CLINK!
The melted ice clinked when it touched the glass' surface, breaking the sudden tense atmosphere between us. I patiently waited for Haide's answer as I rubbed the cold water droplets on my glass – keeping my gaze at him.
Under my curious gaze, Haide put down his drink and said in a weak voice, almost languid.
"Does it even matter to you?"
"Huh?"
Haide turned to me, this time with a hint of anger in his eyes.
"Does it even matter to you?"
He repeated the same question, emphasizing his words – not as a question this time but as a warning.
'Seems like I've touched a sensitive topic for him.'
For Haide – who was childish and full of smiles – to suddenly react like that meant there was something he wanted to achieve in the War of Throne.
And he had to attain it.
That fiery gaze that almost seemed obsessive was a mirror to my previous self – a desire so strong it overwhelmed all your sense. There's no way I would mistake it.
Lowering my gaze, my attention shifted to the glass of cocktail in front of me. If Haide had a wish he wanted to achieve, I had no right to stop him. After all, War of Throne was a right every human in this world had. I just wish he wasn't blinded by hatred like I was back then – using every possible means to achieve my goals, even if it meant using another's life.
Slowly opening my mouth, I said, "I once had the same ambitious wish as you do."
I paused, gauging the reaction of the alpha beside me. Seeing him still staring at me with an ice-cold gaze, I clasped his hand with mine.
"I won't stop you nor will I comment anything on what you wish for. I just wanted you to know I fully support you in whatever you do." Putting on my gentlest smile, I continued, "So don't forget to look around you because the others will always be there for you."
We both share a meaningful look toward each other, creating a moment of tranquility in our conversation.
Maybe it's because of the alcohol or maybe because I was in a sentimental mood, but these heroic, upright protagonist words that I didn't usually say out loud flowed as smoothly as silk from my mouth.
It truly didn't fit a villain like me.
"Haha…"
Haide let out a small laugh, interlacing our fingers, he smiled, "Others huh? Why do you phrase it as if you're not going to be with me if I get selected?"
'Because I don't know if I could protect you when the selection happened.'
Releasing our intertwined hands, I grabbed my glass again – this time I kept my mouth shut. Checking the time on my wristwatch, I raised my glass.
"Let's just enjoy the rest of the night by drinking, shall we?"
The night was still young, so rather than indulging our minds in anger and worries, it's better to enjoy the melancholic mood in this bar to its fullest. Sipping the drink in my hand, I gave Haide a look.
'I think I'll get drunk tonight.'
.
.
I blinked my eyes when I saw the ceiling in front of me, it was an unfamiliar ceiling that I had never seen before. Feeling the blanket covering me, and the pounding headache I felt when I woke up, it seemed like I crashed into someone's bed when I was drunk.
I had no memories of how I got here, but fortunately for me, the perfect person for me to question was walking nonchalantly from the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Did you bring me here Haide?"
"Yeah, the bar was near my house, so why not, right?"
He grinned widely, forming a charming smile that fit his handsome face. Now that I realized it, Haide knew my address but I didn't know his, so I guess this was the perfect opportunity to look around.
Rising from the bed, the cold wind directly pricked my skin, which made me lower my gaze as I looked at my own body.
"Why am I naked?" I gave Haide an accusing look.
He smugly raised his chin as he puffed up his chest, "I took it off because you seemed uncomfortable, then I tucked you to bed so you could sleep soundly."
With a sparkle in his eyes, he locked gaze with me, "I did a great job, didn't I?"
A chuckle came out of my mouth. With how flushed his cheeks were, he looked like a child beaming with joy.
Approaching him, I held his head and tiptoed on my feet to give him a kiss, "You did a great thing indeed, thank you my love."
I could feel something poking my stomach as I released my lips. His stunned face was the last thing I saw before I headed to the bathroom he had just come out of.
"I'm borrowing your shower. I reek of alcohol."
Haide, who was still stunned, slowly turned to me before suddenly running to the front of the bathroom door I had just closed.
"Yolan! Let's get married! Right now!"
He shouted on top of his lungs. He was so loud that the whole neighborhood could hear him at this point.
"I can't hold it back anymore! You're just too perfect for me! Please Yolan!"
"Stop-! Stop banging on the door! At least if you want to propose to me, lower that thing protruding from your towel first!"
"Ah shit! You're the one making me like this! There's nothing wrong if I got hard from your kiss!"
"It's unromantic you bastard! At least have some decency in front of Uola!"
"Shit! That's true! Uola may reject my vow if I'm too horny – after all he's a God of Love and Purity. But at least my love for you is true so this is also a form of pure love!"
"Agghh! I hate that your words make sense! But it's still an unromantic proposal, so I can't accept it!"
"Why not?! You're not making sense Yolan!"
"I know! But I don't want to lose this argument with you! I want to experience a real proposal! Not like this!"
"…"
"…"
A sudden silence.
The sounds beyond the door had completely gone now, making me tense up.
'What's wrong with him?'
I slowly opened the bathroom door and peeked my head out. Haide was crouching in front of the door with his back toward me.
"Haide?"
He turned to me, then stood up and walked in front of the door – a cute paper flower was now in his hand.
"You said it was unromantic right? If I add a flower, will you accept my proposal?"
I scrunched my face at him.
'The hell is wrong with this guy's brain?'
Haide always had the most unique way of reaching a conclusion. From my words alone, one could tell that I wanted a 'proper' proposal, not that I rejected his offer because there were no flowers to make it romantic.
I sighed as I wiped my face. Quietly taking the paper in the shape of a rose that Haide haphazardly created, I mumbled, "This will suffice for now."
'I'll show him what a real proposal looked like in the future.'
"Great, for the time being, live together with me."
At his now beaming face, I smiled, "Sure."
.
.
A deep collective desire was needed for a wish to be recognized by God Uola. Even then, the selection of 'who' was purely selected by the god's spite, so it was a gamble.
It was now the day of selection. The sky had turned golden – the first signal that the War of Throne was going to happen.
I still remember that day vividly, the moment the clock hit midnight, people chosen by Uola would have a crest embedded on the back of their hand. And once it formed, your fate was decided.
It was either do or die.
Whether you didn't want to, whether you changed your mind – all of it was useless once the war started.
Sitting on the sofa in front of the glass window in Haide's room, I silently looked up at the sky. The clock was now 11:50 P.M., 10 more minutes until hell went loose.
"Feeling nervous?"
Haide came up from behind, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he sat down beside me. Just the heat of his body alone made me relax, so I leaned and snuggled my head on his shoulder as I glanced at the watch on my wrist.
"Not really, rather than nervousness, it's more of a curiosity."
I had prepared everything I needed to, if I didn't get chosen, I'd give up everything I had prepared for Haide to use. If he didn't get chosen, I'd make sure he got the King's crest.
DING!
The notification on my phone rang, the sender was Cassius.
[Yolan, are you watching the sky right now?]
From his text, I know he sent me a chat because he was nervous. Cassius had been helping me prepare all this time and looking back at our previous life, I didn't blame him for feeling antsy. I swiftly replied and turned my gaze back to the clock.
00.00 A.M.
The judgment time had finally come.
As expected, there were no chimes of celebration and no bells to signal the start. Just a searing pain on the back of my palm as the shape of the crest started to form. The black lines dug into my flesh, carving it into the shape of a crown with dragon wrapped around it.
'So I got chosen again in this life.'
Not as a Rook, Bishop, Knight or Queen, but as a King.
The black faction King to be exact.
Seeing the crest on my hand made a sudden feeling of confusion fill my mind. I had no deep desire I wanted to achieve in this life, all I wanted was to live peacefully with people I loved – which was already fulfilled the moment I regained my freedom from Keith and found love with Haide.
So why…?
"Haha, great!"
Haide's laugh made me glance at him. But when I saw the crest on his hand, I realized how cruel Uola could be. It was a white crest with the same symbol as mine.
"Hah!"
A laugh of disbelief came out of my mouth. So it wasn't a fight to obtain what I wanted, it was a fight to maintain what I currently had.
One where both our life was at stake.