The King's Mandate: Anomalous System

'Well… does it matter anyway?' Das thought as he moved the glass to his lips.

'We will soon go our way.'

'I will eventually drop out from the school, and as for Elena… I don't know.'

'I hope she can advance the semester.'

"What do you want as your birthday gift?" Elena asked.

"I don't want anything." He drank and said, "Just like I said, I can get whatever I want by myself. I don't need anyone to buy me anything."

Elena frowned her eyes and then squinted them, saying, "You want to get punched?"

"If that's my birthday gift, then no. I don't want to get punched on my birthday."

"It's not your birthday gift. I want to punch you because you are being a jerk."

"I always act like a jerk, don't I?"

"You do, but it's different. This is too much! I can't take it."

Das sighed and said, "I don't understand you."

Elena's face twitched as she said, "I don't understand 'you'! You are so difficult to deal with."

"I make it difficult."

"Argh!" Elena groaned and said, "Enough. Now sit quietly and do as I say."

Das raised his eyebrows. 

His face was clearly saying, 'Why?'

"Don't forget that you are my half-slave."

Das slightly smiled and said, "Sure."

"Good"

Elena glanced around and spotted a waiter.

"Excuse me!" said Elena.

'You don't have to yell every time, idiot,' Das thought.

The waiter walked to the table and said, "Yes, ma'am. Your order is in the queue. Please wait for three more minutes."

"I want to order a cake."

"Oh! Yes, please do."

"No, no. I want to order a big cake...no, not that big, but uh…. A medium one. I want a birthday cake."

The waiter stood there for a while and said, "Is that the special cake order?"

"Huh?"

"We will have to make that cake because we don't sell it here."

"What are you talking about!" Elena pointed her finger at the counter and said, "There they are! And the cake slices you serve are from the main big cake, right?! Serve me that!"

"...." Das was speechless.

'It's very dangerous to make her angry.'

"You are right, ma'am. But we can't serve that. If you want to make a special order, then we would be glad to serve you."

"How long will it take?"

"About forty-five minutes in the least."

"That's too much time! Give me in five minutes."

'Who the hell makes a cake in five minutes?' Das was getting more and more amazed by Elena's idiocy.

"That's not possible, ma'am."

"Why not?"

The waiter glanced at Das and gave him a confused look.

'I feel the same every day,' Das thought.

"Then about you give the one that is already ready, and then make another one for the cafe?"

"We have other customers, so we can't do that."

'She looks so furious,' Das thought.

"What's with all this commotion?" A middle-aged man quipped in.

"Sir, this customer is--" The man stopped the waiter and gestured him to go away.

He then looked at Elena and said, "Yes, ma'am. What can I do for you?"

"Are you also a waiter?"

"No, I am the manager of this place. How can I serve you."

"I need a cake to celebrate his birthday."

The manager turned his gaze at Das and said, "Okay."

"How long will it take?"

"It's a special order, so it will take about forty-five minutes to make a new one."

"But I want now."

"That's not--" The manager stopped and once again glanced at Das.

He then slowly reached into his pocket and took out his phone.

He gulped down as he bowed down to Elena and said, "Alright, the cake will be here in five minutes."

"Thank you."

The manager left.

"Heh!" Elena smirked and said, "Did you see that? You have to be smart to deal with them."

'More like annoying.' Das thought and couldn't dare to say it out loud.

"Do you have money to pay for the cake?" Das asked.

"I am not sure."

"So I am going to pay for my own birthday cake?"

"More importantly, let's go back to our topic."

"..."

'She still has more to say?'

"You are dead inside," stated Elena.

Das furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Please elaborate."

"I have never seen you smile."

"What are you talking about? I just smiled a while ago when you were showing your idi--" He cleared his throat and said, "Ordering the cake."

"That's not what I mean. I have never seen you genuinely laugh or be happy."

'Again with this topic,' Das sighed.

"Look, I think I already said this when we were at school that I don't really care about being happy. If there is nothing that can satisfy me, I can't be happy."

"So what satisfies you?"

"Nothing"

Elena made a painful expression and said, "Why are you like this? Why do you close your heart to everyone? You need to be friendly with everyone. If you are friendly with everyone and have friends, then I am sure you can be happy."

"I don't need happiness given by others. Isn't it the same as others owing me?"

"It's not. Not everyone gets happy for the same thing, or not everyone gets happy when you are happy."

"Okay. Answer me one thing." He squinted his eyes and stared into Elena's eyes and said, "Why do you care about me this much."

Elena's face flushed. She was shocked by the sudden question.

"I just want you to be happy."

"Why?"

"Well…" Her face flushed more.

"Why do you want me to be happy?"

"Because I can't be happy seeing you like this. My heart hurts when you don't smile. I feel pain. How do you even live without being happy?"

"There are many things which keep me alive without happiness."

"Stop acting cool, and be serious."

Das smiled a little and said, "See? I am smiling right now because of you."

"..."

Elena stared blankly into Das' eyes, and after a while, she started crying.