Chapter 30

Athena's Point of View

Arius smiled so wide when I admitted the truth to him already. He's tempting me to tell the truth and I was so dumb for giving in to his plans.

“Then I was right.”

I felt my mouth open wide by what he uttered to me. Arius really kept on pestering me, but I hated to admit that I loved the way he did. I love the way he pestered me, and that confused me even more.

“You are really so annoying, Arius!”

I uttered, which made him laugh.

“I have something to admit to you, Athena…”

My heart was beating so fast when Arius mentioned those. I didn't want to overthink, but it seemed like I already knew what he's trying to tell me.

Would Arius admit to me what he really felt? What should I do about it?

“W-what is that, Arius?”

Even though my nerves were shaking, I still did my best to ask him about what he wanted to tell me.

“About Clary…”

My brows arched from what he mentioned. I just keep on telling myself as well that whatever Arius wanted to tell me, I should prepare myself.

“She's not my girlfriend. Clary was only pretending to be my girlfriend and the truth is… Clary is the warlock; my friend.”

“Wait… I don't get it.”

It won't sink into my mind. I still couldn't believe what I heard from Arius. I was trying to digest those revelations slowly for me to understand everything, but after a couple of minutes, I already understood everything.

“Clary is the warlock? The one who copied your face before, Arius?”

Arius nodded his head in response to what I inquired about him. I could feel my mouth agape in shock because I couldn't believe that the so-called girlfriend of Arius, Clary, wasn't real. It was only the warlock friend of Arius.

But still I don't get it. Why did the warlock even do that? Why do Arius allow the warlock to pretend as his girlfriend?

“Why did you do that, Arius? I… I mean, why did you make the warlock pretend to be your girlfriend?”

I am now nervous about what would be Arius' response. I just hope that I can get an answer from him. An explanation to be exact why he hired someone to pretend to be Clary.

“It's because I like you, Athena. I am doing this because I wanted to know if you'd also felt the same as I do. I couldn't even believe that this would about to happen, Athena. I didn't expect that the time would come and I am going to like you.”

Everything that I heard from Arius' mouth seemed surreal to me. It seems like the time had stopped for a while after I heard those words. I was having difficulty digesting the words which came out from his mouth.

Arius, the demon vampire king, liked me? But why and how did that happen?

On the other hand, my heart was celebrating in happiness knowing that Arius liked me. I tried to shake my head to wash those thoughts away, but I couldn't anymore.

“You liked me?”

Arius smirked from what I queried to him. He nodded his head, which made my face flushed in embarrassment and happiness. I turned my head away to the other direction because I couldn't face him. I couldn't stare him deep into his eyes because if I did that, I would give in.

“Yes, I do, Athena. Even the day I first saw you, I know that I liked you already. I don't even understand how it happens. Everything is just too fast, Athena. I just woke up one day realizing that I needed you in my life. I couldn't live in this world without you by my side. So, please, don't push me away.”

I was listening to Arius when he explained himself to me.

“You are just maybe mistaken about what you felt toward me, Arius. I am your enemy, remember?”

“What's wrong about that, Athena? Is it wrong to like your enemy?” He queried that made me swallow my saliva in nervousness.

“I'm just worried that maybe you are just mistaken about what you really felt, Arius. I am not the right woman for you because of who I was. I am a hunter, and your kind would despise me.”

I explained, and then I was shocked when Arius laughed out of the sudden. My brows furrowed from what he does.

“Come on, Athena. I just liked you, and I didn't say I love you. I know we're heading to that already. However, let us focus on what we have felt at this moment. Don't worry about the future. You should worry when it happens already.”

I was caught off guard from being an illusionist. I was already worried about what would be the reaction of his kind when they find out about us already. We were just at the liking stage.

And yes, I admit to myself now that I also liked him. My jealousy toward the so-called Clary proves that I felt something toward Arius and even until now, I couldn't still believe that Clary was only the warlock who pretended to be her.

“Now tell me, Arius. It is your plan to make you pretend as your girlfriend to make me jealous, right?”

“Nah, it's the warlock's suggestions and because I noticed it interesting, so I agreed to his plan. However, I wasn't certain if it would work with you.”

I just laughed at his words. I don't know myself either. This is rare that I was laughing just because of a man and of all men, why the demon vampire king?

“You look so attractive when you are laughing, Athena… I just don't want to take my eyes away from you every time you're smiling or laughing. You just always caught me off guard.”

His words made my face flushed. I couldn't imagine Arius to be like this now. I don't know what pushes him to like me. I am just nobody and also his enemy.

However, I know to myself that I also liked him the way he felt for me and I wanted to admit it to Arius.

“I liked you too, Arius.”

And that made Arius jump out of happiness.