9.2 — THE WARM WELCOME

NINE PART II

Kaizo's shoulders tensed up as he stared wordlessly at her, fully aware that what he might utter next would only add fuel to the spark he'd started. Gods knew he didn't mean it that way, but dang it!

She was merely staring, but the sudden dropped of temperature in the atmosphere made him wonder if she was using "it" or was just a speck of his imagination. Funny how they had just a silly banter seconds ago and because of a careless remark, he absolutely shattered it into pieces. Way to make his task more awkward than it seemed.

Damn it.

"Aren't you curious 'bout the Minister's question, Lord Kaizo?"

"Why? Are you willing to share it over a cup of tea?" Kaizo shut his mouth instantaneously, silently reprimanding himself for doing it again. He was more than ready to fire away an apology only to be halted by a heartfelt chuckles coming from the woman across him.

Kaizo froze, eyes blinking. He wasn't just hearing and seeing things, was he?

It must be the coffee.

"I'm starting to like you and the Minister, I must confess," she stated in between.

His jaw dropped.

Definitely the coffee's fault.

* * * * * *

"Nothing change."

Kaizo briefly glanced down at the Priestess standing an arm's length away to his side who had just finished tying up a black chiffon cloth covering the half of her lower face.

As usual, she was still clad in a black monotone garb: high waist long skirt with thigh-high slits on both sides exposing her tan legs, neck-high backless top with flaring sleeves, and a chiffon hooded cape with lace designs connected to petal-layered brass epaulet. Even her strappy sandals were of black shade, except for the simple brass headdress that could be seen underneath the chiffon hood she had on. A stark contrast to his usual pure ivory shade attire.

He discreetly followed her movement as she fixed the brass bangles in both arms, and then reached out for her braided jet black hair resting over her right shoulder. Her gaze melancholically fixated below the balcony of house's third floor where they were.

Against the blazing burst of crackling bonfire amidst the town's square where throng of people enwrapped on their own merriment─singing, dancing, drinking, chatting─she looked so out of place and yet ethereal at the same time.

Kaizo took in a deep breath as he turned around, leaning back against the marble banister of the balcony. He fixed his intricate mask covering most of his upper face which most of the crowd below also had. Crossing his arms, he peered down over his right side, watching the rest of Nemiahn with a li'l hint of envy.

What wasn't to be envy? There they were; freely moving on their own unrestricted ways while he and Magnus could only silently watch in the background. Even at that very moment where they supposed to be celebrating, there he was torturing himself by just watching from three story high with a glass table on one corner filled with ale and food for consolation.

"The previous Minister abolished Harvest Festival celebration on his last two years of reign without concrete reason. Magnus reinstituted it after assuming the position. You should have seen the yesterday's spectacles. I personally liked it than this closing celebration."

The Priestess shuffled on the other side of the balcony then settled down on a steel chair next to the glass table, facing his direction. "Tell me, Lord Kaizo . . ."

Kaizo hummed without breaking his gaze below.

"You could have said no to your cousin's request, but why did you agree?"

Kaizo couldn't help the snort bubbling up him as to why he indeed agreed. "Let's just say, you're the lesser evil."

Sharply breaking his gaze off the crowd, his molten orbs found her amber eyes as his widened at what he'd just blurted out. He freakin' did it again. Talking without thinking! Damn it!

Kaizo winced instinctively when for the second time 'round, the Priestess chuckled. It wasn't sardonic though, and he didn't have any means of knowing if it was genuine either.

"So you were left with no choice, then," she surmised, grinning under the chiffon face cover. "Let's see. By lesser evil, you mean," her glowing amber eyes flickered over the crowd below, stopping to whatever she saw that made her grin grew slier, "well, look at that. Aren't that lady an eye candy?"

Relishing the moment where her impassive expression finally sported something else, Kaizo followed where she was pinning her mirthful gaze.

The second he found it though, his face blanched. A lady in a fine pastel dress with flowing platinum blonde locks falling over her shoulders looked up at the same time from the circle of few more ladies on the other side of bonfire, radiant smile still intact. Her silver mask identical to his, hid the same shade of baby blue eyes he always saw whenever he looked at Elder Karim.

The lady sharply turned her gaze away from him as if embarrassed.

His eyes narrowed into slits. She couldn't be the Elder's only daughter, could she?

"Liking what you see, so far, my lord? You're close to drooling, apparently."

Kaizo darted his attention back to his taunting companion who seemed to be thoroughly entertained at the moment. He frowned. "You knew her?"

"Of course we knew, my lord." Cocking her head, she added teasingly, "Don't you?"

"Are you teasing me?" he prodded.

"Do you want me to?"

"Can't you answer me straight away?"

"Where's the fun in that though?"

Kaizo's forehead furrowed under his mask. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"And if I do, what then?" she tirelessly countered, chuckling then looked back down to the crowd.

Hairs at the back of his neck stood up. Without warning, Kaizo abruptly closed the gap between them, right hand shooting up midair as he loomed over her.

For a moment, dead silence reigned between them until the Priestess sniggered maliciously.

"What a warm welcome," the Priestess unfazingly muttered, eyes zeroing on the pure obsidian arrow Kaizo caught an inched away to her eyes.

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