I saw that you were perfect, and so I loved you.
Then I saw that you were not perfect and I loved you even more.
—Angelita Lim
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His shoes clicked sharply with each step he took. Never had a girl, no, never had any human dared to make him wait for so long. Did she not know who he was?
Of course, she didn't. She didn't even know his name!
"What a troublesome bird," he muttered to himself, as a small smile tugged on his lips.
As he neared the door, he saw a maid standing outside whom he had ordered to assist the girl. Hadn't he informed the maid to help her clean and dress up? Birdy was injured, how could she bath herself?
"What are you doing here? Where is the lady?" asked Theo, his eyes glaring at the poor maid who was trembling under his gaze.
"M-My King, the lady refused to let the maids touch her. She said that she would get ready herself. She wouldn't let us touch her."
Theo mentally facepalmed himself, trying not to chuckle. He hadn't smiled this much in a day. He had only smiled so much when he had killed every person in a Kingdom with his very own hands. He smiled menacingly as he remembered that day's events.
"You can go now."
The maid bowed before hastily walking away. Thank god, she thought to herself as she resumed the rest of her work again.
Theo knocked on the door in mere courtesy. A few seconds later, when he heard no reply, he worriedly knocked harder. Had she fainted again!?
Putting in some force, he broke the doorknob and entered the room hurriedly. The sight that welcomed him made him freeze in his steps.
Eva, who had rejected the maids' help, was trying her best to bathe herself properly. When she heard the door open and saw the man step in again, she gasped and sank deeper into the water, feeling her face start to flush.
Since this was the King's room, his bathroom was furnished with a large pool instead of a bathtub which she was used to bathing in. She had been surprised when she saw such a sight as she entered the bathroom.
It was so big..., she thought to herself. How was she supposed to bathe in it? She didn't even know how to use it! After figuring out how to use the several different taps, her body relaxed in the warm water, feeling comfortable.
Her bandage had gotten wet but she had planned to change it after her bath. She was fine by herself when this pervert man had decided to barge in the room!
"Uh..." started Theo but Eva beat him to it.
"Turn around." she cried, her face drowned in fear and anxiety.
The King quickly whirled around without thinking twice. Seeing the fearful expression on her face, he felt wretched for it. He didn't want her to fear him... Wait, why was he listening to this girl's words? He was the King, no one ordered him! He would make sure that she didn't fear him by keeping a slow pace.
He turned around again, crossing his arms across his chest. It made the veins in his arms pop and Eva blushed, feeling a strange feeling in her body, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red.
Due to the warm water, her whole body was flushing and Theo tried his best to keep his eyes anywhere but on her.
"I'm not dressed!" she exclaimed again and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Does it matter?"
Eva stared at him as if he had grown two horns on his head. "Do you not have any manners?" she asked indignantly.
"No, I don't. Why didn't you let the maids help you?" he asked, turning the conversation around.
"I am not used to being... unclothed by maids. It feels uncomfortable."
Theo nodded in understanding. What he spoke next made her eyes pop out of her sockets.
"You should've called me. I would've helped you and it wouldn't have been uncomfortable, right?" he asked with a smile that sent shivers down her spine.
"I am done bathing Your Majesty, if you can please turn around, I will step out and change my clothes."
"I see no clothes."
Eva bit her lip hard, and it didn't go unnoticed by him. His eyes fell down to those full, cherry lips which only turned redder when she was nibbling on them. His clothes turned tighter as he tried to remove his gaze from her lips but his eyes had been glued to them. It was of no use.
"Can you please get my clothes from the bed?" she asked in a soft voice that snapped him out of his reverie.
Shaking his head, he approached the bed where he saw a silk azure dress placed neatly on the mattress. Its sleeves were long and flowing which was a new design being adopted by tailors. It was beautiful looking and he knew she would look even more gorgeous in it.
Carefully, he carried it inside the bathroom and placed it on a hook.
"Are you going to keep standing there?" asked Eva, her doe eyes blinking at him innocently.
"If you want me to," he spoke, hoping she would say yes.
Apparently, it was too much to ask for. "I don't want you to," stated Eva, closing every door for negotiation.
He sighed as if he was pained by her answer. "I will be waiting outside in the bedroom."
After he had left, Eva craned her neck to see if he had actually gone. After making sure, she slowly placed her hands on the surface to push herself out. She had no plans of slipping and hurting her leg even more. With great care, she lifted out her legs and approached the sink to grab the towel and dress that he had left for her.
After wiping her body, she slipped on the dress which was more comfortable than any dress she had at home. Thinking of home, she realized how worried her mother and sister would be when they didn't find her coming back home.
Stepping out of the bathroom, she saw Theo standing by the balcony with his back facing her. Her speed slowed down to a turtle's pace as she cautiously approached the dressing table where the comb was kept, making sure not to put too much pressure on her injured feet. Her master plan was to grab the brush and then make a run for it in the bathroom to comb her hair.
However, Eva was unaware that the King had already noticed her appearance in the room. Through the balcony's glass, he observed her movements and internally chuckled to himself. What a sneaky deer, he thought to himself.
Just as Eva took hold of the comb and felt a sense of triumph, Theo turned around making their gazes interlock.
Eva tried to smile away the awkwardness but his eyes made every action impossible to do. They were bewitching, so deep that a person would never be able to climb out of their depths ever again. She felt it hard to breathe as she continued to stare inside them and felt the air leave her lungs completely.