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"Master?" Jaemin called hesitantly as the Beast stormed past him, clearly on his way to deal with the new prisoner he acquired.
"What?" He growled angrily, glaring at Jaemin with annoyance evident in his eyes.
"Since the boy is staying with us for some time, I was thinking you may want to offer him a more comfortable room," Jaemin suggested, fidgeting with the lit candles that he was forced to endure.
The man glared harder, his deep eyes disappearing under his own anger.
"Or maybe not," Jaemin giggled innocently, watching with disdain as the Beast continued his stomping up the cobble stairs.
Jungwoo was sobbing pitifully into his dirt-covered hands when the attractive male first entered the cell, his tears turning angry the more violently they fell.
"You didn't even let me say bye," Jungwoo hissed, and for a moment he could have sworn the Beast's eyes softened, the tension leaving his face like a passing storm.
"I'll show you your room."
"My room?" Jungwoo questioned, nose scrunching in surprise and confusion. "But I thought-"
"You wanna stay in the tower?" The Beast asked, crossing his arms and giving Jungwoo a knowing smirk. He walked towards the boy with a saunter in his steps, a bronze key reflecting the light of the moon shining through the barred window.
"No."
The key turned in the lock, and the door swung open, missing the man's face by an inch, but he didn't even flinch. If anything, the smirk on his lips seemed to widen, taking on a prideful edge that Jungwoo despised.
"Then follow me." The Beast left the room without a glance back, expecting Jungwoo to follow him through the open bars. Jungwoo panicked when he saw the man leave, for a reason he couldn't quite pinpoint, and frantically stood, brushing the dust from his clothes. He was lagging behind, admiring the stone artwork that lined the ominous stairway. A particularly scary statue caught his attention, and with a little yelp, Jungwoo ran to the man, resisting the urge to cling onto him. Jaemin was held firmly in the Beast's hand, lighting the way down the stairs and giving his broad back an eerie glow. Despite his outward appearance, Jungwoo wasn't scared of him at all, annoyed, yes, but never scared. There was a sort of comfort that the Beast brought with him, and Jungwoo longed for it, regardless of him being the cause of his current discomfort.
A stray tear slipped down his cheek and Jaemin caught sight of it with a metallic frown.
"Say something to him," he prompted the man, who gave him a panicked smile.
"So, uh, I hope you like it here." Jaemin nodded him along, pushing him to say more. "The castle is your home now, you can go anywhere you want, except the West Wing."
Jungwoo looked at the Beast, intrigued and curious as to why the West Wing was so much more special than the rest of the intricate structure.
"What's the West Wing?"
The Beast froze, causing Jungwoo to slam into his back before yelling, "It's forbidden!"
The man continued walking like he hadn't just startled the living daylights out of Jungwoo, nonchalantly leading him to a heavy oak door, adorned with metal decals.
"Now, if you need anything my servants will attend you," he added tenderly, a complete contrast from his behavior on the stairs. Jungwoo just nodded numbly, feeling the brass beneath his fingers as he spun the knob. The room itself was grand, the king-sized bed accented with billowing curtains that flowed gently to the ground. A large vanity was covered in miscellaneous bows and hair brushes, flowers delicately painted on its curved sides. The closet was hidden by french doors, but Jungwoo had a theory it would be full of gorgeous clothes, suitable for a prince.
"Invite him to dinner," Jaemin whispered softly to the Beast, tired of seeing him watch Jungwoo scan the room with an admiring smile gracing his features.
"You will join me for dinner," the Beast stuttered, trying for once to take the candlesticks advice, "that's an order."
"What's your name?" Jungwoo dared to ask, being bored of the name that didn't seem to fit the bipolar man in front of him.
"Uh, Lucas," Lucas mumbled, shocked that someone had actually wanted to know his name. Most people took one glance at his dark aura and jagged scar and decided he was someone who couldn't be trusted, but despite Jungwoo's gentle nature, he seemed very bold. Lucas liked it, and the blush that slipped across his cheeks disappeared as fast as it came.
He tried to cover up his odd behavior with an angry growl and slammed the door shut before he could embarrass himself further. Jungwoo was alarmed when he heard a lock click and ran to the only escape from the cage he had been trapped in before giving up. He slid to the ground in defeat, tears flowing in rivers down his cheeks and falling to the floor like a leaky faucet.
