Infatuation of a Merman

Chapter 20-Counting Faults

They could stare all they wanted.

I furiously wiped away the tears in a vain attempt to hide my weakness from the world. People were staring at me; the one who was crying. They were spectating the glass shell of a person who was about to shatter.

But with practiced ease, I drowned my erratic emotions in deceitful serenity and carved my frown into a precarious smile.

Feeling a fraction more alive, I looked up. Then, I nearly fell apart again.

I don't know when he had arrived, but Kiraize was standing before me. His eyes weren't trained on my sorry figure. Instead, he was glaring down at everyone within a twenty step distance from us. His hostile expression clearly told the spectators to 'move it before I make you.' However, when he looked at me, he masked his ferocity with a slightly encouraging tilt of his lips.

But at the moment, there was only one thought in my mind.

Was that silver cat-beastman your last scapegoat?

No. Kiraize wasn't a scapegoat. I never thought of him like that.

Then again, I never thought of Priscella like that either. But sometimes good intentions can lead to bad consequences. And no matter how much you try to redeem yourself, people only seem to remember your mistakes.

That was right. The best remedy for a wound was not to get hit in the first place.

Kiraize waved his hand in front of my face, knocking me out of my trance. 'Nyx?' He had written on a sheet of paper, his eyebrows furrowed in perceived worry. Deep down inside, I knew that he was probably worried about me. But I still couldn't help the quiet thought that he was really only worried about his own life.

"I'm fine." I stretched my smile further.

He continued frowning.

And I wondered if he could smell my emotions.

"Let's just," I swallowed, uneasily watching the few stragglers who had decided to stay even under the silent threat in Kiraize's gaze. "Let's go home."

Let's go back to how things should've been.

For a moment, I thought I saw something flash across his gaze. But then it was gone. And he reached over to hold onto my hand, his thumb drawing circles onto my palm. I numbly wore my smile and tugged backward. I tugged him toward a reprieve where I could hide from the judgement of strangers.

***

The anxiety gripping the back of my neck only tightened its hold upon the sight of my house. Knocking on the door, I had to double take when I saw it swing open to reveal Gabriella at the other side. She didn't usually answer the door; instead finding her time better spent on other attractions.

But there she stood, her hands on her hips and a shadow of a scowl on her face. However, when her gaze landed on me, I could swear that the edges of her lips upturned.

"Mother was looking for you," Gabriella uncharacteristically whispered, making me wonder if there was something else going on. "I'll bring you to where she is, but you'll have to wait for them to finish talking."

Grabbing onto my wrist, she pulled me along, breaking any chance I had to mull over her actions. Kiraize frowned, reaching forward as if to pull me back. But then he retracted his outstretched hand and quietly followed along.

Before we reached the kitchen, Gabriella stopped. Placing a finger to her lips, she oddly signaled for us to be quiet as she tip-toed her next few steps. Some instinct was prodding my shoulder, telling me that misfortune was about to grace itself upon me once again. But I just wanted to go to my room. So I figured the faster I got this over with, the faster I could leave.