Emerald's thoughts were consumed by the memories of his encounter with Eva, a persistent loop he couldn't escape.
"Don't tell me you're feeling all that cat thing we did," Brown said, her eyes fixed on him.
"What's the cat thing? I don't even know you," Emerald replied, his confusion evident as he noticed her eyes scanning him.
"So you two have met, huh? Tell me, boy, what happened?" Genna asked.
"Nothing important. I just patted her head for some time, that's all," Emerald said with a shy, rosy-cheeked expression.
"That's all? There's no need to get that red, kid. Anyway, I gotta go. Stalling you guys will be a problem with my schedules, I guess." Genna gave a warm smile and left, her heart still buzzing from their encounter.
"Well, Lady Genna, I gotta hand it to you for picking him. So fluffy and tasty," Eva commented as Genna walked away. A shiver ran down Emerald's spine. Genna, not fully grasping the insinuation, followed her mother with a lighthearted laugh, while Eva walked ahead, tagging her "Emerald."
Genna voiced her concern about Eva's mischievous words and smile, but her mother calmly advised her not to overthink it. The Queen, however, easily understood the riddle and her actions showed it.
Eva and Emerald walked for a bit, then slowed down to a leisurely pace. Eva poked him playfully in the back. "So, do you like Genna?" she asked.
"Why would you ask something like that?" Emerald replied, looking down.
"Just curiosity," Eva said quickly.
"It's not what you think. She's just a friend who helped me with my records."
"Hmm. Is that so? From what I can hear and see, she really likes you." Emerald looked at her for a moment, took a deep breath, and kept walking.
"You never know what someone's heart says," Eva whispered seductively in his ear. Emerald jumped, his senses on high alert.
"You're right, Eva. We never know what someone's heart is like," he said, regaining his composure.
"But it tastes like dark chocolate, though," Eva murmured. Another shiver ran down Emerald's spine.
"Haha! I'm just joking. You're too fragile for dark jokes." The decades-old stones of the castle seemed to hear the warmth in her laughter. She kept smiling every time he looked at her.
"How's Genna for you?" Emerald asked, trying to change the subject.
"Well, I haven't seen her for years, but back at the academy, we were best buds. She's smart—top of the academy—kind, sometimes scary, dominant… not as pretty as they say, though. Something like that," Eva's voice softened.
"Smart girl, huh? She didn't look that smart when I met her," Emerald said sarcastically.
Meanwhile, Genna was still replaying Eva's words. She suddenly stopped. "Something fluffy and tasty… that's… that's her lips. Don't tell me she laid her hands on my boy, that girl," she thought, a pang of jealousy in her heart.
Seeing her daughter's worried expression, the queen tried to reassure her. "Don't take everything to heart, kid. Even lies can cause too much drama. She must have just been teasing you. After all, it's Eva we're talking about." Though the words helped, Genna's doubts and jealousy lingered.
"Where exactly are we going?" Emerald asked Eva as they wandered aimlessly through the castle.
"I don't know. You should have given me an address before we jumped into this," Eva replied calmly.
"What, Eva? You don't know where the guest room is?" Emerald was flabbergasted by her carefree attitude.
"First thing's first. One: I know every inch and dust in this kingdom. Two: there's no guest room in this castle," she said to ease his worry.
"What do you mean? Then where the hell am I supposed to go, ma'am?" Emerald questioned.
"Don't be like that, Emerald. Just wait here, I'll be back in a few seconds." With that, Eva swooshed away, her speed leaving Emerald's worries to resurface. He was all alone in an unknown territory. A few seconds later, she returned. "Guess what?" she said proudly.
"You found the room?" Emerald's worry evaporated instantly.
"Yeah, I did. But… need a cookie?" Eva pulled some biscuits from her pants pocket. Emerald looked at her and the cookie with a flat expression, then grabbed one and started crunching it. "Hmm, you're a glutton," Eva commented.
"I don't know about that, but I eat a lot when I'm not feeling good," Emerald replied, still chewing.
"What about when you're down?"
"I'll sleep like a sloth." Eva burst into laughter.
"Where's my room?" Emerald asked to get her back on track.
"Well, that's the best part. You'll be staying at Genna's room," Eva said, revealing the news he didn't want to hear.
"What do you mean? Genna and me in the same room? Especially in her own place? That's never gonna happen," he insisted.
"Believe it or not, that's what I heard from Patrick."
"Who's Patrick?"
"The castle guards' head."
"Oh. Anyway, are we on the right track?" Emerald questioned.
"We are. You should be honored to even hear that," she stated proudly.
"Why is that?"
"Genna has never let anyone inside her room." The statement painted a clear picture of Genna's affection for him.
"Well, if that's the case, I guess it's okay," Emerald conceded.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Even if I said no, you'd just ask anyway," Emerald said, his tone one of resigned boredom.
"You got a smooch from her, right? And a French one at that," her playful tone sent a fresh wave of heat through Emerald.
"No… I didn't. And I already told you we aren't like that," Emerald maintained his firm posture, despite his face turning red.
"Well, that's interesting. But I tasted the sweetness of saliva on my skin when you petted me," Eva said, her eyes gleaming with knowledge.
"What on earth are you, Eva?" he asked, giving up on trying to hide the truth.
"What about the other one? A human, an old feeling still lingering in you. Who's that, Emerald?" Eva struck deep this time. Emerald kept his face low, without any proper reaction.
"Someone you want to protect deep down in your heart," she continued, sensing his emotions as he stood still.
"That's some great philosophy you've got there," Emerald said, trying to change the subject.
"It ain't mine. I read it in a book from the Central Library."
"A novel, huh?"
"Nah, a memoir of the first and only emperor."
"The first and only emperor? Who's that?" His curiosity was finally piqued.
As they walked, exchanging their fuzzy tales, they reached their destination. "Well, it looks like we are at the doorstep of the room. You may enter and have some rest, my lord," Eva guided him in.
"Where did that 'my lord' part come from? Just call me what you've been calling me. By the way, what's the emperor's name?" Emerald asked, eager for the cliffhanger to end.
"It's Zinan. He had no last name. Everyone in the country knows him," she stated. Emerald's mind instantly connected the name to the face he had seen in his dream.
"Fascinating, a Middle Eastern name," he replied as she turned to leave.
"Indeed he was fascinating. After all, he was the one and only man to ever have the entire world at his feet," Eva said, her words a final testament to the emperor's power.
(To be continued)