NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 136 - Failed Surprise.
A while ago.
"Your turn to watch from the sidelines."
That was all Alex said before he left her on her own.
'Why did I fall for such a fella anyway?' Sighed Zahara, shaking her head, but contrary to her words, a soft smile tugged at her lips.
'There's no going back now.' She smiled, looking at him mixing into the crowd. 'I have fallen too deep already.'
Her mind drifted back to the time she saw him first.
'He was... unique,' she thought as she recalled what he said right after he entered the council hall.
"Damn, what's up with those old-fashioned names?" —His exact words.
He didn't like how the council worked. She was a newly joined member at that time, just like him, so unlike the seniors at that time—ones who saw him as an annoying join—she found him interesting.
'I still regret challenging him, though,' lamented Zahara, as she reached the reason why their relationship degraded in the first place.
Being the demihuman she was, Zahara had challenged Alex to a fight for dominance. She wanted him as a mate.
'Hah... I can't believe that I really did it.' She felt embarrassed now, recalling how she had challenged him in front of every other council member, saying she would claim him as her mate.
That fight destroyed everything—her confidence, pride, and relationship with Alex.
She was new to the world outside of her kingdom. She didn't know how people would react to their traditions; who would have thought the cultural difference was so big?
It was true that no one pointed at others' cultures or made fun of them in the academy as it wasn't allowed, but that didn't mean people would be fine with others forcing their culture on them.
Alex was still good to her, as he hadn't humiliated her, but she started to distance himself from her. Only then did she realize her mistake, but it was already too late.
'All's well that ends well, I guess.' Zahara shook her head with that thought, waving off the old things.
Those were bad moments, but also the moments that led to this situation. She would always cherish those bittersweet memories.
'Hm?' She noticed people parting, making space for someone on the stage like they did for her and Alex, wondering what was happening before she saw it.
It was him. It was Alex. And he had a lady—one whose beauty couldn't be hidden by the disguise—emanating a cold aura along with him.
'Who's she?' Wondered Zahara. She knew about Mira and Sophie; among them, Sophie couldn't leave the dream world, and it wasn't Mira.
'Was there someone else he didn't tell me about?' She tilted her head in confusion. 'That doesn't seem right.'
Zahara knew that Alex wasn't that type of guy. That left only one possibility.
'A relative—ah...' She realized who it was the moment she thought of relatives.
'So, that's Vanessa Drakathor, Alex's mother and the strongest human in history,' mused Zahara, nodding as she could now notice how measured her movements were.
Soon, they got down the stage, melting into the crowd, yet before everyone could recover from the last performance, Alex went up again, this time with another lady—most probably just as enchanting as Vanessa.
'Hah...' Zahara sighed again. Not even bothering to guess who it was. She just kept watching as he went on stage repeatedly. She was invited more times as well.
Alex would pop up from time to time and ask for a dance, and each time he somehow came up with new ways to pick her up. Yet she couldn't help but wonder who the others were.
Zahara saw him going up with someone she thought was Mira, and then with someone she felt she was familiar with but not sure who it was.
'Am I going to get more competitors?' Her expression hardened at that thought.
She was sure that with Alex's looks, it wouldn't be strange for him to bring more girls, each strong and dependent. And she was completely fine with that.
Zahara was raised with the thought that strong men can have as many women as they can take care of. But there was something she had learned—without being taught—and it was that she needed to fight for everything.
She knew that if she wanted to be his first choice, she needed to earn it. She ought to make him fall for her hard just like she fell for him; only then would she get closer to the first rank—which was occupied by Sophie as of now.
For Zahara, Sophie was like a boss monster in the dungeon that she needed to defeat.
Her eyes searched for Alex, frowning as she found herself unable to catch him when he moved into the crowd. He was using his stealth ability—Zahara knew it.
He seemed so strong compared to her, but she knew the reality. She knew that she was weak, and so was Alex. They weren't weak according to their age. They were monsters when compared to people of their age, but that didn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things.
In the end, she just sighed, knowing that thinking about it wouldn't do her any good.
She was a part of Alex's dream world now, and she knew how broken this system was. With its help, they just needed time, and she was sure they would be living happily.
'Sophie,' she called for her new sister, the manager of the system or maybe the system herself—she never understood that part.
[Zahara?]
Sophie's voice echoed in Zahara's head, probably confused about this sudden call.
'I'm planning a surprise for Alex,' she revealed, and knowing that she had Sophie's interest, she told her about her plan while also moving toward Alex's chamber.
'I will be going into one of the guest rooms, wearing a dress I just bought yesterday—a dark red bikini set—and waiting for him there.' Her thoughts turned low, and with some embarrassment, she expressed, 'I heard human guys like things like this.'
[That's a nice idea, Zahara. I will do all I can to help you.]
Sophie's reply came, making Zahra chuckle. She somehow felt thankful that Sophie wasn't some black-bellied woman, and actually, a woman that Zahara felt that she could learn from, at least when it came to love-related matters.
'I am planning to give him my first as a present,' Zahara smiled, her heels hitting the polished floor of the silent corridor as she made her way to Alex's room. Read latest stories on empire
[I am sure he would love it.] Sophie's voice sounded genuinely happy for both Alex and Zahara before she murmured, [And he needs it...]
Zahara, however, failed to hear the last words. 'Hm? What was that?' She asked, but Sophie just shook her head.
[It's nothing. I hope you enjoy your time.] She giggled, not wanting to tell Zahara everything that was going on.
Sophie didn't want another person to have their mind weighed by all of these things—not when that person was determined to experience one of the most important moments of her womanhood.
[The third room to the left.] Sophie spoke as she found Zahara staring at the rooms in front of her.
The poor girl knew where the rooms were but wasn't sure which one was a guest room.
'Thanks, Sophie,' Zahara smiled, opening the door with a click.
[No need to thank me, just... don't get disturbed no matter what you hear for a while, okay?]
Sophie's words confused her a bit, but she nodded her head.
She entered the room and changed into the bikini, draped over by a coat, and waited patiently in the room, only to hear a ground-shaking boom.
She sprung out of the bed, calling out to Sophie.
'Sophie. What's going on? Is Alex safe? I'm coming over in a second.'
She didn't even wait for the answer and hurriedly put on her clothes, ready to move to the ballroom, only to be stopped by Sophie.
[I told you not to get disturbed, right?] Sophie's sigh was heard, making Zahara frown.
'How can I not get disturbed when I can feel the whole castle shaking—' Zahara moved toward the door, wanting to go to Alex, but Sophie, with a sigh, then revealed Alex's plan to Zahara—every bit of it.
Sophie didn't want Zahara's surprise for Alex to get destroyed after all...
'So... this was all part of Alex's plan?' Zahara, after hearing everything from Sophie, along with the second blast that shook the castle again, just stood rooted in her spot.
Zahara sighed, sinking back into the bed. 'So, I don't need to worry?' She questioned, though her worry didn't lessen.
[Yes, just wait here.]
Hearing those words, Zahara nodded, but before long, she changed her plan.
'Sophie, I'm going to his room. I will surprise him there.' She told Sophie her renewed plan.
'When I'm ready, I will ask you to make it seem like I'm in danger,' she explained as her heels hit the ground, the clicking sound echoing through the silent corridor.
[Oh! So, you want him to hurry to you, huh?] Sophie was quick to catch on to Zahara's plan.
The girl wanted Alex to come up here in a hurry, only to be surprised by the view he would see.
'Hehe, yes.' Zahara nodded, her fingers clenching around the knob of Alex's room's door, opening it with a soft click.
'The surprise element would be elevated—' She giggled, but before she could complete her words, she froze, unable to move as she found herself standing atop a magic circle.
'—huh?' That was all she could think before a bright light enveloped her and she vanished.
Sophie blinked, unable to make out what happened. She was looking at things from Zahara's eyes, so the moment that bright light flashed, her vision blacked out as well.
She tried calling for the Simharian princess. [Zahara?]
She called again and again.
[Zahara, answer me.]
But no matter what she tried, no response came. It was then that the magic circle that Zahara had seen a moment before everything blacked out flashed in her head.
'N-No way...' She realized what had happened, panic gripping her heart, making it hard for her to think of something.
She could hear Alex calling out to her, but she kept fiddling around, unable to come up with the right words.
But she knew that there was no choice; delaying would only make things worse, so she decided to respond to Alex, trying to sound calm, but she just couldn't.
[A-Alex! Z-Zahara, she... she fell for a trap!]
That was all she said, but unlike what Zahara had told her to do, this one wasn't a fake alarm. Things really did go in the wrong direction.
Sophie couldn't even think straight; she just hoped Alex could come up with something.