"Fabian, this is all your fault! If not because of you, I will not have to bear with my sister flirting with her husband in broad daylight!"

Yulis grumbled like a storm berating Fabian, who was watering the flowers in the garden. The latter just glanced at him with the usual smile on his face before refocusing his attention on the flowers.

"Your Grace, how was it my fault that you are dying, and I simply gave you an option to have a longer life?" Fabian mused, raising the watering can to water the rest of the flowers. As he sauntered to the next flowerbeds, Yulis followed behind.

"How was it your fault? Right. You just invited me out of the goodness of your heart." Yulis remarked sarcastically, clicking his tongue in irritation while watching Fabian do his chores. He pinched the space between his brows.

Fabian chuckled. "Were you bitter that you've been single for the last three years?" he glanced at Yulis only to see the latter's distorted face. "You weren't like this back when you were in the imperial palace and in Grimsbanne. Does this have something to do with your separation with the Marchioness?"

"Good lord, Fabian. How was this connected to Silvia?" Yulis clicked his tongue, walking to the flowers behind Fabian to take a look at it. "I'm just annoyed that Hell thinks he is the only person in this house. Don't you feel aggravated when you were just walking in peace and see two people making out in the middle of the hallway? I wouldn't care if it's someone else, but Lilou is my sister."

"I am already used to my master's hobby and I understand they needed sex to keep a healthy marriage."

Yulis scrunched his nose as he looked back, facing Fabian's back. "As if you know anything about sex. Much more, marriage."

"You will be surprised, Your Grace. I had my own little research in the past out of curiosity."

"Out of curiosity?" Yulis chuckled, a little interested in the matters of Fabian's heart. If it was out of curiosity, he would believe Fabian, since there was no other reason for Fabian to indulge in debauchery.

"The conclusion I had is, sex is not for me. Men and women alike didn't give me the pleasure that humans and vampires enjoy."

"Haha. That is... what?" Yulis gasped as he looked at Fabian's back in dismay. "Men and women alike?"

Fabian snapped his eyes and turned around to face him. "Yes. Men and women alike. I tried with both genders and my experience is not something that left a satisfactory impression on me. It's not better as to hear the frantic screams every time I peel off a fingernail of someone."

"Good lord..." Fabian shrugged at Yulis's judgemental look. "Just to be clear, you're not naturally attracted to men, are you? You just did it out of plain curiosity, correct?"

Yulis stressed his words as he took a careful step back. Fabian didn't answer him and just smiled, making his spine shudder.

"This house isn't just haunted and strange, but the people who live here as well," he mumbled, rubbing his shoulders as he walked away. After hearing Fabian's confession, Yulis was certain he would stay out of this man's way for a long time. But just as Yulis was from a good distance, he paused when Fabian spoke.

"Your Grace, if you want to return to the empire, you should send a letter to the Marchioness. After all, you left without saying a word to her, nor did you disclose your condition. Most people who I witness do this always returns to no one." Yulis looked back and Fabian was also staring back at him. "Don't forget. You left the Marchioness within her previous lover's reach. I wouldn't be surprised if Rufus and the Marchioness of La Lona will reconcile."

Yulis's jaw tightened before he huffed, resuming in his strides. "That's none of your business."

"I'm just saying, Your Grace," Fabian mumbled and shrugged, continuing to water his beloved flowers. "I'm certain he will not bother me for some time."

The side of Fabian's lips stretched into an evil grin as he found Yulis's expression quite amusing. The latter was fun to tease, but also annoying since he was usually bored with nothing else to do when the children were taking their afternoon nap. Yulis was stuck with them in this haunted mansion, after all.

After Fabian watered the plants, he looked up. He raised his hand, shading his eyes from the blinding sun.

"Today's weather is wonderful." He smiled, inhaling the fresh air. "It's so peaceful, don't you think, Lady Tilly?"

When Fabian opened his eyes, his gaze veered to one of the open windows. There, Tilly was sitting on the windowsill while gazing down at him. She didn't speak as she jumped from the height, landing safely meters away from him.

"Lady Tilly, aren't you afraid that you will disappear if the sun hits you?" he asked with the same smile, staring at the sunlight hitting Tilly's pale face.

Tilly just looked up. "I am under the shade," she argued, when, in fact, she was basking in the sun's light.

historical

"I can see that." Fabian didn't point it out, though. He was already used to Tilly's ridiculous argument, so his eyes gloss over the garden to see if he missed a spot. When he was certain everything was tended, Fabian nodded in satisfaction.

"Was it true?" she asked out of the blue, making him gaze back at her with furrowed brows. "The one that you told Yulis."

"Men and women alike?" Fabian raised a brow, and she nodded. A smile resurfaced on his face until his eyes squinted. "Well, yes, of course. Why are you interested, my lady? Do you want to have sex with me?"

Tilly blinked twice as her expression didn't change with his abrupt and blunt question. "No. I was interested because I also thought the same. Men and women alike didn't leave an unforgettable impression on me as well. Why? Do you?"

"Well, can I?" His smile remained.

She shrugged. "Only if you are willing to risk your life. Anyway, we will have a new tenant as well. Samael will probably forget about them since he is with Lilou, so you better go to them before they get executed," she added in the same nonchalant tone. "It's the one you're with when you first came to this place and another man."

"The one who's with me and another one?" Fabian furrowed his brows before he recalled the letters he sent out to two lost lambs. "Ah... I should tell His Grace to fetch Chalie and Ramin since my hands were full at the moment."

"They will get executed."

Fabian's smile grew brighter. "Not my problem. Lady Tilly, will you take part in the experiment I would like to conduct?"

"Will I die?"

"Maybe."

"Alright." Tilly agreed almost instantly, even without hearing whatever it was, but this made him somehow pleased.

"Then we should head in." He beckoned his arm towards the door back to the mansion.

Tilly studied him for a second before she turned around. The bell tied around her white long hair rang as she walked. As she did, Fabian watched her back with eyes glinting.

"Hmm..." He let out a low chuckle, rocking his head with closed lips. "I wonder why I thought of her at death's door? Would she like to dissect my brain first to see the problem?"

*******

EXTRA:

Yulis clicked his tongue, exiting the prison with Ramin and Charlotte behind him. He massaged his neck while stretching it from one side to the other.

"This reminds me of when I first came in here as well," he mumbled, looking back at the two whom he bailed out from death row. "Fabian invited you here?"

"Well, he said His and Her Majesty are looking for trusted maids and another butler," Charlotte explained in a knowing tone. "Ra and I applied since were bored."

Actually, after the incident in Minowa and Samael's retirement, the two of them also retired. Although they liked Rufus and the latter offered them a position, they refused. To them, they would only serve Samael as their emperor, and Rufus respected that without taking it to the heart.

Yulis let out a brief chuckle. "Hah.. well, I guess the more the merrier. I don't want to deal with Fabian in the meantime. Anyway, come. Follow me."

Ramin and Charlotte looked at each other when Yulis turned around. They both shrugged as Yulis' tone was a bit strange, but well, he was stuck with Samael, Lilou, and Fabian for years. It was a miracle he was still sane.

"By the way, Your Grace, before we left, the Marchioness send a word.." Charlotte trailed off when Yulis paused and looked back.

"Whatever she wants to say, I don't want to hear it." She frowned at Yulis' response. "I will appreciate it if you refrain from speaking her name in front of me. Thank you."

Ramin shrugged. "Well, if that is what you want."

"That's unfair, Your Grace.." Charlotte pouted but still followed Yulis to his carriage.