Both had slept for too long; their conversation in reality had taken more time than they thought. Selene drifted off on the sofa, imagining different kinds of scenarios, while Milan woke at 1 a.m. He walked into the living room and saw her—gracefully sleeping on the sofa with elegance, her posture the most appealing, though her clothes had slipped into a slightly inappropriate manner.
Milan shook his head. This girl… I can't predict what's going on in her mind. He walked towards the bathroom, stood there, opened the door, then closed it again.
Just a brief moment later, Selene lifted her head slightly, her gaze drifting toward the bathroom door. And there he was—leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. Their eyes met. Both of them chuckled hard at the same time. Selene, caught off guard, couldn't hold back her laughter.
"So, what were you doing just now? Care to explain?" Milan said gently.
"I just… confused, would you take advantag—"
"Enough lies, Selene. Should I describe how you slept, and in which manner?" His tone lifted, sharp.
Selene puffed her cheeks and mumbled, "I was just sleeping. I don't know what you're sayi—"
"Selene…"
"How can you be this kind? Do you want me—a woman—to confess that I'm doing all sorts of elegant poses just to capture your heart? Every woman does it, but their dumb husbands would not force them to confess this!" Selene frowned, pouted, and threw a little tantrum.
"Selene, listen to me. I know these kinds of hot-blooded things happen when you're in your prime. But listen: you should never trust a man. Never, ever. Not any man. As for love, it will disappear when you don't see my face… or just imagine that I don't have a beautiful face." Milan's voice turned serious, faint sorrow flickering within it.
Selene stood up and hugged him tightly, grinning. "I don't know why, but you always seem in pain. If possible, please share it with me. As for what you said about love—" she looked up at him, their faces just inches apart, her eyes pure and overflowing with sincerity—"please don't say anything about my love. I don't have any proof to show you how I suddenly grew this fond of you, how I completely changed." Her tone softened, tinged with sadness. "Maybe because I fell for you in such a short time, you thought I fell for your appearance. Yes, indeed, it played a huge role in my love—but this is not the foundation of it. I don't even know how I fell for you. Since childhood, I have always been like this. I don't know how to lie—especially to someone I love this deeply."
She ended with a playful and appealing grin, her eyes telling a story that could pose a challenge to anyone who met her gaze.
Milan flinched again, unable to restrain himself. By instinct, he moved forward to kiss her. He leaned down slightly, while Selene stood on her toes to bridge the gap between their heights. Slowly, the distance between them closed, breaths mingling, lips brushing with quickened breaths—waiting for who would make the first move.
At the last second, Milan came to his senses. Still unable to resist, he kissed her forehead instead, holding her head gently with both hands.
Selene was disappointed but accepted what he did, taking the first step in her heart. Yet sorrow shimmered in her eyes.
Milan, still holding her head, watched her smile with grace, eyes closed. "You're too dangerous, Selene. Let's not talk about someone even I can't stand—or resist."
"Do you think anyone can kiss me?" she chuckled with wide eyes, pressing her chin against his chest.
Milan shook his head and folded his arms around her, gently accepting her. Selene, shocked for a brief moment, then overflowed with happiness, tightening her grip on him.
Milan cupped her head again and lifted it slightly. Her eyes squished shut, her face appearing fairy-like. "You can conquer any man in this world, Selene. But you chose me, and I'm grateful for that. Despite our ways and fates being connected, my path is filled with hate, thorns, and hardships. You may discover me to be inhuman. I may not be able to love you fully. I will hide many things from you—like about someone I once loved—but I will tell you when the time comes. Tell me… do you think you can still follow me?" His words, buried for so long, finally found release. He felt lighter.
Selene smiled. "I can't prove this, but you will see for yourself," she said with a serious tone.
Milan's expression darkened. His eyes turned inhuman, merciless. "One last question. Our lives depend on this—it will be your one-way ticket. Please leave me right now. Because once I start loving you, your life will no longer belong to you. You can take mine as well. I am a psychopath, a maniac, or an idiot—whatever you call me. If someone stares at you, I will kill them. If you stare at anyone, I will kill them as well. When there is no one left, you can only see me, I may be strict, even harsh. If you can't stay, then leave right now. You can already feel this much—I've already started to claim you. But above all, I swear: until my last breath, no one—no one—will ever touch even a strand of your hair."
A flicker of doubt struck his heart. Did I scare her? Did I say too much? Would she leave?
But Selene answered by stepping forward, placing both hands on his face, rubbing his cheek with her thumbs. "Milan, oh my dear… do you think by frightening me, by making that scary face, you can make me back off? Huh!" Her gaze softened. "I just can't explain how I became like this. Maybe you have the answer, but I will wait until you're ready to tell me. You don't have to think about anything. I'm here, and I'll be here forever with you. Let's not talk about anything else."
She grabbed his hand with both of hers and placed it on her neck. "Even if you strangle me to death, I would not question you. Just seeing you one last time, dying by your hand, is enough for me."
And before Milan could react, she quickly kissed his lips.
Milan flushed crimson, embarrassed and shaken. "Now you've really made your life hard. You signed a no-return pass. You don't even have permission to die. Please stop this cuteness of yours—otherwise, I will really eat you." He held her tightly.
A silence fell—so deep that even the air seemed to think twice before interrupting them. They stared into each other's eyes, melting, becoming one.
Growl…
The silence broke—by hunger. Both chuckled, embarrassed.
Milan sighed. "We have ready-to-eat cup noodles. Do you like it? I'll take you out tomorrow for something delicious."
"Anything will do. I'm hungry. Anything served by you, or eaten with you, is enough." She smiled.
"Do you want me to eat you? Don't trust men—you don't know the beast we hide inside—"
Selene interrupted, grinning. "Then you haven't met too many women in your life. Or even if you did, you don't know them well. Women are as possessive as wolves, and as aggressive as beasts." She shaped his hand into a paw playfully.
Milan pinched her nose. "Then show me the beast inside you." He flicked her forehead.
They sat at the dining table. Milan brought out the cooked cup noodles, placed them on the table, and sat down to eat. Selene sat opposite him, eating as well. Milan stopped mid-bite, staring at her.
Selene tilted her head. "What, hmm?"
"Sit here," Milan said, gesturing for her to sit beside him.
She mocked, "Women should preserve themselves, otherwise their man will get bored of them immediately," her tone taunting.
"I already said—you lost your right and sold yourself to me. And my right sold to you." He grinned mischievously. In an instant, his golden and silver eyes glowed darkly. Selene gasped as her body floated in the air. Shocked, she flinched, but she couldn't move—only widen her eyes at him. He levitated her to his side, setting her beside him, his hand resting on her shoulder with a grin.
Her face was utterly shocked, noodles still dangling from her mouth. She gave Milan a death stare.