The teacups were half empty. Its fresh aroma gone from the room. Both nobles finished their drinks and dropped their cups to its rightful places. The sound of porcelain to porcelain clashed throughout.

"Enough side tracking. I want an answer. Now." The impudence in his voice was heard by the room and everyone in it.

"Watch what you say, brat." Faust glared at him. "Even if you're the son of the Lord, I won't let your spoiled act go unnoticed."

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do? Curse me?" The little Lord raised his voice to be taunting and provocative.

A sinister aura escaped from Faust as he smiled sadistically. "Why don't we try doing that?" A strong gust brushed his hair. His eyes flashed a silver hue for a split second.

'What was that?' The most normal noble in the room pondered. 'Did his eyes just…' Raizel took a minute's glance. It was the same emerald green shade. 'Was it my imagination…?'

The two antagonistic presences battled in the little study room. The Dragon and Lion held their stances, glowered at each other and continued bad-mouthing the other.

"Lowly Human."

"Accursed Noble."

"Shitty Butler."

"Spoiled Brat."

They were getting louder and irritated by the second. Just a bit more and everything in the room would turn into ash and dust. Intensity was beginning to build up in the room.

Raizel can feel the dense air of malice all over the study. 'Isn't this getting out of hand?' He gulped the tension down to his throat. He knows that he can't do anything between them. His strength isn't at full bloom yet. He was too young. Only at 200 years old.

Primitus blended himself with the silence of the outside setting. The answer was lying in wait on his mind. "Would you want me to force your father to sleep?" Somehow, his voice sounded a little off the tone. As if not wanting to say the words.

Raizel felt the heaviness of Primitus' verse. He can't distinguish whether the heaviness was because of the Noblesse's reluctance to kill or something else that was obviously beyond his understanding.

The two men were stopped by the sudden answer-like question. "Isn't the answer obvious?" The little Lord was saying 'Yeah, I want him dead.'

Raizel grated his teeth. A nerve was stricken within him. "Is that really what you would like to happen?!" He slammed his hand to the table; unable to control the abrupt rise of his anger. "Are you seriously saying that you want the Lord, your father, dead?!" He emphasized the 'your father' part with all his might. He wasn't angry because the guy wanted the Lord dead. He was angry mainly because he was confused. 'Why would you want your own father dead?!' The teacups shook. Raizel's anger was starting to form.

The Noblesse heard every stressed word that Raizel uttered. His face didn't show it but the awe for the noble was on his mind. After a second, he reverted back to reality. "I'll ask again." Primitus held a deeper, much serious, voice. "Would you have me kill your father?"

The heir to the throne was irritated to have to repeat the sentence. "I'll say it again, I-" He stopped in mid-sentence. The bantam Lord stared at Primitus' figure with dumb stricken eyes. Bullets of sweat formed on his cheek. He can feel power from Primitus.

Raizel also felt it. He can tell that the power was emanating from the one gazing at the scenery of the forest. The hair all over his skin was raising. The goose bumps finally started. 'Even though he's not doing anything….'

"If you believe that what you are saying now is what's right. Then I believe we have nothing more to discuss." Primitus took a step back from the window. His head was focused on the future Lord. Even without eyes, the aura that he was oozing out was as clear as day to Raizel. Saddened. "I'll fulfill my duty as the Noblesse."

'Master….' Faust lowered his eyes like a defeated dog.

Raizel was astounded. He wasn't capable of speaking right at the moment. Mercy and Justice are fighting behind his mind. If the Lord was indeed doing the wrong, then justice must be served. But the Lord is a father to a child who is now saying that it is right to kill his own father. 'Something's not right…' He contemplated to the thought with a usual off-the-world gaze. '…Is this really the solution for such a problem?'

"Then done it is." The heir stood defiantly. He walked pass Faust as though he was nothing but litter in his way. He paused after opening the door feeling nothing but the dampness of his choice. "Thanks for the tea." His empty words of gratitude went for Primitus while coldly staring at the empty hallway. "The coin that you gave…I'll surely fulfill its role that my father neglected."

The door shut close and everything went into silence.

'The coin's role.' Raizel gazed at the cross insignia and then back at the door like the kid was still there. 'Just how will he do it?'

Primitus took his time looking at the young noble. "You should return as well, Raizel." He said with little worry. "Today's rain will be strong." The winds rushed in furry as though it was proving the Noblesse correct.

"But-"

Faust furrowed his brows with the usual tint of unmasked annoyance. The want of Raizel's quick departure was there.

Raizel stole a minute to think about leaving and took it as a hint. "So you're really going to do it…" His voice was close to a whisper.

Faust's eyes were in heat with a low growl to Raizel. "I believe this is none of your business."

For a heartbeat, Raizel felt a sudden threat. Something unnatural occurred in his field of vision. He saw how Faust's eyes turned from Emerald to Silver. 'So it wasn't just my imagination.' He knows that humans can't do that. Not unless… "You…." He hissed. "You're one of THEM."

Silence was on killing spree. The whistling wind and the fluttering of the curtains diverted their ears to the topic. Primitus, who was still staring at Raizel, breathed a low sigh. Tired at the quarrels happening thus far.

"What if I am?" Faust had enough of playing goody-goody. Part of his voice became venom-wrapped frustration.

Eyes brighter than crimson flared in Raizel's. "THINGS like you disrupt peace." A fist formed in his side and red lightning-like aura enveloped it. "As a noble, I have the responsibility to eliminate those who disturb the peace."

The butler didn't respond. Wind was becoming stronger on his side like it was supporting him. "Eliminate you say?" The sadistic grin went creepier. "Why don't I see you try?" Faust provoked him with a come-at-me finger.

That was the last straw. "Damned-"

"ENOUGH." A voice filled with power and a never-before-heard ire entered the entire room. The windows created a breaking sound and wooden furniture had visible cracks. The blast of wind was heavier on Primitus' side. All this happened in just a spit of his word.

The separate factions went into feared reconciliation. To Raizel, it was his first time to hear Primitus' voice on that tone. It had supremacy in it. '…as expected of the Noblesse…' He swallowed. He turned his head to his adversary only to be surprised.

Faust was bowing deeply with a hand to his left chest. "I acted out of my station." His face had the tint of pain and bottomless apology. "I'll accept any punishment there is from my misbehavior."

Light flashed from behind Primitus. The sky roared that signaled a vicious storm. It wasn't raining. Not yet.

"Escort Raizel to his home." He leaned on the desk, not giving the order another thought.

"…Understood." A bit of unwillingness was traced.

Raizel volunteered to speak his mind out. "I can go by myself." His back faced Primitus. The doorknob was within his reach.

Faust beat him to it with incalculable speed. "I'm not the type to go against orders." He opened the door. "I hope you don't make me disobey his words." The way he worded it was somehow pitiful.

The noble continued to frown at him. He can't agree to the butler's very existence. A being that traded his very humanity for knowledge. Knowledge that was attained through human sacrifices. A demon. 'Primitus-nim, why keep such a dangerous man by your side?' He looked at Primitus for one last time.

A smudge of grin was on his face. Primitus must have heard Raizel's question loud and clear.

The 200 year old noble saw it, thinking that it wasn't the answer to his question. 'I don't get you…' Raizel stepped out of the room. Faust followed suit with a bow to his master.

The door finally closed shut for the last time.

"Maybe you will, someday." Primitus stood straight. Hands on the pockets of his well-ironed slacks. He was facing at the window that was at least two meters away from him. He's expecting something to come. Something unwanted.

For an instant, the silence was nerve-wracking. The second instant, the windows broke soundlessly. Black lightning mended its way to the Noblesse's front. A point blank shot out of the forest.

xxxXXXXxxx

"I thought I said I can go home by myself?" Raizel was dashing through the forest at considerable speed.

"Shut it, brat." Faust tailed with great ease. "I'm not doing this for you."

'This demon contractor talks big.' He was calm. Not as hot headed as he was earlier. 'Then again, he's not that anymore considering he's been following Primitus-nim. Surely he has already made a contract with him.'

The sound of leaves fluttering as they come by wasn't pleasing. It made their travel feel like a thousand-year ride. Someone needed to speak.

"…You did that on purpose didn't you?" Raizel waited for an answer.

Faust feigned ignorance on what topic was the noble talking about. "What do you mean by 'that'?"

"Suddenly showing me your true colors so that I won't pry any deeper on the Lord's recent deeds." He set his eyes on the path they were sprinting.

Their shoes met with the ground continuously as they dashed. 'This brat is sharp.' Faust stared at Raizel with no malice. 'Is that one the reasons why master acknowledged him?' He tried to comprehend as to why his master accepted the young Noble to his premises and why does Faust, himself, feels unbelievably accustomed with his presence.

"I think that I've heard your name before." Raizel didn't notice that Faust was in thought. "I just can't remember what you did."

The demon went deeper into his own thought not caring what the Noble even said for the past instances. Seconds passed as his mind went abysmal. 'His attitude of accepting a mistake. How he reacted about that spoiled brat's father. And how he easily he got accustomed to me being "inhuman".' The longer he thought the more he understood.

"…I don't get the Noblesse." Raizel paused and studied his thoughts. "Why would he allow someone with your attitude by his side?"

His ears caught the question. Faust was hesitant to answer as the words hit him like a punch to the solar plexus. It was the question he had wondered for some time now. "Even I don't know." His thoughts wandered. Not knowing that he was answering at Raizel's pace. "When I recognized my own stupidity, I just realized that I was already in his debt." Faust, after a moment, realized that he had said something unneeded. 'Why am I telling this to this brat?'

His eyes widened as though he just found an eye-boggling discovery. He knows that he wasn't obliged to answer that question but he did. Like he was under an unconscious mind control. He just looked at the back of Raizel and stopped his tracks. 'Don't tell me this little noble is….'

Raizel went still when he realized that Faust stopped. "What's wrong?"

Faust didn't pause a thought. "Didn't master give you a lecture about the roles of the Lord and the Noblesse?"

"What are you-"

"Just answer me."

The boy was hesitant to answer. The topic just came out of nowhere. "…That's correct."

"Did you get something? Like a symbol or somewhere close to that?"

"You mean the coins?"

'So there was.' His curiosity went inquisitive. "What did you get?"

"You know, this is nonsense." Raizel snatched the coin in his pocket. "It was this side that I got." He held out the cross symbol.

'The cross. Master has a necklace like that.' Faust held hard about it. 'The Lord's role already belongs to that spoiled prince. If I think it like that then things add up.' He scowled at Raizel. 'It's true that the Noblesse's power isn't hereditary like the Lord's…' His eyes are turning daggers. 'Does that mean Master has already planned something?'

"Hey!" Raizel was beginning to boil his head off. "You ask me of random things and now you stay silent. Just what are you plotting?"

To a sudden act, Faust snapped his fingers.

A mansion gate was now in front of them. The forest they were dashing-in a moment ago felt like it didn't exist. An abrupt teleportation.

"There," The escort said arrogantly. "I've accompanied you to your home."

Raizel was still in jet lag to retort at the tone.

"I hope you don't come back sooner." Faust bowed. "Well then, have a good night." He snapped for the second time.

The wind's howl was a nice effect. Raizel was unable to step a foot. He looked to his back and Faust was already gone. No one to explain how they got their in a single flick of a finger. 'That guy…' Raizel heaved a sigh. 'He lacks manners.' He gave an eye to his hand. The coin was there as well as its insignia. '…I'm not inclined to this design.' He gripped it and stashed it. The feeling of receiving an important gift was there right in his pocket.

xxxXXXxxx

Faust was instantly at the Noblesse's door. He was vacillating to knock knowing what he did earlier but his discovery of Primitus' plan was more important than that. "Master, may I come in?" He knocked.

It was noiseless. Faust was now in near worry. He thumped the door twice. "Master?"

Still no answer. Now he was sure that something was wrong. He held the doorknob silently like a thief and matched his ears against the wooden door. There wasn't a sound inside except for the wind's gust. The door opened with Faust's forceful entry.

"What the?!"

Tattered books were scattered on the ground. Its shelves were missing some parts that flew somewhere in the vicinity. Sofas in crestfallen view. Primitus' desk was now an unidentified wooden debris. It was a total trash. But after all that, that wasn't what Faust's eyes was aiming at. He went near to the object of his eye and knelt at it for further investigation. It was a black piece of cloth.

"This is master's…" The loyal servant clenched a fist and gritted his teeth. What he had on his hands was something Primitus wore at a normal basis. His blindfold.

Wind crashed at the room with potency. The study became more chaotic as the gale formed around Faust. His eyes were in complete silver. A mark that he is in widespread anger. "Someone dared to target him." He stood up and gripped the blindfold. His unnatural silver eyes wandered across the room. As he noticed, the cracks weren't deep enough. "Judging from this mess, it's a long range attack." Now his vision was on the window. "And the only entrance of an attack like that is this window. A planned assassination, huh…"

Faust stared at the blindfold that was now floating by his right hand. 'Is that the reason why Master made me escort that Noble?' After the thought, he went back to the real topic. 'Anyways, I have to find master. I'm sure it would be easy in this tiny island.' He closed his eyes for maximum concentration. The vision of the forest was filling his mind. 'Just a little explosion is fine…' Visualizations of the forest's silence was there. Then an unusual sound of the ground crumbling was received. 'Found it. South East from here.'

Before he made further actions, the blustery weather outside distracted him. "Today's rain will be strong." He remembered Primitus say so. To Faust, the rain was an ill omen. Something was going to happen.

"I hope I make it in time…" He snaps a finger, finally vanishing from the vandalized room.

AN: So here it is. Sorry it took soooo long and some words are too redundant. But I hope you enjoyed it~ Please do tell me if there's something inconsistent... i don't like inconsistencies. =))