“It’s a week before Lunar New Year,” Sena protested. Her hands were folded in front of her chest. There was a small, but noticeable frown on her fair face – one that Joonmyun could not bear to see. The newspaper was left opened on the table of his room and the soft, classical music was the only company for the couple as the clock ticked on in a race against time. Everything was a familiar scene, and yet Sena refused to ever make herself at ease – a precaution for another unwanted slip-up.

                  “So what if it’s Lunar New Year? Never stops Byun Baekhyun from doing what he wishes to,” was Joonmyun’s ignorant reply as he reached his hand out to smoothen the crease between her brows. She flinched upon his touch and inched closer. Her hands were carefully placed in such position that created an empty space to put a distance away. It was a shield, a form of self protection and respect.

                  Two years ago Sena would have loved to be intimate, but the girl right now detested skinship by any means from whomever it was – almost as much as the loathing she felt for herself when Jongin touched her in the pool that night. Joonmyun glanced at the distance she put and said nothing, for he understood, more than anyone other than Sehun, that Sena needed space and time to heal.

                  “How is Minseok coping with everything? I heard Southeast Asia has suffered numerous attacks recently, especially on the islands near Singapore. What did the government say?” Sena pulled away and sat down next to him. She used to be a ray of sunshine, with a rare flame Seiryuu did not possess and now she was just frosty and bitter, broken and unrepaired.

                  To say that Sena was damaged and traumatized would be insulting. She was still humane, just that parts and bits of her had gone along with Jongin. Her heart lost in the sea where they once eloped. Once a sharp woman, always a sharp woman. was still poisonous and full of sarcasm, and ironically, Sehun was often reminded how alike she was to the quick-witted Jongin. She might not be the only person who missed that man, for Sehun, too, had lost a rival and someone who understood him best.

                  “Minseok is being Minseok. He still refused to acknowledge that Yoon Sohee, his so-called former fiancée played a part in the attack that night. Jongdae recently called to inform that Minseok is trying very hard to reflect and lower down his arrogance to ask you for help,” The son of Genbu chuckled almost heartlessly. There was nothing affectionate about his tone when he spoke of his older brother. They might be blood-related, but the thin thread of fate could only bind them so far.

                  “I was not the only one who refused to sign the treaty,” Sena bitterly – very, very bitterly – reminded. The memory was fresh when Minseok threw a fit on the day Sena was shot and kicked them out of Singapore despite of the situation. He was angry, shamed and enraged, and nothing others said would get to his ears, and not to mention that Sena was heavily injured on bed and unconscious for two weeks. She held a grudge ever since. “He can reflect for all I care, and unless the world burns down in flame, I would not sign another treaty so long as he is still reigning.”

                  “Your pride and his arrogance, Sweetheart,” Joonmyun sighed and shook his head playfully. Sena glared at him in return when he decided to pinch her cute little nose out of nothing but adoration for the younger girl. To her, Joonmyun would forever be a tease – sometimes full of amusing inside jokes and sometimes serious. No one would ever know when he meant it or when he faked it. Joonmyun was fine with that. At least he would not have to worry so much about getting into messy divorce or break-up. They could stay forever friends, platonic or not. “That is the one thing you won’t change, will you?”

                  “My pride is Seiryuu’s pride, so I guess I won’t,” She shrugged it off so easily as if the question did not bother her one bit. “Back to Byun Baekhyun, what are you going to do? Or rather, what do you want me to do? Judging from the severity of recent attacks, I should be getting an apology and a pleasant phone call from Minseok.”

                  “My smart little girl,” Joonmyun smirked appreciatively.

                  “Don’t you think I have not uncovered what you are planning for, Joonmyun. It might seem like a grand scheme but once you fail, even I can’t help you anymore,” The girl warned with an underlying tone. Seiryuu’s door would always be opened for Joonmyun, but he was far too ambitious to settle down with her – not that she’d mind that. Sena wholeheartedly supported Joonmyun for whatever he wanted, however he would do, but powerful as she was, there were things she could not do.

                  “Don’t worry, Sena. I am playing the safe card here,” He gave her a small smile, knowing full well the length he had to go through. Kim Joonmyun feared not hardships and troubles, but allies and distrust. He was, in a way, very much like Sena. They were two peas in a pod. Same sufferings, different path to take. “Minseok is not smart like you, or anyone else, for that matter. I would count him out if I were you. There is Jongdae and my mother to worry about, but I could handle them.”

                  “And to answer your question: yes, I need you to do something for me should Minseok call you,” Joonmyun held her hand tightly and looked at her dark orbs. They used to be filled with hopes and dreams and now they were empty and barely alive. Those eyes were unfathomable and piercing. “Accept his apology. Convince him you’ve moved on. I will appease mother’s curiosity and suspicion these few weeks, so we have to bear it while we can.”

                  “It’s a torture. Minseok does not listen. He is as airheaded as he is stubborn. And I am telling you this because I am extremely annoyed by your arrangement, but because I am such a good friend, I will help you out with your idiotic brother. You know clans are not supposed to intervene with internal conflict,” She gave him a very pointed look that asked him to be grateful. “I will see what I can do. Minseok is one hell of a hard rock. His brain works in a wondrously stupid way.”

                  “Now you know how it feels like to spend twenty four years living in the same quarter as him. It was as torturous for me as it is for you but like I said, bear with it for a couple more weeks and trust me when I say I have something good in store. Don’t we all fancy a good drama to watch?” He chuckled, “And yes, yes, my Sweetheart Sena, I feel so humbled and honored to be graced by your favour. I shall not forget this and repay you when you need me to.”

                  “Good, because I can’t wait to use you,” Sena grinned. She giddily clasped her hand and reached out for her rose gold phone, “I can’t wait to hear his apology soon. It’s my turn to shame him now.”

***

                  From the very beginning, Sehun was very clear in what he wanted. Yoon Sena. The Dragon Lady, and not in a way that either Jongin or Luhan had wanted her. For one, he was not obsessed with her, though he would readily admit that he was already past the point of infatuation. There was no regret. She was a brilliant human being, but surely many others would disagree with his opinion.

                  Sehun had had his fair share of girlfriends in high school before he was called into the headquarter to serve his Lady. As a man who possessed good records, both in looks and academic, he was never short of girls. He broke up with his last girlfriend six months before he moved in, and not one tear was shed on that day, simply because Sehun had been kind enough to turn around and walked away before he could hear her cry of rage and disappointment.

                  He did not want to use Sena, either. He might be cruel when he needed to be, but he was not heartless. Position and money did not interest him, for after all, he held the second highest position after Sena herself and he did not need to worry about food and shelter. That girl – fragile and naïve – did not deserve to be treated the way she did when Jongin first broke her heart and second shattered her hope.

                  He remembered his first training, called in when he was seven and trained under the direct order of Grandfather. That man was strict, intimidating and impossible to please. His only hope for consolation was his mother, but he was too ashamed to come home and hear moans and groans of pleasure from the bedroom. The first time he heard them, he did not understand what they were doing. But Sehun was a quick learner. By the age of ten, he already accepted things even adults could not forgive.

                  Memories of his days started when he was very young. He remembered that on a particularly snowy day, his wobbly little feet made his way to his mother who was busy stuffing clothes into a huge luggage. He had very little recollection of what his father looked like, but supposedly, he held a slight resemblance to him, which disappointed his mother immensely everytime she stared.

                  Sehun was polite enough never to question why she did that, for even without asking, he already knew the answer. His mother was a weak woman with very strong will and sky-high ambition. A nameless man would not help her achieve fame and satisfy her greed for money, so she betrayed her morale and divorced him without so much as a paper. Elder Jaehyun was just as horrible. To attract a woman thirty years younger than him and bed her without an ounce of guilt. The image of them, bodies engulfing, lips locking in passion in the sofa had scarred the young boy.

                  Sehun did not believe in love. In his opinion, there was lust, and then commitment, but often, human could not commit and stay faithful to one another because of lust and distrust. Unlike Jongin who lost both parents due to the staged accident, Sehun had his mother, but she was better off dead than alive. They were never more than strangers. At times, he would try hard to find a memory where she held him in her arms, but there was none – nothing that would indicate the presence of a mother.

                  After the not-so-secret rendezvous of Elder Jaehyun and his mother, their family quickly rose in rank and Grandfather soon took notice of this talented young man. By thirteen, he mastered the art of treachery, fakery and all there was to learn. He still remembered very clearly what he was told on the first day of training – Your Lady is your everything. And Sena was his everything. He was created for the sole purpose of her existence. Everything he did was for her.

                  Even before they met, Sehun had long known of Yoon Sena, more than one could imagine. Unlike Jongin, he was not resistant to the idea of having one Lady, close to him at all time. She was a special existence to him, something no one should know about. Sena gave him a reason to live on and move forwards, for without her, he would cease to exist. Such was her importance to his life.

                  Sehun stared at the short paragraph on the screen of his iPad and smiled. For her, he could do anything. Even if it meant sacrificing a thing or two.      

                  A/N: Hey readers, just a quick survey here! Would you like to read historical romance like Forty-Nine, psychological thriller like The Dragon Heiress (and I would put darker theme for this cos I'm evil) or fluffy schoollife/slice of life like Adolescence? Thanks beforehand!