Chapter 24: Chapter 24

I tap my fingers on the table as I watch her work in the kitchen. It looks like she is super aware of my piercing eyes.

"Do you... have any special dishes I can do for you?" She asks, looking nervous.

I shake my head. "No, just make whatever you want. I'll eat it."

"Do you have any allergies?"

"No."

"What about a diet plan?"

"Not in a million years. Like I said, you can make what you want."

"Ooh." She looks down at her feet. "The thing is that I don't eat food that much so I hardly cook at home."

I take a long look at her. "You look like you eat a banquet everyday."

She makes a small sound as her face covered with a horrified look. I quickly rush to explain myself.

"It's not like I am saying that you are fat or anything because you aren't. You just look healthy, that's what I meant."

She keeps mute and goes back to her cooking while I continue to look at her. After a few minutes, her hands stop moving and she turns her head a little to glance at me at the corner of her eyes.

Is something the problem? Or am I stopping her in anyway? Maybe I am unconsciously releasing a hostile energy towards her. That could possibly be the reason that she is a bit squirmy today.

"Um, Jasmine?"

The movement is so little but I notice when she jumps in shock. Interesting...

"Yeah. How may I help you."

"Are you scared of me?"

She lets out a very nervous laugh and waves me off. "No, why would I be?"

Hmm.

"Do you have a lover?"

She blanks. "Huh?" My question caught her off guard.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I meant a boyfriend." I correct myself. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

She shakes her head vigorously. "No, no, no. Wh- why did you a-ask that?"

"I'm just wondering why you are squirming so much, that's all." I close my eyes and lean back on the chair. "The first time I met you, you were really laid back but now, you are a different person all together."

My eyes are closed but my ears picks up the sound of her feet moving closer.

"I could say the same thing about you. You've changed a lot. Is it because of Sir Nathan? Is this how mates change each other?"

This makes me open my eyes to see her in front of me.

"And you sound like him now. I'm ignoring that question." I say. "Can you help me find a job? At least something I can do for the time being."

Something that can help me get my mind off that nut job.

"You could help me out in some things. I'm sure you'll do well." She smiles and adds in a wink.

Her smile gives me a bit reassurance. If I earn money then I can probably seal Nathan in a package and ship him off to an erupting volcano. He'll roast so badly but I'm sure that he'll be fine, right?

When Jasmine said 'you could help me out in some things' I thought it would be simple as ABC but when I put the uniform on I begin to sulk in regret.

"You didn't tell me that it was a café." I groan. "Wasn't it a clothing store you had? Or did you trade it?"

"That's just one of my few shops." She tells me. "I have people who take care of them but sometimes I like to do it myself."

"How many are they?"

She giggles. "Just nineteen."

"Nineteen?" I blink.

I think she has no clue what a 'few' shops really means. That number is enough to leave me wondering what happens in her brain.

"Like I said, a few shops." She turns her back to me and tends to the customer in front of her.

"I bet those few shops are gigantic."

"Maybe..." I watch her shoulder move as she shrugs.

Soon, it's my break time and I settle down to eat in the staff's room. Not before long, the door opens and a few girls move walk into the room. They catch my attention for a few seconds before I look away.

I don't think I have ever served this much people in a day before. The work I did in the castle was different from this one.

Lost in my reminiscence, I didn't notice the figures standing before me until one of them bangs on the table.

My tray falls off the table immediately and I stop eating.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I ask, not looking up.

"Why are you here." The table rattles as the same person bangs on the table again. "You clearly don't belong here."

Just my lucky day, I have enemies on my first day of work. I wonder what I should do now. Oh yeah, stay calm and ignore them.

"Okay. Thanks for telling me. I'm glad to know that." I bite on the small piece of hamburger left in my hands.

"Are you sick or something?" The girl bangs on the table again. The voice and figure is feminine. From the corner of my eyes, I notice that all the figures in front of me are females.

It's only females that would go through such lengths to challenge yet another female. It's no surprise at all.

Before I can take another bite from my snack, it is thrown across the room.

"Are you even listening to me?"

I stare at my dead hamburger with pitiful eyes. It would have had a far more heroic death if I ate it. Well, this won't do, hamburger. Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it, even if it is to avenge you.

The next thing I know, the table is thrown to the other side of the room. I cast a pitiful glance to the table too.

I'm afraid that I can't avenge you, dear table. Sorry but my hamburger is more important to me.

"Are you even listening to me?" The girl doesn't have anything to hit against so it takes a while for me to acknowledge her.

"My apologies but I must avenge my buddy over there." I point towards the hamburger on the ground. "Maybe an apology will suffice, don't you think?"

There are three girls standing in front of me and all of them are caked with make-up. Two of them have brown hair, except for the one at the center, her hair is dyed to the colour blue.

Blue eyes and blue hair. That's not a bad combination. If only she had a little manners.

I bite my tongue to stop myself from saying anything inappropriate to them but they surely look hideous.

The blue hair girl sneers at me. "An apology to you? I think you are out of your mind."

So blue hair here is the leader of this little group.

"Apologize or buy me a new burger." I place both of my hands on my waist and grin evilishly. "If not, you will wish that you never met me in the first place."

She scoffs. "Who do you think you are."

"I'm the one who is going to avenge the burger you just killed." I glare at her. "So you better start apologizing or you'll be the one whose guts are scattered on the floor." Then I slowly point at each of them. "All of you."

Her minions probably notice the change of the air around us and they grab her hands, trying to drag her back.

"Hey, we better start going, something feels off about this girl."

"She's right." The other girl agrees. "I don't think we should trouble her anymore. Just apologize and let's get out of here."

Blue hair drags her arms away from the other two before she walks over to me and grabs my collar. Her eyes burns with rage as she glares at me.

"You think you are better than us, huh? You're nothing but a stupid a-"

I grab her jaw before she can say anything.

"So you are a human. For a second there, I thought that you were challenging me because you knew who I was, I guess I was dead wrong."

I force out my claws as I tighten my hold on her jaw. Her hands leaves my collar as she whimpers with the scent of fear fills the air.

"Now, apologize to my hamburger or die."

She nods vigorously as she trembles. "I'll do anything. Anything at all."

Hmm.

I smirk.

"Anything?"

Her eyes glimmers with tears as she nods once more.

-------------

After my day at the café is over, I walk side by side with Jasmine as I chew on my new hamburger. I can feel Jasmine's gaze on me and I turn to her with a questioned look.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Just remind me not to bring you here again." She chides. "You might be accused for food poisoning or worst, attempted murder."

"Don't be ridiculous. She only ate the food off the ground and besides, she is the one who said she'd do anything." I wave her off.

She sighs besides me. "I hope Sir Nathan doesn't hear about this or I'll be his next snack."

"Don't worry, he will."

She throws a surprised look my way. "Aren't you supposed to say he won't. You're acting really weird today.

"No, I meant what I said and I'm not acting weird." I smile. "Don't you get it. If he tries to hurt you, I'll report him and then he'll go to jail for life."

She nods slowly. "Yeah. You're definitely not okay."