He was too close. Close enough that I could feel his breath against my face, and somehow, that was enough to make my mind go completely blank.
"Okay or not?"
I could feel his eyes fixed on me, almost pestering me for an answer.
Even if I say no, you're still going to ask me, so why bother asking?
I had no answer for him.
I was doomed.
I kept avoiding his eyes, but where was I supposed to look? He was everywhere. There was nowhere else to turn without running straight into him.
Then, without warning, he placed a hand against my face and turned it toward him, forcing me to meet his gaze.
The moment our eyes met, he paused.
He must have seen the fear in mine because he blinked, and the sharpness in his eyes softened slightly.
For the first time since he had cornered me, he looked less angry and more... concerned.
"I didn't mean to scare you, nor did I mean to keep you in this position. But you're really... well, something."
Even after hearing that, I still couldn't find the right words. For perhaps the first time in my life, someone like me was desperately searching for something to say.
"Are you okay? Whoa, now you're starting to scare me with that look of yours."
He gave me a slight shake, as if checking whether I was actually listening to him.
I blinked, finally pulling myself out of whatever strange state, trance, my mind had fallen into.
"What are you?" I blurted.
Wow.
After such a long time I managed to say this.
Really award deserving.
Idiot.
He tilted his head at me. "Um. What am I? Is this the only question you want to ask me?"
What am I supposed to say about this? Such a foolish question.
I'd rather stay quiet.
I better stay quiet on this one too. This was the scariest question out of the entire questionnaire I had been expecting, because, of course, I have been caught now.
Rose, pretend you didn't hear him. Act as if you suddenly lost your hearing a few seconds ago. Maybe he'll give up.
Who knew he was as impatient as I was?
"Look, I know you're not Rosen Nightingale, so there's no point in hiding your identity anymore. I'm going to ask you once again. Who are you?"
He had finally laid the question bare.
There was no escaping it now.
I've lost all my brain cells. I can't think of anything. My brain is completely dead.
This is a first.
Maybe it's because I've never been in such a desperate situation before. Or maybe because I've never really had to speak openly with anyone outside the few people I trust.
"Who are you?"
The shout directly into my ear was apparently his way of telling me that pretending to be deaf wasn't going to work.
How dare he?
Nobody is allowed to shout at me. Nobody ever has.
Well... except for two people.
Dad and my brother.
I still can't tell him a single thing.
What can he possibly do? Kill me? Torture me for refusing to answer?
Then let it be.
My brother is getting better. Almost better. He must be handling things there now, learning and becoming a protégé, just as I once did under Uncle Joe.
I can't ruin all of that just to save myself.
I've made up my mind.
While thinking all this, I didn't even know that a teardrop had escaped my eye. His fingers stroked my face gently, and during this action of his, he also wiped away that tear.
His face is showing curiosity, but along with it, I think there is desperation.
I closed my eyes and waited to be taken away. I felt the weight lift off my body, then heard a knock.
I opened my eyes and saw the general gesture of me to sit up.
I did as I was told.
A young officer was at the door. "General, everyone is waiting for you."
"I'll be there. Go."
The general standing in front of me now seemed like a completely different person from the one who had been beside me only a moment ago.
Which one was the real him?
At this point, I was beginning to have serious doubts.
I was so lost in my own thoughts that I almost missed what he said. Almost.
"I'll ask you again next time. Be prepared."
His voice was calm and firm, making sure I heard every word.
I wanted to say that dream on this but couldn't find my voice. I was literally struggling to say something, but before I could say anything, he again got close to me.
Our faces were only a few inches apart when he broke the silence.
"I'll never hurt you. Don't you ever be afraid of me," he whispered close to my face.
With that, he turned and walked toward the door. But just before leaving, he stopped and came back.
"Come out. We're about to leave."
This time, he actually left.
I let out a long breath, one I hadn't even realized I had been holding for so long. My shoulders finally relaxed, and I took a few slow, deep breaths, trying to calm myself down.
But my mind refused to settle.
What was I supposed to make of him?
One moment, he was cold and intimidating. The next, he was strangely gentle. He had questioned me, frightened me, and then suddenly spoken as if he genuinely cared about whether I was afraid of him.
And that was the part I couldn't understand.
Was he trying to reassure me?
Or was there something else behind all of this?
I rubbed my face and took another deep breath.
Whatever his actions meant, I clearly needed to figure him out before he drove me completely insane.