Draw a Blank

10. His true face

The gaze fixed on him was cold. Allen couldn't guess what the thoughts were in that expression, so he didn't even notice he was holding his breath.

"Sir, you're back?"

Luken was still staring at him in silence. The man's hands went into his pockets, standing with his back to the light outside the door. Overall this look is perfect. Luken is indeed very handsome and can attract anyone into his mysterious charm.

Allen thought back to the incident that night, as if the smell of alcohol on Luken's lips was fresh. Involuntarily he pursed his lips, feeling the sensation of Luken's fierce and hot mouth rushing through his mercilessly.

Seeing Allen's expression, Luken's eyes twitched slightly. He finally had the will to approach the boy, as several maids greeted him and stepped in, Luken's movements stopped.

Allen was still staring at him, but Luken finally turned and left.

"Did Mr. Luken come to talk to you?" asked the servant who put the hot soup on the nightstand. She wiped the spoon with a tissue and handed it to Allen. "As soon as he arrived, he came to your room, I thought there was something important to talk about."

"I don't know." Allen replied.

His current feelings were confused and weak. Watching Luken leave still with his indifferent expression, a piece of his heart felt an unspeakable pain.

Nick explained things to Allen that time, just as Luken attacked him and he fell sick for days because of it. Nick said Luken's bad habit of getting drunk was unbearable, and he could lure anyone to sleep, male or female. Hearing this, Allen couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Luken wasn't conscious when he attacked him, he did it while drunk on everyone.

Allen hated this until he was sick, and almost vomited his soup. The maid beside him was worried.

"Are you not feeling well again? You've been training really hard, haven't you?" The maid saw the bruise on Allen's cheek and sighed.

"My chest hurts," Allen said, involuntarily shedding tears.

"Should I call Mr. Nick here?" The old servant almost got up but Allen held him back.

"It's fine, just need some sleep."

Maggy was the butler who worked in this mansion before Allen came. She was the servant who had worked the longest and knew Luken's character very well here. She thought Allen was scared because Luken might be mad at him.

"You don't think too much. Mr. Luken does look cold and cruel, but as long as you are nice, he won't scold you." Maggy calmed him down. "Mr. Luken rarely vents his anger, if he really doesn't like something he will throw it away without ever wanting to see it again."

Is this also what happened to Dena?

Allen wanted to ask about this, but he hesitated.

Instead, he asked something else, "Has he ever been mad at me before? Am I of any use to him?"

Maggy almost forgot the scenario Nick arranged for all the maids, that Allen was Luken's bodyguard and he was hurt protecting him. Maggy didn't know what Nick meant by this, and didn't know what advantage he took from Allen's memory loss. But Maggy didn't want to know.

She looked at Allen with a gentle face like a mother. "You don't have to remember those things. Mr. Luken is kind to you, everyone knows it."

Maggy felt guilty for lying. To be honest, if she were to judge by Luken's character, a bodyguard like Allen would be the first he would get rid of. Luken was used to people with an iron mentality and this kid seemed very innocent.

After that brief conversation, Allen finished his food and medicine. In no time he fell asleep.

Even in his sleep, Allen's mind couldn't stop resting. He was dreaming. He was like a tiny sliver of life in the pitch black darkness that surrounded him. Allen couldn't see if this was reality or a hallucination. In the dark room, he sat on a dirty ground with a thick smell of blood. Without being able to see anything, Allen could feel a lot of something lying nearby, as if it was full.

He couldn't breathe.

Then a melody resounded in the empty and narrow air. The scenery changes where there is a lot of light like an opera stage. Allen stood in a corner near the stage curtain, looking up at the tall, slender figure of a man. He turned his back to Allen with a perfect posture, without having to look directly Allen knew this man must be handsome.

The man's tuxedo and oxfords gleamed in the spotlight. Suddenly the man turned around, revealing a face that shattered like shards of glass. And the surroundings became a hologram with endless colors.

Allen floated. He floated away lightly, like a weightless thin cotton.

The man reappeared in front of Allen. Instantly the two were in a black and white dimension. The man smirked at him, which was very handsome and elegant.

"Mr. Luken ..."

Allen's lips spoke subconsciously.

"I will not betray you."

The flowing voice of a man like Luken sounded very young and lively. His blue eyes blazed red flames, but not anger.

What does it mean?

In the dream, Allen was only a twelve year old child. He took a slow step forward and further developed the step into running. He wanted to reach Luken.

The same melody plays for a long time, like an endless tone of sadness and disappointment. Allen was dazed for a moment, his legs stopped and his breath hitched.

His gaze dropped down, on the hilt of the knife that someone was holding in front of him, the blade had streaks of fresh blood. His own blood——

Then the same pain he continued to feel ripped through his heart and lungs. The knife was continuously pushed in and ripped through the flesh. The slicing caused the sound of blood tasting and skin being cut. As if a fire had been put in there, Allen felt his body burn.

He looked ahead, only to find that Luken was there, standing with the knife still inside Allen's body.

In the next second the knife was pulled out of him and dripped with blood.

The face in front of him this time was not Luken, quickly turned into an unknown stranger, and the face was changing every few seconds.

What the heck is going on?

His body fell, he seemed to fall into a bottomless pit, but stopped suddenly and gasped. He was panting as he opened his eyes wide. It's still dark. But this dark is better and not as bad as before. There is no wound or pain.

"Nightmare?"

Allen has not been relieved from his nightmare, hearing this voice, he was shocked. Beside him, Luken sat and looked at him with gloomy eyes.

"Sir?" Allen called him somewhat absent-minded.

"You keep wheezing in your sleep." Luken told him.

Allen just looked at him, still slightly breathless from the effects of the dream. He didn't remember the whole thing he had in the dream, but he did remember a few things. Subconsciously lowered his head and backed away slightly.

"Is your body okay?"

Allen nodded. "I'm alright."

In the dim light, the purple bruises were still clearly visible on Allen's white face. Luken furrowed his brows in displeasure.

"You hurt yourself again?" Luken's finger reached to the corner of Allen's lips, his low voice was very heavy and sexy, making Allen a little weak.

"Just a little. No problem."

There was no response from Luken. Allen also didn't dare raise his eyes to see the man's expression. They didn't make a sound for a while, but Allen felt a hot gaze burning through his body.

This time there was no strong smell of alcohol, but Luken's expensive perfume stained his nose so freshly. This man has a masculine fragrance mix. His open neck features a strong collarbone and an apple adam that rises and falls elegantly. Overall this man is very kind and fair.

A series of compliments he could only say in his heart.

On the other hand, Luken raised his hand back. Allen didn't understand why, but then he felt a cold touch on the back of his head and was pulled up.

He was met with gloomy dark blue eyes. Like a beauty that hides many mysteries.

The head in front of him tilted slightly, gradually getting closer and closer. Allen instinctively did the same. His eyes closed. As he expected, there were soft lips pressing against his mouth, slowly inserting their tongues and chewing each other like candy.

Allen didn't understand what this meant.

***

"Exercise?"

Luken's frown deepened. He was at the dinner table with lots of steaming hot dishes. He just wanted to know where Allen's bruises came from and asked him, but he didn't expect the answer.

"I haven't moved in a long time. Exercise is good for my body," Allen said awkwardly.

Since the two of them had an intimate kiss in the middle of the night, Luken's attitude towards Allen had changed quite a bit. He was still as cold as ever, but his demeanor seemed more natural.

"It really doesn't matter. Everyone does exercise to build a healthy body. Nick says I need this too." Allen explained.

Luken said lightly, "Don't push yourself."

After Allen agreed, Luken put some side dishes into his bowl and it immediately became full.

"Eat a lot of meat."

Allen glanced at Luken and gave a small smile. It's a good development to see Luken warm to him. In the end what Allen had been thinking all along was wrong. Luken didn't hate him.

Since Nick hadn't arrived yet, the two-person dining table felt very long and roomy. There's no sound except the smack of a spoon on the ceramic bowl and the atmosphere is quite good.

Like Allen's mood.

When he returned to his afternoon train, Nick planned to watch it, but Damian pulled him away with the excuse that Allen wouldn't be nervous. This training session was explained by Gaidon. Even though Allen was new, he would get the same training as the others.

Allen's body was thin and he looked very weak among the Black Dragon's men. He felt Gaidon was staring at him all along.

"Did you complain to Mr. Nick about yesterday's practice?" Gaidon suddenly asked in a probing tone.

Allen frowned. "No. I'm not complaining about anything."

"Why did you hide it? With your weak body, you should understand and quit this practice. If you are injured you can only complain, doesn't that mean you are looking for face?"

Being accused of something he didn't do in front of such a large crowd, Allen became flustered. "What do you mean? I don't understand."

Gaidon buttoned the leather gloves on his hands while laughing scornfully. "A person like you has so clear intentions. With your innocent face, you can fool everyone by being weak. But you can't fool me."

However it sounded, it was clearly words of contempt. But hearing him like this from someone he didn't really know, Allen felt very strange.

"Coach, it seems you misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" Gaidon parroted. "I'm the one who misunderstood or are you pretending not to understand what I'm saying? Aren't you really hiding your true face in front of everyone with an innocent mask? Though in reality you are someone who likes to climb into other people's beds to seduce."

The last sentence angered Allen, but his expression didn't change. "Coach must be joking. I'm Mr. Luken's bodyguard. Regarding such intimate relationships, it is inappropriate for me to do so."

With his words and expressions, Allen himself realized that what Gaidon said was true, he was hiding his true face and he himself didn't realize it.

On the other hand, Gaidon laughed and couldn't believe Allen's words. Then, he came forward to the young man and grabbed him by the collar.

"You are indeed very sweet to the mouth. If you can beat me in this one-on-one combat session, I will believe what you say."

Just as Allen was about to answer, a kick hit him in the stomach and he fell to the ground.

tbc.