"Excuse me," Shaw's raspy voice resonated in the bathroom.
Have you ever heard of someone's nerves quivering? Well, Elfric experienced it for himself. He could have sworn he felt his nerves rattling against each other in anxiety.
This was going to take years off his life for sure. He could have just ignored Shaw, pretended not to hear him—but he didn't, for two reasons: one, Shaw's voice was too loud for him not to hear unless he was deaf, not to mention the echo of the bathroom which made ignoring him unrealistic. The other was—what if Shaw was about to tell him something important?
What could he possibly have that Rick needed? Elfric wondered. Maybe it was his past self that would have cared less. The person he was now, however, had a different opinion.
Every shred of information he could get from Shaw right now was valuable. So far, he had already figured out a couple of things—like the fact that Shaw was a neat person. He had come all the way here to clean a stain that wasn't even visible on his suit, which was probably going to be thrown away right after the banquet anyway.
He was also clearly a man who cared about his image. Elfric had always thought of him as ruthless—and perhaps he still was—but Shaw knew how to keep it under control when it came to appearances. Just like how he had smiled at that brunette woman earlier.
Elfric took a deep breath, hoping Shaw wouldn't notice the way his shoulders rose and fell. He could feel the man's stare on his back more than he would have liked. Every muscle in his body tightened—even his lungs seemed to stop functioning—as he slowly turned over his shoulder.
It was only a second that passed, but Rick felt it drag on forever. Time moved agonizingly slow. For once, though, he was grateful that Orathan stayed silent; at least he could read the room.
"Can I help you with something, My Lord?" Rick asked. The calmness in his voice surprised even him.
He was standing halfway turned, his golden eyes—bright and sun-like—fully visible to Shaw Gotham. His stomach twisted at how exposed he felt. He missed the comfort of the hood over his head.
Now, he was far too bare for his own comfort. Still, he swallowed down the sensation, locking it deep in the abyss inside him. What stood before Shaw now was nothing but an ethereal-looking being radiating quiet confidence.
Elfric silenced the voices in his head and focused on Shaw—the man towering over him, nearly double his width, studying him intently. Shaw said nothing, but Elfric could feel his gaze speaking volumes.
Somehow, he understood what Shaw wanted, and so Elfric turned fully to face him. The anticipation of that simple motion was eating at Shaw from the inside.
He had seen him brush over his shoulder earlier as he dashed into the bathroom. It was only a fleeting moment, but Shaw had caught the glint of gold in his eyes. His pale hair, so light it almost blended into the white of his suit, fell down his back.
Even the smallest gestures—like turning around—seemed unreal when Elfric did them. In that split second, you might expect to meet another golden gaze, but no…instead, you were met with a vibrant, lily-like violet staring straight through you.
Elfric felt his nerves unravel with every silent second that passed. What the hell does he want to say?! a voice inside him screamed.
"You…" Shaw paused.
The movement of his lips trapped the air in Elfric's lungs. You are the one who killed my son, Rick finished the phrase in his mind. (While the one responsible for Drace's death was also with him, somehow.)
"You've got quite the unique look, haven't you?"
Elfric almost sighed in relief, nearly sinking to his knees, but his legs held him up. The words weren't new to him—but he was surprised that even Shaw had taken notice.
He blinked a few times. "I get that a lot, My Lord," Rick replied politely.
"Oh, you do," said Shaw.
His attention shifted to washing his hands now that most of the stain on his suit was gone. Elfric stood there, waiting for God-knows-what to happen next.
I have to get out of here, he thought. He gave a small bow before hurrying out of the bathroom and back into the ballroom. The stares made his stomach twist worse. He had to leave this godforsaken noble's den and return to the comfort of his cheap apartment.
'Well, that went smooth,' Orathan finally spoke…not that Elfric missed him or anything. His voice was a constant reminder of the choice Elfric had made—the risks he took, the people he might lose.
Elfric swallowed down his thoughts; it wasn't the time. The orchestra playing around him helped drown the sadness, at least for a moment. Part of him longed to celebrate, but the other part knew better. It's not done until it's done.
Until he was in his own bed back in the slums of London, he was never truly finished.
"I hope my face doesn't linger in his mind," Rick murmured.
'He only met you briefly,' said Orathan. 'If he knew beforehand, something more would've happened. He barely spared you a glance.'
That was true. Shaw had shown little interest in him beyond his albinism—not that Elfric was complaining. Now that he'd confirmed there wasn't another soul who knew of him, that was all he needed for now.
"Did you notice anything off about him?" Elfric asked, searching for reassurance from his friend.
Orathan hummed. 'You remember when I told you those two reeked of Elves?' he said.
Elfric nodded once.
'That Shaw guy was coated with the same scent—from head to toe. It's even stronger than the one those two had.'