The Prince and His Servant

Chapter 32

[A/N] My apologies  that I have taken this long to update! But I have some news for you all. FluffeeUnicorns is having a nice little event, in which fanart can be requested from her, or she can come to you and request fanart!

If you would like to participate, please inbox her. Make sure that you note whether you want to request or accept requests. I don't have all the information myself, I don't believe, so see her for more details as well!

You may now proceed to the chapter.

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I grunted in frustration and lowered my head into my hands. Stressful thoughts reined rampant in my mind, and I was powerless to quiet them. What had I just done? Certainly I have ensured my downfall. My servant is convinced I killed a man he obviously holds dear, without the slightest thought that the supposed killer is, in fact, the man he seeks. What are the chances of that ever happening? There are none, so his failure to connect the two points was inevitable.

However, I had somehow failed to contemplate how he feels about me, platonically. The damned man was so complex and difficult to understand... it was as if I was playing a game of chess, with my opponent using completely different pieces than I. One minute, he inadvertently insults me and my love for reminiscing, and what does he do the next? He tells me he doesn't want to work under me anymore! All I had ever done was treat him kindly, from the day we met, and he couldn't return that kindness?

But I know better thank to sulk while there is a game to be played, while there is a chasing to be had. He is to follow me here, to this very manor, where he will find his prince. Unfortunately for him, he has yet to discover the truth. That he, the prince of Germany who is highly exalted, and I, a seemingly cannibalistic and murderous beast, are one and the same. I can't help but wonder what he will do.

Sighing, I braced myself for what was to come. Here I was, standing at the doors of the manor, in all of my hideous glory. There was no doubt in my mind that I was a mess. I had ran without stopping from the forest to this very spot. Of course, I can hardly call that a long journey. It will take Levi and Isabel a few mere hours on foot while it took me close to ten minutes. And yet, a few small twigs and leaves made their home in my hair, with my clothes more tattered and torn than usual.

Getting the debris out of my dark brown locks was the least of my troubles. However, I was aware that I had no time to make myself fully presentable. My apparel was undoubtedly out of the question with it's rips and blood stains, but unfortunately, my skin was as well. I could feel the dirt caked on my arms and legs, and what was on my face. There was no rain, and there shouldn't be for at least a few more days, and no stream lay near enough to my location.

How not a soul had spotted me from there to here was a mystery to me. One that I was thankful for, that should be obvious, but nonetheless surprising. Could nobody really see the beast that stand before the doors of their beloved prince? Could nobody look and make the assumption that said beast was plotting to kill the man that lay inside, forever throwing the country into turmoil?

'And yet nobody knows.'

I was ready to give up. My life, as I know it, was bound to end at the hands of my own staff. Likely, they would never know that the one they were to kill was also the one they were to protect. And if they knew, it would be because of my wretched parents. But who all knew the horrible tale? Certainly not the public, because all staff was sworn to secrecy. And even those who knew were not to tell even the men they worked beside day after day.

My actions only worsened my chance of survival. I committed heinous acts, devouring the corpses of those I murdered, and did it time and time again. None would believe it was because I physically could not stomach the sustenance I used to consume while in this state. After all, who in the world we live would want to listen to a beast's side of any story? It was natural that all they would desire would be their demise, as any good citizen would.

Nothing is left for me now. That was what ran through my mind as I knocked on the mighty doors. It was unprofessional, not suited for someone as high of a class as I, but seeing me in my current state would only make them mock me.

For what felt like the longest minutes in my entire life, there was no answer. No voices came from within the establishment either. It seemed... lifeless inside. There was no shuffling of feet, no commanding order, no greeting from the smiling face of a servant. Was it possible that they evacuated the place? But why would they do such a thing when a creature like me was running around, supposedly with the prince in their clutches? There had to be somebody taking over, making sure everything was running smoothly, or else all would have crumbled by now.

Then, suddenly, the door opened, and I saw a face I didn't think I would see again. To make matters even more perplexing, she was smiling widely, as if I were no apparent threat to her survival.

"Welcome, welcome! My apologies for the long wait. The man on door duty was shaking in his boots. Poor guy, he gets startled so easily. Please, do come in! There's a man that wishes to see you."

I cocked an eyebrow at her. Many questions swirled in my mind. Why was she in the manor? Why did somebody want to see me? Who wanted to see me? Was it Levi, and if so, how did he manage to get here prior to my arrival? Why was she treating me as if I were one of royalty when, to the naked eye, I was a murderer?

But I made the stupid decision and followed her into a possible trap. I did not talk, for my own voice was hideous. It sounded as if the souls of those I killed were all speaking at once. She led me through the manor I knew like the back of my hand as if I had never seen it before, despite that the likely explanation was that I was here and abducted the prince while he was injured. She seemed eager to get me to see whoever requested me, if she wasn't lying to my face. Who could want to see a beast so badly?

It all made sense when she stopped before the door of what I knew to be a small, quaint office, the furnishings absolutely wonderful. The plaque on the door, which I regretted to say that I had not seen in a long while, read, "Secretary Armin Arlert."

The redhead who led me here, who I had not seen since I was but a young child, turned and waved to me as she left. No other words left her lips. For a long moment, I eyed the plaque embedded in the wooden door of my dear friend's office, contemplating my possible actions, as well as my fate. The man who sat behind the desk that bore the same plaque as the door was intelligent, but would even he be able to piece together the truth? Surely not, correct?

Despite my worries and concerns, I reached for the golden-colored handle and opened the door. I hesitantly stepped inside while trying hard not to show my fear. I stayed directly in front of the door as I closed it behind me, not daring to take a step further. However, when I looked up and finally locked eyes with the blonde-haired blue-eyed genius I befriended all that time ago, he smiled softly at me in my horrid state, and spoke as if I was his family.

"It's been a long time since we last conversed, hasn't it, prince Eren Jaeger?"