"Your… Your Highness!" Rainier quickly bowed his head. "I apologize, I was speaking with your maidservant…"
"Maidservant?" The King raised his brow. He nodded his head and smirked as he looked at Ely, who seemed terrified. "Ah, yes, my maidservant. I need her to come to my chamber."
"Bethy, thank you for helping us out these past two days, and see you around the palace," Rainier smiled at her, and then told the King, "I wish you a pleasant evening, Your Highness." He bowed to him, and then Ely followed King Maro.
As they walked in the hallway, it was obvious from the King's heavy steps that he was furious. His long, silky black hair swayed as he walked forward. He never turned his head towards her until they reached his room.
After Ely closed the door, the King said in a cold tone then faced her, "Now… speak."
"Rainier and I, we… we're not lovers or anything! I was not expecting him to kiss the back of my hand-"
"Speak more slowly. Why are you so nervous? Unless… you're hiding something from me, and I don't like it."
Ely gulped at the King's words. Sure, she was hiding the existence of her husband, who's his twin brother, but she shook her head to stop thinking about it, because the issue at the moment was about Rainier, so she must not be too nervous about unrelated things.
"It is true, Rainier and I are just friends, My King-"
"And when are you going to call me by my name like you used to?"
"Uhh…" she nervously uttered, "After our wedding."
"In a month?" he smirked, "Accepted. I'll wait, then." She stayed silent and waited for the King to speak, but he turned his back on her and went inside the bathroom.
Ely thought it was the right moment to return to her own bedroom so she slowly walked towards the middle door, but she heard the King call her name. He ordered her not to go yet, and when he stepped out of the bathroom, he was holding a small bowl and a clean, dry towel.
"Sit, Ely."
She then sat in the nearest cushioned chair. King Maro placed the bowl of water on the table beside it, and soaked the towel.
Ely was surprised when the King held the bottom of her chin, and he eventually wiped her face. He was getting rid of her makeup.
"You fulfilled your promise not to escape the palace, but you disguised as a different person once again," he said as he wiped her cheeks carefully until the fake freckles were gone, "Ely, you are really a stubborn one, aren't you?"
"They needed my help for their performance. I was the one who rearranged the old songs, and I also composed the songs with them…"
When she stopped speaking, he started to remove her fake dark circles, "But why do you associate yourself with these strangers? Is it worth it? Who knows, they might only be using you."
"It's because I am the Queen of Ballad. And I love music so much," a subtle smile formed on her lips as she recalled how she lived as a singer in her world, and she missed it.
King Maro did not get what she meant. He sighed, "If you like music so much, I can buy musical instruments for you to use, but I don't want you to do this again."
"What? Disguising as your maid?"
"Yes, and meeting him... and being close to any other men."
Ely gazed at the King's gray eyes. Before, all she could think of whenever she saw him was Adam because they looked so much alike, but now, the more she stared at him, the more she saw as a different person.
"Answer me," he held her chin up since she was spacing out. "Elizabeth," he called her name in a low voice.
Ely nodded in response to him, and the King finally let her go.
"What did you put in your eyebrows, why is it hard to take off?" King Maro looked very annoyed; his eyebrows furrowed as he took a look at her face.
She grabbed the towel from his hand and smiled at him, "Thanks for your help, King Maro, but I'll do it. You should rest since you came from a long journey." She took the bowl of water and the towel, and she hurriedly passed beyond the middle door. After putting these things in front of her dresser, she removed all the stuff that she drew on her face.
She then took off the gartered cloth on her hair, and her long, platinum blonde hair hung loosely behind her back. She combed it with her hand and looked at herself in the mirror.
'Am I going to be fine?' she thought. In a month, she's going to be married to the King who looked like her husband, but she had to escape it at all costs.
Yes, she was thinking of her husband that was why she decided to betray the King, but more than that, she didn't want him to be alone after exchanging vows with her when she would eventually leave him. Ely had experienced being left alone, all of a sudden, by the person she loved. She did not want to get King Maro's hopes up just because of a wedding. She figured it would be very painful for him, and who knows what that pain would make him do.
Her trail of thoughts was interrupted when the King suddenly called her name. She glanced in the direction of the middle door and saw King Maro approaching her.
"Ely. Why are you staring at the mirror for so long?" he asked, "I was standing there for a while, waiting for you to notice me."
"I was spacing out… Sorry."
The King went behind her and stroked the top of her head, "Were you admiring yourself?"
She turned her head, "No, I-"
"Look at the mirror, Ely." He placed his hands on her shoulders.
Ely followed his request. What she saw were two different people from two different worlds.
But in King Maro's eyes, the two people in front of him were a match made by destiny. He then said, "Don't we look good together?"
Ely couldn't think of anything to say.
"I missed you, my Elizabeth…" he then lowered her body and placed his arms on her neck, embracing her. He whispered near her ear, "Now, for your punishment for disguising as a maidservant… you will..."
Ely gulped as he heard him say what her punishment would be.