367 God of Death

Two black curved-blade knuckle knives settled inside a velveted interior of the wooden case. Even if Damien hadn't started telling her the details about the knives, she already knew the kind of material that it was forged from. Knuckle knives weren't necessarily interesting. However, those that she had used in the past all had markings of the brand on the steel or the handle. This one didn't but the handle of each knife had an interesting design which made it unique.

"Carbon steel trench knives with a curved blade," he started, placing the case on top of a counter. "While stainless steel is a common material for knives because of its durability and rust resistance, it doesn't stay sharp for a long time. Thus, you need to keep sharpening it. This high-end carbon blade knife, on the other hand, can be easily sharpened and can stay sharp for a long time. Though they could get brittle easily compared to stainless but as long as you take care of it, it'll maintain its form."

Katherine knew a thing or two about the qualities of a good knife. And she was impressed by his knowledge as well. "Why are you giving me this?" she asked.

"I don't really use it. It's mostly been tucked away since I had it. You like knives… I figured you'd want them. Careful—" he warned when Katherine picked up the knife. "It's really sharp."

Sure enough, when she picked it up and tested the blade using her thumb really carefully, a couple of seconds later, it bled. She had a couple of stainless steel and also carbon steel knives but she had never owned one like this before. "It's very light..." she remarked, amazed by the craftsmanship of the steel blade.

She inserted four fingers through the spaces and gripped it tightly with her hand, the curve blade stood on the outer side of the fist that's opposite her thumb. Turning away from Damien, she waved her fist in the air—the one that's holding the trench knife—slashing and crossing as though she was attacking someone.

Holding and using it felt a bit foreign and it was probably because it was new to her. But she could totally get used to it over time. 

Damien watched her as she examined the piece carefully, inspecting it as if she would have to give it a grade afterward. He wondered if she liked it as she hadn't said much since earlier, so he was very curious as he observed her expression. When she was done, she gently placed it back on the wooden case. 

He dug out a white handkerchief from the pocket of his jeans, grabbed her hand and wrapped the cloth around her thumb to stop the bleeding. "Are you sure you're giving this to me?" he heard her ask. She had always been hesitant about the gifts that he gave her, so he had somewhat expected this already. "Don't tell me you're going to decline it?" He arched a brow, challenging her to argue back.

She wouldn't. "Sell them to me."

Retracting her hand from him, she crossed her arms in front of her and looked all serious. "They say it's bad luck to give knives as a gift. According to superstition, a knife given as a gift will sever the friendship between the giver and the receiver. To save the friendship, the receiver must give a coin to the giver as if it was bought. Therefore, sell them to me so that I have to buy them from you. Give me your sales pitch, President Park."

'Is she serious?' he thought. "Is that really necessary?"

"Well… if you don't want to sever our friendship…" She shrugged.

His jaw tightened. Their relationship was fairly new. He couldn't afford to ruin any 'ship' that they have. Even if it's only a superstitious belief, he wouldn't want to risk it. No fûcking way.

Staring back at her, a knowing smile formed on his lips as he decided to play with her, but he had to be clear about their deal. "A penny. Just a penny for each knife and nothing more."

"Tsk," she clicked her tongue. He had actually read her mind. She had thought about paying him back the $100K+ that she owed him for the knives. Slightly annoyed, she rolled her eyes. "Fine. Now, come on… Tell me more about these items."

Satisfied with their agreement, his smile widened and he rubbed his hands together in excitement. He never thought that he would ever have to do a hard sell of knives for only a penny each. Seeing the amusement in his eyes, Katherine got infected with his mood.

"Very well... These knives aren't your ordinary carbon steel knives that you can buy in the market for just fifteen or twenty dollars. If you look closely, the design on the blade is quite intricate. There's nothing else like these knives out there…"

"What do you mean?" She glanced at the blades of the knives, taking in it the combination of what seemed like a theta symbol, a flower, and other stuff that's uniquely blended together.

"They're custom-made. There are only two of these in the world. Theta, poppy flower, butterfly, sword, and inverted torch. They're supposed to mean 'Thanatos'." He pointed at the detail on the handles of the knives.

"Thanatos? Like… The god of death?"

"Mhmm… My father had them made when he visited a friend in Greece. His friend was a bladesmith."

Learning that the knives were custom-made, Katherine was now sure that they must cost a fortune. "How much is the original value of these knives?"

Damien was hesitant about telling her the real price so he contemplated. "I'm not really sure. My father didn't tell me when he gave them to me. Maybe around two thousand each?" It was probably more but that didn't matter now.

She looked at the knives again and then at Damien, biting her bottom lip as she thought about it for a second. She actually really wanted the knives but…"Your father gave them to you. Apart from the price, it has sentimental value… Now I'm not so sure about accepting them."

"They've been in this case for a while. The only times I've taken them out is when I do some maintenance on them. They used to be up in the penthouse but I've moved them here just recently when I planned to bring you down here. I want to give them to you… It's better to give them to someone who actually knows how to use them."

He watched as she chewed on her bottom lip as though she was in deep thought. He was glad that she was actually considering this and not outright refusing. It only meant that she really wanted to have the knives but was conflicted after learning more about where it came from. Did he just oversell?

"And you're selling these to me for a penny each? You're ridiculous."

A sexy chuckle escaped his lips and he pulled her closer, encircling his arm around her waist. "I meant to give it to you for free but you went on about this stupid superstition and stuff." He shook his head. "So what's it going to be, Ms. Young? Deal?"

Katherine gazed at his eyes—then at the beautiful, curved blades—then back at him and sighed. She rummaged through her wallet and felt lucky to find two pennies inside. She held them in her hand and gave them to Damien, pursing her lips into a thin line before she had the guts to say, "Deal."

He happily received the coins and pocketed them safely. Closing the wooden case, he grabbed it and Katherine's hand and said, "Let's go. Let me show you around… And then take me out for food."