The Greed of Kronos

Playmates

Seventeen: Playmates

It was a fine day. The streets were busy as always, the children were laughing wholeheartedly as they played tag and the business owners were busy attracting customers. Seeking the natural environment, the leaves were dancing under the trees, the bushes were rustling with the gust of the wind, and the birds were singing merely as they cuddled on each other. There, there. Even the dogs on the streets were mating in broad daylight. 

It was safe to say that it was a fine day for everyone. Everyone except for the bad mood Kronos, who was staring at Eros and Agape as if he would eat them alive. 

Of course, the crown prince and the princess were aware, given how much Agape was sweating and Eros laughing nervously. 

Agape, "Y-yes, honey?!" 

Eros, "Hmm?"

Astian, on the other hand, could not decide whether to stay still or to calm Kronos down. But of course, he chose the latter as he once witnessed how worse Kronos was when pissed off.

Hence, he jabbed him on the side with a frown that made Kronos to look at him with a scowl. The good thing was that he withdrew his dark aura and heaved a sigh before looking at the Ezykl siblings. With his brows knitted together, Kronos looked at them and tsked. "You're both f*****g annoying. Get the hell out of my sight."

With that being said, Eros chuckled as he replied with a warm smile while his gaze was locked into his sister. "We can't do that, Kronos. We're here for Agape's uniforms, you know."

It was a look that was signaling Agape to get away from Kronos and start getting out of his hair as he calmed down a little bit. 

When Eros saw his sister smile before nodding with a serious expression, the crown prince thought that she got the message.

However, when Agape tried to cling to Kronos once again, Eros could not help but to have one of his veins pop. "Yes, yes~ Let's take our measurements togeth-!!"

But even before Agape could finish what she wanted to say, Kronos glared at her and replied. "I f*****g have Astian with me. Scram."

Kronos was expecting for Agape to give up clinging and get off. But what she did was the opposite. She even acted innocently as if she was not aware of the Dyclour's young master. "Astian? Astian Dyclour?"

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, your highness, the princess, your highness, the crown prince." Astian smiled and bowed once again to the both of them. 

Hearing this, Agape beamed and checked Astian from head to foot, which made Astian chuckle in an awkward tone of voice. "Wow, Kronos honey, you earned yourself a good friend! If you're friends with Kronos, then we're friends too!"

If they were there to get some uniforms, then they should get going. Why would they continue on hanging out with Kronos? 

There they go again. If they would continue conversing, Kronos would be stuck with the Agape leech. He's not comfortable with women; that was why he opposed being touched by the opposite s*x other than his nanny and his mother.

Hence, even before they could have a more extended conversation, Kronos got in the middle of them. "Eros." 

"Huh?" Eros titled his head.

Kronos then looked at him with a tired expression and replied. "Drag your f*****g sister away."

That was when Eros realized that Agape was still clinging to Kronos. She even did not make a big deal out of it and shrugged. "Why? I'm just clinging you just fine, Kronos honey~."

It was unsightly. Agape does already have a fiancée, and that was one of the ducal houses. The imperial capital is far gossipy than other places. That was why even in the boutique of the Imperial tailor, they may be eyes. 

As Eros could not afford for his sister to tarnish both families, he used his potential, Vines, to get a grip on Agape and pulled her out forcefully. "Agape! Come here! Well, see you at the academy, Kronos and Astian!"

Seeing that the royals were already on their stride, Astian then stood up and bid goodbye. "Keep safe, your highnesses."

Eros, "You too."

Agape, "Kronooos!"

When they could no longer see their silhouettes, Astian got back in his seat and looked at the agitated Kronos. "Uhh... Must you speak that way to the crown prince and the princess?"

He may not know of what was happening but speaking ill and cutting off a royal is treason. And treason is punishable by death. Besides, if he did not stop Kronos from emitting a dark aura, then he could have harm either of them and could cause future trouble. Therefore, how could he not worry?

Regardless of Astian's worries. Kronos was unaffected. "What's wrong?"

They were the ones who pushed my buttons. I don't want to take credit for it. 

With that being said, Astian then heaved a sigh and explained it to him in a warm yet wary tone. "What you did was wrong, though? At least for me."

He does not want to side with Kronos since he spoke too harshly to the crown prince and the princess, but he does not want to side with the royals either since they just started to piss him off out of nowhere. Although it was merely the princess. But the crown prince did not make much effort to stop his sister either. That was why he was involved with the matter a while ago.

"We're f*****g friends." Kronos shrugged. 

Well, they're friends. At least they once had a peaceful moment, Kronos could consider them as a friend. Especially Eros. 

Hearing this, all of Astian's worries vanished and the expression left was a beaming one. He felt excited by the young master's answer that he subconsciously clapped. "Wooow! I was not expecting for you to be acquainted with the royals. But even so! Talking like that to a friend, do you think it's too much?"

'Who would have thought that Kronos had a friend!'

'I was not expecting for them to be royals either. If you didn't greet them.'

When Kronos just scoffed by his amusement, Astian looked at him with anticipation and asked. "In any way, since when are you acquainted with his highness and her highness?"

Kronos was silent at first. He was wondering on how to answer without swearing and with the consideration that Astian could also understand his reply. And after pondering for a moment, Kronos then simply responded. "Back then."

Hearing this, Astian tilted his head and asked. "Back then? When you're still a child?"

"Yes." Kronos nodded.

Opening that particular topic, Kronos then felt a pang on his head as he massaged his temples. Meeting the two of them was seriously a pain in the ass. 

When his father told him that he would be having two playmates in the whole summer, Kronos wished that they share the same personality so that they could get along. 

However, when the two of them were introduced by Hethera and Drakora, Eros was looking at him with an angelic face while Agape abruptly pounced on him.

"Is this my future husband, uncle?! He's so handsome, kyaaa!" Agape shrieked as she rubbed her head against Kronos. How could she act shamelessly when she was just a child? 

Moreover, Demiris did not mention that his playmate would be a fiance. Nevertheless, he refused to be in the marriage market that early!

"Get the f**k off," Kronos replied in an irritated tone of voice as he tried his best to push away Agape. However, Agape seemed to possess the strength of a man that she did not even move an inch.

Eros, on the other hand, had an angel vibe. He looked like anytime soon, an angel wings would come out on his back. Everything about Eros was warm and light, that even the way he spoke was pleasant to the ears. "Oh. Haha, I like his language. Agape, get off Kronos."

Agape, who gave him the impression of a woman who only chases beautiful men, looked at his brother and humphed before backing away from Kronos. "Fine! Let's continue to bed later!"

Because Agape pounced on him without a warning, naturally, Kronos fell to the ground. With that, Eros offered a hand and smiled. "I'm Eros. Nice to meet you, Kronos."

Of course, Kronos did not ignore him. He accepted the help and replied with an emotionless tone of voice. "Kronos."

After the three of them giving first impressions towards each other, Hethera then smiled and guided them to the dining room to eat. "As I said earlier, Kronos is cursed. That's why he doesn't talk that much. And Agape, Kronos can't be your fiance."

Hearing this, Agape protested while Eros titled his head and asked. "Why, aunt?"

"Eh? Would you be alright if he'd swear at you unintentionally?" Hethera asked with a puzzled looked. 

At first, Eros was silent. As the topic was him, Kronos wanted to listen to his answer as well. And when Eros noticed that Kronos was looking at him, he smiled warmly and replied. "Well, it's fine. It's unintentional, right?"

When Kronos merely stared at him, Eros continued. "Kronos should speak more unless he would want to be short-tongued when he grows up."

Agape also joined into their conversation together with her joyful on of voice. "Eros is right! I know a friend who does not talk that much because she's shy. As a result, she could not talk properly! Future husband! Talk more~!"

Although she on high spirits, Kronos could not help but to scowl at her remark. "I'm not your f*****g future husband. To hell with that."

Hethera and Eros laughed, and everyone had their enjoyable dinner together with Aquila and Demeris. 

With that, Kronos thought that Eros was more decent than his younger sister Agape and chose to be close with him. They got along very well. While Agape was clinging to him every day, Eros would be stopping his sister, and that made Kronos to be grateful to Eros.

However, Kronos happened to be wrong with his impression of the boy playmate.

"Ah, Kronos. You're here? I'm sorry for the mess."

Eros was standing under the moonlight, with a heart on his bloody hand. On the floor, a man was lying and was soaked in his own blood. Despite the situation, his intense eyes were still full of warmth as if killing and having a heart in his hands were nothing but a child's play. 

It irritates him how the lad who was merely a year older than him could do so much without having any worries at all. And what irritates him the most was that Eros reminded him of what he was in the past. Kronos was also taught on how to gauge people's eyes even before he could speak. And the scariest thought was that he was told that it was a normal thing to do.

That said, Eros' potential was vine while Agape's potential was rose. The rose may be thorny, but the vine is much more dangerous and sharp. 

It seems like the angel Eros has black wings.

Kronos doesn't know, but there was probably more than the scenery that he could not grasp. Perhaps, a scary thought. 

However, it would be a humiliation for him if he were to cower. Hence, he pushed a lump on his throat and turned back before speaking. "Nah. It's f*****g fine. Clean it damn well. It's hella filthy."

After he spoke, there was a moment of silence. Kronos was uncertain of what face Eros was making at that moment. 

Nonetheless, when he heard his warm tone of voice, chills suddenly crept down to his spine. His throat was dry, and his mouth was forcefully shut. "Well, haha. Of course, I will. However, Kronos… Are you sure that you don't want this?"

That was when Kronos realized that Eros was a dangerous person compared to Agape. Additionally, it was also the time when he realized that his most profound and darkest secret was not his own anymore. As Eros, after just spending one summer in their house, knew immediately. 

A sudden snap on the fingers made Kronos to get back to reality, followed by a laughing Astian who was already standing up with the opened door behind him. "Kronos? You're spacing out! Come on, the tailor would be taking our measurements already!"

With that being said, Kronos then stood up and entered the room together with Astian. "Yes." 

Lest the case of being exposed, Kronos hoped that he would not bump into Eros anymore. Because he's the most dangerous person who knew about the greed in him that even his parents were not aware of.