Kapitel 27: Dipped in self-respect

Elvina followed Archer towards the aquarium and she watched as the man emotionally stared at the dead bodies of his babies... goldfishes to be precise.

What was there to be so sad about? Elvina did not get the whole point here. They were just some random fishes, not even the rare and extraordinary ones that he was so upset about the loss.

Moreover, she did not remember him looking this dejected when he found out that his childhood sweetheart, his soon-to-be bride called off the marriage at the last moment and ran away.

She cleared her throat to get his attention.

And she got it. She got his full-blown attention as he turned around. Bonus. His piercing glare was focused on her.

''Are you trying to scare me with that glare?" Elvina asked, ''I am just a delicate woman. Must you act like this?"

''If you are delicate, what am I, a grasshopper?"

''Pfft-'' Elvina pressed her lips together, trying to stop laughing.

His expressions hardened. She got the nerve to laugh.

''I mean... what's up with the reference?"

''I saw one earlier so was reminded of it,'' Archer pursed his lips, ''Anyways...''

''Don't tell me you are going to say that you don't have any evidence to prove that my Gold butchered these small things,'' she looked at the fish bones on the floor in disdain.

Archer narrowed his eyes.

Without saying anything, he removed his suit jacket and threw it on the couch.

Elvina straightened up slightly, her relaxed expressions stiffening.

Devil Elvina: He couldn't defeat you with wits and he has no evidence so he is now undressing himself to seduce you.

Angel Elvina: He has got money, looks and everything about him is a highlight. Don't be so self-obsessed as to assume that he is selling his body to get away with anything.

Devil Elvina: Don't you see him peeling his clothes off his body? Is he practicing to become a professional stripper?

Angel Elvina: Hmm, maybe he is feeling hot. He can just kick her out of the house if he is offended. There is no need for him to seduce her given their not-so-blissful marital-couple situation.

Devil Elvina tugged at the horns above her head, ''But still, I bet he is trying to seduce her...''

''Shhh...'' Elvina shooed them off from her shoulder.

Whatever he was doing, she could just focus on his words.

With that thought, she continued looking at his body as he removed the suit vest and folded his sleeves.

Archer walked towards the drawer and as he pulled it open, Elvina craned her neck to peek.

He took out a magnifying glass and she frowned. ''What...'' Elvina watched as he squatted and examined the glass aquarium with it, ''...are you doing?"

He did not respond to her and continued doing whatever he was doing for a few minutes before he eventually stood up.

Elvina straightened up, ''So...?''

''Come here,'' he said.

She raised an eyebrow and stepped towards the aquarium before turning around to look at him questioningly.

''What now?" She asked.

He grabbed both her elbows and twisted her body such that he was facing the aquarium.

He stepped backward and in the next moment, Elvina felt him standing behind her, his warm breath tickled her neck and she slowly tilted her face to the side, her lips parting.

Their bodies were not touching but the few-inch distance between them was not that much to be taken seriously.

Archer looked at her side profile, framed in her long her, ''See this...'' he said, his voice unknowingly coming out as a whisper.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up, her fingers curling up, ''See what?" she asked him, her gaze focused on the remaining eight goldfishes in the aquarium but her mind was spiraling all over the place.

Archer wrapped an arm around her shoulder, not touching her as he brought the magnifying glass in front of her eyes.

The first thing that greeted her vision was some fading paws mark on the glass. They were very discreet even with the magnifying glass but they could still be discerned easily.

Archer lowered the magnifying glass, ''Now, lower your head,'' his tone commanding.

Romanticizing a human's voice was the last thing on her to-do list today but Elvina found herself doing that. There was no denial in the fact that this man sounded good, deep and cough...

She snapped out of her thoughts, shaking off her wayward thoughts when his hand grazed past her shoulder, ''Do you see that?" he asked.

Elvina noticed two thin strands of cat fur settled on the bottom of the aquarium. The corner of her lips twitched.

Archer stepped back from her, ''Enough evidence?"

Elvina inhaled a deep breath and turned around to look at him.

''So, your vegetarian cat is the culprit,'' he pointed his chin towards the fish bones on the floor once again.

Vegetarian baby, my ass!

Placing the magnifying glass aside, Archer crossed his arms in front of his chest, waiting for her to come up with any legit argument this time.

Elvina shifted in her position, tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ear, ''Now, we can't reverse what happened. I am sure my Gold is a bit muddleheaded in the new environment. What can I do now? Will compensation do?"

''You want to compensate me?" Archer asked, his voice nonchalant. As she nodded, he continued, ''And how?"

Elvina stepped towards him "I can offer myself to you,'' she flipped her long hair and winked playfully.

Archer: "_"

''Have some self-respect,'' he spoke through gritted teeth.

''I am dipped in self-respect from head to toe,'' Elvina waved her hand, ''I just don't brag about it.

"_"

There had to be a limit to shamelessness but this woman crossed all.