CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 54: IRRATIONAL LOVE

Chapter 54 — Irrational Love

"But how about we make it interesting... with a bet?" Kaden said with a cold smile.

His words once again surprised both Kenan and Meris.

Meris had already sensed it the first time she saw Kaden during that meeting between heirs, he was not like the usual Warborn. Physically, sure, he was too slender, too elegant. But it went deeper than looks. The way he carried himself... it wasn’t how a Warborn should carry themselves.

Warborns had this wild, aggressive energy around them. Like they were always on the verge of tearing something apart.

But Kaden...

Kaden had that wildness, yes—but it was calculated. Controlled. Intentional. His aura wasn’t chaotic—it was measured. And just looking into his eyes, you could tell—he was not someone who moved on impulse.

And Kenan hadn’t considered any of that. He hadn’t even tried to understand Kaden. The moment he realized he was a Warborn, he slapped the label on and decided who Kaden was in one breath.

And now...

Now he was struggling to keep up.

"What? Don’t tell me you have nothing to bet on?" Kaden said with clear disdain, turning his head to Meris.

"Let’s go, Meris. Let’s continue this elsewhere," he added as he rose to his feet.

Meris smiled and stood as well.

But as they began to walk away, Kenan stepped forward and grabbed Kaden’s shoulder.

"You’re not going anywhere with Meris, I will—"

"If in three seconds, your hand is still on my shoulder..."

Kaden’s voice cut through his words like a blade—low, cold, final.

He slowly turned his head.

"...then don’t blame me for what will happen to your arm."

The second their eyes met, Kenan instinctively shivered and stepped back. His hand dropped immediately.

Kaden’s eyes glowed like a pair of crimson pools, like blood lit from beneath. Not just threatening—but drenched in the promise of death.

One wrong move.

One second too long.

And something would be broken—permanently.

Because truthfully, Kaden was tired.

Tired of this entire circus.

His tolerance for nonsense was thin to begin with and if Kenan had dared to keep his hand on him even one second longer...

Then he would’ve lost his entire damn arm.

Was it risky? Yes.

Kenan was from a powerful family. And Kaden was supposed to stay low. Stay unnoticed. Especially with that princess still lurking somewhere in the city.

But he didn’t care.

If things went to hell, he’d just find someone to kill him and start over. Death wasn’t what it used to be for him.

Kaden stared at Kenan a moment longer, then turned and resumed walking.

Meris followed beside him, her heart pounding not just from the tension—but from excitement. Because the more she watched Kaden, the more dangerous he seemed, the more...

The more she wanted him.

And the more Kenan acted like this—

’I want to kill him,’ Meris thought silently, darkly.

She was reaching the end of her patience.

But of course, Kenan wasn’t finished.

"I bet 500 gold coins," Kenan called out, voice sharp, strained with humiliation and fury.

He’d been made a fool of. Humiliated in front of Meris. And if he backed down now? If he just let this end?

He’d never live it down. Not as the heir of the Fireborns.

So he couldn’t retreat.

He had to fight.

He had to win.

Meris nearly turned around, but stopped herself. She watched Kaden’s expression instead.

And it was the first time she saw that expression on him.

He was grinning.

But not like a predator.

Like a merchant, one who’d just found the perfect rich idiot to scam.

And without even turning around, Kaden said,

"Make it 1000 and you’ve got a deal."

He was trying so hard to keep his voice steady. Trying to hide the absolute delight threatening to burst out.

"YOU—!"

Kenan’s shout was cut off instantly.

"Then forget it," Kaden replied flatly, already walking off again.

Kenan’s face went red. Fire flickered around his body, unstable, wild, and angry.

But neither Kaden nor Meris cared.

"I accept. 1000 gold coins," Kenan muttered, gritting his teeth.

Kaden smirked without looking back. "Do you have all that money on you?"

"I’ll need... four days to gather it," Kenan admitted. After all, that was the equivalent of one platinum coin. Not something you just casually pulled from your pocket.

"Then we’ll fight once you have it," Kaden said.

And with that, he walked out of the restaurant.

But inside?

’I think I’ve found a giving tree...’ Kaden thought, satisfied to his soul.

Meris, walking beside him, was just as pleased. She had just discovered something new about Kaden.

’He likes money.’

And now, she was already planning on spoiling him—hard.

She smiled to herself, making mental notes of how much she had in her right now.

Kenan stood behind them, fists clenched tight, teeth grinding.

You’d think Kenan was just some arrogant idiot who couldn’t see the obvious—that Meris was clearly into Kaden and wanted nothing to do with him.

But he knew.

He knew.

He saw it all.

He saw how she looked at Kaden. How she followed him. How she smiled at him.

He knew.

But...

’What do you want me to do?’ Kenan thought, heart heavy.

’I... like you.’

Even knowing the truth.

Even seeing it unfold before his eyes.

He couldn’t stop himself.

Because since the first moment he laid eyes on her, Kenan had fallen hard.

To him, Meris wasn’t just a woman. She was something more.

A fairy. A dream.

And he’d do anything to have her.

Anything.

’Even if it costs me gold. Even if I have to humiliate myself. Even if I have to kill him.’

He would do it.

All of it.

Because this wasn’t just some highborn flirtation.

This was obsession.

A weird one to say the least.

But can you really blame him?

In the same way Meris had fallen for Kaden—without logic, without reason—

Kenan had fallen for Meris.

They were the same.

And just like Meris would do anything to win Kaden...

Kenan would do anything to win her.

Because that’s how matters of the heart work.

That’s how love is.

It’s irrational.

Chaotic.

It’s not something you can understand.

It’s something you are subjected to.

You endure it.

And you always get hurt—because loving someone is the same as accepting the inevitability of pain.

And the most ironic part?

We all seek love in one form or another.

So maybe the question is—

Are we chasing suffering?

Or are we simply unable to escape it, so we pretend we chose it?

I don’t actually know.

But one thing I’m sure of...

Am I saying some bullshit?

Yes.

Definitely.

—End of Chapter 54—