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"Ruskin, you are in my service for a year and until this moment, you served my cause loyally. I am satisfied with your work." Charles Augustus Milverton told the young, brown-haired man who was his secretary. Ruskin listened to his speech in awe, his wide brown eyes sparkled up as he watched his employer. Milverton could see it and this reassured him that he made the right decision when he shared all his secrets with Ruskin.
And now, he was about to let him get even closer.
"It is a pleasure for me to be useful to you, Mr. Milverton." Ruskin answered and he humbly lowered his head. Milverton continued.
"I already told you who I am - the incarnation of pure evil who was meant to tempt the good-hearted to sin and drag their souls to the darkness." He stated confidently. Ruskin nodded.
"Yes, sir - and I think it is beautiful."
"I know." Milverton put his hand under Ruskin's chin to raise his head and look into his eyes. He felt the hotness under his fingertips as Ruskin turned red. He liked the touch so he kept his fingers there for longer than it was necessary. "And that's why I decided to give you even more. I will teach you to my art, making you my apprentice, so one day, we can do this side by side. Ruskin..." Milverton made a dramatic stop and he enjoyed the fact that Ruskin seemed to hold back his breath. "It is time for you to learn how to blackmail."
Milverton saw that the sparks in his secretary's gaze increased for the statement. He spotted a tear at the corner of Ruskin's eyes like the young man's greatest wish was about to get fulfilled with what was about to come. Then Ruskin knelt down on the floor in front of Milverton and bowed his head. His voice was quiet and admiring when he spoke.
"Thank you, Mr. Milverton. It is an honour that you think that I am worthy to learn your art."
"Yes, you are indeed worthy." Milverton agreed. He was fond of Ruskin's reaction, it seemed that he was already able to understand completely what this was all about. That blackmail was truly an art most people were not capable of practicing. But it was Milverton's favourite art and he was the master of his game. And now, he will share all the knowledge he acquired during the years with his right hand. "I will teach you everything you need to know about how to become the master of blackmail like me. We shall start the lecture right now." Milverton noted and he reached out, helping Ruskin up from the ground where he was kneeling. He escorted him to the sofa and made him sit down. Milverton remained standing and as soon as he felt that he bore Ruskin's full attention, he began to speak.
"You are aware that I am referred to as the King of Blackmail by those who were unfortunate enough that their secrets ended up in my hands."
"A fitting, powerful name for you, sir." Ruskin noted with adoration.
"Indeed." Milverton smiled. "But it was long, long years of work to achieve this, to find the right methods to use. You see, Ruskin, blackmail is not just art, but a special weapon which could be used by anyone who is smart enough for that. For blackmail to be effective, one needs to be able to make one's threat real, but you don't need position for this, you don't need influence. You just need to know how to use the power that got into your hands."
He stopped to check whether Ruskin was able to follow him, but when he saw the focus on the young man's face, he knew that he could continue.
"Because blackmail can make you powerful even if you were weak before that. All you need is a secret, some incriminating information which you will use against the right person, at the right time. Information is power itself, which can bring life or cause harm - that's why I chose to work in the world of the media. And the pieces of information which someone wants to keep for themselves is the road to ultimate power. The secret, Ruskin, is secrets." Milverton let out a chuckle, amused by his own little joke. "You can overpower anyone through getting the right secret. Because in the end, everyone has one. You just need to take it away and know what to do with it to get the desired result."
"I understand, sir." Ruskin murmured and his face was flustered from the concentration.
"If you got the right secret, you should let your victim know about it - in the way to cause them the greatest shock. I prefer to visit them in person to see their faces when I tell them that they are in my hands and I will ruin them if they don't fulfill my demands until the deadline I set." Milverton said and he licked his lips as he recalled some of his memories about his favourite blackmail negotiations. "The pain, the despair, and the fear in their eyes... oh, it is the most beautiful sight in the world. When you see it, it will fill you with unspeakable power, knowing well that those people are at your mercy - but you are not going to give it to them in the end. Until they are unaware of this, you can play with them to your heart's content, like a cat is playing with the mouse. They will kneel down in front of you, they will beg in tears, they would even lick your shoes. Enjoy it to the fullest, Ruskin - then laugh into their faces, telling them that it was all in vain. You will not change your demands nor the deadline - and if they will not give you what you wanted, destroy them, making the entire world see their despair. Their suffering will be your greatest pleasure, it should be your greatest pleasure - as you are from this kind of evil, just like me."
Milverton finished his speech with his eyes closed. Even only talking about it made him excited. When he opened his eyes again and glanced at his secretary to see what he thought, he saw that the young man was crying from the joy. Ruskin sank to the ground and hugged Milverton's legs. He buried his face among them and whispered.
"Doing this with you will be my greatest pleasure, Mr. Milverton."
Milverton reached out and brushed his secretary's hair.
"Then we will do this together very soon."