Archive of Our Own

“Your life passed by in the blink of an eye.”

“One moment you held my hand lovingly, pulling me along the streets…”

“…and in the next, I held yours as you took your last breath.”

“I will find you in my next life – you promised me so.”

“…I tried to wait for you. I did.”

“I endured centuries of loneliness.”

“I endured countless battles against the Heavenly Principles.”

“I endured watching all that we nurtured together wither away…”

“I endured seeing my mirror’s reflection becoming a stranger to me.”

“I can’t cry tears anymore.”

“I can’t remember your face.”

“I can’t remember the warmth of your hand.”

“I can’t remember… your name.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I couldn’t… live long enough to see you return.”

“I couldn’t… keep our promise.”

“I’m sorry… dear…”

The nation of Hydro – Fontaine.

A radiant city sparkling with elegance, ancient buildings, and a population comfortably living a life of luxury. Walking alongst the streets was just one sight after the other – expensive perfume stores, luxury boutiques, and an endless number of cafés and restaurants.

Anyone in Teyvat wanted to go there. It was the perfect destination for any vacation.

…The truth blissfully hidden away, kept in check by law enforcements and a general consensus amongst the public.

Lawbreakers, the poor, the unwanted, and those that didn’t work hard enough were shunned, forced to keep quiet, forced to stay out of the light – for they were not a part of Fontaine. They were an ugly unsightly splotch on a pristine white wall… unfitting of Fontaine’s reputation.

And so those that could not live up to the high standards were forced to live in the shadows, crawling through the dirty back alleys and streets hidden away from the public’s eye. The law had no love left for them – and they had no love left for it.

What good was justice… if it didn’t apply to all?

Neuvillette quietly stepped out of the bus, clutching his bag close. His long white hair was loosely tied in a low ponytail, his manner of clothing so unremarkable that no one ever really paid him any mind. People only ever stared when they saw his mysterious blue hair strands that stuck out of his hair… but he had made sure to wear a hat to hide them as best as he could.

His face was expressionless when he knocked on the back entrance of a shady, dark building. A few seconds later, a woman in a suit and tie opened – glancing at him a moment before nodding inside.

“Early for your shift. Good.”

He stepped inside, walking through a corridor into an adjacent locker room, faintly looking around. At this time, he was the only person working – there wasn’t much need for entertainment at this hour. However, he preferred this quietness and solitude in comparison to the overwhelming heat and tumult of the midnight shift. When he had still been ‘studying’ under an experienced dancer, he had always accompanied them to their shifts… but now he was free to choose for himself.

And he chose this time… for it was only then that he would show up.

As he put his bag into his designated locker, shedding his coat and pulling out his make-up bag to get started, the bodyguard standing near the entrance watched him – her eyes hidden away by the dark sunglasses she was wearing.

“Miss Chiori has made new clothing for you. Try them on – she said white suits you better, Iudex.”

Iudex.

An ancient position that no longer bore any power whatsoever… now used by a strip club as a means to refer to one of their dancers.

…Neuvillette faintly wondered what the original holder of the title of ‘Iudex’ would say to such a thing. Would he be disgraced? Confused? Curious?

The Hydro Sovereign had been gone for centuries… and yet the power he used to hold was still evident to his day.

“Thank you. I will do so, then,” he replied as he walked over to the nearby clothing rack to pick up his new ‘costume’. Miss Chiori was an excellent tailor – her unconventional manner of dressing barring her from ever opening up a shop. Just like all the others who worked here… she was one who would never live up to the expectations of the Court.

And he…

He let his panties fall to the ground – standing naked in the room, gazing upon the costume in his hand and the bag still hanging in his open locker. A beaten, old edition of a law textbook stuck out of his bag.

Whenever he had a break, he would go right back to studying. If he ever wished to become a true lawyer, he had to memorize Fontaine’s regulations and codex down to the last letter.

…Because if he ever wanted to be even remotely close to what the true Iudex of Fontaine had been, then he could afford not a day of rest.

The Hydro Sovereign of Fontaine… had not rested a day within his centuries-long reign.

Within the scarce light, Neuvillette’s body was radiant. Pale, unmarred skin glistening from sweat, bedazzled with glitter and perfume – carefully thrown about the pole, always just shy of arousing unwanted attention.

Messy long white hair flowed over his shoulders; small silver stars interwoven in between. Those two streaks of blue stuck out, defiant of gravity, unwilling to conform to the rules – all just adding to the appeal of a beautiful man fallen from grace.

The Iudex.

An unknown stripper with no relations to any other club. From one day to the other, he suddenly appeared, only ever taking the twilight shift – around the time when barely anyone was around.

Anyone except for him.

Wriothesley’s eyes were fixated on that lean body that danced before him. By now, clever little Neuvillette had come to realize that he was his only clientele at this hour – and was at his mercy since then. No one, and that really meant no one, could afford to throw money at him like Wriothesley could.

A mafia boss had to have the most money in here.

In his short white top and slutty bottoms, Neuvillette obediently slid to the ground while holding the pole in between his hands – angling his legs to the side as he sat down. As usual, Wriothesley chuckled lowly before raising one singular index finger, beckoning him closer.

At first, the cute little Iudex had not known what this meant. He had ignored his beckons, which had surprised Wriothesley – and then it had only fuelled his interest in him the more.

True strippers knew the ins and outs of the business. They knew that if a client wanted them close, they had to get close to get more money. This adorable little stripper was new, a virgin to it all. An attendant of the club had to eventually ‘indoctrinate’ him into what he was supposed to do.

And, well… Wriothesley kept a close eye on him. He was the first one to have received the Iudex’s attention, and he made sure that no one else got to touch him. That was his privilege now.

“Quiet night, hm?” Wriothesley idly chatted as he watched Neuvillette approach him. The relaxed smirk on his own face reflected in those beautiful eyes that had mesmerized him in the first place. Up close, he was gorgeous – too gorgeous to be dancing in front of an empty club.

As always, Wriothesley gesticulated to his lap, and thankfully the little Iudex had learned what this meant after all this time. As such, the barely clothed man crawled on top of him, both of his knees on each side of his upper thighs, before he started making the faintest moves – keeping it slow, keeping it sensual.

He had learned that this was what Wriothesley liked, after all.

“You’d get a lot more money if you worked the midnight shift, darling,” Wriothesley purred, one of his clothed hands finding its way onto Neuvillette’s hip. The stripper did not resist him – he had learned that this was expected as well. “The only guys who watch strippers at this time are either unemployed or married cheating bastards looking for some breathing room.”

“…Which are you?” the stripper prompted him quietly. Wriothesley’s darkened eyes took in the features on Neuvillette’s face, noting the absence of fear or disgust.

It had always fascinated him how little the Iudex seemed to care about any of this. He did not judge anyone for anything – and that was what Wriothesley found fascinating. That, and the fact that he was the only pretty thing not afraid of making conversation with him, of even challenging him.

“Neither of those, darling,” Wriothesley purred, his hand stroking over the hip bone peeking out. “Though… you could consider my manner of employment non-traditional.”

Archons above, he was even more stunning up close. His white hair hugged his form like a veil, and the scarce light behind them illuminated him as if he were a messenger of the gods himself. He had seen a lot of strippers and whores during his reign as the Duke, and none had ever come close to the unmatched beauty that was held by the Iudex.

And those eyes… those mesmerizing eyes…

“If you took the midnight shift, none of the other girls and boys would ever get to shine again,” Wriothesley murmured, his piercing eyes taking in every part of Neuvillette’s body. “One night, and you’d have enough money to pay your rent for the next three months. One night, and you’d have men grovelling at your feet, sweetness.”

The nameless Iudex sat down on his lap – as instructed – and wrapped his arms loosely around Wriothesley’s neck. With his ragged breathing close to his ear, the Iudex rested like this – just as he had been taught.

“…Do you wish for me to change shifts?”

Images of drunken men grasping at Neuvillette. Unshaved faces desperately trying to lick over an exposed calf. Sweaty old men beckoning Neuvillette over for a lap dance, their wrinkled hands slipping under Neuvillette’s short panties…

A quiet growl escaped Wriothesley, his teeth bared akin to a wolf. He felt anger rising within him, and the possessiveness filling his heart was suffocating.

He only allowed one hand to remain on Neuvillette’s hip – one hand, as he had not been allowed more. One hand… because despite his position as the boss of the most fearsome mafia Fontaine had ever seen, he was a gentleman at heart.

“I’ll pay you more than that, darling.”

When Neuvillette got home, he tiredly plopped down on his bed after finally having taken a shower. Getting the glitter and stars out of his hair every night was a nightmare… but it had to be done. He could not show up like this during the next lecture…

He had recently invested in a small machine which could both count bills and coins, and could even recognize counterfeit money. As someone who wanted to become a tool of justice, he knew that this was the first thing he had to invest in.

As he let the machine count out the bills, he tiredly rubbed his eyes, glancing at the nearby clock. Even by ‘only’ taking the twilight shift, he still got home at around 11 PM – earliest. Showering and getting rid of his makeup took so long that he usually only got to sleep at around 12 AM or sometimes even 1 AM…

It had to be done. The tuition for this semester was insanely high, and he was still only in his first year. A scholarship would only be bestowed upon him if he proved himself in this semester… meaning that he had to bide his time. But… without any sort of support, it was hard to pay off his debts.

With a clicking sound, the machine came to a stop. Neuvillette glanced at it, then at the number displayed.

The first few times, he had felt sick to his stomach thinking how much money he had made this way. Now that he had proof that it wasn’t counterfeit either… made him wonder just who this gentleman was that he kept seeing at the club.

Always calling him sweetness, darling, honey, politely offering him bills instead of shoving them in his panties like some of his first clients had done… and then also just watching him for hours on end.

This man had to be more than just a regular. Something about him was different – something smelled like danger.

…But there was no other choice for him, was there?

When he finally settled into bed that night, he let his eyes flutter close, finding himself immediately thinking of this mysterious man that he kept seeing day after day…

It had been during one of his first shifts ever.

The club had been completely empty – not one patron there. Neuvillette was not the type to feel bashful if he wasn’t being watched, so he had fulfilled his duties anyway. Dancing relied a lot on practice too, and next to studying for his upcoming exams, he just didn’t have the luxury to waste time by not doing his job.

So, despite there having been no one, Neuvillette had practiced each and every one of his sensual dance moves – hugging the pole, slowly sliding down, keeping himself in place, tightly pressing his half-naked body against the metal.

His ears picked up on the sound of the door opening. Someone walked inside with a leisurely pace.

“Welcome, your Grace,” an attendant politely spoke. Neuvillette glanced over out of the corners of his eyes – seeing the attendant bowing even.

A man with black hair, streaks of grey in between, was standing there in a suit and tie, his hands hidden in his pockets – seeming bored. The expression on his face told him that this man was just passing the time.

“Your meeting with President Caspar is being set up as we speak. Would you like a drink?”

“Whatever,” the tall man spoke, his voice sounding disinterested. Those blue eyes were darkened over, not a single speck of light within.

The attendant by his side left to talk to the bartender. It was in that moment that his well-dressed man crossed gazes with Neuvillette–

Neuvillette felt a hitch going through him; a fluttering feeling spread through his chest without any explanation whatsoever.

Equally, he could see how the unknown man’s eyes widened ever so slightly. They stared at each other for a minute, Neuvillette standing on the stage without moving – and the well-dressed man didn’t budge either.

For a moment there, Neuvillette took everything in he could see:

Pierced ears – a scar under his right eye. A mess of black and grey hair standing up without anything to hold it down.

A grey suit with a slight lilac tone – a deep V-cut in the front, showcasing more scars and sun-kissed skin. Despite his best intentions, a red tie messily, and quite loosely, hung around his neck, and now that he took a closer look, he seemed to be wearing black wrappings akin to a collar.

The most telling sign was this long black and red coat he was wearing; black fur looking exceptionally fluffy. No one in the Court of Fontaine would ever look that way.

On the other side, the unknown man took in the appearance of the stripper on stage – the first time he had ever seen someone as ethereal as him.

Long eyelashes partially hiding mesmerizing eyes – irises with a mixture of purple, blue, and pink… encompassing a sharp white pupil that was fixed on him. Long white hair messily flowed over his shoulders, hugging his form.

A lean body clothed in a short one-piece, white lacey material making him look like a bride on a nuptial night. Black heels were interwoven with dark blue thigh highs held up by a white garter belt.

Yet the thing that was most fascinating about him… were those two long blue strands of hair that stuck away from his head, hanging low, yet defying gravity. They looked bouncy, silky, yet so unlike anything he had ever seen.

An unknown stripper of inconceivable beauty was in front of his eyes.

This moment finally broke when the attendant returned to the well-dressed man’s side, offering him a short diamond glass with an alcoholic beverage inside. Neuvillette slowly tore his gaze away, letting a hand fall to his chest to observe his own rapid heartbeat.

What was this feeling? Why did he feel out of breath just after looking at this… handsome man?

He didn’t pay much attention to his surroundings during that time, but by the time he finally regained his composure and grabbed the pole again, he realized that the unknown man had taken a seat right in front of his stage – in the VIP section.

Sharp blue eyes were observing him closely – the handsome stranger his only clientele now. The music wasn’t as loud as it was during the night shift, so it was rather easy to hear others talk.

“What’s your name, darling?” a deep baritone voice came from the black-haired man. Neuvillette felt breathless just hearing it, yet his face betrayed no such reaction. It was perfectly blank, his half-lidded eyes meeting the gaze of the stranger.

“…Iudex,” Neuvillette replied after a few moments. He let his right hand linger on the pole, as he slowly walked around it, letting his natural hip movement be the introduction to another slow dance.

“Iudex, hm…” the man murmured, his voice thick with… interest. A certain lost spark had come back to his cold blue eyes – a smirk on his face as he watched him move about. “Then got any legal advice for me?”

It was meant as an easy way for Neuvillette to humour him – laugh at his joke, chuckle lovingly, play towards his ego.

He was surprised to see the stripper stand in front of him, grasping the pole with both hands above his head before letting himself sink to the ground – knees spread white apart, the promise of an obscene flash to his private parts something that should’ve been his focus in that moment.

“It is forbidden to release any flying objects during the first three days of each month.”

An expression of slight surprise came to the Duke’s face. The stripper in front of him was completely serious – not a hint of a joke in his words. He was glancing at him, one hand remaining on the pole behind him, while another slowly stroked down the length of his own body, landing between his thighs.

Again, any sane guy should’ve been looking at those thighs, but…

“…Does a balloon count as a flying object?” Wriothesley asked with genuine interest, perking up a bit.

Without missing a beat, the stripper slightly shook his head.

“If it is attached to a person’s hand or another object, it may not count as a flying object. To count as such, nothing may touch the surface at any given moment… only then does it become a flying object, and only then does it pose a problem during the first three days,” Neuvillette explained in a monotone voice, his gaze transfixed on the man in front of him. Despite him supposedly dancing for this stranger, he was… more intrigued in having him listen to him.

Wriothesley slowly leaned forward, taking a sip from his beverage.

“What about doves and butterflies?”

At this point, Neuvillette had sat down in front of him, letting go of the pole – equally invested in their talk.

“If they are within flight, they count towards this law.”

More and more, a genuine smile came to the man’s face. His boredom was gone – now he seemed to be a completely different person.

“And if it’s a human who learned how to fly?”

“If one goes by the strict words of the law, a human capable of flight would fall under this category as well.”

“What about the moon and the stars? Can you really sue them?”

“Celestial bodies are too far away. They do not move within Fontaine’s air space – as such, they are exempt from this rule.”

“Huh… so I could get punished by law if I built a flying ship?”

“Only if you steered it within the first three days of the month.”

By the time an attendant came over to let the mysterious man know his meeting was about to start, they were engrossed in a conversation about weird laws. It was clear that this handsome man hated the idea of having to go – but he got up…

…not before reaching into his pocket and handing Neuvillette a big stack of cash. The stripper accepted it with both of his hands, curiously tilting his head and looking up to him as if he didn’t expect it.

That was the moment Wriothesley had decided to give this person some more of his attention. Something about this stoic, mysterious stripper… had stirred his interest.

“I’ll be back the same time tomorrow, darling.”

And from that moment on… Neuvillette no longer worked a single shift without his new admirer in the front row.

The weekend was usually the time where things got livelier and busier. It was the only time when Neuvillette had other patrons too–

And it was the only time when he saw his mysterious benefactor sitting in a VIP area, watching not only him but the crowd with an expression that was hard to understand. He narrowed his eyes occasionally, would nod into a certain direction, and other men and women to his side would swarm away to… talk to other patrons.

Nothing violent ever happened. At most, the men talked to suddenly were white as a sheet after their visits. Sometimes, they’d become quieter and just throw money at him – other times, they’d straight up leave. It was odd – and it only confirmed his suspicions that this man was not just another regular. He had to have deeper ties to this place.

He needed answers.

“Oh, that scary guy? That’s the Duke.”

Neuvillette slightly tilted his head in the changing room. He was not one for idle chatter or for making friends (actually… he was terrible at that), but there had been one woman who had immediately taken to him the day he had started:

The all-time favourite stripper by the name of Focalors. (It was customary at this club that everyone had their cover names instead of giving away their real names – added to the flair.)

Focalors was a student just like him, but she had caught the eye of the common folk with her charm, her dazzling smile, and the ‘acts’ she would put on. In reality, her name was Furina, and she was an aspiring acting student. Her dream was to become an actor, to participate in plays on stage – and to her, a strip club was the next best thing while she waited for her opportunity.

“He bears no name?” Neuvillette asked while fixing his make-up in a mirror. The blue eyeliner he was using had to be touched up.

“Hah, I’m sure he has a name, but he doesn’t give it away,” the smaller woman chuckled. She twirled on the spot, testing the flowy skirt she would soon discard in the next show. “All I know is that he has never found someone interesting. You are the first.”

Neuvillette frowned in the mirror.

“Is it advised for a dancer to be closely informed about their clientele?”

As always, Furina snorted at his way of talking. She made fun of him quite often and he really was trying to learn not to talk like that… but studying law in his free time just made him talk that way.

“It doesn’t hurt to know a little bit more about them,” she nodded. As if to prove her point, Furina twirled the hat she always wore around, placing it neatly on her hair before fixing it with a few hairclips. “I also have someone who has way too much money and is really mysterious. It’s not a normal occurrence, though.”

As Furina happily checked herself in the mirror yet again, Neuvillette carefully sprayed his face with fixing spray before closing his make-up bag. A quiet sigh left him.

He knew that Furina (or Lady Furina as other dancers would call her) was not the perfect example of living a safe life dictated by well-thought out choices, but this… he really wondered if this was a good thing.

It would be up to him to find out.

“What’s on your mind, sweetness?” Wriothesley’s smooth voice reached him. It was quite busy around them, the music blaringly loud in their ears. Despite them being secluded to the VIP area to the side, it was still a lot to take in.

Neuvillette was standing before him in his thigh high heels, dark blue panties, and a white sleeveless crop top. Today, he wore his hair in a high ponytail, an exquisite feather adornment pinned to his head’s side – giving him an elegant appearance despite him being barely clothed.

He turned his back to him, slowly stroking the sides of his own body, letting his hands move over his butt and chest in a torturously slow manner. Though the music was not there to support him, he raised his arms above his head, playfully grasping his ponytail and twirling it around a finger.

Wriothesley’s calculating gaze was on him as Neuvillette partially turned back to face him. The stripper’s gaze was unreadable – his sharp pupils fixated on him.

“I have heard people refer to you as the Duke.”

Slowly, Wriothesley’s lips formed a smirk, his head falling to the side where he supported it on a propped-up fist. He looked like a predator taking in his prey.

“That’s right, darling.”

Neuvillette let himself fall backwards, taking a seat on the Duke’s lap. For but a moment, he rested his back against the other’s chest, taking in the scent of an expensive cologne.

His clothes were always finely-tailored – so easily recognizable. Today it was black suit pants, grey shirt, black blazer – and the usual red tie loosely tied around his neck. His coat bore red fur, which was soft to the touch as he now realized.

And this close… Neuvillette could see that he had black wrappings around his neck. This close… he could even see the scars that were barely hidden underneath them.

He was a tall man riddled with scars – and yet his demeanour towards him was nothing short of polite. A mysterious man with a baffling name.

Neuvillette parted his legs, resting his hands on his knees, while softly grinding back into Wriothesley’s lap. He had never been intimate with anyone else, had never kissed or even held someone’s hand…

…and here he was, dancing for a handsome stranger in a dark nightclub.

“What do you wanna know, sweetheart?” the man murmured into his ear. Like always, he only ever let one hand rest on his body at all times – this time, he had his gloved hand on his right upper thigh, softly caressing him through the thigh-high boots.

Touching meant that he wanted him to remain in this position for now, so Neuvillette stilled and let himself rest against Wriothesley’s chest.

“…Who gave you the title of Duke?” Neuvillette murmured.

He could see little from this VIP area – the half-walls were just high enough to shield them. Still, he could hear the whistling of drunken men.

“Who named you Iudex?” the charming stranger challenged him.

“…The inhabitants of this establishment.”

Wriothesley’s hand was big and warm on his thigh.

“The people out on the streets,” he offered in return. It was quiet for a few seconds, before he willingly spoke up on his own.

“It’s a surprise you were called the Iudex. That position has been vacant for thousands of years.”

“In our current justice system, one person is not meant to rule over all courtrooms,” Neuvillette murmured in response. “There is no need… for a Iudex anymore.”

“There was only ever one Iudex during Fontaine’s history,” Wriothesley’s gaze wandered. “An immortal Sovereign said to have been a dragon. He ruled over Fontaine for thousands of years.”

“Not immortal,” Neuvillette quietly interjected, “…otherwise, he would still be ruling.”

A snort escaped Wriothesley. He loved it when Neuvillette openly challenged him – no one else ever dared to.

“You’re right, sweetheart,” his mouth was close to his ear, “such a clever little thing, aren’t you?”

He never dared to touch him with more than his hand – always shy of breaking the rules, yet never committing to it. Someone who walked the line between lawless and lawful…

“…The Duke of Meropide was a solitary ruler,” Neuvillette began. He allowed Wriothesley’s hand to stroke up and down his thigh – his mind slowly but surely only focused on the conversation at hand. “He was a mortal who ruled over the Fortress of Meropide.”

“A prisoner-turned-administrator,” came in response, “who ruled with his own set of laws in place.”

“He was heralded for turning the Fortress into a true place of rebirth,” Neuvillette mumbled, his eyes darting to the side. He couldn’t see Wriothesley’s face like this just yet. “Under his guidance, those who had been deemed guilty found a new lease at life.”

“Too bad no one knows where that mysterious Fortress is nowadays,” Wriothesley chuckled, his hand moving upwards to place itself over Neuvillette’s exposed stomach. “It disappeared sometime after the Duke’s death.”

Neuvillette’s gaze lowered itself. Wriothesley behind him pulled him in a bit closer, burying his nose against his neck – breathing deeply.

“It is said that the Iudex was heartbroken after the Duke’s death. The skies of Fontaine would not stop weeping for years to come.”

Quietly, Neuvillette bit his lower lip, a certain… fluttering feeling spreading through his chest.

“The Duke and the Iudex were a couple, you know,” the mysterious stranger whispered against his neck. “Think it’s a coincidence we met?”

Neuvillette didn’t know what to say or do. He only found himself shaking his head ever so slightly – and he got a pleased hum in response. The hand on his stomach wandered back down to his thigh.

“That answer your question, sweetness?”

Lectures were proceeding without him really participating. Neuvillette tiredly blinked through the four-hour long lecture on ‘Ancient Remurian Laws’, but his usual interest was nowhere to be found.

As always, the hall was packed full with people – specifically rich young adults drinking their iced coffees, casually playing games on their laptops, or even idly chatting with each other. They had often tried to include Neuvillette in their activities, though never for the reasons one would’ve assumed.

He had proven himself during every single test so far. No matter how much others studied, he almost always got full marks.

At first they thought he was cheating – but then they came to realize that the law was just that interesting to him. After that, they had begun to try and build a professional relationship with him, trying to get him interested in joining their family’s business as a future lawyer, or even start at their parent’s firm…

Everyone in here knew he was destined to become one of the best lawyers of Fontaine. Some even already called him a future judge.

But none of them saw him as who he was: A poor orphan with no social skills.

Neuvillette quietly blinked again, looking at the search results on his old laptop. Out of pure curiosity, he had begun reading up on Fontaine’s history – mainly entries regarding the abolishment of the Seven as leaders of their respective country, and of the ancient legends surrounding the Seven Sovereigns and the one whose position eventually faded from existence:

The Iudex of Fontaine – the Hydro Sovereign.

He had lived for thousands of years, keeping Fontaine safe during the Second Cataclysm, even going so far as to fight the Heavenly Principles himself time again and again. After the Archons had willingly stepped down as leaders, nowadays just idly mingling with their people, the entries regarding the Hydro Sovereign eventually just… faded out of existence.

Once the Heavenly Principles had been ‘cast away’ once more, the Iudex had remained for a while…

Neuvillette glanced at one of the last lines he found on that article he was reading.

‘After the death of the Duke of Meropide, Fontaine saw an increase in rain – plagued by an eternal overcast that remained for seven years straight. Then, the skies cleared up, and life continued.’

‘And then one day, several thousand years later, the Iudex was simply gone.’

Simply gone…

Neuvillette quietly wondered what had happened to him. The ‘Iudex’ was still a position firmly instated in Fontaine’s law, but it had never been filled since then. Technically, it still possessed all the powers to allow the person to rule the country with no one there to stop them.

And now… that title was given to a mere stripper at a shady nightclub. That’s how little the title of Iudex meant nowadays.

A sigh escaped him.

“Neuvillette, you got a special assignment today~”

He had barely managed to get into the locker room when Furina was already up in his space. She wore a smug smile which was not good.

“Good evening, Lady Furina,” he greeted her with a stoic face. His non-existent people skills luckily bounced off that woman’s head as she just gave him the biggest grin in return.

“My lovely benefactor is hosting a private meeting in the VIP area upstairs today – and she asked me to bring another stripper along to please her opponent. Seems to be serious today.”

All of Neuvillette’s alarm bells went off at the same time. He must’ve given her the tiniest bit of a concerned look because Furina just chuckled, waving it off.

“Ah, don’t worry about it, that kind of stuff is normal here. As long as you look pretty, nothing of that will ever be our problem.”

“The club condones these kinds of… meetings?” Neuvillette questioned with a slightly raised eyebrow. When Furina merely nodded, he felt the first tinges of worry well up.

Perhaps he should’ve rethought his earlier idea of becoming a part-time barista instead…

“Now, make sure to wear that super fancy costume Miss Chiori tailored for us – oh, and try to ignore the holsters when you sit down on someone’s lap.”

“…They have guns?”

Either his face was betraying weakness or Furina was getting better at reading him. Whatever it was, she sympathetically patted his shoulder.

“It’s gonna be fine, Neuv– whoops, I mean Iudex. Don’t forget, no real names in there.”

“I am aware, Focalors,” he sighed, glancing at himself in the mirror one last time.

Like usual, he was wearing the feather adornment on his head’s side. His make-up was a bit heavier than usual – blue eyeliner sparkly with some dark eyeshadow and the faintest hint of a reddish tint on his lips. It was barely noticeable next to the small stars he had placed on the empty space above his left eyebrow – trying to make his face a bit fancier to perhaps distract people from his attire…

His white top was as short as ever, only that the back was open. He wore white lacy panties with a garter belt which held up his equally pristine white stockings, the rims adorned with lace.

He had a thin white feather scarf draped over his arms, held in place by his own hands grasping it. It would most likely be discarded the moment he was on the pole, but it made for a good entrance.

Furina had convinced him to paint his nails blue to match hers, and she had delighted in putting glitter dust all over his body to ‘make him shine in the spotlight’, as she had put it. Finally, he was wearing platform heels, despite him already being of average height. Now he was even taller than usual.

Focalors next to him was matching him by being his opposite – clothed in black, her head adorned with her favourite blue hat. Despite her only being in a black bra, her panties even thinner than his, she was extravagant by having a sort of dark blue skirt sown into the back of her panties, reminiscent of how skirts during the renaissance looked like.

Her fingernails were blue as well, and her heels were black platforms – elevating her small height to that of an average sized woman. Befitting of her, she had a black feather scarf draped over her shoulders.

While they both looked beyond ‘gorgeous’, as she’d put it, Neuvillette still felt as if this was a big mistake.

“Alright, now put on your cutest face and get ready to make the big bucks today~” Furina sang to him, ushering him towards the back entrance stairs. As was customary, a security guard awaited them, letting them up with a nod.

Once they were up there, Neuvillette was surprised to hear how quiet it was. The faint music from below could still be heard, but it was only background noise. It was so quiet that he could probably hear his own breathing if no one talked.

They waited for a moment in front of the door. Then, the security guard nodded, typing something on the keypad – and the door opened.

Furina walked in first with her head held high – and Neuvillette followed, not sure what to expect.

“For your enjoyment, I ordered an exquisite stripper from this establishment.”

A female voice – emotionless, yet with a dangerous undertone. Neuvillette was barely through the door, and he could already feel hints of bloodlust radiating from over there.

“My favourite droplet Focalors recommended him – I do hope you see this as an act of friendship, Duke.”

Duke?

The room opened up – two dark red expensive sofas were facing each other, a glass table in between. On the other side of the room stood a stage with two poles – a dark red light illuminating it from behind.

A lady clad in a black suit was sitting on the left sofa, wearing a cold smile on her face. Her eyes were unlike anything he had ever seen – lightless with a red cross within. She looked at them coming in with not a hint of surprise… even seeming rather pleased.

And when he looked to the other sofa…

The Duke was sitting there, clad in his usual attire – his gaze now transfixed on him since he had entered the room.

Neuvillette found himself speechless – but Focalors next to him chuckled, already on the move.

“My dearest benefactor, I am pleased to be at your service again,” she spoke, even giving the unknown lady a short curtsy. When she stood up straight again, she extended her hand to the side to seemingly introduce him.

“This is the hidden gem of the night – the mysterious Iudex. We are pleased to be your entertainment for tonight.”

Furina was completely confident, meaning she had done this dozens of times before. She even seemed to know the Duke, which probably explained why she had immediately known who he had meant. So, this had been going on for a while…

The unknown woman nodded once, her head propped up on her fist.

“Entertain us then.”

“As you wish,” Furina smiled, and she gently grasped Neuvillette’s hand to guide him towards the stage. Neuvillette couldn’t help himself from staring at the Duke for a long while before he forcibly shook his head and concentrated on the task at hand.

By the time he wrapped his hands around the pole, he allowed his worries to fleet away – discarding the feather scarf just like Furina and losing himself in the slow dance they were performing.

Wriothesley was quiet for a long while, before finally tearing his gaze away from Neuvillette to look at his opponent. The smile on his own face was cold, sharp.

“What a thoughtful gift, Knave.”

The Knave picked up a small glass to take a sip.

“I wished to show you that the Fatui are not a threat to Fontaine.”

Every now and then, Wriothesley glanced over to the stage, watching how the well-known Focalors twirled around the pole, while the quiet Iudex anchored himself on the upper part with his knees, allowing his body to hang downwards for a bit – his mysterious eyes coming to meet him.

It was hard to concentrate now that he was here too.

“I’d love to believe that… had there not been certain rumours,” he replied with a snicker. He leaned back in his sofa, both of his arms stretched out on the back edge of the couch – leaving him wide open, seemingly careless.

The Knave knew quite well that this was just a ruse.

“I have heard of these rumours too, Duke,” she nodded, “and I do assure you that these men have been taken… care of.”

“Heeeh?” Wriothesley grinned. “Care to fill me in?”

“It should suffice to say that the Spina di Rosula is indebted to us for taking out these moles in their midst. The Gardes will no longer interfere in our business.”

“Is that so…”

Neuvillette had no idea how much time passed – all he knew was that his body was tired after dancing for so long. He had taken up cardio to improve his condition, but still…

Suddenly, the Knave snapped once, getting his attention. He looked over to see her giving Furina a look, shortly nodding to her own lap.

Immediately, Furina let go of the pole, picking her scarf up to walk over in a slow, sensual manner. She sat down right next to the mysterious woman, who immediately picked her legs up to drape them over her own lap, one arm wrapped around Furina’s shoulders.

Without realizing it, Neuvillette found himself glancing over to the Duke. Was he supposed to keep dancing? Normally, he would only come over for a lap dance if indicated so, but Furina was just sitting there…

The Duke raised his right hand, beckoning him over with his index finger. Neuvillette was thankful to let go of the pole, taking a bit longer to pick his scarf up and walk over. He hesitated momentarily, not knowing where he was supposed to sit–

Wriothesley pat his own upper thigh twice. Neuvillette hoped that this was the clue for him to sit on him, and so he did.

It seemed to have been the right course of action as Wriothesley carefully pulled him back against his own chest, draping Neuvillette’s arm behind his own neck, and letting his muscular arm wrap itself around Neuvillette’s chest, holding him in place.

Neuvillette was glad to finally have a moment to breathe. It seemed as if he wasn’t expected to do a lap dance for now.

“Then I will leave you to deal with the snooping Millelith,” the Knave continued. Furina in her lap lovingly stroked her chin, looking up to her with nothing but admiration. Neuvillette had never seen her this… infatuated with a client.

“Consider it done. You let me know the moment you have more on the Sinthe Underground Trading Ring,” Wriothesley responded, his eyes surprisingly cold for once. However, his outwards appearance was betrayed by how soft his grasp on Neuvillette’s midriff was. Despite his hands being gloved, Neuvillette could’ve sworn there was gentleness in his touch.

“Of course, Duke. May I see this as a successful negotiation, then?” the Knave slightly tilted her head with a knowing smile. Her hand on Furina’s body lowered itself, grabbing bruising spots into her hip instead. For a moment, Neuvillette was concerned that it was hurting Furina, but…

She was genuinely smiling. That wasn’t fake – she loved that.

How long did she know this client…?

“I guess we both got something out of it, so sure,” Wriothesley next to him chuckled. His hand absent-mindedly stroked Neuvillette’s side, but nothing more – he never pushed him which he was thankful for.

Another nod came from the woman. Then, she refocused her attention on the stripper on her lap. One hand came up to hook itself under Furina’s chin, pulling her close.

“Now, my little droplet – I would like a show.”

A knowing smirk came on Furina’s face. Her voice was teasing as she got up from Arlecchino’s lap.

“As you wish~”

Slowly, Furina let her own hands wander to her own back, fingers grasping the bra hook and undoing it. In a torturously slowly manner, she let the straps of the bra fall from her shoulders, the thin piece of clothing only held up by one hand in the front – and then she extended it towards the Knave, ‘carelessly’ dropping it on her lap.

By the time Furina started to let her hands wander down her sides, Neuvillette averted his gaze, strictly staring into Wriothesley’s chest. The Duke’s deep, soft laugh tore a shiver out of him.

“Bashful, darling?”

All Neuvillette could do was to swallow heavily. This prompted another chuckle to escape the man he was straddling.

“Such a pure and untainted beauty like you should never have to work here,” the Duke grinned at him, his voice low. Neuvillette quietly looked up to meet his gaze – unable to hide the faint blush on his face.

“You’re dancing for a pack of wolves, sweetheart.”

Unwillingly, Neuvillette lost himself in those blue eyes – trying to find the answer to his questions within. Even in the red lighting of the room, Wriothesley looked… especially handsome.

“…Then are you a wolf, sir?”

Those cold eyes became softer – hints of… pleasure, of possessiveness flickering within. The singular hand Wriothesley kept on him at all times moved upwards, stroking him with nothing but admiration.

“Not for you, sweetness.”

For the next few weeks, everything proceeded normally. The Duke would still visit him every single day, watching him dance, asking him for a lap dance, but never doing anything else.

In terms of money… Neuvillette was floored to see just how much he had made. By law, he had to announce his income to the government, letting it be taxed and whatnot. He did so, and it left him with a considerable sum… after an immense amount of tax.

Even with that, he could easily pay off his rent for six months, and he could even make a dent in his debts. It would take a bit more until he would be debt-free, but… it really calmed him down to know he was making progress.

Despite him still working the twilight shift, his name began to gain a sort of fame around this establishment. Certain men would now come to visit him during the twilight shift, and they would usually leave when he did. It made him wonder why, but he said nothing. But the Duke… seemed especially unnerved for some reason.

He wondered why that was…

It was at the end of his current shift that Neuvillette went to the back to have a drink. He always brought a bottle of water, leaving it in the changing room. It was starting to get hot out there, prompting him to sweat a bit too much for his liking, so he took a big sip.

He blinked in confusion, slowly putting the bottle down.

His water tasted… different than usual. Even the smell was weird.

A quick glance at his water bottle but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The water’s colour was normal, and he couldn’t see any mould in obvious places… so what was it? Was he maybe getting sick?

With a sigh, he set it aside, walking over to the nearby mirror to start getting changed. He was halfway through removing his head accessory when he started to feel… dizzy. By the time he realized he was becoming unstable, he found himself stumbling backwards, eventually falling on his butt. The room was spinning before his eyes, and his muscles were weak.

Something wasn’t right. Something… wasn’t right…

Thankfully, he saw other dancers approach – three of them. He tried to speak up, but his voice was gone.

“Feeling sick, Iudex?” one of the men spoke. Neuvillette had a hard time discerning if it was concern or something else. He couldn’t really see their faces from how dizzy he was.

“How about we help you get some fresh air?” a female stripper spoke. Just a moment later, the guy and another woman helped him up on his feet, slowly leading him to the backdoor.

Once they were through, they walked him outside – the warm summer air hitting him. They were behind the building, the darkness of night making it hard to see coupled with the fact that he was dizzy.

“Rest here a bit, okay?” one of the women spoke as they sat him down near a dumpster. Again, he had a hard time figuring out what their tone of voice meant – he thought it sounded amused, but… that would’ve been wrong… surely…

They all left him there, and he just sat there, trying to blink through the immense dizziness. He wanted to lie down and nap, but he was still in his work clothes…

Suddenly, steps approached – and just a bit later, several men were standing in front of him. One of them whistled.

“Sweet fucking god, they weren’t kidding. It is the Iudex.”

They knew him? Were they… patrons?

“Poor guy. Just left you out here where no security guards are…”

Were they… smiling?

“Don’t worry, honey, you’re way prettier than them – we’re really excited to meet you outside of work.”

They were… outside of the building… so no workplace safety laws… applied…?

A guy knelt down and wrapped his arms around him, picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder. Neuvillette wanted to say something, wanted to protest, but his body… was numb. He could barely keep his eyes open.

“Alright, sweetie. Time to party.”

Party… where…?

Where... were they taking him?

“I get to go first.”

“No fucking way, I do.”

“Hey, it was me who made the deal. I get to hit first.”

“How about we all just go at the same time?”

“You wanna break him on the first round or what?”

“Eh, I’m sure he’ll be fine. So?”

“Fine, then let’s–“

Neuvillette barely heard the fast footsteps that approached them. All he saw was a red flash – and a punch connecting with the face of one of the people around him. That man was sent flying into the next wall, blood spluttering.

“WHAT THE–?!”

All Neuvillette saw was someone grabbing another guy’s head and bashing him into the side of a dumpster, before turning around and barely evading a knife that would’ve hit them in the face. A series of frenzied punches hit the armed man instead, a cracking sound undermined by pained screams.

The guy holding him suddenly dropped him, prompting Neuvillette to hit the ground. He laid there deliriously, only able to watch the movement of feet around him. One set prevailed after a few minutes of frenzied grunting and punching.

By the time someone gently slid an arm under his neck and helped him sit up, he was barely conscious. All he saw were blue eyes filled with anger – and the same hints of softness they were always trying to conceal.

A softness… that only he ever showed…

“Sweetness–”

He lost consciousness.

Everything seemed to be happening in a dream. Neuvillette found himself opening his eyes weakly, but it all seemed dulled. He could see lights flashing by, but it was all slowed down – as if his perception was in slow motion.

His nose picked up on the scent of cologne – a familiar… soft feeling spreading in his chest. He felt sick to his stomach, but also… secure.

He was resting his head on someone’s lap, his legs sprawled out on a long bench of some sort. Soft cushions under his body.

Someone’s large hand came into his field of view and gently moved his hair out of the way. It was warm to the touch – no gloves. Human warmth. Touch.

Familiar…

“You’re safe now, sweetness. I’ll protect you.”

His eyes fell close again.

When he finally opened his eyes again, he was resting on something soft, covered with a blanket. He was in and out of consciousness a few times before he finally managed to stay awake.

His body ached, he felt slightly nauseous… but the room was no longer spinning. He was feeling a bit better than before.

He weakly moved to sit up, but his body wasn’t fully under his control yet. As he strained to sit up, he heard movement to his side.

“Feeling better, darling?”

The Duke was sitting on a chair next to the bed. He was missing his coat and blazer, just sitting there in his black suit trousers, shirt, and tie. With Neuvillette’s next movement, he realized that something was draped over his shoulders – and it was the Duke’s coat. The smell of cologne still clung to it.

“Where… am I?” he slowly spoke up, surprised by how weak he sounded. It took a bit, but he managed to sit up, the blanket falling off his chest – and it was then that he realized that he was still wearing his work clothes. He realized it was futile, but he still grasped the blanket and pulled it up, while his other hand drew the coat closer around his half-naked form.

“My hideout,” Wriothesley replied. He seemed relaxed, but Neuvillette could tell that he was relieved. “Do you remember what happened?”

“I… only remember feeling sick in the changing room,” Neuvillette truthfully replied. He could see how Wriothesley seemed to think on it a bit, probably debating what approach to take. He seemed to decide for the gentler approach.

“What did you do before passing out? Walk me through everything that happened before then.”

It was odd – Neuvillette should’ve been wary of speaking to a client like this. However, his mind was still jumbled, and he felt strangely comfortable in this bed, surrounded by the smell of the Duke’s cologne. So… he decided to trust him.

“I had just finished my shift. I let the barkeeper know I was done, then I let the security guard outside of the changing room know I was getting ready to leave. I entered the changing room, opened my locker, and took a sip of water…”

“Water in a bottle?” Wriothesley suddenly prompted him.

Neuvillette nodded.

“Anything unusual about it?”

His missing social skills came into play here as Neuvillette missed the point of that question.

“I bought this bottle a few years back. It is blue, holds one litre of water. The top can be screwed on, and it has one opening for drinking, another smaller hole for air–”

Wriothesley snorted, prompting him to stop talking. The Duke laughed a bit, but he didn’t seem to be making fun of him – he genuinely seemed to have been caught off guard by that.

“Not that, sweetie. I meant the water. Anything unusual about it?”

“Ah…” Neuvillette responded, gaze falling low as he thought about it, “it did seem to taste… differently. I had already ingested a few gulps before noticing a different taste and smell.”

“Was already too late at that point,” Wriothesley murmured to himself. Neuvillette tilted his head in response, but the Duke quietly shook his head.

His expression was serious when he spoke up.

“Someone drugged you.”

Neuvillette looked at him for a few seconds – face void of emotions. Then, he merely lowered his gaze and…

“I see.”

Nothing. No reaction.

That prompted Wriothesley to pause.

“…You’re not scared? Angry?” Wriothesley continued to ask, furrowing his brows.

He had expected a lot of reactions from Neuvillette – everything under the sun, every curse word in the world, maybe even sobbing or crying…

But nothing. He looked as if none of this was bothering him in the slightest.

That was unusual.

“I am… merely surprised,” Neuvillette continued, his words a bit slow. “It was to be expected, I presume. My carelessness led to this, so there is no one to blame but myself.”

An exasperated noise left Wriothesley. When he looked up, the Duke genuinely seemed angry.

“No, it’s not. None of this is your fault – you did everything right.”

“But I–“

“You keep your sealed water bottle in your locker in your changing room. You didn’t even bring a phone or your wallet, not even ID – the only thing you brought to your work is enough money to take the next bus and a change of clothes. You don’t even bring your keys.”

“…How do you know all of that?” Neuvillette tilted his head. Wriothesley huffed, sitting back on the chair with his arms crossed before his chest.

“Because the guys who drugged you took everything from your locker. Don’t worry, my men recovered it for you.”

Slowly, Neuvillette lowered his head in a show of gratitude.

“…Thank you, Duke. I am in your debt.”

“Wriothesley.”

The stripper looked up again. His gaze met that of the Duke.

“Those other dancers called you Neuvillette. That’s your name, right?”

A slow nod.

“Then it’s only fair you know mine. Call me Wriothesley.”

“…I understand. Thank you, Lord Wriothesley.”

Again, the Duke snorted at his response.

“Lord? What’s that for now?”

“The Iudex of Fontaine used to call the Duke of Meropide as such,” Neuvillette spoke up, his tone indicating complete calmness. He rubbed his cheek against the soft fur on Wriothesley’s coat. “It just seemed appropriate.”

“Heeeh,” Wriothesley grinned at him, seeming really into the conversation. “Then what did the Duke of Meropide call the Iudex of Fontaine?”

“…Monsieur? Mister? I am unsure to be honest.”

Another snort, and the Duke got up from his chair.

“You’re in luck – I actually know what the Duke used to call the Iudex.”

“Truly? What is it?” Neuvillette tilted his head.

Wriothesley gave him one big grin as he put the hand on the doorknob. His smile… seemed genuine.

“Sweetness, of course.”

Wriothesley was leaning against the wall, waiting for his Head Nurse to come by. The moment he heard those telltale taps drawing closer, he looked up.

“You called for me, your Grace?” Sigewinne greeted him. She must’ve been coming in from outside, seeing as she was still wearing her hood. Unlike her sisters, her features resembled that of a human, allowing her to run all the errands that her other kin could not.

Whenever he thought about it, he got angry all over again – but he tried to push those feelings to the back for now.

“Yeah. I got a patient for you – he got drugged a few hours ago. Can you take a look?”

Of course, Sigewinne nodded, following him to the room he led her to. She didn’t ask for any clarification either, knowing full well that her patient had to be a human.

…And it angered him that she didn’t even ask for any details or whether this person would even treat her well. Truthfully, he had no idea whether Neuvillette would be like any other stripper or whore he had met out on the streets, but this would be his next piece of proof whether he was worthy of his time or not.

As he pushed the door open, Neuvillette was groggily blinking his eyes open, looking over to them. He looked a little worse for wear, probably caused by the drugs still in his system.

In the back of his mind, Wriothesley was kind of worried how he’d take to Sigewinne.

“I brought a doctor to take a look at you. This is Sigewinne.”

Unprompted, she slowly removed her hood, standing still momentarily. She gave a smile, but Wriothesley knew she was waiting for the inevitable reaction:

Hatred. Disgust. Slurs. Anything that was thrown a Melusine’s way.

This world was shitty after a–

Neuvillette’s eyes widened, and a glimmer of pure admiration drove away all the tiredness and sickness that had plagued his body. He pushed himself up despite obvious nausea – a small smile on his face.

“It is such an honour to meet you, Miss Sigewinne.”

Wriothesley felt how his heartbeat quickened tenfold – his breathing momentarily stopping all together.

Kindness towards her.

Even addressing her as ‘Miss’.

Coming to greet her like any other being.

He… he was… genuinely happy to meet her.

That seemed to get to Sigewinne as well, though her initial surprise faded to be replaced with nothing but excitement. She quickly waddled over, climbing up on the chair Wriothesley had left next to the bed. Neuvillette already extended a hand to greet her, and she eagerly took it, her ears swaying left and right.

“I am… I am happy to meet you too!” the Melusine greeted him back, shaking his hand with almost childish vigour. All Neuvillette did was to smile oh so gently, a blush of pure love slightly colouring his cheeks. Despite him being sick, he was nothing short of forthcoming.

“Ah… please excuse my rudeness…” he eventually realized, his gaze averting itself in embarrassment. “I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Neuvillette.”

“Neuvillette?”

Sigewinne suddenly seemed to pause for a moment. That prompted Wriothesley to wake up from his trance as he furrowed his brows.

“What’s wrong, Sigewinne?”

The Melusine seemed to be deep in thought. She slowly let go of his hand, sitting back on the chair.

“I’m… not sure. It feels like I’ve heard that name somewhere before…” she muttered, her gaze becoming a bit more distant. “As in… a long… long time ago.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised by a bit of déjà vu,” Wriothesley just shrugged. He walked up to stand next to the chair. “You guys are several thousand years old, right? You’re bound to have heard a similar name before.”

“I guess you’re right, your Grace,” she mumbled again, before she finally shook her head. She refocused her attention on Neuvillette, who was still desperately trying to stay awake. “Anyway, let me take your vitals…”

After doing a basic examination and taking some blood, Sigewinne gave him a few different medicines before gently laying him down again. She pat his head with nothing but a loving smile.

“You’ll need to rest for a few more days. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of you.”

Neuvillette tried to shake his head, tiredly blinking away – just shy of passing out again.

“My studies… I need… to go to class…”

One glance from Sigewinne over to Wriothesley and the Duke chuckled quietly.

“Don’t worry about that, sweetheart. I’ll make sure your attendance doesn’t suffer.”

By the time Neuvillette was deep asleep, Sigewinne turned back to the Duke with a cheeky grin.

“Blackmailing his professors?”

A short snort from the Duke.

“All I’m saying is that the university suddenly has to close down for one or two weeks because of some… unfortunate… technical issues.”

Word got out rather quickly that a new person was staying at his hideout. While the human ‘guards’ (as Wriothesley called his men) were making sure to keep the perimeter safe, his other staff members were most forthcoming.

In Fontaine, Melusines had a bad reputation. They were ostracized and hated, often even killed if they were spotted at the wrong time in the wrong place. No one wanted to have anything to do with them–

Except for the Duke of Meropide himself. He had taken every single Melusine under his wing, sheltering them in his hideout, giving them odd jobs and taking care of them. They loved and looked up to him, and he cherished them in return.

If there was anything he knew, it was how it felt to be hated for merely being alive. Melusines had been the ones to keep him alive back when he had been a starving child on the street, so he was only returning the favour.

And speaking of those Melusines… they were absolutely in love with Neuvillette.

Wriothesley never got to spend any time alone with Neuvillette, because whenever he found the time too check in on him, he found his room to be occupied by several Melusines at ones, eagerly chatting, playing games, even braiding his hair.

Neuvillette genuinely seemed to love them. He’d recount stories he had read, explain difficult topics pertaining to the law, and he’d play every single ‘childish’ game with them without ever seeming to get tired of it.

Never in his life had Wriothesley imagined finding someone else who adored Melusines as much as he did – and, who in turn, was loved as much by them. If he had been a man of less integrity, he would’ve probably gotten jealous at the lack of attention, but Wriothesley was beyond ecstatic to see his lovely Melusines find a new friend.

It just proved him right – he had known from the very first moment that Neuvillette was different. He was too gorgeous to be a mere stripper, and he was too kind to be a pawn of justice.

He wasn’t meant to live a simple life teetering at the edge of poverty every single day – he was meant for more.

And Wriothesley… was hoping he’d accept his inevitable proposal of working together.

“Hey there, darling,” he greeted Neuvillette in a rare moment where no Melusine was in his room. The stripper looked up from the book he was reading to greet him with a nod.

“Good tidings to you, Lord Wriothesley,” Neuvillette greeted him with a calm expression. As always, the Duke had to snort at the complete lack of vulgar slang.

“I see you’re doing well. How about we go for a walk? You’ve been confined to your bed for days now,” the taller man suggested as he leaned against the doorframe.

While Neuvillette did seem to entertain his idea, he became a bit self-conscious when he looked down on his body. He was dressed in a pyjama, as he had been sleeping for the majority of his stay.

“I am afraid I… am not exactly presentable, your Grace.”

“Nothing we can’t fix. Gimme a minute, sweetness,” Wriothesley chuckled, and he disappeared through the door.

A short while later, he came back with a few items of clothing in his arms.

“Normally I’d just buy you new clothes, but I can’t have you wait another hour for a simple walk. Here, take my clothes for now.”

He extended a red shirt and some basic black trousers to him. Before Neuvillette could point out anything else, he placed some socks on the bed and put a pair of relatively simple brown shoes on the ground.

“Might not be your exact size – lemme know if I should get you something else, sweetness,” he purred with a smirk before turning away, walking to the door. “I’ll wait outside. Just knock on the door if you need something else.”

As promised, he closed the door behind him and waited. He glanced at his watch a few times, wondering whether Neuvillette would be too bashful to come out wearing clothes like these…

…and then he kind of realized that Neuvillette was used to wearing slutty clothes at work, so it was probably weird for him to be embarrassed about wearing more than before…

The door quietly opened behind him, prompting him to turn around.

Neuvillette was wearing his red shirt, but it was definitely oversized on him – looked really cute though. He was holding the trousers up by the hem, seeming a bit bashful.

“I apologise, Lord Wriothesley, but would it be possible to–“

“Belt, yeah… of course, sorry sweetness.”

One belt later, and Neuvillette seemed to be ready to venture out. He didn’t look all that sick anymore, but Wriothesley still extended his arm for him to grab on. When Neuvillette looked at it, tilting his head, Wriothesley chuckled.

“Just in case you’re feeling dizzy, love.”

And though he hadn’t really counted on it, Neuvillette did hold onto his arm without so much as a second thought.

By the Archons was he cute.

As Wriothesley led him out of the section they had been in, their surroundings began to change. The room he had been in this entire time had looked like something expensive one would see in the city – tapestry on the walls, hardwood floors, all that stuff.

But now that they were outside on the corridor, Neuvillette realized that they were in some sort of tunnel system. Everything looked metallic – even Wriothesley’s boots made a heavy sound as they were walking around.

After a series of corridors, they finally emerged into a giant metallic room with an endlessly high ceiling. They were on the top floor, a big metal tower in the middle. Wriothesley was already opening his mouth to explain.

“You’re probably not gonna believe me, but this–”

“The Fortress of Meropide?” Neuvillette quietly interrupted him. Wriothesley glanced over to him, taking in how the other’s eyes were slightly widened, a sense of… recognition overcoming him. He was staring at the tower in front of them as if he… recognized it.

“I didn’t think you’d identify it immediately,” Wriothesley mumbled, a low tone of surprise in his voice. “How’d you know? No one in Fontaine is aware of its location or whether it still exists.”

“I…”

Neuvillette kept looking around. Everywhere he looked, it seemed as if his perception was slowing down – faint noises passing him by.

The sound of footsteps. Shadows similar to people. Grumbling of pipes. Clicking of gears.

Someone’s deep laughter.

“…I feel as I’ve been here before.”

As he stood there, Neuvillette seemed to be truly lost in thought. He kept looking into the distance without fixing his gaze on anything. Wriothesley watched him for a while, taking in his beauty, his blank expression – and the obvious hints of remembrance that kept appearing within his eyes before fading away… almost as if he was just shy of grasping those memories.

Slowly, Wriothesley put his free hand on the one Neuvillette had placed on his arm, effectively tearing the Iudex out of his trance. When he came to meet his gaze, Wriothesley gave him a warm, understanding smile.

“I felt the same way, sweetness.”

Because back when he had first stumbled upon this place… it had felt like he had come home after a long, long time.

Walking through the Fortress with Neuvillette was peculiar, but it felt right. It was a bustling place, after all – merchants sitting by the side, various people of different walks of life running around, doing their jobs, chatting, just living.

It was a completely different world to what Neuvillette was used to.

“These are…?” he found himself asking as he watched a couple of children run by.

“Rejects of society,” Wriothesley calmly spoke as he kept walking with Neuvillette by his side. No one bat an eye when they were walking through – it seemed people were used to seeing the Duke mingling in the crowd. “Anyone who has committed a crime or who just can’t find their place up above gets to live here. Just–”

“Just like the Fortress of old,” Neuvillette muttered, a tinge of recognition in his voice. He gently held onto Wriothesley’s arm, yet he didn’t feel threatened despite all the various people around them.

None of them looked like the types of people he was used to dealing with. Some were unkempt, others were scrawny, wearing basic clothing – all things he never got to see at the university. Those people couldn’t afford to go to a strip club either, so he had never interacted with them there.

Yet still… none of them seemed hostile. It was… so different to what he had been taught growing up.

“They work for me, I give them a place to live in,” Wriothesley continued explaining. “Healthcare, food, shelter – even if they can’t work, I’ll take them in. No one deserves to starve just because they can’t live up to Fontaine’s standards.”

“It is commendable, Lord Wriothesley,” Neuvillette hummed softly, his eyes falling on a discarded doll on the ground. He knelt down to pick it up, looking around – and just moments later, a small child ran up to him and happily squealed.

Wriothesley watched as Neuvillette softly smiled, giving the doll back to the toddler, who happily ran off again to play with their friends.

He had known from the moment he had seen him dance on that pole: Neuvillette was pure of heart and mind, unlike anything or anyone he had ever met.

If anyone was to ever represent justice and equality, it was him. He… truly deserved to be called the Iudex.

Surely the former Iudex of Fontaine would agree with him.

“Come, sweetness. Let’s get some food.”

The day he had fully recovered from his illness, Neuvillette almost… didn’t want to leave this place. He knew he had to – responsibilities demanded of him to do what was necessary. No family awaited him, but the goal he had set in his mind was still the only thing he would ever wish to live up to…

…now more than ever.

Fontaine’s justice system was flawed. Orphans were left to fend on the streets, Melusines were ostracized, crime ran rampant, and yet no one did anything.

Someone had to judge all those that would only avert their gaze. Someone had to remind the Fontainian society of what Justice truly meant to their country.

…And now he wished to live up to the image of the Iudex. Even if he was just a mortal, he wanted to be like him–

He wanted to be like the Hydro Sovereign of old.

“Are you sure you wanna go back to your home, sweetness?” Wriothesley asked him again as he led him to the boat dock. Apparently, this would bring them to another tunnel complex that eventually led to the Opera Epiclese – so this was where the hidden entrance was.

The Duke seemed oddly persistent.

“The Melusines absolutely adore you, and you genuinely seemed to love hanging out with the guys around here. There’s no safer place than down here.”

Neuvillette lowered his gaze, trying to ignore the inert need to grab onto Wriothesley’s arm for assurance. Now that he was recovered, there was no need for him to rely on the handsome man next to him… but he kind of missed it.

“My lease demands that I stay for another two years, and that I show up for the monthly inspections. Renting an apartment without living in it is punishable by law.”

“What kind of stupid legislation is that? Can’t be legal,” Wriothesley next to him growled.

“It is not, I am afraid. However… hiring someone to contest the contract would not only end in a long legal battle, but also leave a permanent stain in your record for ‘challenging authority’,” Neuvillette quietly explained, seeming rather tired of it as well.

The Duke next to him frowned.

“What kind of law is that?”

Neuvillette’s next answer seemed rather despondent.

“Not something that the former Hydro Archon or the Iudex of Fontaine would’ve ever approved of.”

For they both had only ever thought of the well-being of Fontaine’s citizen. The Fontaine of today… was no longer as such.

After a boat ride, some stairs, an elevator, and a car awaiting them outside, Neuvillette finally found himself in his neighbourhood. Normally, he would’ve been alarmed by the idea of having a client taking him home, but… Lord Wriothesley wasn’t exactly that anymore.

Not only had he saved him from a potentially dangerous situation, but he had also taken care of him. To him, he was a commendable man of integrity… someone who could be trusted.

Maybe even… a friend.

“Will I see you at work?” Wriothesley asked him when the car finally stopped. Neuvillette turned to face him, taking in his expression for a moment.

The inside of the car was dark, so it was hard to tell, but the Duke’s usually cool, relaxed features were betraying hints of… insecurity. Maybe even worry.

It was unlike him. Yet… seeing it brought a warm feeling to Neuvillette’s heart that prompted him to smile ever so slightly.

“Of course, your Grace,” he reassured him with a nod of his head. That managed to return the usually relaxed smirk to the Duke’s features.

“Good to know, sweetheart. See you tomorrow, then.”

And before he let him go, Wriothesley gently grasped one of his hands and placed a kiss on it – his low baritone voice sending a shiver through Neuvillette’s body.

“I’ll protect you from now on.”

When Neuvillette subsequently returned to the club the next night, Furina launched herself into him the moment she saw him – sobbing loud enough to draw attention. The inexperienced man just stood there with a flustered expression, not knowing what to do as he had a crying woman around his neck.

“I-I’m so sorryyyyy!! I didn’t know you… I should’ve been there!! These bastards, they… sniff… they will pay!! Arle said she’d make them pay!!!”

Whoever that Arle was, Furina was absolutely convinced that she’d take care of this. Neuvillette felt a warmth spreading in his chest – feeling loved and welcomed for the first time in his life. Before meeting Wriothesley and the Melusines, he had never managed to get close to others… and now that he was being confronted with this situation time again and again, he… was beginning to enjoy it.

And so, despite a hint of nervousness, he wrapped his arms loosely around her as well, letting his eyes fall close.

“I… I apologize for worrying you, Lady Furina…”

That night, the club was empty – except for one man who was already sitting in his VIP chair before Neuvillette had even gotten on stage. Seeing that messy mix of black and grey hair brought a calmness to his heart unlike anything else…

…and seeing Wriothesley’s smirk was setting his heart on fire.

Asides from a barkeeper and security personnel by the door, no one else was there to watch him – and so he danced solely for Wriothesley.

It was… more sensual than ever before. Neuvillette couldn’t help himself from keeping his gaze fixed on the Duke as he pressed his body tightly against the pole, just shy of pressing his own lips against the metal. He could see how the Duke’s eyes narrowed themselves; he brought his drink close to his own lips yet was just shy of touching the glass.

How would his lips feel, Neuvillette wondered. Were they rough just how they looked? Would they be forceful on his own? So much more experienced than him?

Lord Wriothesley was an imposing man of unimaginable strength. How would it feel to have his attention on him, to be the object of his desire? Would it be as exhilarating of a feeling as what Neuvillette was experiencing now… dancing for an empty club, yet imagining himself to be there only for Wriothesley?

Neuvillette gracefully slipped to the ground, teasingly spreading his legs wide open in front of the Duke – his mesmerising eyes locked on the Duke’s wide smirk.

How would it feel… to kiss Wriothesley?

Arlecchino awaited him without so much as a nod. As Wriothesley sat down, the Fatui leaned back into the sofa.

“I must say it came as a surprise to have you inquire about our services,” she began, not beating around the bush in the slightest. A straight-forward approach. Wriothesley liked that about her.

“The Duke makes the rules – enforcing them is only part of my duties,” he offered as an explanation with the slightest hint of a smirk. That fell shortly after, his expression darkening. “So, did you get anything out of them?”

A dark chuckle escaped the Knave. She crossed a leg over the other, cockily tilting her head as she looked at him.

“I have. You will be surprised to hear of their confessions, Duke.”

That was not a good start.

“Then surprise me,” he leaned back in his sofa.

Within the red light of the room, Arlecchino’s cross-shaped eyes seemed to only darken over – the cruel smile on her face without the slightest hint of kindness. How she could’ve found herself interested in someone dazzling and loud like Lady Focalors, no one knew.

“These men were henchmen belonging to a certain organization. While no one has found out who their leader is or where their base of operation lies, the word on the street is clear about what they do.”

The cruelty overtook her features completely.

“Have you heard of the Serial Disappearances Case?”

Immediately, Wriothesley’s face darkened in response, giving her the answer she needed. She continued without awaiting any verbal affirmation.

“They solely target women of different walks of life. Once they are taken, they are never heard from again. According to one of the men we… interrogated… their boss wanted to get their hands on the little Iudex. This opportunity presented itself by other members of this establishment backstabbing the honour of their employer, wilfully selling one of their own out to known rapists.”

“You did take care of them, did you?” Wriothesley prompted her with a low voice.

“Of course I did,” Arlecchino nodded, prompting the Duke to merely hum in response. He gave her a nod as a means for her to continue.

“Apparently, he wasn’t a target merely because of his beauty, but because of his title.”

Wriothesley frowned. The Knave in front of him finally stopped smiling, a certain… distance coming over her.

“According to the prophecy, the Iudex will return to judge all those that he deems unworthy. Only once the tears of the nation have stirred his heart shall he give way to the rising waters.”

A moment of silence settled in.

“He was just given that title as a cover name. They can’t be serious about that,” the Duke shook his head.

Arlecchino huffed, turning her face away.

“Of course it is baseless – but fear grips a human’s heart unlike anything else. The prophecy has started to come true, so those that feel guilty about their own deeds will try anything to stop it from happening.”

Wriothesley went quiet for a bit, seemingly thinking on those words. He listened to Arlecchino’s words, deep in thought.

“None of the names of old have survived the test of time – we only know that certain titles still remain bound to the future of Fontaine. Whether these were given out of jest or not, they bear the strength to bring destruction upon your own life.”

A curse unlike anything else. Words carelessly spoken by one human had the strength to bring only misery and pain to someone pure and loving like Neuvillette – all because of a stupid prophecy that bore no scientific background at all.

People’s minds were feeble – they were bound to believe anything. But…

“A title will eventually become a name – and bring with it a fate tied to the original being who bore it.”

‘Think it’s a coincidence we met?’

“One is the Iudex…”

‘…I feel as I’ve been here before.’

“…and the other is the Duke.”

Arlecchino’s gaze was cold and sharp – a knowing smirk on her face.

“Do you still believe in coincidences, Duke?”

He did not.

When Neuvillette returned to university in the coming days, he felt out of place. Seeing all the rich students around him, politely laughing at each other’s jokes, speaking of the latest shows they had watched…

It felt wrong. Staged. Unreal.

He had seen how the other side of Fontaine lived – and those were the fortunate souls who were protected by the Duke. How come no one around here understood that?

How come… no one even bat an eye to the struggles of the poor around them? Was the dazzling light of the Court of Fontaine so bright that people pretended to be blind? Had… he never taken notice of it himself?

This was wrong. Studying the law with all these humans who would parade themselves as righteous while ignoring the obvious injustice in this world–

Neuvillette slowly blinked in confusion, looking at the notes he had taken on his laptop. The lecturer at the front was still talking about a sub-section of ‘flying objects’ and how they were not allowed to be released during the first few days of each month…

His cursor was blinking – still positioned after the words he had written without realizing so.

I get to spend the rest of my life with you, but I’m just here for a fraction of yours.

Something inside of him… stirred. Those words prompted a painful feeling to spread through his chest.

Yearning. Forgotten memories. Love.

…As if he had lost something important to him a long, long time ago… in a faint dream…

Neuvillette kept staring at his laptop – slowly blinking away as his sight got blurry. When he realized it was getting worse, he gently touched the space under his eyes… and felt how his fingers became wet with his own tears.

He was crying.

Crying… because he had forgotten something.

Crying… because he had lost something important once.

…Why… was he crying?

When he stepped outside of the building, his feelings still hadn’t settled. A bunch of students passed him by – their annoyed sighs slowly alerting him back to reality.

“Seriously? The weather forecast said no rain today! Bullshit.”

Rain?

He looked up, still clutching his bag tightly – and took in the darkened skies that were encompassing the Court of Fontaine. Rain was gently coming down, encasing the world in a quiet blanket.

…For some reason, the sight of rain calmed his heart considerably.

Wriothesley was sitting in the back of his car when he caught sight of someone familiar walking by the side of the road. Neuvillette was idly walking through the rain, his gaze transfixed on the sky – a troubled expression on his face.

That immediately caused all of his alarm bells to go off.

“Hey, let me out.”

As he exited the car, he opened an umbrella to at least shield himself from the rain. They were already in a less busy area of the city – no one was about. He doubted anyone was watching either.

For some reason, Fontainians absolutely hated the rain despite them being a nation of Hydro.

Not Neuvillette, though.

No… he was standing near a railing, looking over the Court of Fontaine – seeming in a trance. As Wriothesley carefully approached him, his ears picked up on it:

Neuvillette’s voice.

Singing.

Words that… caused an aching feeling to spread within his chest.

“When I walked along the shore,

I dreamt of sombre rain,

Like tears shed by Sovereigns nigh."

"Tears that spill from injustice and the wounded,

Stir my heart unlike most,

Oh, my sweetest darling."

"Yet the time comes when we say goodbye to,

The sweetest rain amongst the waves of life.

And when we gaze upon the sky at long last,

We will be free of all that is still within our hearts.”

Wriothesley’s eyes widened – and for a moment, he could hear a voice echoing in his mind.

Feelings of regret, anguish, agony, hatred, sorrow–

Overflowing love.

“I always knew… you would come for me.”

A choked gasp left him, which alerted Neuvillette to his presence. The law student turned around on the spot, seemingly a bit dazed himself, and realized he was standing there. When he saw how Wriothesley was holding his head, he immediately abandoned the railing to rush closer to him.

“Lord Wriothesley? What are you doing here…?” he carefully inquired, reaching a hand out to support him. Wriothesley in his grasp groaned, trying to rub the headache out of his head somehow.

“Saw you drenched in the rain and thought… ugh… something was wrong…”

He barely managed to hold onto the umbrella above him, which was why Neuvillette carefully took it and held it up. His expression was worried.

“I apologise, Duke…”

“Nah, it’s… ugh… alright…” the mafia boss grumbled, slowly standing up straight after the ringing in his ears had passed. He was towering over Neuvillette ever so slightly, but his gentle expression made him look like a puppy dog.

“Sorry for scaring you, darling.”

Despite them being out in public, Wriothesley couldn’t help himself from calling Neuvillette by his usual pet names. Even when he was fully clothed, he looked adorable – and in an odd way, it was kind of intimate to see him dressed for once.

“It is quite alright, Duke,” Neuvillette softly smiled, a rare show of emotion. Since he had been saved by him, his attitude towards him had gotten a lot sweeter. “I am just glad you are feeling better.”

“Speaking of… why are you walking in the rain without an umbrella?” Wriothesley finally questioned him with a raised eyebrow.

Neuvillette’s answer was unexpected.

“I… like the rain. It soothes me when I walk in its embrace.”

A Fontainian that liked rain? That was rare.

“Really? You should be careful not to get sick, sweetness,” the Duke chuckled, taking the umbrella back to hold it over both of their heads. Yeah, Neuvillette was already drenched, but he looked quite happy about it.

Hah, he was really adorable.

“I gotta ask you… what was that song?”

Immediately, a sort of contemplative expression came to Neuvillette’s face. He had an almost distant gaze, his words a bit faint.

“I do not know… I just sometimes remember it out of the blue. Whenever I sing it, I… feel as if I am closer to something… or someone.”

Wriothesley quietly watched him, saying nothing in return. Eventually, the law student looked up to him with a… hard to discern expression.

“…Why do you ask, Duke?”

For a minute, Wriothesley said nothing. Then, he gently ushered Neuvillette towards the car to give him a ride to his part-time job – and when they got inside, a sort of… sad smile was on his face.

“Just seemed familiar. That’s all.”

When he watched Neuvillette dance that night, Wriothesley couldn’t stop that insistent feeling that he had forgotten something important. It was the same kind of annoying headache he had in the back of his head – the one that wouldn’t go away.

Every time he’d watch Neuvillette twirl around the pole, he’d feel that inert need to touch him – and every time he looked around and saw other men lust after him, he felt the violent urge to beat them up.

That wasn’t good. Something was seriously wrong with him.

But… Neuvillette was just so gorgeous. He hated the idea of not being with him…

It was his job – he was just trying to make end’s meet. Truly, it was just a coincidence that he looked perfect in high heel boots and short panties, and that his long legs seductively wrapped themselves around the pole oh so perfectly…

Wriothesley grit his teeth, a silent scowl on his face. Just seeing some men approaching the stage, eagerly waving their bills to push them into Neuvillette’s panties… he hated every second of it.

He needed to get him off that stage. Now.

And so… he beckoned over one of the managers and named his price.

If the Duke wanted something… he got it.

When Neuvillette walked into the private VIP room, he was relieved to see the Duke sitting on a sofa. Equally, the well-dressed man smiled when he walked inside. Now that the door was closed, it was just the two of them.

That grumpy expression that had been on his face the entire night long was now gone… which was comforting to Neuvillette. He had wondered the entire time if something had happened…

“You wished to see me, your Grace?” Neuvillette tilted his head, only for Wriothesley to snort. The black-haired man nodded to his side, not his lap.

“You deserve a break. Come, sit with me.”

Of course… Neuvillette got closer fully expecting to dance for him. He was even already positioning himself to sit on the Duke’s lap, but the other man gently pushed him onto the sofa next to him instead.

That… kind of threw Neuvillette off.

“No need, darling. This is a break. You’re not working.”

Neuvillette being Neuvillette, of course, frowned in response.

“Since I am working on a shift-basis, covered by tips given by patrons, I am still work–“

“Alright alright, nerd,” Wriothesley taunted him with a chuckle, rolling his eyes with a grin. “I’m paying you for this private hour anyway, and I’m gonna give you a nice tip at the end. So, no need to worry about work laws.”

“Hmm…” Neuvillette gave off, seeming a bit… lost. “And you wish for me to not do… anything?”

“Nope. Just sit and talk with me – all I want.”

Wriothesley had expected for Neuvillette to be grateful – you know, to not be lusted after and for him to not be up in his space. That… was why he was so confused about seeing Neuvillette look at him like that. Looking like… he was insecure.

“…Is my service dissatisfactory?” the long-haired man questioned him. Immediately, Wriothesley raised his hands and shook his head.

“No no, sweetness, you’re amazing. Best dancer I’ve ever seen. There’s a reason why I come back here every single night.”

“But you reserve me for an hour in a private room… and do not wish for me to dance for you?” Neuvillette tilted his head again. He really… wasn’t one to pick up on subtle hints at all. That Focalors girl had remarked that he had the social skills of a rock.

He’d not get it if he wasn’t being blunt…

So, with an exasperated sigh (and a slight blush on his face), Wriothesley looked away.

“There were too many men touching you tonight. Pissed me off.”

A few moments of silence passed. Wriothesley had never felt nervous like this, but now his heart was pounding. For some reason, his confidence was cut in half when it came to Neuvillette.

He was the Duke, solitary ruler of Meropide… and here he was getting flustered over the fact that he was jealous of other men interacting with his favourite stripper. How pathetic was that…

When he heard a sigh of relief, he turned back to see Neuvillette smiling ever so slightly.

“I’m glad, then. I was worried I was beginning to bore you… your Grace.”

For fuck’s sake, he was gorgeous.

Without realizing it, Wriothesley’s voice got lower, his eyes darkened over – fixed on the stripper in front of him.

“Careful, sweetheart. Continue talking like that and… I might have a hard time controlling myself around you…”

Neuvillette’s half-lidded eyes slowly fluttered open and close – his mesmerizing eyes fixed on him. A blush was forming on his face, a bashful expression taking over… but his voice. Archons, his voice… oh so sweet…

“I confess… I… wish to know what… a loss of your control would entail… your Grace…”

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

“I’d ravage you right here on that couch,” Wriothesley growled, feeling his lust increase. Neuvillette was barely dressed like always, and in that low light, he looked even sexier than ever before. “I’d make sure no one ever gets to touch you again… make sure people know you belong to someone else already…”

To undermine his own words, Wriothesley reached a hand out to stroke Neuvillette’s hair. The stripper willingly let himself fall forward against his chest – half-lidded eyes looking up to him with a heated daze.

“Are you… professing your love to me…?”

Wriothesley couldn’t help himself – he tightly hugged Neuvillette, hiding his own face in that soft white hair. He breathed deeply, enjoying the scent of sweet perfume.

“Fuck, you’re making it so hard darling…” he murmured. “You’re messing with my tough guy personality…”

Within his grasp, Neuvillette never said anything or indicated that he was uncomfortable. Rather, he let his eyes flutter close, pushing himself further into the Duke’s embrace.

It felt… right. As if this hadn’t been the first time they had been this close.

But it was…

…It was… right?

“Darling…” the Duke murmured again. He took a deep breath, seemingly having to gather the courage needed to speak once more. “…Yeah, I… am in love with you.”

Neuvillette’s stomach exploded in millions of butterflies, his heart pounding so loudly that he could hear it. Without wanting to, he let forth a quiet, strangled noise – reminiscent of a whimper, a bit of a joyed squeal… so unlike him.

He hid his head in Wriothesley’s chest, holding onto his shirt as if his life depended on it.

“Duke, I…”

His life had changed in the blink of an eye. Years of loneliness, of not feeling anything… and now, all of a sudden, he…

…He…

“…I… I love you too…”

And now he had reunited with someone he had thought he had lost forever.

It didn’t make sense. His mind and body were reacting as if he had been with Wriothesley a long time ago, as if this wasn’t the first instance of them professing their love for each other. Within his memories, there was not a trace of something similar having ever happened, not even if someone else…

…and yet it felt as if he had found his missing half after centuries of waiting.

Above him, the Duke seemingly choked on air, his grasp on him becoming a little tighter. Unlike how he usually behaved, his confidence was a lot less pronounced – he seemed more smitten, more… drunk on feelings.

He had only known Neuvillette for a few months, had only been watching him dance for the majority of it. Once he had saved him, everything had suddenly changed.

The Melusines loved him. He seemingly knew of the Fortress. His knowledge of the law encompassed anything he had ever seen.

For him as an orphan, who had been beaten up and almost killed again and again, trusting someone else was an impossible challenge. Yet Neuvillette had only smiled at him once, and it had felt as if the one and only person he had ever trusted had returned to his life.

It didn’t make sense. Neuvillette was a new acquaintance. They had never met before; their upbringing had been different – there was nothing in common between them.

Yet… yet…

Yet it felt as if he had returned to fulfil a long-standing promise.

“Sweetness…” he breathed against Neuvillette’s hair. His darkened eyes gazed down on the stripper in his lap – holding him tightly, almost possessively. “I… can I kiss you?”

When Neuvillette looked up to him, his rosy flushed lips were perfect – an almost demure look on his face. The Iudex slowly nodded with a bashful expression.

Wriothesley slowly got closer, watching how Neuvillette closed his eyes in anticipation, and sealed their lips together. An immense fluttering feeling spread through his chest, taking away his breath. He could feel how inexperienced Neuvillette was underneath him, which should’ve been his clue to be completely calm and collected about it… but he couldn’t.

A hunger unlike anything he had ever witnessed overcame him, prompting him to deepen the kiss more and more. Neuvillette breathlessly whimpered into it, the blush on his face only getting deeper, while his hands were beginning to tremble. He let himself be pushed backwards until he was lying on the sofa, Wriothesley above him, seemingly devouring him whole.

It should’ve been a new feeling, but Neuvillette’s mind and body kept reacting as if this had been something he had done a long, long time ago – with Wriothesley. What was even more shameful was the fact that his body became oversensitive. Just the slightest brush against his nipples got him to whine sweetly into the kiss, and his legs were pressing themselves together because he began to feel the first hints of arousal.

Finally, after an eternity, they parted from each other, Wriothesley breathing lowly with both hands placed on each side of Neuvillette’s head, watching him with a lustful expression. Underneath him, the Iudex’s lips were swollen and flushed red, the slightest glistening of saliva remaining. Those beautiful eyes were glazed over with bashfulness and lust all the same – a completely different picture to how he usually looked.

He was gorgeous.

“I… I need you to finish your shift now,” Wriothesley rasped against his lips, just shy of giving him another kiss. “I already paid up. Just tell them you’re done and come with me…”

Underneath him, Neuvillette slowly nodded with trembling lips, looking like a perfect offering.

“I… I will need to… change…”

“No,” Wriothesley almost growled, dipping low to kiss the side of Neuvillette’s exposed neck. His oversensitive lover immediately whimpered with each touch. “I need you in those clothes… now.”

The stripper didn’t protest even once.

The Fortress was rather quiet due to it being close to midnight. Neuvillette had barely made it through the door to the room in which he had once woken up, when he heard the Duke closing it behind them. As he turned around, he only briefly saw how Wriothesley locked the door before grasping him by the shoulders and kissing him again.

This time, Neuvillette managed to wrap his arms around the other’s neck, giving him some stability. He was wearing his platforms, giving him just enough height to be as tall as the Duke in his boots–

Not for long, though.

Wriothesley gently pushed him back until the back of his legs collided with the bed. They fell on it, the bigger man immediately encompassing him with his entire body. They kissed again and again, Wriothesley’s big hands roaming over his barely clothed chest, teasing his sensitive buds that were visible from under the fabric.

The Iudex moaned so sweetly into the kiss that the Duke finally decided to give him a few minutes of respite so he could breathe. He shortly sat up to wipe over his lips with the back of his hand, trying to hide the fact he wanted to drool over how gorgeous Neuvillette was.

That slutty top and those flimsy panties had been the cause of way too many wet dreams as of late. Now he finally got to get rid of them.

However, first he started with those high heels. Neuvillette didn’t protest, watching him how he first hastily shook his own boots off, before sliding those platforms off the Iudex’s legs.

He had to undo the garter belt that was keeping Neuvillette’s stockings up, but that wasn’t an obstacle either. Sinfully long legs, unmarred and pristine, were tempting him to leave a few marks of his own. Soon. Soon.

Yet before he could try to peel Neuvillette’s top off, the other bashfully intervened.

“D-Duke… uhm…”

Immediately, Wriothesley kept his hands to himself. He was panting, but a worried expression came to his face.

“S-Sorry, sweetness. Am I moving too fast for you?”

Neuvillette slowly shook his head, but the blush clouding his face only got deeper.

“N-No, but… I must confess I have never done this before…”

Without wanting to, Wriothesley’s mouth feel slightly open, his eyes widened.

“Y-… You’re a virgin?”

Underneath him, Neuvillette averted his gaze in shame, lips tightly pressed together. He nodded again.

“I… I apologize…”

“No no no no no, don’t, sweetness, don’t,” Wriothesley hastily replied, placing a soft kiss on his cheek instead of his lips. “Thanks for letting me know. We’ll take it slow, okay?”

When Neuvillette slowly nodded, seeming equal parts relieved and embarrassed, the Duke carefully pushed his top up, revealing two pink nipples, already hard from their earlier actions. He had never seen him uncovered like this, which was probably why he was already hard in his pants.

However, his sole focus was on Neuvillette now. He wanted to make sure his first time was good.

“If it ever gets too much, just tell me to stop, okay?” Wriothesley murmured, waiting for Neuvillette to nod before he pushed his head against Neuvillette’s neck. He gently began placing kisses downwards, stopping once to carefully suckle a mark. Each shiver and tiny moan was a reward to him – Neuvillette’s voice oh so sweet.

Despite how much he wanted to sink his teeth into the other’s neck (odd… why did he want to bite him so much?), he instead went lower, encircling one pink nipple with his lips. A high-pitched whine escaped Neuvi, the other’s hands immediately flying up to grasp his shoulders – yet not pushing him away. He was just that sensitive.

“Haah… D-Duke… nhghh…”

With a knowing smirk on his face, Wriothesley gently suckled on the nub, enjoying the series of whines and whimpers coming from the stripper. He occasionally flicked it with his tongue, keeping his teeth out of the way for now… but by the time he finally let go off it with a wet ‘pop’, it was red and abused, glistening with his spit.

Neuvillette was breathless, eyes completely glazed over with pleasure. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

As promised, Wriothesley made sure to move slowly – kissing his way down to the edge of Neuvillette’s panties, leaving the piece of fabric untouched. Instead, he placed a bunch of kisses on his inner thighs, suckling another mark or two on that pale skin. It excited him to hear how much Neuvillette was gasping with each time, obviously riled up.

“I’m removing your panties, okay?” the Duke asked, looking up from his position. Though with a bashful expression, Neuvillette agreed with another nod – and so Wriothesley carefully hooked his fingers on each side of those lacey panties and pulled them downwards ever so slowly.

A small tuff of completely white hair – beautiful puffy lips, still tightly pressed together. The moment he slid those panties off his legs, Neuvillette instinctively closed them, unable to hide his embarrassment.

“Too much?” Wriothesley asked him, gently stroking the outside of Neuvillette’s right upper thigh. The Iudex shook his head again – by now, he had grasped a pillow and was tightly holding onto it, seeming even more like an inexperienced virgin.

“No… it’s just that… this is embarrassing…”

A chuckle escaped the Duke.

“I know, darling – but you’re gorgeous. I wanna see every part of you – I mean it.”

There was another moment of hesitance, but then Neuvillette slowly peeled his legs open again. He did, however, avert his gaze in shame. Archons that was cute.

Now in between his legs, Wriothesley lowered his head to take a good look. He carefully traced the outside of Neuvillette’s folds, enjoying how the other’s breath hitched at that touch. Then, he carefully slid two fingers in ever so slightly and pushed them apart – taking in the beautiful pink colour of his untouched pussy.

Fucking Archons. No one had ever gotten to see or touch that. It was his privilege.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“I’m gonna make you feel good, darling,” Wriothesley chuckled lowly before lowering his head in between his legs. Neuvillette slowly blinked his eyes open.

“W-What do you mea-haaaaaAAH!”

A startled whine escaped him when he suddenly felt the Duke’s tongue pushing his folds apart, easily slipping inside of his hole – going all the way in. Immediately, Neuvillette’s hands flew down and grasped the Duke’s hair, a series of mewls and high-pitched yelps escaping him.

“W-Wait, no, no-not nghghhhg n-not down the-there…! I-It’s di-dirty…!”

Wriothesley would’ve said something dismissive in return, trying to convince him otherwise, but… he was busy stuffing his entire face full of Neuvillette’s juicy pussy. He fucked him on his tongue alone, eating him out the way a proper man should. Both of his arms had wrapped themselves around Neuvillette’s upper thighs, holding him as close to his face as humanly possible, making sure he couldn’t slip away.

Despite his best intentions, he himself moaned against those folds, licking up any juices he could find. His mouth moved upwards shortly, lips encircling that tiny clitoris–

Neuvillette’s back arched off the bed accompanied by a short scream. He unwillingly pulled at the Duke’s hair in the process, but it only prompted Wriothesley to smirk. It was a sign he was doing a good job.

If his partner wasn’t wailing and trying to tear his head off, was he really eating him out properly?

“W-Wri-nghhhhh!! So-Some… something’s co-co… mmhhhhnnng!!”

The Iudex threw his head left and right, clawing his fingers into Wriothesley’s thick head of hair. His lower place was tingling, and he felt something approaching – something he had never felt before. It was accumulating in his lower stomach, getting bigger and bigger, urged on by Wriothesley sucking on his clit.

It was too much, he was melting, he was going to go insane–

“Wri-WriothesleeEEEEYYY!!” Neuvillette screamed as he came, his legs automatically pushing themselves close, squishing the Duke’s face. Wriothesley wore the world’s biggest grin as he eagerly savoured the fluid that gushed out, enjoying the pressure of being squashed like that.

That orgasm left Neuvillette trembling. By the time the worst had passed, he was lying back on the bed, desperately trying to not pass out from the ecstasy of what he had just experienced. His legs eventually eased up, and the Duke finally let go of his clit – giving his trembling folds one last lick before he let him rest.

When Neuvillette looked up, he found the Duke’s face to be drenched – a pleased smirk on his face.

“Ah… Ap… Apologies…” Neuvillette barely got out, his body still shivering. He was so out of it that he couldn’t even feel shame – his eyes stuck on the pearls of fluid clinging to the Duke’s chin.

Said Duke liked his lips as if he had just consumed a fine meal at a high-end restaurant.

“Was that good?” he cockily asked him. When the tired stripper merely nodded, he pushed his chest out with nothing but pride. “Your first time’s supposed to be that good. I’ll always treat you well like that, darling.”

“D-… Do you… need…?” Neuvillette tried to formulate, his words however not really coming to him. He glanced downwards to where Wriothesley’s pants were in line of sight – the sizeable tent painfully obvious.

The Duke did look down as well, a half-smile on his face.

“No need to stress out over that, darling. I can take care of it myself.”

He was quietly thinking to himself that the adjacent bathroom would have to do, but…

“May… May I… see?”

Oh. Oho.

Someone was eager to learn the ins and outs of sex.

“Sure, darling,” Wriothesley chuckled, sliding off the bed to stand up straight. He was still fully clothed, so it was almost a bit dominating to see him merely opening his belt and pants, pulling them down just enough to push his underwear out of the day–

When his cock sprang free, Neuvillette’s eyes visibly widened, his mouth slightly agape. Wriothesley couldn’t help himself from feeling absolutely smug.

Neuvillette… had never seen anything like this. He knew what a dick looked like, but… he had never seen one up close. And… and certainly nothing of this size…

“M… May I…?”

So innocent. Hah, that would change soon.

“Sure. Knock yourself out.” And with those words, Wriothesley stepped up to the bed, watching how Neuvillette slowly pushed himself up on his knees so he could scoot closer to the edge.

This close, Wriothesley’s cock was intimidating. A musky smell hit him – the scent of a man. So… so unlike anything he had ever experienced.

Slowly, Neuvillette reached out and tried to wrap one hand around it – and it wasn’t enough. He couldn’t close it.

He swallowed heavily, bringing his second hand up to help. Underneath his fingers, Wriothesley’s cock was hot, pulsing with vitality and need. Thick veins ran alongside the shaft, leading up to an exposed red tip that was waiting for him – staring him right in the face.

This was so incredibly intimate…

“You can give the tip a kiss if you want,” Wriothesley murmured, confidence back in his eyes. From his position above him, he looked to be completely in control – full of lust. “Any touch will feel good.”

Neuvillette glanced up to him for a moment, before slowly coming forward. He placed a singular kiss on the tip – and he felt the burning heat on his lips, un unforgettable feeling. It was way harder than Wriothesley’s mouth… sturdier.

Above him, Wriothesley breathed heavily as he witnessed the kiss. Inside of his mind, he was screaming about how fucking hot that was.

He needed more.

“You can try to wrap your lips around the tip. Treat it like a lollipop…”

That sounded reasonable enough…

And so Neuvillette slowly parted his lips and allowed the tip to slide on inside. Above him, Wriothesley cursed with increasing need – a few gasps leaving him.

“So fucking good, darling… that’s it… keep your teeth out of the way…”

Teeth, of course… he didn’t want to hurt him.

So Neuvillette opened his mouth a bit wider than before, and he let the tip rest on the beginning of his tongue. He couldn’t help himself from swiping over the head once, wishing to know what it felt like…

“Fuuuuuuuck!” Wriothesley groaned again, his head thrown back. He was obviously straining in his position. “G-Good fucking god, that’s… that’s perfect darling… so talented… ngh…”

This was straight out of his wet dreams. He had always dreamed of having Neuvillette suck him off, but this… fuck, it was so much better.

“I-If you’re comfortable, you can… ngh… take more in…”

Whatever he was doing, Wriothesley seemed to like it. Seeing the Duke lose his composure like this was… exhilarating. So, Neuvillette pushed his head further ahead, taking more and more in – until the tip hit the back of his throat.

Immediately, his gag reflex kicked in and he pulled back, coughing violently. One of Wriothesley’s big hands was on his hair, stroking him.

“Sh-Shit, sorry darling… should’ve warned you…”

When Neuvillette looked up, he saw pearls of sweat clinging to Wriothesley’s forehead. He was that much affected by his actions. It was… absolutely delicious.

“Don’t force yourshheeeehhhlllff!”

The rest of his words was lost in a moan  as Neuvillette swallowed his dick down again – this time only halfway to avoid triggering his gag reflex again. He held this position like this, allowing that thick length to rest on his tongue.

It was unlike anything he had ever experienced… but it wasn’t scary.

Above him, Wriothesley was still trying to breathe, unable to tell him what to do next. In that moment, Neuvillette remembered what Wriothesley had done to him – and so he decided to just give it a try.

He lightly sucked on the tip.

“FUUUUCK!!”

A spurt of warmth suddenly flooded his mouth. He hadn’t expected this, and so he almost choked on it. The dick in his mouth convulsed every few seconds, sending more of that liquid down his throat.

Not knowing what to do, Neuvillette just tried to swallow it – feeling how his mouth became sticky from the amount that was poured down his throat. It tasted… salty, tangy.

Eventually, no more liquid came out, and Neuvillette let Wriothesley’s dick fall out of his mouth, seeing how it slowly began to lose its rigidity. Whatever he had done… it must’ve been correct.

The Duke had to breathe for a few seconds before he managed to refocus his attention on Neuvillette – noting how droplets of cum were clinging to his rosy lips, his chin sticky from his release.

Fuck.

“Shit, shit, sorry darling, I wanted to warn you–“ Wriothesley apologized, digging in his pockets for a tissue. “Here, just spit it out.”

Yet when he held it out for Neuvillette, the stripper merely looked up and talked – showing Wriothesley that his mouth was empty. He had swallowed it whole.

Fuck fuck fuck.

“I’m sorry… was I not supposed to drink it…?”

Oh by the fucking Archons.

When Wriothesley woke up the next morning, he sleepily opened his eyes to the light of his alarm clock. Since he lived at the Fortress, there was no natural sunlight – not that he missed it that much. He spent a considerable amount of time in the Overworld anyway.

He wanted to sit up, but realized there was a weight on his right arm and chest. When he glanced down, he found Neuvillette to be asleep on him.

It took him a bit to realize what had happened – but then he felt an immense relief rush through him. For a moment… he had feared it had been another wet dream.

But this was real.

After all these months, he had finally confessed his feelings – and Neuvillette reciprocated them. They were a couple. They had even–

Wait. Neuvillette was covered with a blanket, but his upper body looked suspiciously bare. And his own chest was naked as well…

In a panic, he glanced around, trying to find any empty condom wrappers or used condoms they might’ve used. When he found none, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Okay, so they hadn’t gone all the way. Not… not that he minded, he was just worried that he might’ve been going too fast with Neuvillette since he was rather inexperienced in everything and the likes…

His quiet panic must’ve woken Neuvillette up, because the Iudex quietly made a noise as his eyes fluttered open. There was a brief moment of confusion, but then he seemed to remember what had happened – and greeted him with a groggy smile.

Fucking Archons was he pretty.

“Good morning… your Grace…” Neuvillette softly spoke. Immediately, Wriothesley felt as if every shitty little thing that had ever happened in his life was gone.

All that mattered was Neuvillette… and fuck he was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

“Morning, sweetness,” he purred against his lips. He craned his neck so he could give him a kiss, which was accepted by his new partner. Then, they just cuddled for a bit longer.

“Guess we’re finally a thing now,” Wriothesley chuckled, holding him close. “Gods I’m glad…”

“As am I…” Neuvillette muttered, letting his eyes fall close. He rested his head on the Duke’s warm chest, listening to that fluttering heartbeat.

He could remain like this for all eternity…

Things changed… but not all that much.

Wriothesley took ‘care’ of his problem with him not being able to get out of his lease. Though he refused to tell him what exactly he had done, Neuvillette had to note that his landlord had suddenly been nothing but kind when they had discussed the new special contract that allowed him to get out without a permanent entry in his record…

Neuvillette wasn’t a fool. At this point, he had realized that Wriothesley was the leader of an underground group – a so-called mafia. Just like the Spina di Rosula, he was the leader of a bunch of people, their base of operations in the abandoned Fortress of Meropide. Due to the Fortress’ location being unknown, they could operate without any problems.

Of course, Neuvillette moved into the Fortress of Meropide to be by his beloved’s side – and, even better – be surrounded by the Melusines. He quickly grew fond of every single one of them, and he’d spend a considerable amount of time taking care of them, listening to their stories and woes, and teaching them about anything that they were barred from learning.

He hated knowing that they were mistreated like this. It only urged him on to continue with his studies so he could become a judge and overturn some of these laws. If he became powerful and known enough, perhaps… he could change Fontaine for good.

The one thing Wriothesley wasn’t exactly happy about was that he continued to dance in that strip club. He knew that his lover wasn’t fond of him being stared at or touched by other men, but Neuvillette also felt guilty leaving this job behind so soon. He actually quite enjoyed dancing.

Plus, Lady Furina was a friend at this point. Talking to her everyday was… part of his routine now.

So, nowadays he lived at the Fortress, commuted to the university, went to work his twilight shift, and returned to the Fortress so he could snuggle with Wriothesley at night. He did stop working on the weekend but only because Furina had also stopped working weekends. Apparently… she had found a ‘benefactor’ of her own, as she had smugly put it.

Life was good. Everything finally seemed to get better.

The only thing that still kept puzzling him… was the reoccurrence of that familiar feeling. As if he had lived through certain situations before, as if he remembered something from a long, long time ago.

That feeling never left him.

Neuvillette could tell that Wriothesley was a bit on edge as they were on the way home. His last shift had been… full of men who were way too gropey.

The Duke was so overprotective that he would still sit in with each and every one of his shifts, watching him from the VIP seats. Of course, this also meant that he kept other patrons in check… and during that night, he had his men constantly on the run to take care of ‘unruly’ clients.

During the ride home, Wriothesley’s hand was permanently on his upper thigh, stroking him. He put kisses on his neck, even suckling a few more hickeys on his neck – just about everything he could do to make sure others knew he was taken.

And when they finally got home, entering their bedroom…

Neuvillette whimpered as Wriothesley eagerly lapped over his pink nipple, taking one inside of his mouth to suckle on. He lightly nibbled on it, ghosting over it with his teeth, while his other hand was already in between Neuvillette’s legs, rubbing him through the thin fabric of his panties.

By the time the Duke sat back up, Neuvillette was already breathless. An intense lust had overtaken Wriothesley’s eyes, darkened by need and possessiveness.

“You’re soaking wet down there,” he chuckled, pulling his hand back to show it to him. Of course, Neuvillette bashfully looked away when he realized Wriothesley’s hand was dripping with his juices… and he had only been rubbing him through his panties.

He had turned into… a pervert over these past few months.

“Neuvi, I… I gotta have you,” Wriothesley winced, though it was more out of lust than actually being hurt. “I wanted to take things slow with you, but… I’m reaching my limit, darling. I can’t stand it when other men touch you.”

And Neuvillette… though with a flushed face, slowly nodded. There was a smile on his face.

“…Of course, dear.”

Wriothesley’s breath hitched – a gulp following.

“…Really? I can… I can fuck you?”

Another nod.

“In here? Right in here?” Wriothesley experimentally pressed against Neuvillette’s panties, prompting the Iudex to whimper.

Again, Neuvillette nodded – and this time, there was an almost… mischievous smile on his face.

“…I was ready since… our first night together.”

That small taunt… backfired quite clearly, as Wriothesley practically pounced on him. Before he knew what was happening, his panties were hastily ripped off, and Neuvillette found his legs being spread open by the imposing form of the Duke in between them – breathing heavily, shedding his tie and shirt, fumbling with his belt.

He looked like an animal in rut.

“Shit, shit, sweetness, you devious thing–“

The moment his dick was free, Wriothesley barely managed to scrunch together two brain cells to open his bedside drawer to dig around–

Only to come up empty.

He frowned, quickly walking to the other one to look through there, all while Neuvillette was waiting on the bed. Eventually, the Duke stood up and groaned in frustration.

“Seriously? No condoms? Now??”

It was adorable to see how much Wriothesley despaired in that moment. Neuvillette weakly smiled, weighing his options – but if there was one thing that Wriothesley had accidentally taught him, then it was… to sometimes make impulsive decisions.

“It’s fine, dear…”

The Duke tilted his head, not exactly catching up to his train of thought. Neuvillette… though a bit bashful, laid back on the bed and spread his legs, openly inviting him to return to his position.

Wriothesley finally understood what he meant – and though he normally was one for thinking things through, he was a bit too horny in that moment…

“Alright, I’ll just pull out in time. Easy,” Wriothesley muttered with a smug grin. He returned to his position between Neuvillette’s legs and took a moment to just gaze at him.

Fucking Archons he was so pretty. Legs spread far apart, a blush colouring his flustered expression, eyes half-lidded as he awaited him…

Fuck fuck fuck.

He carefully lined his dick up with Neuvillette’s virgin pussy, enjoying how his lover flinched ever so slightly at the foreign feeling. The stripper was trying his best to remain calm about it, but it was clear that now that the inevitable moment had come, he was a bit nervous about it after all…

“Hey, look at me, sweetness,” Wriothesley instructed him, smiling at his lover when the other did just that. “It’ll hurt a bit but it’ll pass soon – I promise.”

Wriothesley lowered his face once more to gently place a kiss on Neuvillette’s lips, which the other reciprocated. While one of his scarred hands remained on his dick to help him ease inside, the other came to wrap itself around Neuvillette’s back to make sure he’d feel safe and secure all while he was being deflowered.

And, finally, he took a deep breath before slowly breaching Neuvillette’s pussy.

“Fuuuuck… shit, you’re tight…” he groaned, taking his time to push inside slowly. As expected, Neuvillette whimpered underneath him, unwillingly clenching on his dick at the foreign sensation. To ease that, Wriothesley placed another kiss on his lips.

“Relax, sweetness… My gorgeous darling…”

A few murmured pet names, and Neuvillette slowly eased up on his dick, allowing him to push inside further. At this point, the stripper began whimpering, unable to hold back the quiet sounds of pain.

“I-Is it inside yet…?” he meekly asked, breathing a sigh of relief when he felt Wriothesley holding him even closer than before. His lower area was aching in pain, the stretch uncomfortable, new and foreign…

“Bit more to go I’m afraid…” Wriothesley chuckled, seeming awfully pleased about himself. “Halfway…”

“T-There’s more?” a pathetic whimper, which caused the mafia boss to laugh even.

“Thanks for the complement, darling.”

At one point, Wriothesley felt he was nudging against something. He knew quite well what that was, but he also knew that it was going to be really unpleasant for Neuvillette, so…

“Hold onto me, sweetness. Gonna hurt.”

Immediately, Neuvillette wrapped both of his arms around his neck and pressed his eyes shut in preparation. To spare him any more agony, Wriothesley breathed out once, and then thrust the rest of the way inside in one smooth go, ripping his hymen in the process.

“Ngghhh… agghh… ghhhh…” Neuvillette pathetically whimpered around his cock, trying to supress the need to shed tears. It burned uncomfortably, and it didn’t help that this sharp pain was only slowly fading away.

Wriothesley gently kissed the length of his neck up and down, distracting him with his tongue and teeth.

“Worst is over, darling…” a soft murmur. “You’re doing amazing…”

What he didn’t let on was how fucking close he was to coming right here and now. He has had sex before with the occasional man or woman, but… no one got even remotely close to how good Neuvillette felt.

He was so tight and warm around his cock that it made him want to hump him like a rabid dog. Not only that, but he was perfect, able to take his entire length without so much as a whimper. Fuck, he was so good around his cock.

They shared a few more kisses until Neuvillette finally laid back down, a delirious expression in his eyes.

“D-… Dear… you can… go…”

Now that they were this intimate, he was really bashful… but that was exactly what he loved about him.

“Gorgeous, darling…” he rasped against his ear, licking over it which tore another tremble out of Neuvillette. In the same moment, he pulled out about halfway and slowly thrust back in, being rewarded with a tiny gasp.

No need for lube or anything – Neuvillette was drenched down there. It was his first time, and he was already putting any experienced whore to shame.

Neuvillette was just perfect.

Wriothesley carefully set a slow rhythm, trying to hold himself back enough to not immediately fuck Neuvillette senseless. Even though he himself preferred harsh, brutal sex, he reined himself in to keep it vanilla for now.

Each of his thrusts was rewarded by a quiet gasp followed by Neuvillette’s pussy clenching down on his cock before relaxing. That virgin cunt was still so inexperienced, walls struggling to accommodate something monstrous like his dick right at the beginning… but it felt so fucking good, nonetheless.

Underneath him, Neuvillette whimpered as the painful sensation slowly began to dull out in favour of this weird, tingling feeling that began to bubble up in his lower area. Each time that big cock would push back inside, this foreign pleasure would spread in his stomach area, prompting him to tighten up around him.

Wriothesley was on top of him, putting so much weight on him, crushing him… but it felt good. His big cock was bullying his insides, while his tongue was on his ear and cheek, leaving wet trails of admiration, before giving him yet another kiss. Big hands were roaming over his chest to pinch his nipples yet again, which prompted him to loudly whine.

He was so sensitive around there after all this time. That singular noise prompted Wriothesley to grin, as he refocused his attention on just that – flicking a pink nipple before rolling it in between his fingers, twirling it for fun…

“G-Gaahhh… t-too… much… d-dear…!” Neuvillette wetly gasped, arching his back in response. That building pressure in his lower area was getting stronger, and now that Wriothesley’s thrusts were speeding up, he was getting closer and closer.

Despite trying to stop himself, Wriothesley found himself groaning in pleasure with each thrust, enjoying how every flick of his finger prompted Neuvillette’s pussy to tighten up around him. He couldn’t help himself from playing with him, couldn’t help himself from losing himself in that moment…

Remember to pull out. Gotta pull out soon. Don’t forget…

Fuck Neuvillette’s tiny cunt was so good on his cock. Fuuuuck…

“Nghhh… haaah… p-please… ughhhhuu… W-Wrio…!” Neuvillette oh so sweetly begged him. He didn’t need to say any more than this for Wriothesley to seal their lips together, hungrily kissing him–

Neuvillette loudly whined into this kiss as he suddenly clenched down on his dick. His legs crossed themselves behind his back, and his fingers dug red marks into his neck as he reached his climax all so suddenly.

Pull out, pull out, pull out, pull out–

His darling bit his lower lip by accident – and Wriothesley felt how that familiar pressure in his lower back increased tenfold.

Fuuuuuuuuuuck!!

With a loud groan, his hips stuttered into Neuvillette, just moments too late. His vision turned white from how good his orgasm felt, and he blissed out for just a bit too long – all while he spilled himself into Neuvillette’s virgin cunt, sticky cum flooding his insides despite his best intentions.

He finally collapsed on top of him and just breathed, their kiss finally over. His lover was gasping for air, drool clinging to the corners of his lips. That virgin pussy was still clenching down on his dick every now and then as the after waves of his orgasm were still running through him.

By the time Wriothesley managed to scramble together two fleeting brain cells, he had finished shooting his load – prompting him to groan in embarrassment.

“S-Shit… sweetness, I’m so sorry, I…”

He immediately pulled out, which… probably didn’t do anything at this point. Now, he just got to watch as Neuvillette’s lips twitched ever so slightly before the first trickles of white were spilling out. That sight alone prompted his dick to twitch and his embarrassment to skyrocket.

“Ah, fucking fantastic, idiot… Since when is my pull-out game that bad?” he whined to himself, which was all watched by Neuvillette with genuine interest.

Truthfully… feeling that pooling warmth inside of him was a bit foreign, but… knowing that he was running a real risk of falling pregnant wasn’t that bad. A bit unexpected, yes… but anything could be handled accordingly.

“Don’t worry about it, your Grace,” he muttered lovingly as he also sat up. Wriothesley wouldn’t even look at him without feeling like an idiot, which prompted the stripper to chuckle.

He placed a soft kiss on the other’s lips and merely cuddled up to him.

“What’s done is done. Whether I conceive or not depends on the day anyway, so there is a good chance nothing will happen tonight…”

However… though those words were meant as a means to comfort the Duke, the other suddenly looked at him with what one could only describe as… barely repressed hunger.

“…So you’re saying it’s fine today?” came the loaded question. Something about that was off, and the way there was a smirk on Wriothesley’s face…

…Odd.

“If I remember correctly, it should be fine toni–”

All he managed was to yelp before he found himself back on their bed – the Duke on top of him plastering more and more kisses on his face. By the time he felt that straining erection pressing against his leg, he understood what he had accidentally also acknowledged.

Ah… so his Grace was still a bit pent-up.

Well… it was nothing he couldn’t handle, surely.

Surely, he–

“…gaahhh… ahhhha…. Uhhhh…”

Neuvillettte was lulling, feeling drool dripping down his tongue. His own face was so hot that he felt dizzy – but he couldn’t really tell up apart from down anymore.

“Shit… still so tight…” Wriothesley moaned behind him as he pulled out with a decisive tug. Neuvillette’s legs trembled as cum immediately dripped down onto the sheets, small trickles clinging to his inner thighs as they made their way down.

It was too much for his womb to hold in anymore. His belly was already full, protruding outwards slightly from having been fucked full over the past few hours.

Wriothesley chuckled as he let his hand roam over the curve of his stomach before pressing up slightly. He watched in awe as Neuvillette whimpered under him, while a big glob of semen was forced out of his pussy, staining the mattress even further.

“Not bad… you can hold about five loads. Knew that my darling is better than anyone else…” the Duke softly praised him, stroking his butt with admiration before rolling him onto his back.

At this point, Neuvillette was completely fucked out. His pussy kept clenching around nothing, so used to the fact that a cock was usually right in there…

Wriothesley leaned down to suckle at one of his already abused nipples. They were red from all the mistreatment, but he still enjoyed bullying them some more – especially because it caused Neuvillette to whine oh so sweetly. Words weren’t really at his disposal anymore, but it was fine.

As long as he wasn’t passing out, he was good.

“Honestly, I’m kinda insulted if you don’t end up pregnant…” the Duke chuckled before thrusting back inside, enjoying how an unholy amount of cum spurted out in that initial intrusion. Neuvillette merely whimpered, tears clinging to his cheeks as he was subjected to his own lust.

One of Wriothesley’s hands sneaked itself down to rub his clit yet again, and–

“G-GaahahAHAHHH!!”

Neuvillette came on his cock for the twentieth time in a row. He was probably so out of his mind right now that it was a miracle he could still make noises. It was rather impressive given he had been a virgin just a mere few hours ago, but…

Wriothesley chuckled quietly as he resumed his thrusts, his hands grasping both of Neuvillette’s knees to push them all the way against his chest, folding him in half. That way, he managed to drive his cock even deeper inside, and that way he could watch how it kept poking out from underneath the skin, way too big for Neuvillette’s delicate body to handle.

“Gorgeous, babe…” he praised him with a low tone. Neuvillette’s watery eyes were transfixed on him, lips trembling as he was probably already working towards another orgasm. A virgin should’ve been having a hard time getting aroused, but… it seemed Neuvillette was just that different.

Hah, perhaps he wasn’t a human at all. Who knew.

“No one can ever keep up with me… you’re the first…” he continued mumbling, moaning with every other thrust. He was probably fucking himself raw, but he just had to do it.

No one knew how pent-up he was – now that he had a chance to let off some steam, he’d use it to its fullest… until Neuvillette couldn’t take him anymore.

But his dear darling had never indicated even once that he wanted a break. Even when he had been reduced to moans and whimpers, he’d still pull him in close, would still cross his legs behind his back, and would still push his hips back into him…

With a low groan, Wriothesley already spilled inside again. His own stamina was waning, so he’d probably be done after a few more rounds… but as long as he had cum in his balls, he’d make sure to breed Neuvillette fully.

Fucking Archons, why was the thought of breeding turning him on so much?

“Amazing, darling… just a few more rounds… babe… hah…”

By the next morning, Wriothesley was positive that his balls were about to fall off. He moved only a little bit and already whimpered like a kicked dog, clutching his dick in pain.

He wasn’t getting any younger. Being in his 30s sucked–

“Good morning, dear.”

Wriothesley looked up to see Neuvillette walking out of the en-suite bathroom, hair damp from a presumable shower. He was wearing one of Wriothesley’s shirts which was barely covering his thighs…

It hurt when he felt his cock trying to twitch awake, but he was just too damn fucked-out to get an erection now…

“Darling… aren’t you… hurting?” he carefully questioned the stripper.

In that moment, his pride took a giant hit when Neuvillette merely tilted his head in question – voice void of any sort of discomfort.

“Mh? Of course not.”

Aight, fine, he was fucking old alright…

Whenever Wriothesley had another meeting a potential business associate, he usually had Neuvillette dance for him at the club – just so he could keep an eye on him. Like that, Neuvillette got to meet quite a few names… people who were partially even wanted by the law.

The infamous boss of the Spina di Rosula – Navia Caspar.

She led an organization mainly focused on helping people – off the radar, doing things the way they weren’t supposed to. If it hadn’t been for her, about 15% of Fontainians would’ve just died on the streets or starved to death.

By her side was one of the most well-known and feared people – a woman who the government had been trying to catch for years.

The Champion Duelist – Clorinde.

Defending one’s honour by means of a duel was no longer allowed in Fontaine, so her position didn’t even exist anymore. She had taken up that name in support of Navia. Instead of allowing people to defend their honour, she purposefully sought out soldiers and law enforcers of Fontaine who were corrupt, bringing justice upon them.

The Fourth of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers – the ‘Knave’, Arlecchino.

Now this was the lady he had met before. She was Furina’s benefactor as he now found out (since his friend was there at this meeting too). Unlike the others, she wasn’t a Fontainian – she ran an orphanage in their land, and her sole focus was on keeping them safe. Of them all, she was the most mysterious.

And this meeting that they were having included her.

“Two more women have disappeared,” she finally concluded while swirling the contents of her glass. Her favourite droplet was sitting next to her, eating a piece of cake (because of course she was).

“Miss Navia has come up empty as well,” Wriothesley crossed his arms before his chest. Neuvillette was sitting next to him, quietly reading a law textbook (he had an exam the next morning).

A cold huff escaped Arlecchino. While the two bosses of their respective organizations seemed to be involved in a deep, worrying discussion, Furina and Neuvillette were… well…

“There really was a law like that?” Furina raised an eyebrow. “The Hydro Archon’s name? Really?”

“Yes,” the law student nodded, pointing on the entry he had looked for. “The name is unknown, but it clearly states that no domestic pets are to be named like the Archon.”

“That Hydro Archon sure was weird…”

Next to them, the Knave crossed her legs, looking ahead in a contemplative manner.

“This Sinthe Underground Trading Ring has caused the government quite a headache. A big crackdown is expected to come soon.”

“Yeah, sure,” Wriothesley rolled his eyes, “because they’ve been that competent in eliminating any dealers. Most of that came from us…”

Furina checked her make-up in a small portable mirror.

“Arle recently brought home Pluie Lotus Tea…”

“Pluie Lotus Tea? Lady Furina… are you pregnant…?”

“Nooooo! Wait, why do you know what Pluie Lotus Tea is for?”

“…I just know.”

“…Are you pregnant?”

“No.”

Wriothesley and Arlecchino shortly interrupted their own discussion to look over to the side – taking in how Furina and Neuvillette were quietly ‘bickering’ with each other. They had only partially heard what had been discussed before, but now that they were focusing on that conversation…

“Just confess that you’re pregnant! I know!”

“For the last time, it is highly unlikely that–“

“Neuvi, why didn’t you use protection?!”

“Why are you lecturing me on the importance of protection if you yourself are pregnant…”

“I’m not pregnant!!”

So… despite the seriousness of the topic (just pertaining to the future of Fontaine…) Wriothesley and Arlecchino were exchanging questioning looks – their minds seemingly connecting for a moment.

‘Why are they accusing each other of being pregnant?’

Wriothesley was still laughing as they entered the Administrative Zone. Next to him, Neuvillette grumbled bashfully.

“I just know what Pluie Lotus Tea is used for…”

“All good, sweetness – you know how pregnancy hormones are.”

“Lady Furina isn’t pregnant…”

“Yeah, I know.”

“…Dear, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Heh.”

“I’m not–”

“Your Grace,” sounded the voice of a Melusine. Moments later, Sedene was in front of him. Her expression was serious.

Immediately, the two men dropped their topic when they realized the seriousness of this situation. A look like that was never good.

“What’s wrong, Sedene?” Wriothesley switched over to his boss mode – now serious and concentrated.

Before them, the Melusine tried to keep her composure, but it was clear she was worried.

“I can’t find Sigewinne anywhere. She said she was just going out to gather some herbs, but it’s been hours…”

“Where?” Neuvillette suddenly interjected. His gaze was unreadable, but his body language told Wriothesley everything he needed to know.

“Just outside of the Court of Fontaine. I warned her that going outside wasn’t a good idea right now – the wind is blowing so much that her hood is prone to falling off at any given moment…”

“Please do not worry, Sedene,” Neuvillette softly spoke, a hand placed on the Melusine’s head. He gently pet her – giving her a loving smile, as if nothing was wrong. “We will find her. Please make sure that all of your sisters are accounted for.”

Sedene nodded and ran off – and it was then that Wriothesley turned to Neuvillette, a frown on his face.

“I can’t let you go with me.”

“Dear, Sigewinne is missing.”

“There is a 99% chance this was deliberate. I’m gonna deal with this myself.”

“I can’t sit around and do nothing.”

“Neuvi, these types of men have guns. What do you have?”

Quietly, Neuvillette bit his lower lip.

He knew that realistically, there was nothing he could do. Unlike Wriothesley, he had no experience with hostage situations, he didn’t know how to negotiate with aggressors, and he had no means of fighting back. But…

“It’s Sigewinne,” he quietly spoke again.

Wriothesley’s hand came up and cupped his cheek – and when he looked up to his lover, a smile was on Wriothesley’s face. The type of smile that said ‘Everything will be just fine’.

“Just let me deal with it. You take care of the other Melusines, okay? Wait for my return.”

The Duke softly placed a kiss to his lips, before urgently rushing off – yelling for his guards. An army of men followed him, and they all disappeared into the next tunnel.

Neuvillette just stood there and grabbed his own shirt out of frustration – feeling helpless. At the end of the day, he was just a powerless human… nothing more.

At the end of the day, he was just a stripper, just a student, just a nobody. He couldn’t fight, he couldn’t lead, he couldn’t do anything.

…

But the Melusines…

Sigewinne…

…

Sedene hurriedly turned the corner, an armada of her sisters next to her.

“Your Grace, Neuvillette, we–”

She came to a running stop, looking around in confusion. Talochard behind her looked on with concern.

“…Where are they?”

The rain was heavily pouring down on them – yet these particular humans had no regard for it.

“Stupid fucking bitch!”

A terrified whimper, and the sound of someone being thrown against a wall. Sigewinne coughed in pain, her body trembling from fear and the cold, yet found herself unable to get up anymore. Bruises were blooming all over her semi-human body, but it did not matter.

No matter how much she tried to look like one… she would never be one.

“You things aren’t even supposed to be in the city,” one of the man spat, the knife in his hand grasped tightly. “You know they’re about to pass a death sentence on you monsters, right?”

Monsters.

This wasn’t what they were… they weren’t… hoping to hurt anyone…

“Please…” she gasped, trying to appeal to their humanity – to what she hoped was still there. “I… I never want to hurt–”

“You ain’t gonna hurt anyone anymore!” a guy growled and harshly grabbed her by the hair, pulling her up by it. Sigewinne yelped and struggled, tears coming to her eyes – her breathing stilling when she saw the glow of a knife in this man’s hand.

“You should’ve never been born!!”

A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, and Sigewinne screamed in fear – all just for the man to be harshly shoved to the ground from behind. He yelled as well, losing his footing and slipping on the wet ground. His grasp on Sigewinne lessened so much that she fell out of his grasp.

“What the–?!” one of the other two yelled, as he only saw a shadow run past him.

Before Sigewinne knew what was happening, she was tightly held in the embrace of another human. His heavy breathing and clothing made him recognizable to her – and her heart both rejoiced and stilled at the realization that it was…

“N-Neuvillette…?”

“What fucking stupid asshole–?!” the man from before was getting up to his feet – only to halt when he realized that a barely clothed man was now holding the Melusine closely.

Blue high heels meant for dancing, slutty white bottoms barely covering his private area, and a white top with a white scarf on top. There was an exquisite feather adornment pinned to the side of his head… but the fact stood that this right there was just a stripper.

“Yo what?” one of the guys laughed, easing up in his position. “No way, you got knocked over by a fucking whore?!”

“Ah, shut up!! Who expects a fucking stripper to attack you from behind?!”

“Shit, man, look at this gorgeous piece of meat…”

Neuvillette grimaced, holding Sigewinne tightly. His alluring manner of clothing didn’t help intimidate these men at all – he had to do something.

“Leave her be this instant,” he hissed, standing up straight and pushing Sigewinne behind him to shield her. He hoped that he had a height advantage with his heels… which he did not have. These monsters were far taller than him.

“Pffff, ey, listen to that fucking whore!! Threatening us?!” a man broke out into laughter. It didn’t help that Neuvillette could discern a holster on the side of his hip – they were all armed to the teeth.

“Yeah, no, sweetheart – ya better shut your pretty little mouth unless you want us to shut you up,” the other guy growled, a disgusting hint of lust in his voice.

Finally, the third guy merely smirked at him – seeming all too pleased with the situation.

“Thanks for coming by, I guess. We get to kill a thing and get to fuck another one… win-win.”

A cold shiver tore through him.

Wriothesley had warned him about this. He had warned him about the fact that… he was just a stripper without any combat experience.

He couldn’t… win against three armed men.

“What that mouth do, honey?” one of the men taunted him, taking a step forward. Neuvillette, subconsciously, looked around for an escape route. The only way out was past these guys…

“Anyone got condoms? I ain’t fucking a hooker like that – bet he’s riddled with diseases just like those damn creatures.”

Their defences were low. If he surprised them…

Sigewinne was holding onto his legs with obvious fear. He had to do something.

“Maybe we can sell him afterwards. Don’t think any sane pimp would let their whores run around like that – gotta be a fresh one.”

Wait for an opening… an opening… an opening…

He needed an opening.

Now.

A bright flash of lightning and a loud thunder happened at the same time – behind Neuvillette. For just a moment, the men were blinded, shielding their eyes… and Neuvillette grabbed Sigewinne and sprinted past them without a moment’s hesitation.

That moment passed all too soon, and when the men realized they no longer had him cornered… they ran after him.

“Get that fucking whore!!”

Neuvillette turned the corner, holding as tightly onto Sigewinne as he could. The driver that had brought him here was close by – he just had to get back to his club and meet up with one of Wriothesley’s men. The direction was–

A loud bang and an exploding pain in his shoulder prompted him to scream. Sigewinne’s terrified voice was in his ear.

“N-Neuvillette! They shot you!!”

Of course. Of course they’d use their guns. Of… course…

He fell to his knees momentarily yet had enough strength to reach the nearby railing. Behind him, he could hear the men screaming after them… and he did the one thing he knew would save them.

With her in his arms, he threw himself over the railing – down the edge into a section of the Court that was in disrepair. These outer rings were long abandoned and forgotten, a place where crime ran rampant. This area was no different.

When he caught himself down on his feet, he yelped again when an immense pain tore through him. It felt like something had snapped or broken in his legs, but it was hard to tell. All he knew was that he couldn’t get up on his heels anymore–

Another warning shot barely missed him. They were still shooting at them.

“N-Neuvillette! You’re inj–”

“S-Sigewinne… keep running…!” he gasped, trying to keep it together despite tears welling up in his eyes. Something about this seemed so… familiar…

“I… I can’t leave you here!” she defiantly shook her head. Instead, she fell to her knees and quickly undid his shoes, helping him kick them off. When his naked feet touched on the wet, cold stone under them… something inside of him seemed to remember a similar scene.

…But from where?

“Now keep running!!”

And despite his ankle exploding in pain whenever he stepped on it, he did so nonetheless, keeping the Melusine close by. The street was in complete disrepair, sections crumbling off the side. There was a gaping tear in the earth right next to the Court of Fontaine, a leftover from the time of the Second Cataclysm.

No one dared to explore it – it was said to be riddled with monsters and Abyssal Energy, and–

Multiple bullets grazed them. The men were somewhere to their side up above, chasing them, trying to kill them. He couldn’t let them harm Sigewinne, he couldn’t!

Melusines.

They could swim.

Most humans in Fontaine hated water – they wouldn’t go after her if she fell into the sea.

He grit his teeth, feeling more tears welling up. She was trying to help him, she was trying to stay by his side, she was trying to make sure they would both survive–

Sigewinne yelped when she suddenly found herself being grasped by none other than Neuvillette. The human had come to a running stop, biting his lower lip – and when she managed to look at his face once, her eyes widened in realization.

“Neuvillette, NO–!!”

With all his strength, he threw Sigewinne off the nearby railing – watching how the small Melusine flailed in the air before hitting the water down below. It looked painful, but… but Wriothesley had assured him they were close to immortal and could heal from fatal injuries.

He just had to–

A bullet dug itself into his right upper thigh, prompting him to fall to his knees with a scream. Somewhere up above, the men yelled at each other, something about getting down there and ‘teaching him a lesson’.

He couldn’t run anymore. Everything hurt. As soon as they got him, they would torture and kill him.

Was this… what Fontaine was supposed to be? Was this the future the former Iudex would’ve wanted to see?

How could this world be right?

His tears fell to the ground – and as he tried to pull himself up on the railing, he felt the ground underneath him… give in. His eyes widened – and the voices of the nearby men only got louder.

“SINKHOLE!!”

Sinkhole… near the Court of Fontaine.

…Hah.

Perhaps the Second Cataclysm… had ruined Fontaine after all.

Neuvillette only managed to close his eyes as he lost his footing and felt how the street crumbled underneath him – sending him flying down into the crack he had seen earlier.

Teyvat was doomed to erosion after all.

…

Neuvillette slowly woke up to the sound of dripping water. He pushed himself up on the ground, surprised to have the feeling of grass under his fingers.

His body ached and his bullet wounds hurt, but… he was still alive. When he glanced upwards… he saw nothing. It was completely pitch black.

How far had he fallen? Was it a straight way down? Had something caught his fall and merely sent him… tumbling down all this way?

The faint sound of water could be heard. It seemed to be a cavernous system he was in now…

As he looked around, his eyes caught something on a nearby wall. It looked like… stone pictures. Something that had been engraved a long, long time ago. Littered with cracks and overgrown with moss, but… still intact.

…Why was this down here?

Neuvillette whimpered as he forced himself up on his feet. Everything really, really hurt. His gunshot wounds were bleeding, and his stomach hurt so much that he was sure he was injured on the inside too. He had done all of this to save Sigewinne, but… at what cost?

…Wriothesley…

When he finally reached that picture, he blinked slowly. Nearby flowers were giving off light, making him wonder how far down he had fallen. Was he still in… Fontaine?

But… he could still see something.

A figure with long hair standing high above a mass of people, clutching a cane. By his side was a man with short hair and what looked to be a strange contraption around his arm.

They looked happy.

Then there was the long-haired figure holding a small bundle in his arm – a baby, perhaps? The same short-haired man was by his side, watching over both of them.

This time, there was more space towards the sky – there was a crack right there. It looked like… the beginnings of an eye opening up, looking down on them.

An allegory… for the Heavenly Principles, perhaps?

In the third picture was a grown woman with short hair, holding a fist clutched towards the sky. Above her, the crack had gotten bigger – and numerous nails were hovering just above her, ready to strike down.

The eye… was fully open now.

Now there was pure chaos. The Court of Fontaine was half-destroyed. Monsters as he had seen them in his textbooks were prowling around, tearing people in half.

The woman from before was high above the city – another woman with long hair holding her by the neck. Outlines of a box were forming themselves around the short-haired woman.

Below her, the same long-haired man and short-haired man were reaching their hands out to her.

And finally…

Neuvillette quietly blinked. Tears were running down his face without realizing it.

The short-haired man laid on the ground, held tightly by the long-haired man. What looked to be a… nail… was driven through his chest.

Around them, corpses of people were strewn all about – the only one remaining was the long-haired man.

In the sky… the eye had closed itself as if it had seen enough.

Slowly, Neuvillette reached out towards the final picture – letting his fingers touch upon the carving of the bleeding man.

A painful ache tore through his mind in that moment.

“P ̸͑̕ ̈ ͌̅̈́͒̓͋͑͂͘ ̈ ̠̮̙̟͝ ̧ ̭̯͔̜ l ̴͚͋͛ e̶ ͛̽̍ ̇̊ ̈́ ̆ ̠͈͙͉͉͔̗̲͇̟͉̜͕ a ̴͔͋̏̽ ̣s ̸͝ ̂ ̟͎̰̤͖̔̍̽͛͗́͘͠ ͅ ̩̗̬ ̧ ̙ e ̷͋ ̉ ́͝ ̀ ̱̓̍ ̨ ̗̹̯̘ ͅ ̡͎̗ ̨ ̡ ̨ ̞̯ ”

Static noises.

“O ̷̏ ̂ ̃ ͋ ̛ ͆͊ ̛ ͕͕̻̰̤̟̠͍̩͚͈͍͕̬͉͊͐͋̈́̚ p ̴̭͓͖̳̘̙̟̳̞͙̝̖͌̽͋͝ e ̴͗ ̛̃̀ ̾͒ ́ ͕̿̓͛͘͘ n̵ ͐͋ ̂ ̥͎̅̈́͒͠ ̨ ̗ ͅ ͙ ̵ ̈́͒̽̓́͝ ́ ͒̐͑ ̃ ̪ y̵̛ ̏̓̾͋́͝ ̊ ͗̏̚ ̛ ̘ o ̷̓͋ ̃ ͂̀͋̚ ̛ ̡̞̰̼͜ u̵ ̔ ̃ ̈́́̏ ̦ ̮̲ ̨ ͈͇̼ r̵ ̙̭̮̲̖̚͜ ̶ ͂ ̋̄ ̅͊̅ ̛ ̽̓̎ ̀ ̹ ̦ͅ ̩ e ̴͕̮̱͈̤̥͓̻͉̀͒͋͛̎ y ̷ ̉ ͇̚ ͅ ͔ e ̷ ̄ ̓̏̾̾͑̀̐̚ ̂ ̘̘̹̹̮̗͈̠͓̮͓̪̀̅͘͜ ̨ ̞ s̶ ͚̿͝ . ̴ ̉ ͚ ̨ ͎̠̺ ̣ ͚ ̨ ̻̗ ̣ ̡̭ ”

An unimaginable pain.

“M̵̯̥̓͜y̵̫̺̹̏̈̌ ̷͓̇͆͘b̵͉̮̄̌͝ê̷̬l̵̖͚͇͝ỏ̶̰̀̏v̵̘̪̩͑̕͝e̵͛͒ͅͅd̶̹̞̀.̷̨̀̉”

Fear.

“D̶͖̔o̵͖͂n̷͘ͅ'̴̈͜t̷̛̺ ̷̰̔l̶̫͌e̴͇͑a̴̠͘v̶̗̚e̶̤̿ ̵̡̓m̶͕̈e̷͎̓.̴̨͌”

Sobs.

“W ̸ r ̷ i ̸ o̵t ̸ h ̸ e̵s ̷ l ̷ e ̷ y̶. ̸ ”

Tears.

“I̷'̷m̸ ̴sorry.”

Crying.

“No… no…”

Regrets.

“Don’t die…”

Broken.

“You promised…”

Unfulfilled.

“I can’t… wait for you for the rest of my life…”

Loneliness.

“I can’t… do this…”

Anguish.

“W ̷͗̽͐̈́̈́͠ ̈ ͐̓̓͝ ̉ ̐̾̓ ̄ ͌̏͗̑ ̈ ̓̈́ ̄ ͊̕̕ ̊̄ ̡̹͇̓͒ ̧ͅͅ ̳̖̺̟ ̣ ̡̠̼̟̗̪͈̝̥̭̩̪̤͔̭̖̬ ̦ ̪̫̪̩̺̝̞̝̱̻ r ̴̓ ̆ ͔͇̖̝̮̘̭̼͇̰̜͔̘͊ i ̷͑ ̀ ̎͒͊ ̌ ̿̐͘ ̋ ̚ ̉ ͐͆̅́͘ ̌̈ ̢̺̻̖̝͗͜ ̧ ͇͓̮̙͇̘͖̤̖̺ o ̶ ͋̀̓̽͘ ̛̋ ̍͊ ̈ ̓͋͋͊͘ ̛̌ ̀̀ ̌ ̅ ̛ ̍̏ ̂̄ ́̔ ̧ ̭̟̙̝͈͇̰̘̭͉̫͎͜ ͅ ̡̺̬̖̼̖͇͖͓̻͈̘̘ ̨ ̡̞̯̘ t ̷̈́͋͗ ̒ ͐͆̓͋̚̕ ̀ ͒̀̚ ̉ ̂ ͒͐̐͠ ̄ ̈́͋͌͆̿͒͌͝ ̛ ͛ ̃ ̋ ̡͓̜̏͗͒ h ̸͌͂ ̆ ͌̎̈́̿̅́̽͒̚̕̕͝ ̂ ͗̿̓̏̅͐ ́ ̽͝ ̆ ͕̠̱̪͕̼̩̾͂̐̎ ̣ ̰̫̺̟̘͉̹̙͜ ͅ ̺ e ̸ ̉ ̋ ͌͘͠ ̛ ́̾͘ ̄ ͑͂͛̓̿ ̛̈ ͚͓͇̯̮͖͈̱̫̜ ̨ ̲̱͖̥̪̯̫̱͇̯̪̺͜ ̨ ͍̮̱̮̗ ̧ ̳̺̳̮̜̖̯̹͖̲̺̭̱̼ s ̶ ̰̝̼̹̤͔̟̰̥͍̫͙̳̓͆̈́̚͜ ̦ ̯̬̯ l ̷ ̌ ̏̓ ̈ ͂̐̎͝͝ ̦ ̺̟̠ ̣ ̨ ̥̟̱̺͚͙̺̥͉ ̧ ̤̻ e ̸͂͌͊ ̀ ̔̑ ̉̉ ̆ ̈́̓ ̛ ͋͊ ̈ ͕̅͂̅́ ̦ ̡͚̘̺̳͉͚̗̼̺̺͚͜ ̧ ̡͇͎͇̥͉̺͓̻̙̠ y ̸ ̋ ̈́̀ ̉ ͑̎̓͘ ̊ ́͂͗̚ ̛ ́ ̂ ̓̿͋̏̚͝ ̛ ̓ ̇ ͘ ̉ ̋ ̏ ̋̂ ̈́ ̛ ͂͛̎͗̑ ̛ ̈́̓͝͝ ̀ ̢̮̺̠̲̹̱̺̪̺̤̯̫͙̹͎̞͕͔̻̘͓̼͉̗̱͜ ̧ ̤̞̯̠̼̹̤͍͙͔̘̼ ̦ ”

“…ness…!”

…Voice…?

“…hear…?”

Someone… was calling for him…

“Op… eyes…!”

Familiar…

“Sweetness!”

Neuvillette opened his eyes with a deep gasp – and immediately wheezed in pain when everything hit him at once. Before he knew it, arms were tightly wrapped around him, and he was pushed into someone’s chest.

“Shit, okay, you’re fine, I’m here now, you’ll be fine…”

Wriothesley. That was Wriothesley…

When Neuvillette finally found the strength to look around, he still found himself in the same caverns as before. Just… now there was Wriothesley here too.

He looked… beaten. His clothes were partially torn, and he had a bleeding laceration on his forehead. Looked as if he had been through a terrible fight…

“D-Dear… you…” he tried himself at talking, whimpering when every breath hurt. His lover quickly put a kiss to his forehead to sooth him.

“All good, sweetness… I managed to find Sigewinne, and… she was being chased by a bunch of guys. After I got rid of ‘em, she let me know you fell into this place and I… kinda…”

He coughed, seeming a bit bashful about admitting a certain… fact.

“…Kinda jumped down here after you.”

Despite his injuries, Neuvillette had to frown. That alone prompted Wriothesley to wince like a beaten dog.

“Spare me your lecture, sweetness… I know in the old days, I would’ve gotten a Vision for that.”

Neuvillette managed to stare at him in quiet disappointment.

“…A Geo Vision for being as dense as a rock…”

“Hey!”

Immediately, they broke out into quiet laughter, each of them wincing when their respective injuries caught up to them. After that, Wriothesley raised his gaze.

“By the time I came here, you were passed out in front of this mural. You know…”

Wriothesley stared at it for a few more seconds.

“…When I touched it, I felt as if I had forgotten something important.”

So, he too…

“…I remembered something that… can’t be of my own memory,” Neuvillette murmured, letting himself be held tightly by Wriothesley. Just having the smell of his cologne this close was enough to calm him down, letting him forget that he had been shot twice and was probably still bleeding out. “Visions of Fontaine in the past…”

“Being destroyed by something,” Wriothesley muttered in agreement. “Did you see that stone carving over there? I think I understand why we remember this stuff…”

“Over… there?”

Neuvillette followed Wriothesley’s outstretched finger into one direction. There, near a dilapidated ruin, remained one last stone mural he hadn’t seen. Water trickled over it in a steady stream.

“You ought to see it. I think… it will explain everything that has happened so far…”

Wriothesley carried him over despite him being obviously injured himself. How they would make it out of here was beyond his comprehension… but for now, it was more important to focus on the fact they were still alive.

His lover carefully set him down and knelt down with him, sighing as he got to rest. Neuvillette’s eyes looked at the last mural.

The long-haired man from before with the short-haired man by his side, standing on the left side of the mural. Their hands were reached out, touching upon a barrier of sorts – and on the other side…

A long-haired man with barely any clothing on, and a short-haired man wearing a suit standing by his side. They had their hands reached out towards the barrier as well – unable to touch their… mirror self.

Above them, in the sky, was the eye… in the process of opening.

Neuvillette’s eyes flickered back and forth between the similar looking man.

Short-haired man… same scars. Same height. Same hairstyle.

Long-haired man… same hair length. Same ears. Same streaks sticking out of their hair…

“They’re…”

Wriothesley solemnly nodded by his side. There was no surprise in his voice or eyes.

“Those two… are the Duke and the Iudex of Fontaine. Their descriptions match what we barely know.”

“But those two on the other side, they…”

“…Look like us.”

An ancient mural from hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. How was this possible? Was this… similar to the prophecy from a long time ago?

“There is a new prophecy on the streets of Fontaine. Have you ever heard of it?” Wriothesley quietly asked him. When Neuvillette slowly shook his head, his lover’s half-lidded eyes refocused themselves on the mural.

“According to the prophecy, the Iudex will return to judge all those that he deems unworthy. Only once the tears of the nation have stirred his heart shall he give way to the rising waters.”

“The Iudex…”

Two people who looked way too similar to each other… apart by thousands of years ago. The Iudex, the Duke… and on the other side, it was… them. Them. Neuvillette and Wriothesley.

But… this meant that…

“Almost all of our nation’s records were lost during the Second Cataclysm,” Wriothesley mumbled next to him. He wrapped his arms tightly around Neuvillette and held him close – his eyes falling close. “…But the First Cataclysm destroyed an ancient civilization back then. How come… Fontaine survived something like the Second Cataclysm?”

Without realizing it, Neuvillette reached out to touch the mural. Soon after, Wriothesley’s hand laid itself over his – and they both stared at the people… that seemed to have been the same ones throughout the ages.

“Sweetness… I’m wondering…”

Neuvillette quietly turned to look at his lover. For the first time in their relationship, he… seemed a bit lost.

“…Do you think this has happened before?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I couldn’t… live long enough to see you return.”

“I couldn’t… keep our promise.”

“I’m sorry… dear…”

“…A time loop?” Neuvillette quietly replied.

Wriothesley pressed their foreheads together, prompting Neuvillette to close his eyes. This close… his lover felt so alive. So… familiar.

…As if he had known him for more than his entire life.

“I think… we’ve met before.”

In the skies high above Fontaine, a cracking sound could be heard.

Thin lines akin to the cracks within a mirror tore themselves through the sky itself… and within it, something stirred awake.

They stirred awake.

The Prophecy was about to come true.