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"Are you ready, Ruskin?" Charles Augustus Milverton asked from his secretary in front of that fancy manor they were about to enter.
"I am always ready, sir." Answered Ruskin and his eyes sparkled up from the excitement.
"Then let the fun time begin." Milverton flashed a smile at the other man and the pair stepped into the house. The lord whom the place belonged to, of course didn't know yet what was awaiting him, but after all, Milverton and Ruskin's fun was not meant for him - but for themselves. The media mogul and his secretary were here to blackmail the man - blackmail, which was Milverton's favourite hobby and his field of expertise. He knew how to play this game and always came out victorious from the negotiations. He was not called the King of Blackmail for no reason. Ruskin, as Milverton's right-hand man, accompanied his boss to every blackmail case and he really enjoyed this pastime. He loved seeing happiness on Mr. Milverton's face what torturing other people caused to him. Charles Augustus Milverton was a monster in anyone's eyes who knew his real, despicable self but Ruskin was deeply fond of his employer. He loved and worshipped the other man and unlike how Milverton viewed everyone else, he valued his secretary and often responded to his words with a gentle smile.
Their routine for blackmail was always plain and simple. First, Mr. Milverton brought their victim into the illusion of safety by some strategic heartfelt chatting. As a media mogul, Milverton knew a lot of gossip he could use to that aim - of course, while he kept the dirtier information to himself. When their victim got into a leisure mood where they didn't expect an attack, Mr. Milverton made him face the truth with a malicious smile at the corner of his mouth. He listed the target's secrets or weak points and set them a price he was sure they were unable to pay. This was not about money to Mr. Milverton, oh no - it was about the pleasure that came from overpowering someone. Then when their victim tried to negotiate with Mr. Milverton, the man made them beg pathetically, playing with their prey without mercy. He spilled the tea, stepped on sandwiches, blowing the smoke of his tobacco into the other's face while he kept laughing devilishly. Oh, how magical this laugh was to Ruskin's ears! And the way his yellow eyes were glowing made his secretary's heart beat faster from the beauty. Nor the begging words nor the tears had effect in softening Mr. Milverton's heart and the two men always left the negotiation with the feeling of satisfaction. Blackmail was their shared fun and Ruskin hoped that they would continue doing it forever.
Only one thing was what Ruskin hated during these negotiations - the curses and the ugly words Mr. Milverton got from their victims. It angered Ruskin and slightly ruined his fun, so the secretary kept monologuing in his mind during the whole time to ease the sharpness of those words.
"As the King of Media in this country, you surely know it well, Mr. Milverton." Said their current host, Lord Belfast, still unaware of the real reason behind the visit. He desperately tried to flatter Mr. Milverton - they all did and Ruskin always smiled on it inside. But his employer only valued Ruskin's flattery - no one could have found a place in his heart aside from him!
"Indeed, Lord Belfast, I know everything and even more." Milverton answered and a shark-like grin appeared on his face, his eyes were shining brightly like a serpent's. "Including that your attention is not reserved only for your wife. You are also deeply fond of a woman called Miss Irene Adler - am I right?"
The lord swallowed hard and his gaze got filled with terror. Mr. Milverton licked his lips as he watched the sight. Ruskin blushed.
"I... I'm afraid I don't understand what you are referring to, Mr. Milverton." Answered the lord and his voice was shaky.
"Oh, you don't?" Milverton mimed a surprised face. "How easily you forgot Miss Adler. What a shame. She would be very disappointed if she heard this. But I think your wife would be disappointed even more if she saw the sprightly letter you wrote to her. Your wife is wealthier than you, or so I am told. What do you think, how would she react when she learns that you cheated on her?"
The man tried to gulp again but his mouth became too dry for that.
"Please, don't let her know it, Mr. Milverton!" He whispered. "I will do anything - everything for it!"
"Fine then." Milverton nodded and his evil smile widened. "In that case, I am sure that you would be glad to pay me ten thousand pounds by the end of this week."
"H-how much?" Their victim became pale as he heard the price. "I can never pay that!"
"Oh. But you just told me that you would do anything for my silence." Milverton derisively winked. "It seems that not everything, after all. Well, I fear that this would lead me to get in contact with your wife in the end."
"This is blackmail." The lord just sat there, utterly destroyed, but Ruskin already knew what would follow this behaviour. He protectively leaned closer to his employer, ready to jump in front of him if it was needed.
Don't you dare hurt Mr. Milverton, you lowlife.
"Who are you to dare to blackmail me?" The lord stayed silent for a moment, then he lashed out, angrily shouting at his enemy. "I am a noble, I was born with this status - you are no one compared to me, Charles Augustus Milverton!"
He jumped up and his hand reached for Milverton's throat, about to grab it - but Ruskin was there and stopped the man's fist, dropping him back to the sofa violently.
You will not touch Mr. Milverton! No one deserves to touch him, just me! Only me! And if he wouldn't have so much fun torturing you, I would have killed you in the moment you tried to hurt him!
Milverton didn't even flinch for the threat, he knew that Ruskin would protect him. Instead, he crossed his arms while he just watched his victim like a snake watches its prey before they swallow it.
"So you are asking me who I am?" He let out a laugh. "Well, just to satisfy your curiosity, beside being the King of Media, I bear a much more terrifying title - I am also called the King of Blackmail. Therefore, do not think that you can escape from me. No one ever could."
"You are a monster." The lord spat. "I will tear your hideous heart off your chest!"
No, you will not, Ruskin grinded his teeth. Mr. Milverton's heart is mine and it is not hideous, but beautifully poisonous and perfect! Even one of his heartbeat is more precious than your entire existence. You are just too foolish to understand.
His fingertips unnoticeably touched his employer's hand. It was smooth and warm, like always.
"You are more than welcome to try." Milverton chuckled. "However, I doubt you would succeed. As you can see, I have a very loyal guardian." His gaze softened when he winked at his secretary. The words made Ruskin turn red and his eyes were devotedly shining.
I would happily die for you anytime, Mr. Milverton. Let me give my life for you one day.
The lord, seeing that his threats didn't work, changed tactics and started begging instead.
"I am very sorry for what I have said, Mr. Milverton!" He cried out. "Please, be merciful and lower the price or give me more time! I can't pay that much money so soon!"
Finally, in the second phase, Ruskin let out a sigh. While he loathed when their victims dared to threaten his beloved boss, he loved the begging part more than anything.
Just beg, you dirty noble, he murmured. Mr. Milverton deserves all the worship! You should lie in front of him on the ground - you didn't worth more!
Ruskin sensed that next to him, his employer inhaled their victim's despair. The smile froze on his face.
"More time?" He pretended to think. "Well, that entirely depends on your sincerity, I should say."
"My sincerity?" The man looked up with hope.
"Indeed." Milverton nodded. "Now, kneel down before me." He gestured to the floor.
Kneel as you should have done that already, Ruskin added.
The lord closed his eyes for a long moment and seemed to hesitate, but the fear of getting exposed made him throw away his noble pride completely in the end. He slowly shrank down to the ground.
"Please, Mr. Milverton, show some mercy and spare me!"
Good, thought Ruskin excitedly. You are worth less than the dirt on Mr. Milverton's shoes!
Milverton lit up his pipe and watched the man with a powerhungry gaze.
"Crawl on the ground like a worm and lick my shoe." He ordered maliciously.
The lord's eyes widened.
"But Mr. Milverton..."
"You are supposed to show your sincerity. Why did you stop?" Milverton tilted his head and blew the smoke into the man's face. He started coughing. "I didn't see anything from your sincerity yet. Lick my shoe... or your letters end up in your wife's hands by the end of this day."
The lord swallowed his shame and leaned his head down. Ruskin let his soul fill with the beautiful sight as the aristocrat who kept throwing curses at Mr. Milverton just five minutes before, now started licking his employer's shoes obediently.
Mr. Milverton deserves it all.
"Hell, your tongue is disgusting." Milverton soon had enough of this type of humiliation and kicked the noble's head. "And I can still feel that your sincerity is not true. You are supposed to show your true sincerity, not just pretending that you are sincere."
"But how can I show my sincerity if you don't let me!" Shrieked the lord panically.
"I let you but you played away your chance. I think this negotiation is concluded." Milverton rose from the sofa, but the lord's cry stopped him.
"Give me a new chance, I beg you!" The tears ran down on their victim's face. "Be so kind and give me another chance!"
"Kind?" Milverton echoed in an amused tone. "Maybe, but just because I am in a gracious mood today, I will be so kind and let you prove your sincerity for one more time."
He sat back and the lord let out a relieved sigh - but Ruskin knew that his relief was too early and their victim couldn't even imagine what awaits him. Milverton, as he finished smoking his pipe, took up the tea kettle from the table and poured his used tobacco into it. Then with a grin on his face, he served it into a cup and handed it over to the lord.
"But I can see that you got tired. Before we continue this negotiation, you should drink this to regain your strength. You can't convincingly beg me in an exhausted state."
The lord's breath got cut away. He stared at the cup with a pale face.
"Mr. Milverton, you can't mean this seriously. This would be bad for my..."
"To your what?" Milverton cut into the man's complaining. "I am currently showing you my kindness and I can't see your gratitude for it. Why do you think that you deserve a new chance then? I warn you that I am about to change my mind."
"No!" The lord pathetically wailed and quickly reached for the cup, taking it away with trembling fingers. Ruskin watched with pleasure as he drank from it.
You are lucky that you can taste something that touched Mr. Milverton's mouth. You are not good for that. You should be grateful for his graciousness!
"You didn't drink it all!" Slipped out of Ruskin's mouth accidentally when he saw that the man tried to put the cup down. Milverton laughed.
"My secretary is very smart." He told in a complimentary manner. "You will never outwit him. And he is right! So drink it all, don't pretend that you finished! Do you want me to suspect again that your sincerity is fake?"
The lord sighed and tried to fulfill the order without a grimace. Milverton and Ruskin watched his suffering with heavy entertainment. But before their victim could finish the task, his stomach which wasn't used to digesting tobacco couldn't handle the task and the man threw up. Milverton quickly pulled back his legs, so fortunately, the vomit didn't hit him.
If you would have humiliated Mr. Milverton with vomiting on his suit, you would be dead already, Ruskin swore furiously while a disgusted expression appeared on the media mogul's face.
"It seems that it was not worth wasting my time on you." He said disdainfully. "You are truly just a worm and nothing else."
"I am weak, Mr. Milverton, I'm so sorry!" The lord was crying like a child. "Please, just give me one last chance! Have some mercy!"
Milverton's evil laugh echoed in the room. He stood up and Ruskin knew that this time, he indeed decided to leave.
"Oh no, Lord Belfast. You still don't understand, do you? I never have mercy on my victims, you are just a mere toy to pass the time. Your chance to successfully negotiate with me was lost before you could even begin. This is why I am the King of Blackmail."
He didn't pay more attention to the lord's tears, he just gestured at Ruskin and walked out of the house while the lord's desperate cries didn't silence behind their backs.
"We had an amazing time, right, Ruskin?" Milverton asked his secretary in a cheerful voice when they sat down in the carriage.
"Yes, sir." Ruskin nodded and he couldn't help but add. "But it makes me furious whenever they throw curses at you and I can't do anything!"
Milverton chuckled and drawing him closer by his waist, he gave a kiss to Ruskin's hair.
"You never fail to protect me." He said gently. "It is enough for me. Thank you."
Ruskin sank into the feeling of the touch what his employer's lips caused. He closed his eyes and laid his head to Mr. Milverton's shoulder.
It is enough for you, but I would do more, it echoed in his mind. I would do anything for you. I am here for you forever. I love you, Mr. Milverton.