"DON'T YOU agree, girls? Well, I don't think you will agree with me since you didn't see it with your own eyes. But believe me, girls, that man is a freakin' p*rvert! I swear!"
Tania and Cornelia silently looked at each other. Both had a hopeless look. They were hopeless because they didn't know what to do with their human friend.
It wasn't the first time that they'd heard those words. They had already lost count of how many times Diana had spoken ill of the pitiful Lycan king. And that was just for this whole afternoon. The times that Diana had viciously badmouthed the Lycan king in front of them for the last two weeks or so, Tania and Cornelia had no idea how many times that was.
Also, Diana seemed like she had no idea about it. Because once again, she started ranting about how she loathed the Lycan king. If Cornelia remembered it right, it all started the day after the midnight visit of the Lycan king to their pack territory. Since then, there have been no times when Diana has not talked badly about the Lycan king.
"He's more of a rogue than a royal. Can you believe that he would peep at me while I was bathing in the lake? Although that lake is not a private property, it's still the same! That's not enough for him to peep at me! Shameless!"
"Why are you even bathing at that time, D?" Cornelia asked while wiping her sweat with her towel.
Tania immediately shot a glare at her friend. But Cornelia acted like she didn't see that and continued looking at Diana like she was really curious.
And Tania knew well that her friend was playing tricks again. She knew it since that question had already been asked by her for the first time and was recycled by Cornelia many times just to make Diana repeat her story for the nth time.
So, just like Tania had predicted, Diana really started retelling what happened that fateful night like an old cassette tape. And Tania could only roll her eyes while drinking the last bit of water from her tumbler.
Maybe she was also getting used to it, as it had already happened more than three times in the past two weeks. Like a script in a play, Cornelia would ask the same questions she had in the past few days, and Diana would also follow the script unknowingly. Just like a cycle, when Cornelia felt bored, that scene would repeat. However, Tania didn't want it to happen.
"He's not only a perv, but he was also a playful bastard. He already knew I didn't know that he was the Lycan king, yet he never corrected me when I called him names unrelated to him being a king. Does he like to watch me make myself an idiot? The nerve! I really hate him!"
Before Cornelia could ask another question from the script, Tania, who was getting annoyed, hit Cornelia on the back of her head. Cornelia pouted her lips as she looked at Tania aggrievedly.
Instead of saying sorry, Tania glared at Cornelia as a warning before looking at Diana, who finally calmed down.
"Okay, D, we get it. You hate him. Blah, blah. Now let's continue training so that your mind will be eased with the thoughts of his highness," Tania said, trying to mediate.
Diana sprang up from her seat. "Who said I was thinking of that person?"
"Oh," Cornelia chimed in, standing in front of Diana while looking at her friend with that playful smirk. "Aren't you, though, my friend?"
"I really am not thinking of that j*rk!" Diana denied it firmly, almost shouting.
And Cornelia laughed hard after seeing the fuming face of her friend. Before she could attack her, Cornelia raised her hands and waved them in front of Diana to calm her. Tania, who was watching them, groaned in surrender.
She will never win the battle between the sly fox, Cornelia, and the innocent human, Diana. As long as Cornelia started instigating Diana, all she could do was watch the two. She can only intervene when one is already on the edge, which was most likely Diana.
"Okay, since you two didn't want to stop, then let's f*cking clear this up now," Tania seriously said.
Cornelia finally shut up while Diana calmed down. They both looked at Tania, who was really serious about what she said.
"D, please don't let Cornelia stir you up all the time. And stop thinking about the Lycan king at all times because it's affecting not only your thinking but also ours. Because your mind is clouded with thoughts of him, you didn't realize that Cornelia had been asking you questions that had already been asked for the past week, every day, like a script. So, stop denying that your mind is full of the king, because it was freakin' obvious!" Tania frustratedly exclaimed and then looked at Cornelia. "And you! How many times do I need to remind you to stop instigating Diana? For the Moon Goddess' sake! You're not a kid anymore! Gosh, this is making my head sore. Oh my ghad…"
Like a balloon that has lost all its air, Tania deflated and slumped back onto the bench. She lost all her energy from scolding two of her childish friends. She was thinking about how she had become part of the squad only because there were two children in the group who needed babysitting.
"Am I really thinking about him?" Diana whispered, but it was still heard by her werewolf friends.
"If that isn't it, then what should it be?" Cornelia commented, which earned another warning glare from Tania.
Tania sighed again and properly sat on the bench. "As Cornelia was saying, we are telling the truth here, D. For the past two weeks, since the last visit of the Lycan king to our humble home, you have been talking about him. A day won't pass without us hearing all your rants about him. It seems like we are just playing a recording, on and on."
"But I was just really ranting about him. It's because I was so annoyed about him that I couldn't contain them in me, so I ranted them out. Just like that. But that doesn't mean that I was thinking of him completely. How can I think of that annoying face he has?" Diana said in defense.
Tania couldn't help but slap her forehead in helplessness at her friend. Cornelia also chuckled, which only added to her annoyance. She just wanted to explain everything to that naive friend of hers so she could finally leave in peace.
"My, my. How cute!" Cornelia cooed like she was facing a kid and not a young adult friend.
"Who's cute?" Kylee cut in.
The girls finally notice the two guys who were scrupulously sparring, not so far away from them. Kylee was wiping his sweat-stained face while his sparring partner, Froilan, was already drinking water from his own tumbler.
"What are you guys talking about? We were already here for like a minute or so, yet no one gave us any glances," Kylee added, standing beside Diana.
Diana looked at the other side of the training grounds, where the two men were supposed to be resting since this side was for girls while the other side was for men. But since it was only their small squad that was using the training grounds, it did not matter.
"Nothing, Lee! We were just talking some sense to this best friend of yours," Tania butted in while placing her arm on Cornelia's shoulder.
"That she's cute?" Kylee asked with an innocent frown.
"Idiot! Who's cute? You're cute! Your whole family is cute!" Diana refused in disgust.
For a human, Diana really hates being called cute, as she thinks that that derogatory adjective is only for those cubs. And she's not a cub to be praised as cute. She would prefer it if someone called her ugly rather than cute.
Everyone laughed. They already knew Diana like the back of their hands, so it wasn't surprising when the human suddenly scowled at them. And seeing her friends laugh, Diana pouted agrievedly. If she could also growl at them, she would just show her disgruntledness.
"Anyway, we are really getting far away from the topic. As I was saying, we're talking about how her lips always talk about his highness, Gener. And what I was pinpointing is what it actually means. I don't believe that it's only because she's annoyed about his highness. I can feel it. It was because of something else. Something more interesting," Tania explained, making sure that she sounded mysterious at the end.
"She didn't even act like that about Sandro when that guy was much more annoying than the king, for what I know. It was even the exact opposite since she would really explode anyone who would speak that j*rk's name in front of her," Cornelia added, who did not hide the disgust in her eyes.
"That I agree with, Nelia," Froilan, who had no plan to join the discussion, interjected.
Hearing that name, Froilan couldn't help but show his discontent with the man. It was because, among the four friends of Diana, it was him who was always disturbed by Sandro, since he was a cousin of his from her mother's side. So, aside from Diana, it was he who was the second most annoyed at him.
Cornelia was glad to hear that Froilan agreed with her. So she sat by his side and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Heh. That was it, my friend, Lan! I really love you, my friend. You're always the supportive type."
Froilan, who did not see it coming, had a dumbfounded expression on his face. He had forgotten about how crazy Cornelia was and that even a simple gesture like what he did would be exaggerated by the woman. In the end, he could only let the woman do her thing, as he really ignored everything and acted like an invisible man, as he always did.
"Well, although I am not against it or annoyed with it, I also notice your sudden obsession with his highness." Before Diana could interrupt, Kylee signaled her to shut up. "And I can agree with them, D. Your obsession with his highness, Gener, means something."
"What would be the other meaning of it except for my annoyance? Stop giving other meanings to my actions, guys. Issue makers!" Diana rebuked.
Tania disagreed, shaking her head. "Oh no, dear. We are not making stories or creating issues. Your actions really mean something. Something that is not only because of your annoyance or whatever you call it. Something like—"
"It's the 'TMYH-TMYL' syndrome!" Cornelia, the great chronic interrupter, butted in.
A look of confusion flashed across Diana's face. "What's that TMYHTM-something syndrome?"
"It's TMYH-TMYL syndrome!" Cornelia corrected.
"Yes, that. Whatever that is."
"It's the infamous saying, D. It means, the more you hate, the more you love, though I don't know when it became a syndrome," Froilan explained.
"Heh! Why does Lan know about it while Diana doesn't?" Cornelia exasperatedly asked.
"I love reading books?" Froilan answered, unsure.
"I also know it, but not the syndrome part," Kylee also said, even raising his hand.
"I just know it, period," Tania says.
"Really, guys?" Diana said, unbelievably looking at her friends.
Kylee, who knew that his best friend was getting left out again, coughed to get everyone's attention. "Since we are becoming redundant here, let me explain everything. Although I don't think I still have to explain to you the meaning of that saying, right D?"
And it was also when Diana finally realized what her friends were trying to say. Just like a cat who stepped on her tail, Diana looked at her friends with widened eyes.
"What are you guys talking about? Me? Love him? In my wildest nightmares!"
Diana tried to think of every possible explanation for her actions, just to erase those implicit thoughts of her friends.
Me? In love with that j*rk? That's impossible! It's more impossible than having my own wolf!
Diana would prefer to think that she was only interested in the king. The life of a royal—a vision of expectation versus what reality is—means she's interested in the royalties. But not to the person himself. What's more, they had that deep impression just from their first meeting. So falling in love, especially at first sight, is not an option.
"So no, guys, I will never fall in love with that j*rk. And I never will!" Diana resolutely promised.
"Oh come on, my friend! Haven't you heard of the saying, 'Be careful what you wish for'? The Moon Goddess might mishear your promise and grant the exact opposite," Cornelia coquettishly said.
"Damnit! Don't jinx it, you crow-mouthed devil!" Diana did not like what her friend said, so she jumped in front of Cornelia and pulled her up. "Let's continue sparring. I'm going to teach you how to speak properly! Come on!"
"Ah! Ah! No more! I'm still so f*cking tired! Forgive me, Your Grace! This subordinate made a mistake. This subordinate will not repeat it again!" Cornelia, who was being dragged, looked back at their friends.
"What's your grace? Who's your grace? Your family is your grace! Shut up and fight. Give me your best shot!" Diana angrily reprimanded.
"No! I concede! I admit defeat! F*ck! Someone save me!"