"That's not going to happen," Temari said in an offended tone.
"Are you sure?" the crown prince asked with his narrowed eyes staring straight at her.
Temari knew it was unladylike but she couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "I'm sure. I'm not stupid, Your Highness. I know that trying to harm a crown prince will cause my head. I don't want to die yet."
Besides, she might be an infamous thief but harming someone, most of all killing him, is a line she will never cross.
The crown prince didn't look convinced. He just continued to stare at her while their bodies were still pressed together. Because she was starting to feel an ache on her back for being pressed against the wall for too long, Temari squirmed to ease the ache. She gasped and Rhys tensed when their lower bodies brushed against each other in the process. Heat sliced from her chest down between her legs. She didn't know what to call that sensation but she didn't get the chance to think about it.
Temari let out a shock and pained scream when she was suddenly struck by the electric shock she and Rhys felt a while ago. Her hands pushed Rhys. She didn't have to do it though, because the crown prince already moved away from her. She looked up at his face and was able to confirm from his expression that he felt it too. Again.
Why did they feel like they were struck by a lightning?
She couldn't understand but she saw the realization in the crown prince's eyes. She frowned at him. "Do you know why we felt that?"
Rhys meets her eyes with his own gaze. He didn't blink when he said, "It happens when we get aroused because of each other."
Temari blinked. "Arou… what?"
He arched his brows. "I apologize for being crass, my lady." He didn't sound sorry at all. "It means for some reason I still don't know we will never be able to sleep together. When we get too close to the point that we might pounce at each other, that was when we felt that sensation of being struck by a lightning."
Temari's eyes widened. Her face grew hot. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. Even though she hears crass and lewd male conversations in the tavern and knew a few courtesans, she still never thought that she will engage in those acts herself. Not after that past that she didn't want to think about.
"Why is it happening though…" Rhys uttered. He was just talking to himself.
"It doesn't matter," Temari said firmly. "It will never happen anyway. We just have to never get too close so we don't get hurt again."
She finally moved away from the wall and turned in the direction of the secret door. She knew she will never be able to go searching for the royal heirloom. The crown prince already ruined her plans for the night.
Temari was about to stretch her hand to grab the secret door when she heard voices on the other side. Her heart jumped against her chest. However, instead of stopping, she moved closer to the secret door until her face almost touched the flat surface. Sure enough, she heard the voices a little clearer, though still muffled.
"What do you mean you can't open the door? Why did I meet you here in the middle of the night if you can't do it? I need to know where this door leads."
The feminine and snobby voice sound familiar. And then it occurred to Temari that the voice belonged to Princess Miya of Ufrad! She sneaked into the blue drawing room too and even trying to open the secret door!
"Only the royal family and their most trusted people can open secret doors in the castle, Your Highness."
A male voice? But Temari hadn't heard that voice before. Besides, as far as she knows, all the princesses and ladies in attendance weren't allowed to have even one companion when they entered the castle. So who is this person that Princess Miya was talking to?
"Ugh, why are you so useless? I'm not paying you a huge amount of gold for your incompetence!"
Temari's face was still pressed to the flat surface of the secret door, busy listening to the people on the other side, when she felt the crown prince behind her. She froze when stretched his arms and flattened his palms on the door on either side of her. Then she felt him lean closer until she could feel his hard body brushing against her back. He was caging her again and she can't reprimand him because she knew she shouldn't make a noise. If she could hear Princess Miya and that man, she was sure they will hear her too if she makes a sound.
"I am doing whatever I can to assist you, Your Highness. Aren't I the reason why you got the highest score during the first activity? You were able to eat lunch with the crown prince just as we planned."
Oh. So that was what happened. She slowly looked up to see Rhys's face. He didn't have any expression but he was intently listening to the conversation in the drawing room too.
"But that was not enough! He was still paying more attention to that lowly woman than me. During that lunch that was supposed to be my prize, he was just staring at that woman the whole time!" Princess Miya said in an irritated tone.
Temari was surprised. She stared at the crown prince. [He…did that?] Rhys lowered his gaze, meeting her eyes boldly. He didn't care even if she knew that he has been staring at her during that lunch.
"I don't have much time. I must get close to the crown prince as soon as possible. If I must seduce him to get his attention and choose me as his queen, I will do it. Now open this door so I can try to find where his sleeping quarters are."
So that was Princess Miya's plan? She was planning to enter the crown prince's room and… seduce him?
"You must calm down, princess. There is still time. What you plan to do will just make him more resistant to you."
"I don't have much time. Soon, the ships from those powerful countries will arrive. I was informed by the enchantress we paid for that she could no longer stop the ships from getting to the ports of Clearbury. The strong contenders are there. I will not lose my position to them."
Temari's eyes widened. She remembered the stories about some guests that haven't arrived yet. So that was what happened to their ships? It was because of an enchantment? And Princess Miya paid for it.
"Isn't that illegal?" she whispered to Rhys before she could stop herself.
She froze when it suddenly got quiet on the other side of the door. Then, "Did you hear something?" Princess Miya asked in a panicked whisper. The man didn't answer but Temari presumed he must be doing gestures or something.
The crown prince suddenly leaned down until his hot breath brushed against her ear. "Let's get out of here," he whispered. Then Rhys grabbed her elbow and pulled her away from the door and off to the dark hidden hallway.