by Dr. D
“The most amazing thing I had the luck to witness was an advanced elemental stone.” The teacher had already started the lecture as Dezi sneaked in from the back.
Lectures were mostly retired chefs talking about their experience and answering questions. It was clear that the old chef had gone off course again and started to boast about his past. “You know what an advanced elemental stone is also called? It is called the dragon stone.”
The students broke off in chatter, and a few made a face of disbelief.
“We all used bone coins.” The teacher raised his voice a bit to win back people’s attention. “Well, maybe not all of us.”
A few snickers were exchanged between the students in the front row as they looked back at Dezi, who just sat down. Dezi clenched his jaw tight but didn’t look up.
Even if everyone in the culinary school had a D rating--divisions still existed. D rating’s magic ability couldn’t support the entire cooking process without the aid of outside energy sources. The most common energy sources were bone coins. They were made from low-tier magical beasts’ bones.
The students that could afford them, like Lisa, could afford to actually practice cooking and would go on to become chefs. People like Dezi could only hope to get the license as a kitchen staff. Experience, savings, and a little bit of luck might allow him to be a cook himself one day.
“And a few of you might have been lucky enough to see an elemental stone.” The teacher continued, but this time, everyone was quiet. Elemental stones were extremely valuable and could only be obtained by killing a tier four or above magical beast and extracting it out of the beast’s body. It was located in the middle of the forehead, right behind the skull.
The teacher looked around and seemed almost pleased that no one had even seen an elemental stone before. “But advanced elemental stones are much rarer. They can only come from a dragon. “
He stressed again, “We know that most of the dragons were tier six beasts, which were considered as better in battle than B ratings in people. Thus, the advanced elemental stones were rarely seemed outside of the Royal Palace. “
At this point, everyone was staring at the teacher. Even if the students knew that they would never be able to use one, the interest was high.
The teacher took in the admirations of the students and told the story of how he used to work in the royal kitchen, back when the old king was still alive.
“One day, the king was especially pleased with the dish that I cooked, and I was called out of the kitchen and got the incredible honor to meet the king.” The old chef held his head high. “While I was there, his majesty asked our queen, who was still a young princess then, to restore the energy that had been used in an elemental stone.
“The stone in his majesty’s hand was red and almost transparent, but it had a small, bright flame circling in the center like a living creature. I have never seen anything so beautiful. It took me a while to realize that it was a fire dragon stone.”
Dezi’s eyes widened, and he drew a picture of the stone on his notepad.
“Why would his majesty asked something that couldn’t be done?” a student asked.
Another student jumped in to show his knowledge. “No, it is possible for the talented royals. But it requires a great deal of effort to force even the smallest bits of energy back into a stone.”
“It was meant to be a valuable lesson.” The teacher raised his voice. “The old king was teaching our queen that it was always easier to follow the law of nature.”
Some students rolled their eyes. The difficulty to restore energy was such a cliché story about the laws of nature. It was hard for everyone to believe that the old chef actually met the king.
The chatter among the students continued, but Dezi sat there silently, with his gaze on the dragon stone he had drawn on the paper.
The day went on like any other. When the sun started setting, Dezi was done with his classes and was ready to leave school. As he headed out with a stream of other students, the manager who scold him for offending the princess last night suddenly showed in front of the crowd and scanned everyone’s faces. His eyes lit up when he saw Dezi.
Dezi cursed inwardly and wondered what more he wanted.
The manager did call out to him, and Dezi had no choice but to stop. What Dezi didn’t expect was that the manager would put up a big smiled as he grabbed onto his wrist. “Someone wanted to see you.”
“Who?”
The manager didn’t answer and forced out a smile again. “Please come with me quickly.”
“What is this for?” Dezi tried to step back.
“Please hurry.” The manager’s smile seemed more like a grimace, he pulled on Dezi’s arm and almost dragged him to the office of the principals.
“Principals ...” Dezi was dumbfounded and couldn’t help to be a little scared. The only reason he could think of was the fees that he had been delaying to pay. “Is this about the money I owe the school….”
“No, no, no. The tuition is not a problem, not at all!” They shook their hands and led Dezi into the office.
The principals were sweating and smiling awkwardly while they opened a door in the study and sent Dezi inside. In the room, a finely dressed gentleman turned around. “Good afternoon, sir, this way, please. The coach is waiting.”
Dezi was sure that he never seen him before. But it was the first time that anyone had called Dezi “Sir.” He was dazed and he felt like he was stepping on cotton. It wasn’t until that Dezi was ushered into the coach that he remembered to ask, “Wait, where are we going?”
“I was ordered to take you to the palace,” the gentleman answered.
The palace? The Royal Palace? Dezi swallowed the question back. He would have made of fool of himself if he asked out loud.
There was be no other palace in the city.
Chapter 3
Dezi felt self-conscious and out of place traveling through the extravagantly-decorated hallway of the Royal Palace.
He was well-accustomed to what the palace looked like on the outside--tall, apart, superior and untouchable. It sprang from the soil so high that it seemed like the very dirt had insulted it.
Dezi never thought that one day he would be able to step inside.
Gold-framed oil paintings. Ornate stair rails. Well-polished marble floors. Not a single speck of dust could be spotted. The air was scented with fresh flowers everywhere he went.
This was not his world.
Every servant who passed by was looking at him, but the older nobleman leading the way never said anything. Stomp, stomp, stomp. The nobleman’s black leather shoes hit the shiny marble floor. With each step, he led Dezi deeper into the glory of the palace.
The unfamiliar hallways opened up like a mouth, swallowing him in whole and sending him to an unknown future
Finally, they stopped in front of a large closed door. The nobleman knocked, and Princess Tatiana's voice came out shortly, “Come in.”
The nobleman entered the room and bowed deeply to the princess. "Your Highness. The young man from yesterday is here."
Dezi drew in a deep breath and kneeled down and bowed on the cold marble floor.
The princess casually rested her head in her hand and looked down on Dezi. She was in a beautiful blue gown and sitting in a chair with high backs. Her features were almost too beautiful to look at, but the inspecting twinkles behind her eyes intimidated Dezi even more.
After a glance, Tatiana nodded her head. “You might stand up.” Her expression and tone betrayed none of her thoughts.
“What is your name?” the princess asked after Dezi rose to his feet.
“Dezi. Your highness.” There was a slight tremble in Dezi’s voice; he blushed and hoped that no one noticed.
The princess didn’t seem displeased with Dezi’s nervousness; she carried on to ask another question that she probably already knew the answer. “Were you invited to the celebration yesterday, Dezi?” She wore a light smile.
/> “No.” Dezi swallowed. He dropped his gaze to the tip of his worn-out shoes and carefully explained how he ended up in the noble dining area during the dragon festival.
The princess nodded lightly to acknowledge his story. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-one,” Dezi said.
“You are still a culinary trainee in the magic school?”
“Yes.” Dezi could feel the blood flowing into his face as he dropped his chin to his chest. Normally, people would be done with education at age eighteen, but Dezi wasn’t always able to come up with the money for classes. Most kids from his social class simply wouldn’t go to school at all. Being a chef was an extravagant dream for a boy born at the very bottom of society. But Dezi could rather starve himself and sleep on the street than give up trying.
For whatever it was worth, Dezi hesitantly added, “I will be able to take the exam in three months.”
The princess smiled. “Does your father also work in the culinary field?”
“Um,” Dezi blushed and lowered his head even more. “I … I don’t know.”
“You do not know?” The princess repeated each word slowly, like a cat playing with a mouse.
“I never met him…” Dezi’s defenses crumbled, and he confessed the shameful background that he almost never told anyone.
His mother had the lowest magic talent rating of E and had the occupation of a common whore. Dezi was born in the back of a whore house and grew up in the dark, filthy alleys that other parents told their children to avoid. They were so poor that Dezi hadn’t even been able to afford to have his testing gem until he was old enough to enter the district school.
The princess gazed at him for a moment and then suddenly asked, “Did anything particularly memorable happened in your childhood, Dezi?”
Color drained from Dezi’s face, and his expression turned blank. He slowly raised his chin and stuttered, “What?”
The princess’s smile turned sweeter, as if Dezi had answered her question. “The person you met at the festival was prince Acheron.” She carried on like nothing had happened. "When Acheron was three years old--” the princess paused. “He had a favorite doll that he would carry everywhere. He called the doll Baba."
Dezi’s eyes widened at the last word.
"The doll fell apart completely after four years.” She gazed down at the floor. “Acheron wouldn't look at any other toys. The servants tried everything. Finally, Acheron took a liking on a yellow puppy and also called it Baba.
"The dog died a week ago after eleven years. And as you can see, Dezi. I have a job for you in the palace.” The princess looked into Dezi’s wide eyes. “You would be Acheron’s new pet.”
The words fell on Dezi like a bucket of ice water.
The Princess went on. "Acheron is now eighteen years old. It was time for him to take an interest in another person. Don’t you think, Dezi?”
“… Yes, your highness.” Dezi was covered in cold sweat.
"There are many rules in the palace, and Lord Mathew, Baron of North Raswen, would show you what you need to know.” The older man bowed as the princess mentioned him. “But the most important thing to remember--” the princess delivered each word carefully, “--is to know your place, Dezi."
Dezi looked up, but he wasn’t sure if he understood the meaning behind the princess’s gaze. He wiped his cold forehead with his numb fingers and blinked several times until a question finally rose up to his throat. “Might I continue with my school?” There was only a few more months left after years of hard work.
"If Acheron allows it,” the princess said lightly. “He would be your master, after all." She cast one last glance at Dezi and stood up. “Come with me. Acheron couldn’t wait to see you.”
Chapter 4
A door at the end of the hall opened, but the room was darker than the hallway.
Dezi’s eyes adjusted for a second as he walked in, and then he saw the odd prince again. He was sitting in front of a large window, which had the thick curtains fully closed.
Acheron heard the door opened and looked toward them. His gaze went right past the princess’s elegant dress and fell on Dezi’s face.
Dezi bit the inside of his cheek and kneeled down to properly greet the prince. As he touched the ground, he noticed that the floor was covered by soft rugs in this room. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the feet of the prince came to a halt right in front of him and crouch down.
Dezi was forced to look up by a familiar grip on his jaw.
Acheron was wearing a simple waistcoat with a black necktie. But amazingly, the darkness of his eyes still stood out, overshadowing his black hair and clothes.
Light burst into the room with the rustling sounds of the curtains. Mathew had pulled them open and revealed a splendid garden outside.
With the light, Dezi noticed that there were four other young men in the room, kneeling to the princess. Dezi didn't think they were servants. They were dressed elaborately, with the obvious intention to stand out. But Dezi didn't think they were guests, either. The noble guests only needed to bow to the Royals. Besides, those boys were simply too pretty to travel in a pack by accident.
They reminded Dezi too much of the affluent students in the magic school--although trying their best to behave in front of the Princess, Dezi could still sniff out the arrogance hidden under the smiles.
When the Princess had allowed them to stand up, Dezi pulled his head slightly away from the prince and bluntly took the chance to stand up, as well.
"All of you can leave now." Princess Tatiana said.
Dezi could see the disappointment on their faces. One of the boys even looked at him with flat-out envy as he walked out.
Dezi frowned--he couldn't believe that there would be people who wanted to kiss the royal family's ass so much that they would jump on the chance to be an idiot prince's dog.
While he was distracted by his own thoughts, Dezi sensed a hand moving toward his face. He winced when he realized that Prince Acheron was trying to touch his eyes, but he stood still and closed one of his eyes until he felt the prince’s warm fingertip brushing his eyelid.
“Hmm.” Tatiana came close to Acheron and watched them interact. “You do recognize him.”
Dezi looked at the princess with the slightest hope that she would frown upon Acheron’s strange behavior. But it seemed like the princess saw nothing wrong.
"Is this one special, Acheron?" There was a slight frustration in the princess’s voice, but she hid it with a perfect smile. "Well, I am glad that you like him."
At least Acheron didn't want a girl from such low birth, Tatiana thought to herself. The court would never allow the royal bloodline to be diluted.
Seeing Tatiana and Acheron right next to each other, Dezi subconsciously started to look for resemblance in their features. Everyone in the royal family had outstanding appearances; it was just a part of the bloodline.
The princess was already more beautiful than any woman Dezi had ever seen before, so Dezi was shocked to see that her features fell short in comparison to the prince. It was almost hard to believe that a person could achieve such perfection in proportion and symmetry.
However, one could never notice the prince’s good look without really paying attention. There was a dark aura of lifelessness surrounding Acheron, making that flawless face seem too much like a soulless piece of artwork than a living creature. No woman would enter a room and have her heart flustered by a statue in the corner, no matter how finely carved it was.
But for a moment, Dezi was proud of his discovery, and stared at Acheron’s face with the amazement of a boy who had come across a beautiful shell on the beach.
Acheron was also gazing back at Dezi. He didn't even look at the Princess's direction, not to mention answering her words. But the princess seemed used to not getting any response.
"I will see you later. My dear cousin," the princess smiled and gestured to Mathew before she left. "Take care of the prince."
; Dezi looked at the closed door and repeated the word “cousin” to himself in his mind.
He had been wondering where this prince Acheron was coming from. Princess Tatiana had a much younger brother named Andrew who just had his fourteenth birthday--the whole city was celebrating--but he had never heard of a Prince Acheron. Now he realized that Acheron must be Queen Diamant’s son.
Queen Diamant was Queen Evadokia’s older twin sister. The throne was passed from older siblings to younger siblings first and then to the eldest children in the generations. But only the magically-talented heirs who possessed the A rating were entitled. Queen Diamant had impressive magic talent, and she was crowned before Queen Evadokia. But she passed away only a few years after ascending the throne.
As Dezi thought about it, he became more convinced that this prince was mentally retarded. That would explain why the public had never heard of him.
Dezi glanced at the prince’s perfect features and lowered his head. He secretly gloated over this prince's ill fate. This must be the result of focusing too much on pure bloodline and marrying solely on the purpose of talented offspring. They deserved to have an idiot prince.
Losing the eye contact, Acheron’s eyes moved to Dezi’s neck. His hand rubbed it front the side to the nape. Dezi immediately got goosebumps all over from the creepy Prince. Acheron had this eerie focus on whatever things he paid attention to and acted like the rest of the world didn’t exist.
Dezi restrained from pushing him away and eyed the older nobleman, who was still there.
"His highness had been demanding to see you since last night. It is a relief to see Prince Acheron happy again after Baba died," Mathew said. He was in his fifties, tall, refined, and well-built for his age.
Dezi forced out a smile.
He didn’t understand how Mathew could pretend like everything was normal. The idiot prince kept stroking his neck in a way that would be only appropriate if the prince was making pottery and his neck was clay.