Go out with me
Not giving me a chance to answer, Zion said.
“Erica, I really want to ask you sincerely. Why did you dump my friend? Don’t tell me the nonsense ‘let’s quit before it gets deeper’. I’m not kidding.”
He asked in a high tone as he squinted his eyebrows. Apart from his tone, his hand also roughly holds my wrist.
Picking the pace of my breath, I tried to remain calm. Not long after, my silly face became a little softer and I could barely move my lips now.
“Zion, you don’t understand, but I really mean what I said to him. It is because Leo is the Grand Duke of Stein, and I am just a pompous lady of the Marquis. I wanted Leo to meet a woman more suitable for him.”
A woman right for Leo.
With no doubt, I believe it must be Yuliana, the female lead. I knew Leo would fall in love with another woman later on, so I couldn’t say that I dumped him first.
Because that was the only future that I know.
My ex-boyfriend, Leonardo Stein, whom I broke up with 3 years ago was the male lead in the novel ‘Yuliana’ and the successor to the Duchy of Stein in the Kingdom of Liechten.
When I met him three years ago, he was just a successor, but now, he became the Grand Duke. Come to think of it, it’s probably around this time when Leo will meet Yuliana.
It is on the summer day when Leo just became the Grand Duke. Perhaps, they have already met.
“It is absolutely fascinating.”
Zion said while letting go of my hand. He pouted his lips in disappointment as he expected another answer.
Then, I answered in a calm and subdued voice.
“I can’t help but think so. At that time, I broke up with Leo with that thought, and as you said, Leo was sad but did not hold me back.”
“That’s true.”
Three years ago, when I broke up with him, he only stood with a hard face. I thought he calmly accepted the breakup.
I thought his attraction for me was not that much. I assumed that I was the only one who was grieving about our breakup. That’s why it was unbelievable to hear that Leo also cried.
“………Zion. Did Leo really cry?”
Instead of answering, Zion gave out a cheeky sound. Then, he moved his eyes to another place.
Looking down at the unknown garden in front of the railing, he asked me.
“Then, what are you going to do? Are you trying to come back to him now?”
“No.”
I answered firmly. It was because I do not want to end up like the previous Erica Kernels, who creepily clung to Leo in the novel.
Erica, whom I possessed, was young and her status as the lady of the Marquis, was not bad either. And most of all, she was popular.
‘A pretty woman who changes men every three months.’
…… It was my nickname that followed me like a tail in the social world.
It’s a fact that I changed men every three months, but what could I do if men followed me despite my nickname.
So, it’s not just my fault. And I swear, I never made a move on someone first. Except for Leo.
In conclusion, there were so many men to meet, but there is no man whom I can love.
Even if I really liked Leo.
“I won’t go back to him, and I don’t care anymore. I won’t even meet Leo.”
Despite my stern answer, Zion asked me again meaningfully.
“Is that so?”
He asked as if he had foreseen that I would care about Leo again someday. It was strange.
“How did you know me at once? You knew my identity since you saved me, didn’t you?”
Zion nodded his head gently.
“Erica Kernels. I heard that you are a bad girl who changes men every three months…… pink hair and green eyes. Her sweet appearance could melt men’s hearts. I knew that much, but when I saw you for the first time, I thought it was you.”
Zion looked at me again and reached his hand. Since we are close to each other, his hand quickly touched me.
His hand eventually stopped at my pink hair. Holding onto a handful of my hair, Zion slowly blinked his eyes. His golden eyes, with a hint of summer shade, glittered every now and then.
“You have such a lovely look that men can’t just sit back and watch. Indeed, it is worth changing men every three months.”
“Is that a compliment?”
Zion kissed my hair which he grabbed earlier. His simple gesture wasn’t burdensome.
“Hmm. Pretty.”
You’re much prettier beyond my imagination.
He spoke in a low voice as if he was complimenting me.
Soon after, he bowed his head a bit and smiled at me. Looking at his gentle and curvy eyes, I lost everything I wanted to say.
Why?
It was because he is too handsome that is harmful to my heart. Afterall, he is a player.
I coughed and turned around. If I kept looking at his smile, my heart might leave.
“Zion. Actually, when you found out who I was, I was trembling. Do I feel excited? No, I’m scared.”
He then replied with a smile.
“Do you think I’m going to kill you?”
“I don’t know.”
You don’t know how cold my spine was earlier.
“I’m not going to kill you. Why would I kill you for dumping a friend? I was just curious about the real reason for the breakup. To the point I came here just to see you.”
Some tiny fragments shone in Zion’s golden eyes.
“Then, why did you come find me after 3 years? If you were curious, you could have come right away.”
When I asked him that, Zion gave a little grunt.
I guess he had encountered some bad stuff for the last 3 years. Maybe it was a serious matter that does not allow him to visit me directly.
“Good question. For the past 3 years, I’ve only stayed in the tower to study some matter. I was totally confined. But in the end, I managed to make the material I wanted with the top wizards and I was about to see the king. I want to show off that we made something like this. Speaking of which, do you want me to show you?”
“Oh, show me.”
Then, Zion began rummaging inside the pockets of his black jacket which was draped over his shoulders.
However, he couldn’t find what he was looking for and he was visibly anxious as he searched his pocket several times.
“Oh, where did it go?”
“What does it look like?”
“It’s a small glass bottle about the size of your palm … …. And there’s a substance inside.”
Small glass bottle?
Then suddenly, I remembered the small glass bottle that I had broken a few minutes ago.
“Don’t tell me… Is it a blue liquid that’s inside?”
Zion stopped looking in his pocket and raised his head.
“How did you know that?”
Because I broke it and the liquid was bright. But then, I couldn’t answer that so I gnawed my lips.
A few minutes ago, I told myself that breaking a small glass bottle was not a big deal…… I hit my head.
“Zion. If someone accidentally broke it, what would happen to that person?”
Zion replied with a scary remark in a menacing manner.
“Hmm. Wouldn’t that person become a traitor to the tower?”
His response made me surprised.
“What!”
I pretended to be fine after I screamed in embarrassment. Zion’s persistent gaze did not leave my face.
“That someone will become wanted by the legislation of the tower. If that person was caught, he would be brutally killed. Maybe his limbs might be cut off and scattered all over the continent. That liquid is important.”
He said violently. I was just lost at his words.
“…….”
“Erica? Your face suddenly became pale.”
“……”
“Are you sick?”
Zion asked anxiously. But I couldn’t answer him. His cruel words, ‘Maybe his limbs might be cut off and scattered all over the continent,’ ring inside my ears.
5 years of being Erica Kernels.
Trying to escape from the life of a villainess, I became a traitor to the tower and fell asleep forever, Amen.
……What kind of development is this?
Using my sleeves, I wiped off the sweat, which had formed on my forehead for some time.
It was then that Zion looked down at my dress.
“By the way, Erica. The hem of your dress is blue. It’s like the color of the substance in my precious glass bottle.”
I looked at the hem of my dress in surprise.
…….?
Like Zion has said, a visible blue color was spread openly on the bottom of my dress.
Why am I wearing an ivory dress today? The blue color looks so bright! Damn it!
Meanwhile, Zion naturally shifted his gaze and looked somewhere behind me. To be exact, the place where the bottle was shattered.
“Come to think of it, why are there broken glass shards behind you?”
Zion said while rubbing his chin.
“Well. I think the case is like this. When I came into the balcony earlier, I dropped the glass bottle without realizing it, and you followed me and broke it. That’s why the precious liquid spilled and wet the end of your dress.”
“……”
“What do you think?”
Zion asked with a serious face with no hint of playful smile.
I felt energy gushing out from him. He asked for my thoughts, but he was already convinced of something.
There was a conviction on his face that I was definitely the one who broke the vial. I am sure he was in the mood to kill me this time.
If that is the case…
“Zi, Zion. Zion, who is greater among all. I can’t die yet……I haven’t gotten married, and I haven’t eaten the limited-edition cheesecake I saved for tomorrow. Damn my feet. Why did you even put the precious liquid in a fragile glass bottle? Oh, no, no. I must have been as heavy as an elephant, so I broke it with one step. I’m not blaming you for putting the precious tower material in a glass bottle.”
Let’s be honest and ask him to spare me.
How would I know that a glass bottle was such an important thing?
I grabbed Zion’s coat and started begging. Then, without even knowing, my true feeling came out.
“Why did you even drop the precious bottle by mistake? You should have taken good care of it.”
Seeing Zion’s face hardened, I quickly controlled myself.
“……No. It’s probably because I don’t look ahead while walking. You’re so handsome that I just look at you and stop walking without my knowledge. I’m not blaming Zion for accidentally dropping the glass bottle.”
Zion narrowed his eyes and was silenced for a moment. After a few minutes of thinking, he finally answered.
“….. Hmmmm. I think I can sort this out for now. And since, I accidentally dropped the glass bottle, I can’t say it was all Erica’s fault.”
“Is there a way to fix it?”
“Yeah, hopefully. I’m the lord of the tower, not someone else.”
He smiled arrogantly by slowly lifting the corners of his mouth. However, because of his handsome face, his arrogant smile still looked pretty.
“Erica, if I fix it, can you do me a favor instead?”
I replied quickly.
“Zion, what do you want? Just say it.”
I answered curiously, but it would be hard to do if it was a difficult request. Indeed, what is Zion’s request? Money? I breathed a long sigh, recalling the assets in the Marquis. It was an asset with only a hopeless sigh. However, the words that came from him were really unexpected.
Those strange words which I never expect to hear.
“Go out with me.”
“……Date?”
“No, I’ll be more precise. Let’s pretend to be in a relationship.”
He unintentionally made a strange face.
“Zion, why should I pretend to be in a relationship with you?”
Then Zion answered.