Chapter 4

I just stared at Earl's back while walking behind him. Now that I've observed him this close, he has this decent body type which is probably a lot of women's type. Not too buff, not to skinny. He also have these broad shoulders that are complimenting with his lean torso.

I looked up to his hair. I didn't payed attention to it at first so I didn't notice it, but his hair color is medium brown. When the sunlight touches his hair, it shines into a golden and copper shade of color. I dont know how is that even possible but I was left in awe. Where did he even get his genes? Where could I buy it? I need those.

"What are you lookin' at? You crushin' on me?" He asked while smirking. He halted on walking and faced towards me.

My expression turned sour. "You wish." I continued walking, so he walked as well.

I don't know why we argue like this, we haven't even known each other for about a day. I don't know why I hate his guts but I'm also quite fond of him. Maybe I hate him because he's the polar opposite of me and he's annoyingly noisy or maybe I just really hate him? However, my guts do tell me that I could let my guard down when I'm with him. It's quite confusing but I hate his guts but I know he's not a bad guy.

The biggest flex I could boast is my intuition. My hunches are always on point. And fortunately for him, my guts do favor him. He seems like a good guy. But that doesn't erase the fact that he's still annoying as fuck.

"We're here."

He suddenly stopped while I was walking with a blank mind so I bumped into his back.

"The hell?" I mumbled while holding my forehead and glaring at his back.

"You'll be living here." He said while still looking in front.

I followed where he was staring at and I immediately furrowed my brow.

"Excuse me?" I raised my left eyebrow at him.

"You're gonna let me live here after you dragged me into this?" I scoffed in disbelief.

In front of us is a wrecked tent with muds covering it.

He flicked my forehead. "Not that stupid."

He pointed his fingers above the tent.

"Then where the fuck—?" I suddenly halted halfway through my sentence.

"Huh?"

"That's where you'll be living henceforth." He said and smiled. "Now, let's come inside."

"Wait what?!" I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Hold on, hold on!" I stopped him from walking. "You're kidding right?"

He looked at me innocently. "Huh? I'm not. It's Sebastian's order to let you in the palace."

Damn, that place? I'm going to live in that place?

I can virtually imagine my eyes glowing in bliss. Is this for real?

"Are all your guests able to live in that place?" I asked. We continued walking towards the palace. It's still quite far from us because it's in the peak of this mountain like land. It's not too steep, but not too flat also. We are currently walking in a cemented stair which looks like it was made intentionally for this travel. It does makes sense, climbing this rocky mountain like land would be a hassle.

"What guests? We don't bring guests here." He said without even breaking a sweat to look at me. He just walked nonchalantly.

"Huh? Then what do you call me?" I asked.

"What are you talking about? You're one of us now. You're no guest at all." He sniggered like I was the most silliest person to ask the silliest things in the world.

"Huh?!" I creased my forehead. "What are 'you' talking about?" I emphasized the 'you' to give him a hint about his silliness.

He looked at me. "Are you dumb?" He asked me with a blank face.

What the—

"Excuse me?" I can feel my nerves twitching in anger. I was asking him nicely, why can't  he answer nicely too?

"I mean, you agreed to go with us because you wanted to be with us right?" He smiled.

"I agreed because I wanted to be with whom?" If I could crease my eyebrows more, that would definitely be what I am doing right now.

"Ah, maybe you really is dumb." He smiled sweetly but his words says the opposite of his expressions.

That's it, with his smile and his words, I totally snapped.

I scoffed. I stopped walking and bit my lips. "You ain't got any common sense or what?" I put my hand on my hip.

I stared at him. My expression, completely blank. He stopped walking and faced me. "Well then, let me ask you too. You dumb?" I eyed him from head to toe. I made sure to made him feel really insulted.

If there's anything I'm expert about, it's pissing people off with my retorts. I'll make sure I'm going to piss them off with just me breathing.

He was about to answer but I stopped him with my additional retort. "Oh yeah, nincompoops won't admit that they're dumb, aren't they?"

I wet my lips. "Here's the thing, Mr. Dumb. Let's get things clear in order for that stupid mind of yours to understand. I didn't want to be here. I 'don't' want to be here. I never wanted to be here." I paused. "If ever you forgot or just lost some screw on your head, just a reminder that you guys are the one who dragged me here. You are the ones who raided my ship. And why did I agreed to be here If I really didn't want to be here? Well basically you know the answer to yourself." I pointed my index finger to his chest that causes him to back off a little.

"Isn't because you threatened me to die if I'm not going with you? Or did you expect me to choose death instead of me, going with you to save my life?" I'm overflowing with rage right now. I'm still not healed from my past problems, then here is some dumbass jerk in front of me, testing my patience.

"I was just asking you nicely, why can't you answer nicely too?" I gritted my teeth to suppress my anger. I'm getting pissed to the most trivial things.

He was just standing in front of me like a stone cold statue.

"What?! Aren't you gonna say something?!" I yelled at him.

"Woah! Chill out. I didn't mean to offend you. I didn't know you have pent up feelings coming with us." He raised both his hands. "And I didn't know you went with us because you were threatened to do so. I thought you agreed upon your own will."

"What?" I asked in disbelief. "You didn't know that calling someone stupid after they asked you nicely isn't insulting and rude? Have you had no empathy at all? And you really had the guts to think that I would just agree coming with you upon my own will after threatening me with my own 'death'."

He just shrugged his shoulders. I can't believe this guy. Now I know another reason why my guts hated his guts. I have no reason to like unempathetic people.