Iryz's voice was stern, severe even as she laid out her conditions to him. She was letting him see that she was not playing around. He needed to know straight up that her conditions were never a joke or something that should be taken lightly.

She was not going to dig her own grave by allowing him to stay now, and then have him just up and leave one day as and when he feels like it. She refused to be the one who was always getting left behind anymore. If he could not commit to staying forever, then it was better for him to just leave now. It would save the both of them on the heartaches in future.

"Okay…" he said, "I'm accepting your condition, Iryz." He replied.

Her jaws fell. She could not help it. Her eyes searched through his and saw nothing but seriousness in them. She could not even see any hesitation at all! And she was… she was even thinking that he would need to take some time to think about it first or perhaps even give some other excuse. Yet he had answered her almost immediately. This guy… did he even understand her conditions? Even she knew her condition was pretty ridiculous and over the top! Yet he had immediately said okay, just like that? What the hell? Did he actually damaged his head when she kicked him a while ago?

"I can even prepare us an official agreement if you think it is necessary. Or I can do the witch's oath instead, since that's an irrevocable –" Zeres offered quickly as he saw that Iryz was not answering to him agreeing to her conditions even after a few seconds.

"You… Wait a freaking moment!!!" she finally burst out. Her eyes were so wide in both shock and disbelief. She of course knew about that witch's oath thing. And it was a hell of a serious thing! Her grandmother had told her about this when she was younger, that when a witch makes an oath to a certain person, he or she would be bound to that person for life. It was something like human wedding vows – only that there was no divorce in this case. It is permanent! It would take a huge and severe sacrifice instead if the witch dared to sever his own oath. So why in the world was this man talking about making a witch's oath so easily like that?!

Iryz pressed her fingers to her temples and drew in a deep breath.

"Look here, Zeres. You do know the severe consequence of that… of that oath, right?" Iryz just had to double check with him on this. As a powerful witch, there was no way that he did not know this. So she did not understand why was he being this way. Could it be that there was something else that he wanted in exchange? Because to her, Zeres agreeing to this so easily was just too random.

"Of course. I am an ancient witch and I only forget faces of people in the past. Everything else is still clear to me."

"Then why the hell are you taking it so lightly like this?! Ugh! You're driving me crazy!" she shouted at him and reached out to grab hold of his head. "Where did you hit your head when I kicked you? That was a really loud thud a while ago. Did you fall head first? Was it your head that got damaged?" Iryz turned his head this way and that, looking all over to casually check if there were any bumps on his head, just in case.

Zeres too, just stayed still and allowed Iryz to manipulate his head whatever way she wanted, not stopping her nor kicking up a fuss. He just looked extremely puzzled. He was even blinking innocently and looked like he was wondering if he had messed up something again. Why did Iryz seem upset at what he had just said?

"Answer me, Zeres. Where did you hit your head? Huh??" she was genuinely concerned. His words were just… just too hard for her to believe that she could not help but really think that he was not in his right mind right now. And this did not seem to be the grumpy and bad tempered Zeres that she had gotten to know all this while!

"I didn't hit my head. Also… I think… you should stop doing that and get off me now." He said that quietly.

Iryz froze. She had momentarily forgotten that she was still straddling him. Then she eventually pulled away so very slowly to look at his face. To her surprise, his colour had changed. What the hell was this? Was he… was he blushing? No way, right?!

Despite the realization of their questionable position right now and despite the mad embarrassment that had also flooded her entire being, she did not rush to get off him.

She would have jumped off him like something hot had scalded her if it was any other time, but… but the look on his face right now had her maintain her position and remain unmoving. And then an unexpected evil side of her peeked its head out inside her mind. Or was it her hopeless romantic storyteller mind that had taken over? Whatever it is… it had been awakened.

"What if… I don't want to get off you? What would you do, hmm…?" she asked. Her insides were already screaming by now, but her outward expression somehow managed to remain serious, save for her now seemingly over-heated face.

He blinked, twice, thrice before he eventually opened his mouth with so much hesitation. "I might… end up kissing you or… touching you... I'm still a man, Iryz. "

While she turned almost completely catatonic, Zerez moved with so much ease and stood, carrying her along with him.

Then he bent and sat her down at the edge of the bed, squatting before her. He stared up into her eyes before dropping his gaze to her fingers that were clutching tightly on his sleeves.