Shadow Monarch: Heroines Could Hear My Thoughts?!

Chapter 50- I Love That Side Of You Too

After hugging for a while the two finally released each other. The problem they had with each other was mainly solved and now they could finally focus on the other matter that was equally if not even more important.

"What did you do to him, Rin?"

"I…I guess I overdid it?" He scratched his head with an awkward laugh.

"I really don\'t care about what happened but I can\'t stop worrying about the fact that you could face a cruel punishment for what you did. Beating up the crown prince is an unforgivable sin for the royal family."

"I don\'t really care that much. I don\'t regret doing it one bit. Besides, I can rely on Elise to help me clear my name."

\'That woman again. Why does it always end up linked to her somehow? It feels as if she was meant to always stay by Rin\'s side\' Gritting her teeth, Aria tried to keep calm.

Then, she approached the crown prince and hit him in the face with a few rough slaps. She wanted him to wake up before they do anything. Maybe if they spoke with him, they can reach an agreement or something.

After a few moments, the blonde boy finally opened his eyes and stared dazedly at the space in front of him. His eyes were unfocused at first but then regained their clarity.

"Your highness…" Aria called for him coldly.

"Huh? W-What…Where am I?" He asked.

Then, his eyes fell on Rin, and then, as if struck by lightning, he jumped in his place as he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"S-Stay…Stay away from me you monster!! Help!!! Help me! Anyone. This monster will kill me!!!"

*Swish*

Rin quickly slapped him on the face and said coldly.

"Shut up. You\'re annoying. Don\'t scream like that when Aria is talking to you."

"Hahaha!!! No!! Please, don\'t do that again?! Anything but that darkness!! I can\'t go back there."

\'He\'s completely traumatized. Damn, I didn\'t expect covering his eyes with a shadow would be that painful."

[It\'s something that defies the laws of this world, host. The shadows weren\'t supposed to ever engulf someone\'s vision so his body had an unnatural reaction toward it. Besides, you are very sadistic, host.]

\'Me? Sadistic? Come on, I\'m like the nicest and kindest person I have ever met. You can\'t accuse me of such degeneracy!\'

[Say that to the person that grinned when he saw the crown prince squirming like a dead fish a few minutes ago.]

\'I grinned? What? I really don\'t recall doing such a thing. I was very angry so I don\'t recall what I did except for what happened to Arthur.\'

[Well, it is what it is, host. I pity who will warm your bed in the future.]

\'S-Shut up! I will always treat my woman with care and affection. Except if she wanted to play like that then I might compromise for her sake. Let me make this clear, I am NOT a sadist at all and will never be one.\'

[And other lies you tell yourself.]

\'What did you say?!\'

[Nothing, host. You are imagining things.]

"Rin, he is totally out of it? What did you really do?" Aria asked as she eyed the prince with a complicated gaze.

He had crawled to a corner and started shaking violently as he covered his face. He looked like a scared mouse that was on the verge of losing it. The fear he had at that moment of the boy named Rin was unimaginable. His eyes were still in great pain just from recalling that inhuman torture.

"Let\'s not divulge into details now. I will try to calm him down for now before the others discover this."

Then, Rin crouched and said to Arthur in the calmest tone possible.

"Listen here, Arthur. What happened here will stay here. You must not tell anyone about it or you know what will happen. I will make you go through pain even worse than what you experienced before. You got it?"

"Yes!! Yes!! Please, just no more! I…" Tears trickled down his face as he prostrated himself in front of Rin as if he was worshipping him.

"Sigh, I don\'t know what to say anymore." Aria shook her head with a sigh.

"Ok, the problem is solved. Get inside, your highness." Rin clapped his hand and kicked the prince back on his legs. Then, he pushed him toward the door.

"Act normal as if nothing happened. Oh, and drag those two with you."

"I-I understand."

In a matter of moments, Arthur gathered his two friends and they left the balcony.

"It\'s about time we get inside too," Rin said.

However, much to his surprise, Aria didn\'t look at him and instead was gazing at the moon on the horizon.

"I want to stay here for a while. Will you accompany me?"

"I don\'t mind. But, is everything ok? Are you still mad because of what happened? I\'m sure ever-"

"It\'s not that, Rin." Aria sighed.

"I understand that you don\'t want to explain what made the prince act like that. But, I\'m just worried. Worried that your powers might start changing you. Ever since that accident at the church happened, I feel like something is affecting you from the inside. It\'s as if you are fighting something that wants to take control over you."

"Hahaha! It\'s not really the case. Look, I\'m as normal as ev-"

"You know, this is the first time you have ever hit another human being. As I said, I don\'t care about that since you did it for my sake and I\'m really grateful for it. But, I fear that the Rin that I care for might vanish one day. I\'m… I\'m terrified that you might just leave me alone and leave."

"..."

"Our lives are really precious, Rin. This world is extremely dangerous and filled with the unknown. What you have seen until now is nothing compared to what hides in the darkness. Things that are… truly and utterly malicious. People that could easily manipulate millions and even billions of humans just for the sake of their twisted goals. I don\'t want you to fall into the hands of one of these disasters."

"... I know."

"Then…"

"It\'s true that my own powers are trying to manipulate me. You know, when I fought the demon inside the D-Rank dungeon a few days ago. I had a conversation with the same entity that tried to control me on the day of the awakening. It told me many things and tried to change the way I think and act. It tried to change me as a whole. But, I completely refused it. The thought of making the people I care for suffer because of mere power isn\'t what I want. Besides, I do all of this for your sake and also for everyone else\'s sake. I can\'t bear seeing you guys get mistreated at all."

"But, it can end up harming you."

"We already had this conversation before, Aria. You can\'t change my mind now. That entity couldn\'t and nor could you. I have set my mind on protecting the people I care for. I don\'t want to lose anything ever again… nothing."

In his eyes, Aria could see the sheer determination that he had. However, there was something else that she saw hidden deep inside. It was a hint of sadness and regret… A lingering feeling that she could barely notice.

\'What… kind of things did he go through before to have that expression on his face? What did you live through in your old life, Rin?\' Aria thought in her head.

As much as she wanted to ask him that question, she couldn\'t do that. Her mouth couldn\'t move to speak those words at all.

"Anyway, let\'s not make this atmosphere gloomy. Hahaha! I can assure you that the Rin you know will never disappear. I\'m still me and I will always be me. Nothing will ever change that. I already promised you that and I will promise you again and again and again until you are satisfied."

"I\'m sorry. I was just being a worrywart for no reason." Aria pouted and tried to avert her gaze from him.

Rin smiled at her cute attitude and pulled her into a hug. He then enjoyed her beautiful smell before he whispered.

"I love that side of you too."

"W-W-What?!" She asked with a furious blush.

"I mean it. So, keep that side of you intact for when I need it."

Pulling out his tongue and winking at her mischievously, he started walking away before opening the door and entering the hall again.

"Haaah! What was that…" Aria fell to the ground as she breathed heavily.

Her heart has never beat this loudly before in her life. She could barely hold herself from grinning widely like an idiot.

"Attacking my heart like that… You are too much, Rin. But, I would gladly hear you repeating those words, again and again, a hundred… no, a million times more."

(A//N: Fluff chapter along with character development. You can say the first 50 chapters focused on Aria. Now, it\'s time to focus on Elise since she didn\'t have much time. Do tell me if you don\'t like warm chapters like these or if they are good enough.)

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