Lovesick

Lovesick 1

Valentine focused his gaze on Selene.

"Do you know why you're here?" Selene, with her free flowing golden hair and intoxicating blue eyes, inquired calmly as she stared at the handsome young man that resembled some of the features of his father, Deputy General Darius Arslan. The silver hair and blue eyes were the distinct features in their Arslan bloodline.

 

But Valentine is a different case, his two eyes are of different color. When Selene first saw him, it fascinated her as it was the first time that she saw a person with heterochromia. His right eye is pale blue while his left eye is hazel. It somewhat lessened her hatred for him for a fraction. Seeing that his eyes didn't match those of his abomination of a family.

"Yes" Valentine trained his eyes on Selene, watching as she diverted her eyes away from him to stare at the whip on her hand.

"Tell me why." Selene caressed the material of the familiar whip in her hand. She have done this many many times and knew that it will hurt the person in front of her and still, the expression on her face did not reveal any hesitation or guilt.

"To prove my utmost loyalty to the Fasci family." Selene didn't seem happy nor sad with his reply. Everything is perfunctory for her. There's no need to be happy for a tool's devotion. "Whose property are you?"

"I belong to the Fasci clan and serve directly under Lady Selene." She gave a faint hum and motioned the guards to tie him up towards the ceiling. They did as they're told and strip off the clothes on his upper body.

"Why do you obey me?" Selene asked the obligatory question one after another. Wearing a black fitted leather gloves, she squirted an ample amount of liquid in her palm and put it on the whip. Coating the black whip with poison. Making sure that every open gash that I will make in his body later will be entered with poison.

It's not going to make him die, the most it can do is make him fatigued and increase his auditory and visual sensitivities. That can lead to hallucinations sometimes.

In his case, it happens in an extreme way everytime, since I deliberately isolate him and deprive him of food for some days.

"Because Lady Selene is my salvation. I am nothing without Lady Selene." Valentine uttered those words as if he's talking about the weather. She didn't say any more words as she went directly behind him. Starting to lash at his severely scarred back. After several years of doing this, he finally didn't make any protest or grunt of pain. He accepted the poison coated whip hitting his back without any indication that he's opposed to it.

Whip

Whip

Whip

The sun has long gone when the task was finally done. They had untied him and Valentine stood there with a slightly trembling legs. That is the only indication that he's in pain.

Selene hanged the bloody whip on it's designated place on the wall and removed the gloves carelessly. She rotated her aching wrist and gently massaged it. She didn't notice Valentine right in front of her, only when he wiped her sweaty palm with a towel did she reckon that he's close to her. She can even smell the strong pungent blood and his light sweat.

Getting used to the smell of blood does not make the vivid memories of that night to stop popping in my mind. It's still unpleasant huh?

He held Selene's wrist gently and wiped her palm delicately, as if using any force will break her arm. "I'm sorry, do you want me to massage it Lady Selene?"

"No" Selene curtly replied and gazed at his pursed lips. "Does it hurt?" She asked him indifferently, knowing all too well his answer.

"Yes" He nodded but made no other indication that he's extremely hurt. "Good, what do you say?" Selene stared at his eyes with a deep expectant gaze, making Valentine felt the resurging need to please her.

"Thank you Lady Selene." For the first time since he entered the room, a smile adorned his face. His face that can make any noblewoman blush from admiration, now looked at her with a genuinely relaxed smile. It made him look like a normal, full of vitality, handsome youth.

But he's anything but that.

He's everything that I made of, I mold and shaped him into the perfect tool underneath me. I branded him as nothing, stripped him off of his identity and created a new persona that will obey me, serve the Fasci family. Even the pain he's feeling right now is something he's thanking me for.

Because Selene knew she made him feel that. Because she made pain a priveledge for him. She broke his mind, messed up his beliefs and made him who he is today.

"Sit down for a second." He nodded obediently. His wobbling legs headed towards the rectangular metal table with a couple of stools and sat down with his back to her.

Selene gestured for the guards to go outside and close the door. Only after 4 years did she feel completely reassured in being alone with the unrestrained Valentine, because she knew that hurting her now is impossible for him. He may attempt to hurt her before but now he's completely broken.

Collecting the anti-inflammatory ointments and cream as well as the gauze and bandages, Selene trutted towards him. Putting the materials on the table, she cleaned her hands for a bit and started wiping the bleeding open gashes. The first touch of the cream towards the largest wound made him suck in a deep breath.

The pain made Valentine remembered something a few years ago. "Lady Selene, do you remember........when I asked you why you always take care of my wounds after hurting me?" Selene stilled for a second, her eyes glazing as she continued her disinfection.

"I do, what about it?" Selene answered coolly. Finally done in putting with the second layer of herbal ointment that she personally made.