I already talked to Maxson’s and my parents about the Chen family’s refusal to sell us the land. I had to explain a lot before they finally gave up and agreed to my backup plan—which was to find another lot as close to the city center or the busiest district as possible. Maxson and I would have a harder time, but we had no other choice. If we could find one quickly, the paperwork would move faster, and we could go home sooner. But I doubt it.
Today, Maxson started scouting for empty lots while I was assigned to negotiate with the landowners. We were relying on digital phones, which had become more popular than energy stones—though I still preferred using energy stones in emergencies. At least with the phone, Maxson and I could easily communicate even when we were far apart.
"They refused." I muttered, pinning the phone between my ear and shoulder as I walked, flipping through my notebook where I’d listed the landowners’ names and lot locations.
"Alright, I’ll add more to your list. Just wait." Maxson said before hanging up.
"Not even a goodbye. Tsk." I pocketed the phone and turned a corner—only to freeze when I saw Zeid talking to a woman.
The way he looked at her was different. Like she was welcome.
Something about it felt familiar. Like I’d seen this before.
I clutched my head. Yeah, that time. At the Chen family’s party.
I forced myself to look away, but not before Zeid’s gaze met mine. I didn’t smile. I just turned and walked off.
Sometimes, memories of the past gave me headaches. And sometimes, they brought emotions I couldn’t control. This was one of those times. Leaving was the best choice. Mira’s memories are too much to handle.
I sat on a bench, leaning back with a sigh.
"Life is ridiculous."
Someone sat beside me—Eisha.
"Tired already?" she asked seriously.
I hesitated. Tired from what? Today? Or from life itself?
"Uhh..."
"By the way, I don’t know if it’s just me, but I think you know something about what happened to Mira."
"What makes you say that?"
"Mm, back when Captain Zeid and Aina were supposed to get married, you said something to the duchess and Kaito."
I frowned. I’d forgotten about that. I didn’t think she’d remember.
"Oh, that? It was nothing."
She stared at me, clearly not buying it.
"Really?"
I smiled, sitting up straight to face her. I tilted my head slightly.
"Can you think of any reason how I would know those things?"
We locked eyes before she finally sighed.
"Well, whatever it is, I think you just have too many connections."
"You can say that."
Truthfully, I didn’t even know why I was still keeping this from them. But I figured it didn’t matter anymore. The past was the past. I was Nyssa now, not Mira.
I stood, and she followed.
"So, what are your plans with Captain Zeid?" she suddenly asked, catching me off guard.
"What do you mean?"
"There’s something between you two~" She leaned in, whispering in my ear, "So many women dream of marrying him. But I think if you proposed—he’d definitely say ‘I do!’"
"Huh? Why would I propose? Shouldn’t he be the one doing that?" My tone screamed ‘Isn’t that obvious? And shouldn’t it be that way?’
She shook her head, looking disappointed.
"Duh! How are you two ever going to happen if you don’t make a move? You do the moves, girl! ‘First move’ isn’t even in Captain’s vocabulary. That’s what I know."
"No way. Besides, why would I even do that? I don’t like guys like him—grumpier than a menopausal woman. I don’t like men who don’t appreciate me. I don’t like men who ignore all my efforts, and I don’t like men who—"
I choked on my words when I noticed Zeid standing beside me. I hadn’t even realized he was there. And I had no idea how much he’d heard.
He glared at me before suddenly grabbing my wrist and dragging me away. We ended up in front of a group of women who looked… like they were ready to kill me at any second.
"Let me go!" I hissed, low enough that only he could hear. I wasn’t about to make a scene.
He ignored me and pointed at me.
"See this woman?" he announced. "She’s my wife. So I can’t entertain any of you."
Our jaws dropped. LIKE WHAT?!
Whose wife?!
"Hey—"
He cut me off by pulling out a small photo—one of us. Well, technically, it was him and Mira. But since I was Mira, it was still us. Ugh. Whatever! The point was, it was our wedding photo.
"This is proof."
He then grabbed my hand, and for some reason, I felt… happy. Because even though I wasn’t Mira anymore, he still introduced me as his. And the way he held my hand—like he never wanted to let go.
But…
Before I could protest, he wrapped an arm around my waist and steered me away. My mind was still reeling when we finally stopped.
"Don’t use me as a scapegoat. Tell them the truth." I said, annoyed.
"I did tell them the truth."
I froze. He turned to face me.
"This isn’t the time for jokes, Captain Chen."
His brows furrowed as he stepped closer.
"Then tell me the truth."
"We’re not married. That’s the truth. We’re not even friends.
"That’s not the truth I want to hear." Frustration edged his voice before he walked off.
What’s his problem now? And why is he the one mad? Who’s going to get hunted down by those women? Me! Ugh!
The truth, huh.
What did he even want me to say?