Chapter 19 June 11th, 2032 | 11 Days Remaining
Evalyn awoke to a warm feeling filling her body. She opened her eyes slightly, allowing sunlight and a golden glow to fill her vision.
"Kaze…." She asked in a groggy voice.
"Who else would you lay next to?" Kaze replied with a charming voice.
Her eyes snapped open when she felt his bare body against her skin, remembering how she fell asleep. She immediately sat up but realized that was worse. Far war worse.
Evalyn wrapped her hands around her perfectly proportioned c-cup breasts with a face flushed red to the tip of her ears. "Don't look!"
"Relax," Kaze replied charmingly, "This is but a practical arrangement. Is it not?"
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before lying down and covering herself with a pouting face. "Yes, it was."
"Then what's the problem?" He mused, "You made the choice to lay here, so why not enjoy it?"
"Enjoy it!?" Evalyn cried, turning to face him with an indignant expression.
When she did, she froze. Kaze's vibrant green eyes gazed into her soul. His expression didn't showcase lust, and his body wasn't giving her the feeling either.
"What's wrong?" Kaze laughed breathlessly, "Isn't this where you're supposed to yell at me?"
Evalyn's face scrunched up indignantly. She showcased her discontent, but she didn't turn away from him. "How can I?"
"It's quite simple, really." He replied charmingly, "Just channel your discontent and speak your mind."
She gave him a murderous gaze and then turned away again, unable to retain the expression.
"I'm not discontented. You gave me something invaluable, saved my life, and you're not pushing yourself on me." Evalyn grumbled.
"Hoh? So you do see my good points. I wondered whether you did." Kaze chuckled.
"Why do you always have to be an ass?" She asked, "I find good in you, and you ruin it. I compliment you, and you return it with mockery."
"I'm just being who I am," Kaze replied with a smile, "Surely that's more desirable than charming you and then showing my true nature, is it not?"
"Do you want to charm me?" Evalyn asked while staring at him with her crystal blue eyes.
"Of course." He confirmed with an alluring smile.
"Then why do you keep me at arm's length?" She asked softly, "As much as I hate it, I'm following you around like a lonely kitten. Do you not see that?"
Kaze's eyes glided to the left before he turned onto his back. "If you do not understand what I am, you cannot love me for who I am."
"Love?" Evalyn asked in shock, "You, the most arrogant and charming womanizer, seek such a thing of me?"
He laugh-scoffed. "Do you think I, the most [powerful], arrogant, and charming womanizer, would waste time on you otherwise?"
Her eyes filled with annoyance momentarily but snapped free of it instantly. She couldn't hide her interest in the man.
"Kaze. Kiss me." Evalyn requested softly.
"I guarantee you'll regret such an action at this time." He warned.
"I won't regret it now." She replied with a gentle voice.
Kaze laughed breathlessly, staring at the ceiling a moment before turning onto his side to meet her gaze. Their eyes connected, and a magnetic pulse entered the atmosphere.
He reached up and gently embraced her cheek and let himself pull his lips close to her.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The door groaned under the force of the fist pounding on the door.
"Kaze Lexicon! I know you're in there." Gregory yelled from the other side of the door.
Evalyn closed her eyes in irritation and indignation.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Kaze scoffed at the man's arrogance. "Don't concern yourself further with this fool."
He prepared to swipe his hand to isolate the room with a barrier.
"Don't ignore me! Evalyn's missing, and her parents are searching for her. If you don't tell us where she is, we'll have cops crawling over this place!" Gregory yelled.
Evalyn's eyes widened in shock when she remembered that their closed cultivation took 18 hours [before] they slept for an unknown amount of time.
She immediately shot out of bed, grabbed Kaze's shirt for easy wearing, and threw on her leggings.
"Gregory!" Evalyn called out, "I'm fine. So leave!"
"Are you kidding me?" Gregory laughed, "You're leaving with me right now. I'm taking you to your parents, and that scumbag will be lucky if he doesn't get kidnapping charges."
Her eyes panicked when she saw Kaze getting out of bed with closed eyes and a rising chest. She immediately acted, forcing the door open and staring at the man.
Gregory's sleeveless black shirt showed he was just as muscular a week ago. However, his blonde-tipped haircut was messy, and his blue eyes were bloodshot with wrath.
"We were in closed cultivation." Evalyn snapped in a fury, "Are you a child? I'm an adult! What I do is none of your business. If you call the cops, I'll testify that you faked the crime and tried assaulting Kaze."
The man's eyes widened in bewilderment.
"What?" Gregory laughed in disbelief, "I've only tried protecting you as I always have, yet you'd claim me a criminal to protect that scumbag."
"Claim?" Evalyn scoffed with a vicious gaze, "You tried assaulting him, and you're threatening to fake a crime; that would make you a criminal. You're borderline stalking right now, Gregory."
"Gregory." He scoffed breathlessly, "Now you won't call me Greg? What did he do to you—"
The man's eyes widened when he saw Kaze walking toward him without a shirt, and then he looked down and saw her wearing his shirt.
"Oh." Gregory chuckled in a daze, "So it's true. You have become that man's whore—"
The man grabbed his throat and dropped to his knees with a strained expression.
Evalyn held her breath when she felt the excessive pressure Kaze released from his cultivation base. She was certain she'd have fallen to her knees, too, had she not received a divine cultivation technique.
"Did you just call Evalyn a whore?" Kaze asked while falling to his haunches to look the man in the eyes. His vicious green iris' gazed into his soul. They looked like the eyes of a true demon.
"I-I…." Gregory choked as Kaze lowered his cultivation base just low enough to let him breathe.
Kaze grabbed the man by his shirt and lifted him effortlessly from the ground.
Evalyn snapped out of her daze. "Kaze! Please don't hurt him. He's just jealous, nothing more!"
"If you let people trample upon your reputation, they'll return over and over." The emperor explained coldly, "Even if they're weak, they'll return stronger over and over."
"N-No, Kaze. That may be true, but… please…. I-I… I don't want this." She whispered.
Kaze closed his eyes at the sound of her stuttering words. He released his cultivation base, allowing Gregory to gasp for breath.
"You're naive. Do you think this weak man will allow us to work without slander and false legal backlash?" The emperor scoffed, "There are consequences for being kind, Evalyn."
Her eyes trembled with a strained expression. She finally heard the imperial voice Kaze spoke during his first viral video. He didn't speak like that to her.
Now that she knew who he used to be, that voice drilled in his previous assertions of being a powerful Immortal Plane existence.
She didn't question whether he'd execute her childhood friend.
"I cannot fault you for your naivety, so I'll drop this upon your request." Kaze said while exhaling.
"However, I refuse to let anyone attack me twice without any punishment, and we don't have time to waste with police."
Evalyn's eyes widened in shock, and her heart skipped a beat. He had abdicated to her for a second time.
Kaze scoffed silently at her false interpretations. He reached into his pocket while holding the man with his left hand, pulled out his phone, and began dialing a number.
The effortlessness of the action stunned both of them.
"H-Hello, Mr. Lexicon. I'm glad that you called again." The receptionist at Phillip and Lemond said, "We were worried when you didn't return our calls the last two days."
"My apologies, Jacquline. I was in closed cultivation." Kaze replied.
"Anyway, I'm calling you because one of my attackers just left my home after threatening my life. He claimed he'd return, so I'll send you a timestamped recording if he returns.
If I send one to you, could you please add it to the evidence and contact the police for an investigation? I fear backlash from him, so I'd appreciate a discreet investigation."
Gregory's eyes widened in shock, and his eyes trembled in fear. He turned to Evalyn, but she turned away coldly. She was grateful he was still alive and understood he deserved what he was getting.
"I'll wire you more funds this afternoon for the trouble if you could do that for me." Kaze offered.
"Of course, we'll do that, but we've decided to do the case pro bono and will be prepared for the end of the semester as discussed. So don't worry about the payment." Jacquline replied.
"However, you'll have to speak with investigators at least once if you're pressing criminal charges."
Gregory couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I'm willing to assist in the investigation." Kaze replied, "Thank you for your kind consideration."
"Of course. We'll await the new evidence. I hope your day improves." She said in closing.
"I hope so too. Take care, love." He said while hanging up the phone.
The emperor turned back to Gregory with a murderous gaze. "Unlike you, I have the number one law firm in this country on my side and real, video criminal evidence against you. Case closed."
Gregory winced in fear.
"You're fucked, Gregory." Kaze said with a ruthless voice.
"However, you have a gentle friend here that cares about you. So I'll spare you from complete destruction if you play the fool on video, recreating your suicidal actions from five minutes ago.
I don't have time to play with you. So tell me, Gregory, will you dance and avoid prison or wait until the legal reapers come for you?"
"I-I'll do the video." Gregory stuttered in fear.
Kaze turned to Evalyn. "I'll spare your friend upon your request. However, I courteously ask that you testify to the investigators if this imbecile tries claiming that I threatened him into making a video."
Evalyn nodded while giving Greggory a murderous stare.
"Of course I will. This idiot showed up at your home, called me a whore, attempted to make me leave by force, and threatened to fake criminal action against you." She replied.
"Yet he's leaving without a mark on him. I'll testify to all of it."
Kaze dropped Gregory and opened the camera on his phone. "Thank you, Evalyn. Now then, monkey. Dance."