What would you do when he looks at you as if you are the most enticing thing in the world? What would you do when the man you have feelings for touches your cheek all of a sudden? What would you do when he doesn't care about people looking at you two anymore, though he knows it may cost his life?
That's right. I was stupified too.
When I turned and saw my two maids gawking at us, I immediately wanted to run back to the palace and hide in my chamber. I didn't want anyone to follow me either. But what would have happened if I ran back that way?
Victor would have ended up dead!
I arduously tried my best to look normal. "Violet, Lilly, what are you looking at? If you're already done with playing let's go back" I spoke to them harshly as possible. Still, I was unable to prevent my voice from shaking a bit. My only concern at that time was what if these two tell on Victor to the queen.
I was the king's daughter. Though I had never really behaved like one, I was the princess of Astrana. No man should touch me like that, not to mention he was working for the king, as my guard. If only the queen found out, she wouldn't hesitate to behead him. I was already trembling in fear.
"Are you cold?" I heard Victor's voice that rang above my right ear.
"I'm not!" I answered him without looking at him. "Let's go back!" I commanded to the rest.
On our way back, the enthusiasm before had faded away. I was walking alone followed by my maids. The three boys were following us behind.
Flora and Nilo were not back yet so when we reached the palace, Victor went to look for them. I had asked Henry and Merlin to rest for a while then went to my chamber with Violet and Lily. I tried my best to not look tense. I went to the royal pond, took a warm bath and wore one of my favourite nightgowns. Then entered the chamber with my usual expression and closed the door behind me.
Promptly I bend down a bit and looked through the keyhole. I could see both Lily and Violet slowly walking their way up to the breeze hall. I soundlessly opened the door and stealthily walked up the stairs following them. For some reason, I was so sure that they were going gossip about me and Victor.
In that ill-lit environment, I swiftly managed to hide behind one of the pillars. Since I was unable to hear them, I managed to get closer and hid behind another one. Now the two were audible to me.
"You too saw what happened at the beach, right?" Lilly started.
"He touched Her Highness," Violet blankly replied.
"I always had a bad feeling about him," said Lilly.
"Yes. I don't like him either. He is evil. I knew it from the first day"
"Do you remember he had been helping Flora a few times before joining the guard team?" Lilly asked.
I didn't have any idea why my handsome baby is being scolded by these girls. He didn't do anything to annoy them. He was minding his business, and sometimes mine. Why would they call him evil? Though I wanted to ask them, I bore with them. Within a few minutes, I realized that it could be because of the foreshadowing Venus had used on him.
According to the novel, Victor was a nice guy. But he was nice only to Flora, most of the time. Others feared him or respected him, later despised him.
Nobody actually loved him, except for me.
"Yes. I too thought he was a nice person. I even thought he likes Flora" Violet complained. "He is always grumpy." Violet continued.
'That doesn't make him evil. Does it?' I pondered. For some reason, whatever the girls spouted sounded like nonsense to me.
"I just can't believe how courageous he is! He can't just lay his fingers on the princess like that. She is our country's pride." said Lilly.
'Even I didn't mind it. Why would you?' I sighed.
"Should we... report it to Her Majesty?" Lilly asked making my blood run cold.
"We need proof before doing so" Violet replied.
'Proof?' I wondered. It's not like they can capture a video or take a photo like we do in our world and use it as proof. 'What kind of proof it could be?' I wondered.
'Yes. We need more witnesses. Henry and Merlin saw his impudence as well' Lilly cheerfully replied.
Hearing this could only smirk. I was so confident that my soldiers will never divulge when it comes to me. However, to protect Victor from further trouble, I chose to be careful and avoid Victor for a while. I've engraved that as my priority task for the following day in my mind.
Nonetheless, I was unable to dodge the so-called fate. The next day, when I opened the chamber door, the first face I saw was Victor's.
Immediately I searched behind him for Lilly and Violet. I saw the two talking with their eyes, about him, then glowering at him.
I looked at him in dismay. "Why are you here? Early in the morning?"
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"What could happen to me?" I questioned him again.
"You didn't look well last night" he paused and squinted. "Is everything ok?"
'How could things be ok when you have already bought some trouble yesterday?' I pondered and glowered at him.
"......." he knitted his brows as he continued to stare at me. Suddenly he placed his hand's dorsal side on my forehead, checking the temperature. My eyes widened in horror followed by Lilly's and Violet's.
Nobody spoke for a few seconds in shock. When I was about to push his hand away, we heard another voice breaking the silence in that area into shatters.
"Your Highness!"
I turned, still with wide eyes to look who it was. In the end, I ended up more worried.
'Evelyn!' my lips moved in horror. Even though James was scum, I was his fiancee. I shouldn't be this close to another man when I'm already engaged in that orthodox world. Even though Victor was perfect he was only a guard. He had no right to touch me like that whenever he wanted.
I continued to look at Evelyn in trepidation. But something was off about her cause she was smiling at me even after what happened in front of her eyes.
"Your Highness" she pleasantly smiled as she moved towards me.
"Princess," I calmly nodded.
Evelyn came to us and paused a step away from us. She glared at Victor once. There was a warning in her eyes.
Victor who was observing her lowered his head and brought his hands behind his back as he stepped back. I expected him to do so since it would be stupid to get on her nerves in a situation like that, not to mention Victor have already smashed her brother. Evelyn now moved to the place where he was standing then once again looked at me with a bright smile.
Her power to change expressions quickly was not something described in the book. Thus, it amazed me.
"Your Highness, the ball is around the corner" she cheerfully told me.
"Ok?" I dubiously asked since I was not sure why she had to be there to tell me something that I already knew before.
"We need to make preparations," she said.
'Preparations? Usually, the servants will do everything. What is there for me to prepare? Could it be that she is talking about the ball gowns and other ornaments?' I wondered.
"We need to practise" she continued.
"Practise what?" I asked.
"Dance! What else could it be?" she said.
"Wh... Whh... WHAT?" I cried in surprise. Dance had always been something out of my league. No matter how much I try, I can never dance. Even if I did, it would only look like a series of exercises.
"Dance," she repeated. "How could there be a ball without dance?" she asked.
What she asked made sense. Even though I had never really thought about it before, I can't go and stand there without dancing on that day. I need to at least learn a few steps. Also, I was afraid to reject her offer since she and my maids were already dubious about my relationship with Victor. I cannot let them know that I despise James since it would reinforce the notion.
"Let's go, practice," I told her with a faint fake smile.
"Sure" she replied.
After that, I avoided looking at Victor because I was so worried about the things going on around me. I just followed my maids to the floor above the Ballroom which was similar to my breeze hall. Though the sculptures and interior design looked so similar, here we didn't have any curtains. It was more like another ballroom.
When we arrived there, four of my guards, went and stood in four corners. Evelyn's guards stayed beside the stairs to prevent people from entering.
The teacher who was going to teach us the dance was already there. Though everything annoyed me I just went with the flow. Evelyn already had started practising elegantly. I stood there looking at her for a few minutes. Looking at me staring at others in awe, the teacher came to me and guided me on where to place my hands and how should I move in the beginning. Nobody doubted my incapability in dancing. Though I was afraid I might trip wearing that long gown, I still tried my best to move my body.
Within a few minutes, I felt someone's stare falling on me. I didn't search who it was like usual since I was aware of this person. When I looked at him, I saw him staring at me with his fascinating hazel eyes.
Flora was also there in that hall. He didn't look at Flora, but me. This fact didn't fail to amaze me. I frowned since I realized that his look was not mockery anymore. It was more like adoration.
I just couldn't simply believe that the one and only great Victor Marshrider looked mesmerised because of me. Suddenly the image of him when he touched my dimple the day before flashed in my memories. He had a similar expression on his face back then as well.
'Could it be...' I paused my thought and nervously looked down in confusion. In the meantime, I sensed that he also had averted the gaze in embarrassment. To make sure, I looked at him once again.
Though the romance between a princess and her guard was forbidden in Astrana, the forbidden fruit is always the sweetest. To be honest, I enjoyed this staring, not staring game between me and Victor. Thus I had forgotten the situation we were in.
I started to count inside my head to see how long it takes for him to look at me again.
'One... Two...' This time, before I could count three, his gaze, which was a lot more magnetic fell on me again. He didn't look at Flora or anyone but me.
Only me!
I was not mistaken about this. I was so sure that he was looking at me.
But why?
There were two possibilities.
He is either pretending or really adoring!
The first one was not possible since he wouldn't do that to someone he had pledged his loyalty to. This had already brought a faint blush on my cheeks. I lowered my head again, this time, not in confusion. Although I didn't want to agree, I was so shy to look at him.
Successively I remembered the incidents of yesterday and remembered that Evelyn, Lilly and Violet were also there in that room.
When I looked around searching for them, I found Violet and Lilly so focused on dancing. I sighed in relief once then again turned in Evelyn's direction.
Unfortunately, I couldn't let out another sigh of relief. I had to hold my breath in terror.
My eyes met with Evelyn's. Before I could evaluate the situation, her gaze mockingly fell on Victor then again landed on me!