I turned around, shocked and touched. Antoninus was standing behind me. "This was constructed according to your drawings. Take a look and see if there's anything that needs adjustment. It's better to make changes now before it's fully built and becomes more troublesome."
So, he took my drawings to build this?
My nose suddenly tingled, and my eyes welled up with tears again. "Thank you..."
I gently touched the dream-like little wooden house, my heart filled with a mix of emotions. "Can I take it back with me?"
Antoninus didn't understand. "What do you mean?"
I said, "Can I bring it to my bedroom?"
I thought it would be lovely to wake up and see it every day!
Antoninus hesitated, then inquired with the workers and designers nearby about the materials used and if they were safe. After some more conversation I didn't pay attention to, my focus remained on this beautiful little house.
I saw a few figurine models beside the wooden ho
Due to Roman's words, I couldn't focus on the game the entire time. I anxiously watched the entrance gate. But Roman seemed quite happy."Lily, would you be my cheerleading captain?""No, I'd rather watch from the audience."However, Roman completely ignored my refusal and dragged me onto the field."Lily, please help me! I can't win the championship without your help."His pleading words made it impossible for me to continue refusing. I had to reluctantly go along with him to his teammates.Honestly, Roman was truly charismatic! He was incredibly popular among students at school, with his path to the field blocked by his "fans."And his cheerleading squad was quite extensive, and every member was stunningly beautiful. Roman placed me in the midst of them and joked, "Do you need me to prepare a cheerleading uniform for you, my captain?"I glanced at the sexy squad members next to me and quickly shook my head."No, these
Roman provocatively glanced at Antoninus. "Cheer for me! I'll prove that his appearance on the court was a huge mistake.""Don't do this!" I reminded him, "You should remember that the match between you two is just an exhibition, right?"The purpose of an exhibition match is to liven up the atmosphere; how could they be competing seriously?But Roman gently caressed my face. He said, "The next match is a friendly match. However, unfortunately, there's no friendship between me and our Mr. President."Saying this, he picked up his racket and walked onto the court. Antoninus was also ready for the challenge.The two of them played back and forth on the court, dazzling the spectators and prompting continuous cheers from the stands. However, I watched with great unease.Their stances were nothing like an exhibition; it was more like a battle. Roman was serving directly at Antoninus's body each time!He treated the tennis ball as if it were
His wound had clearly opened up again.On his black suit, you could faintly see the fresh stains of red blood.By the time we got back into the car, his dress shirt was completely soaked with sweat.As I removed his clothes and re-dressed his wound, tears couldn't help but stream down my face.But he was still smiling.He leaned wearily against the window, then, after a moment, he reached out and touched my chin with a smile.I glared at him resentfully, "What are you doing?"He showed me the transparent tear he had just wiped from my face, "Sorry, I never knew you liked crying so much.""I cry because...""Because why?"I turned my face away in annoyance, "It doesn't matter, it has nothing to do with you!"But even though I said that, the guilt inside me was growing stronger.I wiped away my tears forcefully and apologized, "Anyway, I'm sorry for coming to watch this match without telling you."
Antoninus was injured, but he still decided to continue working as usual. For the country, it was a good thing, but for me, it was different. Because he got hurt for my sake, I had to act as his temporary servant for these two days.During meals, his hand wasn't able to hold a fork properly, so I had to cut the steak into bite-sized pieces and feed him. While he worked, I had to sit beside him and assist him in his tasks. The President's work was dull, tedious, and incredibly boring."Next page," Antoninus said.I moved the mouse and told him, "Could you please add 'please'? I'm a person, not an emotionless tool. Thank you!"So, three minutes later, he spoke again, "Continue scrolling down, please."I rolled my eyes and threatened, "Antoninus, one day I'll make everything I see public. Then you can be charged with leaking state secrets!"Antoninus glanced at me and calmly said, "These aren't classified documents, and besides, you wouldn't un
This was my first time flying on a commercial plane, and little did I know that I would actually get airsick! I had never felt nauseous before when flying on a helicopter. Was it because the plane's cabin was enclosed? Throughout the process of ascending, I clung to Antoninus's embrace, gripping his arm tightly, my eyes and ears hurting, and my stomach churning.Antoninus held me close and instructed Eric to fetch motion sickness medication. After taking the medicine, I rested my head on Antoninus's leg and fell into a deep sleep.When I woke up, there was a thin blanket draped over me. I rolled over and found myself face-to-face with his chin. Sensing my gaze, Antoninus looked down and asked, "Awake?""Mhm." I mumbled in response, pulling the blanket up to half-cover my face.He, however, pulled the blanket back down gently, saying, "It's time for a meal.""I'm not hungry.""You need to eat something, or you'll feel even worse."Anto
I hadn't anticipated that not only Roman, but also Mr. Marcus would be here. I felt danger creeping in and turned to escape, but Roman caught my wrist. "Lily, don't worry. You won't be harmed, I promise."I struggled to break free, glaring at him in anger. I felt like a foolish little fish, lured into danger's edge by the anglerfish's light.Roman led me forcibly in front of his father.Marcus gestured for Roman to step back. "Please, have a seat, Miss Lily.""No need, thank you."Stubbornly, I remained standing, refusing to budge.He still wore a smile. "This is our second meeting, isn't it?""Mr. Marcus, if you have something to say, just say it!"His eyelids twitched slightly. "Brave girl, I admire your courage. Let's have a straightforward conversation.""I have numerous businesses here—gold, jewelry, and some other things. But our President can't stand that I monopolize this land. So, he wants to use the natio
Antoninus was a cautious person, yet he seemed to disregard Marcus's warning. Over the next few days, his schedule continued as usual. He kept meeting with the President and government officials of this country, even making time to visit neighboring nations. Strangely, Marcus didn't issue any more threats.Two days later, I saw Marcus on television. Armed assailants of unknown origin had attacked Marcus's gold mine. They occupied his mine and imprisoned the workers. He was now struggling with negotiations to resolve the situation. I strongly suspected this attack was related to Antoninus, but he never allowed me to inquire about these matters.Antoninus told me, "I have a day off tomorrow. Is there anything you'd like to do? I can accompany you.""I don't want to go anywhere."I hugged a pillow and lay on the bed, feeling somewhat downcast. I despised being caught up in these political whirlwinds. The visible and covert struggles, the conspiracies and mac
Roman sighed, "Lily, do you know? Sometimes, I really envy Antoninus.""Why would you envy him?"Roman didn't answer. Lately, he seemed to enjoy playing the silent game.I could sense that beneath his sunny demeanor, there was a cloud of hidden turmoil. I thought he might open up about his concerns, but after those words I couldn't hear, he didn't speak much about anything else.Until he brought me to a nearby island.As we disembarked, Marcus stood on the beach. His smile was as usual, but his eyes were bloodshot. I couldn't tell if it was from exhaustion or anger. Either way, this version of him was a bit unsettling.Marcus approached politely, helping me off the boat. "We meet again, Miss Lily."I asked, "So, what's your purpose in bringing me here?""Of course, I wanted to ask you to continue being a messenger.""Alright, what's your message?""Tell Antoninus, I'm willing to cooperate with him. I agree to shar