If there's one thing that can describe how Ivory feels right now, it's a roller coaster.
The game that can throw us high and knock our bodies down is very suitable as an example for her. Ivory felt like she was on a roller coaster. She had just been tossed into the sky full of joy. Coupled with the flattery that makes the blush on her cheeks and a deadly smile from the owner. Unfortunately, in the next second, her happiness was thrown away by the Prince Charming without any guilt.
It was that easy for Aaron Magnifico to turn her heart over at once.
What if they live under the same roof?
"Why don't you drink it?"
Ivory glanced at the firm yet gentle voice next to her.
Aaron casually sipped the whiskey in his right hand while his left index finger tapped on the table. He stared at Ivory intently. His gaze was not demanding, only implied curiosity why the girl next to him who wanted chocolate milk faded her smile.
"You can drink as many glasses as you want."
Out of courtesy, Ivory sipped the milk in the copper-colored glass slowly. She immediately lost her appetite for drinking milk since her potential partner talked about his own potential partner. The milk that should have created a sweet taste on her tongue now tasted very sour.
"Does she beautiful?"
Ivory covered her mouth tightly after the ridiculous question was thrown out of her way without being able to stop her. She stared in horror at the man, who didn't seem offended by Ivory's question. Aaron instead replied with a light, soul-stirring laugh.
"She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
The prettiest girl...
Suppose a handsome man like Aaron had admitted that the girl named Joy was beautiful. In that case, it could be ascertained that the girl was indeed beautiful. Probably on par with the entertainers in Makara.
Ivory's chest ached.
"She has a smile as bright as the sun. To be honest, I fell in love with her smile."
Fell in love...
Her potential partner has fallen in love with someone else...
Ivory's eyes heated up.
She'd only met Aaron in 20 minutes, and she had her heart broken so quickly?
As if to add to the pain, Ivory asked again the thing that was stuck in her heart. "Then why did you join this event? Don't you intend to marry your fiancee? Why don't you get married right away?"
Aaron smiled lopsidedly. He seemed to consider for a moment before answering Ivory's question. He put down his finished glass and leaned toward the questioning figure.
"That's a secret, Baby."
Before Ivory had time to answer Aaron's mysterious answer, Hadid the Host's words successfully caught the attention of both of them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I will make some important announcements during this introductory session," he said right before the golden microphone. The small man looks happy as if everyone in front of him is a young couple who will be married en masse.
"Always rambling," Aaron muttered.
Ivory, who heard it, immediately replied. "You know the presenter?"
Aaron nodded lightly. "He was my classmate," he replied calmly.
"After this session is over, the Copulation participants are expected to be able to gather according to their group. You will be given a detector that will mark this event's start."
Detectors.
A tracking device, to be precise.
Ivory had heard about detectors from her sister a few years ago. The thumb-sized object will be implanted into the participants' upper arms. Her sister said that three full days after the device was put in, she couldn't lift her left hand. Her hands felt numb and unbelievably sore. Ivory couldn't imagine how painful it was for a foreign object lodged in a human body.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt," Aaron whispered as if he could read Ivory's thoughts.
Ivory just nodded silently.
"After that, The Secondary are expected to gather in the place that has been provided. You will be asked to take blood, hair, and fingerprints as data."
"No data retrieval for you?" Ivory asked.
Aaron nodded at Ivory's question.
"We'll meet here in a week. You will stay at my house for a year. Bring only the important things. For the rest, I will provide for you. There's no need to worry."
"What if I don't want to?"
Aaron furrowed his thick brows. "What don't you want?"
Ivory bit her lower lip slowly before the words stuck in her brain came out unfiltered. "What if I don't want to join this event? What if I rebel and run from here?"
Aaron thought his potential partner's question sounded ridiculous. "You already know the answer. The Guardians will kill—"
"I knew I would die at their hands," Ivory cut in. She would never usually be this rude, but she just wanted to tell Aaron what was on her mind for some reason. "But what about a Primary like you? Will you guys get punished too? Because really, I think this is very unfair."
Aaron rubbed his chin gently. He didn't expect that question to be asked of him. At first, he thought Ivory was a timid person. Not really. Aaron's attention was now fixated on the cute figure who argued with glowing violet eyes.
"I think the Primary just gets a fine. Not many bad things can happen to us."
Ivory snorted. As if she already knew the answer. "I hate this place even more," she said quietly.
"Tell me, why don't you agree to the Copulation event? Isn't this a grand event that has been held for decades?" Aaron moved the chair he was sitting on to clearly hear the argument that the figure in front of him was going to make. They both totally ignored what the presenter said, who was now telling them about the lavish holiday prize that the Primary who won the door prize would receive tonight.
Ivory shook her head disapprovingly in response to Aaron's question.
"How can someone be forced to conceive from an unknown person, then when the baby is born, the baby will be immediately separated from their parents? How could there be such a sinister event?" chirp Ivory. "And what's more annoying, all the misery is always bestowed on the Secondary. We got nothing from this event. Our rights were taken away, and our freedom was taken away. Not to mention that if we fail, they will kill us easily. How can that be fair?"
"Shh… Don't be so loud," Aaron put his index finger on Ivory's lips. Held it in before the girl spat out words that would be fatal if heard by The Higher-ups. "I know how you feel," Aaron said.
"No. You don't know," said Ivory. "The Primaries like you will never know."
***
Aaron tossed his tie in annoyance.
Ever since that damn detector was implanted in his right arm, that part had been throbbing violently. He even almost swayed while driving his car because of the pain. This was the first time he had felt pain in twenty-six years of his life.
"Goddammit! It's so freaking sore!"
"What's going on, Hon?"
The melodic chant of the goddess's song succeeded in erasing the frown on Aaron's forehead. Very comfortably, a pair of thin and smooth arms wrapped around his hips and hugged the broad-backed man from behind. The figure behind him even pressed her cheek against the man's shoulder and swayed spoiled.
"Why did you come home so early? I think it's still about an hour before you arrive."
Aaron smiled widely. The pain was slightly eroded by the soft voice of the heart's idol, who seemed to apply medicine to the wound. He was healed only by the soothing voice of his lover.
"They just put a detector on my right arm. It feels so sore," Aaron complained in a spoiled tone. He pursed his lips in disgust.
"Let me see."
In a silky smooth motion, Joy, Aaron's fiancee, tugged at his man's arm and examined the blue bruises that had caused the detector implant. She rubbed it repeatedly clockwise and then kissed it. Joy then flashed a smile to calm Aaron's heart.
"I think it will get better," said Joy cheerfully. "How was your meeting with your potential partner?"
Aaron shrugged his shoulders in ignorance. "I don't know. I don't think it's a good start. She disappeared in the middle of the show, and I couldn't find her. So yeah, I'm going home first."
Joy exhaled heavily. "I hate to call her your potential mate," she muttered sadly. "But it's okay. It's only a year. After that, you will marry me, right, Honey?"
Aaron grabbed her by the neck and kissed her lips softly. With feeling, the man crushed his lover's lower lip. He bit her lips a few times before turning his head away.
"Of course, I'll marry you, Sweetheart," he said confidently. "This is only temporary."