The Devil's Crown

XXIX Stained Suit.

The banquet was filled for a second with the exclaims at the calamity that has befallen Shaw Gotham…a half-empty champagne glass was spilled all over his suit.

Elfric couldn’t help the half-smile of mockery that was now on his face as he took a sip of his own champagne. Such lives they live that they make such a fuzz over something as trivial as this. But that wasn’t the case, Elfric soon realized that.

The Nobles couldn’t help but fear Shaw Gotham. He wasn’t the most powerful Noble in Luxdale there were far stronger families. For Example, the Cosmos Group was holding this banquet.

However, Shaw wasn’t weak either. Elfric could feel that for sure.

He felt pity towards the brunette woman whose once enchanted face was now coated with total terror at what she has done. He couldn’t hear what she was saying to Shaw from the whimpers of the crowd that intertwined together to create one loud scream. But he could make out some of the words that she was saying from the movement of her painted lips.

Shaw held up his hand to stop the woman who was nervously clutching a handkerchief offering to help him. “There is no need to worry, My Lady,” said Shaw showing a fakes smile. “I would excuse myself for a moment gentlemen.”

Before he could finish his phrase, the crowd that gathered around him was starting to break apart creating a path that led from the spot that Shaw was at, to the hall’s door. No one dared to stop or offer to accompany him just like Elfric figured from watching how they all treated him.

‘You did that on purpose,’ Orathan finally spoke after watching what happened.

“I call it a coincidence,” Elfric lied.

‘There are no such things as coincidence,’ said Orathan. ‘Everything happens for a reason.’

Elfric nodded with half a smile curling his lips. “Now this is where we jump in.”

Elfric swiftly moved through the crowd, placing the slim glass on the tray held by one of the statue-like servant, and moved after Shaw. Keeping a good distance between the two of them.

He had a gut feeling that Shaw was aware of his presence. But let’s hope that he notices everyone. After all, he was at a banquet. Nothing suspicious at all when two guests head to the bathroom at the same time…right?

Elfric took a deep breath and stepped on it. His shoulder was an inch away from brushing over Shaw’s. From over his shoulder, he could feel the mere glance that Shaw gave him.

Elfric prayed hard that he didn’t notice the sweat beads that went down his temple.

‘Can’t be that you are scared?’ Orathan scoffed.

“Not scared but I hate surprises,” he said.

What Elfric pictured in his head was that Shaw leaps on him from thin air and beats the crap out of him if he knew who he was. He shrugged that scene away. There were only two options here, either Shaw really didn’t know him so there was no need to glare daggers at him or, he was really good at hiding his emotions.

Elfric didn’t know that he was holding his breath till he pushed the door to the bathroom open. But there was no time to relax, he went inside one of the cabins and locked the door.

‘You want to pee?’ Orathan puzzled.

“I have to act as if I really came here in a hurry to use the bathroom and not just to wash my hands,” he mumbled. The sound of the door opening outside made him lose his breath for a second.

This was it. The moment of truth.

When he gets out Shaw should be right there in front of the mirror getting the champagne off his suit. But first, Elfric flashed the toilet. Neat. Also necessary. He couldn’t risk getting stares as the disgusting human who doesn’t flash after he is done.

He took a deep breath before he unlocked the cabin and took his time to walk to the row of sinks. Never did he know that it was so hard to ignore someone on purpose. What was even harder was hiding his ravished nervousness.

Shaw glanced at Rick through the mirror. Something inside Elfric held him steady. There was no need to panic, not yet. Remember the fact that he is already used to getting stares. There are two options to everything and that alone was driving Rick crazy.

Shaw just like everyone else stared for a moment. Even though Elfric himself was 190cm, he towered over him with broad shoulders. Guess that even someone like him has never seen someone like Elfric.

Well…Elfric himself has never seen someone like him.

Elfric was tensed up hoping that it wasn’t visible as he took a pump from the soap attached to the wall. In the pin-drop silence, there was only the sound of the running water from Elfric’s sink.

They were alone that’s for sure. If Shaw knew him then he would have done something, right? A glare or pin him to the ground…any kind of fury that he met the man that killed his son! (and his other son’s killer is inside him)

But Shaw wasn’t even looking at him now. His full focus was on getting his suit clean.

That should do it, Elfric thought. This is enough. He has made it through.

Now all that was left is to get the hell out of here!

Elfric dried his hands and headed to the door. So close, he was so close to the door – to the end!

Part of him was already celebrating that he didn’t know him. While the other was slapping him to the reality that it isn’t over until it’s over. He has got to make it out of this damned hotel first and return to the smell of his cheap apartment where he could spend his time with his family.

“Excuse me,” Shaw’s raspy voice resonated in the bathroom.