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Ruler Vol 5 Chapter 23

 

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Author: Anit666

Editor: Weasalopes

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“Oh, you sure took your sweet time, didn’t you?”

“It takes time for us girls to change, you see.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that so many times already.”

Michael chuckled.

“So…… how do I look?”

“Hmm…..” He stared at me from head to toe. “Can I be honest?”

He asked with a poker face.

“Y-yeah…..”

“You look.” He smiled. “Very lovely.”

His face flushed and he turned his face the other way.

“T-thank you….”

I managed a mutter. I could almost hear my heart thumping.

“Looking at lovebirds is so damn annoying, I tell you.”

“I agree.” The girl nodded, and then turned to him with a scowl. “By the way, Sam, how do you think we are acting?”

“Like how we should?”

He shrugged.

“We are the textbook definition of lovebirds.”

Colour drained from Sam’s face at this sudden revelation.

“I-Impossible!” He clutched his own face. “I’ve fallen to the level of mere normies?!”

“Uwaaah…. This guy’s a pain.”

She almost let out a sigh.

“But.” Sam smiled warmly and stared into her eyes. “If it’s for you, Chloe, then I can surely tolerate that much.”

“W-w-w-what are you saying, you idiot!”

Chloe blushed and hit his cheek lightly, but she did not release Sam’s arm from her grasp. Sam, on the other hand, had a ‘Just as planned!’ look.

“This guy’s smooth, isn’t he?”

Michael whispered into my ear, his breath tickling it.

“Way too smooth.”

We sighed at the same time, looked at each other in surprise because of doing so, and started laughing.

“Now, if you have finished your shopping, shall we move along?”

Sam’s gaze alternated between Chloe and me.

Yes, today was the day when we had finally managed to go on our double-date. I was with Michael, while Sam had Chloe. While acting lovey-dovey, we were shopping. It was another story that the guys didn’t really have anything to buy, and so they were just accompanying us.

But no matter how I look at it, when compared to his usual self, not even those closest to him would recognise him as Sam. That uninterested guy whose life motto was ‘Everything is a pain’ had actually arranged this double date and had prepared today’s plan. He had even gone out of his way to scout out these places before the actual day.

In his words, this the terrifying power of love-

‘Chloe? Heh, she’s nothing more than an interesting test subject.’

What was that?

“Did you say something?”

“Me?” Sam pointed to himself. “Nope, I never said that I like Chloe.”

With a blush, Chloe glared at Sam, but he pretended to not notice it.

But if he didn’t say anything, then what was that? An interesting test subject……. Nah, Sam’s not that heartless-

…….Wait.

Not heartless? Who? Sam? This Sam? The cold, calculating, apathetic bastard who’d sell his own blood if the need ever arises?

But the proof is in front of me, isn’t it? Sam and Chloe, arm-in-arm, are fooling around just like any other normal couple.

“Is something wrong, Sherry?”

Hmm- uwaaah! Too close, too close!

I stepped back reflexively, but my foot got caught up in something and I started falling down. I shut my eyes to prepare for that inevitable pain I was going to be subjected to, but that never came.

I opened my eyes, and what filled my vision was the face of Michael. His face was close to mine, and my body was held within his arms; he had caught me before I fell.

Ah….. how beautiful those eyes are….. Such a clear brown. I could stare at them all day and still not be satisfied.

“Sherry?”

Reflected in those clear eyes was my face, flushed red with wide eyes.

“Yohoo, Sherry.”

That face’s lips now curled into a slight smile, and then, it started fading away like mist being blown by wind, and soon, all I could see was the brown in the iris of Michael. It was as if-

“Ouch!”

“Don’t glare at me like that.” Sam stepped back as I rubbed my cheek. “Do you even realise the position you are in?”

He pointed to a location above me, and I followed that gaze, only to find Michael’s face twitching in embarrassment.

“A-ah!”

Right, I was in Michael’s arms and staring at his face, as if I had been mesmerised by it. And I actually had been charmed by his eyes.

He finally let go of me when I came back to my senses, and we finally stood side by side. My heart was beating so damn fast that I was sure everyone around me could hear it, while my face felt feverishly hot.

I stole a glance at Michael, and he was simply scratching his cheek, but a closer look and I could make out a stupid grin on his face.

“These guys are so cute that I just want to seal them in a glass case and stare at them the whole day.”

Chloe?!

“Shh.” Sam met Chloe’s gaze and got close to her to whisper. “Say it too loudly and someone will steal our idea. These guys are solely….” A wide toothy grin appeared on his face. “Ours.”

Their eyes, glinting like a child’s, turned to us at the same time, and they started chuckling within themselves.

“A-anyway!” I decided to forcefully break free from that weird atmosphere. “Let’s go now!”

I marched ahead of them, with Michael closely following behind.

Seriously, just what were they talking about? And in Sam’s case, he’s more than capable of-

“Ah.”

There it is. That strange sense of discomfort, as if something is amiss. And the source of that discomfort is none other than Sam; there’s something about him that’s not sitting well with me.

“Ah-”

“Nnn…”

I opened my eyes, but darkness still surrounded me. No, I couldn’t actually open my eyes.

As I tried to move my hands to see what was wrong with them, I suddenly couldn’t. My hands were stuck somewhere-

“Oh, looks like our sleeping beauty has woken up.” That vulgar voice entered my ears. “What a shame. And I thought I could become the Prince and awaken her from her slumber.”

“Mmghh!”

“Don’t try; we have gagged you and bound your arm and legs to a chair.”

What?! Where am I?!

If I remember correctly, Sam- huh? What? No, Michael said he had something to do today so I was on my way to home, alone. When suddenly, someone caught my face from behind. The next thing I knew, I was here.

I tried to move my hands and legs, but could only manage to wriggle like a worm on the chair.

Suddenly, something touched my face, and the next moment, light entered my eyes, blinding me for some moments.

When they finally adjusted to the light, I could finally make out the face of my kidnapper. And as expected, it was Thor.

“Mmgfgh hmmhh!”

“Haha, can’t speak, can you?” He chuckled. “Not that you need to.” He suddenly held my cheeks in his hand and brought his face closer to mine. “I told you, didn’t I, Sherry? You are mine and mine alone. And yet, you rejected me and started hanging out with that bastard! But don’t worry, I’ll remove him from my way so that we can stay together forever.”

He let go of my face and then took out his mobile phone. He pointed it at me, and then started tapping on the screen.

Wait, don’t tell me!

“And, sent.” With a final tap, he turned the screen to me. “See?”

On the screen, his messaging app had been opened. My photo had been sent with a caption ‘Sherry is with us. If you don’t want us to do anything to her, then come to the warehouse. And don’t dare to tell anyone else.’

And the name on the top, of the person to whom this message had been sent, was Michael.

“Oh, he replied.” Thor exclaimed and took the phone away from me. “I’ll arrive there in 15 minutes. Ha!” He faced me. “Your dear Michael will be coming here in 15 minutes. Finally, I’ll have my revenge for what he did to me in the library.”

“Mmggh!”

Wait, don’t do this! He had nothing to do with this! He did that just for me, so if you want to take revenge on someone, then do it on me! Just, don’t hurt him!

But no matter how much I groaned or struggled, I couldn’t do anything. Thor was dead set on paying Michael back for the humiliation and pain he had faced.

Sometime later, another boy with dyed hair and pierced ears, who was looking outside the window, turned to Thor and said.

“Hey, he’s here.”

“Oh?” A wide grin appeared on Thor’s face and he clapped. “Well boys, get ready. Our target is here.”

Someone stirred behind me, and after some moments, several boys stepped forward. With bats, sticks, chains, and even knives in their hands, they were laughing disgustingly.

Thor then stood by my side and whispered into my ears.

“In a few moments, Michael will be coming in through that door.” He pointed to my front. “That’s when my boys will pounce on him and turn him into minced meat. And after that, you and I can stay together.”

He cackled.

“Mmmhhhhhgghgfh!”

I spent the last of my energy to try to wriggle free of the ropes that bound my hands, but they were simply too tight for me.

Please, don’t do this. I’ll stay with you and do whatever you want, but just don’t touch Michael. He’s the only one in my life who ever stood by my side. Please, don’t punish him for it.

However, Thor just continued to grin while watching me struggle. He perhaps found it funny, because he once again opened his mouth.

“Have you realised it yet, Sherry? That you are the reason that Michael’s suffering like this?”

Eh?

“If only you hadn’t run away from me, then Michael wouldn’t have to go through all this. You have to understand this, Sherry, that I’m the only one who truly loves you, who wants to stay by your side.” He then gritted his teeth, and his voice trembled a bit. “And to that effect, I’m willing to do anything for you.”

…..He’s right, isn’t he? It was all my fault to begin with. I approached Michael because he was called the Kingmaker, so-

Eh? Kingmaker? What is that? Did Michael have such a title? No, he definitely didn’t. If I had to compare, then he’s more like a King. I must have made a mistake.

But no matter how I think of it, Kingmaker seems such a familiar word to me that I could not have made any mistake.

No, no, no, this isn’t the time to be thinking about that! I have to do something, or these guys will kill Michael the moment he arrives here! But… the Kingmaker-

Aaaarrrrghhh! Damn this ‘Kingmaker’! Why does it keep popping up in my head?! Why does it feel so familiar, so…. warm?

Just then, a knock resounded inside the room; someone had knocked on the door of this large room. Thor signalled with his eyes to the other boys to get ready, and then someone opened the door.

Somehow, it feels like I have gone through this before. Now, the door will open, and a ‘Bang!’ will resound.

But the sound I heard was a thud.

Michael entered the room with haste and punched the guy who opened the door, thus sending him flying. He glanced at me, and then at Thor, and then took a fighting stance, as if daring them to come at him.

“Mhgmmghh!”

I vigorously shook my head at him, which he instantly saw, but only smiled in return. And so, the fight started.

One can only imagine the shock I went through when I saw him using complex martial arts to beat the guys coming at him. It seemed that I was worrying for nothing. Michael had arrived, just like a white knight riding on his white horse to save the princess from the dragon. Just like I had wanted him to.

But……

There’s something, something which tells me that this is wrong. Something which is stopping me from being as happy as I should be.

‘Kingmaker’; that term once again arose in my mind. What is it? ‘Kingmaker’ sounds like someone who controls everything from the shadows without ever revealing himself. Michael is definitely not that type of person.

Then who could it be? Think, Sherry, think! There has to be someone who fits that description! There’s no other way to explain this sense of unease! It-

‘Thank you, Samuel’.

Aaahhhhh……. Sam.

Samuel Hayden, that cold, calculating bastard. How could I forget about him? He was the only one who truly understood me, and stood by my side through thick and thin.

Yes, even today….. the one that was supposed to come here was him. Michael had never involved himself with us; right from the very beginning, Thor’s target was Sam.

So, what is this farce? This wasn’t how things proceeded that day.

I remember the actual events as if they had happened just yesterday.

Sam had arrived, after 30 minutes, as asked by Thor. He knocked on the door, and one of Thor’s goons opened it. And what instantly followed was a loud bang; Sam wasn’t alone

There were two burly guys with him. They were wearing black masks to hide their face, and in their hands, they held…… yes, guns.

I still remember the initial shock I got after seeing that scene. Of course, the shot had been fired towards the ceiling, so no one had been hurt. But that was way over anything that any of us could have expected. I mean, what kind of student brings actual hitmen with him?

Sam entered the room after them as if he was taking a stroll in a garden, while the two men kept their guns pointed at us. He looked around and said.

“It would be better if you didn’t try anything funny. These guys are professionals, you see, so it’d be an easy task for them to bury all of you here.”

I could almost hear the sounds of all of them gulping at once, which was immediately followed by them dropping their pathetic weapons.

“Good.”

Sam muttered, with a small smile that wasn’t reflected in his eyes. Even he couldn’t hide how pissed off he was.

“Now, Thor.” He started walking towards us. “It seems the lesson I gave you that day wasn’t enough. So, I have come for a make-up class.”

With that, he pulled out a gun and started firing it at Thor’s legs.

“Hiiih! Bang. I’m sorry! Bang. I didn’t mean to do that! Bang.” Thor jumped around for his life. “Forgive- Bang. -me- Bang. Aaahhh! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Sam shot until Thor was reduced to a sloppy crying mess lying on the floor and begging for his life. Satisfied, he now turned and opened the ropes binding me. I stood up from the chair, but couldn’t handle myself and fell in Sam’s arms.

“I was scared…..” Before I knew it, my vision became hazy as teardrops fell from my eyes. “I was so scared……..”

“Don’t worry, it’s alright.” He hugged me tightly and caressed my head. “This time, I’ll make sure that he doesn’t even dare to look at you.”

The tone in the last part of his sentence came out so cold that even I got scared by it.

“W-what are you going to do to him?”

“Hmm? Ah.” He met my gaze. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill him or anything.”

“T-then….?”

But in return, he simply smiled. But the cold brutality in his eyes sent shivers down my spine; they were saying that Sam would see to it that Thor regretted ever being born.

He finally stopped hugging me, and held my shoulders by the side.

“Let’s go now.” He turned to the two men who had come with him. “Don’t do anything to them other than making them behave, but….. if any of them tries to run away…… you’re free to do whatever you want. I’ll be back in an hour.”

One of them cocked the hammer of his gun and nodded. With that, we left the room and went outside the warehouse, where a motorbike had been parked. He passed a helmet to me and then sat in the driver’s seat.

“Hold me tightly.”

“You…… never cease to amaze me, do you?”

“Is that praise?” He looked at me. “Doesn’t seem like it…..”

He sighed and started the engine. I sat behind him and held him tightly- it was my first time riding a bike- and then off we went.

After some time, when my nerves had calmed down enough.

“Who were those guys? And where did you get a gun?”

“Let’s just say….” He went silent for some moments. “I have a lot more connections than what you might expect; I just exploited one of them.”

That was enough to tell me that he wasn’t going to say anything else. After sometime, we reached his apartment. After telling me to freshen up and rest, he left. Apparently, he didn’t want to involve the police, so he hadn’t taken me to my home.

The next day, I came to know that Thor had gotten in some accident and had been admitted in the hospital. And when he came back to school after a month, he didn’t even try to look at me.

And as I was relieving the true events of that day, the Michael in front of me had already defeated Thor and his goons, as if he was a hero. No, wait, he is a hero, isn’t he?

He opened my ropes and freed me, and in return, I embraced him.

“Thank you, Michael. Really, thank you. You did just what I wanted you to do, but……..” I remained silent for more time than I had expected to. “You are not my saviour.”

With that, I released him and proceeded towards the door. I opened it, and darkness surrounded me, rendering me unable to see anything. And then-

 

“Welcome, Sherry Miller.”

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