𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 !? ♡ [BL]

⟢ 03 . *

* this chapter has been revised

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Perhaps you had been hypnotized.

Drunk on the day.

What the hell were you thinking? This wasn't anything normal, not by any means — you were dealing with a fucking lunatic.

Forget the serpent: you had already been poisoned.

Had all the polite chat over tea and scones got to you? Did you find his jests entertaining?

Haha. So foolish. The so-called "lamb prince" had not only incapacitated you, something the prodigal captain of the royal guard had failed to do, which was too bad, really- he couldn't have been a day past twenty-five and—

Fuck, your mind just hadn't been working right ever since you got here. Why bring up the past now? It was useless, this prince was dead set on keeping you here, isolated, to rot.

"Ah? What's wrong, dear assassin?" You wanted to gouge his eyes out. Forcefully, with a spoon. A fork would work as well, and so would your bare hands — just anything. "You're being awfully quiet all of a sudden."

How else am I supposed to respond to such nonsense? Fists trembling, your nails bit into your skin and carved little crescents into your flesh. "...To be treated as a loyal hound... what's next, Your Highness? Will you leash me, teach me how to roll over and play dead?"

"A leash..." Amusement danced in his eyes, and he entertained the thought with a rather concerning amount of interest. "That's not a bad thought. I didn't think you were capable of replicating my line of thought so perfectly, dear assassin! You brought it up before I could even suggest it~"

"Please, Your Highness. Don't delude yourself."

At this point, it was worthless to speak, so why even bother? Nikolai never listened. That is, until your meaningless words could be twisted into something reflecting his desire. Naturally, his actions proved to be a real fucking p-

"Delusion? Now, don't just throw out such words in hopes of driving me away!" He swayed dramatically, one hand placed on his chest like you'd inflicted some lethal wound.

"Oh, were my intentions so bare? If you're aware, would you kindly leave, Your Highness?"

You sensed from his silence he was not convinced in the slightest.

"...I-I'm rather tired..." Every time you had to force a stutter, you were sure an angel died. Puppy eyes weren't exactly your forte, as was any of this shitshow, but...

"Big brother!"

There were things you valued higher than your pride.

"Is it alright if I have this first day to myself since I'm... still getting used to things?" You spoke your words slowly, piecing them together in the most pitiful articulation possible. A three-step process: speak softly, slowly, dragging out the vowels. Gaze at him, eyes shining. Look at him, bottom lashes quivering with unshed tears.

Critical hit!

As expected. Nikolai staggered backward in utter shock.

My cuteness is just something else, simply irresistible... isn't that right, you snake?

You stifled the feeling of odd satisfaction you received from seeing his features go slack and hearing a choking noise escape his throat. He held a hand over his face, poorly hiding the feverish flush that had descended upon it, and responded after a well-half minute, in a shaky voice that did not at all sound like his own, "Ah... ahem- if that's the case, feel free..."