Achilles Dimitri give off an air of a nobility and sophistication, -a real man of power, as the crown prince of Aelius Kingdom, -even when he was wearing a commoner's clothes. He has striking features which reflect his noble ancestry and the weight of the duty he bears on his shoulder added to his dominating appearance. Despite his busy schedule, he always made sure to appear perfect, like having his dirty-blonde hair perfectly groomed after an all-nighter, that goes well with his piercing hazel eyes, which seemed to watch everyone around him with scrutiny. He wears finely tailored clothes precisely designed with a mix of tradition and sophistication.
His presence demands respect. He is sharp and strategic, earning the admiration not only of the royal court and nobles, but also the common people's heart. Every battle field he goes, victory is guaranteed, -not because he is one of the few sword masters in the kingdom, but also due to his battlefield insight, a blessing granted to him upon birth by our God, Sol. Though he often masks his real feelings, because of his royal upbringing, I still find him undoubtedly perfect, as there were rare moments that he would show me subtle vulnerability, it's as though the weight of the crown burdens him as the next in line for the throne, longing for someone to lean on. And in those rare moments, my heart kept falling deeper into the abyss.
"Rina...May I join you?"
But those emotions are only meant for that man in my world. Not for this bastard I met in this world.
My friends stopped eating. I felt the twin's alerted expressions, as if they knew that the newcomer was bearing bad news, while Keiran and Kairos didn't turn around to see who it was, yet they both had an unexplainable expression on their faces.
"Do as you wish." I coldly replied to his request and turned away my gaze from him as he settled down beside Kairos. I don't really have a choice since there's no more empty chairs aside from our table. And besides, I can't totally push him out of my life because I'm friends with his twin.
"It's been a while since we saw each other, and I'm quite surprised to know that you've become friends with my twin and Kai Alaric." Achilles said it casually, but any sensitive person could sense the disapproval on his voice, -like Kairos and Keiran.
I'm not surprised that he would display subtle hostility. Even in the memory I got from the original Karina, he was quite possessive towards her, yet he kept pushing her away. He dislikes it too, whenever the original Karina tried to make friends, because he felt that his control over her was being taken away. Which is why he kept doing the push and pull method with her. But I'm not the Karina he knew.
And he is not the Achilles Dimitri I loved.
"What's surprising about that? I even cut my hair, so it's not really surprising that I would make new friends after I cut you off in my life." My nonchalant tone and sarcastic remarks made the twin and Keiran hold back their laughter, while Kairos' remained stoic while playing with his food, totally lost his appetite because of the newcomer.
Achilles clenched his jaw to what I said, holding back his temper. Although he never hurt Karina physically, the scar he left in her heart was incurable, he is unredeemable no matter how many character developments he would have.
He took a deep breath and tried to reach for my hand, but before he could hold me, I reached for my glass, failing his attempt. He's like a wolf in sheep's clothing so I already knew his next move. Ninety percent of the original Karina's memory are about him, so it's impossible for him to sway me. As I've said, the only character development that I would never accept was his.
"Are you heading home after this, Rin?" Keiran asked in a casual voice, as if trying to save his twin from the embarrassing situation that Achilles put himself into.
"Not yet." I replied keeping my tone steady, "I still need to finish that painting."
"You know how to paint?" Achilles asked in genuine surprise. I felt his heavy gaze on me, patiently waiting for a reaction, but I didn't bother to give him one. Or rather, I couldn't. Because the moment Kairos finally spoke, setting aside the fork he was using to play on his food, leaned forward with a flirtatious smile on his lips, the atmosphere immediately shifted.
"So, you're painting again? Then will I get to see another masterpiece of yours?" Kairos spoke in a soft teasing tone, letting Achilles be aware that he knew me better than him.
My lips curved with a sweet smile, fully aware of the underlying meaning behind Kairos' question. It's only my first week in the Artisan's Den, and I only started painting yesterday, so I knew that Kairos' is only trying to provoke Achilles. He never saw me paint, since he hasn't stopped by our clubroom yet.
I placed aside the utensils I use, and dabbed the side of my mouth with a napkin; movements were laced with elegance. My eyes flickered to meet Kairos' gaze, acknowledging that I understood the unspoken message that he was trying to convey.
My lips curved with a sweet smile, fully aware of the underlying meaning behind Kairos' question. It's only my first week in the Artisan's Den, and I only started painting yesterday, so I knew that Kairos' is only trying to provoke Achilles. He never saw me paint, since he hasn't stopped by our clubroom yet.
I placed aside the utensils I use, and dabbed the side of my mouth with a napkin, my movements were laced with elegance. My eyes flickered to meet Kairos' gaze, acknowledging that I understood the unspoken message that he was trying to convey.
"You patronize me too much." I chuckled, and as I lifted my glass to take a sip on my drink, my gaze never left him. "Do you want to see it later? It's almost done." I added a hint of playfulness laced in my voice, as I deliberately disregarded Achilles beside him.
Kairos raised his brow, a smirk playing on his lips, "Should I?" He smoothly reached for my hand from the table and gently rubbed my knuckles with his fingers, "But even without seeing it yet, if it's painted by this hand...I already know that it's a masterpiece."
Kairos-2, Achilles-0
Our friends exchanged amused glances as they shook their heads, finally caught up on the subtle game we were playing. Meanwhile, Achilles stiffly straightened his back, the displeasure on his face shows how much Kairos' words irked him. But surprisingly, my thoughts weren't on Achilles anymore, it is occupied with his cold hand that is still gently tracing the back of my palm while gazing fondly at me.
"Here we go again." Keiran muttered under his breath. It seems it wasn't the first time that this kind of thing happened between Kairos and Achilles.
Kairos suppressed his grin, finally letting my hand go when Keiran kept nudging his elbow. There's been a silent rivalry going on between these two, I'm sure of that. And although Keiran felt some sympathy towards his twin, he couldn't help but be entertained with Achilles' growing discomfort now that I'm finally involved in their competition.
Achilles' expression is far from being amused. Although he tried to maintain his composure, his prickling gaze on mine is impossible to ignore.
"We haven't seen each other for like a few weeks, is that how you've become close with Kai Alaric?" He asked in a tone that is deceptively calm, though the edge in his words was unmistakable, making my friends silent upon sensing the sudden shift of mood, -thick with unspoken tension.
I looked at him indifferently, "What's surprising about that? Why? Do you think I would be the same Karina you knew after cutting you off to my life?" My friends chuckled at my sarcastic remarks towards Achilles, as his frustrations simmered beneath the surface, his hazel eyes darkened, and I could see his jaw clenched,
"Rina...-"
"People change, Dimitri. One moment, you'll be their world, and then in just a blink of an eye, you're nothing." I cut him off without taking my eyes off of him. "You of all people should know that."
Achilles stiffened, and I could see a mix of emotions, -regret, sense of loss, or frustration, - flickered across his face. The twins exchanged glances, as they were clearly enjoying the little drama we had.
I leaned on my chair with my arms crossed and looked at him, flaunting a smirk, "And if you think that I'm only doing this to get your attention, you're dead wrong. I'll tell you this one last time, so better listen..." Any hint of emotion left my eyes, the smirk on my lips has faded.
"You're not my world anymore, Dimitri. I don't give a damn about whatever happened between us. In the past. And I already have settled all my debts on you with interest. So, please. Do me a favor."
I stood up from my seat, and picked up my tray. "Leave me alone." I uttered my final verdict before leaving him, as my friends followed behind me in silence.