The World Is Mine For The Taking

Leon's POV

Professor Rose was guzzling down an entire bottle of alcohol like it was water. She'd already drained three bottles, while I was still nursing the first one she'd handed me, barely halfway through.

The stench of booze clung to her, thick and pungent, like it was seeping from her very pores.

"Being an adult is a fucking pain in the ass," she slurred, her words heavy with drunken frustration. "I barely get any sleep, my back's always killing me, and when I wake up, I'm still tired as hell. I can count the hours I sleep on one hand—maybe two fingers if I'm lucky. And then, you gotta slap on a presentable face, make everyone think you've got your shit together. But it's all bullshit.

I miss how things used to feel when I was younger," she mumbled through hiccups, her voice thick and sloppy with the alcohol that had her completely wrecked.

I gazed up at the shimmering stars and the sprawling night sky as I took a deep gulp from the bottle. "It really does seem like a fucking pain in the ass," I said. "Sometimes, I wish I could stay young forever. No responsibilities, just endless opportunities."

"It's that intoxicating sense of freedom that makes you think like that," she slurred, her voice thick with the effects of the alcohol. "Once you're older, you're shackled by work and barely have any time for yourself. Sometimes, I escape by getting plastered and shouting into the abyss from this cliff."

Her words echoed memories of what my sister used to say. After our parents died, she had to shoulder everything alone. She'd always insist I needed to savor my youth, to seize every chance and live fully without regrets. She wanted me to pursue what I desired because she didn't want me to face the same burdens she did. She was my anchor, always reaching out to keep me grounded when I was at my lowest.

"I wanted to go back in time and do it all over again," she said. "Back then, I dreamed of having a grand house all to myself, and maybe even having a prince charming sweep me off my feet, so we could start a family. It all feels so childish now, but our minds back then were driven by different fantasies than we have now. Who would have thought someone like me would have such fantastical dreams?"

"It isn't that hard to believe, honestly," I replied.

"Eh?"

"I mean, everyone has their own wild fantasies. Like me, wanting to conquer the world and hold it in the palm of my hand."

She let out a soft chuckle, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "That's a pretty ambitious and fantastical dream," she said with a playful grin.

"I know," I said, letting the words linger in the cool night air as I took another slow sip, the taste of the drink grounding me. "But yours, it feels more real. It's not just some fantasy; it's the kind of dream a normal girl has when she's thinking about her love life."

She let out a soft, almost bitter laugh, the sound carrying a trace of something deeper. "You think I'm a normal girl?" Her chuckle was laced with a hint of self-mockery. "You should've seen me back then. I had my hair chopped short, and I was a wild beast. I racked up more fight records in the academy than any of the boys. My mother, she gave up on trying to make me into a lady.

Didn't see the point."

I glanced at her. "You look like any other lady to me," I said. It was a simple statement, but I knew it was more than that. Most women would've taken offense, hearing they were just like any other girl. But for her, who had always struggled to fit into the mold of a conventional woman, it was a genuine compliment.

She, who had never felt like a true woman, might finally see herself as one through my eyes.

Her face turned a deep shade of red, the flush either from the alcohol or my unexpected compliment. She stammered, "T-Thank you for that... I guess..." and quickly tried to hide her embarrassment. She took a shaky breath and continued, "Phew. I'd probably regret it if I could go back in time. I mean, if I did, I wouldn't have had the chance to meet you, Partner."

"Well, I think I was still pretty young back then," I said. "But if we were the same age and you were still the same as you were then, I'd definitely marry you."

Her drinking came to a sudden halt as she fixed me with a scrutinizing gaze, her eyes narrowing with a mix of suspicion and amusement. "Are you trying to seduce me now, Leon? You can stop that. It won't work on me. Besides, you've got a girlfriend, right? I don't want her getting the wrong idea.

She's a princess from another kingdom. If she catches wind of this, you might find yourself in a lot of trouble, you know?"

"I'm not trying to seduce you or anything like that," I said. "I'm just talking about a hypothetical scenario. Honestly, I'm stunned that guys your age can't see you in a different light. You'd make a hell of a wife. And I genuinely mean that as a compliment."

Her face flushed slightly, or maybe it was just the alcohol making her cheeks red. "If you're not trying to seduce me with those words, then you must have a knack for it without even realizing," she said. "I might really land in hot water if you keep this up."

"Keep what up?"

"That... You saying things like this to me. I don't want to get caught in a mess. I despise trouble, and my job is already a fucking mess. I don't want to find myself tangled in a complicated situation."

"If you really need to let it all out, you can always shout it here," I said, my voice low and steady. "This place has a way of helping you release everything, right? That's why you keep coming back here when things get rough."

She let out a shaky breath, her voice quivering with emotion. "I'm serious, Partner. I don't want to get into trouble, so please, don't say any more of those strange things to me."

Professor Rose's heart was breaking at a pace I hadn't realized was possible. If I pushed any further, her emotions might spiral out of control, leading her to do exactly what she wanted to avoid.

I reached out and gently touched one of her hands resting on the ground for support.

Her hand twitched for a moment before she turned her head toward me. Our eyes locked, and I saw the conflict within her.

"I don't... really want to get in trouble..."

"If you really want to do it, then it's okay to get in trouble every now and then," I said softly. "Just like what we're doing right now. I mean, I'm definitely breaking curfew by being here, but I'm doing it because I want to be with you, Professor."
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In that moment, I saw something shift in those deep green eyes. Without another word, she let go of the glass bottle. Her hand moved to my cheek as she leaned in, closing the distance between us.

Her lips met mine.

The beer splashed as the bottle hit the ground.