32 [Ch. 32] Flirting With the Enemy

...Present day...

The decision I made that day started the domino effect I couldn't stop, but desperately wished to.

I painfully closed my eyes as the burning taste on my tongue triggered some unnecessary thoughts. I looked at the bottom of the glass with a throbbing headache. It wasn't that long ago that I could drink from these glasses without even batting an eye. Now the slightest taste fills me with crippling nausea.

I picked up my head slowly to see Raylon pick up another bottle and drink straight from it.

And yet… He looks perfectly fine.

Unlike me, he could drink it without it even burning his throat and ripping apart his stomach.

But how? He was always the type to get drunk so quickly. Now he's going through bottles as if they were juice.

His cheeks aren't even turning red!

Raylon noticed that I was staring at him intently. He sneered in response, "What? See something you like?"

I grinned mischievously and sauntered over to his side. I rested my hand on my chin as I leaned towards him with a coy smile. I teased him in a gentle tone, "Everything in front of me is to my liking."

My eyes slowly looked up and down his body.

I added in a tone full of meaning, "Everything."

For some reason, I wanted to make him angry.

I wanted to make him so full of rage, he would scream at me.

...I wanted to make him look at me and only me.

A knife stabbed into the table, just inches away from my hand that was resting on it. Raylon growled at me, "You shameless lesser man."

Before I could speak, Kuro cut in. "Raylon! Mind your anger. Do I need to remind you where we are at?! All of the leaders and heroes are gathered here. Don't cause a scene."

Raylon tossed him a hateful glare. Kuro flinched but didn't give way. My eyes widened in surprise at Kuro's determination. Not many have been able to stand up to Raylon… Not to mention Kuro was never one for speaking to your face.

He had always saved his words for when your back was turned.

At least that was the case in the past.

Raylon sat back, gnashing his teeth in irritation as he glared at me. I could feel his vicious eyes on me, but I paid it no attention. I calmly reached for the dagger and pulled it out of the wooden table with minor difficulty. I looked at it closely and frowned.

Raylon snickered, "Something wrong?"

My voice was devoid of emotion, "This is a blade from the Old Duang country."

Raylon leaned forward with a malevolent look in his eyes, "What is it? Upset that I killed your brethren to get this blade?"

"...My brethren?"

My pupils shook as I heard screaming from the past echo in my ear.

He continued his hostile taunts, "You should have heard them scream. They begged for me to spare them, but I didn't. Those filthy Duang mutts were only good for cleaning my sword with their blood. Did they really think I would believe their innocence? HAH!"

I frowned painfully as the screams began to get louder. My vision started to blur…

...In front of me was a forest with a single red flower marking a path that only I had known about.

But the path was now trampled....

I bit down on my lip to force myself to stay in the present situation. My vision began to clear up as I saw Raylon in front of me with a vicious look in his eyes.

My voice was more of a hiss than anything else, "You… Why did you kill them?"

I no longer knew which moment I was asking about.

Did I mean the people who I lived with all those years ago? Or did I mean the one he is bragging about now?

He snickered, "Why? Why shouldn't I have? They were Duang mutts. All they knew what to do was kill and destroy. I did the world a favor by wiping them out."

I sneered, "You did the world a favor? Tell me… Do the elderly, who can even barely walk, need to be killed? Are children that evil that they deserve to die as well? Are they all really so capable of destroying this precious world that you were forced to kill those who couldn't even defend themselves?"

"...Children and the elderly?" Raylon chewed on my words as if he was confused. However, he soon replaced the look of confusion with his usual scowl, "Why do you care? Unless… You sympathize with those who conduct the dark arts and use necromancy for their own evil deeds?"

Kuro smacked his hand on the desk, capturing our attention. He shouted, "Raylon! Enough! There are people around!"

Raylon only chuckled darkly and spoke in a spiteful tone, "What's wrong? If we have a sympathizer in our midst, then we should kill them. Isn't that what everyone thinks?"

Everyone avoided his gaze with a guilty expression. I felt as though I was missing something important by the way everyone was reacting. I glanced at Hatsuyo who refused to meet my eyes as he bit his lip with a troubled expression.

I'm definitely missing something.

Kuro pinched his brow, "Raylon… Can't you give it a rest? It's in the past now. It's time to move on."

"Heh... Move on?" The room grew silent, but he wasn't finished talking. He turned back to me with cold eyes, "Surely YOU agree with me? Don't you think those who sympathize or use the dark arts should be sentenced to death?"

His tone was strange, but I couldn't figure out why.

I met his eyes and responded in a chilling tone that I had often used as Moao, "Why are the dark arts and necromancy so bad that it warrants death? Just because someone uses it, doesn't mean it is for evil purposes."

Hatsuyo shouted in a panic, "Mo! Enough!"

Raylon snickered cutting him off. He spoke arrogantly with a hint of anger, "No. Let the man speak."

I continued, "One can use necromancy to help. If you control the dead, then you can make it so that they will stop attacking the living. So what is so wrong with that? Just because something has the potential to be used for evil, doesn't make it evil itself."

"You're wrong." Raylon played with his glass without looking away from me, "It will always be evil. Those who use it always deserve death."

"Why?!" I shouted in desperation, "Why go so far?!"

It was an answer I wanted from him so desperately.

His eyes were cold, "Why not?"

I raised my head to glare at Raylon with fire in my heart. I didn't understand why I was so angry. Perhaps it wasn't actually anger.

I clenched my fists and felt the urge to throw a punch in his face. However, I knew that I would be no match for his strength. As soon as I attacked him, he would easily be able to defeat me. He had magic, speed, and strength on his side.

All I had was a secret I couldn't share.

But I had to do something. I felt like I was being eaten alive by worms who were burrowing under my skin.

Raylon noticed my growing anger but didn't back down. His voice mocked me, "What is it? Are you upset? Do you dislike it? If you do, then just tell me. I would be SO glad to hear your thoughts on the matter."

Everyone could sense the tension building in the room and watched with bated breaths. It felt as if an oppressive force was bearing down on the room, stifling every breath.

Finally, my lips pulled together to turn upwards into a smile. I coyly moved to Raylon's side and sat down on his lap with a mischievous look. I reached my finger out to trace his jawline as I spoke in a suggestive voice, "To think that Sir Raylon would be curious about my opinion on the matter makes me feel so lucky. Not to mention he would even hear me out when there was something I didn't like."

Raylon's body stiffened and his face grew taut.

I found his reaction surprisingly charming. I blinked my eyes at him flirtatiously. I leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "If Sir Raylon would like to know so badly, perhaps he should ask me in his private room? I always reveal my true thoughts bedside."

Hatsuyo suddenly felt like he would faint. Everyone else in the room didn't know whether they should look away or if they should say something. They fidgeted uncomfortably as Raylon's jaw clenched tighter and tighter.

I found it far too pleasant and decided to tease even more, "Well? What are you waiting for? Shouldn't you be whisking me off to bed now?"

His voice was barely loud enough for me to hear, "Get. Off. Now."

I chuckled salaciously, "Get off? Oh, in due time."

Suddenly, my arm was grabbed and twisted in the wrong direction. I was thrown over his shoulder and slammed to the ground in an instant.

A bone-chilling crackle echoed off the walls.

"Ah!"

I let out a gasp as pain scorched through my shoulder, spreading out like a roaring fire. I rolled over to my back as stared at the ceiling with wide eyes. My arm throbbed with pain, but I didn't cry out in agony or cry.

In fact, I felt another emotion rise up in me.

I broke out into crazed laughter as I touched my shoulder which had been shattered into several pieces. At first, everyone had stared at me in horror after seeing my shoulder broken as if it had only been a twig. But soon, their expressions all changed to one of bewilderment and disgust as my deranged behavior.

All except for Raylon who watched me with a scowl on his face.

My eyes watered from my laughter as I kicked my feet with glee, "Well well! If you continue to hurt me without killing me, I am going to assume you are returning my affection."

He spat out angrily, "Disgusting!"

Hatsuyo rushed over to my side and whimpered, "Can you please stop antagonizing him?"

I chuckled coldly, "I'm not sure such a thing is possible. His reactions are too darling."

"Nonsense!" Raylon slammed his fists onto the table, causing it to break in half and crumble. He barked, "Who are you calling darling?!"

"Hah… Sir Raylon, surely you know just how much of a catch you are. You are so charming you turn the heads of both women and men." I gently reached my hand out and cupped his cheek. My thumb delicately traced his scar, feeling each bump and crevice on it. His sharp eyes stabbed into me, but my eyes stayed on that scar. I let out a helpless sigh, "How could I not throw myself into your arms?"

Hatsuyo whined out in a panic, "Mo! Stop!"

Raylon stomped his foot, breaking the floorboards. "I'M GOING TO BATHE IN YOUR BLOOD!"

Kuro shouted over him, "Both of you! SHUT UP!"

The woman from the Northern nation looked at the commotion dully, "Does this mean the meeting is adjourned?"

The Scholar coughed, "I hope so…"

The silver-haired Prince blinked feeling excited by the atmosphere, "I really hope it isn't! This has been the best meeting yet!"

Before Raylon could kill me as promised, a sudden guard broke into the room, "We have a problem!!"