Chapter fifty-nine

"You see yourself fit to just attend a ball as important as this? As important as the Blood Ball."

"I-" Jiwon wasn't sure what to answer to a question like this, "My excuses, yet I see not what I have done wrong? I attend this ball only because I am invited to it."

"So I have heard," she concedes, "However, it still shocks me you've accepted the invitation."

Jiwon looks confused at the woman. He still didn't know who she was and why she had everyone in her hold like this.

But the intimidating air around her was enough for him to know he shouldn't play with her.

"I'm sorry, miss, if I offend you somehow, but I see no reason why it's so shocking that I have come to a ball after being invited to it. Isn't that a normal way of events?"

Jiwon sees the woman biting her teeth behind her smile, "Of course, it would be the normal turn of events. Except it isn't, mainly because something like this hasn't happened in a long time."

"Pardon me?"

"We haven't had any of your kind attending our characteristic Blood Ball. After all, it's a ball to celebrate ourselves and our species. So you see why it's hard to comprehend what your place would be here," the woman in black explains.

Jiwon frowns at this, "No offence but, that doesn't mean I can't attend. First of all, I got invited, so I'm not here without permission. Secondly, the fact that I'm not a pale-skin, doesn't mean that I can't come and celebrate y'all. Does it? So I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of it?"

It wasn't that Jiwon didn't know they didn't like the name 'pale-skin', just that this woman was irritating him big time.

The smile on her face was gone.

"No, of course, not. I was just wondering, why would a ludicrous little werewolf like yourself want to celebrate such a thing? Your species is anyway lower cultivated than ours, so a newly baptised werewolf must definitely be. So why did you come along?"

Jiwon chuckles at this, "I see now," he extends his hand to the woman after she showed the way she thought about his species, "It sucks that you call us uncultivated, why y'all can't even introduce yourself correctly. So maybe, we should start over," Jiwon suggests.

"You must be the well-known Blood Empress, ruler of dens, right? Your greatness, weird belief that werewolves are uncultured savages, along with other things make me believe you are. I've heard...a lot about you. 

Nice to meet you. Jiwon Yoong. I don't have such a fancy title like yours. Just a beta. Oh, wait," he interrupts himself, slapping his forehead with his free hand, "I do have one title I find worth noting, though.

Jiwon Yoong, mate to Minseok Ahn."

She looked at Jiwon for a second, and then at his hand which was still in the air waiting for her. After licking her lips she says, "I see," she looks at Minseok who diverts his stunned gaze from Jiwon to the floor the second she looks at him, "Anyone else who'd like to share something? Yes, Raphael?"

Raphael looks at Silas, who was still bowed, just like the others in the room. He takes his hand and pulls him up, "Silas Ahn, mated to...well...me," he chuckles.

"Who was planning to tell me about this?" the Empress asks no one in particular, sounding slightly irritated.

"No one, actually," Raphael answers, "We're not as obsessed with you as you think. We've got better things to do than to ponder about what we could talk with you about."

"Minseok?" she asks, ignoring Raphael.

"I wanted to introduce you to him today, ajumma," Minseok deliberately tries to explain, not looking into her eyes, "Jiwon will become my Blood Partner, that's why I saw it essential for him to come here tonight. My most sincere apologies if I made a bad move by not contacting ajumma about the plans."

"A werewolf? As blood partner? Minseok , shouldn't you have notified me before making such a big decision."

"I should have, ajumma. I was scared you were too busy with the preparations of the ball and didn't want to disturb you," admits Minseok , still looking down.

"Very well, I'll think about this matter."

"Pardon me?" Minseok begs her.

"I'll think about it."

Jiwon feels his heartbreak.

For a second everything around him felt frozen in time.

She'll think about it? About whether he could be Minseok's Blood Partner or not?

"Miss," Jiwon comes between, "What do you mean with 'I'll think about it'? Think about what?"

"Whether Minseok does make the right decision by wanting you as his Blood Partner or not. He can't possibly know what's good or not."

Jiwon had long since forgotten about his social anxiety, this woman worked like some kind of magical cure.

"It's not up to you to decide that, though. He is literally my mate? Isn't it more than obvious that I'd be his Blood Partner?" Jiwon reasons. However, he should have seen it coming that the Blood Empress wasn't one to reason with.

"I don't see how those two things have anything to do with each other. The fact that your," she thinks for a second after continuing, "Your 'Moon Goddess' connected the two of you, doesn't determine whether he has to take you as his Blood Partner or not. And I think I do know what's best for him and what not." 

"And I think you do not."

Raphael chuckles upon hearing that comment, "And I think Jiwon is correct. Minseok has been feeding off of Jiwon for quite some time now. And it's only logical that they'd do it like this.

Due to the mating bond, they'll be pulled to each other no matter what, even you can't stop that. And what better Blood Partner than a werewolf? Normal humans get too weak after some time and can't reciprocate the needs of their Blood Partners anymore.

Jiwon here heals faster and makes new blood faster than any human on Earth ever could. Plus, the fact that he is not only a werewolf but also Minseok's mate ensures that he can also handle any aphrodisiac attack perfectly. Don't you think?

Maybe it's time for you to shut the fuck up about something happening in Minseok's life since you've fucked it up enough already?" he ends his discourse with a big, obviously fake, smile.

Miss Kim turns back to Minseok , tilting his head again, "You know that I only want the best for you, right, dear?"

Minseok nods.

"Great," she smiles, "then that's settled."

"Nothing the hell is settled," Christopher too joins, stumbling up from the floor, "I-I'm sorry...I shouldn't have cursed.

My point is, you can't manipulate Minseok in choosing the wrong Blood Partner."

The Blood Empress looks at Christopher, tilting her eyebrow.

"Like, literally," he explains, "Are El and I really the only ones who learned about our contrary species? Minseok won't be able to take satisfaction anymore from someone else's blood, after tasting Jiwon's blood. You'll only be torturing him all over again."

"All of you stop talking," the Empress orders, "As far as I know, every one of you is still standing lower than I am."

"You can't do that," Raphael says, "I know you love having Minseok in the palm of your hand. I know it's some kind of sick punishment for me. But you're going too far, Mother."

"Gosh," Cyra whines from the floor, "Are you guys done arguing about whether Minseok can choose his own Blood Partner or not? Done arguing like little children? No offence Empress, but gosh. Can all of you just shut up?

If you don't want them to become Blood Partners, Empress, then so be it. It's just a title. Do you really think you'll stop them by not letting them get a stupid little title while they already have another title? They can still do whatever the hell they want with each other without that title of yours. And believing the marks on their necks, they already do.

Now that that's settled, can the ball please continue?"