was one of those days. He took a seat on an empty table and raised his cup of water as a way to greet the dashing man clad in a dark grey uniform with hints of burgundy sitting at another table across from him. When they got the opportunity, they did this often–stealing glances while no one else would notice. The only problem was that this arrangement made them prone to being disrupted by other people who wished to speak with them.
Just as Wriothesley took a sip from his cup of tea, a perky young woman called his attention.
“Good day, Sir! May I take a few minutes or your time?”
The duke let out a sigh but decided to play along to avoid any suspicion. He made eye contact with Neuvillette one last time as if to inform him that he'll get back to him later.
“What is this about?”
“Have you come across Chioriya Boutique's fashion catalogue?”
“Of course. Who in Fontaine hasn't?”
“Good, good. Now, do you have any current job and if so, what is it?”
As she was talking, the woman who seemed to work for Chioriya Boutique pulled out the chair from under the table Wriothesley was at so they could speak face to face. This made the typically tranquil iudex feel his chest tighten with frustration. How dare she obstruct his view of his boyfriend???
“I'm a freelance accountant.”
Wriothesley decided to go with this cover up around the time that he was awarded with the title of duke. With how much accounting he did for the Fortress of Meropide, it was technically true and he would be able to answer nearly all questions related to accounting processes anyway.
“Oh, freelance! That's great! Since you aren't constrained by a 9 to 5 job, let me propose an opportunity you might be interested in. What do you think about modeling for Chioriya Boutique?”
“I appreciate the offer but I must decline. I'm rather busy and I’m not fond of posing for the camera.”
At least there was one thing that brought a little bit of joy to Neuvillette despite the irritation he felt with the situation as a whole. Wriothesley often took photos of himself casually, producing around five pieces of film a month for his lover to insert in his photo album. He certainly was privileged in that sense.
“Really, sir? But you're so sexy!”
Sexy??? Forget the fact that Wriothesley took pictures of himself only for the iudex. The comment from this girl made Neuvillette vibrate with rage, which he tried his hardest to bottle up. He wanted to slowly get up from his seat and walk back to the Palais Mermonia where he could drown himself in work to push aside his bitter jealousy yet his feet felt as though they were frozen in place.
Fortunately, it didn't seem like Wriothesley enjoyed receiving the compliment yet even that fact was no longer reassuring for Neuvillette. He recalled the time he attempted to use the word “sexy” to describe his lover in a wine colored suit, to which Wriothesley responded with a grimace, yet when the compliment came from someone else, he didn't seem to be affected by it.
“To be honest, our male models pretty much all have a slender build. I mean, there's no problem with that but we also want to let our customers know that our clothes can suit any body type! Madame Chiori can sew classy suits even for hunks with bulked up muscles!”
At this point, Neuvillette's fists were clenched so tightly that he wondered if he would somehow bruise his own fingers.
“Uh…perhaps you could look into hiring those men who lift heavy goods at the ports. They're very strong from all the manual labor they do. Their muscles are even bigger than mine and they'll appeal to a larger customer base.”
If there was one consolation to this whole situation, it was the fact that Neuvillette got to overhear Wriothesley’s well-crafted responses to the shameless flirting. Anything coming out of his mouth was both sensible and captivating.
“Awww, humble guys are so hot! I know you want to help regular workers earn a little more but we both know they aren't convincing anyone to buy clothes. As harsh as that sounds, this is how fashion advertising works! We need someone easy on the eyes!”
His beauty is for my eyes only, Neuvillette responded internally, only for him to correct himself immediately afterwards. There's no law against appreciating the duke's physical appearance and legality aside, it isn't immoral either just because it upsets him…
“If that's the case, let me make a referral. You won't go wrong with this person.”
“Oh, thank you so much!”
Wriothesley quickly obtained a purple fountain pen from the inner pocket of his coat and wrote the name of an ex-convict which he recalled to be rather conventionally attractive in such a way that might be of good use to Chioriya Boutique. It was only when he handed the tissue paper to the woman in front of him that he realized that it was raining.
“There are free umbrellas here. Just return them the next time you come here or you'll be fined,” Wriothesley advised her.
Neuvillette sighed in relief knowing that his kind and gentlemanly lover didn't offer to walk her all the way to the boutique while shading her with his umbrella. He quickly stood up from his chair and walked back to the Palais Mermonia with long strides before Wriothesley could meet his gaze.
~
“You were upset earlier?”
With Wriothesley having a sense of his true identity, he was naturally able to establish a link between his lover's emotions and the precipitation levels in Fontaine.
“...”
Neuvillette was sitting on the edge of the bed to conceal his expression from his boyfriend who was sprawled out on the sheets.
“The sky was clear before it started raining. That's unusual for regular precipitation.”
“It's alright. I feel better now.”
Although Neuvillette often struggled to lie, it was technically true. Despite still harboring unpleasant feelings, they were pushed to the back of his mind.
For some reason, Wriothesley wasn't exactly buying it but he had a sense that dropping the topic would be the best thing to do.
“So, are you in the mood to cuddle or not?” he clarified, just in case he was the source of Neuvillette's woes.
“Was there ever a time when I refused?”
“Now could be the first time. I won't mind it if you want space.”
Neuvillette was so frustrated with himself. He wasn't upset with his lover yet his jealousy created a noticeable tension between them.
“No, please. I missed you today.”
To prove it, Neuvillette swiftly lowered himself onto the bed and slithered into Wriothesley's embrace.
“Same here. Our little meeting was disrupted earlier. Did I say something to make you leave?”
Why was he assuming that he was the one at fault?
“I thought you and the woman would take a longer time to finish and I had work to get back to.”
Again, technically correct but not the full story.
“Yeah, she was quite persistent,” Wriothesley mindlessly mumbled in a low, soft voice as he stroked his lover's hair out of habit.
“She seemed to be flirting with you,” Neuvillette said to test the waters.
“Really?”
Somehow, Wriothesley managed to sound curious yet indifferent at the same time.
“Mhm. She even called you sexy.”
He tried his best to stay as calm as possible in spite of his blood boiling.
“Huh. I completely forgot about that.”
“Oh. Your memory is typically better than that.”
Wriothesley chuckled softly before pressing his nose to the crook of Neuvillette's neck and squeezing him even more tightly.
“I think it's because I'm distracted. Your scent is so heavenly–it's making my mind feel hazy.”
“It’s because I put on rainbow rose perfume.”
“It’s not just that. I've sampled that fragrance before and I found the scent too cloyingly sweet. But for some reason, it's so utterly captivating on your skin. Maybe it's because you naturally smell like a soft sea breeze to begin with so when you use the perfume, it creates the dreamiest aroma,” he sighed.
“I'm glad you like it. You know I only put on perfume for you.”
In the three years that the iudex spent in a state of perpetual lovesickness, he altered his behavior slightly to let the man he loved notice him a little bit more. At that time, he believed that putting on perfume wouldn't actually be effective in charming the warden of the Fortress of Meropide, but all he wanted was to leave a mark in Wriothesley's memory. Before their scheduled meetings, he would take out a small bottle from one of his drawers and spray a little bit of the perfume on his neck all while chastising himself for being so desperate despite knowing that nothing would come of it.
When he decided to switch to using rainbow rose perfume which was described as having a “flirty” scent, Neuvillette reasoned that he wanted to test whether this new fragrance would suit him better. Yet upon further reflection, he started to suspect that he bought it in an attempt at seduction. Of course, he knew that he no longer needed to rely on seduction to earn and maintain Wriothesley's love and attention but he still felt the need to compete with all his other admirers. Well, it's not like he would beat them in a public flirting competition anyway, but this was the best he could do.
“Neuvillette, you…if I was unaware of your true identity, I would've mistaken you for a siren. You're so bewitching.”
Tingles were sent down his spine upon hearing the effusive praise even though he wasn't sure if he deserved it. After all, if he really did possess a siren's powers, he should have been able to romance the duke at least three years ago and he shouldn't constantly feel like he's conceding to random bystanders flirting with his partner. Hence, not knowing how to respond, Neuvillette resorted to burying his head in Wriothesley's chest as his silky white hair was being stroked and twirled. Wriothesley caught on and decided to redirect the conversation.
“Oh by the way, I'll be meeting with that informant tomorrow. I hope going out of my way will be worth it.”
“Whatever happens, I know you will handle the situation flawlessly,” Neuvillette reassured his lover before kissing him lightly.
“Of course I will. I do have direct contact with Fontaine's Chief Justice after all.”
~
On the fateful day, Wriothesley arrived at the Fountain of Lucine, the designated meeting location, ten minutes after the scheduled meeting time. As punctual as he was on a regular basis, he decided against arriving much earlier than the informant or else he could risk looking suspicious especially when clad in dark grey.
He didn't need to exert much effort into searching for the person he was meant to meet up with even in the evening, as she stood out from the crowd wearing a frilly pink dress covered with lace and small butterfly designs which were illuminated by the faint glow of the night sky and the streetlamps. It must've been designed by Chiori, he assumed. He waved to catch her attention and hastened his pace when walking towards her.
“Good evening, Your Grace,” she greeted with a soft voice.
“Good evening to you too. Um, would you mind if we continue our discussion at a more inconspicuous location? We wouldn't want bystanders to overhear our conversation.”
“But Your Grace…I deliberately chose this location because of the romantic ambience.”
Romantic? Perhaps this woman believed that having them pose as lovers would be a deterrent to eavesdropping.
“Ah, you're quite the clever one. Hiding in plain sight would make us seem less suspicious.”
“Suspicious? What are you talking about?”
“Aren't you going to pass on a secret message to me? Isn't that why you set up the meeting?”
Wriothesley was running his hand through his hair in frustration. Did he come all the way here for nothing? Apparently, he was fortunate to have the meeting set at Erinnyes or else he would've had to take an aquabus all the way to the city proper entirely due to a misunderstanding.
“Oh, Your Grace! There seems to be a misunderstanding…I invited you here because…”
The woman seemed embarrassed to continue the sentence, swaying side to side with blushing cheeks. His chest tightened over a tinge of anxiety arising from his suspicion about the implications of her statement.
“Because?”
“I wanted to let you know how I felt…”
“Felt in what way?”
“Um…do I have to say it out loud?”
Yes, please prove me wrong, Wriothesley thought.
Luckily, he recalled that the woman was married. He was relieved as soon as he realized that he could let go of his nervousness as she probably wasn't intending to confess her feelings to him even if her stature and disposition showed signs of that.
“Of course. It's important for me to know if you were upset with the way I handled your husband's case.”
“I don't mean to offend you, Your Grace, but you truly are dense. I'm trying to tell you that I have feelings for you.”
“Huh? Aren't you married?”
“We can arrange a divorce.”
“... Well, sorry I don't…”
The renowned Duke of the Fortress of Meropide was rumored to have a silver tongue which consistently gave him the upper hand in each negotiation he engaged in. Even the iudex could attest to his eloquence. But apparently his communication skills could break down in an instant upon receiving a romantic confession that didn't come from Neuvillette. He never created any spiel for him to use to respectfully reject anyone because he didn't think he'd ever have use for it.
“It’s alright. Is it because you're seeing someone?”
Ah, yes–the easiest excuse on the table. It technically was true and it was indeed the main reason for him to decline advances from his admirers. Obviously, the problem with admitting the truth was that it entailed revealing the identity of his lover, which was something he couldn't afford to do with Chief Justice Neuvillette.
“I plead the fifth,” Wriothesley smirked. It was the best answer he could think of, and it was even lifted from the law itself. Neuvillette would be proud.
Without any warning, rain started pouring violently all over the Court of Fontaine, causing the people to scramble in search of cover. Instinctively, Wriothesley opened his black umbrella and held it above his and the woman's head.
“I'm assuming you didn't bring an umbrella.”
“I'm sorry. The skies seemed so clear! I didn't think it would rain.”
“Nevermind. Take this.”
“What about you?”
Using his cryo powers, Wriothesley created a simple parasol for himself made out of ice. Of course, it could get thicker and heavier once more rain drops on him but if he walks fast, it should be fine.
“I've got myself covered. Take care.”
~
Later in the night, Neuvillette settled in Wriothesley's bedroom and turned to his side of the bed with a gloomy expression on his face.
Noticing this, Wriothesley slipped into bed, rolled over to spoon Neuvillette, and kissed his shoulder.
“Darling, are you upset?” he whispered.
“Mmmm…not really.”
Neuvillette wasn't normally the type to lie but the circumstances pushed him to cover up his true feelings.
“Really now? There was a major downpour earlier. And the skies were clear just before that so it's an irregular weather phenomenon.”
“...”
“Are you upset because of something I did?”
Afraid to admit the truth and risk worrying Wriothesley, Neuvillette kept his mouth shut.
“Would you like for me to give you some space for now? If it'd make you comfortable, I could sleep on the couch or we could put some pillows between us.”
To make his point, Wriothesley slowly distanced himself from his lover and began rolling out of bed.
“Don't you dare,” Neuvillette finally responded, quickly turning to face Wriothesley so that he could grab his arm and prevent him from getting up.
“What?”
“You're not allowed to leave the bed.”
“Alright, alright. I'll stay so I can hear what you have to say. If you're truly mad at me, I'd like to know what I can do to improve. You know me, I take feedback pretty well.”
Not being able to resist Wriothesley's sweet tone of voice, Neuvillette contemplated how to express his current predicament.
“There is something about you that frustrates me, but I understand that you have no control over it.”
“Huh? Are you sure? I really can work on it if you wish. I wouldn't want to upset you again.”
“Please don't worry too much about it, my love. I can deal with it myself.”
“I don't want to force you to tell me what this is about, but I do admit I'm getting a bit frustrated now. You shouldn't assume I can't change before even letting me know what this is about.”
“Why? Is it possible for you to decrease your level of attractiveness?”
“What? Sorry, I don't follow.”
Neuvillette's heartbeat gradually sped up before he gathered the courage to voice out his concern. Thus, he took a deep breath to help steady himself.
“What upsets me is that everyone attempts to flirt with you because you're far too attractive.”
He then turned over to his side of the bed once more to avoid facing Wriothesley out of embarrassment.
“So you're saying you're jealous?”
“Of course not. I would never distrust you.”
“I know you don't. It's normal to feel jealous when someone tries to get close to your lover.”
“I have presided over trials where the defendants killed their lovers in a fit of jealous rage. This corrosive emotion is the root of these crimes of passion.”
Wriothesley smirked and shook his head.
“Neuvillette, we both know that no amount of jealousy could trigger your murderous instincts.”
“Even if it doesn't lead to criminal activity, jealousy puts strain on a romantic relationship. I wish to let go of this feeling as soon as possible.”
“Uh…what if I told you I'm really glad to know you're jealous?”
“Hm? How come?”
“Well, I already know that you passionately desire me but it's nice to receive some reassurance every once in a while. Your jealousy reminds me that you really do want me that much.”
“I see. Still, I wish to ease the burden I feel in my heart.”
“Oh, don't get me wrong. It's not like I want you to stay jealous all the time for the sake of my own amusement. That must be really frustrating for you. I just want you to know that you don't need to feel guilty or ashamed of your feelings.”
“Even if I resent you for holding your umbrella over that woman's head?"
“Huh?”
Wriothesley didn't realize that Neuvillette spotted them together so his heart rate spiked for a moment, preparing to explain his side of the story until his lover continued speaking.
“I perfectly understand that a polite gentleman such as yourself would naturally take to shielding someone from the rain. Yet I can't help but be reminded of the fact that you no longer hold your umbrella over my own head…”
“But I thought I disrupted your connection with the rain by doing that. I remember there being a startled look in your eyes.”
“Of course I would be flustered. It was suddenly thrust into close proximity with someone I was madly in love with.”
“Oh. So that's what it was.”
The iudex lamented the fact that the duke had consistently struggled to notice any signs of admiration from him, especially due to his erroneous belief that the Chief Justice could neither feel nor express such emotions.
“I used to always exercise restraint in dealing with you. I couldn’t compliment your attire, I couldn't prolong our meetings just to spend more time with you, I made it a point to maintain enough physical distance between us. I hoped that courting you would finally relieve me of this burden yet witnessing all your admirers flirt so openly with you made me realize that I'm still bound by restraint.”
“Does that mean you'd prefer to have our relationship be publicized?”
“No. I simply wish to receive more privileges from being your partner. More than the existing ones…”
“Hmmm, you get to sleep in my bed, receive hugs and kisses from me, eat breakfast prepared by me every morning…what else can I add?”
“Not much. This is why you don't need to mind my jealousy. I can handle my emotions on my own.”
“Coming to think of it, I could grant you a few more privileges as my lover. You'll notice it when it happens.”
~
“Your Grace, a shipment has just arrived that requires your inspection,” Estienne reported, disrupting Wriothesley and Neuvillette’s very important work meeting (well, actually half work meeting half date).
Although it was a great inconvenience, the two lovers were unfazed after having their little “dates” interrupted previous times in the past–sometimes even at the insistence of one of them. Neuvillette was especially prone to casting aside Wriothesley in favor of work anyway…
“Come with me, Neuvillette. I could use your help with this batch of goods. I heard a suspicion that recently, there have been attempts to smuggle some unusual substances into the Fortress of Meropide.”
“I would be glad to lend my assistance to you.”
And so they both exited the duke’s office and headed towards the receiving area. When they arrived there, they were greeted by roughly ten prison guards on patrol. The guards cut open the packaging tape on a box marked as fragile, and as it was opened, little bottles wrapped in foam were revealed. Neuvillette agreed that it looked suspicious and was expecting to be met with pungent fumes once they were opened, but before that could happen, another prison guard arrived and caught Wriothesley’s attention.
“Your Grace, another shipment has arrived,” Galvana announced as she presented a bouquet of rainbow roses and lumidouce bells to the warden. Neuvillette took a deep breath to calm himself down knowing that his blood was beginning to boil out of jealousy. Though he appeared calm on the surface, he was brimming with impatience waiting to find out the intentions of the sender as Wriothesley was reading the tag. After half a minute which seemed much longer to Neuvillette, the duke handed the bouquet to him.
“Could you please have a look at what’s written in the card? If you’ve encountered the name of the sender from previous cases you’ve handled, perhaps we can decode the message behind these flowers, if there’s any. You could also check for poison in its petals.”
Looking forward to the chance to finally discover the identity of the individual who was brazenly flirting with his lover, Neuvillette readily grabbed the bouquet and fumbled to find the card to open it. As soon as he laid eyes on the text, he noticed something amiss. It read:
My beloved Neuvillette, what do you think of this ruse I orchestrated? -Wriothesley
At this point, Neuvillette was extremely grateful for his skin’s inability to turn red whenever he blushed. He couldn’t tell if he was feeling flattered that he received such a gift from his partner or if he was feeling nervous about potentially being exposed for their secret relationship.
“Oh. What are these for?”
“It's a bribe.”
Wriothesley stared at Neuvillette for a few beats before chuckling liberally.
“No, of course it isn't. It's far worse. It's a confession of my feelings for you. Surely, you can't be new to this, Neuvillette. Everybody in Fontaine loves you–some more than others. Just because you can't return your admirers’ affections doesn't mean we should all shut up and bury our feelings.”
Ah, so Wriothesley’s strategy was to make it seem as though he was only expressing his unrequited love for Neuvillette. It was a way for him to express his feelings honestly and let others know that the duke was his even though they couldn’t publicize their relationship yet.
“Of course not. All of these displays of affection are inconsequential to me anyway,” Neuvillette lied through his teeth.
“Good. I hope you're not flustered. I'm not doing this to curry favor with you and I'm certainly not asking you to reciprocate my feelings. It is but a gesture of appreciation. I'm sure you must have noticed my admiration already. Denying it would be foolish. It's better for us to operate based on honesty and besides, I figured one bouquet of flowers won't sway your sense of impartiality, am I right?”
Neuvillette attempted to quickly survey the reactions of the prison guards surrounding them. The look in their eyes made it appear as though they were rooting for their boss’s success in his romantic pursuit, although they also looked tense as if they already knew that the Chief Justice wouldn’t reciprocate. Hence, there was still some lingering disappointment in Neuvillette knowing that he always had to be the one to keep his feelings suppressed. And yet…he thought maybe he could find a way to let a little bit of honesty slip out.
“Typically, it would not.”
“Typically?”
Of course, Wriothesley caught onto that qualifier.
“As the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide, who is well-versed in various forms of political and administrative dealings, you must know that the flowers are not what I should be worried about.”
The iudex hoped that this would work as a flirtatious hint, although knowing how dense his lover could be, he didn’t count on it.
And yet, Wriothesley had a cheeky grin plastered on his face and the way he held eye contact with Neuvillette hinted at a mutual understanding.
“I know. But it doesn’t look like you’re worried about anything at all. You seem to be comfortable with the arrangement.”
Neuvillette smiled and returned the bouquet to Wriothesley.
“I will leave the bouquet here for now. I shall call Sedene to come pick it up within the day.”
As the Chief Justice bade farewell to the warden, he took a quick look at the prison staff one more time. Even if Wriothesley’s little trick likely wouldn’t prevent most of his admirers from flirting with him, at least there were now many people who understood that the duke had eyes for him and only him. Admittedly, the notion brought embarrassment to Neuvillette, but nonetheless, it was something comforting to him as well.