Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

2 Sides of the Same Whole

"Alright then. Since you clearly won't tell me," I comment after waiting for Lexin to be curious and eager enough to just tell me anyway. "I also have something to speak with you about."

"Oh sure. Talk to me about anything," he chuckles. Lexin is treating me like my siblings, which makes me very comfortable around him.

I ask him, "May I ask Carcyne to exorcise you?"

There is this tiny silence until Lexin burst out laughing, "I know she made you pregananable, and hear me when I say I don't doubt her, but my sister and I search all over the country and almost all over the world. No one can help her or me."

"Then you do admit there is someone other than yourself within that human shell?"

"You got me," Lexin rests his forehead on his fingers looking very brotherly defeated.

"So may I ask Carcyne to exorcise you?" I repeat myself.

He nods, "Yeah. Sure. Why not. But please ask Carcyne to be gentle. The other person is also a dear friend of mine."

"Oh. You know who the other person is?" I turn to Caria who is also curious.

Lexin's eyes widen a little as if I caught him by surprise again. But then again, with his reputation as a strategist Nillin personally wants on his side, he's probably just leading me around.

He locks his hands together and then rests his chin on it, and his elbows on the table.

"It's alright." I don't want to come off as pushy, "I'll tell Carcyne to be extra sweet."

Caria chokes on the 'extra sweet' because even with my grandmother she is just as sour as she is with me.

The morning blond man smiles and gives me a nod.

That evening when the sun just goes below the horizon of the sea, I, Caria, and Carcyne enter Lexin's resting chamber.

Caria turns around to close the doors behind us so she sees the scene after Carcyne and I.

Lexin's body is chained by the foot to a leg of the bed. The lock for the chain is not of a key but a weird puzzle even incomprehensible to me.

"You're that cute guy from the Inn," the spirit says. Then the sexually curious eyes I saw on Lexin's person before return.

"Yes," I greet the spirit. "I remember you as well."

The spirit blushes.

"Miss, do you know why you're in this body?" Carcyne takes over.

It shakes Lexin's head.

"Do you know how you got inside this body? And who this body belongs to?"

It nods and starts sobbing as it is probably recalling what happened to it.

"Do you mind telling?" I butt in. "We just want to help and we think we can."

Carcyne rolls her eyes at me and I decide to back off until this is over. On the other hand, the spirit seems to be relieved and happy to hear.

"I fell in love with a man who is the world's husband, but I didn't mind. I still don't mind." It speaks as it sits on the bed with its calves are under its thighs and looks out the window.

In Lexin's body, it looks beautiful. I wonder... How beautiful is it in its body? And I'm assuming no wonder a world's husband also fell in love with her.

"After a long time, he finally notices me-" see what I predicted there? "He promised that I would be his one and only, and I trust his words."

A tear falls from Lexin's eyes.

"Others didn't approve. The women who wish to be in my shoes didn't approve. Master Lexin is a close friend of mine-or to be more accurate, he is the best friend of my lover."

So I am also competing with a spirit as well? Who would've guessed.

It continues in a melancholy tone, "He comes to warn me, but they got to me first. They tied me to a poll in my house as they surround me chanting in a language I can't understand."

"A curse." Carcyne offers.

"Yes. It was a curse," it turns to us swiftly. "They took my soul out of my body, burned my body, and cursed my soul to be attached to the next person who walk by. And as you can see, it is Master Lexin who I am attached to."

It starts crying again, "I send words to Lord Nillin that I have married so he should marry someone else and move on with his life."

"Miss Xielle?" I accidentally whisper.

"So you also knew that side of my story," Xielle chuckles. "But if I knew Lord Nillin is going to marry a man... Why can't it be me in this body? It makes me feel so regretful knowing my precious soulmate chose to marry someone I can still be."

I'm not sure if I should fear or pity her.

Caria steps closer to me. Perhaps she fears that Xielle might hurt me if she learns of my identity.

However, this motion catches Xielle's attention.

"Your belly have swelled since I last seen you a few months ago. Don't just eat so much, also exercise," she chuckles sweetly.

"Well, food is delicious," I offer a fake smile. Caria stands to my side now.

I personally think Caria is taking precautions too far, but just as that thought enters my mind, Carcyne also defends my other side.

"Anyway," Carcyne starts, "Your time is no longer your time. You're using Master Lexin's time."

"I know," Xielle sighs. "But what will you have me do? I have no body and nobody to return to."

"What I mean is that it is time for you to go. Heaven or hell if you believe that, or to be reborn if you believe in the latter," Carcyne doesn't sugarcoat her intentions.

Xielle shakes her head, "The man I love is still here."

"But what can you do with a borrowed body?"

Xielle's calm hands clench into fists, resting on her laps.

"I know you're right, but I want to be selfish." She stares into the distant again, "I'm sure Master Lexin wouldn't mind 'us' using his body. For I am his first love and Lord Nillin is his best friend."

These words alone makes it clear that she won't leave Lexin's body even if she only appears at night.

"Lexin has his own life to live too!" Carcyne also clenches her hands into fists, "He can't be living your life for you as well."

"He got all day to live his life. What's wrong with me occupying the night?"

"What about his sexual life?"

"I just said he got all day!"

Carcyne heaves out a giant breathe. She turns to me, "May Milord tries to reason? I don't want to punch my future husband face when he and I don't have any problems... Yet."