Chapter 496: Comfort

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Azrael exclaimed at Kione once Gideon and Vera disappeared from the room. "Dear lord, that was god damned close, Kione! I can't believe…" he trailed off and sighed as he finally took a step away from his friend, shaking his head in disbelief. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" 

And Kione just chuckled. There was an ironic tinge in his laughter as he shook his head. He had not done that deliberately just to make Gideon jealous. He did not have any plans to provoke him at all. In fact, he had not thought about it at all when he asked for Vera to hold onto his arms. All he was trying was to take advantage of the situation to get her to hold him, that was all. He had also planned to let go of Vera once he moved to open the door for her. But who knew that his plan could not even be carried out before he was found out?

Of course, he knew Gideon would certainly have noticed his presence along with Vera's, but Kione never would have thought Gideon would actually gone batshit crazy due to him having contact with her and launched an attack like that despite the queen being there! It was unbelievable how Gideon had just burst out like that after all these years he had spent to hide his darkness from his mother. 

But then again, Kione could only laugh helplessly at the thought how dangerous this thing called love truly was. He realized now how much he had been underestimating it. The things it could do to a person was just insane. And to think that he, of all creatures, had been reduced to becoming a stupid lovestruck fool as well just made him utterly speechless. He should have known better that this would happen since that moment Gideon had hit him – back when they were in the left wing section of the castle where the hall of pleasure is – because of what he had said about Vera. He had been with Gideon for so long ever since they were children, for him not to be able to predict this was definitely coming. And yet, his feelings for Vera had made him stupidly make those reckless moves, ignoring the dire consequences that would befall him. 

Remembering how he had been so damned strict towards Azrael and everyone for years just so no one would provoke Gideon's dark magic to blast uncontrollably like that made him smile cynically. It was ironic that the one who ended up triggering it was the one and same person trying to keep everyone else from provoking it. He had even inadvertently put Vera in grave danger with his stupid carelessness. If… if the queen and their two guests were not there… 

Kione's jaws clenched. He could not imagine the extent of the damage that would have occurred…

"Yeah, I've become as stupid as you overnight, you know that Azrael? Are you happy now?" Kione said, sagging against the wall as though he had lost all his strength. "What… shouldn't you be congratulating me?" 

Azrael was speechless. Just blinking at his friend, not comprehending what he was trying to do. 

"It seems intelligence and love can't co-exist." Kione sighed. "And you know I'm not a fan of stupidity. I prefer being wise than being in love and stupid." He sighed once again, shutting his eyes close as he threw his head back against the wall before a whisper echoed from his lips. "Bloody shit... I feel like my life was a hell lot better before I met her." 

A short silence passed, and Azrael patted his friend comfortingly on his shoulder, causing Kione to look at him with an eyebrow raised. 

"Well, isn't this a new knowledge to you? Maybe, this will make you even wiser than you already are. At least, you finally understood this one thing you were always looking down on before. So yeah, even if you did end up being heartbroken, you still learned something, that love is not as simple as you had thought. Also, you have finally experienced it yourself so you're no longer ignorant about it." Azrael stated with a serious tone. "That's why…" 

Suddenly, he trailed off at the sight of Kione craning his head forward and looking at Azrael with a disbelieving look in his eyes. 

"What…??" Azrael raised his brow. 

"When did Lord Azrael learn to talk like this? Bloody shit, Azrael… you sounded like the lord of wisdom right now."

"Huh? What? The f**k are you saying now?" 

"You just gave me goosebumps you idio…" Kione laughed. "Fine, I'm the idiot right now. But yeah," he exhaled heavily and smiled. "I think you're right. Maybe, she had just really came to teach me this lesson and so that 'love' can slap me hard in the face. Though I'm afraid this won't just be ending with just a simple slap. Ah… I can already see my bloody heart being hammered."

"I believe you will survive this, my dear friend." Azrael thumped him on his back, comforting Kione the only way he knew how.

"So… you are as sure as I am that I and my pursuit is already hopeless." Kione shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"I thought it's obvious enough." Azrael stated blandly with a straight face and Kione's mouth twitched as he held back the sourness in his heart from spilling forth. Then he cursed again, pinching the area between his brows. 

"I think I'm friends with the wrong people." Kione complained, shaking his head before he suddenly hit Azrael's stomach with one hard punch. "You're supposed to at the very least comfort me you bumbling idiot!" He swung another punch out but this time, Azrael caught his fist single handedly, a wide grin now flashing on his face. 

"Oh ho… so you wanted comfort, eh…?? Sure, my friend. I'm sure this is what you needed the most right now anyway. I'll comfort you with these fists of mine." Azrael's eyes gleamed with excitement and Kione smirked back at him, knowing what was coming next.

"Try it if you can, Azrael." Kione challenged and the next moment, the duo disappeared from the corridor. As soon as they materialized outside the castle, they immediately clashed, causing the vampires and dark faes outside to look towards them and watch the intense fist fight between the two lords. 

2nd chap will come a bit later. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS SPELLBOUNDERS!! ♡♡