Sensation

Chapter 22

"I have two words for you," Diane said as she chews her food.

"hwaet?" (Translation: what?) Jasper asks with his mouth full of food.

"You suck."

Diane's words made him choke on his food. She can hear him thumping on his chest and then gulping his drink. His cough made her satisfied, it was music to her ears.

Throughout all of it, Lindon never bothered. The clinks from his plate indicate that he never cared about his ridiculous story nor his cousin's choking on his food.

"One, why would I agree to all of this? If you need someone to act with you, then hire an actress. Two, Lindon won't even agree to all of it. Three, your story sucks. It has no information about  your product, business, or whatsoever." Diane continued. 

Her tirade made the poor guy sulk. She could almost see his lips pout to the floor. Almost.

Apparently, one of their businesses, a restaurant, needs an advertisement. Lindon had an idea about the story for it but it turned out to be a gory fantasy thing that it didn't even include their business and the product. Plus their restaurant already has a name so it doesn't even need an advertisement.

"D-demo--"

"--No." Lindon immediately butts in.

"...hai~" Jasper gives in. 

"And stop playing with your food." Diane scolds him further but her tone isn't as firm as his cousin.

Their display seems like a family, the parents are scolding their child. This is what Jasper is thinking. He doesn't know whether to be happy or sad because, between the two, he knows he's the latter in the story.

***

"Haven't you noticed?" Jasper asked. 

Both of them are now inside Lindon's home office. Sorting out multiple stacks of paper.

"Hmm?" Lindon said while signing important documents.

"The girl and you... both of you are like a balanced scale. She can immediately read you and knows your temperament. Isn't it odd?" 

Jasper's words made Lindon stop doing whatever he was doing. He was right. She knows him too well, she can even 'read' his mind... which only means one thing.

"But..." Lindon said.

"But?"

"I don't feel nor smell anything from her. Besides... in the beginning, she should have felt something too." 

Now both of them feel deflated. Their hope shattered once more. Time is running and they still haven't found any clue.

"I have a feeling we missed something," Jasper said as he watches Lindon continue his work.

"You think so?"

"Don't you?" Jasper retorts back the question to him, making him stop his work again.

They need to hurry up the search. Time is running and yet they haven't had any clue about her. If they'll run out of time then Lindon will go back home emptyhanded... and will be married off to instead.

That kind of situation having an arranged marriage to someone who is not your mate is not new to them but rather a last resort if ever the mate had died young before meeting them. Yet Lindon's situation is different. He is of royal lineage, they need their mate to rule.

As both cousins think about this situation involving the still recuperating girl, they sensed something in the forest. Alerting them of everything and anything that can harm them. They know that they can fight back, the setback is that there's another person in their care. This person is injured and obviously couldn't defend nor fight back.

Immediately, they run towards the forest to investigate.

***

"Argh!" 

The agonizing scream of the man fighting off four hooded wizards. They're not that far from the shield that Lindon had cast since they've started living off far away from the city. These men must've triggered the alert signal that was designated a few miles away.

Both of the cousins see exhaustion and fatigue from the injured man.

'You think he's a spy or something?' Jasper ask.

'Doesn't seem like it.'

'So you don't want to help him? He'll get killed yah know?'

'What for?'

'For humanity of course!'

'...We're not human, so that's not applicable.'

'But we're living on their land!'

'So? Does that state that we will have to go with their way of living!?'

'We already did i***t! What about the company? Or this disguise? Or our cute princess at home?! Aren't we living just like them?'

Lindon couldn't retort any longer since his cousin had made a point. They have already been living like humans so it won't make any difference.

'Fine... but you do the first move then. It's too bothersome.'

Jasper's smug smile made him want to punch his cousin until he passes out but it's not the time to do it. Focusing on the problem at hand, Lindon signals Jasper to start.

[Quaker]

Jasper casts a small tremor spell while all of them were focused on their fighting that they still haven't felt the cousins' presence. Confused, Lindon and Jasper made their move to help the injured man. Fighting off his attackers. 

In just a few seconds, all four got knocked out unconscious and got hanged via vines then lifted up from the trees surrounding them. As the two men watch the barely moving and injured man who just dropped dead on his spot, they waited for him to compose himself.

"It's better for you to finish them and discard their bodies somewhere... or else they will bark to their superiors once they'll escape." The anonymous man said.

"You won't have to worry about that," Lindon said, squatting down beside him.

"We need to ask something and then throw them out after," Jasper said, folding his arms on his chest.

"If you plan on interrogating them then it's useless."

"So you mean... we'll just interrogate you instead?" Jasper asks.

"Precisely."

A dagger got thrown and landed near the crotch of the man. He glared at the culprit who in turn shrugs.

"You better get to it then... Mr. Better-kill-them-instead." Lindon said.

"Or what? You'll kill me? Sir Grumpypants..." the man retorts, making Jasper barely fights off his laugh.

The man ignores both of them as he gathers up his strength to stand and nears the now lowered bodies of his enemies, he quickly disposed of them.

"Do you mind helping me out?" He asks them while wiping the blood off of the dagger using his clothes and then throws it back to Lindon.

"No problem... but we have to have the right to ask anything from you in return," Jasper said.

"Deal."