Mila felt something hard that she was laying her head on; she knew for sure that it wasn't a pillow. 'What am I sleeping on? I'm pretty sure it's not a pillow since it’s not exactly soft. I don't want to open my eyes, yet.' She snuggled closer, enjoying the warmth that it was giving off. It was not a pillow, but it was still comfy enough to sleep on. Feeling an arm wrap around her waist, she then recalled every little detail from that intimate night. Feeling her face burn red, she opened her eyes to look up and see ZH was sleeping without his mask on. "ZH?!?!?!?" Mila was confused but recalled every little detail bit by bit. It was all clear in her head, giving her quite a shock that she could even recall it all. ‘I usually don’t remember anything in my first life. Maybe… it’s because I never really cared about it back then.’ Getting half of her upper body up, she looked down to see how he still had such enchanting looks as last night.
"Don't be so loud. Let's sleep a little more or..." ZH dragged her back down, and she landed on his chest with the blanket wrapped around her. "...do you want to continue from last night?" Mila scoffed, smacking the side of his head once and laying on his chest comfortably. "Do you remember everything?" He asked since Mila did say that she would remember it all by morning.
"Yeah, surprisingly." Mila didn't want to remember, but everything about last night was clear as the day in her head. "I didn't think I would remember it all, but it seems we can't go back now." Keeping her eyes closed, she didn't know what type of smile he had on. She couldn’t be mad, though, she asked for it, and this was the outcome.
"When should we set up the wedding day?" ZH asked, with Mila unsure since they still needed her father's blessing along with ZH's parents.
"We need to talk things out with our parents. We should get their blessings. Also, my father would be very outraged with what happened if he ever found out." Mila peeked, seeing ZH looking down at her. She saw more clearly his red-violet eyes. ‘Wow, does this man know just how mesmerizing he looks? These looks can kill a man and woman if they stare long enough at it.’
"I'm sure that your father won't mind." ZH didn't look a bit worried at all. ‘He would have to agree in the end since he knows the truth about the agreement of the Zameth Heir.’
Mila laid her hand on his cheek rubbing her thumb on his cheek then rubbing below his left eye where a beauty mark lay. "Why would you hide such beautiful eyes?" She wondered, looking at how they were not anything bad to hide about. '“You could’ve had more options to choose from. If you hide your face, then I assume that many rumors spread about you negatively.” Mila knew from experience that those who wore a mask and hid their faces would be ill-spoken about their looks that were considered hideous.
"So you even remember that part." ZH couldn't help, but see how she had a good memory even though she was drunk. Making him recall how childish she acted last night. Yet, he knew that the truth would have to come out sooner or later. "These eyes were dominant traits in my father's family. They say that those who inherited these eyes would face hardship. I was afraid that you would leave me if you were to know about these cursed eyes." ZH only told part of the truth, but he did not want to mention the rest yet.
"Hardship? What hardships?" Mila didn't understand how the color of one's eye could be a sign of hardship. ‘No one can judge one’s eyes for their future.’ Mila wanted to hit the person who told ZH such false words.
"They say that these eyes are like that of a demon. It's always been like this in my family." ZH stared up, looking at the bed frame above. “I do not want you to go through any of that. Seeing you suffer is not what I want; I want to see you safe and sound with a happy life.”
"These eyes do not mean anything. All I know is that you are you. Being who you are is how I fell in love with the man before me. I will not suffer as long as you are with me. I can only be safe and sound with a happy life with you in my life." Mila didn't want ZH to be stuck or held back by the so-called 'hardship' just by his eyes. ‘I know we will both walk the same path to find happiness together.’
Hearing that, ZH couldn't help, but kiss her and pin her below him. "You're pulling my strings now." He smirked, going ahead, stealing more kisses from her. ‘How can a woman like yourself be so happy with me? Your words made me feel like the happiest and luckiest man alive.’ ZH refused to let Mila leave their little love nest.
'This won't be ending anytime soon now.' Mila thought, knowing how ZH wouldn't hold back as he said. ‘I guess I can stay in bed for the next few days.’ There was no point in stopping the man she loved. She had never felt this kind of love from a man. ‘I feel like the luckiest and happiest woman alive.’ Kissing him back, both would indulge in their desires for one another.
***
Time passed...
Yawn~
[Skye? Vivian? How come it's taking longer than usual?] Kate asked, seeing how they were locked out of the room for three days. They weren't even allowed to take a little peek. [Are Mama and Papa mad at each other???] The servants and maids took care of them on behalf of their master, who was locked up in the room with their young lord.
[It's something that you wouldn’t understand until you're older.] Skye sighed sadly, seeing how they couldn't exactly explain it. Being left their only solution is to stay outside and wait patiently. They had seen food taken in but soon left at the door for the maids and servants to take.
‘We will probably have another young master soon.’ Vivian couldn’t help, but imagine a little Mila running around while trying to mess with them all. ‘That would be nice to see.’ Vivian felt that it was about time for Mila to start her own little family since she was about twenty years old now. Not everyone lived forever, hoping that her master could continue to be happy.
"Why are you bunching out here?" Noah, the healer, met with the three beasts seeing how they were likely kicked out of the room. Seeing the ice nine-tailed fox all gloomy, he figured that she was the most upset in all of this. "I do not understand what you're saying, but I know that they will come out sooner or later." Noah knew that they could not be locked in their room forever. ‘Besides, ZH still has some matters to attend to involving the hunters who are doing more than taking mana now.’ Noah needed to inform ZH about what Aiken had informed them recently about using children to take mana.
"Don't mind them." Theo came out seeing Noah with Mila's three beasts, with one sulking still, which he found quite adorable. "She had some special wine, so he probably got a boost in their relationship, with her alcohol tolerance being part of the reconciliation." Theo smiled, remembering how childish Mila was that night. At the same time, he did not want ZH to kill him since he knew deep down that he had crossed the line.
"He won't let you off the hook." Noah and Theo knew about ZH's personality, so they knew there was bound to be some sort of punishment coming for Theo. ‘Your fault for being a so-called ‘therapist’ for Mila. Noah was not going to help Theo; he was not going to risk his life for him this time. Remembering the last time he did, he was punished severely by being sent to the Mireraweth Kingdom, where every woman there did not seem to stop their attempts on him. He did not want to go there again; he was a healer and a high priest at the same time.
“Noah, you have to save me!” Theo held puppy eyes that had some tears popping out and begging Noah, who was his long-time friend.
“No, you are on your own this time.” Noah went ahead and left with Theo calling out to him for help. Kate was a bit curious about Noah, making her run over to follow him, while Skye and Vivian never saw her so interested in someone other than Mila and ZH.
[I wonder what Kate is thinking.] Skye stared at the fox that left them for the first time and then stuck around this time.
[I know. This is the first time that I’ve seen Kate so interested in someone like him.] Vivian and Skye looked at one another, then turned back to wait patiently at the doors.
***
"How did we end up stuck here together?" Alec looked to see he and Ella were stuck with Jane and Philbert. Their parents wanted them to get to know each other better, so they were all there in the garden with a few snacks and drinks.
"Don't ask me. I'm just here training with my father and following him. I will become a knight like him to protect the young lady." Philbert announced to their little children group.
"I'm going to be a doctor and a healer! Just wait and see! I'll be far more useful to her than you!" Jane pointed at Philbert, seeing that he was her rival. She wanted to be able to work alongside the young lady who was like a goddess to her.
"Tch! What makes you think that you are more helpful?!" Philbert and Jane exchanged glares, looking at each other, while Ella and Alec just watched them argue.
"Should we stop them?" Ella felt worried, looking at the two children who were about the same age arguing with one another.
"No, best if we don't. Let's witness it." Alec said, both keeping their gazes on the two children arguing about something pointless.
***
"How's the boy been?" Aiken asked Leo, who had been managing the boy with a soulless expression and body. '
"Still nothing. We haven't been able to find anything, and the boy remains the same with his soulless gaze. It may be useless to have them try and come back." Leo explained, feeling pity for the children under the Mana Hunters' hands. Even the wizard was unable to help in any way, with a priest calling to help and trying to contact the boy’s soul but to no avail.
"We may need more guards around children, but we need to find the one manipulating all the children. There has to be one person who is controlling all of them." Aiken stood up, looking outside to see his kingdom that thrived during the day but stood dangerous during the night. "The leader would likely hide himself away, far from being found. We need to find out where they hide to stop all of this." Aiken knew for a fact that no leader from the Mana Hunters was in his kingdom since he did not exactly have the resources or beasts that they could obtain so easily. It left him thinking that perhaps they were in a kingdom that they would least expect them to be in, maybe even a nearby kingdom.
