Rejecting Lilia

"Don't say anything, I think I already know the truth…" Minos said with a sigh, as he grabbed Lilia's jittery hands and calmed them.

"Really! Great! Then let's be together! I'll introduce you to my father, and you can meet all my siblings, and with my family's help, you won't ever have to worry about cultivation resources ever again!" Lilia said joyously, as if already imagining their future.

"Lilia, you know that isn't possible… While he may be equal here, the truth is, we just aren't on the same level." Minos said with a sigh, trying to let down Lilia gently.

Not to mention, ever since he had picked up the Heaven-Sundering Sword, her father had become his enemy, so this relationship was impossible from the get go.

"It's fine, we can elope, no one else has to know." Lilia whispered into Minos's ear as she pulled up close to him.

"Stop! Enough of this, it can't happen. The Aleph Empire rules the entire continent, even if we elope, where would we run to?" Minos said.

While he could be honest and just say he was already in a relationship, he was honestly somewhat afraid of Lilia's power, and wanted to keep his relationship a secret.

With her position, if he made an enemy of her, heaven knows what kind of things she could do, so he hoped to just talk her down with logic.

"We can go to sea…" Lilia answered, though her voice was low, as if she was also coming to terms with reality.

"I'm sorry Lilia, it just isn't possible. Some things just aren't meant to be, this is both the pain and beauty of life…"

"We can find a way Minos, we can!" Lilia said as her eyes brightened, not wanting to give up.

"We can't, at least not yet, and not now… I should leave Lilia, there are better men out there for you, I simply am not enough." Minos sighed, as he began walking towards the carriage door.

"Maybe, but I love you, so you can't leave." Lilia said, her eyes going dark.

"What do you mean?" Minos asked, his heart becoming slightly anxious as he watched Lilia's emotional auras rage.

"I mean what I said. Just stay here with me, I'll take care of you." Lilia responded, as she flicked her hand, shooting a chain-shaped strand of Nux out from her body, wrapping Minos's body up firmly.

"What are you doing! Stop this now Lilia, you don't have to do this!" Minos shouted, as he squirmed in the Nux chains, to no effect.

He tried shouting louder to alert the guards or the old man, but it seemed the inside of the carriage was built with a special sound removing formation, sealing all the noise inside.

With another flick of her hand, the tightly wrapped up Minos gently flew towards her, allowing her to embrace him in a tight hug.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Minos said, as he kept fighting the seemingly indestructible chains.

"I'm not crazy, in fact, this is the most sane I've ever felt. Minos, do you know what it's like being a princess?" Lilia suddenly asked, but Minos naturally refused to play these games with her.

"It's lonely… Ever since I was young, I was constantly surrounded by people, but no one understood me…"

"They either lusted after my appearance, my strength, or my background, but who of them really cared about me, who really loved 'me?'"

"I have hundreds of siblings, but they all just want the throne, and honestly they'd prefer if I was dead so that was one less person to share the Aleph Empire with."

"I've got money, power, and everything a mortal could ever wish for, but at what cost? At least those mortals have families, families that actually care." Lilia said, as her eyes began to tear.

"I thought I would be lonely until I died, eventually forced into a political marriage with a person I didn't love, that was, until I met you."

"Your eyes were pure, and your soul was the same. For the first time, I met a man who didn't seem to care about my appearance, and just liked me for who I truly was." 

"Not to mention that man was like my soulmate! Sharing all my hobbies and passions, with a heart filled with kindness and empathy, willing to teach me everything at no price."

"I truly love you Minos. I love the way you gently take my hands and guide me, I love the way you laugh and how you always have a gentle smile on your face, I love your sense of humor and how caring you are. I love you!" Lilia said, as her hug on Minos tightened even more.

"But I don't love you, so stop this!" Minos said, still trying to convince her.

"It's okay, familiarity breeds love, so as long as we spend more time together, you'll love me eventually." Lilia said with a laugh, though it sounded incredibly twisted in Minos's ears.

"Look, the old man outside will realize something eventually, and by then, I don't think I need to say what will happen to me." Minos responded.

"Hmm…" Lilia hummed, as if thinking over his words.

"You're right, you can't stay here forever… How about this, you leave and meet up with me later at a more discrete location." Lilia said.

"Great, sounds like a plan." Minos said excitedly, knowing damn well he was never coming back once he ran.

"Don't get to excited Minos, you don't really think I'm stupid enough to just let you leave as is, do you?" Lilia replied with a soft giggle.

"This'll sting for a bit, but it's worth it for love." Lilia said, as she pricked her finger before squeezing out a drop of golden blood.

Lifting her thumb above Minos's head, she allowed the blood to drop onto his forehead, causing his skin to sizzle as if water were meeting fire.

He couldn't help but squirm and grit his teeth in pain as the blood melted into his forehead, fusing with his flesh.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Minos shouted in anger, his patience having long since reached its limit.

"Nothing big, just a special technique of our Aleph Royal Family. To avoid people from killing us wantonly, we use this special blood mark that can track our killers from thousands of miles away." Lilia explained before continuing.

"Of course, you don't have to die to use this technique, so it also works as an amazing tracking method! No matter where you go now, I'll always find you." Lilia said, as she attempted to kiss Minos, missing due to his flailing head.

"Why must you make things so difficult?" Lilia sighed, as she used her Nux to wrap around Minos's head, keeping it still in place.

"Damn it!" Minos shouted, as his head went still, his body filling with a rage he had never experienced before.

Just as Lilia was pulling closer, Minos couldn't help himself anymore, directly spitting onto her face in an attempt to stop her.

"Delicious." Lilia said, as she licked Minos's spit from the side of her lip.

"You're disgusting." Minos couldn't help but say before sucking his lips into his mouth to hide them.

"What's disgusting about this? Between lovers, what can't we share?" Lilia laughed, before finally kissing Minos on his closed mouth.

After kissing Minos passionately, Lilia pulled back, her face flushed and her eyes glazed over, her heart pounding wildly.

"I've never felt so alive before. I want more." She said, as her hand went down Minos's robe, traveling to his no-no spot.

"Lilia, for heaven's sake, please stop. There are some lines you shouldn't cross, I beg you." Minos pleaded, as Lilia's hand got closer to his delicate region.

However, despite Minos's begging, Lilia ignored him, getting closer and closer to doing something unforgivable.

"Master, are you okay in there?" The old man's voice suddenly said, forcing Lilia's hand to a stop.

"I'm fine, we're just enjoying some music." Lilia said, as she deactivated the silencing formation. Minos wanted to shout out to the old man, but Lilia controlled her Nux, sealing his mouth completely.

"That's good, but I'm afraid it's getting late, so it's best if Minos came out for the night." The old man said.

"Just give us another hour." Lilia said.

Hearing the conversation, Minos couldn't help but beg the heavens to harden the old man's heart, and give him the strength needed to go against his master.

"I'm afraid that's a bit inappropriate…" The old man said, as he watched the sky completely darken.

"Who's the master here?" Lilia said firmly, not budging at all.

"You are Miss, but there are some rules even you aren't allowed to break. I'm afraid for your own sake, I'll have to go against your wishes. Please forgive me." The old man replied, also not giving in.

Realizing she couldn't win against him, Lilia could only let out a sigh, eventually giving in despite her own wishes.

"Very well, let's call it a day then. Minos, take care, and sleep well, we have much to do in the morning." Lilia giggled, releasing Minos from his Nux chains.

Breathing heavily, Minos didn't even say goodbye, just jumping out of the carriage and mounting his horse, before escaping into the woods.

Seeing Minos running, Lilia's heart couldn't help but slightly ache, but just as she wanted to go out and run after him, the old man stopped her.

"Miss, if Minos would like to leave, we should allow him." He said gently, though his attitude towards Minos was clear, and he preferred if the two were separated.