I woke up feeling a little light-headed the next day.

It was a holiday so I just laid on my bed, making plans on what I was going to do for the day when suddenly something flashed in my mind.

I frowned and tried to focus on the memory but everything was blurred.

And then I unconsciously touched my lips.

Did I kiss someone? What the fuck?

"Handsome reaper please appear." I said, grabbing my pinky finger.

Ajhussi appeared and I quickly asked, "What happened last night?"

He paused for a second.

"Nothing." He replied.

"Okay. Something definitely happened. Now spit it out." I said. When this guy says something, usually the opposite happens.

"Nothing happened, really." He tried.

"Did I kiss someone?" I asked dread searing into me.

"No.", he replied instantly.

I looked at him with horror-filled eyes, "Don't tell me I kissed you!?"

He paused for a second before his eyebrows furrowed and he made a disgusted face, "What the fuck!? Noo! Eww." He gagged and I sighed in relief at his honest reaction. I could never imagine kissing this old guy out of all people.

"Then who did I kiss?" I asked.

"You kissed nobody." He replied and I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I do remember kissing someone though." I said trying to focus on the memory but failing.

"Well, you could've dreamed." He reasoned.

"Hmm...that's true." I said. It could've been one of my naughty dreams..... I wonder who I kissed though. Was it a K-pop idol or an anime character? Ugh! I miss my babies!!

"Okay fine. But if I find out I did kiss someone. Consider yourself dead." I warned and he smirked, "You can't kill me, kid. I can't die. At least not yet."

I frowned, "What do you mean?"

He tapped his finger on his chin and muttered to himself, "Hmm....should I be telling you this.... Whatever, once you die and I have your soul, I'll personally erase your memory." He nodded before looking at me, "But you aren't supposed to tell anyone about this, okay?"

I nodded and he started, "See, almost all the souls have a chance to get reincarnated but not before erasing their memory about their previous life completely. But some special souls, which are very very- and I mean very- even evil than Adailia's soul are given a punishment. Collecting souls and managing them for a million years. I started a couple of centuries ago- I think. We are immortals and we keep on doing our jobs till our duration is over." He explained.

"What if you fuck up? Like when you fucked my soul up? Don't you like... Get fired?" I asked.

"No. We just have to do our job around a century more if that happens." He said.

"Do you like.... have a chance to be born as a human?" I asked. This topic is very interesting.

"Yes. Once we finish our duration as a reaper. We can be incarnated as a human." He replied.

"How much longer do you have to be reaper?" I asked and he grinned.

"Just three centuries more and then I'll be a human." He said proudly and I was shocked. He is saying three centuries like it's three days more!

"Well, good for you....but when you get incarnated as a human, be nice and try not to do shit to end up here again. You are a really shitty reaper." I said and he smirked.

"I'll try." He said before snapping his fingers and disappearing, taking my mind off of the dream completely and thinking about this reaper concept, wondering what he did to end up as a reaper.

__

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This day was supposed to be an exciting day since the first test for the ladies who will compete for the position of the Empress will be conducted today.

All the ladies were requested to gather on the school ground, which was heavily decorated since the Emperor and the Empress were visiting today with Raashid.

And I would've had better shit to think about if that one anxious thought didn't continuously invade my mind.

Two days ago, Seanna went to the market to get some magical stuff or something like that (but I had a hunch she was going to visit Raashid). But when she returned home in the evening, she was crying.

She wouldn't even talk about it or let me comfort her and told me to leave her alone.

She was fine the next day (or so she acted like she was) but I was really worried cause I never saw Seanna cry like that.

It made me wonder if she fought with Raashid.

I snapped out of my thoughts as a horn blew and then everybody bowed, me included (I acted like the rest on instincts).

"Blessings and glory upon the sun and moon of Obelia." Everybody recited.

"You may raise your head." A deep and authoritative voice came which was no doubt the Emperor's.

I raised my head and came in view an adult but old version of Raashid.

Beside him was a woman with platinum blonde hair and blood-red eyes, oozing a powerful aura.

I had to say, Raashid looked absolutely nothing like his mother, maybe except for his eyes which were a mixture of his father's indigo and mother's red (I don't know how it is even possible to mix eye colours like that).

Raashid's eyes met mine for a split second before he averted them and looked in a different direction.

Huh?

What was that?

Like, I was expecting him to give me a polite smile or something like that.

I stared at Raashid for a second longer.

His mood seems off....just like Seanna's...did they really have lover's quarrel or something like that?

"So now, I'm going to announce the participants." The emperor said. Wait! When did he start his speech?

The Emperor was asking for the list of contestants from the Principal but he seemed a bit agitated and then he whispered something in the Emperor's ear. The Emperor's eyes widened as he stated at the Principal in disbelief.

"Ladies..." The emperor said, "is it true nobody gave their names for participating in the contest?"

Say what?!?

Not a single person! What the hell is wrong with these kids? They don't want to marry such a handsome boy? Daebak*! If I were their age, I would've jumped on this opportunity as soon as I got it. Too bad, I'm old.

And what about Seanna? Why is she not participating?

Did Raashid and Seanna broke up or something?

What in the world is wrong with the plot?!

"Your Majesty, " Olivia spoke up, looking very sad and innocent, "it's not that we don't want to participate, it's just that...Lady Adailia..." She said giving me a weary look and a vein in my forehead popped.

Really?! What did I do??? And why is she acting like that?! I was plainly minding own business and she just had to point me out like that.

"Yes, your Majesty, we don't want Lady Adailia to..." Another bitch trailed off, acting all innocent.

Others joined in too.

And I was two centimetres away from flipping my shit.

"Lady Adailia, what is the problem?" The emperor asked, his cold demeanour spreading.

Ugh!! I don't want to speak to this scary man!

"There's no problem, your majesty. It's just that the Ladies are misinterpreting." I said calmly.

"Is that so? Then, you shall have no problem if ladies participated freely, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, your majesty, in fact..." I said, another perfect plan forming in my brain to save the plotline and my sinking ship, "I think every single lady should participate."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow in surprise and I continued, "It would be time-consuming if we again wait for the ladies to give their names. Besides, there are some influential people other than me who can prevent worthy contestants from participating because of their desire to be at the top," I said glancing at Olivia with fake weary eyes (take that bitch! Hah!), "I think the lady who shall rule this empire in near future should not be eliminated because of someone with a higher status. Everyone should get a fair chance." I finished.

The emperor looked thoughtful before he began discussing things with the Empress and the Principal.

I caught Raashid staring at me with weird eyes and when they met mine he again averted them.

Something is wrong with him...

"We have decided, " the emperor started, catching everyone's attention, "the first test shall be conducted tomorrow which every lady in the Academy above eighteen shall give. And based on the results, we will pick the future empress."

I sighed in relief.

Seanna is in.

And so was I.

Ugh!