[Hate.]

"It's a good deal, Lauryn," I grunted, straightening up to face her.

"After all....you are getting me under you: the sinner who killed your family."

I chuckled as I finished my words, gently lifting my now-injured shoulder, which was almost out of its socket.

"...Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?" she asked, enraged, moving back and leaning against the wall for support.

"It's up to you now." Instead of replying, I pressed on with a cheerful smile. "Or are you gonna do nothing... again."

She looked at me resentfully, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white.

"I feel bad for your family now," I provoked further, as her glare intensified. "They died so that a coward like you could live."

"Grugh."

My words seemed to work like magic, as she once again grabbed my throat, making me look into her eyes.

"Fine," she mumbled, tightening her grip, "if you want to die from overtraining so much, then I will fulfill your wish."

"Cough... cough..."

I coughed again as she loosened her grip, causing me to stumble down.

"Meet me at three in the morning on the training ground," she commanded, opening the door and walking out of the room. "If you are even a second late, don't think I will train you then."

"Huff... Huff..."

Huffing, I crawled towards the wall, my body screaming in pain and agony with every movement.

"Well, that was intense," I mumbled with a chuckle, leaning against the wall and sitting on the ground.

[Was it necessary?]

"...I can't train by myself," I replied, closing my eyes and supporting my injured shoulder. "And she is the best option I could go for."

[Is she that good?]

"She... trained Ethan in the game, and her sword art is the thing that I want the most."

[Why?]

"Because it will work perfectly if I use it with the runes on my body."

[....You're thinking of doing something crazy again, right?]

"Argh... Am I that easy to read?" With a grunted I gently rose to my feet and walked out of the room.

[Just... don't do anything stupid.]

"Yeah."

[So... what now?]

"I will go see a doctor first," I mumbled, supporting my dislocated shoulder, "and then go watch the drama that will happen later between the [Protagonist] and the [Villainess]."

[Oh, I thought you were going to keep ignoring your shoulder.]

"It hurts like hell, idiot," I grumbled as I walked. "And it's not like I have a thing for feeling pain."

[.....Right.]

"What's with that long pause, fucker?" I grumbled as i crossed an intersection, heading towards the nursing room.

"Ahh, not this bitch again." However, just as I took a turn, I found two boys walking towards me.

As the boy walking in front noticed me, he smiled widely and walked towards me.

"Azariah." Lucas Sai Mairac waved at me with a smile.

With the same hair color as his sister Miley, and a sturdy, lean body, and a handsome face, he looked like a prince charming straight out of a romance book.

The heir of the Mairac dukedom and the guy I despise.

"Lucas." I also faked a smiled back at him as he stood in front of me.

"You don't know how surprised I was to see you here this morning," he said with a wide smile, "a mama's boy coming here alone without any protection."

"Yeah, yeah, it was unexpected, right?" I replied with a smile, nodding my head.

"Keegan, why aren't you saying anything?" Lucas then looked at the boy who had been glaring at me all this time.

Keegan Cuevas, a boy with light blonde hair and eyes of the same color, the son of the head imperial commander of the empire's knight squad.

"....You'll pay for what you did," Keegan hissed as he looked at me.

"....Ahh, still salty about the princess thing?" I asked as Keegan clenched his fist.

"You shouldn't have done that, Azariah," Lucas chimed in with the same smile, "you humiliated her in front of everyone."

"Because of you, she will have to live in shame." Keegan snarled as well.

"It's better than marrying a shit like you."

"You!!"

"Stop it,Azariah." Lucas said as he blocked Keegan.

"....I kissed her a lot when I was a child, pretty sure she felt joy instead of humiliation when I tried to kiss her again," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"Azariah!!" Keegan shouted as he took out his sword.

[Azariah.....both of them are stronger than you.]

'I know.'

"Easy, Keegan." Lucas grabbed his hand as he patted his shoulder, "don't fight him here."

"And Lucas... Would you stop your fucking act of a good guy," I said, making him look at me.

"What?"

"You know that's why Shyamal never gives a shit about you." With a smile, I poked at his core, "because in her eyes, you are an incompetent fool."

"Be careful with what you are saying," he growled at me, his fake smile vanishing, "you are talking with the future of the empire."

"Yeah, the fancy title of yours... doesn't mean shit."

"....Looks like the cripple needs to learn the hard way," Keegan mumbled, glaring at me, and Lucas quietly walked back, leaving us alone.

[...You can't beat him in your current condition.]

'I know.' I replied as I took out my hammer with my working hand, 'But that doesn't mean I can't knock some teeth out of his mouth.'

"What's going on here?"

A smoothing voice broke the tension as I closed my eyes.

I don't want to face her.... Not now.

"... Azariah tried to start a fight, princess, and Keegan was trying to defend himself," Lucas replied as he bowed his head slightly towards the white-haired girl.

"Are you alright, Keegan?" Arianell asked as she looked at the boy.

"Y-yeah, princess, I am fine just by looking at you." Stammering, he replied while smiling like an idiot.

[...A simp.]

'... correct.'

"Don't give in to provocation, it's not a good thing." With a smile, Arianell said, and Keegan started to blush like a girl.

[.... Cringe.]

'I know, right?'

"..... Anyway, I need to talk with him, please go back to your class." Arianell asked, making Keegan come back to his senses.

"No, princess." Keegan shook his head as he replied, "what if he tries to do something to you?"

"I can handle it."

"But—."

"Keegan." Arianell said firmly, looking at him, "go."

"Let's go, Keegan." Lucas said as he patted his shoulder, and Keegan nodded his head before walking in the opposite direction.

Arianell then slowly turned towards me, her eyes meeting mine.

She is....as beautiful as I first saw her.

"...What do you want, princess?" I asked as I placed the hammer back in the bracelet.

"Duke Mendonca has asked the emperor to annul your engagement with Christina," she replied, her gaze fixed on me.

"...Is that all?" I asked as I supported my injured hand.

"... That's all you have to say?" She asked, disappointment evident in her expression.

"....what? Do you expect me to cry?" I grumbled as I looked at her.

"....Yeah, maybe I was expecting too much from you," she nodded as she walked closer to me.

"You know what, I am happy for Christina," looking into my eyes, she said, "I am happy that she doesn't have to marry a guy like you."

"For fuck's sake, who even wants to marry her?" I retorted as I walked past her.

"Yeah! Just walk away like you always do. I keep forgetting you're the type of guy who only thinks of himself!" She shouted, making me halt.

[Azariah.]

"What do you know about me?" Walking back to her, I asked, "you never tried to understand me. What right do you have to JUDGE ME?"

".... I tried, Azariah!! But all I got in return was pain," she replied as she glared back. "You never loved me, you never loved Christina, you never loved anyone!"

"Who are you?" I snapped as I pushed her back. "Who are you to say I never loved anyone?"

[Azariah, stop.]

She looked at me as she stumbled back, then walked back, enraged.

"You are hollow from the inside!" She pushed me back as she shouted. "You have zero feelings inside you, no empathy, no guilt, no love. It's all empty!"

"SO WHAT?" I raised my voice, glaring at her as I pushed her again. "I don't have any feelings. So what are you going to do?"

"Stop being a jerk, Azariah," she whispered softly as she walked closer. "You have all one could ask for."

"I don't have anything!"

"You have a family, you have a relationship."

"Yeah... yeah, thanks."

"You have a whole life ahead of you!"

I didn't reply but just looked at her.

Family, relationship,Life...

I don't have any of it.

"Azariah," she whispered again as she tried to touch my cheek.

"Stay away." I walked backwards, glaring at her. "Stay away from me."

She slowly retracted her hand, looking at me.

'El.'

[Yes?]

'Tell me what her emotions will be.'

As I walked towards the wall, I asked.

[...What are you doing?]

"Azariah?"

'Ever heard of wall treatment?'

Ignoring Arianell's confused voice, I asked as I touched my forehead on the cold wall, with my working hand aligning my injured shoulder's joint with the socket.

[...Don't, Azariah.]

Slam!

Crack!

With a swift movement, I slammed my injured shoulder against the wall, forcing it back into its original position, the crackling sound of the joint returning echoing in the air.

"Arghhhh... Huff...huff..."

I groaned, feeling the intense discomfort radiating from my injured shoulder, my breaths came out in ragged gasps as I fought to endure the pain.

'Her feelings?'

[... hostile, resentful, miserable,anxious and....Concern.]

"...You ..know what, Aria." As I rolled back, leaning against the wall, I said with a smile, looking at her as she stood right in front of me, "I might stop...being a jerk...if you...fulfill my wish."

"....What do you want?" She asked, and just as El said, she had concern in her eyes.

"Nothing much, just for one night, sleep with me—."

Slap!

And before I could complete my sentence, she slapped me tightly.

"Just go die!!" She yelled, her eyes red as she walked away.

"I am dying anyway." I mumbled with a tired sigh as I sat down on the ground.

"El."

[.... disgust and Hatred.]

"Sweet." With a smile, I mumbled as I closed my eyes.

Man, I feel tired...