The night before Ocean woke up, Remi had been walking across the hallway to make sure everyone was asleep and no one was sneaking around near Sol’s room. He had just turned the corner and noticed as there was light spilling from under Roan’s door. He wondered if Roan was awake or had he fallen asleep while working in his room.

Remi knocked on the door and heard the sound of feet shuffling, a moment later the door opened and he saw a very drunk Roan barely standing before him.

His drunk eyes slowly focused on Remi’s face and Remi raised his eyebrows. Here he was thinking that Roan must be working or something but he was drinking?

"Remi?" Roan slurred and Remi sighed before he stepped inside the room. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

There was a bottle and glass sitting on the table and Remi could see that he had drank quite a good amount to become this intoxicated. He was barely standing as he leaned against the door for support.

"Master is currently sick and you are getting yourself drunk, Mr Roan." He said but then his eyes widened as he felt Roan’s strong, muscled arms come around his waist as he nearly dropped his whole weight on Remi.

Remi straightened his back and went still as he felt Roan’s flushed face resting over his shoulder, his grip tightening.

Roan’s body heat seeped into Remi’s and he couldn’t help but feel his heart picking its pace as if readying himself for some battle.

"M-Mr Roan?" He spoke touching his hand.

"What if Master never wakes up?" Remi went still as he heard Roan slur this.

"Wha-"

"He’s a Dragon, but this is the first time I’ve heard of a Dragon falling sick... I... didn’t even want to come here but he made a bet with me..." Remi heard Roan chuckle.

"He said, he was going to get rid of the tyrant of Mordino and once he did that he will come back to pick me and take me home with him." He chuckled again, nuzzling his face over Remi’s neck as if making himself comfortable in his warmth.

"I thought he was just an arrogant, charismatic man who could make things bend according to his will. But turned out he’s a girl and a Dragon at that... He always treated me as a friend, never asked me to be polite or respectful with him... I also... saw him as a friend... My only friend... Who didn’t mind my rude behaviour or didn’t try to correct me... He didn’t mind if I was tagged as a traitor’s son or anything... I always wonder... If he picked me for my administrative skills then why put up with so much..."

Remi listened quietly, he had known that Roan was in reality Zyran Kassis, son of Rezan Kassis the previous prime minister of Mordino who was termed as a traitor and executed. He also briefly got to know that after failing the rebellion he had planned he had been taken by the bandits and had stayed with them before going to the Temple.

Remi always wondered just how could a man endure so much and still be so lighthearted, turns out, he had been burying all of his sorrow deep within his heart.

Remi patted his back gently and Roan tightened his grip.

"When I got to know that Ocean was actually a little girl I was horrified..." He said, "I thought I wouldn’t be able to see him as I used to... I... probably lost my friend but then turns out she was one of the Supreme Dragons and even after all of that, nothing ever changed between us. She or he, whatever it is, we’d always treat each other as friends."

Remi closed his eyes smiling. The bittersweet scent of the alcohol was wafting from Roan’s breath but Remi didn’t mind. He was just happy that the nonchalant seeming aide was opening up finally to someone.

"But apart from him, I guess there are a lot of people here who are dear to me as well." Roan said.

"There’s the Young Masters, then the others who are pretty entertaining and then you," Roan said and then sighed.

"You’re the most cunning man, I’ve ever seen."

Remi was taken aback, he was being kind enough to let this drunk man embrace him and listening to his drunken monolgue and he had the calls to call him cunning!

But, Remi swallowed his anger and asked, "Why... am I cunning, Mr Roan?"

Roan grumbled a bit before he pulled back and held Remi’s jaw in his long, thick fingers.

"You have no idea..." He slurred with a drunk smile, with his flushed face and dazed eyes, he looked quite... seductive?

Remi couldn’t understand why his heart suddenly lurched as he felt Roan’s warm fingers hold his jaw gently. His pupils were dilated and it seemed like he had more to say than what he was letting on.

"What do you mean, Mr Roan?" Remi asked.

"Roan." Roan corrected.

"What?"

"Just call me by my name, Remi." Roan said and Remi blinked, surprised.

"You... are pretty drunk, Mr Roan-" he said and saw an annoyed expression flash over Roan’s face.

Before he knew it, Roan’s hand slipped from under his jaw to the back of his neck pulling his face closer to his as his forehead rested over his. Remi could now feel his heart hammering away behind his ribcage, Roan’s forehead was warm and his long messy red strands were tickling at his temples.

He could feel Roan’s hot, bittersweet breath cloud over his face and though, under normal conditions he would have flipped Roan over but somehow, he couldn’t now. Roan strong fingers felt too hot over his neck and he felt a chill run down his spine when he saw the piercing glint in Roan’s silver eyes.

"M-Roan." He managed to whisper and a drunk lopsided smile appeared on his face.

He looked absolutely foolish with that smile but for some reason Remi couldn’t help but feel warmth settle in his chest.

"C-Can you let go of me now, M-Roan?" He asked and felt Roan’s fingers gently brush against the curve of his neck before he let go.

Remi felt as if he could breath normally again, Roan turned and staggered over to the table again.

"What are you doing now?"

"Hm? Drinking, I haven’t finished the bottle yet." Roan said holding the bottle and Remi sighed before he walked up to the drunk man.

Remi took the bottle from Roan’s hand and placed it down before grabbing Roan’s arm.

"You’ve drank enough, you need to sleep now." Remi said.

Roan chuckled, "I don’t have a wife yet, Remi."

Remi felt his cheeks grow hot and Roan chuckled again, "Cute."

Remi ignored it all and almost dragged Roan to his bed.

"Just sleep for a while, you’re going to be so embarrassed after you recall all this." Remi said and Roan laughed.

"And what if I don’t sleep? You’re going to tackle me again?" Roan’s words were slurred and some almost sounded incoherent.

Remi frowned a little and adjusted the pillow under Roan’s head and pulled the sheets over him.

"Good night, Mr Roan." He said and Roan grumbled, his eyelids dropping.

"... Remi..."

Remi sighed after he watched him fall asleep and then shook his head placing his hand over his heart. He hadn’t expected to see this side of Roan.

Still, he wasn’t surprised when the next morning he noticed that Roan didn’t remember anything. He went pale as a sheet when Remi prompted about his drunk blabber. Remi found it amusing and was determined to tease him.

A week passed by pretty quickly and Ocean visited the palace one more time with Alys before it was time to prepare the welcome party for the ones who were returning from Denril.

Besides the preparations for the huge and first ever public ball at Ryujin mansion were also done. Ocean was just waiting for the time to come so that he could pull the ground from under his enemy’s feet.

Presently, they were heading back from the palace after meeting the King and Ocean was in a good mood which Alys noticed.

"You seem to be in a good mood." She prompted and Ocean looked at her with a smile.

"I am," he admitted.

She smiled a little leaning ahead, "And what has made you so happy?"

Ocean beamed, "My plan is working."

Alys stared at him for a moment before she sighed, "And here I was expecting to get some juicy secret."

Ocean tilted his head unable to understand for a moment before he chuckled, "Well, there is that angle as well."

Alys’s eyes widened as she heard that, "Really?! You have some progress in the romance part as well?"

"Not quite progress but, I’ll tell you when I do make some."

Alys was too excited as he reached out holding Ocean’s hands, "Reina, you have a paramour or is it a crush?"

Ocean chuckled, "Like I said, I’ll tell you the first thing when something happens."

Alys grinned and squeezed Ocean’s hands, "Yes, I’d love to hear."

Ocean smiled but then he added, "Also, please don’t tell Uncle, I don’t want a chaos before anything starts."

Alys nodded, "All right!"

The two smiled at each other, happy to have another secret between them, which this time was only tied to them as the ladies.