You entered the golden gate of the Saito's lavish mansion.
The pathway from the gate to the main door of the mansion extends to hundreds of hectares. Thank heavens you were fetched by the limousine or it will probably take you one whole day just to walk from the gate to the front door.
You were taken aback by the grandiosity of the estate and were only pulled back to reality when you disembarked from the limousine.
Right in front of the main door is a very handsome man. The kind of perfection one can never find in the real world, but in this storybook exists.
'Rin Saito.'
You knew he was going to be pretty tall but you never really specified in the book how tall he would be.
Looking at him now, you estimated his height to be around six feet and two inches, or probably even taller.
He has pale white skin and has eyes the color of the deepest seat of hell.
'Soulless black eyes,' as described in the book.
He has a muscular build, broad shoulders, and yes, just like his sister, he has raven black hair that reaches his shoulders.
You always thought that he will look scary based on your book description, but he looks so enchanting. 'So prince-like even.'
He looks like the dark prince, definitely the prince of hell. You smiled at the thought. 'He is the devil himself, just looking this handsome should constitute a crime. Yes, definitely that, the most guilty of them all.'
You forced yourself to focus when you reached the main door.
"Brother, this is the doctor who will treat the hound. Her name is Maru," Aki Saito who was standing beside her brother spoke up.
"You are late. Follow me," was all he said as he led the way inside the house.
He is a very cold person, his face is completely devoid of emotions. Like he is nothing more but a cold statue made from ice.
You have always admired his character if you were being honest. You fell in love with him while writing the book.
Rin Saito is the most compelling character in the entire book for you.
He is cold, calculating, and hardly ever functions with a sense of normalcy.
You love him, everything about him.
When you were writing about him, you always found yourself smiling, inspired by the wonderful character you have created.
And yet, seeing him close, breathing, alive, and human, you became aware that you might be at risk of falling in love with him for real.
•••••••••••••••
The mansion may be grand outside but it is a palace inside.
The furnishings, which glistened with gold and diamond ornaments scattered throughout the grand hall will probably be worth zillions of dollars in the real world.
You secretly smiled and thought, 'only in a storybook creation can we experience something like this.'
•••••••••••••••
Rin led the way to the dungeons where a giant hound is presently being kept.
The beast is probably a three-story building in height, and the width probably twice that.
Aki already explained to you before that the name of the beast that resembles a hellhound is Muchiko.
'Such a nice feminine name for a giant beast,' it only shows how nice Aki is, and how much her pet means to her.
"What is wrong with Muchiko?" Rin asked, stoic and calm despite it all.
“I have to observe him. Give me a week. I will tell you my diagnosis then,” you tried to calm your fast-beating heart when you answered.
Rin nodded and left.
Your heart felt empty as he dismissed you like that, he was your favorite after all.
You rationalized this hurt feeling by saying to yourself that it is normal to feel hurt when someone you like so much doesn't seem to like you back.
Especially since you created that someone, you reminded yourself. But right now, it feels so real.
Probably because he looks so real. Talks so real. He even smells so real, addictively so nice like vanilla mixed with warm chocolate.
You shook your head and repeated over and over, this is just part of the story, none of these will ever materialize in the real world.
Despite it all, your heart clenched when your eyes followed him as he quietly walked away.
•••••••••••••••••
Maru Akari
Nighttime.
It is your first night at the Saito's mansion.
'Ahh, the Saito's Mansion, a very grand estate indeed, but somehow, it feels less of a home, more like a mural of sorts. No matter how beautiful it is, it felt empty.'
You can't sleep, though the bed is very comfortable, you kept tossing and turning.
You are thinking of him.
'Rin Saito.'
You find yourself drawn to him, to his expressionless face, to his cold domineering voice.
You want him, need him, for what reason, you simply don't know.
But he barely noticed you, even when you are finally inside his world, he can barely see you.
'He is too marvelous. How in the world can he possibly notice a plain Jane, even if she is the author?'
There is nothing so astonishing about you for Rin Saito to notice.
And with those things in mind, a tear fell down your cheeks as you slowly fell asleep.
••••••••••••••••
Rin Saito's POV:
'Who is she? How can I get her out of my head?'
I stared at the sleeping woman.
I entered her room through the open window and have been staring at her sleeping form for quite a while now.
'A stranger. I never felt anything like this for anyone, much less for a stranger.'
I want to touch her face. I feel like I know her, like I knew her for a long time.
'This woman, this ordinary and yet bewitching woman. Who is she?'
I've seen her in my dreams. I have been seeing her in my dreams for three straight years now.
Every time I find time to sleep I can see her in my dreams. The funny thing is, I never dreamed before those three years. I barely even sleep. But now, just to see her, I force myself to go to sleep.
'Now she is right here with me.'
She does not sense my presence. I looked at her, and I saw a tear falling down her pretty cheeks.
For some reason, I wanted to wipe her tears away. I feel my heart ache just looking at her cry in her sleep.
I'm disgusted to feel this way. Such weakness for someone I don't even know.
'I'm an assassin.'
An assassin doesn't need emotions. Emotions are weaknesses that we do not have any luxury to feel.
For this reason, I have forbidden Aki to make any friends. A friend is just an inconvenience.
But this.... This woman is more dangerous than any friend will ever be.
'She needs to die. Now.'
Bloodlust started seeping through me.
I feel anger towards this woman sleeping soundly in her bed, while I was the one left feeling this, this emotion that consumes every fiber of my being.
I took a needle and coated it with poison.
The poison I chose is a very potent one. It distorts the face, the body of the victim.
It will destroy her precious face that haunted me in my dreams. The face I long to see every waking moment of my life.
'I will destroy her. I will get rid of her pretty face. That memory will replace the memories I have of these dreams.'
As I threw the needle, the pin was caught mid-air. My eyes darted to the shadow that caught the object.
"Should you be doing that to your guest?" the figure asked in his jester melodramatic voice.
"What is it to you?" I asked.
"Well, she's got such a cute little face. Don't you think so? I'd like to create a toy out of her."
"Are you telling me she is off-limits?" I asked the crazy artist who has been my ally for a while now.
"I am saying I'll have you killed if you do," the crazy ally said in a serious tone.
I know this person well enough to know that he meant every word.
Since I am an assassin who only fights and risks myself for my enlisted mission, I have no desire to fight off a crazy clown just to kill his 'toy' as he so phrased it.
"Okay. But once you tire of your toy, would you mind me disposing of her then?" I asked him.
"Of course not. I wouldn't mind at all," Paris said in a melodious, pretentious voice.
"Very well," I said as I left him alone with the sleeping woman.
As I closed the door to that woman's room, I heard the artist whisper.
"Sleep well, my little toy. I'll kill anyone who tries to harm you. For I will be the one to break you," the artist hummed.
That night, the artist did not fall asleep a single second, as he watched the woman slept, mesmerized by how soundly she managed to sleep not knowing she was beside death's door just awhile ago.
He really was caught in a trance with his unbroken little toy.