Lianne was at a loss for words by the sight on her front.
Noticing that nearby guests were observing them, she realized she couldn’t refuse his offer at all. With this, her expression calmed from being disappointed a moment ago, and stared at the awaiting prince with mistrust in her eyes.
“What about that woman?” she inquired.
Ruen raised his brow in confusion, but instead of answering her, he straightened and proceeded to guide her at the center of the dance floor. He was pleased Lianne didn’t retreat but protest she did by inconspicuously tugging back her hand and throwing angry glares at him.
“Act like you are enjoying it, princess. People would know that you’re hostile towards me by the look on your face,” he whispered when they reached the dance floor. “And also, move closer to me.” He pulled her towards him, resting his hand on the small of
It seemed that Lianne’s words deeply affected the prince as he had not said another word to her as the evening got older.They both only sat on their seats silently and just observing the party throughout the night.When it was an hour past midnight, the guests one by one said their goodbyes and left the mansion along with Lord Cain and the other generals.King Garlow had also left too leaving Ruen and the princess alone at the royal table.The Duke was nowhere in sight and was thought to exit the mansion earlier.Considering that fact, Lianne began to doubt the prince’s words. She therefore concluded that it was really one of Ruen’s games of keeping her for his pleasure. There had been no advances during the ball from the Duke and that she had not received any summons from him to dance either.“Let me escort you to your room,” t
“I had been waiting for you for quite some time now, my Princess,” Duke Conrad stated as he sat comfortably in a single sofa chair near the dressing mirror.His arms were both resting on its arm handle, his legs crossed, and his cane perfectly placed at the right side of the chair.He was snickering. His expression obviously that of an old man planning to harass a young maiden.His jaw was grossly unshaved that Lianne immediately noticed it more than she had seen him earlier.The Grand Duke’s eyes were coldly blue; a visible window of his tumultuous soul capable of wrath and terror similar to that of King Garlow. He was in his late fifties, definitely not proper to ask a hand in marriage to a woman half his age.Surely enough, the sight of the man in Lianne’s front gave her considerable unease.She clenched her hands into a fist, tryin
Lianne wasn’t comfortable staying in her new room.Half an hour after Prince Ruen left, she hastily went back to her own servant quarter only to her disappointment.She had found that it was already occupied by three male servants of the palace.It would seem that Garlow had made it sure she will not be able to go back to her old room, and because of it, she didn’t have any choice but to stay at the new chamber that night. Surely, on the morrow, she will be able to persuade Erza or the other servants to let them share their own rooms for her.Her first night inside the chamber however wasn’t as bad as she had thought to be, but it was a definite change of her comfort.The gown she had worn at the ball was hung at a nearby sofa chair. Truly, it was a beautiful dress. If not only for the man who gave it, she would have wanted to keep such a masterpiece. Now, she w
“Princess Lianne!”Erza exclaimed as she placed a hand on the princess’ shoulder.It was already late afternoon when she and the princess headed back to the mansion from the greenhouse. The sky was gloomy and it looked like it was about to rain.“Erza? Why are you looking so anxious?” Lianne replied, perplexed by the maid’s unusual behavior.“Uhm, princess, the Duke of Olga is here,” she voiced out as she stared with worry directly to the exit of the east garden’s rose bush.“What?” Lianne quickly exclaimed.Her senses began to numb as she saw the old man standing right at the exit of the garden a few meters away from them.She wanted to avoid him stat, but the fact that the Duke had already blocked the exit made it difficult.She hastily looked for oth
The earth was moist and foggy after a heavy rain that afternoon. Amidst hearing the servants’ precaution regarding the traps laid out by the King around the mansion, Princess Lianne didn’t give it much weight as she was too determined to escape.She knew that as long as she was inside the mansion, though she vehemently refused to be controlled all these years, she would never receive her rightful freedom. To flee was the only option.The track was downhill and rocky. The loosened soil in addition was threatening her pace of escape. There were large trees everywhere in sight and the moon’s radiance could only touch half of the forest floor.‘Traps could be anywhere!’ she thought to herself, but the fear of it was naught compared to the terror she might face if she will be married to the old duke.Due to the haste of her flight out of the mansion, the only possession she h
After Lianne expressed her feelings, she walked away, wanting to be as far away from the prince as possible, but with only just a few steps, the unthinkable happened.Ruen stretched his arms and speedily pushed her out of path.She hit the ground with a heavy crash, lying flat on the moist soil with her face almost kissing the ground.Though astonished as to his actions, Lianne quickly jumped to her feet and hissed in anger. She turned to face the prince, ready to start a battle of words. He must have been crazy to push her like that, but even so, he certainly deserved a good bashing from her.It was only a split of a second before she could react, however. When she realized what had happened, it was already too late.Ruen plummeted down from her very front as she stood shocked.His left hand looked numb and unusually flexed, while his other hand clutched a l
The prince woke up early morning on the fourth day with the defervescence of his fever.Present in the room was Sir Culdran, his doctor, and his assistant, Lady Faye, and two other maidservants taking out the used linens from his room.The exhausted doctor immediately approached the prince and checked on his status, then Lady Faye followed, bearing a welcoming smile upon seeing the prince awake at last.“Your Highness, good morning,” Lady Faye greeted softly. She bowed her head and waited for His Highness’ answer.“Lady Faye...good to see you,” Ruen replied, voice weak but with depth, “you look so tired.”Lady Faye smiled in response as he stated the obvious.“Your Highness, I am truly relieved that you are healing well with your injury. It has been days when you were unconscious.”&ld
It took a lot of strength to restrain herself from slapping Ruen’s face when Lianne was able to escape his hold.Though it would have been her only meager revenge, to her confusion, she couldn’t bear to slap him the second time after what he did to her in the library for stealing her very first kiss.Lianne gave him a sharp glare as she stood at the bedside wiping her moistened lips to dry what was left of his ardor. Though she hated it, she couldn’t deny the mounting heat within her caused by his kisses.Her face turned in a deep shade of red and Ruen could clearly see it.“I was wrong to even let my guard down. Even though you’re injured, you still play your games quite well,” she spat the words out.Ruen gave no expression of remorse, instead, he reached for the glass flute that she left behind in the pillows and handed it back to her.