Chapter 7
Astrid's POV
The time we go back to the castle was very quiet, and I kept fidgeting my fingers. I could feel him glancing at me the whole time as if I'm some sort of ghost that he can't believe he was walking with. I tried to avoid him as much as possible, remembering the time where he hugged me.
We now arrived on the caste, and we're now standing outside the entrance of the castle, about to walk to the window of my room. That's when I realized something. I messed up. I really messed up.
"Ruel," I called out to him, as he was walking ahead of me.
He turned around and went closer to me, and the time I stopped walking, I just realized that I was now in front of my bedroom window. "What is it?" Cold. Maybe it's because we're now outside the castle AND HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE KNOWN AS RUEL THE CREEP!
"I don't know how to go back." I saw him blink a couple times, not believing what I just said. I chuckled sheepishly, embarrassed for not using my brains before sneaking out. How stupid of you, Astrid Falin.
Well, yeah I really didn't think of anything when I snuck out. I acted impulsively and now this man is making super duper nervous with him blinking for what seems like the 100th time.
"What!?" He whisper-shouted and I felt myself jumping a bit at what he just said.
"Can you help me go back?"
He was silent for a bit, thinking about a plan on how we can go back to my bedroom. I know that some guards would wander around this castle late at night, just to check if there's any criminals that got in here just to find the Sacraia that even I, myself don't know where it's placed inside this huge castle. So I don't know any ideas to get in.
It's either I wait until early morning and let the guards discover me lying in the grass and let them find out that I just snuck out then I'll never get out of my room ever again or snuck back inside my bedroom passing through the huge and long halls while guards stay up all night looking for criminals. Another option is to find a ladder, but I don't think there's any of that lying somewhere in this castle.
Until Ruel finally spoke. "Fine. Follow me." I started following him, and we started walking towards the back door or the entrance towards the maid's and guard's building, where the helpers sleep in.
I observed the place and it was dark, but not that dark, I could still see where we're going. We snuck in quietly as possible. Though everything you see is black we could still see what's ahead of us. I continued following him until we've reached the end of the hallway.
There's a passageway that leads to the library and the another one leading to the dining area, which is the way leading to my bedroom. We were about to pass through the hall leading to the dining room, but we halted as soon as we saw a flash of light from the end of that hallway. A guard is checking the castle. I don't think we'll make it.
My thoughts judged what was about to happen, but I shouldn't have done that because Ruel grabbed my wrist and dragged the both of us inside a room. I think the guard just heard the way Ruel closed the door.
I just realized where we're in. The cleaning supplies room that was located in the end of the hallway we're in one second ago. I suddenly remembered the time when I saw Joel and Celia... I seriously want to puke right now.
The room was pitch-black. I can't see anything. Most of all it's narrow, the room was very tight. Ok, so my eyes is starting to adjust in the darkness, and I can't believe my eyes.
My hands are on his chest.
MY HANDS IS ON HIS CHEST WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT!
I don't think there's anything wrong with that because I was sobbing in his chest a while ago, but now that I'm fine and not that traumatized anymore, my consciousness about these kinds of things is back.
I don't even know how thin this space is but all I know is that I could feel his hot breath considering the fact that we're just inches away from each other. I don't even think it's still inches. One last thing. His hands are on my WAIST. And Our bodies are touching each other.
KILL ME RIGHT NOW.
I... I don't know what I should think right now. Our position is too intimate. My breathing is now unsteady and I'm panicking right now not just because of our position. I could also see the light from a guard's flashlight reaching under the door. I'm on the edge of screaming right now. I don't care about the guards anymore.
I opened my mouth, getting ready for everything but before I could even let my loud voice out, I... I felt a pair of lips on mine. Soft and tender ones. I seriously can't process anything right now. I wasn't panicking anymore nor am I mad.
I don't know what to do. My eyes are wide open but it was slowly closing. Not gonna lie, I quite enjoyed it, I guess.
Astrid Falin. What do you think are you doing!?
I ignored my thoughts as I kissed him passionately. I know, it's wrong, very wrong to be exact, but who cares? It's not like I'll tell anyone that I kissed my own bodyguard, right?
I think this one is real. I mean, he's kissing me right now. I don't know what he's original intention in kissing me but all I know is that we're now kissing in the exact position Joel and Celia were making out.
I could feel him tightening his grip on my waist as we continued what we're doing. My body started moving itself when I moved closer to him, not removing my hands from his firm chest.
And then... We stopped. And that's when reality hit me straight to the core.
What did I just do!?
He slowly removed his hands away from my body slowly and I could feel that he's a bit hesitant to do so. I quickly removed my hand from his and moved away from him as much as possible even though the space we're in doesn't allow me to.
I looked around the room, avoiding his eyes as much as possible, until I looked underneath the door. The light is gone. Thank God.
He grabbed my wrist, and after everything that happened, he still has the courage to hold me though he knows I can walk. Even I can't touch him any longer. The feeling is not ordinary.
We were running through the halls as quietly as possible while I was hoping that no one will hear our footsteps.
Once we reached my bedroom, we were panting so hard after what we just did. I looked at him and I swear, I feel like I've seen him somewhere. His face especially his eyes is somewhat familiar, I just can't remember anything.
"Ruel. Have I met you before?" I asked him and I watched as he was panting so hard one second ago then when I said my words, he looked at me with sincere eyes.
"You remembered? I was asking you that the first time we met." What does he mean by what he just said? I was so confused right now. I don't even know what he's saying.
"What do you mean?"
He became silent for a while, his expression now turning back to its cold self. "Nothing." And that's all he said.
If there's one word I could describe his whole being, it's being mysterious. He's so great at hiding his emotions behind those cold expression he's wearing right now. I could feel that he's hiding something, but just like what I said, it's none of my concern. If there's something that he's hiding then just let it be. I mean, who doesn't have secrets anyways?
And even being Mister Creepy R, he was still mysterious. Though it's not that obvious, he still maged to keep his whole being d identity to his self.
Oh and him being two persons towards me was impressive.
I just nodded what he said, and an awkward silence arose from the darkness within our surroundings. I don't know if he still has something to tell me so I didn't plan on going inside yet. Until one of us finally spoke.
"Astrid, I just want to let you know that the thing that happened between us in the cleaning supplies room has-"
"It's ok. It's getting pretty late by the way. You can go back now." I said that just because I don't want to discuss anything about the kiss yet. Leave that for tomorrow or something.
"Uhm, ok. Goodnight Astrid." The sound of my name coming out from his mouth sent tingles all over my body. I simply don't know what I'm supposed to feel right now.
"Goodnight, Ruel." I smiled at him for the last time today, no, it's already tomorrow so there will be more smiles to come.
Without waiting for him to leave, I went inside the door and closed it immediately.
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He's ignoring me! It was very early the next morning and I barely had any sleep last night because of the fact that both me and Ruel just kissed at that moment.
Bags under my eyes were slightly visible, and I was pacing around the room while thinking a plan just so he would talk to me. I'm the type of person who doesn't like to be ignored. It's fine sometimes, but we just got along last night, so he shouldn't be acting cold towards me anymore.
I tried to talk to him this morning but he would end our conversation, and he would just stand there but not like what he would usually do. He would stand there embarrassed. Is it because of last night?
I poked my head outside the door I turned my head on the right and I saw Ruel standing still while looking at me confused, then to the left with a very empty corridor.
I pulled him inside my room and I haven't even realized that I hadn't closed the door entirely. I left a small gap open.
I didn't even realize what I'm doing when I pinned him onto the wall all of the sudden. My hands were on either side of him and I looked at him straight into the eye. "Princess, what are you doing?"
I squinted my eyes in front of him before I banged my hand onto the hard brick wall, making him flinch a little. "Why are you avoiding me?"
"Who says I'm avoiding you?" He looked away from me, trying to get away from this little trap I made, but he doesn't even dare to move because the princess is pinning him in the wall right now.
I turned his head to me using my fingers just so he could look at me straight in the eye. "See that? You're clearly avoiding me! Is it because of the kiss last night?" I leaned my head closer to him and now that we're a bit intimate once again, I didn't even plan on thinking about it.
He turned his whole head to the right, just to avoid my very precious face. "Look at me!" I turned his whole head back to me and our noses brushed. I blinked for god knows how many before I moved my head back a bit.
Butterflies. Butterflies. BUTTERFLIES! They started forming in my stomach and they kept coming not planning to go away. Even my heart is racing so fast, and it feels like it's gonna pop out of my chest any second now.
"That kiss... Has no meaning." I don't think so. Not that I consider that kiss meaningful, but I personally think that it has a lot of meaning for him. Ok, fine. I might have lied when I said it has no meaning for me.
"Both of us know that what you said is a lie. You're the one who keeps telling me that I should fall in love with you then you're telling me that the kiss wasn't real!?"
"Look. I only did that because even in the middle of that darkness, I could feel that you're about to scream. So technically... NO. it's not real."
I arched a brow when he said the word 'no'. "I don't think so." I finally said what I think. "I mean, you could've just used your hands instead of kissing me, is that even a hard thing to do?"
"I know, but... but... but you'll still make some noises and then you'll remove my hand, then you will still scream, right?" He's not wrong though. That's the exact thing that I will do.
"Uhm, ok. Then, did you enjoy it?" Very brave of you to ask.
"No, absolutely not."
"Who wouldn't enjoy a kiss from me? Besides, aren't you happy that you finally kissed me."
"I know I wouldn't." He laughed while I sighed at what he said. He really knows how to make my day upside-down.
Since he knows how to upset me, I'll give him an opposite emotion. I stood up in my toes, and wrapped my neck around his arms, leaning my head closer to him. I smirked at him before saying my words. "Then let's try that again."
I closed my eyes as I puckered my lips in front of him while he tried to get away from me as much as possible. There's no way out, mister.
"No. STOP! Please, no!" I opened my eyes, furrowing my eyebrows at him.
"Can you stop moving? Haven't you kissed multiple girls before me? Then why can't you accept this for the last time?" I removed my hands from him.
"How about you? Aren't you the princess? You probably kissed more princes than me so just leave me alone for now! They are clearly much better kissers than me. And one is enough."
"How am I supposed to know if I haven't even kissed anyone aside from you?" Yes, you heard that right. I just had my first kiss yesterday. How am I supposed to kiss anyone if I don't even have that much friends? "Not all people can have their first kiss at thirteen."
"I can't believe the princess of Chartancil just had her first kiss." Did he just mock me?
I pulled his collar and pulled him closer to me before he could even start laughing again. "That's why I'm telling you to kiss me again so that it would be the second time." I closed my eyes and started to lean towards him, but as expected, he still tried to avoid me at all costs.
"What are you guys doing?"
I heard a voice, and it's not just any other voice. It's Maxwell's. Ugh! I turned to him with lips still puckered.
I quickly moved away from Ruel, pushing him away from me as I did. "We're just playing." Bad choice of words. I now regret saying that.
"Seriously? Is that how you guys play, kissing each other around?"
"We're not kissing!" I turned to Ruel who's cheeks are slightly blushing even if he has pale skin. Only Mister Creepy R would be like that. That there proves to me that he could still show Mister Creepy R to me.
I turned back to Maxwell who has his brow raised after observing Ruel's face. "Enough of that. Why are you sneaking up in my room, my dearest brother?" I crossed my arms as I look at him.
"I'm not sneaking in, the door is open! Anyways, I just wanted to tell you, that there might be a burglar last night. The maids near the maid's and guard's building said that they heard a loud thud on the roof. So you should be alert." I quickly remembered the time where I landed on the roof last night.
"I'll be safe. Anyways, did they capture her, I MEAN, him? Or her?"
"There aren't any traces and the guards didn't capture anything." I just nodded at his response. "Anyways, that's all I'm going to say. Go continue your game."
"Maxwell!"
"Just Kidding!" And with that he left my room, and he slammed my door, making me roll my eyes.
"Shall we continue?" I turned to Ruel who's glaring at me.
"No."
"Fine. You know, I'm really impressed that your personality right now is very different from Mister Creepy R."
"Thank you for acknowledging that."