Page 285 of The Wishing Game

"Hm, the big, bad, and dangerous Commander Azerius, the God Killer whom everyone fears?" I lean in to whisper jokingly.

He nods, pleased.

"You forgot one thing," he interjects. "I am also one of the wealthiest males in the universe. I willnotbe cheap with you."

"Right, how could I have forgotten that?" I laugh.

He has an obsession with being rich, doesn't he? I wonder if he grew up without money and that's why he puts so much emphasis on it now.

"You should not. There is nothing you may want that I could not buy for you. You need only say so."

"Why, thank you, Ze. That's very nice of you."

His eyes positively sparkle at hearing the word nice, his lips curling up in a smile.

The barman slides the drinks in front of us. Ze grabs them, nodding for me to go to one of the tables in the back.

"But I like it here," I blink innocently.

His features tighten.

"I donot.There are too many people brushing against you," he says as his arm shoots out to block a drunken man from stumbling into me. "Too manymales."

"But—"

"Come," he declares, somehow holding on to both glasses with one hand while dragging me away with the other. I release a small sigh as I follow him to the back where there are no empty tables—momentarily. Somehow, when people see him, they jump out of their seats and offer their table to us, an obsequious expression on their faces as they barely dare to meet his gaze.

Ze grunts. He slaps the glasses on the table before he pulls a chair for me and not so gently raises me in the air and places me on the seat.

"Now, this is good," he hums to himself.

People stare at us. Regardless of whether he has longer hair and tattoos, Ze's presence creates the same type of awe and fear in people. Their whispers are drowned by the live band, but their scathing gazes don't escape me.

"I'm very curious how this compares to Earth drinks," I mention with a smile as I pull my glass toward me. The liquid is a light amber color, similar to unfiltered ale. Before I can taste it, though, Ze gives me a warning glance as he snatches the glass from my side, taking a big gulp.

"Not poisoned," he declares.

I smile indulgently at his thoughtfulness and bring the glass to my lips, taking the first sip.

"Oh, but this is quite sweet," I exclaim in surprise. A small sip turns into a bigger one. Well, this is a type of alcohol I wouldn't mind having every once in a while.

"It is, indeed, not bad," he murmurs his appreciation, already downing half his glass.

"Thank you again for today, Ze. You have no idea how much that meant to me." I feel compelled to let him know again just how much his gift impressed me. From that first stab of a knife, a sense of freedom unlike any other had enveloped me, making me feel light and carefree for the first time...ever?

He smiles into his glass as he takes another sip.

"You are very welcome. I assume this gives me bonus points?" He raises a brow.

I roll my eyes at him. Of course he would bring that up. But not even his outrageous demands can ruin the marvelous mood I have right now.

Taking another sip of my ale, I nod.

"Yes, you can have a thousand points." I giggle. "You deserve them."

His eyes momentarily widen in disbelief before he empties his drink, slamming it on the table. Determination shines in his features as he gazes at me.

"You cannot take it back. I am in possession of a thousand points now and they are mine to use as I see fit," he declares. "One hundred are going toward my debt, which means I now have nine hundred left, which amounts to nine boons. And I will have my boons, human," he warns.

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