20 My Worth to You (2/2)

”What do you want from me?”

She flatly asked after completing her assessment.

And Konrad who stood opposite to her was currently in a dilemma. How was he supposed to say what he had to say?

”Whose appearance do you prefer? My disguise or my real one?”

Hearing those words, Jasmine stared blankly for a long moment while being overtaken by the sudden realization.

”It's…you?”

To this, Konrad only nodded.

”What? Stunned by my true self?”

He jested because he knew what was to come wouldn't be easy to deal with.

Still, it would seem he had underestimated the consequences of his previous actions. Tears quickly reached Jasmine's eyes and her entire body quivered with trepidation.

”Why did you need to change your appearance that night? Why could you not just appear as your true self? Is it possible that you thought using the status of a prince would make me easy to swindle?”

And here it came.

Konrad sought ten thousand ways to answer that question within his mind, but none could make up for his previous lie. Without another lie, he could not flawlessly get out of this hurdle.

But he didn't want to lie. No functional relationship had ever been built on lies. The trap of the sand castle was something he definitely wanted to avoid.

”I had no other choice.”

He just admitted. But his words were far from being satisfactory.

”No other choice? Did someone put a knife at your throat and ask you to deceive me?”

It was really something along those lines, but when the truth was not believable and only served to raise more questions, it was better left unsaid. So, he said nothing.

”Is there anything about that night that was true? Or was it all…a lie?”

She asked with a deep breath and her heart thumping from rising discomfort.

”All I told you was true. I have not lied to you. Is the form I used to appear to you that important? Am I still not here today?”

But hearing his words, the bitterness Jasmine suppressed exploded in a self-deprecating laugh. She aimed her trembling index at him, and with her wronged eyes staring directly into his, she wept.

”Not important? I suppose for you it isn't right? For you, I'm just another one of the cheap women you conquered in a night. How could it be…important? But for me, it tells me exactly what I meant in your eyes. That is…not a lot.”

She was convinced that he was one of those men that got off on deceiving women and had a talent for it. It was likely that he had been observing and analyzing her to come up with a perfect strategy. And perhaps he even used some despicable ability?

But how could she know?

She was only mortal.

And the thought that her first time, that her body and soul had been given to a lie shredded her mind and daggered her heart.

She was right. Across all the others he had experienced, that night didn't mean much to him. But to her, it was not just her body that she gave him. Through it, she gave him her heart and now felt like he threw it onto the ground and ruthlessly trampled it.

For the first time in two lives, Konrad was hurt by a woman's gaze.

His body moved without his consent, and he pulled her into a tight embrace.

”I'm sorry.”

”Forgive me.”

Those were the four words he had sworn never to say. But now he had to say them, pushed by a drive he failed to comprehend.

But could Jasmine who had already been swindled once let herself be played so easily?

”There is nothing to forgive. If I have to blame someone, I can only blame myself for being a fool. Please let go of me.”

”Unless you can swear to never again deceive me, please let go of me.”

”Unless you can swear that I occupy in your heart the same place you occupy in mine, please let go of me.”

”Unless you can swear that in your life there will only be me…please let go of me.”

Her words hammered at Konrad's heart, while her warm tears streaked down her cheeks. But he couldn't give her what she wanted.

”I can swear to all except the last.”

He said while withdrawing his arms and staring back at her with an apologetic gaze.

”Hahaha…”

Jasmine's eyes fell onto the ground, and her tears overflowed while she struggled to wipe them off her cheeks.

”Thank you for your honesty. May everything that happened that night disappear within our memories. I hope you have a good life. Let us never meet again.”

She then turned heels and aimlessly ran as fast as she could. She only wanted to do one thing, to get away from the dream that in a flash had turned into a horrendous nightmare.