"Here, take my hand." Even though I was barely on my feet and relying on Emily, I still extended my hand out to him.
"Or do you just want a woman to give you a hand, only for you to sweep her away by your charm? If that's the case, sadly I can't offer you that." I didn't try to come off as a smirk-filled nice guy. Believe me, that's the last thing I would ever be. Before I was this cold-hearted, lifeless dude who would just live every day by the moment for what it was and barely craved for anything. But now, I certainly changed, if not for the best, certainly not for the worst, at this point in time.
Only time will tell as things would fare. As though sensing some ill-notion from my side, Blake, just as I figured, slapped my hand away. "What? Are you trying to be the nice guy, after beating the crap out of me? Forget it. If you want to just shove it in my face, do so as you please. I won't stop you. You've earned the right! You've beaten me. So, don't hold back."
"You've got it wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"I didn't defeat you. That strange power did. The power that's embedded deep within me did. In all honesty, it caught you off-guard."
"No, that's not...That isn't true! Besides, it's rightful of you to see how you defeated me because you can. That's what makes you human, and that's what makes you weak. In the end, all that matters is the result. It doesn't matter how you've done it." He had every right to deny what I just said. Because he wasn't wrong in any sense.
There are two types of people in this world. One who relied on their emotions and what their heart felt, and there was the other kind who solely relied on facts, logic, and pieces of evidence, that only relied upon the brain. There were instances where people used both but that was rare. The way I saw things and the way he saw was completely different.
"Then let me ask you this. If I were to face another opponent, of your caliber or someone even higher than you, who had an insight about the powers I had with me, do you still think I can fend him off? Because I don't. This is as much as what one might consider a fluke."
"That's your own belief."
"Exactly, and I'm not forcing them onto you."
"Then, what's the point telling me this?"
"Because, I wanted to make sure that I'm not blinded by the fact that it was the powers that defeated you, and not me. It was in control, and not me. With that, I can assure myself that I'm still not good enough, and keep my head down, and try to understand it, tame it and be one with it."
"What's the point in going that far? I get it that as you are right now, you may beat the elites, but what is it that you seek that you relentlessly put yourself in the pursuit of this mysterious power that you can't even get a grip of?"
"I don't really know what I seek if there's anything as such at all."
"Then why..."
I cut him halfway. "Because I have a promise to fulfill.", I didn't dare to look over my shoulder to see her face behind me. "I promised your girlfriend over here that I would make help her ascend the throne of the demon realm, even if it was at the expense of many lives, including mine. That's why I can't back down."
"Hold it!"
"Hold it!" Both of them instantly snapped back at me, in unison, which just solidified my idea that they both were a couple.
"What do you mean by promising her to help her to ascend the throne?!"
"Hey, what do you mean by us both being a couple?!"
I was dumbfounded by each one of their questions. I was rendered speechless. Even if these guys are 100 years old ( this was purely skeptical, but this was what Blake had said), did their brain function at such a slow pace? Not that it was my concern or such.
"Hey, answer me. Why would you promise her such a thing? Besides, it's been bugging me for a while...What's your relationship with her?"
Instead of telling him what had happened, I just unbuttoned my shirt and showed him the area near my collarbone. More precisely, the mark around that region. "Get it?"
"No, wait...That mark...It can't be..."
I even pulled out my long sleeve over my right arm and turned it around. I concentrated and summoned the mark on my arm, that was invisible to all, except when I needed it. "Long story short, I'm the maiden's grand duke. But in human terms, I'm her slave." I didn't look at her but I could sense an evil glare lurking behind my shoulders. "I'm sure you have your questions and suspicions, but we can save that for later. Right now, it would be in our best interest to disappear from this place."
"As much I'd hate to say master, the human's right. We can't stay in this place. Especially you in such a state."
"Fine, but this is not done. I shall have a word with you later on." He pointed his finger at me and then disappeared.
"Huh? Where did he go?" I could hear some voices heading over in our direction.
"Hold onto me." Such an outrageous request?! Did this woman know that I didn't entertain such stuff? "Fast!"
"Alright!" I did as I was told so, and the next moment, I was back in my familiar apartment, but how should I put it? I was in an unfamiliar situation.
We were on a bed. More precisely, my bed. Just the two of us. Looking at each other. Time stood still.