This was the first time she had seen eyes of those colors. It was unfamiliar and it added to the man's beauty. Her eyes were dazed as she stared at him.
Apart from Reginald whose beauty made her stand still for a second, this man's beauty made her rooted to the spot. For more than a second.
She saw a smile crawl on his face and she frowned. This was wrong. Even though her supposed husband was having a concubine, she shouldn't do the same. It never mattered if she was going to die loveless.
Olivia shoved the doughnut on his face harshly before kicking his shin. Her eyes were gleaming with anger as she took a step closer to him.
"Never smile at a married woman like that!" With that, she sneered and walked off. Her movement caught Antonia by surprise.
The maid wanted to stop the man from reaching the princess, but he got to her faster than she thought. And now, Olivia kicked him before sending him a glare. He did something, no doubt. What a pervert!
The doughnut in his mouth had muffled his groan. His topaz eyes rolled to the back of his head before he turned his eyes at the petite figure that headed toward Antonia.
He blinked innocently wondering what he did wrong to the woman. Did he just get hit by a maid who weighed nothing to his status? This was an insult to him!
She even dared to rub food on his face, how outrageous!
"You... Hey, come back!" He had turned around only to see the Princess was some distance away from where he stood. Her maid was walking behind her with her head bowed and it made him frown.
There was something off about that woman.
...
"But what did he do to make you so riled up?" Antonia had asked again, careful not to address her by her title among the people. But she felt it strange addressing Olivia like that.
Princess Olivia never minded it. If there was anything she was glad, she felt so happy to be allowed out. She was examining the provisions people sold. They were either calling out to her to come to patronize their shops. The Princess only set them a smile, raising her hat a little.
She was careful not to reveal her eyes. At the same time, her eyes caught a familiar silhouette. Her eyes grew wide and she turned around immediately.
Her action made Tonia spin around too. The maid was probably wondering what was going on. She saw the look of surprise in Olivia's eyes.
Why was he there? He was supposed to be with Madeline doing whatever stuff they wanted. But he was there! And he looked as though he wanted to get some things.
That would be for Madeline. She shrugged and sent Antonia a look. Her maid never had a hat covering her face. And she was putting on the uniform that signified she worked in the Hayes mansion. Of course, the insignia would give her off.
Sigh...
How were they going to escape this?
"I think we need to stay somewhere for a while. We've been standing and my legs are hurting." Olivia tried to come up with something reasonable. But her stiff posture was enough to cause Antonia to adhere to her orders.
She nodded and led the way to a small inn. She guaranteed the Princess was going to like the place. Of course, she had a friend who was working there.
Antonia felt relieved that at least, she was helpful to Olivia.
Meanwhile...
"They've changed directions. I wonder where next she'll be heading to." Zain spoke in a hushed tone while his eyes were on Reginald.
No one could tell what he was thinking through his face. His eyes were on the small silhouette that walked among the commoners.
One would even think she was one of them. Except that her head turned around frequently. He frowned as he realized what he was doing and how far they had gotten.
He had to stop this now.
"Forget it. Let's head back. She's probably trying to have fun." He turned around walking slowly. His eyes wandered a little.
Zain rolled his eyes, almost forgetting that he chose to follow after him. He wanted to nag Reginald for making him follow him this far.
Now they had to walk back to where they kept their horses. They would be so lucky not to get their horses stolen by the street thugs. Else he was going to walk home, in his fatigued state.
Well, he brought it upon himself.
While they were walking, they stopped before that same man Olivia bumped into. They bowed to him. Reginald realized the man's eyes were looking around. It was as though he was searching for someone.
He dismissed the thought and stood upright.
"What brings you to the market? You should be in the castle with the Crown Prince." Zain babbled as he sized the man carefully.
Reginald wanted to punch his friend in the face. This was the heir to the Duke of Apolai fortress. Talking to him in this manner might get Zain in trouble.
"I was having a little stroll. Then I bumped into someone interesting." A charming smile appeared on his face while his topaz eyes turned crescent.
Reginald never reacted to his words. Zain's eyes narrowed on the man and he was suddenly interested in the topic. He would use that chance to tutor the man on how to get that 'someone interesting'.
He rolled his eyes as he walked past the man, leaving his friend behind.
"I apologize for leaving in this manner, I will educate you about getting that gender when next we meet." He sent a knowing smile to the stunned man.
He was wondering when they even started to have that conversation. His eyes followed Reginald who was being followed after Zain.
He simply shrugged and decided to stroll a little longer.
=====
"I'll ask Lydia to send some refreshments for you." She bowed and rose from the floor.
Olivia wanted to protest, but Antonia was quick to leave the room. She sighed and a smirk appeared on her face. So far, it was fun getting here. She was looking forward to spending more time outside before returning home.
...
She smiled at Lydia and grabbed the trays from her. Antonia walked out of the kitchen and the cool breeze brushed her frame. Some strands of her hair were sticking to her face and small beads of sweat surrounded it.
At the same time, a figure clad in a royal-blue robe was strolling down the small hallways. He seemed engrossed with whatever was going on in his mind.
Tonia frowned as she felt her leg twitching.
"Not again..." She uttered under her breath. And before she knew it, she took a wrong step that sent her almost falling toward the incoming guest.
He noticed the movement and he moved a step away from where she was, avoiding any unfortunate happenings.
The man with the silver hair walked past as though nothing happened.
Antonia almost cursed under her breath, not even realizing that her fall would have been avoided. She never knew someone passed by. She was just too engrossed in her little errand.
Now, she had to replace the broken cup. Sigh... this was one reason she chose not to step out today. But what?