The Mysterious Black Magician

Once again, he had to say no. But since they only wanted to tag along, he couldn't shoo them away.

He pondered for a second before nodding. "Okay…"

Well, the more people also meant more people could protect Rea. Also, Almina was very reliable. Moreover, he had something he wanted to talk about with Bob.

After he nodded, Almina showed a bright smile. But actually, she was curious about Bob's words recently. About the so-called friend of Yman. She then moved closer to Yman.

Kesha sighed.. Her best friend was beyond help. Even if she urged her not to bother herself with him, she wouldn't listen to her. She still could not believe that she was into this man, Yman. Kesha still felt sorry for Kiko after Almina rejected him, but she could not dictate her best friend's decision. Especially regarding personal feelings. Also, it might be her chance to become closer to Kiko.

She still felt Kiko was far better than Yman. 

Rea and Yana blinked their eyes upon seeing Yman with more people with him.

They knew who they were. These people were also participants in the competition.

But why was he with them? Does this man forget about her situation? Or, he just wanted to be with that girl, who was standing so close to him?! Rea thought with a twitching brow as she stared at Almina before sending a sharp glance at Yman.

Yana, on the other hand, thinks they looked familiar. 

They were the people who came to visit their hotel room when her brother traveled to a faraway place. And right, they were also the people who came to visit the hospital yesterday. But those times, mostly she wasn't looking straight in their eyes as she was self-conscious because of her situation. So most of the time, she was staring down while shyly replying to their questions about her brother.

Yman felt the cold yet sharp stare towards him. And it was coming from Rea. A bead of sweat was taking shape at the back of his head. He wondered if he did something wrong.

"Brother, are they your friends?" Yana asked excitedly. She never thought her brother had so many friends.

Yman didn't know how to answer her. Well, he could probably consider Bob, Chloe, and maybe Almina too as friends. But the rest was still unconfirmed.

Honestly, he had no idea why they came along as well. Especially this girl named Kesha. This girl seemed to have had natural-born hate towards him. This unkind feeling she was sending towards him was kind of bothering. He could say it, or rather, he could sense it.

Actually, he tried to refuse them for tagging along, but Almina, with puppy eyes, asked him if Kesha and the others could tag along as well. He tried to reject, but. He remembered a saying stating that an enemy was more dangerous when they were away because they could plot behind your back.

So it is better to keep them close. So that you can check every time they attempt something bad.

Well, it wasn't the actual quote but it was something along those lines.

On the contrary, the blonde was hard to perceive. That's why he didn't want to become so presumptuous in claiming they are friends. He had no understanding of how she saw him. And it still puzzled him that she came along. Perhaps it was because of Almina. And yes, there was an occasion that they fought together in a mission, so it wasn't new to him to have her come along.

But the main reason that he agreed to them to come along was because of Almina.

Yman shrugged his shoulders in reply to Yana's question.

"Woah! Bruh, I never thought your sister was so pretty!" Bob suddenly exclaimed. It was the first time Bob saw Yana in a close quarter and well-dressed and also, looking upright. Even Almina and the rest were as surprised as him. They were nodding their heads in agreement with Bob's words.

"Eh?" Yman uttered as he was looking at Bob warily.

The next second, "Damn! Get your dirty eyes away from my sister!" Yman yelled in devilish eyes before sending a chop.

"!!"

Thud!

"Awww!"

"...", Almina and the rest were startled. But soon they laughed.

Bob cried out in pain when a hand-chop landed on his head. Out of reflex, he rubbed his steaming head.

"Hahaha! Bro, you're so mean to your friend," Yana giggled as she wiped the tears in the corner of her eyes. It was the first time she saw her brother act like that. She never thought her brother was like that around his friends.

Almina and the others were awestruck with glimmering eyes as they stared at the cutesy of Yana as she giggled.

Amina's party members wondered why this person had a very angelic sister! Even Kesha thought so.

Unbelievable!

Wait, maybe he kidnapped her and raised her to become his sister. Almina's party members thought suspiciously at Yman.

Regardless, who is the other person on Yana's side? Also, the person looked suspicious in that get-up. A long cloak that covered the figure entirely.

Rea sighed and thought, 'Now, what's the purpose of hiding in this get-up? This guy was so reckless!' She decided to reveal. She already had enough in hiding inside this cloak.

Rea deliberately lifted the hood. With slow-mo effect, all of their eyes were on her. Even Almina was looking with great concern. After all, she didn't forget Bob's words a while ago. It was about Yman having together with a girl, which Yman claimed as his friend.

Everyone gasped after Rea lifted the hood on her head. Revealing her porcelain beauty, with jade-like skin and shoulder-length snow-white hair. A pair of beautiful eyes and an angelic face.

Yman fell silent and stared at her with a gaping mouth. He wondered what she was trying to do. But he had a gist. She wanted to reveal her face. Perhaps Yman also felt Rea had enough of hiding under the hood. He didn't show it outside, but he was concerned about her.

It was also one of the reasons he agreed to Almina's group to come along.

"....."

Everyone fell silent.

Rea blinked her eyes beautifully.

Right, she's no other than Merea Ella! A princess with the beauty befitting of two countries she represented.

Now commoners, kneel! Rea thought. But soon, she noticed their weird reactions.

"A big mole on her nose?" Said one of Almina's party members.

"Eh?" A question mark floated above Rea's head.

"Rashes all over her face?" Another one added.

"Wha--!"

"Super thick eyebrows?"

"No way!" Rea exclaimed worriedly. She frowned, then hastily touched her face.

Most of them were staring at her with a condescending look while Almina and some were looking at her with pity in their eyes.

Ah! She didn't like it! Please, anyone but not this girl! She didn't like the idea that Almina was looking at her with pity. 

However, upon touching her face, Rea could only touch her smooth skin. She hurriedly produced a mirror from her spatial ring.

Rea sighed in relief.

She was even more beautiful now! What are these people talking about? She thought. There's no mole, rashes, or thick eyebrows.

But then she took a glimpse of Yman who was looking away while whistling.

SUSPICIOUS! Rea exclaimed inwardly. And sent a devilish glare at Yman.

However, she felt a warm tug on her shoulder.

It was from Almina!

Then Rea saw her mouth open in slow motion. 

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

(0…0)

She felt an arrow hit her straight in the heart. Though Almina didn't mean bad with her words. But it was different for Rea.

It was an outright message that she was ugly!

Rea's eyes turned white. Her knees lost strength and she fell to the ground. She hugged her knees in defeat while tears flowed like rivers from her eyes. Her hand was writing a death message on the ground.

In Yman's mind, 'It was for her safety.'

*Whistle!*

*Whistle!*