Second Female Leads' Playbook

"Thank you for looking after her for me." The god of order omitted me while giving the girl with bright red eyes a cold and distant nod. He then said with a cold and chill voice while facing the crow on the branch, "Even though it's just what you should do as compensation." 

Oh the forever distant and calm god of order got angry? At a crow? What did I miss? I eyed the crow and the god with curiosity. 

"What a failure of a warden you are," I snickered. "You banished me to the deep lake just so you can spend time with your little lover here. What would others say if they know how unjust and irresponsible you are? I'm just a few inches away from escape." I smiled tauntingly. 

"You won't be able to escape," the god said calmly.

At the same time the girl with bright red eyes said, "We're not lovers!" And the crow with golden feathers flickered his wings irritatingly. 

"Aww look how in sync you two are." I flipped my curls over my shoulder. "I know, I know, I am acting like the evil villainess in love stories intruding on you two. Do you hate me? Want to stab me? Come on! Oh wait... it should be me stabbing you so that you can defend yourself, thus stabbing me. A heroine never attacks anyone. My wrong." 

I continued my taunting. I knew the god of order and the girl with bright red eyes were not even acquaintances, but deep inside my heart, frustration I did not even understand where it came from was starting to build up. I wanted to throw a temper. And the crow's response when I mistook the girl and the god of order's relationship was interesting. 

The girl in red eyes looked like she did not know how to respond and tried to further explain herself. The crow fidgeted, after a while he decided to leave the branch to stand on the girl's shoulder and appeared to be trying to protect the girl if anything dangerous happened. 

The god of order rubbed his temple with his fingers and signed. "I apologized. She just woke up from a deep sleep." He walked towards me and knelt before me. He then placed his hand on my head and ruffled my curls, and said, "Are you more awake now?"

I flicked my tail in anger, what did he mean? That my mind was jumbled from the deep sleep, that my brain was acting like an elderly? 

"You won't be able to escape," he repeated again. "I did not banish you to the deep lake. I left enough entertainment for you."

"That's just excuse for your slacking off," I scoffed. "And someone said he would never leave as long as he's acting as the warden of me. Look like the god of order is just the same as the pathetic, idiotic god of light." I rolled my eyes. When I opened my mouth again, I realized I lost my voice. He sealed my voice! I glared at him with anger. 

"Don't compare me with him." There were faint traces of lines between his eyebrows, the tick that showed he was annoyed. As I said, no one liked to be compared to that pathetic god who could give up his life for a girl he fell in love with through hypnosis. 

Something shimmered in his hand and he threw it at me. It's a box of pastry. The words printed on the box said they're macaroons. From all the 'Legendary Rachelle' novels I read, the capital of the empire that the rebirth 'Rachelle' came from was famous for this kind of pastry. He visited the capital or at least one of the larger towns of the empire? 

Did he think he can appease me by throwing something I had never tried to me? My tail was still flicking in anger. 

"That's the god of darkness," he said. 

Oh, that's why he sealed my voice. The pathetic, idiotic god of light my kind tricked was the twin brother of god of darkness. Even though he was quite supportive when we were planning to trick his own twin brother, who knew if he would still be so supportive when his twin brother really fell for our trap? But wait...

I said without thinking, "Oh don't fool me, as far as I know it's the god of darkness not the goddess of darkness." My hoarse, coarse voice was back.

"The eye catching crow is the god of darkness. The high priestess of darkness is in tow." 

"Who cursed him into a crow? You gods are getting weaker and weaker," I tsked in contempt. 

"Who said I was cursed!" boomed an angry voice. The crow turned into a dark hooded figure. "God of order, control your prisoner. Her voice is grating my ears. One with such a hideous, coarse voice shouldn't even speak!" 

The frustration that had been building up since I woke up from my sleep exploded. I created a huge wave with my tail. The wave splashed towards them and then swam back to my prison under the lake. 

Before I left hearing distance from the lake surface, I heard the girl with red eyes smacked the god of darkness and then the god of order told the god of darkness with his cold, distant voice that it's time for him to leave. 

If my voice wasn't ruined... if... There were never what ifs, just the hard, cold reality. 

-----------

"Lorelei," the voice of the god of order echoed around my prison for the tenth times. I ignored him just like the few times before. 

"Lorelei," a voice sighed after saying my name. I was lying on my oyster bed when I heard this. This seemed different, closer, not across the water. I looked up to find the god of order standing at the door. A look of exasperation seemed to cross his face. 

"What are you doing here?" I picked up the pastry named macrons with my other hand and chomped at it. I raised my eyebrow, "It's a room of a lady. What would happen to your reputation when words about the god of order barging into a girl's room without her consent spread?" My mouth ticked up into a sarcastic smile. 

"Nothing. I didn't barge in. I knocked." 

"I didn't give you consent."

"I am the warden."

He's implying that this was my prison, a warden did not need consent to check on his prisoner. 

I chucked the novel on hand across the room and picked up another. "What do you want?" 

"I forgot to give you this." He handed me a dark blue velvet ribbon. 

I stared at him without saying a word. He placed it on my desk while I was still staring at him in silence.

"Welcome back, Lorelei," he said softly with a small smile on his face.. Then he disappeared from my prison.