Chapter 18: Prince and the trip to the forest edge (final)

“Iliva,” It has been some time since she last heard of that warm voice. Iliva slowly rubbed her eyes and rose from her soft hammock. The familiar sight of a fluttering silver hem on black battle robe entered Iliva’s sight. It was the usual dream, though it has been a while since she last saw it.

“Mom,” Iliva called and the female Arachne who was donning the sacred battle robe gazed at her with a soft smile on her lips. Briza Kront'tarr, she was a beautiful Arachne with a shoulder length dark hair and bronze skin. Her body was slender but surprisingly robust and muscular, befitting her status as a chosen warrior among the many female Arachnes in the settlement. Her spider torso was slim, covered in black fuzzy fur. Her eight arachnid legs were long and slender than most Arachne in the settlement, giving her a unique high advantage when standing next to them. She had high cheekbones that complimented with a long sharp nose and a well-defined chin. But her most defining feature had to be her silver eyes that was as bright and gentle as the stars on a night sky.

“Child, your breakfast is on the table. After finishing your meal, try to complete that one,” her mom pointed at the ceiling, an incomplete tapestry of a red dawn rising above Lagrande Toile - the secret settlement of the Arachne, “I hate to see something beautiful remained incomplete like that.”

“Yes,” Iliva replied, her lips quirked upward with an innocent smile, sniffing the rich aroma of mountain mutton stew seasoned with cheese and herbs, it was her favorite meal.

“I make a little too much this time. So, if you are hungry during lunch, just go down to the kitchen and open the pot,” her mom said while fastening her belt around her dark robe. She holstered her whirlingdeath blade that was crafted by the settlement’s best sword-smith to her waist. The whirlingdeath blade was a special weapon in the Arachne society, it was a weapon of choice favored by the Sisterhood of the Binding Web an elite unit of highly trained Arachne for combat that were tasked with the duty to protect the Lagrande Toile from the threat of invaders. The weapon had two main parts, a large scythe that resembled an axe more than a scythe and a rope connected to that scythe’s handle. In the hands of a highly trained Arachne, it’s a deadly weapon that capable of decapitating even the best elven fighter in an instant or puncturing the hardened scale of an adult Earth Dragon.

“When will you be back?” Iliva asked, tottering to the table to have a full whiff of her favorite dish.

“Before dusk,” said her mother, leaving through the front door, not before reminded Iliva, “I want to see some progress with that tapestry when I come back, okay? “

“Yes,” Iliva replied, waving goodbye to her mother. This would be the last time she waved goodbye to her mom. But at that time, she honestly did not know.

This small and cozy tree house had never changed in Iliva’s dream. It remained the same within her memory. The purple carpet that spread the entire floor painted a field of mountain lavender, the colorful tapestries hanged on the four walls that constantly changed with Iliva’s mood and seasons and finally the giant unfinished tapestry on the ceiling that remained unfinished until the end, these were Iliva’s humble masterpieces. Making these masterpieces was the childhood of Iliva, she did not remember doing anything else.

Children of her age went to Arach Elcreed Conservatory to learn combat skills, magic, and anything else an Arachne need to learn to be a part of Lagrande Toile and to serve it. But that place had no acceptance for an abomination like her. An evil omen and an accursed existence she was, something like that had no place. Thus, she can only stay at home, hidden within her mother’s tree house and weaved. Iliva wasn’t sure if she loved weaving or decorating the house, but when her mother was off to work, she felt bored and had nothing to do, weaving tapestry and decorating the house was the only skill she could hone.

Her mom was always busy with her sacred task since there was no lack of danger could befall on Lagrande Toile at any moment. The Long continent was the home to one of the most vicious and terrifying beasts in Escana like the flightless Earth Dragons, the Smiling Cats, the Flying Swords and many more. Those creatures could be a serious threat to Lagrande Toile when they got near the settlement. However, it was those the accursed elves of Iron Wood that really threatened the existence of this secret settlement. Iliva’s mom and her Sisterhood of the Binding Web was tasked with the mission to patrol and protect Lagrande Toile from potential invaders and harms.

As soon as Iliva finished her breakfast, she covered herself with a large dark cloak and climbed out of the tree house. This part of her dream never changed. The world outside of the tree house always terrified her and yet it intrigued her like nothing else. She would often use the excuse that if she could not see it, then she could not weave it to leave the safe tree house and explored the unforgiving world outside. She has often succeeded, slipping outside without anyone noticed her, but not today, not in this dream.

When Iliva reached her favorite place to observe the settlement, on top of that lone Great Sharman tree on the Petitarmour hill just a bit outside of her home, she was ambushed by a group of female Arachnes, just like how she remembered it. It was Nogami’s goons and herself, Iliva failed to understand why they were here instead of attending Arach Elcreed at this moment. She always dreamed of attending Arach Elcreed herself even if that was just a single day and ironically here they were, the youngest daughter of the Matriarch and her lackeys who had the privilege to go and yet ditched it.

Iliva could never understood why they did that or why they loved to pick on her. They never got sick of this and they never learned when to quit. They broke her legs and tore her handmade cloak into shreds, that’s fine, her legs would heal by noon and Iliva could make another cloak as soon as she was home. They smashed her face, tore her hair, and slashed her body, it did not matter, Iliva could take it, her body would heal soon. But she could not tolerate them destroying the red brooch or her white dress given to Iliva by her mother. She fought back in anger, how foolish she was, what a weak and untrained Arachne could do against five Arachne who were trained for years, how laughable was her younger self, Iliva mockingly sneered at herself.

Before long, Nogami and her goons went away, laughing, satisfied with their work. By noon, Iliva has completely healed of her wounds. She weaved another dark cloak to shield herself from the unforgiving sun and crawled down the hill. She had enough for today. She just wanted to return home, completing that giant tapestry on the ceiling. When she walked beneath the cooling shades of the groves of the small Sharman trees and tree houses, ducking the burning sun, Iliva caught sight of that hateful girl, Nogami’s second sister Arameer, the most beautiful girl in the settlement. She traveled with a group of foolish love-struck males who she only considered as her servants and her stupid female followers as usual. She wore a different dress today as well, a glossy gold dress like amber, almost transparent to reveal her exotic black undergarment underneath. Iliva did not remember seeing this hateful girl wearing a same piece of dress once. That golden dress and even her undergarment was beautifully crafted with breathtaking patterns and details. That girl had the natural talents to make the most gorgeous dresses in the entire settlement to compliment her fairest look.

The dark god Naharis was unfair. He would gift that beautiful girl with everything a female Arachne could wish for. Her long and dark auburn hair cascaded down her shoulders like a flowing stream. On that dark cascade, a few strands were carefully braided, knotting a spider web shape at her nape with an ivory brooch, adding more to her enticing beauty. Her skin was fair, gold as saffron, spicy, lusty and hypnotic to anyone’s eyes. That hateful girl’s face was fair, her arching brows were the mystic moth of the night, her eyes argent, and her carmine lush lips a setting sun. Iliva hated this girl, she really did, more so than her stupid sister Nogami. Iliva quickly hid herself behind an overgrowth tree bark, like she always did, staring at that hateful girl and cursing her.

Iliva knew how her dream would end. When she got sick of watching that Arameer girl, she returned home, crying and venting her anger at Naharis for making her such an abomination and yet lavished that hateful girl with everything. However, Iliva was caught off guard by the most subtle of smile on Arameer’s lips. That never happened, those lips were all high and mighty, bore and unconcerned even when all the stupid males knelt beneath her legs to lavish her with praises or made a fool of themselves, hoping her to grace them just a single smile. And yet, those unfaltering lips, they were curving in this dream, that never happened. That bore demeanor and that unfaltering look of that hateful Arameer girl seemed to melt away, replaced by a blushing rosy color and moistened eyes.

Iliva trained her eyes to see what could have prompted such bizarre change to the hateful Arameer girl, and her eyes widened with shock. “Liar bug.”

It was the liar bug. But what is he doing here in this dream? He never appeared in this dream. What would he do here in Lagrande Toile? They would kill him. No human would be allow in this secret settlement of the Arachne. Run fool, what are you doing? Why are you approaching that group? I cannot save you from them.

The liar bug was unaware of Iliva’s thought and approached that Arameer girl and her groups. And yet, they showed no hostility to the liar bug even when they swarmed around him. The stupid female followers of Arameer buzzed noisily among themselves, it made Iliva seriously confused.

The liar bug, he was talking to that hateful Arameer with his usual toothy smile that Iliva grew accustomed to, arrogance, full of himself and vexingly irritating. Iliva trained her elven ears but she could not hear what they were talking about due to the buzzing noises of the stupid girls around them. They talked a lot, that liar bug and that hateful girl, Iliva had no idea what they could be talking about but they talked for a very long time. All of a sudden, the subtle smile that was as beautiful as the setting sun turned into ashes and died. The moistened eyes scowled with anger, the usual full of grace Arameer twisted her pretty face in the hideous shade of rage. And the liar bug just casually waved his hands, all smiling as if he hoped to brush away that Arameer girl’s anger just like that.

Of course, that would happen to anyone, Iliva snickered, knowing from her own experience. That liar bug had the ability to drive people mad, make them want to kill him so terribly bad and yet, they could do nothing against him. It was very satisfying to see that Arameer girl and her followers seethed and raged and yet they could not do that to the liar bug.

The hateful Arameer commandingly pointed her finger at the liar bug’s face, all high and mighty, and yet, the liar bug wasn’t fazed. He casually grabbed her hand and planted his lips on the back of her hand.

That scene killed the snicker in Iliva. There was something very unsettling about it. She held her breath and her hand unconsciously went for her chest as if to grasp something intangible and invisible.

Suddenly, that hateful Arameer knelt her arachnid legs to stand on her elven feet without warning. Her face reddened. She shyly approached the liar bug one step at a time. She stopped when she was right in front of him, at the distance where they could smell each other’s breath. Then that accursed girl said something.

“Don’t do it,” a quivered voice escaped Iliva’s lips, almost like she was begging, “Don’t do it. Not with that stupid girl. Don’t you dare doing it with her.” That familiar phantom pain creeped into her chest and started to wreck it from within. “Don’t do it.”

But the wretched liar bug did it anyway, he sealed that hateful girl’s lips with his own and their body overlapped within their squeezing arms.

And Iliva ran away, her finger nails clawed at her own chest, trying to dig out that atrocious pain before it could wreck her chest inside out. Hot tears burst forth on her cheeks. She was just the woeful little Iliva, not the proud queen of the spiders.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Iliva woke up to the singing of that wretched liar bug. Her face was awash with tears. Her chest was reddened with the claw marks of her nails. No wonder it was so real and vivid, the pain she felt was real, and the scorching tar she felt on her cheeks was real. That wretched phantom pain hidden in her chest like a vicious monster that would go on a rampage at any moment was real.

Iliva hated that liar bug. He gave her more pain and suffering than that accursed Arameer and her sister, or the elves or the terrible beasts that nearly killed her in the past ever could. He was the worst of them all. The pain he gave her invisible, intangible, and unhealable.

He wounded her in the real world and followed her to her dream, making her suffered even more. She hated that liar bug.

Iliva allowed the red clawing marks on her chest to completely heal. Her pride refused to show the liar bug just how much he hurt her or how miserable she was because of him.

The liar bug seemed to notice her pain and anger at him. “Iliva, are you at that time of the month?” he asked.

“What are you talking about?” she asked right back.

“Are you having your period?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“You are different today. You look like you are suffering. We can take a break for today. I will hunt for you and cook food for you.” He said, giving Iliva a look that reserved for sick people and that instantly allowed Iliva to deduct the meaning of his strange words.

“I’m not having my red moon,” she growled, her face went red.

“Oh, so that’s the term you people using here. It’s fine. It’s not something to be embarrassed about. It’s totally normal. I understand how painful it is for you. So, you don’t have to force yourself. Let me taking care of you today,” the liar bug insisted, talking to her in a tender voice.

Iliva made a vice on the liar bug’s forehead and hauled him into the air, “I said I am not having my red moon so don’t try to delay this trip any further.” Iliva growled in a low and threatening voice.

“You win. You are breaking my head. You win. Please put me down. I perfectly understand,” the liar bug said and Iliva put him down to the ground. However the very moment he’s on the ground, he wore an irritatingly concerned look on his face, “Are you sure you are not having your red moon?” he insisted on such nonsense.

Iliva wished that she could kill him, that wretched liar bug. He had no idea how much pain he gave her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Night once again fell on the forest and the liar bug has made his camp fire. And as usual, Iliva made her hammock. The trees in this part of the forest were considerably smaller and younger than those in the part where Iliva and her spiders made their nest. This was the signal that this trip was going to end. They were very near to the edge of this forest, probably another day or two at the speed they were travelling. Soon Iliva would get her precious pearl back and returned to her nest, Iliva thought and pondered why she was not as happy as she should.

The floral odor of wolfears filled Iliva’s nose, it was pleasant, except it wasn’t because it came from the liar bug. The liar bug made Iliva hugged him inside her hammock, using her previous lost as an excuse. On the trip, he would often pestering Iliva by presented her with all sort of flowers and asked her which of the flower she loved, which smell the best; Iliva wished that she didn’t answer him as honestly as she did. The liar bug would then soak his clothes in his cooking cauldron and filled it with wolfear flowers to mask his own scent with the floral odor of wolfears.

It seemed that the liar bug realized that this trip was going to end. He has behaved strangely since yesterday. The songs he sang and hummed since have been uncharacteristically somber and almost sad unlike his usual songs. The song he was singing in the moment was about a foolish male who traveled far away from his home to search for fame and wealth. He missed his fiancée dearly and she had always been on his mind. One day, he returned home expecting ask the woman for her hand in marriage only to discover that she has wed another man who was rich and powerful. It was very different from the usual songs that he was always singing which were catchy, infectious and brimmed with excitement.

When his song came to an end, the liar bug sank into a short tranquil silence, “Do you think I can live in this forest with you?” Out of nowhere, the liar bug asked the strangest thing.

“Why would you want to live here?” Iliva asked.

“I don’t know. The world outside is probably in a disastrous state at the moment, if not now then sooner or later. Don’t ask me how I know that, I served those crazy gods for fourteen years, I know what I’m talking. I don’t know if I really want to be a part in any of the conflicts in the outside world,” he sighed mysteriously.

“Even after you have fought for fourteen years?” Iliva questioned. Those words of uncertainty were strange to her ears. They were strange because they came from that liar bug who was always so full of himself and overbearingly arrogance.

“The wars I waged during those fourteen years are very different from the wars this world. I can humiliate and kill my enemies, and the next thing I know, those enemies, the same one that I had killed would be in front of me, shaking my hands, inviting me to their party, going to karaoke parties and becoming friends with me. It’s weird. I know. That’s the kind of world I have been living in until recently.”

“Then why you are here?” inquired Iliva. She had no idea what the liar bug was talking about as usual. His gods were the most insane gods in the world, so were his people, his friends and enemies and even himself. She could never understand them. She could only accept them as what they were.

“Because of a whim of the gods I served, I guess,” the liar bug snickered sarcastically.

“You guess?”

“I’m not even sure… but I don’t think I can return home,” he sighed.

“Where is your home, liar bug?”

The liar bug did not answer. He pointed at the sky instead.

Iliva turned and looked at the sky. There were three moons, the red moon, the golden moon, and the silver moon. She looked down at the liar bug’s pointing finger and then the sky once again. “The red moon of Kharigan? That’s the home of the demon lords.”

“No, it’s on a spirit plane, but not one of the nine spirit planes that everyone know,” the liar bug chuckled animatedly. The liar bug suddenly raised his left hand to the sky, grabbing something invisible and letting it go away in the end. “It’s so very close that I can feel like I can touch it, and yet it’s very far, separate from this land by countless distance and infinite time, ever elude to me.”

“I don’t understand,” said Iliva, as honestly as she could. Everything that ever came out of the liar bug’s mouth was strange and confusing.

“Neither do I.” the liar bug answered and cackled to himself. Sorrow and loneness was his suppressed laughter.

“Then why you are so sure that you could not return home?” Iliva asked. Home was a strange subject to her. She wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to return to Lagrande Toile.

“I just know it,” the liar bug replied resolutely.

“So you are exiled from your homeland just like me,” Iliva asked.

“In a way, yes. I’m exiled, never to return again,” the liar bug gave a sorrowful reply, leaving both him and Iliva in a strange state of restless silence. Iliva didn’t know what the liar bug was thinking when that restless silence creeped into her skin, seeped into her blood and gnawed her marrow. She tried to imagine what her life would be like staying with the liar bug in this forest. He would drive her insane each and every single day. He would mock her and play tricks on her. He would make her life irrationally hectic, but she could live with that. But the pain inside her chest, she wasn’t so sure. She remembered that dream where he sealed that hateful Arameer’s lips with his own. It was just a stupid contest of strength and yet it was very painful for her to watch. Even just by remembering that, Iliva felt like her chest was about to be torn apart by the wretched monster inside.

“Liar bug,” Iliva called.

“Yes”

“Do you want to meet your Alice again?” she asked.

“How do you… “ he startled, his voice trailed off and the liar bug without warning tried to turn back, but Iliva hugged him tight in her arms, refusing to let him turn around to see her face. “Did I talk in my sleep?” He was smart and devious, of course, he could figure it out easily.

“You cry and call for her all the time. At some point even I could figure that is a woman’s name.”

“Hahaha, I have showed you my pathetic side.” The liar bug laughed awkwardly, scratching his head.

“Is the female in the painting you gave me Alice?” Iliva asked, remembered that otherworldly beautiful woman in that well-drawn painting who gave her so much pain and suffering.

“Painting? What painting?” the liar bug inquired, his voice was full of turmoil and alarm.

“Are you trying to pretend you don’t remember?” Iliva released the liar bug, producing the painting she kept inside the strange garment she wove.

“No,” the liar bug held the painting in his hand and shook his head. He put his hand into his robe and took out his strange leather pocket. He produced a picture slightly burned, “This is Alice.” He pointed at a woman who stood next to him in that painting.

She was a dashing young woman, lean and had a rather broad shoulder for a woman. She had the look of a fighter. She was a forehead shorter than the liar bug in the painting. The lack of curves of that woman intrigued Iliva, she almost mistake her for a man because of that. That woman had her long black hair tied up. She did have a well-defined jawline, her short nose bridge like that of a man. With feature like that, it’s hard to think of her as beautiful. That thought gave Iliva a small respite but ultimately did not give her a sense of relief.

“I thought she is more beautiful than that. Who is this woman then? She is so much more beautiful than your Alice.” Iliva pointed at the picture in her hand.

“Ah, that’s Meng Meng, we were lovers for a few years. She’s married to someone else now. But we do see each other once in a while.” The liar bug replied nonchalantly.

That nonchalance in his reply gave Iliva a ghastly sense of foreboding uneasiness. She was not aware of the reason. “You never mentioned her name in your dream,” she thereby tried to probe, as subtle as she could.

“I talked a lot in my sleep, did I?” The liar bug murmured.

The liar bug neither confirmed or denied, or gave Iliva a hint to her question. He was ever cruel and deceiving. That invisible uneasiness made her heart fell silent. Her lips could not will itself to move, to find courage to ask the important question she wanted to ask the most. Iliva bit her lips and clenched her fists in a grudging silence. “Yes, liar bug, you talk a lot. So, you love this Alice more than this female human?” Finally she could say it.

“Yes,” the liar bug answered resolutely. It was as if he could read his own heart and said it without a sliver of uncertainty.

That uneasiness suddenly transformed into pain. A thousand wooden stakes, a thousand razor teeth and a thousand of thorn vines rustled and tore Iliva’s chest from within. This pain, it was too much. But she would not give up, “But she is not as pretty as this female,” she gritted her teeth, enduring the pain.

“That’s very cruel. Why everyone keep telling me something like that? Alice is beautiful. It’s just that not many people are perceptive enough to see that.”

He was still obvious to Iliva’s suffering. How cruel of him! He was such a wretched human. “Your perception of beauty is warped, liar bug.”

“I can assure you that it’s not.”

“Am I…” her lips were quivering and her eyes watered. But Iliva felt like she had to get this part over with, otherwise, she will never be able to ask the liar bug this question. “Who is more beautiful? Alice or me?”

And the liar bug stared at Iliva for a long time, stunned. He slowly wrapped Iliva into his arms and squeezed her tightly.

“I’m sorry,” He said with an apologetic tone, “I did not notice. It must have been very painful for you.”

“You have not answer my question liar bug,” Iliva growled as the scenery in front of her blurred in the vapor of her hot tears. She didn’t want to hear his apology. She wanted to listen to his answer, the truth and nothing else.

“Alice has a very special place inside my heart. But in this moment, the person I hug in my arms is you Iliva, not Alice,” he whispered softly into her ear.

Anger overtook Iliva. She pushed the liar bug away and shouted at him. “That does not answer my question.”

The liar bug looked into Iliva’s eyes, a drop of crystal rolled down his cheek. What meaning did that tear hold? Was that apologetic? Or pity? Iliva gritted her teeth. She could not stand pity especially when it came from the liar bug. She hate him and his lies but she absolutely did not want to hear him apologized to her or looked at her with eyes filled with pity.

“Must you know the answer? Even if it would hurt you even more?” he asked.

“Yes, tell me your answer,” and Iliva replied, allowing no falsehood or retreat for herself and the liar bug.

“Alice, she’s by my side for very long time through up and down. Naturally, I think that she was the most beautiful woman as well. I could not think of another woman who can contest that at the moment.” The liar bug bowed to Iliva as he delivered a dagger to her chest.

“I hate you, liar bug.” Iliva shouted, her shout was primal and raw. There was no dignity or a sliver of grace in it. So that was what it sounded like, Iliva thought as her entire world was drown in her own sobbing and flowing tears, so this was what a foolish woman whose heart was stolen and trampled on sounded like. She has finally realized the nature of that pain inside her chest. She has realized that she has woefully fell in love with a lowly human.

“I’m sorry.”

“I hate you,” Iliva howled. Why would she fall for this wretched liar bug? Why would a proud Arachne like her fall for a lowly human who was wretched, cruel and full of lies?

“I’m sorry”

“Why are you giving me all this pain?”

“I’m sorry”

“It hurts here every day.” Iliva hit her own chest, “I don’t know how to get rid of this pain. I tried to kill you to rid myself of this pain and I just can’t. I was there when that serpent was about to kill you. I thought I would have that serpent killed you for me and yet my chest felt like it was being branded by hellfire and stabbed by a thousand spears. You don’t know how much pain and suffering I had when you gave me that painting of that female, do you? I would rather have my limbs ripped off by the savage beasts or have my entire body feathered with arrows than suffering this pain.” Iliva hollered violently and her tears flew into the air. Her breathing ran ragged as she sobbed.

“I’m sorry.”

“I hate you liar bug.” Iliva has thought she knew what pain was. Pain was the sharp spears that penetrate her stomach. Pain was the razor sharp fangs of those savage beasts. Pain was the rain of arrows that feathered her back. Pain was the wicked edges of the hateful elves’ scimitars. Pain was fire and pitchforks. Pain was the news of Briza’s death. Pain was exile and expulsion from the only home she has ever had. And now, she finally knew what pain truly was. Pain was a stolen and trampled heart of a foolish woman.

“It was never my intention to give you so much pain. It’s definitely my fault, I did not notice that. I should have known. You are right to hate me and curse me. You have every right to kill me.” The liar bug put his head down to touch Iliva’s large hammock and apologized.

“If I kill you, will this pain go away?” the word ‘kill’ prompted Iliva to ask.

“I’m afraid not. If you kill me, it probably will stay with you for as long as you live.”

“If you are so smart, tell me how do I get rid of this pain?”

“Will you give me the chance to make it right? I will take responsibility and stay by your side in this wood until my last breath.” The liar bug lifted his head and moved closer to Iliva.

“Stop lying to me. How does that make my pain go away? All this time, it’s painful to stay near you.”

“Please, let me…” the liar bug lifted his hand, trying to brush away her tears.

Iliva immediately slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me. I hate you,” she hollered, the pain inside her chest has not subsided. Why would she foolishly fall for such wretchedness of a man?

The liar bug suddenly climbed out of Iliva’s hammock. His eyes quietly casted at the ground, “I will leave this forest and never return to disturb you. I imagine it could be very painful for you at first. But, talk to your spiders, hunt with them, and try the new strategies that I have taught you with them, find something fun to do to pass time. That will help you to forget about the pain. Eventually, in time, that pain will fade.”

“Is that true? Can you promise me that you are not lying to me?” Iliva asked. Why would she choose to believe the word of a person who did this to her even now? She could not understand her wretched self.

“I promise you, my words are truthful. I’m very sorry for causing so much pain to you. It was never my intention to hurt you. I was careless, I lost myself in my grieving and treated your affection carelessly.”

“I hate you so much for lying to me and playing with my emotion,” Iliva hissed as her tears kept flowing.

“I am very sorry. I know that I have tricked you and hurt you. Also, I have a confession. It’s true. I did not lie to you when I told you that the reason I spared your life was because I was caught off guard by your beauty. I did not lie when you wore these cloth for me. In that very moment, I truly thought that you are the most beautiful person I have ever met.”

“Get out of my sight, liar bug,” Iliva slapped the liar bug in his face and pointed at the camp fire where he belonged.

And the liar bug walked away, his head casted down and never looked up.

That night, Iliva could not sleep. The pain inside her chest was too much for her.