Laila found herself in a situation that was both amusing and exasperating. "How does my job as a film director have anything to do with this? Your Highness, if you were purely analyzing from movies, shouldn't you think I'd prefer corpses?" The number of people who died in her movies was countless.
Al Nadeem seemed to hear the sound of his own heart breaking. Spending money was one thing, but what mattered most was that he had embarrassed himself in front of the person he liked. How could he ever face her again? How could he have a conversation with her? He regretted taking advice from those people and wished he could whip them and toss them into the desert to feed the scorpions.
Seeing him in such a state, Laila couldn't help feeling some sympathy. After all, he meant well. She decided to make the best of the situation.
Looking at the unusual pets lined up, she finally found a "gift" she could accept. "This little kitten is quite cute; I'll take it as my gift." She crouched down and extended her hand to play with the little kitten that was nestled in the corner.
"Great!" Al Nadeem, too preoccupied with his thoughts, nodded in agreement without fully registering what she said. He immediately had his servants bring out a large iron cage while excitedly saying, "I also love kittens; it seems we have so much in common!" However, he suddenly froze. He hadn't prepared any kittens, so where were they going to get one?
It was only when the servants finally pushed the iron cage out from beneath a pile of boxes that he realized what she was referring to, and his expression became quite peculiar.
"This little guy is quite quiet," Laila said, taking the kitten from the servant's hands and cuddling it in her arms. She stroked its fur, which felt a bit different from the cats she was used to; it was slightly coarser but still comfortable.
Al Nadeem scratched his head awkwardly, torn between whether he should say something or not. His mind was in turmoil.
"That's not a cat..." Roy finally managed to escape the kids and approached Laila. He carefully took the little kitten from her and handed it back to the servant. "This is a leopard cub."
Laila's mouth twitched as she looked at the prince, who vigorously nodded in agreement. A leopard! He had gifted her a leopard! How extravagant could he get? She recalled reading news about wealthy people keeping wild animals as pets in the future, but she never expected to receive a leopard as a gift!
Upon hearing that it was a leopard, her initial reaction was to keep her distance from it. However, as she thought about it, her second reaction was, "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to raise one?" She had the means, the space, and the people to help, after all. She was a millionaire; owning such a pet should be doable, right?
"It turns out to be a leopard, No wonder it looks so beautiful," she remarked, feeling embarrassed for mistaking it for a regular cat.
"Yes, a leopard..." Al Nadeem's head drooped, close to burying his face in his chest. He was certain that his embarrassing mistake today would become the talk of the entire royal family; he was deeply humiliated.
Laila looked at the little leopard, which was still being examined by the servants, staring at her with wet, pleading eyes. She couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you, I really like this gift. I think I'll be very happy to take it home."
"Really?!" The prince was instantly revived, his excitement shining through. He didn't know what to say, so he immediately began searching his mind for information about the leopard. "This is an Arabian leopard, one of the subspecies found only on our peninsula. They are smaller than leopards from other regions and are particularly well-suited as pets for a beautiful, elegant woman like you."
The prince's peculiar choice of words left Laila lost for words. Apparently, he believed that elegant women should own leopards as pets. She couldn't help but shake her head at his eccentricity.
Feeling concerned about her flight on the other side, she managed to politely excuse herself from Al Nadeem and returned to the hotel. In the end, she brought the little leopard back with her. Not only was the cub cute, but she also wanted to experience what it was like to own such a magnificent pet, as some future millionaires did.
"You're really taking this with you?" Roy raised his eyebrows, poking the kitten inside the cage with his finger. The adorable little creature rolled around as he poked it, making a half-hearted attempt to scratch his hand in response.
"You're quite feisty!" Roy said, poking a bit harder.
Unable to scratch, the little leopard wasn't old enough for that, so it simply moved to the corner, staring at him with its big, watery eyes, accusing him of mistreating him.
Seeing him bullying the cub, Laila chuckled, "Back then, if I hadn't taken one with me, Al Nadeem would have looked quite pitiful."
"You're just too soft-hearted," Roy huffed, stopping his teasing and wrapping his arm around her from behind. He needed her presence to soothe his inner uneasiness. In her life, he felt as insignificant as a speck of dust. The longer he spent by her side, the more infatuated he became.
However, with each new person who entered her life, each one wealthier, more powerful, and more capable than the last, he struggled to stand by her confidently. No matter how fast he chased after her, it seemed she was always moving faster.
Laila felt his warm breath against her neck, and a rush of heat rose to her face. Knowing that she wasn't comfortable with overly intimate contact, even though they used the boyfriend-girlfriend label, he had never been overly intimate with her, at most just holding hands and kissing her.
But now, he was taking the initiative, pressing close behind her with actions that could make anyone blush and their heart race.
"What are you worried about?" She knew she shouldn't laugh, but she couldn't help it. "Are you afraid I'll be taken away by the foolish prince?"
Roy's thoughts were suddenly revealed, and his body tensed up. He raised his head, which was buried in her hair, and softly muttered, "Mmm," in her ear.
His straightforwardness made Laila, who wanted to tease him, feel awkward.
"Didn't you used to say I was too rational? As a rational person, I naturally choose the best boyfriend. Since I chose you, it's clear I consider you the best. So, what do you have to worry about?" She was truly a woman without much of a romantic bone, and these words were a mix of complimenting him and herself. Roy chuckled behind her.
Given that they were in a position with their fronts and backs pressed together, with this laugh, his deep voice went straight into her ear, causing her face to involuntarily flush.
"Yes, you're absolutely right," Roy replied, tightening his embrace. Regardless of whether he would be the best, he wouldn't let go of her hand!