I stared back to 1, too transfixed by his question to form a coherent reply. But actually, it was not only his question that made it difficult for me to answer. It was the context of what was behind it that was making it hard to catch my breath, as though I ran lapses in order to arrive at my spot now instead of leisurely walking as I did. I remembered the random times he asked me questions for even the most mundane of things, waiting for my consent before he did anything. And each time, he respected what I wanted – or did not want. I've never met a man who put that much importance and consideration about my feelings before.
'Why do you need to ask?' I countered, keeping my tone light as my throat tightened with emotion. Even a high school student in Seoul would have simply leaned in and kissed the girl if presented with a similar situation. He wouldn't bother to ask the question, assuming the answer was a yes unless his companion objected. But here I was with the most powerful man in Luxentfort, and he was literally waiting for me to answer.
"Are we back to answering a question with another?" Alessandro chuckled. "You should know by now – I ask because I never want to do anything that might upset you."
I nodded. 'Yes, I know.' And I had for a while already. It was an exhilarating feeling and I hadn't gotten properly accustomed to it yet.
Alessandro tilted her face up so she could look at him instead of stubbornly staring at the insignia on his suit. "So do you have an answer for me?" he teased, even though his heart was racing in anticipation. What if she flat out said no? What would he do, then – try again next time?
I took a deep breath and put my hands on his shoulders. 'Yes,' I smiled. 'I do.'
Alessandro returned her smile and slowly, very slowly, bent down to capture her lips with his own. When he felt 20 gasp, he tightened his hold on her, tilted his head slightly, and deepened the kiss. He had never been so absorbed in such a simple contact before. And it was simple by all means. A kiss, for crying out loud. That made him seem like a naïve kid awkwardly attempting to seduce his first girl.
But this time he was so absorbed with 20 that he dwelled in their first intimate touch. It was a kiss that made him close his eyes fervently to savor the moment, a kiss that made the rest of the world disappear.
After a while, he lifted his head and cupped her cheeks with both hands. "20," he said hoarsely, his sapphire eyes glistening with intensity. "You have no idea what you do to me."
'No, but I can guess,' I joked, trying to diffuse the tension between us. It was so palpable I could practically feel it in the air.
"I'm sure it won't be accurate," he commented with a smirk as he swayed them slowly to the music. "But I appreciate the effort." And I laughed. The audacity of this man.
Caio watched Alessandro and 20's reflection through the wine glass he held up, tracking their move on the dance floor in between sips of the sparkling white wine. While it was highly unlikely that anyone would openly dare to make an attempt on 20's life while she was with Alessandro – and in front of so many other people – he still couldn't shake off the feeling that something was very wrong.
He couldn't explain it properly, and there was certainly no logical reason for it, but he was also not ready to simply dismiss it. His intuition had saved his life countless times in the battlefield, and he knew there must a reason why he was so antsy this evening. The feeling only got persistently worse as the ball progressed further into the night.
"What is this?" he muttered, and the fact that he had been asking himself the same question over and over again only served to vex him even more. When he saw 20 collapse on the ground, followed by Alessandro's panicked shouts, he dropped the glass where he stood and broke into a run towards them. His instincts were screaming that he was just about to find out the answer to his question.
*****
'I need a break,' I told 1. I had probably danced to three or four songs with him when I began to felt faint. Maybe a glass of cold water would help replenish my energy. And of course, no break is a proper break without sweets. I hadn't been able to get the vanilla ice cream and chocolate fudge I had promised myself earlier, after all.
"Why?" Alessandro grinned. "Are you planning to get some desserts?" He teased even as he started to lead her to the buffet table. They had only taken a few steps when he felt 20 leaning heavily against him. He looked down at her curiously and saw that she was deathly pale, her breath erratic. "What's wrong?" he asked, trying futilely to keep the tremor out of his voice as he held her tighter. "Are you sick?"
The nausea got worse with each step I took, making the entire room spin. It finally forced me to stop walking and close my eyes in an attempt to keep my balance. But given how tightly 1 was holding me, I wasn't sure I was doing much of a good job myself. I heard 1's voice continue to call me, and I tried to pry my eyes open and say something – anything. But my lips felt too dry and I couldn't form a single word. Exhausted by the effort, I closed my eyes again and gave in to the darkness slowly closing in on me.
Alessandro caught her as she fell completely unconscious, and he lay her on the cold marbled floor. "20, what's wrong?" he shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders as he tried to wake her up. "Open your eyes. Please open your eyes." He kept shaking her but there was no response. That's when he noticed – she was hardly breathing. And Alessandro's whole world stopped.