The Cursed Prince

"Why are you shouting at me?" Kira asked Gewen. "What does this have to do with Edgar?"

"I know you like Edgar. It is pretty obvious," Gewen said bitterly. "I should have avoided you, but I was so dumb and let my feelings get the better of me."

Kira looked Gewen straight in the eye. She said, "Lord Gewen. This has nothing to do with Lord Edgar. I am just not interested in relationships. I think it's dumb. Maybe last year I thought I wanted it... but I was wrong. That's not what I want."

Gewen furrowed his brows. "Why not? Do you really like your life as a pirate?"

"I do," Kira retorted. "I love my life. This is what I have always known and this is what I like. I have traveled to many places for adventures and I have seen many things. It's not like I don't have a comparison. So, I just know what I want. A relationship with a man is not one of them."

"But... don't you want to have a home?" Gewen asked in frustration. "Is the idea of settling down and building a home together not appealing to you?"

Kira shrugged. "I have a home. I don't need a new one."

She already regretted this conversation. She should have waited until their vacation together was over before she had this discussion with Gewen.

The atmosphere was really relaxing and sweet until they had this argument.  Now, it was heated and awkward.

"No, Miss Kira. Pirates have no home," Gewen snapped. "You told me you have no home. Remember when we talked about how the trip home always feels faster than the outbound journey? I said it was because, for homebound, the route is more familiar, but you said you didn't know the difference because you don't really have a home. Remember?"

Kira bit her lip. She vaguely remembered that conversation. It was true when they were having that discussion. However, now that she heard her words repeated by Gewen in such a way and were used against her, Kira suddenly saw how pitiful to be her... who didn't have a home.

After her mother passed away when she was really young, she was sent to live with her father, the notorious pirate, and Grim Serpent didn't really have a conventional home. His life was spent mostly aboard his famous ship and they would travel from coast to coast, bay to bay, across the seven seas.

In fact, Kira now realized her father seemed to always avoid her mother's hometown. In the past twenty years, not once did the pirate lord make a stop at Bergen, where his late wife was buried.

The only time Kira could visit Bergen was when she traveled on her own. 

Now that Gewen said it in such a way, Kira realized that not having a home was really bad. His words truly bit where it hurt.

"Shut up, Lord Gewen!" She gritted her teeth. "You know nothing!"

Kira got up and brushed the dust from her clothes. She threw a glare at Gewen. "You think just because we spend some time together, you know me so well and you have the right to tell me what to do?"

"I am not telling you what to do," Gewen said tiredly. "I want to say... It broke my heart to hear that you don't have a home. I kept thinking about it for weeks. I can't imagine living such a life... Here, I have a nice and loving family. My mother is amazing. We have a decent home... Our life is good. I was thinking... it would be nice to share them with you."

Kira bit her lip. "I don't understand you, Lord Gewen. I am not like those women you used to warm your bed.  What makes you interested in me?"

Gewen pursed his lips. "Well... I think it's actually the opposite with you. YOU are the one who used me to warm your bed."

He spoke as if he was the victim here and Kira was the big bad wolf.

"Fucking hell!" Kira raised a hand and wanted to hit Gewen, but the man was faster and grabbed her wrist with his hand. "Let go of my hand!"

"You have a fiery temper," Gewen raised a brow. "If I am not into you, your temper would have turned me off."

"So, why not?" Kira snapped, "Are you secretly a masochist?"

"No, as I said, I like you! That's why I tolerate and accept everything about you..." Gewen replied. "Why can't you understand that?"

"I understand that much, I am not dumb," Kira retorted. "Still.. it doesn't answer my question. Why are you interested in me? From the way you said it, I get the feeling that you pity me for not having such a great life and nice home like yourself."

"What? No... that's not what I meant..." Gewen quickly explained. "I just like you. No reason whatsoever."

"That's strange," Kira said. She pulled her hand free from Gewen's grasp. "You like watermelon because it's sweet, you like the sun because it gives you warmth... you like the blue sky because it's beautiful... there is always a reason to like something."

"Oh..." Gewen stepped back a little. He agreed with Kira's argument. Usually, when someone liked something, there had to be a reason for it. However, if he had to think about and list all the reasons why he liked Kira... he didn't really know what to say.

"I cannot tell you the reasons, because...." the man muttered. "because... I don't know."

Kira pursed her lips. "I know the reason."

Gewen looked at her deeply. "You do?"

"Yeah."

"Then, tell me..."

Kira let out a long sigh and said flatly, "People want what they can't get. I think you only think you like me... but you don't really like me. You only wanted me because I wasn't interested in you, like those other women."

Gewen's eyes widened at her words. Was that really what happened? Did he only want Kira because of his ego?

He was always loved and adored by many beautiful women. So, when this one woman didn't seem to show any interest in him... his ego was hurt, and he tried hard to get her to like him.

Maybe Kira was right... otherwise, why couldn't he think of even one reason why he liked her?

.

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Do you agree with Kira? Do you think Gewen is not really into her — that he was just hurt that Kira didn't chase him like those other girls?