Criminal X : Epitome Of Evil

For Pablo, no one does anything without a reason.

There is always a motive hidden somewhere. No one does things like: smiling warmly after someone laughed their ass off at them.

No one does things like what this elf girl Hena was doing.

She was smiling at someone who just laughed at her.

That doesn't make sense at all.

There must be some hidden agenda here.

There must be—

"Can you please stop overthinking?" Cupid's voice chimed in, breaking Pablo's thoughts.

He gazed at the Angel but said nothing.

Cupid sighed.

"How many times do I have to tell you? She loves you, Pablo. In love, this is normal. The laugh of your loved one is precious. And if your loved one is laughing because of you, then that is a happiness of its own kind. Hena is feeling the same thing. She can't help but smile seeing you laugh.

Hell, even I was surprised to see you laugh like that. That was the first time I have seen you laugh. Hena must have felt she did something very hard and she is smiling because she saw something as rare as you laughing and because of her, at that. This is normal, Pablo. This is love."

Cupid explained like a big sister and Pablo didn't ignore her this time.

He listened to her.

His understanding returned as well as he remembered that Hena was his slave, she couldn't even act towards betraying him even if she wanted to.

That's why, he finally let it go.

"Alright, stop smiling. Save it for the future when I want to lure an enemy somewhere. Now, get lost." Pablo ordered in his usual manner.

Hena nodded and stopped smiling as well.

"Yes. I am leaving. But I want to say something."

"What now?"

Hena played with the button of her uniform.

"I know you have some job regarding my friends standing behind you, but I just want you to promise me that you would keep… them safe."

Pablo's eyes darkened.

"What did you say?" He said, his voice colder than winters in the southern kingdom.

Hena felt it too and she squeezed her shoulders. Words didn't form in her mind but she tried her best to speak.

"Keep them safe. Please." She whispered, not looking at Pablo at all.

But Pablo's eyes pierced her very soul.

"Hear this loud and clear, bitch."

Hena flinched. She recognised this manner.

It was the same manner which Pablo displayed to Sera when she happened to overhear him.

Cupid recognised it too and she knew it was serious when Pablo uses bitch while talking.

Pablo paid no mind to Hena's fear as he carried on.

"You have no right over me to ask for my promise. Even the Gods had to give me something in return to make me promise them. I don't give a fuck if they are you friends or shit. I would do what I want and if I had to promise their safety, I would promise it to them. Not to you. And for future, get this shit inside your head,"

Pablo paused and spoke clearly to make sure Hena heard his every word.

"You have no control over me. You have no right over me. Not you, not Sera, not flashy, not Draxus, not Gods. Just because I talk with you, I tolerate you, I smile at you, doesn't mean I care for you. Hear this once and for all…"

Pablo paused once more and finished saying…

"I won't bat an eye if I had to kill you in cold blood."

Those last words fell on Hena's ears like molted iron as a shiver ran down on her spine.

Pablo had shown her that he cared for his slaves and he might still do but she knew what irked him.

The man couldn't handle her asking to make a promise. She overestimated herself. She acted like a friend, like Pablo owed her something.

Of course, she loves him. Of course he would protect her but only if she stayed in her bounds. If she tried to get on his nerves, if she tried to test her luck, then Pablo would kill her because he can go back on his words but he can't allow someone to pass his boundaries.

"I.. I understa-and."

She meekly nodded, her voice didn't even come out of her throat but she tried her best to speak. She didn't want to make Pablo more angry by staying silent like a terrified cat.

"Now get lost." Pablo ordered.

She nodded once again and ran with her non-existent tail between her legs.

Like that, she finally left the ground.

Now only Pablo and the eight slaves were on ground 2 and with a heavy and deep breath, Pablo turned around to face the eight underage slaves.

And when he saw them, their reaction was within his expectations.

All the eight slaves had their heads down below and Pablo saw their slightly shivering legs and hands.

All of them stood close to each other, their shoulders joined like magnets.

'They are scared. Of course they are. They never heard me shout like that. And they never saw my true self too. Hah! What a pain.'

Pablo sat on one knee and kept a safe distance from the slaves to make them comfortable.

"Hey." He said, his voice soft.

But the slaves flinched.

'They have suffered so much in their lives and yet they are scared of just my voice? I am not that scary.'

"You just talked about killing one of their friends in cold blood." Cupid gave a recap.

Pablo sighed. 'Believe me, it's best if Hena doesn't get too attached to them.'

Cupid frowned. "What do you mean? Do you still not believe in friends?"

Pablo shook his head.

He didn't answer her and focused back on his eight slaves.

"Everyone, I am not a bad person."

"Pfftt.." Cupid spat out a laugh.

Pablo ignored her.

"You all might be thinking how can I say all that to Hena. She is your friend and all. But I didn't say those things to your friend. I said those things simply…"

Pablo's voice turned solemn as he tried to make the slaves understand.

"To A Hopeless Romantic Girl."