[You have caught my attention, Rudy Ross.]
"Well, well, if it isn't the number one. Why are you hiding in the shadows? Too shy to show your face to everyone?" Rudy said jokingly.
[You want to see my face?]
"Isn't that obvious? If you want to talk to me, you have to show your face. How do I know that it is really the Heim Lu Bela."
[You may have a point, but I have no reason to do as you say. And you have no choice but to listen to me.]
"Why is that? Because you are number one, and I will soon take your spot?" Rudy wondered with a calm and curious look on his face.
[I am Heim Lu Bela, the head of the Underworld Board Committee.]
"Oh… so you are the top of the top in the entire underworld?"
[You may assume that, yes.]
"I see."
[It seems you little missy didn't tell you about this, hmm Maria?]
Maria frowned her face and said, "You won't stay on top for long now."
[Oh, please, I would be more than happy if someone were to take my spot. It's too exhausting. And thanks to that, I couldn't even participate in this gambling tournament.]
"Does that mean I won't get a chance to gamble with you?" Rudy asked calmly.
[You want to gamble with me, hah?! It has been years since someone even asked me to gamble with them.]
'Seriously? So her ranking hasn't increased for years, and she was still at the top?!'
[But if you truly want to gamble with me, let's meet in the VVIP tournament, shall we? I will wait for you in the finale.]
"Sounds good." Rudy nodded and said, "But can you show your face now?"
[....]
"...."
SIGH!
[What will I get in return?]
"Umm…" Rudy checked his pockets and took out something. "I will give you this toffee."
[....]
Everyone turned silent and thought Rudy was asking for a death wish.
"It's tasty, you know?"
[What flavor is it?]
"Strawberry?"
[I don't like—]
"But I also have others. Mango, orange, apple, pineapple, banana. You can have them all."
[Very well, then.]
The screen suddenly turned bright, but the camera lost focus. But it was fixed a few seconds later, and a person was seen sitting on a throne next to a window.
'She just folded the curtains…' Rudy glanced at Maria and looked at the screen once again. 'Yup, she looks exactly like she was in the photo.'
[Are you happy now, Rudy Ross?]
"If you don't mind me asking, are you a male or a female?"
[What do you think I am?]
"It's hard to tell, but if you are female, then… my condolences," Rudy said while glancing at Hiem Lu Bela's chest.
[Hah! Who do you want me to be?]
"Hmm~" Rudy hummed in wonder and said, "Girl, perhaps."
[And why is that?]
"You are too beautiful to be a man. And if you are, then I will lose my confidence as a man," Rudy scoffed softly.
[Don't say that, you are handsome enough.]
"I am honored."
Maria nudged her elbow to Rudy and shot a glare at him before saying, "Are you seriously flirting with her in front of me?"
[It seems your little missy is getting jealous.]
"She is my fiance."
[Oh? I didn't know you had a serious relationship with her.]
"I am always serious about everything. My words are my commitment, so I need to work up to it," he said calmly.
[When exactly did you get engaged to her?]
"Tonight… after we go home."
[Then she is not your fiance currently, am I right?]
"And?"
[Nothing. I just felt like correcting you.] She smiled slightly and said, [You see, people often tend to sigh in relief before the problem is solved. You cannot guess the side of the coin unless it stops spinning.]
"..." Rudy chuckled softly while nodding and said, "I will keep that in mind.
However, the coin you speak of has only one side, so I don't need to guess anything." Rudy shrugged his shoulders and said, "I already know the answer."
[...]
Rudy unwrapped the toffee and ate it. Then, twisted the wrapper and turned it into a ring shape.
[...]
He held Maria's hand in his hand and smiled gently at her before asking, "Maria, would you like to be my wife?"
[....!]
Once again, everyone in the colosseum had turned silent.
"I…" Maria's face flushed as she glanced around in confusion.
"Hmm?"
"I…"
"Before you answer, I want to tell you something." He moved his face close to her ears and whispered, "I have been hiding this from you, but I had no intention to hide it. I was going to tell you once everything is settled down, but I don't want you to feel I betrayed you or I was playing with your heart."
"..."
"I am not a regular human, and I have superpowers. I will explain all that later, but what I want to tell you is… I have a harem."
"....!"
"You know what harem means, right?"
Maria nodded in response.
"Now it's up to you to decide. I won't force you to make any decisions. Even if you turn me down, we can still stay as close friends, and nothing will change. And, of course, I will try my best to convince you to join my harem."
"I…"
"If you are unsure and need time to think about it, feel free to turn me down."
Rudy pretended to whisper into Maria's ears; however, he wasn't. He couldn't risk the mics catching his voice, so he used telepathy to share his voice using mind reading as he was already touching her.
After pondering for a while and asking, "Will anything change in our relationship?"
Rudy shook his head and said, "Absolutely, nothing."
Maria inserted her finger in the wrapper and said, "I would love to be with you."
Rudy glanced at the screen with a grin on his face and asked, "Can I sigh in relief now?"
