The Obsessive Villainess Vol. 1 ✔

24. Hollow

Chapter 24: 

Am I hollow?
I am not.
I doubt it myself sometimes but
I have a heart just like you
Although mine is a little more tired.
And very confused.

I took a sip and immediately my throat burned. I felt it in my nose and my eyes watered.

"Agh...!" I groaned and Rezel's lips twisted up at my reaction.

"What's with that face!" He laughed at me and I glared, pushing the bottle towards him.

"Oh? Let's see if you're still laughing after you try it!" He gave me an arrogant smile as he took the bottle from me and threw it back, taking a huge gulp. Then his eyes twitched and this time it was my turn to laugh at his face.

"What sort of poison is this made of?" He grimaced as he wiped his pink lips and I continued to laugh.

"No, please, do it again!" I begged him to take another sip so I could see that face again and now he glared at me. He snapped his fingers and a plate of grapes appeared on the table.

"Oooh, can you get apples too?" I reached out and popped a grape into my mouth. He raised an eyebrow at me and snapped his finger.

"Am I your fruit seller now?" He grumbled, stealing the twig of grapes from my fingers. I stuck my tongue out at him and reached for an apple, as well as another bottle.

With how strong our drinks were, it really didn't take us too long to...

I giggled from my place on the floor, where I was laying. Rezel was grumbling about his colleagues from on the couch. I, too, let off some steam.

"Then that red-haired woman, she used to be so quiet but she talks so much these days! I can't ever win against her!"

"You're just weak," Rezel grinned at me as he took another sip. "Should I give you a stone to help?"

I clicked my tongue and shook my head. "She's too nice for me to do anything like that. Hmph, I knew I never liked red."

This made him gasp for some reason and he looked at me in surprise. "You don't like red?"

I scrunched up my nose and shook my head. There were too many reasons not to like that colour. "It's scary."

Rezel stood up from the couch. "That won't do, storyteller. You can't hate red."

I sat up as well and looked at him in confusion. "Why not?"

"You just can't."

"What's with this guy," I squinted my eyes at him. We got back to chattering about random things until I said I wanted music, and he jumped off the couch.

"Let's go out!" We decided excitedly and he snapped his fingers to have me dressed in commoner's clothes. I looked at myself excitedly in the mirror. He too changed from his fancy yukata into a white ruffle shirt with a low neckline and beige pants. Then he held out his hand for me to hold but I shook my head. "Wait."

I pointed to my hair. "Can you get me a wig? I can't be recognized by anyone."

He raised his eyebrows incredulously. "A wig? When I can just do this?" He snapped his fingers and I felt a little breeze. When I looked back into the mirror, I had beautiful hair as red as blood.

"As expected of Rezel..." I murmured as I felt my locks between my fingers. They looked foreign but still felt the same. Then I looked at him with my nose scrunched up. "But why red?" I whined.

He just shrugged, a lazy smirk slowly forming on his lips.

"You absolutely cannot hate the colour red. I'll make sure of it."