This chapter is brought to you by Monet by MoonMoon.
Edited by: bafflinghaze
---
As Neo collected the last scrap of hair off the floor, someone knocked on the door.
He paused.
"Young Master Nazareth, it is time to wake up," the voice on the other end rang out.
He noticed that it was a pleasant one. There was a silvery undertone beneath the crisp and polite utterance that seemed very familiar to him.
His mind scrambled to remember who the person outside was.
(It'd been thirty-seven years after all.)
"Please wait a moment!" he yelled, perhaps sounding a bit too panicked as he ran toward the open window and tossed the last of his hair out of it.
Clambering onto the bed, he pulled the covers over himself and sat up, looking like he just woke up.
"Come in!"
It occurred to him moments later that he had cut his own hair...
So pretending to be asleep was possibly one of the stupidest things he had ever thought of, seeing as he would have gone out of bed to chop off the tangles and there would be no way to explain why he suddenly lost a foot-length of hair overnight.
The door handle began to turn.
Neo knew exactly who the servant was the moment the door opened.
The familiar black ribbon around his eyes was the first thing he noticed. Then, it was the upright posture exuding maturity and calm. Finally, his gaze landed on the personalized uniform of a Capable Servant.
Regretting his life choices, Neo watched the tall figure of his personal valet step into the room.
---
The oldest Young Master had responded to him today in a strange tone of voice.
He found that to be beyond frightening, seeing as the youth did not hurl any curses at him the moment he stepped into the room.
When the Young Master was quiet, you can never tell what he was planning—and that made him even more dangerous.
"Good morning, Young Master."
Rainier Mosely masked his suspicion and apprehension with a sarcastic smirk, greeting the youth as usual. He stood by the door for a few seconds, waiting for something to be thrown at him.
However, as he waited and waited, he found that there was nothing. Not even a rustle of a blanket or the sound of a vase being picked up.
If Rainier hadn't heard the Young Master's breathing, he would have thought that the boy had already left the room.
He wondered what the Young Master was scheming today.
"En."
Hearing the response, Rainier paused.
Well, that was very strange. Perhaps the Young Master was sick?
As a servant in the Odum Household, he should feel concerned for the Young Master, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
He merely sustained the smile on his face and asked the obligatory question, "Is Young Master feeling alright today?"
He was met with a long pause.
And then...
"... Yes..."
To understand all relationships, one must first understand every point and perspective to the makings of that relationship. To assume before any prior evidence was to be an ignorant fool.
Neo was a victim of ignorance. He sought out ways to be smarter upon his realization. It was why, whether the other party had been good to him or not, he learned to become more human and felt for the feelings he had locked away.
The relationship between Rainier and his Young Master was a complicated one. It was built on pain, betrayal, and hurt.
Nazareth had been a child playing with fire and Rainier was but a youth who stepped too close to try and prevent the flames from burning him.
As a result, he was burned by the inferno instead.
Once upon a time, Rainier had thought he was lucky to serve a child of the Odum Family. It didn't matter to him that the child was a bastard. An Odum was an Odum, and this Odum happened to be the Eldest Young Master.
He had been a thirteen-year-old brat, freshly taken off the streets by the Duchess Odum because she saw potential in him.
He was given the basic training of a servant, and then, when he was ready, they sent him to be the personal servant of Young Master Nazareth.
At first, meeting that pair of vermillion eyes, Rainier had thought the Young Master seemed nice.
He was very quiet when he first introduced himself to Rainier, but Rainier assumed it was because he was shy.
Rainier was wrong, and for his lack of insight, he bore the scars of the consequences with shame.
The Eldest Young Master was not kind.
Perhaps Rainier should have seen the signs.
Servants tended to avoid the Young Master, an uneasy look on their faces whenever the Young Master passed by.
Rainier had thought this was strange. After all, the Young Master was only nine.
But then, the rumors of what happened in the Western Garden reached his ears and Rainier knew the truth.
It explained why Young Master Aurelion didn't dare stay in the same room as Young Master Nazareth.
And then, as time went, Young Master Nazareth only grew crueler.
It started with a few sharp words.
Rainier didn't know why, but one day, Young Master Nazareth had insulted him to his face.
Rainier, at the time, had been sensitive to words, so he was brought to tears as a result.
This was a wrong move because his crying seemed to bring the Young Master joy.
From there on, vicious taunts met him on a daily basis, slowly growing to the point where sometimes, the Young Master would even throw something at him in a fit of anger.
Throughout the years, Rainier was a victim of the Young Master's sharp tongue. Never did the Young Master spare him a kind word or care. He was treated without any dignity and was forced to tolerate the abuse.
He watched as his Young Master chose the path of wickedness and maligned intentions, walking barefooted through its thorned ground with a determination that was both irrational and appalling.
He witnessed his Young Master's envious hate, the spiraling madness, and resentment in his eyes gleaming savagely like a monster out for blood. Eventually, Rainier grew to fear him.
And soon enough, that fear also turned to hate.
---
"Rainier?"
Neo couldn't help but call the name of this servant of his.
He turned to face him, and what met his gaze was the black ribbon covering the servant's eyes.
"Yes, Young Master?" A tinge of apprehension could be heard in that voice.
Neo stared at the ribbon for a moment longer. "... I would like to get ready now."
Rainier turned to him, as though looking directly at Neo. Neo knew he couldn't really see him. Rather, his other senses were honed to perfection after he started wearing the blindfold. The man was a Capable Servant. People like him were taught to do the impossible.
"Of course, Young Master."
The reason as to why Rainier wore the ribbon... well, Neo recalled the memory once more. He had placed it inside a little box full of regrets.
Seeing it, he almost wanted to reach out and take it away.
Rainier's eyes were blue, a cornflower blue that could never compare to the sapphire eyes of an Odum. Back then, he could not distinguish the shades.
In other words, he hadn't bothered to care.
This carelessness resulted in ignorance.
And ignorance preyed on innocent victims, regardless of who they were.
Looking at the man who had betrayed him, who had suffered under years of his abuse, Neo's heart felt heavy and suffocating. He breathed deeply.
Reaching the dressing mirror, he sat down.
Rainier came from behind him, a brush and a comb in hand.
"Would Young Master like me to tie up his hair today?"
Due to the blindfold, Rainier was unable to see Neo's new haircut.
Neo stared at his reflection.
The hair was short enough to leave it as it was. He didn't want to bother Rainier with having to tie it when it could very well be left alone.
"There's no need. I'll just comb it out."
Rainier looked like he was expecting the answer. He naturally didn't argue and stepped away.
Unlike the Duke, who wore his hair down to give off a noble air, Neo's hair was slightly more mane-like and was better off tied, or chopped off entirely.
When Neo was reborn, this realization made him want to slap himself silly. What dignified look? He looked like a madman!
He sent Rainier to pick out an outfit while he fixed his hair somewhat.
If there was one thing he can trust about Rainier, it was his clothing taste. Blindfolded or not, he was a very, very, good valet.
---
"Does Young Master wish to wear the emerald vest with the purple neckerchief?"
The question was more subjective than anything else. The Young Master had been favoring green and purple these past few weeks. Despite Rainier's objections to the color palette--they would wash out the Young Master's pallor--he was denied of his opinions.
In the end, he was forced to try and pick through the closet to find any shades that would at least look good on the Young Master.
He might dislike him, but he was still a Capable Servant.
Regardless, even if Rainier became the best valet in the entire empire, he could only do so much when the Young Master's fashion sense hardly matched the time and weather.
It was not to say that the Young Master dressed badly. He would never be let out of the manor if that was the case.
The problem lied with the fact that the Young Master wore clothes that dulled his features.
He liked colors but was never able to match the shades properly. As a result, he looked painfully average.
(That mop of hair also didn't do him any favors, either.)
"Do I have anything black?"
Rainier, already reaching for a violet coat to match the deep purple neckerchief, paused.
"Nothing bright, unless it's white."
He could sense that the Young Master's attention wasn't fully on him. He seemed almost distracted by something.
"Is there an occasion?" The question was asked with a hint of wariness.
The Young Master merely shook his head. Rainier could hear the movement from where he was standing.
"I'm just tired." The boy sighed. "We're going to visit mummy today."
The servant was uncertain of what was wrong with the Young Master. It was unusual for him to wear monotone colors because he thought they were ugly and dull.
And who in the world was "mummy"?
"Of course, Young Master."
Alas, Rainier was a Capable Servant.
He didn't ask questions. He observed.
He picked an outfit that should fit the Young Master's request and brought them over.
Within a few minutes, the youth donned a white blouse and a pair of black slacks.
Rainier helped him pull a black vest over the blouse and finished the look with a black coat, lined with gold thread.
"Young Master, your shoes."
"En."
---
Neo stared at himself in the mirror. He looked like he was going to a funeral.
Wearing black as Nazareth was an intimidating sight. It brought out the parts that made him an Odum. Cold, glacial, and somewhat unapproachable. Great traits to intimidate someone into submission, not so much for a visit to town.
A sardonic smile hooked his lips.
"Rainier."
"Yes, Young Master?"
"Can you come closer?"
The servant paused from smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles on his clothes. Begrudgingly, almost mechanically, he lowered his head to reach what he presumed was Neo's height.
He was right, by the way. A good servant's presumptions must always be right.
"Like this, Young Master?"
Neo hummed, "En."
Slowly, he reached out his hand and placed them over the black ribbon.
The man froze, shoulders tensing.
He dared not move an inch.
---
Cornflower blue that could never compare to the sapphire eyes of an Odum. Back then, the Young Master could not distinguish the shades, or, in other words, he hadn't bothered to care.
The Young Master had thrown something at him today and it hit his head. There was a bruise on his forehead.
Rainier didn't know what he did wrong.
All he asked was ask if the Young Master was feeling hungry or thirsty.
He saw that the Young Master was working hard on his school work.
But...
His concern was taken as an insult.
"Are you not tired?"
In the corridors, he met Young Master Auerlion while heading towards the servants' quarter.
Young Master Aurelion had always had a cold deposition, but today, in particular, he looked colder.
"You've been suffering under his abuse for years. Do you not wish to rebel?"
Sapphire eyes frosted over by cold resolve met his own.
It was unlike anything Rainier had experienced before. The Young Master's eyes were always burning and ablaze when directed at him, a harsh remark readied at the back of his tongue.
However, comparing the two brothers was like comparing fire and ice.
Incomparable.
His natural instinct to defend his charge emerged before he could comprehend who exactly he was talking to. "Young Master Nazareth is merely dissatisfied—"
"—because I am not dead."
There was a silence reigning between them.
Rainier snapped his mouth shut.
Of course, he had no right to say anything when Young Master Aurelion's life was always in danger.
After a while, Young Master Aurelion walked forward, until they were both standing in the opposite direction, parallel to one another.
As he did so, he slipped a piece of paper into Rainier's hand.
"That cruel being cannot be my brother. Father brought home a demon who wishes to kill us all."
Rainier looked down at the piece of paper and widened his eyes in shock.
"Young Master Aurelion, I cannot possibly betray Young Master Nazareth. This is a breach of trust between master and servant!"
However, Young Master Aurelion seemed undeterred by his objections.
In fact, looking closely, Young Master Aurelion's gaze seemed oddly fierce, like an arctic storm blowing freezing wind. There was a spark in his eyes that appeared electrifyingly intense.
As a servant who barely had the spine to stand up for himself, Rainier was taken aback.
"Rainier, I've seen what kind of servant you are. You are loyal and dedicated and trustworthy. Father was a fool to give you to him when it is clear your master does not appreciate you," Young Master Aurelion told him succinctly.
"Do not forget what he has done. Do you not feel indignity from all the humiliation he has had you undergo all these years?"
Young Master Aurelion walked away after that, seemingly satisfied.
Rainier was left in the corridor to contemplate his decisions.
He was loyal to his master. Wasn't he?
It was the evening after when he realized how far his loyalty could go before it broke.
He was in Young Master Nazareth's bedroom, preparing the Young Master for bed.
A black ribbon was thrown at him by the Young Master, who had walked into the room with a scowl on his face. Rainier fumbled and the ribbon fell to the ground.
"Cover your eyes." He demanded.
Rainier had no time to react, "What?"
Young Master Nazareth glared at him some more.
Rainier recognized that look.
It was a look that promised violence if he didn't obey.
Silently, he grabbed the ribbon off the floor.
The Young Master saw this and smirked.
"You're not allowed to show your eyes anymore," he ordered, his gaze cold and unfeeling. "I expect you to cover them when serving me."
It was such an unusual command. Ludicrous, even!
Rainier couldn't tell what the Young Master was thinking.
Uncertainty and distrust rose inside him. He grew suspicious of the ribbon in his hand.
"But..."
He looked up just in time to see the Young Master's expression darken. Rainier was able to detect the simmering anger beneath that facade and feared the other has reached his boiling point.
"Put it on, or I'll pluck out those monstrosities and make you eat them," he threatened in a clipped tone of voice, impatient.
Rainier did not doubt that his master would do it.
His hands shook as he brought the ribbon up to his eyes. They continued to shake, making it slow for him to tie the ribbon around his head.
Soon, he was blindfolded and couldn't see a thing.
"Is this alright, Young Master?"
Silence met his words. Rainier was nervous.
In the darkness, he felt the rest of his senses intensify.
He heard footsteps drawing closer to him. They came closer and closer, and with each step, Rainier's shaking got worse.
He felt a hand cover the ribbon.
He sucked in a breath of air.
The hand coaxed him to lower his head so that he was leveled to his Young Master.
He was nervous.
The Young Master may still be a child, barely thirteen in age and shorter than he should be, but Rainier had long learned that he was cruel.
The gentle hand covering the ribbon became the source of pain so strong and aching, he had thought his eyes were being burned shut.
The skin around his eyes smelled like burned skin. It was followed by the acidic smell of something strange, and then everything was hot, red pain once more.
The Young Master's other hand covered his mouth shut so he couldn't scream.
Rainier wanted him to let go, but the burning of his skin rendered him unable to move.
He was in shock.
The cold press of a blade was the next thing he felt. He was almost numb to the intricate slices that the blade made across the upper portion of his face.
And amidst it all, he could hear the mumbling chant of... something...
Whatever the Young Master was doing to him hurt so badly. He wanted to leave, but he felt trapped.
After what felt like an eternity, Rainier found himself lying on the ground.
The blindfold still covered his face, but the Young Master's voice reverberated through the silence.
"Leave."
Rainier left.
And found himself standing in front of the entrance of Master Aurelion's bedroom.
When Master Aurelion opened his door, Rainier was met with silence.
The black ribbon was held tightly in his hand, clenched within a fist.
He noticed the symbols on the fabric and grew furious.
Later, when he looked into a mirror, he would see the black marks branded onto his face and despair.
Hate dulled the servant's cornflower gaze until all he thought about was his hatred for the master he served.
"About that job,"
He met the cold stare of the Second Young Master with his own.
"Where do I start?"
With a series of excuses involving him having the potential to be a Capable Servant of the Odum Household, Rainier was sent to the Servant Academy to learn.
He spent his student years studying things that only true household servants could learn.
Master Aurelion made him into one of the most Capable Servants of the Odum Household, and a capable spy against the oldest Young Master.
After three years, he graduated and came back to work for the Odum Household.
The oldest Young Master still hadn't changed a single bit. He was still as cruel and as wicked as before.
Upon his arrival at the household, the oldest Young Master threw a black ribbon at him.
It was an ordinary piece of cloth this time, but the oldest Young Master still saw his eyes as displeasing.
"Put it on."
"With pleasure."
And like any Capable Servant, he did so.
Rainier learned many things at the academy and suffered under the heavy stares of his peers and teachers. The marks on his face were unsightly and a reminder of his hatred.
Serving the Young Master with a blindfold on? Sure, he could do that. It was every servant's job to serve to the best of their abilities. He did not waste three years for nothing.
And so, he began to spy on this scummy troublemaker for Master Aurelion. He reported back every scheme and all the information he could gather.
That foolish Young Master didn't even realize that he was a mole. But that was fine, too.
After all, it was all for the sake of ridding everyone of this demon.
---
Step 2. Meet the charming butler who you've wronged in the past.