Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
I jutted out my lower lip in a pout. “Fine. Then I guess I won’t bother coming to see you anymore.”
“Don’t look at me like that.” He cupped my chin and rubbed his thumb over my lower lip. “You know I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Are they always like this?” Torin asked Bella.
Bella flinched. “I couldn’t say, Your Highness.”
“It’s uncomfortable.”
It appeared Torin wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Lillia was almost trembling, and the way her jaw was clenched said fear had nothing to do with it.
“What brings you to this area, Lady Lillia?” Torin asked, stepping into the conversation. “Oh, are you offering your handkerchief to the Grand Duke?”
“No, no,” she said hurriedly. “I was merely lost and trying to find my way back to my tent, so I hoped His Highness might assist me.”
Kalon glared at her.
“Well, thank goodness,” I said, touching my hand to my chest. “I thought I saw you with one in your hand on my way over here, but I’m glad to have been mistaken.”
Lillia turned to me, her eyes darkening, but she kept a sweet smile on her face all the same. “Yes. That was my own personal handkerchief I was using at the time.”
“Just as well.” I met her glare with a dark one of my own. “It’s considered extremely bad manners to offer your handkerchief to an engaged or married man unless you’re related. Some may even consider it an insult to their house. It would be terribly unfortunate if you were to make an enemy of House Vermillion or House Stein during your official debut due to an innocent mistake.”
Her smile wavered. “I apologise for any misunderstanding, Lady Alicia.”
“I’m glad we were able to swiftly clear it up.” I turned to Sir Otto. “Sir Otto, would you be so kind as to help Lady Lillia return to her tent? I’ll be quite safe here in the meantime.”
Sir Otto glanced at Kalon who nodded in response. “Lady Lillia, please allow me to escort you back to your tent.”
“Thank you very much, Sir Otto.” Lillia clenched her fists as she curtseyed. “Your Highnesses, Lady Alicia, please excuse me. I wish you luck on the hunt today.”
She had no choice but to leave. I’d backed her into a corner, and if she’d rejected the offer of my knight taking her to her tent when she was clearly alone without even a maid, I could have taken it as an insult.
She was smart enough to know that, even if she was stupid enough to lie.
“That was entertaining,” Torin said brightly, looking between us.
Oh, God. He wasn’t going to start anything, was he?
“Bella,” I said, stepping away from Kalon. “You may also return to the tent if you wish.”
She looked shocked. “Are you sure, my lady?”
I nodded. “Isn’t your sister here?”
“Yes, I believe she’s attending with House Carden as Lady Mona’s maid.”
“Why don’t you go and see her? I don’t mind as long as you return before the hunt begins.”
“Are you sure, my lady?”
“I wouldn’t say so if I wasn’t.” I smiled. “Rina has some personal time, so please take a little for yourself.”
“Thank you, my lady.” She curtseyed. “I will excuse myself, Your Highnesses.”
She disappeared, and Torin turned to me. “You’re far too nice to your servants.”
I refused to meet his gaze. “I’m not the only one who left my family behind when I moved to Stein. While I could live quite happily never crossing paths with my sister again, Bella is not the same.”
“What are you doing here?” Kalon glared at Torin. “And what are you doing sniffing around Allie?”
Torin raised his eyebrows, looking more amused than anything. “Goodness, brother. Anyone would look at this situation and believe you feel threatened by me.”
Kalon grabbed my waist and yanked me back against him, and I squealed out an, “Eep!” in surprise.
“Do you think I don’t know she was the number one choice for Crown Princess? Not only by the Emperor and Empress, but by you, too?” He clamped his arms around my shoulders, pinning me against him.
Wait. I was Torin’s choice, too?
How annoying.
“If you knew, why did you propose marriage to her? Wouldn’t your life be easier if you found someone else?” Darkness glinted in Torin’s eyes. “You have to know that Mother hasn’t given up on making her my wife, and I’m not sure I have, either.”
Brat.
“Then you should share my apologies between you, because I would die before I ever let you marry her.”
“That can be arranged, Grand Duke.”
“I’d like to see you try, little brother.”
They glared at one another so intensely that the tension prickled at my skin. It was almost suffocating, and for the first time, I truly understood how deep their hatred of one another ran.
It was almost as if it were ingrained into their very souls.
“Kalon,” I said, holding onto his arm as I tilted my head back to look at him. “We ran into each other by chance while I was speaking with my sister. Crown Prince Torin ran her off and offered to escort me to your tent as he was heading this way, that’s all.”