Nero - Revenge never tasted better

Chapter 7 - The 10 ways to know

Sitting there in Aiyden's makeshift "bed," I stared back at the red-haired woman who seemed to be filled with hostility and confusion. Just as I was trying to make sense of the situation, Aiyden walked back into the room and casually took a seat next to me under the blankets.

"Hey In-Jae, did you sleep well?" he greeted her nonchalantly.

"Why is this white girl here!" she retorted venomously. "I will call the others, and we will execute her just as they do to us. Make sure she does not go anywhere. Don't worry, Aiyden, I'll make things right for whatever wrong you did last night," she continued before storming out of the room.

My eyes shifted between him and the girl who seemed to be named In-Jae, trying to decipher their relationship. They appeared intimate, with her using his first name and his lack of surprise at finding her in his room. Could she be his girlfriend?

He hurriedly left the bedroom to catch up with In-Jae, attempting to reason with her. "You will do none of that!" he asserted in an authoritative tone, grabbing her arm.

With fury in her eyes, she freed herself from his grip and exclaimed, "Why not? Do you even know who she is? Because I do, and this is the perfect opportunity to strike back! I can't believe you would fraternize with her, of all the easy girls in the village to have a one-night stand with you had to go get a white girl from the upper district as well! You disgust me. But everyone makes mistakes, and as I am older, I will do my duty and I'll correct this one for you first, then we will talk about how messed up it was for you to sleep with her!"

"It wasn't a mistake, In-Jae! I know who she is, trust me. And believe it or not but she's been helping us. All the lives we've saved, all the clan's plans we've disrupted lately—it's all thanks to her. She is my contact on the inside. She's on our side. We need her. You have no idea what a mistake it would be if you go warn the others," he pleaded, his desperation evident.

After a brief hesitation, In-Jae agreed to give me a chance, but the suspicion still lingered in her gaze.

Aiyden returned to the room, closing the door behind him, and sat on the bed by my feet, holding my hand as he apologized for the chaotic situation. "I'm so sorry for this. It is not how I wanted you to meet her. It's In-Jae; she's not as open-minded as me."

Shaking off the shock that came with the realization that he had a girlfriend and I had just met her, I swiftly withdrew my hand from his grasp and retorted with arrogance and disdain, "Aiyden, I'm not one to settle for a supporting role in someone else's drama. I am the main character, not a mere side dish."

Rising from the bed, I began putting on my coat and shoes, determined to leave. Confusion etched across his face, as he tried to stop me from departing. "Wait, what?" he asked.

"I may be many things, but a mistress is not one of them," I replied firmly.

To my surprise, he burst into laughter. I couldn't fathom why he found the situation amusing. There was nothing humorous about it.

"In-Jae is not my girlfriend, you dumb ass," he clarified, still chuckling. "She's my half-sister, same mother but different fathers. Although she never knew who her father was. All she knows is that he is Asian."

"Half-sister ..." I whispered to myself, letting the realisation kick in.

As he playfully slipped the coat off my shoulders, a mischievous glimmer danced in his eyes. He couldn't resist the opportunity to tease me about my assumption.

"Oh, Nero, jealousy doesn't suit you," he chuckled, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Come now, I made breakfast."

I rolled my eyes, a mixture of embarrassment and amusement washing over me. His mocking tone only added to our banter, a testament to our unique dynamic.