Just moments ago, the tea had the proper aroma and color. But in the short time he’d stepped away, the color had changed. The cup in front of Keslan held the familiar shade Banteon remembered.
Only Banteon’s teacup glowed with a red hue.
‘Lately, I’ve been seeing this red aura far too often.’
Madam Ressot’s drug. Banteon remembered it as the drug that had recently driven Delroz into a rampage, but it had originally gained notoriety for a different purpose.
A stimulant used during nighttime liaisons, famous in certain circles—and to come across it here of all places. He had suspected that Keslan wasn’t quite what he seemed. Banteon had assumed the boy was just greedy and pretentious, but to be this brazen…
Despite using something like that so casually, he now sat across from him, pretending to hold back tears.
“Keslan.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Do you like the tea?”
Sniffling, having just barely stopped crying, Keslan nodded and lifted the teacup with trembling hands.
“Thank you… for agreeing to my request.”
No doubt the whole reason he’d begged so desperately for a simple cup of tea was to have a chance to spike it. According to Banteon’s research, Madam Ressot’s drugs came in many varieties. Some simply heightened sexual desire or boosted stamina. Others—clandestinely distributed—were meant for controlling slaves. There were even drugs capable of pushing Espers into violent frenzies.
What effect would this one have?
The red haze that clung to the surface of the tea mirrored an Esper’s aura. That alone was enough to tell him the drug had been mixed in. But what exactly it would do, that remained unclear. He was genuinely curious. What had Keslan hoped to achieve by drugging him?
He watched as Keslan blew gently on the hot tea and took small sips. The boy’s soft brown eyes stayed fixed on the cup, though they kept flicking toward Banteon, sneaking glances to see if he’d drink his.
Madam Ressot’s drugs were colorless and odorless. Keslan wouldn’t be able to see this red aura, which meant he likely had no idea Banteon had noticed.
Banteon carefully lifted his cup to his nose. As expected, the scent hadn’t changed. The same familiar, refreshing fragrance filled the air.
Without drinking, Banteon rose from his seat and poured the contents of his cup onto the tea tray beside the kettle.
“Sir, why did you do that all of a sudden?”
The voice that called from behind was raised—laced with confusion and embarrassment, the tone climbing half a pitch higher.
“So, Keslan. What did you put in here?”
“Wh-What?”
“It’s still too early for you to be touching Madam Ressot’s wares, isn’t it?”
Keslan’s head snapped up. His tear-streaked eyes were still red, not yet fully calmed. His face went pale with shock, and he bit down on his soft lip before managing to speak.
“I don’t know… what you mean…”
“……”
Banteon waited in silence until Keslan, clearly flustered, could gather himself. He sat back leisurely, folding his hands over one crossed knee. Keslan, torn between panic and guilt, finally realized he’d been completely found out. His face twisted, as if on the verge of crying.
“…How did you know?”
“That’s not what matters right now.”
He cut off the question coldly. How Banteon had discovered the drug was irrelevant. The moment he was caught, Keslan lost the right to ask. Banteon stared at him with a chill in his eyes.
“If I’d drunk that, you wouldn’t have come out of it unscathed either.”
This was the center of the Royal Esper Center. Kidnapping him unnoticed would’ve been impossible. At most, he might’ve had a single night’s satisfaction. After that, the punishment would follow. Reckless didn’t even begin to describe it. Perhaps he really was just a child.
“This changes nothing.”
“I know. I’ve always known you weren’t serious about me. That you were just having some fun. But still… I wanted more. I couldn’t help it.”
The voice burst out like a sob and began to rise in volume, overwhelmed with emotion.
“You’re the only one I’ve ever cared about! You said you liked curly hair, so I started growing mine out just to match what you liked… I thought about you all the time.”
As he kept spilling his feelings, Keslan looked up at Banteon with teary eyes. If he’d just accepted Banteon’s boundaries quietly, Banteon would’ve made sure he lived comfortably while continuing his career. That’s what he’d done with the others before. But this—this was different.
“You crossed the line.”
“I know.”
Keslan’s voice trembled as he forced the words through clenched teeth. Banteon turned his back as if he hadn’t heard the tearful tone. He should have summoned the security guards immediately, but instead, he let out a quiet sigh.
He had played with him for a long time. Dangling affection, leading him on, enjoying the tension for nearly a year. A long time. Long enough for anyone’s obsession to turn toxic. Banteon bore no small part in this outcome.
“I’ll let this one go. Pack up tomorrow and transfer to a different branch. Think of it as a parting gift.”
It was a final token for the time they’d shared. He might not be able to stay in the capital, but Banteon would ensure Keslan kept his rank as both Esper and noble. He didn’t bother looking at the boy who was undoubtedly falling apart behind him. Instead, he turned and began tidying the scattered teaware.
Just as he reached for the cupboard handle, his hand froze. A force yanked him roughly from behind, slamming him against the wall.
“…I didn’t think you’d let it go without even getting angry. You really don’t feel anything, do you… sir?”
In front of him was the top of Keslan’s head, pressed close against Banteon. The boy shoved him hard, pinning him firmly against the wall.
“You’re not going to gain anything from acting like this.”
“It doesn’t matter. Whatever I do, you won’t be seeing me again anyway.”
“True enough.”
At Banteon’s unflinching reply, Keslan braced himself against the wall, caging Banteon between his arms to prevent escape. When Banteon tried to push them away, Keslan didn’t budge. Instead, he closed the distance, trapping him even tighter as if restraining him.
“Let me go.”
“And if I don’t? You can’t get away anyway.”
Keslan’s voice dropped, low and unrecognizably thick. He lifted his head, eyes glinting with an unfamiliar light. The tearful boy from moments ago was gone. In his place was a face smeared with a crooked, bitter smile.
“You…”
“Surprised?”
It was the first time Keslan had ever used force on Banteon. Until now, no matter the situation, he’d always obeyed like a well-trained pup whenever Banteon gave the word. But now, he had flipped completely.
“If you keep acting like this, you’re only going to make your punishment worse.”
“So what?”
Banteon almost couldn’t believe his ears. Keslan spoke smoothly, with terrifying ease.
“All those precious laws of yours only work if you get caught. Do you really think I’ll just let you walk away?”
A mocking smile curled at Keslan’s lips. Tilting his head askew, he stared intently at Banteon’s face. The two of them were standing in the very heart of the Center, and yet Keslan spoke as if they were completely alone.
“Since I’m already caught, shall I just confess everything? Fine. Yeah, it was Madam Ressot’s stuff. Took a lot of effort to get it, and now it’s useless.”
“You’ve really lost it.”
“What choice did I have? You were about to cut me off just like that.”
Keslan’s eyes narrowed as he laughed. There wasn’t a trace left of his innocent expression. All that remained was thick, possessive desire and a disturbing, predatory hunger.
He took another step forward. Their chests were now close enough to touch. Reaching out, he ran his fingers along Banteon’s wrist, stroking slowly.
The hand trailed upward, gliding along his arm and shoulder. Keslan’s face came so close their noses were nearly touching.
“Let me take care of you. I’m good at it. Even if you don’t want me… I’ve got other talents too.”
As Banteon looked into Keslan’s gleaming eyes, a shiver crept down his spine. The hand gliding up his arm trembled involuntarily, ever so slightly. Keslan saw it and grinned wider.
“I’ll make you feel so good you’ll never want to go back.”
The fingers trailing along his arm slid up to the back of his neck. Banteon’s shoulders tensed at the heat of those bare fingers brushing his skin.
He couldn’t hide the disgust twisting his face. He scowled fiercely, glaring at Keslan. This wasn’t the same boy he’d known.
“So this is who you really are?”
“You even look pretty when you make faces like that.”
Keslan’s eyes were already glazed over, like someone possessed. No matter what Banteon said, it wouldn’t reach him. Despite the seemingly loose grip, Banteon couldn’t break free. There wasn’t even a shadow of that once-lovable boy left. Banteon sighed internally.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“As many as you like.”
“What exactly does that drug do?”
“Ah, that’s what you were curious about?”
Keslan answered brightly, his smile beaming. Once again, Banteon felt a pang of disappointment. That smile—crafted or not—hit all of his preferences perfectly. It was rare to find someone so well-suited to his tastes.
“It’s an addictive aphrodisiac. Pretty common stuff, really… Oh, but this one has a pretty nasty side effect.”
“Oh?”
“It’s so potent that if you don’t detox properly, it turns you into a vegetable. Don’t worry. Even if you do end up brain-dead, I’ll take care of you. Forever.”
So the intention behind using the drug had been the opposite of what Banteon had assumed. It hadn’t been about having a single night of pleasure.
From the start, Keslan had planned to drug him, lock him away, and keep him.
“You’re insane.”
“That’s a shame. Such a shame.”
There were hardly any visitors to Banteon’s private study. Keslan’s plan was to detain him by force and wait until the drug destroyed his mind completely.
