Arthur then waited a few seconds to get Isla’s reply. He expected her to simply be very disappointed or scold him even more and he was ready to take it. There was really no excuse for his actions except selfish anger and lack of composure.
However, one thing Arthur could say was that he didn’t regret what he did one single bit. If he was put in the past, he would do it all over again. After all, this was an integral part of his morals. His loved ones were a red line and if someone could cross that red line without any consequences then what was the point of Arthur trying to get stronger and better?
These moments were the reason Arthur was trying so hard to be stronger. Fame and wealth didn’t matter to him as much as these things mattered to him.
However, once those several seconds passed, Arthur didn’t hear the expected response from Isla. Instead, she remained completely quiet. So, he slowly looked up at her only to realize… That Isla was staring at him, wide-eyed.
‘… Why is she staring at me like that?’ He asked himself as he blinked. It was odd behavior she was exuding.
“You did that because he insulted me?” She finally snapped out of her daze and asked in a confused tone.
“… Yeah, I mean I was not going to just let him say whatever he wants about you. I can see why you hate him. He’s really irritating.” Arthur replied as he rubbed the back of his head.
“…” Isla looked as stunned as ever.
“Why are you looking surprised?”
“No, I… Ehem, I wasn’t expecting that. I thought he had dragged you into a battle with some pity insults toward you.” She replied.
“Oh? No, I don’t really care about what he says about me. On the other hand, I won’t tolerate if he talks badly about you.” Read exclusive content at empire
In Isla’s head, what she was hearing was completely odd. She looked at Arthur as if he was an alien. However, for some reason, she didn’t feel bad at all. All her anger, frustration, and confusion were all gone.
Then, she slowly remembered the battle and how outraged Arthur looked during it. She had rarely seen him being that aggressive and violent before. Arthur was a master of battles but he was also someone who wanted to avoid long fights like the plague. He liked to start and finish quickly so as not to create more problems for himself.
Yet, when he was fighting Lamenter, he was clearly just brutally destroying him and keeping the fight going as long as possible as if it were a punishment.
‘He did that for me…’
All that anger for her. It just felt really weird for Isla. However, the feeling was far from bad. In fact, she felt something completely different. Something she had never experienced before.
“I’m waiting for the scolding. I will try not to do it again if I come across that bastard. But, I cannot promise you that I won-“
“Thank you.”
That was when Isla suddenly spoke, cutting Arthur off. Looking to the side, he frowned. “Huh?”
“Thank you… For defending my name.” Then, as if she didn’t already shock Arthur enough, she smiled faintly at him. Her eyes flashed with a deep warmth, rare to see with Isla of all people. “I didn’t know you were doing it for me. I really appreciate it.”
“…” Arthur opened his mouth and closed it like a fish. This was the last thing he expected to hear from Isla. Even more than that, the stunning smile she showed him took his breath away and made him stop thinking for a moment.
‘What the hell?’
“Why are you thanking me?” He shook his head. “I know I made a huge blunder.”
“It doesn’t matter now.” Isla shook her head. “We will deal with it in case he does something.”
“…”
As confused as Arthur was, Isla was completely occupied by another thought. ‘This is the first time… Someone got angry for my sake… Even though it’s simply an insult… He still didn’t accept it…’
Being the successful person she was, Isla naturally was the target of envy, hate, and all kinds of cruel plans. Insults were simply a very minor part of all of that. She was insulted behind her back countless times and many of those times, she was aware of it. However, she never responded as she felt that it was beneath her.
Even her friends thought the same as they simply ignored those hateful comments. However, deep down, for a long time, Isla yearned for something. She yearned for someone who would truly stand up for her and feel anger for her. Someone who didn’t accept any of those awful things. But, she never thought it was possible. After all, everyone, including her friends, saw Isla as this unattainable star in the sky.
Why would they feel anger that someone insulted a distant star? It made no sense. However, at that very moment, Isla was hit with a realization. Arthur had never seen her as that unattainable goal. Instead, he simply saw her as his friend, someone he cared for and someone he would defend at every opportunity.
How could she not smile when she realized that? The relief and the weird sense of delight she experienced were too strong. There was simply no way she couldn’t smile.
“… I… Well, you don’t need to thank me. You’re my friend and if I don’t defend your name from slander then what am I supposed to be?” He asked.
“You know, Arthur…” Isla muttered as she looked up at the blue sky. “You’re really odd.”
“What? Odd?”
“Yeah… You’re truly one of a kind.” She said. Isla couldn’t really put it any other way. Arthur was just odd in everything, from his power, talent, and personality down to his demeanor and attitude. He was different from anyone else and that caught her eyes.
She couldn’t look away from him even when she tried to. It’s almost as if Arthur had a magnet for her eyes. With each passing day, she knew him, she could not forget about him. He was slowly becoming a prominent part of her mind. She had never been this occupied by someone before in her life.
Whenever she looks at him, a sense of relief fills her heart. He was someone she simply could not imagine leaving behind. He had truly invaded her mind without asking for permission.
‘What is this feeling I wonder… Is it perhaps…’ She asked herself, feeling a little suspicious. However, to fully confirm it, she had to first research this feeling. Something told her that she was perhaps on the gates of opening a completely new world for herself.
However, as she was dreaming in her own world, Arthur’s expression slowly changed.
“One of a kind… huh?” He muttered in a rather cold tone as he looked down. For some reason, what he heard from Lamenter replayed in his head and all the bitterness that came with it returned.
Then, he remembered the last few words he told him and he found himself eerily curious. Why did he specifically tell him to ask her about her past?
Then, it slowly dawned on him. Why couldn’t he know about her past? After all, the two weren’t just friends, they were very close friends. They had shared a long journey together, studied together, and went everywhere together. They had known each other for almost a month now. Was he wrong for asking to know more about Isla? After all, he only knew about her what he saw on TV and in newspapers.
“Hey Isla…” He finally spoke.
“Hm?”
“Can I ask you a question?”
Unbeknownst to him, this particular question, as simple as it was, was going to shift their entire relationship upside down. A simple moment of curiosity from a young man and the result… A crack.
A//N: Don’t forget to give the book some golden tickets for good luck! :3