The Alchemists

"Thank you... for being honest with me and telling me all this... I don't know what to do now. It's all too shocking," Finland finally replied after a long sigh.

She was initially annoyed because Caspar knew everything about her, while she knew nothing about him. But now, she wasn't ready to hear the whole truth about Caspar.

"Finland... what I have, everything can be yours... Including immortality, if you want. If I married you, you will become a part of my clan. All my wealth is yours..."

Caspar supported Finland's body and helped her sit on the sofa. He grasped the girl's hands and looked at her earnestly, "I've lived for almost 500 years and I've never fallen in love with anyone... not like this. I thought I was just sorry for you when I saw you at the airport the first time. I was moved because you have the saddest pair of eyes I've ever seen in my whole life... That time, instinctively, I just wanted to protect you, I just wanted to make you happy... But now I'm sure, I want to live with you forever. My people are never in a hurry in loving someone or getting married or having children... that's why there are so few of us."

Finland bit her lips in confusion. Now she knew... Caspar was indeed too good to be true. But at the same time, Finland found one big flaw that the man had...

Finally, she knew that Caspar was not perfect...

Caspar was not a normal human like her... and that bothered Finland.

"I... I need to think about this. I don't know if I want to live forever with you," Finland whispered. "People who get married usually get bored after a few years. I can't imagine living forever with someone."

"You don't love me?"

"I do not know..."

Caspar sighed at Finland's answer. For the first time in his life, he fell in love with a woman, but she did not reciprocate his feelings, or at least, she wasn't sure about her own feelings yet.

He thought about the thousands of women he had met during his long life. They all craved for his love and wanted to marry him. They were all fascinated and amazed by him. But now, in front of him, stood the girl of his dreams – and she didn't know how she felt for him.

Caspar did not understand what he lacked. He was very intelligent, physically perfect, and very rich too.. Why did Finland not return his love? This was the third time he had expressed his love for this girl, within two months! This had never happened to any Alchemist before.

"Do you love Jean?" Caspar asked softly.

"Don't be silly, Jean is my best friend," answered Finland. "I just need time to think. This is all too surprising, I don't know what to do."

Caspar nodded.

"I understand. Please think about it... I hope your answer is yes. If you agree to marry me, I will pay the fine for your scholarship and take you out of Singapore. We can live together in a place of your choosing with a new identity."

"Can I tell Jean about all this?"

Caspar shook his head, "Sorry, Jean can't know."

"So, if I agree to marry you, I have to come with you and disappear, and I can't meet Jean forever again?"

Caspar nodded.

Finland bit her lip nervously. She had actually fallen for Caspar since the first time they met at the airport, but she tried to hold back her feelings because she was afraid; the man was too perfect. She did not know what a handsome, rich and powerful man like Caspar wanted from her. She was just a poor orphan girl who was struggling to get by in Singapore.

Now, what she feared for the most was becoming real: Caspar was indeed too good to be true. He was too perfect, and this perfect man repeatedly expressed that he wanted her...

She thought about the three times Caspar had professed his love for her in just a few months. Today, she truly felt convinced that Caspar was serious about what he said.

This perfect man wanted her... but then Finland had to sacrifice her friendship with Jean if she decided to be with him.

She could not afford to leave and lose her best friend.

"Jean is my only family..." Finland whispered weakly.

"If you marry me, I will be your family," Caspar answered firmly.

Finland shook her head. All her life, she had lived a very lonely life. During the past 4 years she finally had someone who cared about her.

Jean was her only friend, the only one who stood by her when others were against her.

To her, he was her only family.

She could not imagine what it would be like if she had to disappear from Jean's life and never see him again.

"I can't..." Tears trickled down Finland's cheeks as she made the decision, "If you and I break up, I'd have lost my only family... I can't risk it."

Caspar looked very sad.