Volume One: Chapter Nine - For You, a Little Scheme

The gentle night breeze softly brushed through the treetops, causing the leaves to whisper! The June evening wind still carried a hint of chill.

Glancing at the beautiful figure beside him, Alex took out a coat he had prepared earlier and draped it over the woman's shoulders. Grace, feeling the sudden warmth, was slightly stunned but then wrapped herself in the large beige coat. From past experience, she knew that not listening would only bring trouble to herself.

Alex looked at the woman wearing his coat with satisfaction, his eyes filled with amusement at her compliance, but his teasing words still slipped from his seductive lips.

"Oh, Miss Grace, finally taking care of your own health? I thought—"

"What did I ever do to you?" Grace glared angrily at the persistent man. She couldn't understand her bad luck, longing for her peaceful life.

Ever since two years ago, when the Emperor took over, this annoying man had the audacity to request that the Emperor give him her unwanted vacation time (a vacation she didn't need, giving it to those who did wasn't a problem for her). But he used this vacation to pester her every day, constantly disrupting her routine.

Grace had grown up in an orphanage, unlike other children like her who lived happily despite the unchanged environment. She was a cold, proud child with an IQ of 200, often shunned by others, even treated as a freak by the orphanage teachers.

At the age of seven, she was selected to join the Underworld. Perhaps the memories of the orphanage were too terrifying, so her delicate smile became a mask she wore when interacting with others. Yet, among her fellow "freaks," she was so normal, working hard at everything just to maintain a quiet life.

"You didn't do anything to me, not at all," Alex thought but didn't dare say aloud, "I just want to tease you!"

Seeing Grace's unguarded genuine emotions and the flames of anger in her eyes, Alex's smile deepened with a mixture of indescribable excitement.

Grace wrapped herself in the warmth, thinking how, as an elite of the Underworld, she had undergone so much rigorous training, feared nothing but two things: one was the Emperor, and the other was the cold. She didn't notice the strange glint in the man's eyes beside her.

"Why do you keep following me like a ghost?" She shot a quick, angry glance at the handsome man beside her, continuing in a low voice.

"I should be at home organizing the materials the master requested, not blowing in the night wind on this mountain. If I can't complete the task, you should know what kind of punishment I'll face!"

"Uh—, as the master's personal guard, of course I know."

"Then why—" Why don't you hurry and take me back?

Alex interrupted her, waving the limited-edition luxury watch on his wrist in front of her eyes.

"But it's just before eight-thirty now. I think finding those materials and arranging them properly shouldn't take you more than half an hour, Miss Grace," Alex glanced at her aggrieved expression.

"Isn't my intention clear enough, Grace?"

Grace stared at him for a few seconds, his bright, sincere eyes unwavering. Her face quickly turned red, her thoughts scattering. Realizing her own lapse, she hurriedly lowered her head in confusion.

'Is it clear enough?' she silently asked herself. She knew he treated her differently, but she wasn't prepared to let anyone into her life!

"Whether it's clear or not, I know what kind of life I want. I hope you understand my thoughts."

"I understand, what should I understand? A life of loneliness?" Alex was almost driven mad. Couldn't she see how good he was to her? Was she sent by heaven to punish him for his past flings? This slow woman! "A life of nothing but work? Is that it?"

"You know it is, don't you? That's the life I want. My daily goal, my only concern, is to do everything I can to complete the tasks assigned by the master. I don't want anything to distract me," Grace glared at the man shouting at her. What right did he have to yell at her?

Alex thought if a mental hospital could treat nerves damaged by love, he would be the first to sign up and throw this disturbing feeling far away, never to return.

"Sigh—" He knew he had to accept his fate and make this woman who was tormenting him accept it too. "Human beings are born with emotions. You are human, not a god. So you have the ability to love and the desire to be loved."

He looked up at the rustling treetops. "Grace, you can't deny that the real you, facing me, is the true you, full of emotions. I hope to see your true self. We both know that disguises don't bring happiness."

"I understand and admit that I am very real in front of you. At those times, I feel relaxed and free," Grace's thoughts were already in disarray, responding instinctively. "But I don't think that's liking, let alone love. Besides, love is too vague a concept for many people. Even if it's recognized as love, do you think everyone would accept it? Love not only represents happiness but also means pain. How could a proud heart allow itself to become a fool?"

"Proud heart? I think the proudest heart in this world belongs to the Emperor! And he, too, might become the fool you speak of in the face of love. It's not a matter of permission, it's a destiny you can't escape."

Seeing the confusion in Grace's eyes, he decided to take a gamble on his feelings. "I know you won't easily believe. So, why don't we make a bet? Give me, and yourself, a chance."

"A chance for you and me?"

"Yes, a chance for both of us! I believe as an elite of the Underworld, you wouldn't fear a small bet, would you?" Seeing her still dazed state, he pressed on, "Of course, if you say you're scared, we can pretend I never mentioned the bet. Although I would be somewhat disappointed, I promise with my love for you that I won't let a third person know, so as not to damage the Underworld's reputation."

"Who—who needs your lousy promise? I'm not afraid. It's just a bet. Say the terms!" As soon as she spoke, Grace regretted it, wanting to bite off her tongue. She knew it was a trick, so why did she always fall for it? She wouldn't admit that it was because the person using it was this man beside her, and not someone else. It must be his mocking tone that made her lose control. Yes! It was that damned tone. Like a drowning person grabbing a lifebuoy, she held on tightly.

Admiring the rich expressions on the beautiful face beside him, Alex silently prayed, 'Heaven! Please pity my love-tormented heart! Let Grace be the destined woman for the master.'