Kiss Me Not

"Is this a new wing?" Cain inquired as they walked through a path that was new to him. The security at the door seemed tight as well since it had a very sophisticated lock that required a biometric scan from authorized personnel to open it.

Will was the one who answered him with a sigh, "Well, this is a new wing built exclusively for Cedric. He calls it the 'Forbidden Wing' since no one's allowed to enter without permission from the man himself." He then pointed at what looked to be cement that had only just dried,  "The construction for it started just barely more than a month ago under Gavin's supervision, its existence was kept so secret that even I just recently found out about it. Unfortunately for me though, he had my biometrics registered in the security system of this wing."

"When did you find out?" Cain pondered as they walked inside.

"The moment I checked the CCTV footage of your accident, I saw a very familiar man in the video…" Will muttered again with a sigh. Cain could sense how distressed the man was, but he didn't bother asking him about it. He had a feeling that he would learn about all the details he wanted from Cedric soon enough.

As they walked through the hallways, Cain noticed how minimalist the interior design of the wing was, with only various shades of black and white coloring everything as far as the eye could see. There were also a few touches of brown in there, but somehow, this wing gave him an eerie vibe. Perhaps it was because of all the vintage stuff and decorations?

"Cedric will replace me on the throne soon, and he will need people he can trust like you and Will beside him on his journey…" Gavin explained as they stopped in front of a particular door. "I plan to step down a month at most after the royal wedding. I will simply fix and wrap up some of the more telling problems so that I won't leave too much work for Cedric to address."

"But isn't that too soon, Gavin? People are already accepting and loving of your rule," Cain stated.

Gavin chuckled, "But being a king isn't really for me, Cain. I'm honestly relieved that Cedric is back since I have some things that I need to focus on more. You're already aware that I've often collapsed lately, correct? That alone means that I'm no longer fit enough for this. I've already talked to Cedric about it, and the decision is final. Cedric wanted to rule, and I believe in his jurisdiction…"

"Ah, he and Olivia will definitely clash. That's going to be something fun to watch," Will amusingly commented.

Cain was aware of Cedric and Olivia's relationship. The former had waited patiently for the latter, but things had already changed, and a lot had happened during that time. Right now, Olivia was drowning in self-resentment after losing her brother. She was like a walking corpse, ready to destroy and bring down the royal family at the drop of a hat. Or, more likely, would rather ditch the monarchial form of government in their country and replace it with a full democracy. Gavin had no problems with such an arrangement, but it was not only for him to decide anymore, seeing as he needed Cedric's approval for it.

Pressing an inconspicuous button, Gavin let the door open in front of them.

"This is Cedric's private space," Gavin informed Cain as they walked inside.

Cain furrowed his brows, but didn't ponder too much on the stylish and contemporary gothic-themed room since it was the usual taste that Cedric just preferred.  The Victorian-style decor just seemed to give the room a more mysterious dark vibe than his usual minimalist style. Walking inside, it was very spacious and complete with all of the basic amenities. In all honesty, it looked more like a penthouse than a simple private study inside the so-called forbidden wing of the Derhan Palace.

Gavin then walked them to the living area, where Cedric was waiting with a glass of wine in his hand. He instantly smiled upon seeing Cain approaching.

"Cain," he warmly greeted him with a smile.

Will shook his head. He could picture himself in Cain's shoes right now. Cedric and Gavin were identical twins, and none could tell the difference before. But now, although there were still similarities like the golden hue in their eyes, one could easily tell apart who Gavin and Cedric were because of the latter's intense aura. He could no longer see any gentleness in his features. Instead, it was replaced with a wild and fierce aura that nobody could ever mistake as the former's. His naturally golden blonde hair had also been dyed into a cherry black color.

"You look so pale. Are you alright?" Those were the first questions Cain uttered as he rushed to Cedric and quickly grabbed his wrist to feel his pulse. He was Cedric's personal doctor, so he knew his condition more than anyone else. "Oh my God. What is this?!" he gasped in disbelief. Cedric's pulse was slow to the touch, even slower than when he was sick.

There was an amused chuckle from Cedric as he gently removed Cain's grip on his wrist. "You worry too much as always, Cain. Why don't we all have a seat first?" he said as Cain only stared at him confusedly. Cedric had a frail heart, and he wondered if it had worsened since the accident.

Accusingly, the doctor looked at Gavin, then Will, and finally, Cedric once all of them were seated. "What's really going on here?!" he finally burst out.

"I'm no longer weak nor frail like I was before, so you need not work yourself, Cain. I'm perfectly fine," Cedric reassured with a smile. However, Cain only looked more confused and conflicted.

Will could no longer take it as he suddenly interrupted, "To summarize it all. Cedric is drinking blood right now. Don't you ever mistake that glass he's holding has wine in it!"

Cedric gave Will a deathly glare as the latter grabbed the small bottle in his pocket and said, "What? I have holy water with me, so don't you dare bully me again like last time! Or else, I won't hesitate to splash this on you."

What followed then was a burst of loud laughter from Cedric as he amusingly scoffed, "Why don't you try it now, Will? But after that, once you see that it doesn't hurt me, will you allow me to finally bite you?"

Will's face paled into a stark white. Gavin let out a sigh and mumbled, "I have a lot of things to do, so will you two spare me the time and get serious here? Look at how anxious and confused Cain is already…" He then looked at the flabbergasted man and started, "Remember when we had that session and I recalled what happened that night on the ship? Cedric was shot, and someone saved him and kept him on an isolated island near the area where the ship sank. We had a problem locating the island since there's a barrier hiding it from people."

"A barrier? Hiding the island from people?" Cain questioned before his gaze turned to Cedric and the glass that he was holding up as he whispered, "Blood? And bite Will? What the heck are you all up to? Are we in some kind of a prank show right now?"

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Author's Note (Feb. 21, 2022):

I am not sure if I will continue Cedric's story under this book as another volume or create a new one but I will first end Volume 2 (don't worry Kimmy and Cain is a happy ending) and put this book on hold while I'm still undecided whether to continue Cedric's Story at Volume/Book 3 or just create a new book again. Tell me your thoughts, guys… ;D