C:SOD Chapter 28 (Patreon)

1pm,

AT THE ENTRANCE TO CARVALLE,

1:37

1:44

1:56

Frost is leaning by his car, checking his watch every time 60 seconds pass. In his hands are freshly picked sunflowers with Swiss chocolate inside, and in his chest a frozen heart that's cracking.

Where is he? That insolent teacher... Frost has never felt so much shame before. He's really out here waiting for an hour—not even the richest investors kept him waiting this long, but a peasant teacher dared? Looking around, the White King is getting more worried.

Caller ID

Fr. Daniel, CV

"Pick up, you bástard..."

There was no need to. "What is a pale King doing out of the car at this hour?" Father Daniel was on his way to the dorm when he saw Frost waiting at the entrance of the school. He decided to approach just in time for the call to come through.

Frost lowers his phone and ends the call, impatiently asking, "Where is Hermes? He has a business appointment with me, that peasant... I thought he would be with you."

"I didn't see him during lunch." Father Daniel spots the bouquet by Frost's legs. "Sunflowers? To bring the sun into one's cloudy days? Is your meeting with Hermes truly a business appointment, Frost?"

"This isn't for him," Frost crosses his arms, denying the intimacy from their meeting. Changing the topic, he asks the priest, "Is it true you got back together?"

"Who told you."

"Hermes."

Officially, or...? Hmm, I didn't expect Hermes to tell him... But we are not official. Father Daniel answers, "Yes, we just did. Love conquers all."

Tension was present in the two Carvalle personalities, their eyes professionally glaring at each other. Not too hard that it becomes obvious, but it is clear it has no positivity. Daniel said that purely to spite Frost wanting to see how he'll react after attempting to go on a date with Hermes.

"Are you aware you're doing exactly as he wanted?" Frost asks the priest, greatly disapproving of him and Hermes back together. "He wanted you two back together."

"I did it because I love Hermes, but I made sure to spite your master by not restricting him at all. He's still free to see any of you, that's why he's not with me right now. That way, he doesn't get anything from me."

"Smart," Frost comments, mentally picturing the Chess Bishop guarding the King, but not blocking it from moving even when it moves one tile at a time. And yet, his cold heart... "So you really do love him."

"I'm sure you know how it feels. Love conquers even your brightest sunflowers," Father Daniel glances at the flowers before he turns around to leave, "I shall be going now, young master Frost. Stay safe out there."

As the priest turns to leave, an angered Frost enters the vehicle quite bitterly and spits at the driver, "Home. Now."

"Yes, sir." As the driver gave him privacy, Frost couldn't contain his masked and bottled emotions on the backseat, slamming the bouquet on every surface he could slam it to.

BAM, BAM, WHACK! Poof, goes the petals.

This feeling again... Frost held back the liquid from his melting heart, now pooling in his eyes. "Shít, shít, shít... not again... fúck, I'm cursed..." Am I not meant to be loved at all? Was Hermes right about me not having a chance?

Frost ruins his perfect hairstyle by running a hand through it, removing his glove, and harshly throwing it forward. He feels so irritated, he feels so frustrated, he feels powerless. Frost tried to be a better person, he tried to protect Hermes. Although his methods weren't ethical, since Carvalle blurs everyone's perception of right and wrong. This time, genuinely, Frost wants to be a good person even though he doesn't know how.

By the time Hermes woke up from the nightmare, he was in a dorm room not of his own, Daniel's or Au's. He was in a familiar dorm belonging to the twins, all mirrors nonexistent since they're all covered. He just passed out from sheer fear and exhaustion, and now checking the time it is 3 in the afternoon.

Shít, Frost was waiting for me! It's impossible for him to stay and wait but... shít, I'm dead! Hermes' heart is beating rapidly, and that led to a scream when he turns to see a masked young man sitting on the chair in the corner, knees to his chest like a good dog waiting for Master to wake. "... Ray?"

The boy innocently tilts his head, "You look so cute sleeping. Rain told me not to touch you but your feet looked so nice, I can't help myself."

"Ray!" Hermes yells at him, grabbing the covers to shield all of himself from the creepy young man.

"I only touched the feet!" Ray defends himself, pouting, "I know you'd get angry if I go higher..."

Hermes takes deep breaths before yelling, "I'm already fúcking angry! What did you do to me?! Y-you... earlier, you... you shouldn't have done that. Th-that... that was..."

Ray smiles widely, finishing for Hermes. "... awesome! Just thinking about it is making me hard right now—"

"You shouldn't have done that," Hermes scolds him, making the boy drop his smile. He's truly furious after being forced to go through with something he's not comfortable with. Hermes is no longer comfortable with them, and he no longer trusts the twins.

"B-but you said to fúck or make love..." Ray's voice dwindles to a sad whimper.

"I changed my mind! I... didn't want to anymore. Not after realizing how fúcked up you and your brother are!" He put a knife in my throat, went through with it after I said No, th-then called me Mommy...

"You... hate me?" Ray asks in the tiniest of voice. "Mommy hates me?"

Hermes is furious. He wants to say yes, he wants to cut ties with them, he wants to get out of this place and never talk to them again. They're killers and need mental help, and it was dumb for Hermes to think they're trapped souls who didn't want to do any of it. Father Daniel said they're not innocent, and that Ray enjoys the murder more than anyone.

But, knowing Ray is not mentally well, Hermes had to calm his nerves to accommodate his twisted mindset. I know how he functions. I won't be able to get out of here if I make him mad.

"No..." Hermes breathes out, his fingers trembling under the covers. Aside from being furious, he is also severely afraid of these murderous twins. "I don't hate you, Ray."

He's gonna blame it on his face instead of his actions if I say otherwise. Hermes has to tread lightly. He can't give the twins the same break-up treatment he gave to the sane, adult Father Daniel.

And just like that, Ray smiles and tilts his head like a praised puppy. "Yay! Come, we skipped class because Rain is cooking barbeque with Au."

Au's here? Hermes watches as Ray stands up to offer him a hand, reluctance to accept help from a very unstable man. In this dorm, Hermes has to walk on eggshells to avoid risking his life or body.

"Ray, I'm not a student who can just skip classes. I need to go—"

He suddenly frowns, his usual cheerful high voice dropping two octaves low. "You're eating barbeque with us, Hermes."

Hermes got reminded of the sharpness of the knife and the nightmare that is Ray's eyes earlier, so he swallows his fear and has no choice but to take his hand. This is a hitman I'm holding... a serial killer...

Standing up, Hermes realized he's not in his lingerie or clothes anymore, but he's wearing a large plain shirt with pajama pants, bare underneath. Ray happily hugs him from behind as he guides a terrified Hermes outside the bedroom where Rain and Au are quietly chopping meat and vegetables.

Knives... killers... Hermes' breath isn't stable at all in their presence. He can't see these boys the same way anymore.

"Hermes," Rain greets, the teacher only staring at his knife which is expertly slicing through beef meat. Au is slowly slicing the vegetables since he's not at all experienced.

He stays in silence, even when Au drops his activity to kiss him on the cheeks. Hermes cautiously stares at them, nervous and reluctant.

"Ray took it seriously when I told him to watch over you. 'Beat Edward Cullen with how much he stared," Rain teases his brother, who is now pouting.

"Raiiiin! Au, Hermes look—he's bullying me again!"

Au ignored him as usual while Hermes can't even bring himself to react. Tears start looking in his eyes because, "I really need to go, guys. I have class and Frost—"

BAM, goes the knife against the chopping board. Hermes steps back onto Ray when Rain starts to gesture with the knife, either casually or threateningly. "You see Hermes, it would be very rude not to eat what we cooked after we worked hard for this shít. We're doing this for our guest and you're so ungrateful?"

By the looks of the eye exposed in his mask, Rain is anything but happy. Even Au stopped chopping, waiting for Hermes' answer. When he didn't, Rain starts tapping the dull end of the knife against his neck and says, "Hmm, how do you feel about getting tied to a chair and being fed by us? Isn't that all royalty-like and romantic?"

Rain's casual threats with the smooth-talking voice of his... "No need, I can feed myself."

"Brilliant! Ray, take over this since poking through flesh is your favorite," Rain happily gives his brother a bundle of sticks after he and Au finished chopping.

"Yayy! Making barbeque is the best! Au, let's race!"

I can't see Au the same anymore. Hermes refused to even move as Rain takes over babysitting duty, his freshly washed hands now gently squeezing Hermes' shoulders. Rain whispers eerily, "You know, baby... you really hurt and offended Ray earlier. This is the least you can do."

"What, the rápe wasn't enough to make up for the offense?" Hermes impulsively blurts out because the anger has been bubbling inside him for a while now. Hermes is not so submissive outside the bedroom in a consensual setting. Outside séx, Hermes is anything but submissive.

The statement made Au pause and stare at Rain, all while Ray didn't really hear anything because he kept ranting about why candy and chocolate aren't allowed in barbeque.

"Oh, is that what you call it?" Rain's playful yet serious voice triggers a wave of fear and paranoia inside the teacher when his hands lower to his waist, "You reap what you sow, Hermes. Using Ray's infatuation for your own gain wasn't a good idea now, was it?"

Rain mocks Hermes by pecking him on the temple before moving on to help his brother with the barbeque sticks. Hermes meets Au's tired eyes, tears pooling in the teacher's eyes but he refused to let one drop slip. It hurt, how his ex was right all along. It hurt, how Rain was right as well.

It is known that Ray is mentally unstable, and Hermes enabled his feelings so much that when he pulled away, Ray made sure to pull back. He was warned, and yet he put so much faith in a place where light never existed. Not one moment in their life has Ray ever been stable, and Hermes amplified it.

Au notices Hermes' desire to cry, but his refusal keeps his nose red and eyes watery. Au washes his hands before walking towards Hermes, holding him by the head. The big man was hurt a little when Hermes flinched at his touch.

I'm sorry. That they bully... Au wants to say, but only expresses it by giving Hermes one earbud to listen to.

"No Au, I'm not in the mood..." Hermes turns away, but Au places a hand on his shoulder and pulls him back. Here, Hermes saw the multiple self-harm cuts that turned old and scarred thanks to the cake that prevented Au from making more. Hermes has hopes that beyond his drug problem, Au is really a good person.

But that's how he saw the twins too, and look at what they did. Hermes is afraid to trust, now. He's afraid to put faith in a person he really doesn't know. Maybe what he does next isn't driven by faith or truth, maybe it's from pity.

"A-alright, I'll listen..."

After Rain scolds his brother for trying to stab him with a barbeque stick, he looks over to where Hermes is a little bit more relaxed with Au by his side, sharing earphones and listening to music. Rain's emotions can't be seen, but he's relieved that Au made Hermes less tense than before. It's also a very cute sight.

After cooking, Hermes remains silent while they all sat by the dining table, digging in. His head is bent down a little, showing he's not really open to them after what he has experienced.

"Hermes, if we can pass the application to move up a few levels, we can be a second year and be in one of your classes!" Ray excitedly says. "I've been studying all day and all night!"

"Studying in your dreams? You pass out asleep five seconds after you open a textbook," Rain corrects him.

Ray scowls at his brother, "Excuse you, it's at least five minutes! One day I'm gonna be in Hermes' class and I can stare at his áss all day while he writes on the board."

Au rolls his eyes as Rain snorts, probably looking for more ways to tease his brother. The frowning twin tells Hermes, "I wasn't lying when he calls you mommy when jerking off, he sounds so pathetic."

Ray buries the fork in the tableta yelling, "I will stab your tongue, Rain!"

"Then we won't have the same tongues."

"I'll stab mine too!"

Hermes observes them carefully, particularly how Au reacts with some kind of smile at the corner of his lips. But, the majority of the time he's rolling his eyes especially when Ray starts to make threats towards his brother. It was as if he knows Ray will never do such a thing, or something he said probably will never happen.

"Don't worry Ray, I can be the daddy and Hermes can be the mommy," Rain grins at his twin while Ray is starting to turn red because of his bullying. "I'll leave you for milk and mommy will fúck the mailman. That can be Au."

"Raaaiiinnn!" Ray whines before he turns toward Hermes, "You're not fúcking the mailman, right? Right?!"

Hermes stays silent as Au just stuck a tongue towards him, accepting that indeed, he is the mailman and he will keep fúcking Ray's mommy. This caused Ray to throw a barbecue stick right at Au, making Hermes flinch until the calm handsome man caught the thing before it could pierce his face.

"You're such a motherfúcker, Ray," Rain snorts.

"Hermes isn't my mother, he's my mommy! There's a difference, spelling and biologically!"

Rain teases him further, "Go back to school and leave daddy and the mailman to screw mommy."

"I will stab your ássholes with a screwdriver!"

Hermes can't stand them, taking a deep breath and pushing his plate away. "I'm not anyone's mother, and I'm not fúcking anyone anytime soon. I'm in pain and need to rest... I beg you boys to give me some space."

An already pissed Ray is unhappy about his request. "Why, so you can go back to that priest? He's daddy's boss that tries to flirt with mom and ruin the family. He's so mean."

"He can be." But I'd rather go with him than be scared to death by the three of you. I don't know who to trust anymore. "But no, I'm not going to him, I'm going to my class."

"We told Frost where you are, he'll sort out the absences," Rain deadpans, clearly trying to keep him here.

They did? Frost knows where I am? Hermes is now begging for the White King to come and take him. By the look of Au's concerned stare towards the other twin, Ray is starting to get upset because Hermes wants to leave.

Hermes gives them a fake cheerful smile and stands up, "Good, then I'll call him to pick me up, I still have to organize the Annual Festival. Where is my pho—"

BAM goes the steak knife into the wooden table, mercilessly digging through. It's as if Hermes can feel the violent stab and he froze up. Once again, he is reminded that he is in a room with boys who have murdered. He really can't do or say anything that upsets them or he might not live to know what will happen if they express their disapproval.

There was silence for a moment before an unhappy Rain said with a deep voice, "Do you really hate us that much?"

Hermes stood silent, looking at Ray who has his head down as if silently crying over the situation.

"Hermes..." Rain calmly takes the knife out and stabs the meat instead, making the teacher swallow his nervousness. "You are in the presence of three killers." He points the knife to Ray, "One of which will commit a crime of passion." He points it to Au, "One of which won't do anything but watch you die." He points it to himself, "And I... will kill anyone for my brother. Do you really want to lose a finger by upsetting the mentally unstable one?"

"Y... you're threatening me?" Hermes whispers.

"No, no baby..." Rain says with a hint of softness in his voice this time. He smiles, "I'm just telling you the truth."

"The truth? Do you want to hear the truth?" This is suicide. I'm actually gonna die. "I don't want to be in a room with three serial killers."

BAM, Ray snapped and his chair was pushed to the back, crashing onto other furniture as he crouched on the floor holding his head. "No, no, no NO! NO, Hermes! Fúck NO!"

His little outburst made Hermes back away in fear, but the moment Ray grabbed the steak knife Hermes panicked and almost fell down if not for a table catching his fall.

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO TO THAT PRIEST!" Ray screams, Au standing up to stop him from approaching Hermes with a knife.

"I'm not going to Father Daniel, I'm going home!" Hermes yells back with a trembling voice, trying to reason with them, "I need to go home, I can't stay here! Please, Ray! Doing this will just make me hate you—"

"YOU HATE ME?!" Ray yells out, but before he can lash out and scream again, Rain grabs his head to put their foreheads together, calming the irrational twin with a tight space and inaudible whispers. This leaves Au to run to Hermes and help him, the tears finally escaping after feeling so hopeless and trapped.

I need to go, I need to go—

Hermes runs to the door, but Au holds him back by the waist. "No, let me go! Au! Please, let me—!"

"Hermes!" Rain yells with his deep and menacing voice that even overpowered Ray's scream from earlier. A crying Hermes remains in Au's arms as the frowning twin strictly states, "Do you know how easy everything could've been if you'd just treat us like friends? Fúcking forget about the murders, forget about our past. We'd be more than happy to treat you normally if you would just treat us like you would before!"

"Why, because it's Carvalle?!" Hermes sobs out, genuinely fearful. "I'm supposed to overlook your murder and your sexual assault because we're in fúcking Carvalle?! Am I supposed to treat you the same knowing that you beheaded and hacked off people's body parts?!"

"They're not good people, Hermes! The people we killed are fúcking monsters!" Rain argues.

"Killing a killer still makes you a killer!" Hermes yells back, upsetting Ray even more. "No matter what any of them has done, it won't erase the fact that you are capable of murder! I'm scared, Rain! I'm scared, Au! I'm alone here with no one to trust, surrounded by monsters! How am I supposed to feel?! I'm not one of you!"

"Make him stop, make him stop, MAKE HIM STOP!" Ray cries too much like a child, clamping his arms against his ears. Au drags a struggling Hermes to the bedroom while Rain consoles his upset brother, Ray whispering, "Monster... he thinks I'm a monster... I'm never taking off my mask, Rain... such an ugly monster..."

Meanwhile, in the bedroom...

"AU! AU, LET ME GO! PLEASE, JUST LET ME GO HOME! LET ME OUT!" Hermes yells out, kicking his legs and trying to lift Au's hands off his waist. "HELP! SOMEONE, HELP! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME—"

When Au puts him on Ray's bed, Hermes turns and in his panic, unintentionally smacks Au so hard, the man's face snapped to the side where he froze, processing the pain of the impact.

Hermes gasps, feeling his hand also sting. He imagined that's what Au had felt. "No, no no, no, Au... I'm sorry, I... I'm so sorry..." He slowly brings Au's face towards him, his tan skin making it hard for a mark to show up. Still, Hermes knows it hurt, so he kisses Au's cheek before putting their foreheads together.

Crying, Hermes can't help but sob out, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I didn't mean it... I'm sorry, it wasn't your fault... It's not your fault..."

Hermes is afraid. Au holds onto his arms and comforts him instead by staying there, no more manhandling or dragging. Au understood that they were being loud and that's why Hermes is crying. He may not know the truth of Hermes' emotions, but he does his best to calm the teacher down.

"... I wanna get out..." Hermes cries, forced to be vulnerable against his will. Au doesn't want him to go, and he's really happy now that Hermes is here. So, he kisses Hermes' lips to convince him to stay.

Rain enters with Ray while they share a kiss, but the twins don't seem to be bothered at all.

The frowning twin catches their attention with his low, calm voice. "You really don't understand, do you, Hermes? We're just people trying to do what's good for Carvalle. This place is full of monsters, you said. You're right... we're trying to get rid of them."

Hermes looks at them, cowering to Au because the twins have tendencies to threaten him with a knife, and Ray is someone who will act upon it because of his mental state.

"Call us murderers all you want. I just wish you won't forget the boys you met. We're still those boys. There's just... an ugly truth you didn't see," Rain adds. "We're not heartless. Just treat us good and we'll treat you even better."

Hermes holds down his tears, even though his cheeks are stained from his dissent. "Y-you threatened me with a knife..."

"And we won't do it again, forgive us," Rain's eye squints which means he's smiling, before smacking Ray in the back of the head. Ray immediately blurts out, "Sorry, Hermes..."

The sad, genuine apology from a guilty Ray slowed Hermes' breathing enough to calm him down. Hermes is still scared; they're still murderers and unpredictable enough to threaten him with a knife. But, gathering his thoughts and being rational for once, Hermes knows going against them won't do him any good. They only apologized for the knife, but everything Rain said about not triggering three killers is still true.

"Okay," Hermes whispers, head bent low and suppressing his fear for his own good. "It's okay... I'm sorry..."

One for him, and one for Au. He had to remember what he said the first time he found out: Cut the snake's head. Au and the twins are merely the fangs, and Hermes has to avoid getting bitten.

"That's a good little Hermes," Rain cooes. Now that Hermes is no longer hostile, Ray jumps on his own bed and completely snapped to his original personality.

"Why does Au get a kiss and I don't?!"

It truly seemed like Ray was a simple-minded puppy who won't process more than two thoughts. Hermes hurt him, he threatens—he apologized and everything becomes okay. Everything seemed so easy in Ray's world.

Currently, Hermes is Ray's world and he has to act to accommodate their personality. Au had to slap him after begging Hermes to cúm on his bed again because Rain changed their sheets. Hermes just bit his tongue and play with them, hoping they won't snap and later snap his neck.

later on, 5pm

Frost sent a simple text to Au asking if he saw Hermes after his unexpected absence in Carvalle. Au is not one to lie, especially to the King, so by the time Frost received the message of Hermes' whereabouts, he rushed to the twins' dorm with two bodyguards behind him.

Rain opened the door after an aggressive knock from the pissed King. "Oh, hi Frostbite. What brings you to our humble abode?"

"You kept Hermes hostage, you morons?!" Frost crosses his arms and taps his feet impatiently, "Where is he?!"

"Hostage requires you to know about it so we can arrange a negotiation. Hermes is just hanging out with us," Rain smiles, which isn't shown except for his eye. Still, he can't really go against the student body president and Carvalle King. "Well, if you want to see him, you better not bring the guards."

"Moronic maniacs!" Frost bumps onto Rain's shoulders while barging in the dorm, immediately going to the bedroom where Hermes would most likely be held. And, he was correct.

"MMFFHH!" Hermes yells out Frost's name through the ball gag in his mouth, as the teacher is currently tied to the bed and on his body are carefully arranged chopped fruits like pineapple around his nipples, sliced apples on top of his abs, a cherry on his bellybutton, and oranges surrounding it like a flower. He still has his pants on and Ray is innocently arranging the fruits like piecing together Legos.

"What in the Lady's name is this?! Au!" Frost barks to the man who is the one cutting up the fruits.

"Hey, Hermes said yes to this! You just disturbed us," Ray pouts, placing pineapple on Hermes' abdomen before decorating it with orange slices. He then proceeds to eat off the cherry on the teacher's bellybutton.

Frost felt a little bit of heat from jealousy and desire right by his diaphragm, but seeing Hermes pull on his restraints brought him back to the real world. "If he consented, why did you tie him up?! Release him, right now!"

"Well, he didn't want the cold pineapples, but other than that he's fine!" Ray scowls at him. "I just like pineapples!"

"Ray!" Frost scolds the young man before Rain comes in and signals the two that playtime is over. Au gathers the fruit, but not before Ray comes to eat one of the apples on Hermes' abs, before they remove his gag.

"THE PINEAPPLES ARE TOO FÚCKING COLD, YOU LITTLE SHÍTS!" Hermes immediately screams the second the gag is removed.

Ray pinches Hermes' cheeks. "Awww, you're so cute when you're angry!"

Frost sighs in relief after knowing Ray did tell the truth. Still, Hermes withdrew consent when they insisted on the pineapples. Frost himself untied him from the bed while the others are cleaning his body.

"Other than your cold breasts, are you okay?" Frost gently asks the pissed teacher who is currently glaring at the twins. Hearing that gentle, soft voice filled with so much concern drew attention from the tormented hostage.

Frost looks so handsome when he's serious... well, he's always serious. "Yes... yes, I am. This is no big deal, just boys being boys."

The white King is a little confused on why Hermes is suddenly so docile when it's been proven that he's harsher to the mischievous twins. Frost looks at Au, wondering if Hermes became considerate because he's here.

"We're going home," Frost firmly announces, giving a half-naked Hermes his white blazer to wear. He turns to the three, "I won't tell him about you keeping him here all afternoon. Pray he doesn't find out."

"Yes, Frost..." The twins mumble, with Au just sadly nodding his head. He's sad because Hermes is going home now, and he can't play with them anymore. Moping, Au resorts to eating the fruits he chopped for Hermes.

"Bye, Hermes. See you later."

"Buh-bye, Mommy! I'm keeping your underwear!"

"..."

When Frost escorts Hermes out of the bedroom, he chooses to ignore the mumbles from the twins back inside.

"He could've just joined in. Killjoy. At least Hermes tastes so delicious..."

"You want Frost to fúck Hermes with us? What if he tops you, Ray?"

"Ew, that'd be gay! If anyone's topping me, it's my lovely Mommy..."

Frost rolls his eyes, knowing that it's true they have the maturity of 12-year-old boys who are very hormonal and stupid. Hermes keeps his head down while being escorted outside the dorm with Frost and two silent bodyguards in black formal suits, with tattoos peeking on their hands and some on their faces.

Frost can feel Hermes' negative emotions, so he decided to break the ice. "Mommy, huh?"

Hermes cringes, but replies, "Ray has issues. You know that."

"Hmm."

Hermes looks at Frost with a sad, guilty face. "I'm sorry for not coming for our date at 1pm. I hope you didn't wait, I feel terrible."

Frost burns up because Hermes is casually saying that in front of two bodyguards. Frost's reputation and ego would be bruised simply by the information these two silent insignificant employees hold.

"I did not intend for it to be a date, it was a small business meeting," Frost holds his head high, "And I never waited. My time is valuable, not to be wasted on a mere teacher."

Hermes raises his eyebrow, finding Frost's tone to be very authoritative, yet fake. Rolling his eyes at the King he replies, "Alright, whatever you say..."

"There's still next time," Frost's voice suddenly softens yet again, "Are you still up for it?"

He is, so instead of taking him home, Frost took him on a two-hour ride to the nearest town where they came across a pop-up amusement park just on the outskirts.

"Frost, look! That's a really nice roller coaster!" Hermes suddenly turns excited, pointing at the high and colorful ride. His excitement reached the driver and he slows down just in case the master wants to stop over.

"What? Disgusting," Frost huffs, which made Hermes frown. "I plan to take you to a 5-star restaurant and eat the best food, not risk your life in rides that have been assembled for one day and didn't even hold any safety inspections from a government or private sector."

"Frost, I eat 5-star stuff all the time at your place, a restaurant is boring!" Hermes argues, "Let's go out, come on! Driver, can you please stop!"

He did.

"No stop, we can drive one more hour to a more permanent and clean indoor amusement park!"

The driver had to move on.

"I don't want to go that far, I want to experience a pop-up one! Driver, hold on I'm going out!"

The car stops.

"No you're not—Driver, don't listen to him and lock the doors!"

The car moves. But, before the driver can lock the door, Hermes has already opened it and only needs to push. The two bodyguards in front of them don't know whether to laugh or be concerned, but they're not allowed to judge their masters.

"Driver, you're assigned to drive me, now please stop!" The car halts at Hermes' request.

"Who pays for your salary?!" The car proceeds to move. "Hermes, close the door, I pay you your salary as well!"

"Frost," Hermes sighs frustratingly before exclaiming, "This day has been really shítty and this is the one thing I want that I can possibly get, please don't take it away from me! I can go alone and you don't have to if you really hate it."

Frost stares at him, and so did the bodyguards. The car halts to a stop as well, the silence amplifying Hermes' sniffs to pull back tears. He's never really a crybaby, but in times when he is truly stressed, he can't help but want to break down. Frost, despite lacking basic human emotions like sympathy, can still feel Hermes' frustration with his situation at Carvalle.

The white King looks at the carnival outside. Away from Carvalle... the one place that's not connected to Carvalle at all. Sighing, Frost calmly instructs the guards, "There are extra clothes in the back next to the swimming paraphilia, retrieve them and keep watch outside as Hermes changes."

Hermes looks up at Frost with hopeful eyes, seeing the man sighing in submission. The guards exited through the door Hermes was keeping open, and while they get the clothes, Hermes closed the door. Frost is letting me… how sweet!

"Are you coming with me?" Hermes asks the grumpy white King.

"Of course, it's not like you have money to spend on rides anyway," Frost properly sits up and holds his head high, keeping up with his image as clean royalty. Hermes can't help but smile as the guards hand him a bag of clothes.

Frost can really be so cute... Hermes thinks, But has this rich Mafia prince ever been in cheap pop-up carnivals?