Under the Prince of Lust’s Wiles — Chapter 31 - An Unexpected Development

Winner Mansion

Minutes Before Lorde’s Arrival

~ Eriol ~

Just as I thought.

The moment I entered the kitchen to get the glasses of cold water Andrea had requested, I felt something badly wrong with the air. I immediately felt a strong presence of something sickeningly holy; sickeningly familiar even though it has been centuries since I last saw the bastard archangel.

Raphael.

Yes. My ex best-friend, now my archenemy.

Huh. My human rival brought in reinforcements I see. What a laugh. Exactly just like before.

The peninsula table was the only thing that demarcated the line between us. This was the only object that kept both of us from leaping on each other and do good with our ever-so-pending battle.

Raphael stood near the kitchen fridge. His impressive bright wings stretched nauseatingly in my front like it was reminding me of what I had lost. Its length was almost touching the chandeliers of the room. Damn... I definitely want to singe a feather, or two or a dozen in the name of sport if he keeps on doing this.

His eyes glowed gold, but I can see that his pupils were on me, calculating my every move. He still had the same long golden hair, something humans would compare to Rapunzel’s, and I hate that fairy tale very, very much.

The environment around us somehow seems to be confused on who to take sides. Darkness? Brightness? The aura of the room definitely was in chaos.

“Asmodeus, you seem to take the butler character at heart,” he purred, sarcasm pooling on his throat. “Look at you. You do look better without those hideous horns. You look more like a human. Well, except for your lip-piercing that is. I am not a particular fan of it.”

I scrunched up my nose. I don’t particularly like the sarcasm in this overconfident angel. “Ditch my appearance, Raphael. What the fuck are you doing here?” I quickly stated. I willed my eyes to glow red but it was only brief.

“Ohh, such a harsh modern word friend. It is definitely so you,” he countered.

Tucking in his wings, he paced the floor, but only still within cautious distance away from me.

“I ask, what are you doing here?” I demanded an answer again. Uhhggg. Does he really need to crash the party when it is getting so good?

“Cool now big boy. I am just here to protect my latest charge,” Raphael answered stiffly.

“Charge?” I cocked a brow up. “Are you that measly human’s guardian angel?”

Somehow, I am surprised by it. With all the evil around the human world, archangels were supposed to guard the gates of Heaven, not guard some insignificant human. Or maybe, this particular human wasn’t just a nobody?

Raphael chuckled with my questioning. He shook his head slowly and answered, “Not just any measly human, Asmodeus. He is Tobias′ reincarnation.”

I caught a good lump in my throat. Bloody hell, my suspicions were correct.

No shit. That name really is so fucking bothersome.

I felt a sudden urge to teleport where Andrea was present, making sure that this so-called reincarnation doesn’t do anything audacious, but I opted to stay a little bit longer to have more chat. After all, it has been a while since Raphael and I have seen each other. A millennium maybe? I have certainly lost count. I was just a Fallen Angel back then. A weakling. Now, I have enough power to barricade myself of Raphael’s Holy Light.

The ridiculously pretty-boy archangel gave me a grin as if he was reading my mind. He sure knows that I am in disorder right now after knowing the truth about Andrea’s childhood friend.

“Ironic isn’t it? It seems history repeats itself,” he said while taking a green apple from the peninsula. He took a bite and leaned on the granite countertop behind him.

“Fuck history. Who says I will let it repeat itself,” I callously stated. “You are not going to go all destiny on me again, Raphael. I am done with that sermon.”

“Speak for yourself!”

Raphael, after making a disappointed growl, straightened and threw the apple towards me. Halfway midair, I burnt it right to the stem with just a cold stare. The ashes fell on the peninsula, tainting the fresh green apples on the basket. If you ask me, an act like this was quite a meager way of venting out an angel’s frustration.

“Andrea’s destiny is to die in that bus accident and meet Tobias in another lifetime,” Raphael explained. I was all ears then. “But because of your inappropriate intervention, everything had changed. Thanks to you, Fate is making sure they get to have a happy ending again in this timeline.”

I didn’t miss him highlighting the words happy and ending. I grinned. Happy, yes. For me and Andrea. Ending, yes. For that fucking reincarnation of Tobias.

“Bullshit,” I said coldly, the red glow of my eyes emerged again.

“No shit,” he echoed, his golden orbs did the same.

Funny. I thought angels don’t swear.

“Now, you know what that means right?” he asked.

I stood my ground and held my head up high. “I refuse to know. Why the fuck should I care about what Fate had planned? Andrea is mine. I have waited for her for centuries, surely that is enough for Fate to realize how much she means to me!”

“Beings like us aren’t meant to bond with humans Asmodeus,” he answered frankly, temper rising. “You are only making yourself suffer. Don’t make the same mistake again!”

The kitchenwares shook wildly due to Raphael’s uncontrolled emotion; whatever emotion that was.

I remained calm and collected. I do not want to fight this bastard yet since my hands would be full in protecting my Andrea from that man. Our fight would take ages to finish, and it would be likely that by the time it will end, Andrea might already be Lorde’s wife. I can’t let that happen of course.

“I am no angel Raphael remember? Don’t include me. I am a demon. I do the hell I want to do,” I stated, giving him a good glare. “By the way, please control your powers when you are inside Madame Winner’s estate. I personally don’t like cleaning your childish tantrums later.”

He hissed but afterward took in deep breaths to calm himself. I sure got him right there.

“Hardheaded still huh?” he stated through clenched teeth.

“Nothing has changed,” I answered coolly.

He strutted across the room and went to stand in a glass window where the outside showed a good angle of the veranda and the Winner Family pool. He smiled, pleased over something that he saw. I wondered what it was then.

What is advantageous for being a demon is that we get to read another person’s mind. We can use it for or against them. But before an angel, we are helpless. It is either they have barriers in their too-holy brains or they are just dead on imagination. I prefer to think it is the latter.

“Asmodeus, stay away from them,” he advised, but I didn’t take it lightly.

“Isn’t it a little too brazen for you to say that? I mean, you just arrived. You are basically just an insignificant guest here. You can’t possibly come here and order me around. You must be insane to think that I would do as you commanded.”

I know that Lorde doesn’t have a clue that an angel tagged along with him. Basically, angels aren’t allowed to show themselves to their charges. Raphael wouldn’t dare break any Heavenly Rule just for the sake of desperation. I think him too by-the-book when it comes to that.

“I warn you. Stay away from their relationship Asmodeus and also don’t lay a finger on my charge. I know you are itching to harm that human, but you cannot do that to him. Not on my watch,” he stated or more likely growled.

“Easy Raphael. I wouldn’t dare,” I reassured. “But just to remind you, I am a butler. I do what my master asks me to do. If my master says to kill him, why would I refuse?”

Clever me, I know. I believe that is what you call sarcasm at its finest.

“Marcella wouldn’t do that to her step-son,” Raphael, as always, corrected immediately.

“Of course, she wouldn’t,” I answered. Even though she was an eccentric woman, she cannot do that of course. She has a kind heart, the same as Andrea’s. “I am just giving you a concrete example since you are pretty much outdated in the ways of the modern world.”

On top of the microwave oven, Madame Winner’s Blackberry phone rang as if on cue. Our attention was caught on the “Bang Bang” pop music. Good. Exactly just what I needed. An intermission number.

“Don’t toy with me, Asmodeus. I am no illiterate,” he declared and faced me, quickly disregarding the resounding lively music.

“I am not,” I answered, slightly shaking my head. I approached the oven and took the ringing phone. “Now, I should probably go. This is a call Madame Winner has been waiting. See you around, friend.”

If our eyes had laser beams like Cyclops in the X-men, we would have already sliced the mansion into tiny bits. I am glad that that power doesn’t exist on both of us, but we sure could destroy this abode if we ever decide to start the battle.

“Remember my words, Asmodeus,” he stated with the threat unclouded in his voice.

I smirked and gave him a cold shoulder before teleporting out of the kitchen. Like I would fucking listen to him now.

***

Based on Raphael’s reaction earlier, I knew then that the trio, a.k.a. Madame Winner, Andrea, and my rival were on the veranda. I intentionally teleported to an area where Andrea could only see me. It was in the pool area, next to the stairs.

Holding the cellphone in my hand, I started to climb up with my eyes glued on my Dear Heart. I could feel her worry and restlessness arising, no doubt because of my presence. But I knew those emotions were already present before I arrived because of Lorde.

What the fuck has this guy been doing to make her feel like this?

My employer was more than happy to see me. She straightened from her seat and waited for me to approach her.

Just like a normal butler would, I obediently did my duty, but it was particularly a struggle, especially after I saw my rival for the first time. This reincarnation of Tobias really is a man worthy of my scrutiny. A fine-looking human yes, but not as fine as me. Andrea, however, seemed mesmerized by his presence which was definitely not a good sign.

I am not going to let the destiny strings do its work again. I will cut it fast before it begins to knot them together.

I noticed the man giving me a quick inspection when I passed his seat and stopped in Madame Winner’s side. When I intentionally read his mind, I heard him say, “Oh, just Tia’s employee.”

It was rather a calm statement for a man, with a touch of discrimination, yes, but I sensed that deep inside he was intimidated by my appearance.

“Excuse me, Madame, you have a phone call from Mr. Realis,” I informed, raising up the phone for her to take.

She looked almost as happy that there was a phone call for her. I was curious why so I read her mind. When I did, damn, I became disappointed. She actually planned since the beginning to leave the veranda. She actually wanted them to be alone and talk something out, but like hell, I would allow that.

She excused herself and took the phone from my hand. I didn’t follow her when she entered the dining room. I just stepped three steps backward behind Lorde and focused my attention on Andrea.

I was smoldering in anger, yes I am. My bad mood was not only because of Raphael’s words but also because of this man in front of me. He sure had the audacity to look at my Andrea with adoration and reeking of lust at the same time.

If I could, I would have choked this man and drown him on the turquoise pool, but I couldn’t, especially when Raphael was just standing in the rooftop watching us gravely.

Putting my hands into a tight fist was the only thing that I could do, well for now, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t do something about Andrea and her being in front of Lorde.

I grinned at her, sending a message that this situation will be over soon.

Lorde made a loud clearing of his throat. That immediately captured Andrea’s attention back to him. Take note, he doesn’t even know of my presence behind him. Only Andrea could see me. I purposefully used my invisibility power so that I could see how this man would act in front of my Dear Heart.

The moment Madame Winner left, he offered quickly, “How about dinner tomorrow?”

I thinned my eyes. The bastard is so smooth. Real smooth.

Andrea appeared to be confused and surprised for a moment. Her grip on her teacup tightened and she roamed her eyes to me covertly as if she was examining my reaction.

“Huh? Excuse me? Wha-what do you mean Lorde?” she said nervously.

“You said you owe me, Andi. I think you can repay that by having dinner with me tomorrow night,” he clarified. I noticed how irritating this man was just by looking at him holding the Corona. Or maybe, I am irritated simply because he had the audacity to blackmail her quickly.

Andrea glanced at me then and she saw my hard expression. I shook my head to show her that I fucking don’t approve of his proposal, but even with this, I believe she already knew of the answer.

“I...uh...I don’t think so,” she replied much to my pleasure.

Lorde shifted on his seat and leaned on the table. “Why? Do you have previous engagements in your schedule?” I heard him say. “A date perhaps? With your boyfriend?”

“Ah, no, there’s nothing...” Andrea answered quickly but in the end, paused when she eyed me again. “I mean, I don’t have any previous engagements to attend to but I...I think having dinner with you isn’t a good idea,” she added.

I sensed that Andrea was worried about his welfare. She was worried that if she accepts his invitation, I might do unsavory things to him. Her concern must have probably stemmed from my earlier attention with another human male. What was his name again? Ah...yes. Mr. Enrique Rafael DaisVita.

“Andrea, do you know why I came back here?” the man stated, suddenly holding her right hand that had once held the teacup.

I could feel her heart leap this time with just the touch of their hands. She averted her eyes away from both me and Lorde and looked down on her lap.

That action did it for me. I am done hearing their conversation. Time for me to tilt the table to my advantage.

“No,” she stated softly, partly sad, and partly disappointed.

These emotions however lasted only seconds because my sudden intrusion made her look up and widen her eyes.