Chapter 19: Ch 19. Mess Up Feelings
Selena rolled her eyes slightly, but seeing how serious Jhon was—so much so that he’d even set aside his shyness just to ask her out—she finally looked at her servant.
"Tell the Dragon King I need an hour because I have something to take care of."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Selena looked at Jhon, who seemed rather pleased; the cold man’s face looked as if he’d discovered a priceless treasure. It amused her a little, though she also felt somewhat unprepared to handle yet another round of excessive attention from these two men later on.
"Can we go now?" Selena asked, causing Jhon to immediately straighten his posture and adopt a more serious demeanor. "After this, I have to go for a walk with them; I don’t have much time."
"Ah, please follow me."
Selena watched him walk ahead, then followed. Jhon led her to a lounge area, where Selena saw Stoner standing there to greet her.
Stoner’s face looked a little relieved when he saw her, causing Selena to narrow her eyes slightly—especially when she spotted several boxes filled with jewelry and treasures in rather intriguing shapes.
"Have a seat," Jhon said as Stoner pulled out a chair.
Selena did just that, sitting calmly yet exuding a touch of elegance. Although she had never learned any of this during her previous life as an ordinary human, at least now she was thoroughly enjoying her role as a queen pursued by her husbands.
"Just get to the point—I don’t want to linger," Selena said as the Wolf servant there poured her a drink.
"We’re not good with words," Jhon said, speaking before Stoner, who had already nodded. "To be honest, even now that we’ve met with you and brought you here, you already know quite clearly what we mean. So I won’t say too much and risk making you hate me even more. I’ve prepared some gifts for you in these boxes bearing the Phoenix emblem. Including this..."
Selena looked at a small box that John had picked up; he opened it so she could see its contents. It was a necklace with a distinctive red gemstone that looked absolutely stunning. The setting was clear, with the red gemstone being the most striking feature.
"That necklace..." Selena suddenly remembered the necklace she’d once seen in John’s closet—the one that had made him furious when she’d accidentally touched it before. "Didn’t you hate it when I touched it? You scolded me mercilessly, as if I were a servant who shouldn’t have touched a king’s personal belongings."
Jhon swallowed hard upon hearing this. "It’s not that one; I just got a necklace with a similar design. Back then, when you touched it, I knew you really liked that necklace. So today I went to see a jeweler from the Phoenix group to get one," he said, a little nervously, as Selena’s displeased gaze was plain to see.
Jhon Nix, who just last night had been quite cold and unwilling to make small talk, now seemed to shrink in front of her as he tried to make amends. Selena snorted softly, then leaned back with her arms crossed.
"I don’t need it anymore," she replied expressionlessly.
Jhon looked at her, who was maintaining a blank expression. "Is there a new design you want? Just tell me, and I’ll find it for you," he said, making Selena smile cynically.
"I don’t think it’s necessary—I can ask the Fox King. I’ve heard he really likes to collect rare and extremely valuable items in the world of Eldoria—why should I ask you?" Selena retorted, silencing Jhon.
Selena looked at Stoner, who was clenching his own hands—whether to hold back his emotions or out of fear, Selena found it hard to tell. With a sigh, she sat up straight and looked at them in turn.
"I know you’re doing this solely so I’ll treat you, right?" Selena said pointedly, then looked at Jhon Nix, who remained silent, letting her speak. "The effects of the water I gave you last night only last two days; tomorrow night you’ll feel the pain again. So now you’re starting to panic—you want me to treat you right away until you’re cured. That’s right, isn’t it?"
Jhon nodded slowly, feeling that his cold demeanor and the haughty attitude he’d maintained all this time had crumbled simply because of Selena’s question and the statement she’d made. Besides, it was pointless for him to hide his intentions; given what he was doing now, Selena could already guess them even with her eyes closed.
He did indeed want a complete cure, which was why, after wrestling with his ego all night, Jhon was here—apologizing and, at the same time, indirectly asking for help by offering a gift.
"I also want to know the limits of my curse," Stoner said softly, joining the conversation, and that made Selena hold her breath, trying to stay still to listen to their complaints. "You asked me to avoid the full moon, but how many times can I do that while I’m the Wolf King? There are several celebrations I have to lead every full moon night; I can’t keep hiding forever."
Selena remained silent, and Stoner, sensing that this was his chance to speak, continued.
"Only I and my personal guard know about this illness, and you are the third person to know, after the kings here. Not to mention that you spoke about it openly at the Eldoria World Court; several wolf packs already know about it, and they’re now spreading the news.
"This could pose a serious threat to us; rival wolf clans will realize my weakness, and sooner or later they might declare war to seize my power. That is something I cannot allow to happen, because I am the only one with the pure blood of a Wolf clan ruler.
"Meanwhile, given my current condition, my people might also be dissatisfied with this and view me as weak. And I won’t be strong enough to face the massive coup they’ll attempt," said Stoner, lowering his head; his anxiety was clearly evident.
"It’s your fault for forcing me to the brink of death; otherwise, I wouldn’t have had to point out your weaknesses so bluntly," Selena replied, causing both of them to fall silent, as if realizing their respective mistakes. "I’ll try to find a way—after all, this is my own carelessness."
John looked at Selena, who had let out a heavy sigh, then lowered his head again. Meanwhile, Stoner straightened up and looked at Selena seriously.
"It’s not your fault—we’re the ones who were foolish for hurting your feelings. We shouldn’t have acted so hastily and nearly had you executed. We’re also to blame—we’re very much to blame for what happened to you. I’m sorry—I’m sorry for not trusting you," Stoner said, causing Selena to snort softly.
"I’m sorry, too," John whispered afterward. "Maybe I look foolish apologizing now—you saw me apologize only after I’d benefited from you. You helped me last night even though I hadn’t apologized yet. I’m sorry for not making you feel better; I’m not as quick to apologize as the other three kings."
Selena snorted again at John’s words. "You don’t need to feel too guilty—after all, you were basically forced to marry me anyway," she said, then stood up, causing Stoner and John to look up at her.
"Apologizing to me is pointless anyway, because you’re just going to take advantage of me. Once you’re healed, there’s a good chance we’ll get divorced, and you’ll cast me aside because you no longer need me. This relationship is too formal—I’m just trying to do what I have to do as the Healer of Extinction. Don’t worry, I’ll heal you," she said, then gave a bitter smile and walked away.
"You married us—that’s already a huge commitment we’ll have to live with for the rest of our lives," Stoner retorted, causing Selena to stop in her tracks. "There’s no such thing as divorce in a marital relationship in the Beast World. Why would you think we’d cast you aside after all this?"
Selena let out a soft sigh, then spoke in a voice she deliberately made soft and helpless. "Because, honestly, there’s no reason for you to keep me here this long. You don’t love me—not a single one of you feels that way about me. Maybe there won’t be a divorce, but you could very well team up to trap me, and I’ll end up being executed again later," she replied with a helpless gesture.
John and Stoner’s eyes widened at this, realizing just how terrible they looked in Selena’s eyes. But it was true—after what this woman had gone through last night, who would trust their partner again when that very partner had demanded her death?
"I’m telling the truth, aren’t I?" Selena said, then gave a small smile, causing them to fall even more silent. "This relationship is ridiculous. I was forced to marry you because I was useful. Once I’ve healed you and given birth to a child for you, I’ll no longer be of any use. By then, you’ll be healed and have a child, so I’ll have to disappear from your lives too."
Selena realized that her words had touched them so deeply that their emotions were starting to get all mixed up. Throwing someone who’s feeling guilty off balance is a good thing—at the very least, it throws them even more into a tailspin and makes them think hard about how to win her trust.
"I’m leaving now."
Selena smiled softly, then turned and walked away. She left them staring, transfixed by her beautiful, radiant, and utterly sincere face.
"How stupid of us—we’ve already broken her heart..." Stoner hissed, disappointed in himself.
"Do whatever you want, but I’m going to love her deeply from now on!" John replied resolutely. "She’s my wife—I’ll spoil her rotten until she forgives me!"