Bab 19: [Ch. 19] Time Changes All Things

Under Raylon's hostile glare, my body shook from an unmistakable feeling.

However, it wasn't that I was shaking from distress. Rather than trembling from fear, it was more accurate to say I was trembling from overwhelming excitement. The relief that came to me knowing he was alive completely overshadowed the intensity of his glare.

My eyes rested on the large scar covering his face and shrunk back unconsciously. I felt my lips turn down slightly as I noticed just how deep the wound had been. That hideous scar on his face caused his charming looks to appear more chaotic and deadly. I could sense the murderous aura around him as if it was emanating from that scar.

Why?

Why didn't you avoid my attack at that time?

But I couldn't possibly ask him.

I didn't even have the right to look him in the eyes...

My eyes lowered to his chest and hesitated. A sharp pain shot through my head as I stared silently. The scar should continue there.

I wonder if it is as bad as the one on his face?

My hands itched to check.

Suddenly I recalled where I was and snapped out of my thoughts. I calmly looked away from him and elegantly poured a cup of tea for him. I added each sugar cube while delicately holding my sleeve to avoid it touching the water. My actions were graceful and refined.

It was a behavior that was instilled in me from my third life as a Prince.

Back in that lifetime, I would usually serve my brother tea just as he liked it. Memorizing wasn't a hard thing for me to do, so I was always able to make his favorite. I served him in the same way in order to show my respect and fondness for him. I acted poise and dignified; all while I hid my emotions behind a scowling expression.

It was hard to break a habit.

However, I didn't act entirely the same as I had when I was the Prince serving my brother. The difference was that I smiled as I prepared Raylon's tea. And why wouldn't I?

As Moao, my smile was as rare as a shooting star. There had been a rumor that I suffered from facial paralysis. Perhaps they had been right. However, I was the only person on the entire continent who would fit this description. No one else had ever been as skilled as to hide their emotions completely.

It was for this reason that I forced myself to smile even if it felt like my lips would fall off from the pressure.

I couldn't let Raylon discover my identity just yet.

This wasn't because I knew he would kill me as soon as he found out. Instead, I hid myself because I wanted to observe him just a little while longer.

I wanted to make sure he didn't suffer from the wounds I caused.

I just wanted to watch him...

Just for a little longer...

Raylon watched my actions without ever once taking his eyes off of me. It wasn't from patience. It was more like a lion watching a gazel from a distance. Just like the lion, he was ready to pounce when the moment felt right.

The cup of tea had been perfectly prepared.

I had specifically ordered this tea because I had a feeling he would show up in front of me. He had loved this flavor despite hating bitter things.

Of course, he always required a tremendous amount of sugar and milk in it so it wasn't really tea anymore.

Before I realized it, I had made it perfectly to his tastes. I felt like my chest was being suffocated, but I remained indifferent. I slowly held out the drink to him as an offering. I had on a gentle smile that appeared coy due to my current appearance, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

He slowly walked over to me like a predator stalking its prey. Each step echoed through the room mirroring the foreboding feeling left in its wake.

He smacked the teacup out of my hands, causing it to shatter against the wall.

My eyes slowly turned to it as I frowned, "...Such a waste."

He was visibly seething in anger when he didn't get the response he was expecting. His voice was cold and heartless, "You."

I tilted my head and returned to my forced smile, "Me?"

He grinded his teeth, "You were the one who threw me a flower?"

I grinned with a slight nod, "Mmn."

In the blink of an eye, his hand was constricting around my throat. I was hoisted into the air and could only kick my feet in surprise. My hands clutched his instinctively and tried to claw him off to no avail. My indifferent eyes met his bloodthirsty ones.

I never even saw him move.

Have I really gotten this weak?

The last time I was this weak was in my second life… Since then I had always worked hard to ensure no one could hurt me. Even when I had been born with tremendous magical ability when I was Moao, I still trained myself past my limits every day.

...However, I just arrived in this world so I had no chance to become strong yet.

This wasn't even my body.

He growled at me, "You dare look at me with that expression? Why!? Do you dare pity me?!"

Pity him?

I choked out, "I-I have never pitied you…"

Not even from the moment I first met you.

I may not feel emotions any longer, but even I know that it wasn't pity that I felt towards you.

My vision started growing dark as I watched him stare at me with clear hatred in his eyes. My hands that had been grasping his frantically, relaxed upon seeing the look in his eyes.

A thorny white flower.

That's what caused him to seek me out.

Now that I learned what it meant, I still don't regret throwing it out. After what I did to Raylon, the least I could do is give him my life.

My hands caressed his tenderly as my eyes slowly closed.

...To die by your hands is the only death I will willingly accept...

Raylon was confused by my lack of response but didn't loosen his grip. His abhorrence was too great for him to drop the person who no longer fought back.

His knife-like eyes moved to the teacup I had been drinking before he had arrived. His sharp and calculating eyes could recognize by the color of the tea that there was no sugar added.

His grip loosened as his pupils contracted.

He dropped me to the floor with a disgusted expression.

I lay on the floor gasping for air as my consciousness slowly returned to me. I coughed as I held my throat which was quickly bruising. My eyes watered as I strained to speak, "...Why didn't you kill me?"

He sneered at me coldly, "So it seems you do have a death wish."

I ignored his hateful tone and stared at him in bewilderment. Why hadn't he killed me?

I choked out painfully, "Don't you know what that flower symbolized?"

He spat angrily, "I don't buy into that nonsense."

"...Nonsense?" As I stared at his nasty scar, I had the urge to cry out for him to maim me. I wanted him to slash my face in revenge.

I wanted him to do anything.

However, he merely gave me a cold stare that was far worse than death ever could be. He didn't hide his contempt nor did his eyes betray any sense of familiarity. His tone was ruthless, "The next time I see you again, I will kill you."

...Next time?

My lips curved into a coy smile, "Then it's a date."

He spun back around flabbergasted by my response, "Y-You!"

His face didn't show any embarrassment, but only loathing instead. He stomped towards me and slammed his foot down on my hand still resting on the floor.

A small whimper escaped my lips as the sound of bones breaking echoed off the walls.

I shuddered, "Ah…"

I didn't need an x-ray to know it had been shattered.

He sneered, "Count yourself lucky it was only your hand."

He turned to leave but saw the teacup that had turned a dark black from the bitterness of the tea. His knuckles cracked as he grinded his teeth. He flew into a rage and broke the table in half. He picked up what was left and threw it into the wall.

In a huff, he left the room as the wall slowly cracked. I stared at that wall before crawling over to the broken teacup. I picked up a piece and grasped it in my hands. A trail of blood rolled down my palm as it cut through the bandage already there and stabbed into my flesh.

Now both of my hands throbbed in pain.

But I didn't care. My mind was elsewhere.

That wasn't the Raylon I knew.

The Raylon I knew was righteous and always abided by his high sense of morality. He would occasionally get angry, but never to this degree. He always tried to solve situations before resulting to violence.

Yet this Raylon was completely different.

I'm not sure if he had actually killed that woman before, but he was about to kill me just now. His murderous intent couldn't be hidden.

...But what exactly stopped him?

I massaged my bruised throat gently. My eyes narrowed at the door he had just left from. I murmured to myself, "Just what happened to you?"

I struggled to stand back up and slowly sauntered to the chair. I sat back down as his words still echoed in my mind. I closed my eyes as my hands and neck throbbed in pain.

Just what happened to all of us?