To make matters even worse, Gods-damn Daisuke, the absolute bane of my existence, appeared at the exact moment and immediately misunderstood the entire situation. It felt like the universe was conspiring against me, making everything go wrong all at once. With his usual flair, he was decked out in his signature dark sunglasses, always acting like he was too important to be bothered by anything as trivial as actual human emotion. His entire demeanor screamed arrogance as he turned toward me, and with a grip that bordered on painful, he latched onto my left arm. The force he used reminded me of that damn déjà vu feeling—the same overwhelming sensation that flooded me the day I went to speak with his parents. Once again, I found myself trapped in the middle of an unfair mess, forced to deal with his overbearing presence.
"Now you are harming the girls as well?" His voice came out sharp, dripping with accusatory venom. His words hit me like a slap to the face, and I could already feel my blood boiling with anger.
I barely had time to process what was happening before he shoved me violently to the ground. The impact was jarring, making my back slam into the wall with a sickening thud. Pain shot through my body, but before I could even gather my bearings, Daisuke was already moving toward Elodie. His usual self-righteous hero complex took over, and it made me sick to my stomach. As expected, Elodie didn't even bother telling him the truth—of course, she didn't. She was far too wrapped up in whatever little game she thought she was playing.
"Did she do this to you?" Daisuke demanded, his voice laced with venom as he glared down at me. His tone, already dripping with judgment, assumed the worst of me. "Tell me the truth, she won't hurt you anymore, darling."
Gods, was he really this ignorant? Did he honestly think Elodie could like boys? Or was I just reading too much into things, noticing things that weren't even there? Was I the only one who could see the lies?
"I... Yes... She threw me to the ground," Elodie replied, her voice almost comically weak. Excuse me?
I couldn't hold it in. A laugh bubbled up from deep inside me—a mocking, sarcastic giggle that filled the tense space between us. Elodie jumped, startled by my unexpected reaction. "I'm mesmerized by your honesty, Elodie Aoife Branwen," I said, my voice thick with derision. I inhaled sharply, steadying myself as I pressed my dagger further into my palm. Then, with a dramatic pause, I slowly got to my feet. "Now I understand why you and my brother are such best friends."
I turned to leave, finally fed up with the entire situation, but just as I took a step, two guards materialized from the shadows, blocking my path. They had clearly been waiting for the right moment to intervene, and they weren't going to let me slip away so easily. I didn't have the patience for this kind of nonsense, so I simply turned my back to them, waiting as the seconds stretched into eternity.
"Go to the infirmary, my dear," Daisuke's voice carried over to me, overly calm, like he was speaking to a child. His words twisted something inside me, making me feel disgusted. It wasn't just the condescending way he spoke, but the way he treated Elodie that made bile rise in my throat. "She won't hurt you."
As if I had ever done anything to harm her.
After Elodie had disappeared down the hallway, her footsteps growing fainter with each passing second, Daisuke closed the distance between us. The nauseating feeling in my stomach only intensified with his proximity. He got even closer, and I had to force myself not to recoil from his presence. I could practically feel the judgment radiating off of him as he spoke.
"You cannot hurt any of the girls, Eileithya," Daisuke said, his tone dripping with arrogance. He looked down at me as if I were a mere inconvenience, something he could dispose of at will. "If you hurt any of them, it's like hurting my future wife, your future Queen."
I could feel a dry, sarcastic chuckle building up in my chest, and I couldn't hold it back. "None of them will be my future Queen, Daisuke," I shot back, my words biting with deliberate venom. I locked eyes with him, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. "My future Queen died five years ago."
At the mention of his sister, his demeanor changed in an instant. His grip on my throat was sudden and brutal, and I gasped as his fingers tightened around my neck. I could feel the air being squeezed from my lungs, but in that moment, I seized the opportunity. With a quick, practiced motion, I pressed my dagger against his throat, the cold steel meeting his skin with a quiet warning.
"If you try to kill me, I'll give you the same fate," I said, my voice firm and unwavering. The threat hung in the air, and I hoped it made him hesitate for just a second. His guards were stunned into inaction, their weapons drawn and aimed at me, but Daisuke's sharp command stopped them in their tracks.
"Don't!" His voice rang out, hard and demanding. "Do not try anything stupid."
His grip on my neck loosened slightly, but it was still there, as if he thought he could still overpower me. Daisuke glared at me, his eyes burning with rage, but I refused to back down. "You don't have the right to mention anything about my sister!" he spat, his voice low and dangerous.
I wasn't intimidated, though. I stood my ground, staring him down, my voice cold and biting. "Do you think she's proud of what you're doing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge.
I could see the surprise flicker in his eyes, and it was enough to make him falter. His hands dropped away from my neck, releasing me just enough to let me breathe again. It felt like an eternity had passed, and I finally let out a shaky breath, grateful to be free of his suffocating grip. Still, I didn't lower my dagger. I kept it pressed against him for just a moment longer, letting the tension build in the air before I finally took a step back.
"I shouldn't even be telling you this, but I find it quite delightful," I said, my voice dripping with amusement as I took in his flustered state.
"What are you talking about?" Daisuke hissed, his anger rising.
I couldn't resist the temptation. "I'm talking about your obliviousness, your royal highness!" I said, my words taunting and biting. "It's hilarious to see you acting as if all the girls here want to marry you, like they came here to compete for your heart instead of being forced to come by their parents!"
He was caught off guard, completely stunned by my words, but I wasn't finished. "Especially when some of them don't even like boys," I added with a grin, enjoying the expression of confusion that passed over his face. And with that, I turned, walking away as fast as I could, desperate to get as far from him as possible.
I could hear him calling after me, his voice full of confusion and anger. "What do you mean by that?" he demanded, but I didn't look back.
I was already halfway down the hallway, my mind racing as I walked, my feet carrying me away from them as quickly as I could manage. The walls around me seemed to close in, but I couldn't afford to stop. Not yet.