Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

The Fools

That evening, while laying still in a guest room given temporary to me, I breathe gently, collecting myself in isolation.

"I'm tired of being look at like that," I whisper to myself. "Are you listening Maeve? I'm tired of being look at like that."

One may think I'm being too sensitive, too annoying, and that may be true. Nonetheless, off screen, I told myself that I'm doing this for Nillin so it doesn't matter how others see me.

After all, it is 'I' who chose to marry him.

It is 'I' who chose to be like this, so why (still) I can't accept those cold and disgusted glares?

Then I recall earlier at the gates and ask, "Can humans change so fast from cold disgust to absolute respect?"

But why am I judging them when I changed my perspective with Xielle when she revealed her true personality?

"No. I chose this life, so I must be like the first wife of four for the king like in the fairytale! I need to be the giving tree..."

"Who are you kidding?" I hear someone at the door.

My body erects and I turn to see the family chestnut hair gene. Although this person's hair is a little darker than Borscht's.

"Should I be alarm?" I narrow my brows.

"In a situation like this, shouldn't you have asked, 'Who are you? Why are you here?'" A smirk draws on his face, "You don't seem like a normal person."

"Then, 'Who are you? Why are you here?'"

He laughs instead, "Again, shouldn't you be mad that I just called you a retard?"

I bite my lips and fidget my hands behind my back.

"Your charm is alluring," he closes the door and walks to draw the curtains.

"I am the new Master Leire of the city, Thempolis, I am Jotan Leire, Borscht's eldest brother." The way he say it makes it seems like he's not trying to pull ranks on me, but wants me to know his worth.

I decide to also introduce myself in the same manner, "I am but a man who chose to be a wife of another. My name is not worthy to be heard."

Jotan sits on a chair in a pretty good distant away from me with both of his hands resting on the arms of the chair. His feet are flat on the ground while his back is straight.

His light brown eyes smile as they're still trying to hide something, "Then allow me to call you 'Princess'."

"Isn't it a little insulting to call a man 'Princess'?" My shoulders are rolled forward.

"No," Jotan shakes his head. "It's only insulting if my intention was to mock you. My definition of a princess is someone who is a consort of a prince with sovereign power."

A smile cracks on my face and I immediately fix it.

"I think you'll look beautiful with a genuine smile," Jotan continues to hide something behind a smile.

'You're one to talk' is what I want to comment, but I hold my tongue.

"Thank you for the kind words you said," I reply instead.

Then with a heavy sigh he asks me, "I have two questions I would like for you to answer, and if I like either, the Leire family will support Prince Nillin's enthronement."

So this is what he actually wants to talk about.

"The first question is," he pauses and takes a closer look at my posture or something. "In your current situation, would you rather have been born wealthy or 'pretty'?"