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"Love makes us free, my darling. We are bound by our marriages which tied us to someone else by mistake - but our love makes us free again."
The King of Blackmail, Charles Augustus Milverton put down the love letter that he was reading aloud with a chuckle. The phrase that he just read clearly made him amused. Ruskin, his secretary, could see it well, but he didn't make a remark yet, he waited for Mr. Milverton to talk. His employer liked reading the love letters aloud which he later used as blackmail material and he always found them entertaining. He wanted to share his entertainment with Ruskin as well, the only person whom he had his complete trust in. The current love letter was written by a countess who had a husband - and the messaged one was a lord who had a wife as well. This was a very sinful relationship in the eyes of society, and of course, Mr. Milverton decided to use this to the fullest so his evil, greedy soul could get what it wanted. Pain. Worry. Ruination. And power. Ruskin waited for his speech to start, he expected quite a gloating one about how he will eventually defame both the countess and the lord - but what grabbed Mr. Milverton's attention now, what he started to talk about was something else.
"Love makes us free." He repeated and his evil laugh once again echoed through the room. "Oh, what a ridiculous and stupid thought." He grimaced and he leaned his elbow to the table and put his head into his hand while he turned to Ruskin's direction. "Do you know what true freedom is, Ruskin?" He asked and his golden eyes were sparkling from the malice.
"Having no morals which makes you able to commit evil without being held back, sir?" Ruskin made a guess, knowing Mr. Milverton's thinking process. But his employer now shook his head for the answer.
"Yes, this is true as well... but I was thinking about something else this time." He replied and the smile on his face widened. "Never being capable of love."
Ruskin's heart started to beat faster. He was aware that Mr. Milverton had no idea of the secret that he kept deep inside his heart, but the words were like a stabbing to his body. Mr. Milverton noticed nothing from the emotions which started to whirl in Ruskin's soul for the topic, he just cheerfully continued.
"Because what is love? A power that you cannot control, yet it is strong enough to break your heart and soul. A bond which ties you to another person against your will and you cannot cut it by force. Chains what binds you, taking your freedom away. It puts your happiness into the hands of someone else, make you rely on the one you love. You can fall in love with someone anytime, and you can never be prepared for it. Only if you are not capable of loving you are not threatened by this. Not being able to love is true freedom."
The smile was still on his face when he finished his speech - and Ruskin, who otherwise loved his employer's all kinds of smiles, suddenly found it insufferable. He couldn't bear it, he just nodded and turned away from the glowing golden eyes. He didn't want to look at them, not after the pain that Mr. Milverton's words caused put a weight on his soul. He knew that the speech was not about him - but it could have been.
After all... this was true in Ruskin's case as well.
He fell in love with Mr. Milverton despite that he knew that it could never end well, but he was unable to stop it from happening. The feeling, the fact that he was aware that his wish of belonging could never get fulfilled slowly broke his heart during the years. Ruskin was only an empty shell of himself, no joy, only his unrequited love remained for him. But even with that, even that his soul was put in chains, he kept loving Mr. Milverton. He could never be free from this emotion. It was what controlled his entire life.
Mr. Milverton was right - he was always right. His love for him robbed him of his freedom, of himself, all he could do was yearn and hope for what he cannot hope for. He had no identity anymore - he was only his love for Mr. Milverton.
And nothing else.
"But I..." Mr. Milverton's voice cut his thought process coldly. "I am unable to feel love. Which means that I am truly free."
"Yes, you are, sir." Ruskin whispered soullessly. And Mr. Milverton was still smiling like he was amused by his broken heart.