“Promise me, Eve,” Daniel whispered. He whispered it several times, holding her tightly as she shuddered through the aftershocks of her climax.
“Don’t leave me here alone. My life without you would be meaningless now. Don’t abandon me in this dark palace.”
“Ah… Ahh…,” she sighed. The sounds were meant to be words, but she couldn’t focus enough to form them.
“I thought I had been waiting for you in this darkness, but I had just been clinging to it, wrapping myself in it. Don’t surrender me back to it, please.”
This time, Iveca didn’t even sigh in response. She just let herself be lost in the tremors of pleasure still echoing through her, still tingling like small shocks that traveled her head to toe.
***
Later, when she could clear her mind again, she finally left his bedroom. She contacted Lucas, the Director of the Bureau, to schedule a private treatment the next day, as soon as possible. Her mind was set.
But as she was leaving her dormitory in the morning, someone grabbed her arm. Reina.
“Eve,” she said.
“Oh, Senior!” Iveca gasped. Focused on the treatment ahead, she hadn’t noticed her approach.
“What happened to you?”
The short words seemed heavy with questions. Iveca looked at her blankly, as if not understanding. Reina sighed, running a hand through her brown hair.
“Why did you go into King’s bedroom, and why did you talk to the Director…,” she began.
“How is Senior Sid?” Iveca interrupted.
“…He’s on annual leave,” Reina said after a beat.
“Why?”
Reina said nothing, gave her a knowing look.
“Senior, did you know?” Iveca asked calmly.
Reina hesitated a moment, muttered something under her breath, and let out a heavy sigh like a surrender.
“I just listened to it yesterday. Drunken mumbling.”
Iveca gave a blank response, waiting for more.
“I had no idea, either. If Sid had given me any indication, wouldn’t I have been arguing with you about it all? I may not be as invested in it, but I’m not stupid.”
“Is Senior Sid okay?”
“I don’t know, he was just drunk and fell asleep.”
Iveca’s face darkened. Too many precious hearts wounded. Too much pain. She hadn’t wanted any of this, hadn’t asked for it. All she wanted was to stop seeing it, stop feeling the wound of it. That’s why she was choosing the treatment – to wash it all away.
“Why the face, Iveca?” Reina asked. “Someone’s heart isn’t moved by someone else – is that your fault?” She waved her arm with a dramatic sigh, trying to lighten her mood.
Iveca’s legs felt weak. She stepped to a bench by the wall and sat. After a second, Reina joined her.
“Sid’s a nice guy,” Reina said. “But maybe not attractive as a man. Not in that way. Don’t you think so?”
“It’s… it’s not like that. It’s just that I like other men more…”
“Is that the truth?”
Iveca said nothing. The silence extended, making Reina anxious until she filled it with more words.
“Well, he looks so young, so baby-faced. Like a younger brother, right? Right?”
“Like that…yes. Think of it that way.”
“There’s your answer. Okay, I’ll tease you about it for the rest of your life.”
“Senior, is it cruel?”
“It’s better,” Reina said. She wrapped her arms around Iveca and leaned in close, drawing Iveca’s eyes to her own.
“It’s hard to be a rival with a King. Disloyal,” Reina told her softly.
“He’s not a rival. We don’t have a good relationship now anyway.”
“Then?”
“Didn’t I always tell you, Senior?” Even said. “Affection is inertia, purity is self-deception, and desire is illusion.”
“Eve.”
“It was just a fantastic night. We both need to forget it anyway.”
Reina’s expression darkened.
“Eve, no one knows what happened between you and His Highness, but would His Highness think the same? You’re not a fantasy to him. You’re more. Are you sure you can handle that weight?”
“No, I can’t handle it,” she said without hesitation. “You know my situation.”
She cast her eyes down to the floor.
“I’m going to run away,” she added softly.
“Where?” Reina asked
“To the past?” Iveca replied.
Reina started to speak.
“You…,” she said, but she fell blank, and no more words came.
“I can’t stay in the Bureau of Investigation any longer anyway. I’m not needed here anymore. I was just dragging along, but I won’t do that anymore.”
“No, Eve. If you put a little more effort….”
“I’m going to see the Director, apply for a transfer and ask for my memory to be erased.”
“Eve, how can you….”
“If you happen to see Iveca later, don’t be surprised when there’s not much to her. She was always a timid, gloomy little thing, always intimidated. Completely different from the one Senior knew. She won’t be much fun to talk to.”
Iveca took Reina’s hand. Her eyes were calm, confident, but regret still hung in her voice.
“A child of low self-esteem, couldn’t speak properly, constantly chewing at her nails, looking shyly at others while craving their attention…”
Tears welled up in Reina’s eyes. As a friend, she wanted to argue with Iveca’s choice, steer her from it. But as an employee of the Bureau, she couldn’t argue with it. She understood better than anyone the damage the Bureau of Investigation could do to someone’s life.
“Promise me, Eve,” Daniel whispered. He whispered it several times, holding her tightly as she shuddered through the aftershocks of her climax.
“Don’t leave me here alone. My life without you would be meaningless now. Don’t abandon me in this dark palace.”
“Ah… Ahh…,” she sighed. The sounds were meant to be words, but she couldn’t focus enough to form them.
“I thought I had been waiting for you in this darkness, but I had just been clinging to it, wrapping myself in it. Don’t surrender me back to it, please.”
This time, Iveca didn’t even sigh in response. She just let herself be lost in the tremors of pleasure still echoing through her, still tingling like small shocks that traveled her head to toe.
***
Later, when she could clear her mind again, she finally left his bedroom. She contacted Lucas, the Director of the Bureau, to schedule a private treatment the next day, as soon as possible. Her mind was set.
But as she was leaving her dormitory in the morning, someone grabbed her arm. Reina.
“Eve,” she said.
“Oh, Senior!” Iveca gasped. Focused on the treatment ahead, she hadn’t noticed her approach.
“What happened to you?”
The short words seemed heavy with questions. Iveca looked at her blankly, as if not understanding. Reina sighed, running a hand through her brown hair.
“Why did you go into King’s bedroom, and why did you talk to the Director…,” she began.
“How is Senior Sid?” Iveca interrupted.
“…He’s on annual leave,” Reina said after a beat.
“Why?”
Reina said nothing, gave her a knowing look.
“Senior, did you know?” Iveca asked calmly.
Reina hesitated a moment, muttered something under her breath, and let out a heavy sigh like a surrender.
“I just listened to it yesterday. Drunken mumbling.”
Iveca gave a blank response, waiting for more.
“I had no idea, either. If Sid had given me any indication, wouldn’t I have been arguing with you about it all? I may not be as invested in it, but I’m not stupid.”
“Is Senior Sid okay?”
“I don’t know, he was just drunk and fell asleep.”
Iveca’s face darkened. Too many precious hearts wounded. Too much pain. She hadn’t wanted any of this, hadn’t asked for it. All she wanted was to stop seeing it, stop feeling the wound of it. That’s why she was choosing the treatment – to wash it all away.
“Why the face, Iveca?” Reina asked. “Someone’s heart isn’t moved by someone else – is that your fault?” She waved her arm with a dramatic sigh, trying to lighten her mood.
Iveca’s legs felt weak. She stepped to a bench by the wall and sat. After a second, Reina joined her.
“Sid’s a nice guy,” Reina said. “But maybe not attractive as a man. Not in that way. Don’t you think so?”
“It’s… it’s not like that. It’s just that I like other men more…”
“Is that the truth?”
Iveca said nothing. The silence extended, making Reina anxious until she filled it with more words.
“Well, he looks so young, so baby-faced. Like a younger brother, right? Right?”
“Like that…yes. Think of it that way.”
“There’s your answer. Okay, I’ll tease you about it for the rest of your life.”
“Senior, is it cruel?”
“It’s better,” Reina said. She wrapped her arms around Iveca and leaned in close, drawing Iveca’s eyes to her own.
“It’s hard to be a rival with a King. Disloyal,” Reina told her softly.
“He’s not a rival. We don’t have a good relationship now anyway.”
“Then?”
“Didn’t I always tell you, Senior?” Even said. “Affection is inertia, purity is self-deception, and desire is illusion.”
“Eve.”
“It was just a fantastic night. We both need to forget it anyway.”
Reina’s expression darkened.
“Eve, no one knows what happened between you and His Highness, but would His Highness think the same? You’re not a fantasy to him. You’re more. Are you sure you can handle that weight?”
“No, I can’t handle it,” she said without hesitation. “You know my situation.”
She cast her eyes down to the floor.
“I’m going to run away,” she added softly.
“Where?” Reina asked
“To the past?” Iveca replied.
Reina started to speak.
“You…,” she said, but she fell blank, and no more words came.
“I can’t stay in the Bureau of Investigation any longer anyway. I’m not needed here anymore. I was just dragging along, but I won’t do that anymore.”
“No, Eve. If you put a little more effort….”
“I’m going to see the Director, apply for a transfer and ask for my memory to be erased.”
“Eve, how can you….”
“If you happen to see Iveca later, don’t be surprised when there’s not much to her. She was always a timid, gloomy little thing, always intimidated. Completely different from the one Senior knew. She won’t be much fun to talk to.”
Iveca took Reina’s hand. Her eyes were calm, confident, but regret still hung in her voice.
“A child of low self-esteem, couldn’t speak properly, constantly chewing at her nails, looking shyly at others while craving their attention…”
Tears welled up in Reina’s eyes. As a friend, she wanted to argue with Iveca’s choice, steer her from it. But as an employee of the Bureau, she couldn’t argue with it. She understood better than anyone the damage the Bureau of Investigation could do to someone’s life.
