The Kind of Evil-Chapter 235: Rival.
Arka was on his ship, watching Anastasha and all her knights board the ship. He didn't know that she would board the ship until a few minutes ago when he received a letter from her.
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Arka wondered what Thalior wrote to Anastasha, and why she decided to join him and wanted to take refuge under the South Neva Union. However, he remembered what she said to him earlier about the two snakes sharing the territory rather than competing against each other.
Arka didn't want to think about it too much because he wouldn't be able to understand Rasmus and Anastasha's minds. They both had a similar air around them, having no moral compass, yet they weren't the type who were blinded by emotions.
Anastasha and her knights were escorted down into the cabin, but Anastasha decided to stay on the deck. Her personal knight, the man who held the quarterstaff, stayed by her side like her shadow.
"Commander, shall we have some tea? My maid can brew the best tea from East Neva, something that only a handful of people outside the Asghar family have tasted," Anastasha smiled at Arka, tapping the folded fan on her palm.
"Let's go to my cabin, Your Highness. It's nothing fancy, but it's still comfortable," Arka said as he pointed at his cabin on the top deck.
They made themselves comfortable in the cabin with Anastasha's personal guard outside, guarding the cabin. The tea that Anastasha promised came with the most expensive-looking cup and ceramic teapot. The maids carefully held them with gloves, afraid of contaminating the cups and the teapot.
"Did you know about a teapot that can kill someone you want while you can casually drink from it as well without having to worry about it, Commander?" Anastasha asked as she stopped the maid from pouring the tea into her cup.
"No, Your Highness. I have never heard such a thing," Arka shook his head.
"You see these two holes, Commander?" Anastasha showed the two small holes above the handle. "If I close the top hole, the air prevents the poison in the top chamber inside the teapot from coming out..." she demonstrated as she covered the bottom hole with her thumb and poured the tea into her cup.
"Now, if I close the bottom hole, the air prevents the tea from pouring out, only the poison comes out," Anastasha poured the tea into Arka's cup. "It's that simple," she smiled as she pushed Arka's teacup with the back of her fingers.
Arka looked at his teacup and Anastasha's teacup, both had the same color, and he couldn't see the difference. He didn't want to touch the cup in front of him after hearing what she said earlier.
"You know it's an insult and unforgivable if you don't accept an offer from a powerful family. You either lose your head or limbs, it's one of the unwritten laws in East Neva," Anastasha stared at Arka with a gentle smile.
Arka sighed and took a sip of the tea, surprised by the smoothness of the tea. It had a hint of sweetness and bitterness that mixed really well together. He had never tasted anything like it, however it tasted too fancy for him.
"Oh, you didn't even hesitate, Commander?" Anastasha was mildly surprised.
"You said the two snakes shared the territory. I'm assuming if I'm dead here, that might change the status since I know the other snake is fond of me. So, I believe that you don't want that to happen," Arka answered as he smelled the tea in his teacup.
"Hmm, looks like you finally understand a little about the mind of a schemer, Commander," Anastasha chuckled and took a sip of her tea. "How is the tea, Commander?"
"It tastes... expensive..." Arka answered, didn't know how to describe flavor since he devoted all his life as a soldier who only ate to recover his stamina, not for the taste.
Anastasha chuckled and immediately covered her mouth with the fan. She wasn't expecting such an answer, it was the first time she heard someone commented on the tea that way.
"Have you realized it by now, Commander? The question that I asked you back then?" Anastasha lowered the fan and folded it.
Arka furrowed his brows, wondering what the question Anastasha meant. He tried to recall what it was until he remembered the question about why the South Neva Union knew about her whereabouts and why they were interested in her.
"Is it about why the South Neva Union is interested in you, Your Highness?" Arka asked with a serious expression.
"Yes, what else could it be?" Anastasha smiled as she tilted her head slightly.
Arka clasped his hands together, placing them on his lips, trying to piece the puzzle together. He already knew that it was Rasmus who informed Thalior about Anastasha and her whereabouts. He then connected the puzzles and decided to answer Anastasha's question based on what he found.
"He's trying to protect you somehow, and I assume he doesn't want you to be captured by the revolutionary parties, especially the emissaries since they're demons," Arka answered as he glanced at Anastasha.
"See? What did I tell you? We both aren't competing, we are sharing something in common," Anastasha smiled warmly as she rested her cheek on her palm.
"Is that really what you think of him, Your Highness? Because all I can see is that he just doesn't want you to be another obstacle to him," Arka furrowed his brows, surprised that Anastasha believed that he was helping her.
"Does that change the fact that he's helping me, Commander?" Anastasha asked as she stood up and brushed the edge of the table with a calm expression. "Do I lose something from this? Does he lose something from this? You know that Count Blackheart and I don't lose anything from this. Does he benefit from this? Yes, and so do I," she smiled as she leaned against the table and stared at Arka.
"You're not afraid that he might use this to gain a favor from you? For saving your life? We both know that you can leave and be safe even without me, Count Blackheart, or even the South Neva Union's help. Why did you choose to comply with him?" Arka narrowed his eyes, confused by Anastasha's decision to play along in Rasmus's game.
Anastasha turned around and poured herself a cup of tea gracefully. She kept putting a smile on her face while she enjoyed her tea in her seat.
"Perhaps I want to see him again," Anastasha answered, staring at the spot on the wall. "You can interpret this as an invitation from him, and I decided to accept it," she added.
"Even if it means owing something to him?" Arka asked with his arms crossed.
"As I said, the smart ones share while the greedy ones kill each other. A man of his caliber, he's not greedy, and I'm on the other hand, am capable of giving whatever he wants. Knowing each other is worth more than anything, Commander. To make a connection with him is priceless," Anastasha put down her teacup and wiped her lips with a handkerchief.
"Why is it that you're admiring him, Your Highness?" Arka leaned back, tilting his head with a curious look on his face.
"I admire those who can reach this high, the mind that is," Anastasha smiled as she rested her chin on the back of her hand.
"What do you see in him, Your Highness?" Arka asked, trying to dig up information from Anastasha and the mind inside her head. "Do you think he's an ally to you? Enemy? Or something else?"
Anastasha smirked as she stared right into Arka's eyes, knowing his intentions. At that moment, Arka knew that he might have pushed too far, but there was no going back. However, Anastasha didn't mind his question and casually took a sip of her tea.
"You can say that he's a formidable opponent, a rival," Anastasha answered as she stared at her reflection on the teacup. "I can admire him because he's not an enemy. Do you understand what I mean, Commander?" She tilted her head and looked at Arka.
Arka didn't answer the question and thought about it instead. He didn't know what to think, and he couldn't imagine what would happen if both Rasmus and Anastasha decided to work together. He didn't know what was worse, seeing them together or seeing them against each other later on. What he knew for sure was that they both didn't hesitate to eliminate anything that tried to stop them.
"I never thought that I would have an enjoyable conversation. It has been a while, and I thank you for that, Commander," Anastasha said as she stood up. "I will take my leave, Commander. I will rest in my cabin if you need anything," she continued as she walked toward the door.
"Yes, Your Highness, have a good rest," Arka stood up and bowed his head as he watched Anastasha leave his cabin.
