The other woman's facial expression became ugly after hearing those words from Nicole Jiang. If there was anything Phoebe hated most in the world, it was being reminded of her failed love. It was the most humiliating thing anyone could talk about in front of her.
She did not believe she was wrong, but she hated when people mocked her. It was just that her decisions were different from the norm.
Usually, when girls had a crush or were in love with someone secretly, they would try to hide it in their hearts. Maybe, they would confess at some point, but most chose to do so discreetly. For example, school girls would write notes or call their crush to an undisclosed location.
However, Phoebe had thought that a more aggressive plan was suitable. At the time, she felt like a powerful and much-feared man would not choose a shy girl. He would prefer someone who shunned the unspoken rules of society.
Therefore, she had boldly declared her love for the so-called 'demon king' during a party on a yacht. How could she know that he was as unforgiving as people said? He had ordered his men to have her thrown off the vessel. She had to swim for several kilometres to return to land.
Because of that incident, everyone on the island knew about her not-so-secret love for that horrible man. And they mocked her endlessly for it, making her feel embarrassed. Everyone thought that she was overestimating herself by trying to get with him.
Of course, that was not the end.
Even after the humiliation, she did not give up on the man. But she did not dare to be so brave and confess again. She did not pester him as much anymore, but she still found opportunities to try and improve his impression of her.
Unfortunately, people did not forget about her failures at attracting the man and would bring it up on occasion to humiliate her. She had managed to suppress the problems by beating up anyone who spoke about this matter.
But she could not control everyone.
"You b*tch!" She cursed.
Then, she leapt at Nicole, driving her back outside from the doorway of the shop. Her hands were in the shape of claws as if she hoped to scratch and tear apart Nicole's face.
Unfortunately for her, Nicole was vigilant. She defended herself quickly and retaliated. She had expected the aggressive reaction because this type of scene happened every time they met, except when the setting was formal.
Their quarrel spanned a lot of ages and had evolved over the years. The problem started with a boy who Nicole liked and who liked her during their school years. Phoebe made up ugly rumours about her and caused their innocent love to die.
Of course, Nicole found a chance to get revenge. Slowly by slowly, they became irreconcilable ȧduŀts. So, they fought in the streets without a care for their dignity. But again, they were beautiful and popular ladies, and their fight was not bloody.
This particular bout lasted for about ten minutes before the two ladies huffed and turned from each other. Phoebe's clothes had a significant tear, so it was considered Nicole's win. The two of them never pushed things too far for the sake of their families and reputation.
However, they also could not coexist without fighting. Their altercations were expected and necessary because they had sworn to never reconcile.
Nicole turned to look at Kaito, her face flushing with embarrassment at not behaving like a lady and some happiness because she won. But all that she saw were shopping bags on the side of the street. There was no person.
Kaito had escaped.
Panic filled her heart. She was not instructed by her master to prevent Kaito from walking freely. However, she was not an idiot. She knew that Kaito had been brought to the island against his will. Even though it was not said openly between the two men, it was obvious.
She took out her phone from her bag and called Taiki immediately.
"Master, I am so sorry. Kaito has disappeared." She said with a tremble in her voice.
The man on the other end did not betray any feeling as he responded. "What were you doing?"
Nicole felt even more shame. "I met with Phoebe, and we had a bit of an alteration."
"You should think of a way to manage that situation. As a Guardian, you will need to have composure and dignity. If you cannot handle a simple thing like a childish rivalry, you will never be approved as an official Guardian." The statement was a matter of fact.
"But you know how things are. We both swore to beat each other up when we met. If I stop it, I will become a person without honour." She said.
"You are not a child anymore. If you cannot find a way out of the predicament, you are not worthy of becoming a top official on the island. And if you cannot become a Guardian, you should start thinking of another career path." Taiki said coldly.
Jiang felt a little chilled. She was not like Taiki, who managed to be an international lawyer before he was her age. Her parents had told her it was not necessary to push herself so hard. She just needed to be a good Guardian and marry into a suitable family.
Therefore, she could not begin a whole new career.
"I will handle it." She said solemnly. "What about Kaito?"
"Don't worry about it. I will take care of it."
With that, the call ended.
Nicole wondered what she should do after the short lecture by her master. She was also tired of always fighting with Phoebe. But it would not work if she told the other woman that they should call a truce. With the hate between them, the woman would probably become more aggressive.
As a research scientist, Phoebe did not need to care too much about her image. Everyone knew that scientists were a little kooky. Otherwise, why would the woman try to confess to the most dangerous demon king?