This Evil Heart [Redacted]

Funnily so, I can swear I have already crossed path with the Duke Luphor multiple times in town today. And yet, I didn’t have the time to exchange a few words with him before he literally escaped me each time. How regrettable, I hoped we’d have the opportunity to get to know each other better during my stay in Oneixium.

    Rolling the handle of my umbrella between my fingers, I keep though an unbothered smile as I stroll through the bustling streets.

“I’ll have to admit, it’s sort of endearing to see him trying so hard to avoid me.”

    Merchants chanting the virtues of their tea are by far the most represented. With shops each devoted to a given variety of tea, the whole town is wrapped in a pleasant scent, a rich mix of dried leaves and petals.

    Despite that, there’s an underlying tension.

    Rumours keep spreading, lips mouthing a single name in a restrained whisper. One which breathes of fear cultivated over the years. The fear of the whimsical, evil mind ruling these lands.

    By now, each of the souls inhabiting this place should know that the Duke Luphor is in town.

“Beware of the way you act if he happens to come to your shop.” An uncultured woman utters. “I swear he has the heart of a roaming banshee.”

    The heart of a roaming banshee?

    The fanciful phrasing tickles my ear and, in a swift move, I pull out a notebook from under my umbrella, scribbling passionately a few words over a page shivering from its lost innocence.

“Well, he’s the last of the Luphor family, ain’t it?” A three-day beard bearer replies, scratching the back of his head. “Better to bear him. If something ever happens to him, the Luphor’s banshee will surely become a roaming one. We’ll really lose everything then…”

“I swear it’s only because of it that this spoiled brat is still breathing.”

    Done with my modest notes, I resume my walk.

    Humming, I decide to head towards a shop I remember from the last time I came to Oneixium. I’m thrilled to realise that I still remember the path.

“Some things remain etched in our memory forever, hum?”

    My smile widens at this thought.

    Absorbed by this feeling, the realisation only comes to me when I’m already near the shop. The whispers have grown messier.

“Poor ol’ Graths, it’s all up with him.” “Decades of delicacies… the children will miss his candies.” “Is he gonna close down?” “These things happen… The evil Duke laid his claws on his shop. It is what it is.”

    A few steps away from the storefront, I catch sight of a familiar silhouette inside the store. Once again, I can’t refrain but appreciate the favour the stars grant me this afternoon. I’ll make sure to repay them.

    Ignoring the whispers discouraging me from going any further, I fold my umbrella and push the door.

“…think I’m going to give you any special treatment?” A pause, a step. “It’s exactly because you’ve been part of the gearing for so long that you should know by now what happens when a single piece is broken.” The Duke Luphor gazes down at the shopkeeper, a strand of crimson hair hiding his eyes from me. “You get rid of it before the mechanism gets stuck.”

“Duke Luphor… I’m begging, forgive me.” The petite form of an old man is knelt on the floor, hands raised in plea, fingers clenched too tightly. “This candy shop is everything to me. It has been harsh lately, but I’m going to pay the levy. As soon as I can!”

    Dingling.

    The crystalline sound of the bells echoes as I enter. Pristine and soft pink shelves are lined with pastel feathers arranged in glass jars. Their edges, finely crafted with sugar, catch the light of the outside. Colouring the walls with soft hues.

    It’s like in my memories.

    Briefly, the shopkeeper glances at me, but the duke doesn’t notice me yet.

    He sniggers.

“Ahh, your begging is music to my ears. That said, you seem to forget an essential thing, commoner.” The duke pauses. “To whom do you owe the security of these lands? Do you think you’d be peacefully selling candy feathers with the monsters strolling freely? Or, should we take a bet…” He raises his hand, fingers brushing the air as if considering choking it. Soon enough, his eyes return to the shopkeeper. He takes one step, a second one closer to the paling old man before lowering himself to his level. “What if I told my banshee to let her protection down for as long as you don’t meet my exigencies? Should we try that?”

“My, how intense.” I utter with a smile before leaning my folded fingers against my lips. “I feel like I am interrupting something…”

    The reaction of the duke follows in a second.

    Widening his eyes, failing to keep the tension in the room, the Duke Luphor slowly turns an apprehensive glance at me. The look of a cat caught about to feast on a bird.

༻❦︎༺

    In the mind of a villain, there are two dragons. A rotten, twisted one, and the corpse of a good one.

    If the flames of the first one fuelled my evil aura until a moment ago, the sound of the marquessa’s voice made the dragon burn with its own fire. I am but left with the corpses of two dragons.

“The marquessa… She wasn’t supposed to see this. Now I’m done. She’s gonna hate me to the core. She will. Of course she will! Good people like her can’t stand evil persons like me it’s written in their sparkling blood. Ahh, I’m so, so done.”

    Lost in my thoughts like in the nine circles of hell, my body left without instructions as for the posture to adopt remains as still as a stone statue.

“No, wait… It’s for the better. If she hates me, she’ll avoid me and my malevolent nature will be spared. Right, it’s for the better.”

    Oblivious to my lack of words, the Marquessa Ambrillia takes a few steps closer. Instead of lingering near the commoner like I thought she would, she bypasses us to approach the shelves lined on the other side of the shop.

    I can only dread the moment she’ll speak, following her with my gaze as she reaches out her frail hand to brush one of the glass jars.

“When I first discovered this candy shop, I found these feathers so perfectly carved that I wanted to believe these were true angels’ feathers.” Her pause feels like a smile. “I couldn’t help but dream that one day someone would offer me one of these in a proposal, instead of the golden ones.” She turns her closed eyes to us after evoking the traditional present made in Emphrellaig on the occasion of a romantic proposal. “Because of that, I refrained from buying one myself.” Her smile widens with mischief. “Silly, isn’t it?”

    Slowly, I stand to my feet again, my expression unreadable. Slowly, I raise my arm over the counter… before slamming my hand against it, eliciting cracks over the glass surface.

“I’ll take your entire stock.”

“H-huh?!” The confectioner mutters, raising his head to glance at me.

“Hahh! Is he going to pretend that he didn’t hear me, now? How insolent. Very Well…”

    Glaring at the old man, I vividly extend a threatening arm towards him.

“Don’t make me repeat myself!! I’m buying ALL the candy feathers in this shop! So keep making them, that’s an order!!”

    A chuckle.

    From the corner of my eye, I catch Ambrillia not bothering to suppress a laugh. Again. Again… I fell into her trap.

“Duke Luphor, you…”

    But before she can finish her sentence, I escape the candy shop, not even paying attention to the surprised commoners gathered outside.

༻❦︎༺

    After taking refuge in an antique shop for what I estimated being quite a fair amount of time, I decide it’s safe enough to leave this den of dust and head back to my mansion.

    Taking a few steps towards the door, I’m about to push the handle when my heart skips a beat.

    A pale green puffy dress and an umbrella twirling between her hands.

    That can’t be… She’s out there. Heading in this direction. Quickly, I crouch using the door as a shield. How does she always find me? Is this a divine punishment for all my wrongdoings?

    Hurriedly, I take a look around, in a hope to escape my fate. Of all places, I had to stumble into a narrow one, all the space taken to stack the articles, from stone chandeliers heavy enough to break one’s back to a huge clock, its pendulum ticking away the time I have left.

    By the time the handle turns, I flee to a corner adorned with masks of all sorts. Leant against the wall in a hope to meld with it, I hide my face behind one of the masks.

    Holding my breath as if my presence wasn’t compromised enough, I hear footsteps faintly tapping against the floor. Getting closer…

    And then, nothing.

    The pendulum ticks the seconds without any consideration for my racing thoughts. A minute… Another…

    Is she gone..? Maybe it would be more efficient to check so if I opened my eyes… But for some reason, it feels more reassuring to keep them closed, as if better concealing my absolute not presence in this shop.

“You’re really trying hard not to see me, aren’t you?”

    My shoulders stiffen at the sound of her smooth voice.

“No matter how many times you flee, this evil heart will be mine.”