"Didn't I tell you to stay away from him?"
I turned towards my brother with a gaze, who clearly deserves it for going against my orders. Although I shouldn't be even thinking like this, as after all, he can go against my orders, but still, he should have waited.
"Rose, I've talked to him. He won't be doing anything against us."
"Not doing anything against us. Of course, he won't. Does it look like he is in the state to do anything? "Brother, you can't make me change my ideals...just yet. Neither can he.
This tied-up narcissist bafoon in front of me.
"I'm sorry."
He apologized.
For what?
I stared at him for a moment, almost surprised that the words had come from him at all. I had no intention of letting anything slide, so the apology changed nothing.
Perhaps he was guilty. No, he should be guilty. After everything he had done to me, there was plenty for him to be sorry about.
Still, I hadn't expected an apology from him in the first place.
And even if I had, that single sorry meant nothing compared to what he had been about to do.
I turned toward Uncle Joe, making my decision clear.
"Take him back. I want him out of my sight."
Uncle looked toward Logan, but before he could say anything, Brother spoke.
"Rose, wait. At least hear him out."
I glanced at my brother. "There's nothing to hear."
"You don't even know what he has to say."
"I know enough."
He sighed as his expression became more serious.
"Please, Rose. For me."
That stopped me. Of course he had to use that.
I looked at him for a few seconds before finally looking away. I didn't want to argue with him, especially when he was still recovering. But I also wasn't going to sit here and listen to Logan justify himself.
"Our district will attend this year's council meeting," I said firmly. "Whatever needs to be said can be said there. Everything will be cleared in front of everyone."
I turned back toward Uncle.
"Now, please. Take him away."
My eyes briefly landed on Logan.
"I don't want to hear another word from him right now."
I signaled Uncle to take him back, but before Uncle could move, Brother stepped forward and positioned himself between them.
Logan glanced at him, then at me, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"This place gives me peak sibling energy."
He did not just say that... Of all the things he could have said, he chose that?
He had come here to kill my brother. He had nearly done it. He had stood there with a dagger in his hand, ready to finish him, and now he was making comments about our sibling relationship as if this were some ordinary family gathering.
Is killing really that easy for him?
Can he not understand what it does to people like us?
People who have spent years living with the constant fear that their very existence could become a reason for someone to come after them. People who learned to hide, to isolate themselves, to keep their heads down because being noticed could be dangerous.
I wanted to ask him if he had ever thought about that.
But before I could say anything, Brother spoke again.
"Rose, if we attend that meeting, you'll also have to answer for what you've been doing."
I turned toward him.
What have I been doing? What exactly have I been doing?
Keeping us alive?
Protecting our district?
Making sure no one else had to live through what we had?
What was so wrong about that?
My chest tightened.
I couldn't accept this.
It wasn't easy.
No, it had never been easy.
And it never would be.
I had been made the ruler, hadn't I?
I had taken his place. I had carried his name. I had carried the district with it. Every decision, every threat, every mistake had eventually found its way back to me.
So what was I supposed to have done differently?
I looked at Brother, trying to understand what he was accusing me of.
"What do you mean, what I've been doing?" My voice came out sharper than I intended. "What have I done wrong?"
My brother held my gaze.
"You know what I mean."
I stared at him. Of course. That answer.
The one answer that somehow made everything worse.
"I don't," I said quietly. "So tell me."
He didn't immediately respond.
And somehow, that silence hurt more than the accusation.
"I've prepared myself for that. For the meeting."
Brother stared at me.
"You're not listening to me, Rose. This isn't some ordinary council meeting where you walk in, explain yourself, and walk out. You could be sentenced to life in prison."
He paused.
"Or they could kill you."
"They won't."
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"How?"
"Because I've already thought about it."
Brother looked frustrated, but I wasn't going to change my mind just because the possibilities sounded frightening when spoken aloud. I had already considered them all. Prison. Execution. Losing my district. Losing my freedom.
None of them were exactly new fears.
"Look," he said, lowering his voice. "Forget the meeting for now. We can solve this problem right here. Just think about it."
I remained silent.
What? Why?
He glanced toward Logan before continuing.
"He's going to be the next ruler of District 1. That means we might finally have a chance to settle things with District 1 once and for all." He paused, then continued, "And we can use him to expose what his father has been doing."
I looked at Logan. For once, I didn't immediately dismiss the idea.
If Brother had thought this through, then maybe it wasn't as terrible as it sounded.
Logan had already made it clear that he hated his father. Not ordinary dislike. Not the kind of anger that fades after an argument. He had spoken about him as though he had spent years wanting to break free from his control.
But how much hatred did someone have to carry to actually stand against their own father?
I couldn't understand it. Family was complicated enough without adding power, politics, and an entire district to the equation.
I looked back at Brother.
"You really think he would stand against his own father?"
Brother didn't answer immediately.
My eyes returned to Logan.
Because if he really meant what he had said all this time, then perhaps this was the one thing we could use.
But trusting him? That was another matter entirely.
I had already seen what Logan was capable of. And now I was supposed to believe that the same man could become the reason District 1 finally stopped coming after us?
That sounded almost too convenient.
Almost.
Maybe... a change of plans.
I looked toward Uncle.
"Uncle, what about the prisoners?"
"They're still in prison," he answered. "All of them are conscious now."
My shoulders relaxed slightly. At least they are alive.
"How are they being treated?"
"Well enough."
I nodded, but that wasn't enough information for me. I needed to know that no one was being tortured, threatened, or treated as though they had already been condemned, if not under my command.
I turned my attention back to Logan.
Maybe there was another way to handle this. I walked toward him until I was close enough that he had no choice but to hear me clearly.
"What guarantee do you have that you'll actually become the next ruler of District 1?"
Logan didn't hesitate.
"Father has no choice but to make me ruler. My brothers don't stand a chance against me."
I frowned.
"That doesn't reassure me at all."
He gave me a small, almost careless smile.
"I was joking."
I stared at him. He really still had the courage to joke around with me.
"Then explain."
"I made a deal with him," Logan said. His expression became more serious. "If he tries to back out of it, I'll blackmail him."
"Blackmail?"
"Yes."
"I don't want to hear the details...but you're certain that will work?"
"I wouldn't have made the deal otherwise."
I studied his face, trying to determine whether he was being serious this time.
There was something unsettling about how calmly he spoke about his own father. He had already challenged him once, and now he was talking about controlling him with the confidence of someone who had been planning this for a long time.
I didn't need to know the details. Not yet.
"I don't care what you have to do," I said firmly. "I don't care what you say or what methods you use. I want you to become the ruler of District 1."
His eyes settled on mine.
There was a brief silence.
Then his expression softened into that irritating confidence of his.
"I'll be one for you."
I stared at him.
Why did he have to say it like that?
I wasn't asking him to become ruler for me. I was asking him to become ruler because District 1 needed someone who could actually stop this once and for all.
At least, that was what I was telling myself.
"Do whatever you can to become that damn ruler. Or else, remember that I have your people. I'm being an angel right now, so don't make me turn into the devil."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Is that a threat?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
I held his gaze for a moment.
"I'm just a little curious."
There was something I wanted to know. I already had an idea of what his answer might be, but hearing it directly from him would be better.
I folded my arms carefully, ignoring the discomfort from my injuries.
"Why is your father so silent?"
Logan said nothing.
"This should be a pretty big issue, don't you think? His oldest son is sitting in our custody. Shouldn't he be taking some kind of action by now?"
A laugh escaped him.
"Hahaha."
There wasn't even a hint of amusement in it. If anything, the sound made the situation feel even more serious.
"He's my father," Logan said simply. "That's why he's silent."
I stared at him.
That was all?
I didn't need the details anymore. Somehow, that answer made everything painfully clear.
What a mighty father.
I turned my back on him and looked toward my brother.
"Jackson is leaving. Ask him if he needs anything before he goes."
Brother looked at Logan, then back at me.
"What about him? What are you planning to do with him?"
"Nothing."
I paused.
"Maybe I'll put him through a polygraph."
Rosen frowned.
"You don't trust him?"
"Not an inch."
"Rose..."
"Bro, just go. Jackson will be leaving any moment."
He looked like he wanted to argue but eventually gave up. Once he left the room, I turned toward Uncle.
"Get a ride prepared for him. I want him out of here now."
Uncle looked toward the window.
"At this time?"
"What's wrong with the time?" I asked. "The general isn't scared of the dark."
I glanced at Logan. "Or are you?"
He didn't answer.
"You have one week," I added. "One week to become the damn ruler."
Logan's expression shifted slightly.
"You're still angry."
Who said I wouldn't be?
"Shouldn't I be?" I asked. "You almost killed him."
"I wouldn't have done any of that if you had told me everything about him. And about yourself."
"It doesn't matter." I stepped closer. "I'll say the same thing again: you are my enemy. So yes, one can expect an enemy to do things like that."
I narrowed my eyes.
"So, technically, it isn't your fault."
I paused.
"But that doesn't mean I have to forgive or forget what you did. Now shut up."
I had been in this room for almost half an hour, giving orders and making threats while wearing nothing but shorts. My upper body was almost completely covered in bandages, so there wasn't exactly much of me left to expose.
Still, when I finally looked down at myself, embarrassment crept in.
Wonderful.
I had just spent the last thirty minutes intimidating a general while dressed like this.
"Rachel?"
"Yes, Master?"
"Please get me some clothes. I need to change."
Before Rachel could respond, Logan spoke.
"You look fabulous like that. Why the need to change?"
I slowly turned my head toward him.
"You were told to shut your mouth, pervert."
Rachel disappeared almost immediately.
To her credit, she returned in what felt like seconds, carrying an armful of clothes. I barely looked through them. I simply grabbed a shirt and pulled it on. It was large enough to cover almost my entire body, reaching nearly to my knees.
Good enough.
Uncle Joe eventually returned. I had been waiting for him patiently, which was becoming increasingly difficult.
"All arrangements have been made," he said.
"Good. First, get his face washed."
I glanced at Logan.
"It's only been a few hours, and he already looks like a street rat."
I almost wanted to sneak a look at him to see whether my comment had affected him.
I didn't.
I simply turned and left the room, leaving Logan with Uncle.
I changed properly in my room before heading downstairs again to see off our future ruler.
When I stepped outside, the night air was cool against my face.
A boat was waiting near the shore, and Logan was already being helped aboard.
As he settled into his seat, he looked directly at me. He stared as though he hadn't seen me before.
Well, hello. I'm the same person you nearly killed a few hours ago.
Why was I even paying attention to him?
I looked away.
"Rose."
I ignored him.
"I'll become the ruler on one condition."
I turned back despite myself.
"Yeah, as if you wouldn't want to be one anyway. But I think I should remind you that you don't have much of a choice. Now make yourself comfortable and leave."
"At least listen."
I need to ask myself again why I keep giving this man my attention.
Logan smiled.
"When I become the ruler, I want you to invite me here for a party."
I stared at him.
A party? Here?
He wanted to party at my place? Why?
Partying with your enemies generally doesn't end well. I don't have any personal experience with it, thankfully, but books don't lie.
Why am I even thinking...like this? He almost killed my brother... Why am I taking this lightly?
I sighed internally. Calm down...it's not going to happen again...right?
Should I remind him that a few hours ago, we were trying to kill each other?
Definitely.
But was anyone interested in my opinion?
Apparently not.
Brother had already agreed to it.
I gave him the most unimpressed stare I could manage, but it was too late.
The boat began moving away from the shore.
Logan watched me for another moment before lifting two fingers to his lips and blowing a kiss in my direction.
I turned my face away immediately.
Ignore. Completely ignore.
Absolutely not acknowledged.
Pervert.
____________________________________________________________________________________
It had been only a day since he left, and now I was already receiving news that he had become the new ruler of District 1. And here I was, thinking he would probably ask for more time.
Apparently, I had underestimated him.
He had completed what I asked of him in only three days.
I was impressed. A little reluctantly, but still.
I was sitting in the meeting room with Brother, using what felt like every remaining brain cell I possessed to explain a few things to him when Rachel suddenly came barging through the door, her face almost completely red.
"Master... Oh, I mean, Madam... I mean..." She looked between the two of us, clearly struggling to decide what she was supposed to call me. "Both of you. Master Logan of District 1 is here. He also brought a guest with him."
What?
He even dared to bring someone here.
But that wasn't the important part.
The important question was...
Why the hell is he here?
Then it occurred to me.
Of course.
He was here to take his people back.
What a good ruler.
Brother and I immediately went outside.
Well, Brother went to greet them.
I stayed a little farther behind, keeping myself almost completely out of sight. There was no reason for me to stand beside him.
Then I saw Logan.
For the first time, he wasn't wearing that military uniform.
And, unfortunately, he looked even better without it.
Ugh. Why am I noticing this?
Quit thinking about it, Rose.
You're becoming shameless day by day. He was dressed properly, looking every bit like a ruler now. Beside him stood his brother, Mason, who was equally well-dressed.
Brother, as usual, looked perfectly put together.
And then there was me.
I looked down at myself.
A loose shirt hung from my thin frame, practically swallowing me whole, paired with my usual manly trousers.
I sighed.
Even Rachel probably knew how to dress better than me.
Standing in front of all three of them, I was fairly certain I was the only one who looked like I had wandered in from the streets.
Wonderful. I noticed something else.
Logan hadn't brought his big-mouthed brother.
Well. Good riddance.
I finally stepped forward, deciding there was no point in hiding anymore.
"What brings you here, General?"
His mouth curved into a smile.
"Didn't I say I'd come here to party once I became the ruler of District 1?"
He paused, looking far too pleased with himself.
"And please, quit calling me General."
"Whatever."
I folded my arms.
"You're here to take your people back, I assume."
I glanced at him directly.
"But let me warn you, they don't seem to miss their district at all."
Logan raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so?"
"Yes," I smiled innocently. "They've been treated very well here."
A pause.
"Almost too well, actually."
I watched his expression, already expecting whatever ridiculous comment was about to come out of his mouth.
____________________________________________________________________________________
At the dining table, Brother was sitting in the middle, with me on his right and Logan on his left.
Which, under normal circumstances, might have been a perfectly reasonable arrangement.
Except Logan had apparently decided that dinner was the perfect time to wage a very small and very irritating war under the table.
He kept kicking my leg.
Once. Twice. Then again.
I ignored him.
Another kick.
Seriously?
I looked at him from the corner of my eye. He was eating as calmly as if he hadn't been repeatedly attacking my legs beneath the table.
Fine.
I had had enough.
I would kick him so hard that he would remember all his ancestors.
I waited for the perfect moment.
Kick.
"Ouch!"
I immediately froze.
Oops. That did not sound like Logan.
I looked toward Mason, who was sitting across from me.
I had kicked the wrong person.
"I'm sorry!" I said quickly. "I didn't mean to hit you. He's been kicking me, so I was just trying to return it. Sorry."
Mason stared at me for a second.
"Oh."
He glanced at Logan, then back at me.
"Hmm. It's okay."
I pressed my lips together to keep myself from laughing.
Hehehe.
Brother, however, was not amused.
"Rose. Very bad. He's a guest here."
"Well, this guest should learn how to behave." I pointed directly at Logan. "He started it."
Logan looked entirely too pleased with himself. Before I could defend my honor any further, my phone began ringing.
Saved by the bell.
I reached for it, wondering who had just rescued this general from me.
I glanced at the screen.
"Oh. Bro, it's Jackson."
Rosen immediately looked up. "Put it on speaker."
I looked at the two guests.
"What about them?"
I pointed toward Logan and Mason.
Rosen gave me a look.
"Just do it."
I sighed and answered.
"Hello?"
"Hellooo, Roseee!"
I winced.
"Why is your brother not picking up my calls? Tell him, what's the point of ignoring me? I've called him more than ten times!"
"His phone has some problems," I said. "It's on speaker, though, so he can hear you."
There was a brief silence. Then Jackson's dramatic voice came through the phone.
"Rosen and Rose, I'm disappointed in both of you."
Brother looked at me. I looked at Brother.
Here we go.
"You still haven't consoled me," Jackson continued. "Ever since I returned your people, neither of you called me. Is this how you repay me?"
"Don't start being sulky," I said.
Rosen sighed.
"We're sorry. We've just been a little busy. Rose has started explaining the district matters I need to know. Almost everything about our district and the others."
"About the other districts?"
Jackson's tone immediately changed.
"Well, then you'll need to look into that carefully. Especially District 1."
I glanced toward Logan.
He was eating peacefully.
Too peacefully.
"Rose will probably have a lot to tell you about them," Jackson continued. "Everything bad that happened to your district is related to that district after all. Poor Rose might get her throat dry explaining all of it."
"Yeah," I said solemnly. "You're right. My poor throat."
Brother suddenly coughed.
Hard.
I looked at him.
Was that a cough?
Or a warning?
Rosen cleared his throat.
"Jackson, Logan, and his brother Mason are here with us for dinner."
Silence.
I could practically hear Jackson processing that information.
Brother had basically handed him a very obvious hint to shut up. A hint that could not possibly have been clearer.
Unfortunately, Jackson had never been particularly good at taking hints.
"Really? You called them over for dinner?"
His voice sounded almost impressed.
"That general might not have come after what Rose did to him."
I closed my eyes.
Here we go.
"But if he did come, then he's brazen. You know what I mean, Rose? Next-level brazen. If I were in his place, firstly, I'm glad I'm not, but if I were, by my own terrible luck, then I would've... "
"You would have what, Jackson?" Logan's voice cut through the room.
Dead silence.
Absolutely nothing came from the other end of the phone.
I stared at Logan.
Then at the phone.
Then back at Logan.
I couldn't control it.
HAHAHAHA! I covered my mouth, but it was already too late.
Jackson had walked directly into the trap himself.
Jackson, I salute your bravery.
But I was not about to guarantee your safety the next time you actually met this man face-to-face.
____________________________________________________________________________________
I headed out onto the lawn after finally ending that stupid call with Jackson. I needed some fresh air, and there was no better place for it than here.
I've always loved the night.
Whenever I got the chance to enjoy it, I came outside and usually ended up lying right on the grass, staring up at the sky. There was a time when I was actually afraid to do that. Back then, lying outside with nothing above me but the open sky made me feel exposed.
Now, somehow, it gives me the opposite feeling.
Freedom.
I closed my eyes and let the cool air settle over me.
For a while, everything was quiet. Too quiet.
Why do I feel like someone is watching me?
I opened my eyes.
A pair of black eyes was staring down at me... This is the second time he's pulled this stunt on me.
I jolted upright.
Logan.
He had settled on my left, so I turned my head slightly to the right, putting a little distance between us.
Then I noticed something else.
What a sight.
Mason Hawk was staring at Rachel with the most obvious pair of Lovey-dovey eyes I had ever seen. Well, anyone who saw Rachel for the first time would probably understand. She was one hell of a beauty.
Poor guy. Rachel wasn't exactly easy to get.
I watched them for a moment before realizing I had drifted completely into my own thoughts.
Rose. I reminded myself that Logan was sitting right beside me.
The same Logan who had nearly killed my brother and me.
The same Logan who had somehow become the ruler of District One in three days. And yet here he was, sitting silently beside me as though this were perfectly normal.
He hadn't said a single word.
Which meant, unfortunately, that I had to be the one to break the silence.
I cleared my throat.
"So..." I glanced at him briefly. "Any idea when they're going to call us back?"
"Where, and call who?"
"Jackson and I. We're going back for training." I shrugged.
"Jackson has to head back there next week." He straightened his legs, making himself more comfortable than he already was.
"What about me, then?"
"No need for you to go there."
"Why?"
"Because I said so. No one has the audacity to ask about you regarding this issue."
Well, this was good news for me.
I turned back to the topic I had just noticed.
"Your brother's into Rachel."
"Oh, yeah! She's pretty."
He never said that to me. Has he? That was what I noticed.
Am I not pretty?
Quit it, shameless Rose.
Why did such a thought even cross my mind?
I quickly got up, hoping to escape my own ridiculous thoughts, but Logan caught my hand and pulled me back down beside him.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm thinking of helping your brother."
"He doesn't need help with things like that."
"There shouldn't be any problem with me helping him persuade a girl." I still tried to let myself get off with this man's company.
"You're going to help him persuade a girl?"
"Hmm. What's wrong with that?"
"You're going to help him, but what about me? I'm also here to persuade someone."
"Oh, really?"
"I'm not kidding."
"Okay. I'll help, as long as it's not me."
"You know what I was going to say."
"What?"
"You're willing to help him, but what about me? I've been after you for a long time."
"Who's after me?"
"Don't play dumb with me."
"I'm a bit different, remember? And I haven't liked you ever since you gave me that little 'treat' regarding my brother. Ring any bells?"
Logan's expression shifted.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know he was your brother. It's your fault. If you had told me that earlier, I wouldn't have gone that far."
What? Excuse me...
"So now you're going to save yourself by saying you did all that out of jealousy? Sorry, I don't buy that shit."
"You know that wasn't just shit."
"I know. I just don't care." I pulled my hand away from his.
"You don't know how much that cheap act of yours made me hate you. So don't expect anything from my side."
And with that, I got up and walked away.
____________________________________________________________________________________
LOGAN
I know you know.
There was something almost irritatingly confident in the way she said it, as if she already knew exactly how this conversation would end.
"I'll propose to you at the upcoming District Council meeting," I said, my voice with my familiar confidence. "And then I'll see how you're going to reject me."
Her face remained neutral, which I have to say bothered me.
"You won't even be able to raise your head in front of everyone after I reject you. And I'll do it publicly, as Rose Nightingale."
Her expression shifted into something between amusement and disbelief.
"You're that daring?" I felt a bit amused; I don't know why.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Rose
"Of course I am." I crossed my arms, feeling quite satisfied with my answer.
"I'm not even going there. Brother will be attending the meeting. So, bye-bye to your proposal."
That should have settled it. At least, it should have.
Logan merely hummed. 'Hmm. Time will tell.'
I glanced at him again.
There was something about that expression that I didn't like.
He wasn't arguing.
He wasn't trying to convince me. He simply looked far too certain that things would go his way.
I narrowed my eyes.
"What?"
He smiled. "Ha-ha. Willing or not, it doesn't matter."
I stared at him for a moment.
What kind of answer is that?
My confidence suddenly felt a little less solid.
I folded my arms tighter and looked away.
This man really does enjoy making me nervous.
And somehow, the fact that he sounded so certain made me wonder what exactly he had planned for that council meeting.
"It doesn't matter, Rose."