Finally dressed in a fitted gown that clung to my curves, my golden hair now dyed into bold streaks of red to create the devilish look I desired, I settled into the back seat of the sleek black SUV. Kira sat beside me, her presence a quiet yet steady reminder of my new reality. The chauffeur slid into the driver's seat, adjusted the mirrors, and started the car. With a soft hum, we began our journey along the meticulously tiled streets.
Kira broke the awkward silence that had blanketed the car for a while, her tone hesitant yet curious. "Are you really sure you're happy with your hair looking like this?"
I didn't immediately respond, keeping my eyes closed as I attempted to channel my powers. It was futile, of course. Being trapped in this fragile human body came at a cost, and my powers were locked away, barely a whisper in the back of my mind. Still, I stubbornly clung to the hope that this body might somehow be different, that it might allow me to wield even a fraction of my divine abilities. But no, this form was as weak as any other mortal shell.
"What's wrong with it?" I finally asked, my voice calm but edged with mild irritation.
Kira sighed, shifting uneasily beside me. "Your family's going to lose their minds when they see you like this," she replied. "We could still swing by a salon and fix it. Your husband-to-be is at your family's house with his mother right now. They're not going to be thrilled to see you looking like... well, like this."
I suppressed a laugh, a wide smirk tugging at the corners of my lips. "It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if they keeled over from anger," I muttered under my breath, relishing the thought for a moment.
Opening my eyes, I turned my head to find Kira staring at me with a worried expression, her brow creased in concern. The worry in her gaze was almost endearing, though it only fueled my amusement.
"I have a task for you," I said, my voice dropping into a conspiratorial tone.
Kira blinked, startled. "A task?" she echoed. Her curiosity was evident, though her apprehension lingered. "Can it wait until after the meeting?"
"No," I replied firmly. "You'll drop me off at my family's house, but you won't stay. While I'm handling things there, you'll take care of the task I'm about to give you."
Kira tilted her head, her interest piqued despite herself. "Alright. What's the task?"
Reaching into the black leather bag at my side, I withdrew a set of documents, pale, ancient papers that no mortal eyes could fully comprehend. Each sheet pulsed faintly with the dark energy that bound them, though to Kira, they appeared as ordinary contracts.
"Here," I said, handing her the documents. "You need to deliver these to three men and make sure they sign them. It has to be done tonight."
Kira frowned as she took the papers, her fingers brushing over the faint embossing on the edges. Her eyes scanned the text, and within seconds, her face morphed into an expression of disbelief.
"What....?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in pitch. "A contract marriage to three men?!" She practically yelled the words, startling the chauffeur so badly that he jerked the wheel, nearly colliding with another car.
I didn't flinch, but the sharp pain that suddenly shot through my chest made me grimace. A reminder, perhaps, of the fragility of this human form.
I am an immortal and incapable of dying. At worst, if the body I currently inhabited perished, I would simply find another host. But this pain in my chest, it stung deeply, unlike anything I had experienced in countless millennia. It felt like a barrier, protective and foreign, nestled somewhere within my heart.
Perhaps I was hallucinating, but it felt disturbingly real. I was powerless, my divine senses muted by the constraints of this fragile mortal form. Still, I clung to one fact, this body had a heart disease. Maybe that was all it was.
Ignoring it, I turned back to Kira, who was still gaping at me in horror.
"You're entering into contract marriages with three men?" she asked, her voice incredulous.
Her eyes narrowed as she glanced down at the documents again.
Of course, she couldn't see the death signatures hidden beneath the mortal ink. She was human, after all, blind to the true nature of my plans.
"Yes," I finally replied to Kira's question, flashing her a wide smirk as I leaned back in the seat and shut my eyes. "My family wanted me to get married, and now I'm fulfilling their wish."
"Oh, come on!" Kira exclaimed, her voice rising with exasperation. "They wanted you to marry one particular guy, the one waiting for you at your family house! Nobody asked you to go and turn it into a contract marriage, let alone with three men! That's insane!"
Her frustration was evident, and her disbelief over my audacious plan was almost amusing. But before I could respond, the car came to a smooth stop.
Opening my eyes, I took in the sight of the sprawling, opulent mansion before me. Without wasting another second, I stepped out of the car, my gown flowing behind me as I moved with calculated grace.
"Get the job done," I instructed Kira, handing her one last cold glance. "Once they've signed, bring them to my house immediately and of course my husbands would find their way to my house."
Kira hesitated but eventually nodded, her lips pressed into a tight line. I didn't bother with further words as I turned and strode toward the building, the heavy doors opening to greet me as though the house itself anticipated my arrival.
____________
Inside, the air was thick with tension. This body's former owner, Jade, had always been the obedient daughter, docile, compliant, everything her family had demanded of her. Her one act of rebellion had been her last, as it had cost her life. But now, things were different. I had taken over, and obedience was no longer part of the equation.
I made my way to the living room, where the family had gathered alongside Jade's supposed fiancé. The moment I entered, all eyes turned to me, their expressions ranging from shock to disapproval. It was almost comical.
"Jade, what have you done to your hair?" a middle-aged man asked sharply, his tone laced with authority and irritation.
I smiled sweetly, though my eyes glinted with something far from innocence. Taking a seat, I deliberately positioned myself beside a man who looked to be in his fifties. His posture was stiff, and his face betrayed a mix of confusion and unease.
So this is the fiancé, I thought, suppressing a laugh. Clearly, they intended Jade to be nothing more than a vessel, a gift for this man. She would marry him, produce an heir, and conveniently die from her illness, leaving him a widower without the need to remarry at his age. No wonder Jade had resisted. It was pathetic.
"I just wanted a change, Grandfather," I replied evenly, my smile hardening. If looks could kill, every member of this family would have dropped dead at that moment.
"We're not even concerned about that right now," a woman interjected. A middle aged woman, with jet-black hair styled meticulously, and her golden gown shimmered under the chandelier lights. She was the mother of my supposed fiancé, Alexander. Her face was a mask of seriousness as she spoke. "We're here to finalize the marriage arrangements."
I let out a low chuckle, turning my gaze toward Alexander. He had been sitting quietly since my arrival, a warm, polite smile plastered on his face. He was handsome in a conventional way, with sharp features and eyes that seemed to hold secrets.
But as my gaze locked with his, a flicker of red flashed in my vision, unnoticed by him but unmistakable to me. My lips curved into a wider smirk.
He's one of them, I realized, satisfaction coursing through me. Kira would only need to find two men. The third was already here.
"We'll just fix the wedding date," Grandfather announced, his tone softening as he exchanged glances with Alexander's mother. "That way, you two can get married soon and start your lives together."
I couldn't help but laugh softly at the absurdity of it all. "Yeah," I said, my voice laced with amusement. "He's going to be part of my husbands."
The room fell silent, and both Grandfather and Alexander's mother snapped their heads toward me, confusion etched across their faces.
"Part of your husbands?" Grandfather repeated, his brows furrowing deeply.
"Yes," I replied, completely unfazed. Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my legs and smirked. "I'm getting married to three men."
The words hung in the air like a bomb, detonating waves of shock through the room. Grandfather's face reddened, while Alexander's mother gaped, struggling to form a response.
Alexander, however, didn't seem fazed. His warm smile remained, though there was a glint of something else in his eyes, curiosity, perhaps. Or recognition.
I didn't care about their reactions. Alexander would agree to my terms. He had no choice. The spell was already in motion, and my plans were falling into place. Whether they liked it or not, everything was going to happen exactly as I intended.