One More Day

Chapter 19: The Wrong Choice (1)

BEFORE THE SCENE:

"...What's taking her so long?" Reaper asked himself, wondering why he had even bothered asking aloud. He didn't like to speak too much in public, and he didn't know why had babbled along with that woman last night.

'Contract? Is this a new form of distracting me?'

'Why is it taking her so long... don't tell me she had abandoned...me.'

As if the realization of thunder had struck him, Reaper gritted his teeth in annoyance. He hated the Capital. He hated the Church. Now a Church's spy was making a deal with him and abandoning him. He hated betrayal. But he liked the taste of revenge.

'I'll see what's she's up to.'

In a rage, Reaper had also decided to enter the pasty shop to see the rambling going on inside.

***

***

PRESENT:

"...a dead man's style, naturally." A response shot up behind Indie. 

Goosebumps spread against her skin as she heard the drenched voice behind her. R-reaper?! What is he doing in here?! No no- he was already waiting for her outside, so she shouldn't that shocked. Indie's actual job was so calm down the shopkeeper looking at Reaper like he had seen some alien from outer space. 

"My valued customer- what do you mean?" The shopkeeper asked in a business-like manner, keeping his inquires from spilling. 

"-to kill th-" Before Reaper could talk, Indie jumped in and said: "Oh! He must be talking about the Southern-style cake!" 

The shopkeeper and Reaper stared at Indie. 

"T-this friend of mine is a guard, he fought in the riots suppressing the foul Patrician Party. Every time he thinks of the South- he thinks of the war~ and death!" Indie leads on. 

"Oh!" The shopkeeper nodded his head brightly, "I'm sorry, dear valued customer." The Shopkeeper threw a pitied look at Reaper who tried to retort. 

"That-" 

"So, what kind of cake would you like-?" Indie quickly asked Reaper before he could speak. He glared at her with his dark aura, and if his glares were like knives- she'd be dead a hundred times already.  "Oh! Do you want Chocolate tart? One slice of Chocolate tart, please!" Indie answered for him, not even giving Reaper a look.  

'He's definitely going to kill me after this.' 

"Yes, the order shall be ready in a couple of minutes, my dear valued customers." The shopkeeper walked away further into the shop while Indie and Reaper were kept waiting inside until he'd come back. 

Now it was Indie and Reaper alone in the enormous dessert shop. 

***

***

"Ha..." Reaper breathed out through his mask as a heavy murderous aura escaped him: 

"Cake is important for my healthy diet." Indie quickly intercepted him through her coughs. "All my life I was starved to death as I traveled through mountains, desert plains, abandoned countrysides, and even lush beastly forests... after traveling to the Capital did I only get a chance to eat cake!"  She lied through her breath.

'What an amazing pity story...'  

"..." Reaper didn't answer her. 

"Life was hopeless," Indie added on, putting more fuel into the fire. 

"...Life is hopeless when the person is hopeless," Reaper said as his eyes went towards the tall large window panes. 

"Life is hopeless when the person is hopeless about getting cake." 

Those words were enough to add the fuel to the fire. Reaper's glare was enough to tell her that her empty sweet words weren't enough to make up for her death. 

'Still, I have a day till my doom- though it feels like my pity story will never work if I try to gain another day...' 

"...are you mocking me?" Reaper angrily gritted through his teeth. 

'Well if I did, my head wouldn't have still be attached to my body!' 

"Seems like your men outside also want some cake~" Indie casually smiled at Reaper as she pointed at the window. 

"...don't be ridiculous, as if my loyal men want your lavish outdated pastry in the Capital-" 

"Hoho~ if not so, why are they standing in front of the Pastry Shop?" 

"Are you perhaps an idiot? They are my men, of course, they'd even follow me to the pastry shop since I am inside." 

"Are you sure that's the only reason why they are standing there?" 

"..." Reaper looked at her as if he wanted to stab her with a pitchfork. 

"...are you sure you don't want to eat some cake? I bet you don't even know how sweet it tastes, it's better than honey." 

"...Something sweet won't change my mind about killing you." 

"There are a lot of people in the world who haven't tasted the Capital's cake. I would love to share the delicacies with them." 

"...save your emotional pity story for someone else." 

WHY IS THIS GODDAMN F*CKER SO HARD!' 

***

"Dear Valued Customers~ here are the dishes you ordered." The Waiters served plates after plates on the table. Indie never had felt this hungry before after staring at the plates. But her eyes were watching Reaper, who folded his arms and was constantly glaring daggers at the chef. 

"Thank you, sir! What a wide array of cakes you have!" Indie beamed at the chef with a smile. She sat down comfortably on the chair and signaled Reaper to do the same. 

"...I must ask about the order I requested for." Reaper muttered under his breath as he stared (glared) at the dishes in front of him. 

"Hm? Your chocolate tart? It's right there-" Before the Chef could answer, Reaper cut him off with: "No, I meant the cake with your head." 

"HUH?" Indie coughed on her breath. The Chef also left a confused face. 

"...really, what a poor pastry shop. I was looking for someone to offer me a human head-" 

 Indie quickly intercepted before the situation got dire. "This poor fel-" 

"Stop," Reaper ordered as he slammed his hand on the table as he diffused a murderous, and oppressing aura to everyone in the shop. "I had enough of you." A pregnant pause was filled in with a void as Indie gulped on her breath. 

'Oh shit.' 

'Shit. Oh Shit. Oh Shit.' 

'Should I stop him-' 

 "You." Reaper pointed at the chef and flicked his index finger as if he was the one ordering people around. "Come here." 

'ShitShitShitShitShitShitShitShitShitShitShitShit' 

Everyone's eyes turned towards the confused chef and didn't take Indie's intuition to start ringing bells. 

'Ugh, this troublesome bastard!'  

***

A/N: TBH I had trouble figuring out Reaper's personality. LMAO, even authors struggle to figure out their own creations. I guess that's part of life huh? Curiosity just never ends. 

At the end of this chapter, my editor told me: "Huh... I guess she has more begging to do, huh? I wonder how many lies she can spew every chapter to convince this guy (ML). Hasn't even been a day." 

"That begging just never stops," I replied back casually. 

Editor: "..."