"Rena, I want you to be my bride."
She reacted as if she couldn't hear it clearly, but she definitely heard it. Her mouth moved open and shut, like a fish that came out of the water. Speechless, Rena could only stare at him in bewilderment. Her brain system couldn't process the information.
Women in this world would scream in joy if Frei said he wanted her to be his bride. But she was a 21st-century woman from earth, being suddenly told he wanted her to be her bride was equivalent to a Nigerian Scam.
Her disbelief was clearly shown on her face. Frei, who was still calmly sitting on his seat, couldn't help smiling looking at her.
"B-b-brride?" Totally perplexed, she stuttered demanding his explanation. "W-why me? I'm sure you are not lacking any can-candidate..."
"But you are the one I need," Frei spoke clearly in a low tone.
It wasn't that sort of romantic line. She was quiet for a moment, a stabbing pain in her chest disturbing her thought, she ignored it, maintaining her composure.
"How about your promise to release me before?" She asked calmly.
"What did I say back then?" He paused, thinking. "I never bind a slave forever. If you can return my money, I'll give you the contract."
"Yeah! That's what you said!" She shouted, standing up from her chair. "You'll give me the contract..."
Rena stared at him for a long time, her feet felt like glued to the floor. Finally, it was dawn on her, since beginning Frei had no intention to let her go. He never said anything about releasing her. Even if she got the slave contract, she would be bind by another pact.
She was like a butterfly that was caught by a spider, flapping its wing as the spider slowly spun his thread around her.
With his chill expression, perfectly understood Rena knew what he meant, he said, "And even you pay all those sums. Do you think that's enough?"
She looked down on the carpet under her feet and gritted her teeth, fully understood what he meant, there were things she couldn't just repay him with money. She owed him a lot, and she knew that.
She lifted her gaze again and said, "Why do you need me as a bride? Can't you do that with my status right now?"
He shook his head. "This is the best way for me."
Rena frowned and clenched her fist, the disturbing pain in her chest was getting stronger.
"You... you're not even going to tell me the reason, huh?" Her lips curved up although she didn't want to, it made her look stronger. The thought that she didn't worth his trust hurt her, the sad truth that Frei only saw her as a tool.
Frei got off from his chair when he saw her sad smile. "Well, I could tell you one of the reasons."
He walked toward her, but Rena stepped back. Each of his step forward, each of her step backward. However, his long legs made him straight smoothly, faster than she could back away. He caught her right on the door, and with his hand pushed against the door, he kept the door closed.
"I took it when you came here, you're ready for the consequence."
His face was just a few inches away from hers when he said that.
"Just tell me the reason." Her voice was still calm, although that wasn't what happened inside her mind.
"Can't you figure it out?" Frei said, tracing her cheek with his fingers.
"No, I can't. I'm not a mind reader." Rena said, piercing him with her gaze. Her hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him to touch her face.
"Because I want you to stay by my side." He said.
Rena stared at Frei's perfectly calm face, not sure at how much truth in his words. She couldn't trust him anymore.
She tightened her grip on his hand and said, "I... I'll be your bride if that will help you. However, if you want me on your bed, you need to work harder than this."
His smile that was as sweet as an angel and as seductive as a devil appeared.
"Then, if I may..." He said quietly, moving his head toward her.
He lifted her chin and lowered his head toward her, pressing his lips against hers.
He started sucking her lips, slowly parting it with his tongue. His tongue slid inside her mouth, searching for hers.
She froze, it wasn't a short subtle lip kiss like she gave him yesterday. A weird sensation made her tingle and something inside her was lit. She couldn't push him back.
(Why is it?) She thought.
The stabbing pain in her chest which disturbing her since earlier was like a premonition that there was something buried inside her heart.
Rena couldn't deny it anymore, she had a feeling for Frei.
When she was in the worst situation in her life, confused, weak, and lost, he was the one who saved her from all of that. He gave her a place to belong in this world. He showed her a way to survive. However, her mind told her, he would be a trouble for her, he was fickle, distance, and he didn't let someone entered his heart. The tiny bud of love that kept resurfacing whenever she was with him, all those warm feelings, she quickly buried in the bottom of her heart.
It was just when he came to her like this, it made her painfully aware of her own feeling.
Just when she was about to close her eyes, her mind reminded her that she must not get defeated so easily by him. He only saw her as a tool. She didn't want to end up as his toy as well.
Triggered by her anger, she thought of counterattacking. The next moment, Rena lifted her hands, placing her hands behind him. One hand tangled on his back, to pull her up. And the other hand, with his golden locks between her fingers, grabbed his head, to push him down.
She closed her eyes and following his rhythm, she kissed him back, deep and passionate with all the burning feeling she got. His aquamarine eyes opened, his body twitched a little, surprised by her reaction.
Then she bit him.
"Ouch!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't say it clearly earlier. If you want to embrace me, you need to win my heart or else..." She paused her words for a second. "If you so desperate you can force yourself on me, I'm your slave soon to be bride after all."
Putting all the courage she had, she touched his cheek with her hand, and said, "But when you did that, know that I'll never forgive you. And whatever you're trying to do, I'll never cooperate with you."
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you, it's better to have a willing person to join in your cause. So, which one is more important for you, your ambition or your desire?"
The corner of her mouth raised, and the dim of the night, the reflection of the light made her amethyst eyes glow bewitchingly.
Frei was standing still, lost at words, getting pulled in by her gaze. He knew women had many faces, his experience had told him so. That night, he just saw what was hidden under the layer of the meek Rena. The sweet innocent young maiden who gave him fluttering feeling whenever he was with her, now completely ensnared him. He couldn't look away from her.
"I'm tired and since you're not willing to tell me anything useful, I'll be back to my room. Good night."
She turned around, and without waiting for his response, opened the door and left the room.
That night, he successfully provoked the girl called Aoki Rena. Not that sixteen years old girl who had no idea about her past, but the twenty-one years old girl who had refused many approached from guys, leaving them broken-hearted, and secretly being called the flower on a high cliff behind her back.
----
When Rena was back in her room, she called Neel.
"Neel, come out."
The little boy with light blue hair appeared from her shadow.
"I want to be alone tonight, can you go somewhere else?" She spoke to Neel without looking at him.
"...Yes, I'll go to the rooftop." He followed her request as a gesture of sympathy. Nothing would change by him leaving the room since their mind was connected.
Neel stole a glance at Rena before she covered herself under the blanket and saw a tear trickled down her cheek. He turned around and opened the balcony window and jumped to the roof. He was a magical beast, he wouldn't get sick even if he stayed outdoor all night.
The pink satin blanket covering her moved up and down, trembling slightly, telling the person looking from the outside that she was crying. There was no sound as she gulped her cry that was trying to escape from her mouth.
After some time had passed, she started feeling hot and stuffy under the blanket, so she opened the blanket and felt the fresh air brushing her face. Then she saw the rose candy Frei bought for her on her bedside. The glistening red petals made her remember his sweet words, her anger boiling up again, she picked up the rose candy and intended to throw it on the wall, breaking it. She lifted her arm and swung it forward.
But her hand didn't let go the rose candy.
"How agonizing..." She gripped the rose candy tightly.
If Frei had told her since the beginning, she wouldn't be this mad, she would just accept it as it was. But after giving her a false wing to fly, he pulled her back, slamming her down to the ground. She was mad at herself for falling for him, she was mad at him who successfully played with her heart.
The thoughts that echoed in her mind...
He didn't trust her. He didn't love her.
He wanted her to stay by his side as his tool, as his toy.
She gripped the rose candy with a resolute gaze. If she couldn't escape from him, then the only path for her was to move ahead. Dealing with Frei won't be easy for her, but she must not let him defeat her.
First, she needed to find out more about what kind of person the man called Frei. She must learn about him, she must understand him, so he couldn't control her like a puppet. She refused to be just his plaything.
Rena slapped her cheeks hard with her hands, and said, "Fight!"
---