Chapter 140 - Cinnamon Roll

Sangfroid was also surprised by this question. He raised an eyebrow, but Vladstin waved his hand. "I'm just making sure. The Leron we can trust the most is the one right after Ofelia's song. We must ask him this everytime he was sung to."

That does make sense. But Sangfroid does not like the idea that he was fooled. No one likes to be tricked, no one likes to be betrayed.

He saw Leron nervously gulp and lick his lips. "I-Is that so...? Well, I... Yesterday..... I lasted for..."

He kept trailing off, adding to their suspicions.

But then, Leron suddenly gave him a look. It was a look of fear.

Fear?

Why would Leron be scared of him?

It was different from fearing something big and dangerous. It is more of the fear of being caught, of looking at someone you have wronged straight in the eye. A child's stare at his parent catching him red-handed, a prisoner's stare at the family of the man he accidentally killed.

Sangfroid did not understand, and wanted to ask, but then Leron gave his answer.

"I lasted for a long time, didn't I?" He chuckled, quite believable and genuine. "Right until I sleep, I stayed conscious. I lasted for a whole day, and I feel grateful for that."

"What did we have for dinner last night?" Vladstin asked, unconvinced.

Sangfroid was expecting him to get it wrong and slip, but Leron answered calmly. "Chicken soup for Sangfroid and Ofelia. Chicken blood for me and you."

"And?"

"And....."

This is the most important one. If he says he lasted as long as he claims, then he should know about the husks.

"And..." Leron smiled. "The Hermit. Today we'll have Sangfroid, right?"

He knows. This calmed Sangfroid down, though the wording should have unnerved him. 

"Hmmm. I see." Vladstin stood up, and his stern expression relaxed a little. H returned to the young girl with a smile. "Ofelia dear, you have truly done well. You made Leron last for a day."

"Yayyyy!!!! I'm so happy, Daddy Leron! Please stay as good daddy for a long while!" She said,  tearing up from joy.

"I will, Ofelia....." Awful White forced a smile.

Sangfroid noticed how strangely taut his lips are when he smiled, and has become worried. But this worry did not last long.

They had spent the day normally. Idly talking, just like sitting ducks. Their plans for the day were simple. Wait for lunchtime, then after lunchtime, they wait for dinner time. After dinner time, they go to sleep.

It had only been the second day like that, but Sangfroid is getting antsy.

He tried to stand up, but as he did so, he wobbled and almost had his face planted to the ground, but Vladstin caught him just in time. He asked. "What are you doing?"

"We can't wait like this for too long. We need to travel again as soon as we can. In six months' time... The treaty will be void and the Noble Huntsmen will look for us." He explained. 

"Still, there's nothing you can do. The Beast broke your legs. I can carry two, but I can't carry three at the same time. Ofelia needs to be in a bucket too." Vladstin firmly sat him back down. "Hmm... Shall we make a device?"

"What device?" Leron asked.

"Something that will help me bring all of you to the top... It cannot be a cart as the mountain is too steep for that. One of you might fall off." Vladstin rubbed his chin. "But what else? I am not good at making vehicles, I do not know much about them."

Leron nodded. "I have heard of flying balloons from Alfend. If we have one, reaching the top would be much easier. But none of us knows how to make one, even if Sangfroid can conjure the materials."

They mulled it over for a while, yet it resulted in nothing. Vladstin had dressed Sangfroids legs with some herbs hoping it would help with the healing. Ofelia sang a little too, but her throat is getting hoarse from singing too much, so they let the young siren rest. As the sun had reach it's peak in the sky, they prepared lunch.

Mostly Vladstin, of course. Sangfroid conjured the ingredients. Since the routine had them very disappointed in themselves and feeling a little hopeless, they decided to try something new.

They would also make some sweets.

"Tarts? Would Ofelia like tarts?" Vladstin asked his assistant cook.

"I think she will. Cheesebread might work too, it's easy to make." Sangfroid said.

"What's your favorite?" 

The orphaned hunter thought about it. All his life, he only ate food and never complained because they are blessings from the Holy Dragon Lord. He never had any inclinations to any of them. But there was one that he had good memories of, and so making that treat sweeter than the rest.....

"Can you.... Can you make some cinnamon rolls?"

"Cinnamon rolls?" Vladstin tilted his head to the side.

"You don't have those in your kingdom?" Sangfroid asked.

"No... We mostly use cinnamon as a spice for dishes, not for sweets." Vladstin said. "Can you teach me how to make them."

"Alright."

Leron, currently Awful White, watched the two as he was in the rock, still tied up. He noticed their sudden closeness with each other , and thought he would be happy for them but...

Why is there an ache in his chest? Both for Vladstin, and both for Sangfroid?

It seems so foolish, wanting to be the only beloved of two persons. It's selfish and narcissistic, and he wants to shake it off, but....

He can't. Why is that?

"It's my turn, Awful White."

He jolted from the voice that came out of his mouth. The Beast had already risen to the Above.

"D-Don't do that! They will wonder why I'm talking to myself..." He said, immediately shaking from the voice.

"Heh, they seem to be too engrossed with each other to worry about you." The Beast said with a cold chuckle. "How does that make you feel? Jealous?"

Awful White was alarmed. He knows!

"Y-You..."

Nothing scares him more than the Beast. This part of himself. It feels like it is trying to corrupt him. Perhaps it had already done so, by consuming him to gain his memories and doing that.... that.... that awful reenactment!

Yes, he must be the reason why he is feeling jealous instead of happy for the two men he cares for getting along! It is always his fault!

The Beast inside him sneered. "Tsk, what are you blaming me for? You are me, I am you. It makes sense for me to know you. My fault is also your fault. My jealousy is also your jealousy, no matter how much you deny it."

"No!" Awful White exclaimed. "Just... Just take over the body already. I will return to the Void."

"Heh, the quicker you begin to understand that we are one and the same, and I am just as much as Leron as you are, the quicker I shall be satisfied. I anticipate it. I wonder how much it will destroy your very foundation, knowing how truly dirty and despicable we are as a whole, as one person." 

Awful White did not want to listen and just ran away, escaping from these words that will make him go insane. And once a soul goes insane, it will shatters, it is equivalent to its death. He needs to save himself from such a thing.

The Beast wants to achieve that. He wants to be the only soul remaining. He will truly consume Awful White until he is nothing but just the memories he kept with him, no more morality or shame or doubt or guilt. Only sweet desire, sweet vengeance, sweet violence.

The food was finally served, and the human and the siren ate first. The vampire lords merely watched in a corner.

Sangfroid ate his cinnamon roll quietly, but stealing glances at Leron as he ate. He doesn't know what exactly he was waiting for. But this cinnamon roll....

It reminds him of one of their fondest childhood memories.

Young Sangfroid often waits patiently for his turn when receiving food. The other orphans do not. They push and even fight one another, just to make sure they will get more food than one another. Sangfroid kept away from these fights by staying at the back of the line.

Resulting to him getting the least food. If the dish had potatoes, celery, meat, and corn soup.... The only thing that will be left for him is one cut of a potato, three pieces of celery, and some soup.

He takes this with no complaints.

This means that he never gets to eat any desserts either.

The other orphans would sometimes mischievously steal more than one serving of desserts, more than one slice of pie, and even a whole cake if they could. They get reprimanded, but the nuns were told to be lenient to them by the Bishop, who tolerated their misbehavior. 

For years, Sangfroid never gets to eat any dessert. If he's lucky, he can scrape some frosting, and that's it.

But one day, while he was eating with Prince Leron under the oak tree, Prince Leron had a cinnamon roll with him. He could not help but watch him eat, wondering how pastries would taste like.

The Prince smiled at him. "Want some?"

He shook his head. "No..."

The little prince did not believe him and chuckle. "You look like you want some. I notice that everyone else had some dessert with them, but your plate is always almost empty. Why do you eat so little, Sangfroid?"

"I.... Thewe's no mowe food left..." He answered honestly this time, as he knows there's no use hiding it from Leron.

"Ah, you got left behind. It's alright." Leron broke off his cinnamon roll into two pieces, giving the bigger one to Sangfroid. "I shall be the one to give you desserts next time. Whenever we visit, the Chapel prepares lavish meals from me and my father at the belltower. I cannot take you there as my father would certainly not allow me to dine with commoners, but I shall secretly hide some food to be brought to you."

"Y-You will, Big Bwother?" Little Sangfroid asked with sparkling eyes.

"Of course. Now here's your cinnamon roll." Leron placed it in his tiny, soft hands. "Savor it. I will bring you much more delicious food. Eat well, Sangfroid."

From then on....

Cinnamon rolls mean a lot to Sangfroid. He knows it means nothing to Leron, but he kept the memory dear to his heart.

The Beast just regarded him back, thinking that he is much tastier than that cinnamon roll he's eating.