Outside the university grounds, a black Bentley Mulsanne Grand Limousine was parked, with four well-trained bodyguards waiting for him.
When they saw Andre, they stepped aside and one of them opened the rear door for him, "Your Excellency." They bowed.
Andre nodded in response and entered the vehicle with Abel behind him.
Inside the limousine, it wasn't that extravagant. Its layout was simple but still exudes luxury and power. Andre sat on the back peacefully while reading the folder that Abel gave him.
"Your Excellency, you have been gone from the country for a little more than five years. With the power that the current President holds, the influence that the Crown possesses is slowly deteriorating. Isn't it time that you show your presence and power to the countrymen?" Abel asked.
"Abel, even if the authority of the Crown is lost, I don't care. I am already living for who knows how many years. I live my life to live peacefully and to protect the world. Anything that holds me down like kingship and material goods are just material objects to me." Andre stated.
"Sigh. If that is what you wish, Your Excellency." Abel nodded resignedly.
After their talk, silence pervaded the car. Only the sound of flipping pages can be heard. When he finished reading the folder, Andre placed it down and placed his head down the headrest and sighed.
"How is she?" He muttered slowly. Abel flinched at the sudden question and faced Andre, "Your Excellency, do you mean her?"
Knowing who Abel meant, Andre nodded. There's only a number of people who can make Abel not say their name, and only one of them would be addressed by the King with a simple "her".
"Miss Myori is still performing with the girls of YPEnt. She is still also being protected by our men." Abel answered slowly and carefully. The matters about Miss Myori are very delicate and important for the King and it was ordered to all that she must be protected at all costs.
Not everyone knows the relationship– or past relationship– between him and Miss Myori. The only people that know it could be counted with one hand.
"Although this can be rude, I just wanted to ask, not as your formal representative to the Philippine Government, but as the friend that has been with you for thirty years. Why did you leave her? You haven't divulged the matter since you left Korea five years ago." He inquired.
Andre was silent. He extended his hand to the ceiling and opened the sunroof. He gazed silently at the sky, no one knows if he was reminiscing, saddened, or both.
But Abel broke the silence by continuing the question, "Did you really love Miss Myori?" He asked sternly. "With the ridiculously long life that you have lived, you ought to have at least one girl in your life. Is Miss Myori just one of those girls, a passerby in your life? Did you place protection on her just because you felt obligated to? Did you?!" With every question, Abel's voice grew louder and more serious.
Hearing his successive questions, Andre couldn't help but flinch. He closed his eyes with deep sorrow, his face's expression was that of heartache. "I.. love her." He muttered with profound pain, "In my incalculably long life that even I don't know how or why, I've had fifteen women, but she was the girl that I loved the most. Actually, I should rephrase that."
"She was the only girl that I loved in my billions of years alive." Not being able to control himself, tears flowed down his cheeks.
"Andre.." Realizing that he had gone too far with the topic, Abel didn't know what to do.
"Nari is definitely not just a passerby in my life. I wish to be with her, stay with her, and make her happy. But I can't. I wouldn't be able to do so." He looked at Abel with reddened eyes and shook his head. He turned to Abel with difficulty and started to pour down words after words, venting his melancholic emotions on him.
"I want all of you to protect her because I genuinely want her to be safe and sound. I want her smile that I wanted to cherish to be protected at all cost. I want the hair that I caressed to not be harmed by anyone. I want the back that I hugged every time she was sad to not be hurt or grazed. And I want the heart that I tried hard to care for to be away from anyone who plans to do the opposite of what I want for her." He held his hand and squeezed it hard. Because of the force, his fingertips noticeably reddened.
"I love her, even until now. Although twelve years is pitifully short compared to my everlasting life, those twelve years made my life here more colorful than it used to." He whispered with reminiscence.
"If you do, why did you leave her?" Abel wanted to ask this, but he couldn't, so he just kept it to himself. He stayed silent till they reached the airport.
Oxford International Airport.
They got out of the car and marched towards the VIP Terminal of the airport. Abel took his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. "We're in the airport. Prepare the plane." He immediately turned the call off and continued to stride with Andre inside the airport.
They were seen by a lot of people, with those people thinking that Andre was maybe a businessman. But no one knew him, so they didn't approach him. Even if they knew him, they wouldn't be able to approach him because of the strictness of the surrounding bodyguards.
Inside, They were welcomed by the airport staff from all over the place. The staff were alerted that a VVVIP has arrived and they must assure that nothing goes wrong with the important person.
They all stepped aside and gave way and all bowed to him. Not caring about anything right now because of his mood, Andre continued without looking or even glancing at them.
Abel, to appease the staff, just nodded at them. That calmed down the indignant airport staff that was near exploding when they weren't even looked at.
When they arrived at the runway, they were greeted by a classy black Gulfstream G550 parked and ready to fly. The boarding stairs have also been placed down, waiting for them to enter the aircraft.
Andre stepped up straight to the jet, with the others behind him. Inside, it was luxurious, befitting of a king.
Contrary to the matte black finish of the exterior of the jet, the inside was layered white with gold rims. The tables were made with exquisite furnished Ebony Wood with the seats made of full grain leather made by Rolls Royce.
From the cockpit, the door opened and the pilot bowed to Andre, "Your Excellency, the plane is ready to depart at your command."
Andre slightly nodded. Abel looked at the pilot and nodded, "Let's go, Captain Sariento."
Captain Sariento nodded and returned to the cockpit. He then started the engine and drove to the runway. After turning the plane and lined up with the path, the jet zoomed and started to lift off.
Inside the plane, now that they have finally lifted off from the ground, Andre said to Abel without looking at him, "Tell me the current affairs concerning the country."
"Yes, Your Excellency." Abel nodded and retrieved a folder on the table, "As usual, Japan, Korea, Australia, Southern Vietnam, Qing Dynasty, Malaysia, and the United States of America express willingness to us for a joint trade partnership. Our products, like metals, minerals, jewelry, and oil, are in high demand in their strong and rich economies. Because of the ignorance of the current government, those resources weren't really used properly, so our technological development is temporarily lacking."
"With your command, I will immediately order the utilisation of these metals to strengthen the technology and economic development of our country. With the threat of war beginning between the Philippines and The Sultanate, it would really be dangerous if we do not advance in these fields faster."
"Mhmm." Andre nodded. He looked at Abel and signalled, "What are you waiting for? Continue."
"??" Abel was confused but he still kept going, "Also, with the tension between Japan and Korea reaching near gunpoint, our country would need to choose a side to help."
"Why?" Andre looked at him confusedly. "Why?" Abel returned the question.
"Why would we need to choose a side? The matters between those two countries are to them only. If our country decides to choose a side, then it would ruin the relationship between our side and the opposing side. Why would we need to do that just because of a five hundred-year resentment?" Andre asked indifferently.
"But.." Abel tried hard to utter the word, "Nari.."
Suddenly, Andre's eyes turned sharp.
"Miss Myori is a part of those two countries."
"Are you also planning to tear her apart?!" Andre shouted angrily at Abel. "If you cannot decide who to support, don't support anyone! Discourage them from beginning the war!"
"Okay, Your Excellency." Abel nodded.
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