Chapter 6
LUCIANUS WAS LANGUIDLY LAYING ON THE BED WHEN Dominatus hugged him from behind.
“Are you tired?” he asked, kissing Lucianus’s temple. “I pushed you a bit too much.”
Lucianus whirled around to face him. “You were being mean tonight. You used aphrodisiacs and teased me to make me impatient. Why did you do all that?”
“Forgive me. But that aphrodisiac bit is all a lie. Those pills I showed you were nothing of the sort—simply small lumps of flour.” Dominatus’s eyes were twinkling as though he was holding back his laughter.
Lucianus was flabbergasted. “That can’t be… I-it’s impossible. My body grew hot, and my insides felt…” He trailed off, unable to vocalize how his body had throbbed with such lewd lust, yearning for another’s touch.
“I mixed a few spices into the flour. That’s simply all that warmed your body.”
Spices? Lucianus thought. Then of course I’d feel warm.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Are you truly certain that that wasn’t an aphrodisiac? Why did I feel more aroused than usual? And I acted so wantonly…”
Dominatus squinted in amusement as he saw how confused Lucianus looked.
“That’s how humans are,” Dominatus said. “When given a pill while being told that it works for any disease, people really do become cured. If told that it’s poison, people will begin to fall ill.”
“But why?” Lucianus asked. “Why did you make me take a fake aphrodisiac? Was I always boring you during intercourse?”
Lucianus was less concerned that he’d been fooled—he wanted to know Dominatus’s intentions.
“Nothing like that,” Dominatus replied. “I just wanted you to be honest with yourself. I wanted you to yearn for me to your heart’s content at least once. This may be my last time with you, after all.”
An ominous shadow loomed within the eyes of Dominatus, and Lucianus immediately sat up, sensing that something was amiss.
“Last? What do you mean by that?” Lucianus asked.
“My bout with Grucos has been decided,” Dominatus replied. “It’ll be held in five days. I may die.”
Lucianus almost laughed at such silly nonsense, but Dominatus was as serious as ever. The gladiator was truly prepared for his death.
“Why do you think that?” Lucianus inquired. “You’re stronger than him. There’s no way that you’ll lose.”
“Under normal circumstances, yes,” Dominatus replied. “But Grucos isn’t your average fighter. Before a battle, he’ll hire people to injure his opponents, and even during fights, he’ll throw powder in your eyes to temporarily blind you. He’s a man who’ll use any underhanded tactic he can to win. Every gladiator who has fought against him has died. Even those who survived the battle itself would later die from the poison that he laces the tip of his blade with.”
Lucianus turned pale. Not once did he assume that Grucos’s undefeated rumors hid such a dark and terrifying secret.
“Why is he not punished for his cheating?” Lucianus asked.
“He’s very shrewd,” Dominatus replied. “He leaves no evidence behind. What’s more, the emperor himself is lending a hand to Grucos’s cheating. His Majesty will never allow his favorite to lose. I heard from Mrs. Almeia, who’s close with the emperor, that he’s been rather bothered by a prophecy told by the oracle, Unafotus.”
“Unafotus’s prophecy?”
“Right. The prophecy goes that the emperor would lose his power if Grucos were to lose. It’s a silly prediction, but the emperor believes in it. He’ll use anything he can to ensure that Grucos can secure victory.”
“Then you don’t need to fight. You’re no longer a slave, so you can quit any time you like. Why don’t you just announce your retirement?”
Lucianus had thought that this was the perfect idea, but Dominatus slowly shook his head.
“I’ll fight Grucos,” he said. “That’s precisely why I continued being a gladiator.”
“What? I don’t understand,” Lucianus replied.
“My family was killed by Grucos,” Dominatus explained. He gently stroked Lucianus’s hand as he continued. “When I was younger, I lived in a remote nation. It was a small place, but my father ruled the area, and he was loved by his residents. My mother was kinder than anyone I knew, my older sister shone brilliantly in her beauty, and my younger brother was an adorable kid. I grew up with a happy childhood, loved by my family, and I was studying hard to take after my splendid father in the future. I also trained with the blade in my free time.
“But this empire’s soldiers invaded our territory, and my home nation was destroyed. Many citizens were taken as slaves. The one who had commanded the army back then was Grucos, a high-ranked soldier. He raped my mother and older sister before cruelly cutting them into pieces in cold blood. My father fought back until the very end, but he was beheaded, and my younger brother was thrown off the top of a castle to his death.”
Dominatus spoke indifferently, but pure wrath flickered in the depths of his gaze. Lucianus hadn’t believed the rumors that Dominatus was formerly a prince—a person with a decent education would be valuable as a slave. Generally, a person like that would become a personal tutor or a politician’s secretary. They would receive work in accordance with their knowledge and would never wind up as a gladiator. Yet, Dominatus had just admitted that those rumors were true.
Grucos had been given the death sentence for committing acts of cruelty in occupied territories. His crime was acting solely for his own gain and benefit. It was unforgivable for a soldier to rape women of a royal family, and it was logical to assume that he killed the others to hide his evil deeds.
“I was allowed to flee thanks to my father’s close advisor,” Dominatus continued. “I acted as a commoner for a while, but I was caught by a slave merchant and dragged into this country. After I was shoved into a gladiator school, I let my anger take over and swung my blade around wildly during fights. Ironically, that allowed me to succeed. When I was freed, I thought about retiring and leaving this nation. I’d always wanted to return to my home country.”
“But your country has been destroyed, no?” Lucianus asked. He was genuinely curious.
Dominatus gave a sad smile. “That’s right. My nation is gone. But my surviving citizens live here under this tyrannical regime. I heard rumors that they continue to suffer as they live humble and modest lives while growing crops. And so, I wanted to spend the rest of my life as a farmer. But fate is a funny and cruel mistress. Grucos appeared in front of me as a fellow gladiator. He didn’t seem to remember my face, but I’ll never forget him. I’ve continued to live, swearing that I’d never forgive him, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the day that I finally get to fight that man. I promise to end him with my hands.”
Lucianus had never seen Dominatus exhibit such animosity and willingness to fight. Even during battles, when the gladiator fought like a demon, a faint, sarcastic smile danced on his lips. But indescribable fury was now emanating from every fiber of his body. Lucianus could deeply empathize with Dominatus’s lust for revenge, but he didn’t want to watch Dominatus plunge to his death. Propelled by his strong emotions, Lucianus stepped off from the bed and kneeled on the floor.
“Dominatus, please don’t fight,” he begged.
“Stop. Don’t do that,” Dominatus said. “If I see you kneeling, even my iron shall begin to waver.”
He couldn’t hide his astonishment and quickly tried to make Lucianus stand, but the noble shook himself free.
“Then waver,” Lucianus said. “I don’t want you to die. I’ll do anything. I’ll grovel and kiss your feet if you desire.”
But Dominatus shook his head at Lucianus’s plea. “Lucianus, I have no intention of losing. No matter what method Grucos uses and no matter what the emperor may do to me, I promise to dye the white sands of the arena red with his blood. But there’s a chance that I shall die after my victory. Hence, just for one night, I wanted to hold my beloved in my arms, not because of money, but as equals.”
“Beloved? What do you mean?”
Dominatus flashed an awkward yet gentle smile at Lucianus’s confusion. “I mean you,” the gladiator said. “Please don’t laugh at me for being a hopeless gladiator. I’m hopelessly, desperately in love with you. Are you not the same? I’ve known your feelings for quite a while now.”
When he grinned, Lucianus didn’t know whether to feel happy or frustrated. His emotions were a mess, and his chest grew tight as tears welled up in his eyes. Finally, he knew that he wasn’t a simple client to Dominatus—in fact, his own true feelings had been seen through. Even though I’m never honest with myself and lack the adorable charm that comes so easily to others. Even though I act arrogantly to the point where I must be infuriating. Despite it all, Dominatus had read Lucianus’s true thoughts loud and clear.
“Dominatus, I… I…” Lucianus had a mountain of things he wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t come out.
Dominatus crouched forward and kissed Lucianus’s damp, tear-streaked cheek. “Just be honest with yourself already. Tell me that you love me,” he murmured. “Whisper your words of love into my ear. It’s my final wish.”
His final wish? Lucianus refused to believe those words and pushed his beloved away as he stood up.
“I refuse,” Lucianus declared. “If you want to hear me declare my love for you, win against Grucos and return to my side. If you win and insolently sneak into my room as you’ve done tonight, I shall mutter any words that you desire, as many times as you wish.” He spoke firmly, with tears in his eyes.
Dominatus could only laugh, his shoulders shaking with every chuckle. “Even till the very end, your words suit you very well. How very amusing. You’ve got me cornered.”