"You son of a—ugh," I gritted my teeth, holding myself back from swearing. "What do you think you're doing?! Are you using me as a shield?!" I whispered in frustration.
"Aren't you my knight? Protect me," he whispered back with a smirk.
I'd love it more than anything if I could just land my fist on that face of his, but I can't ignore the piercing glare I felt from the princess. Is it my last night already? I'm just a commoner, she could get rid of me with just a snap of a finger. This damned bastard, he really just had to pull me into his own problem!
"Why would you choose this donkey instead of me?" The princess asked with an annoyed tone, scrunching her beautiful pair of brows.
Hearing such a remark, I grew even more still than before, if it was possible.
*Hm? I feel like I heard something shattering. Ah, probably just my heart.*
*Pfft….donkey— AHAHAHAH!* Entity laughed
I don't think I'm in the ugly category, just average. Maybe in the eyes of a gorgeous individual, I look no more that a donkey, but still…even donkeys got a feeling, don't they?
Bearing the painful blow, I bit my lips and tilted my head up, searching for peace in the sky. The constellations… yeah, let's find the constellations again. Perhaps the comment had actually landed a critical damage that all I could see was a donkey shaped constellations.
*That damned Lucius, take her back!* I glared resentfully at him, who was trying his best not to burst out laughing. It was to the point that his ears turned bright red. What a sight.
Straining my cheek, I forced a small smile as I faced the cotton candy. "Greetings to the 7th flower of the empire, Imperial princess Eleanor de Vesteris," I greeted her.
Yeah, before anything, I need to greet her first. Now, let's properly and clearly make my way out. Let that bastard clean his own shit, I won't take care of it.
*Arrange my words, properly and clearly,* I repeated in my head.
'Even I don't have any consent of this. I had always believed that he likes you, your highness. Please don't misunderstand.'
*Yup, perfect!*
After deciding on the final sentence, I sucked in a deep breath and spoke up nervously. Maybe a bit too nervous that my mind got blank.
"Even he does not have any consent of this but I believed that I like you, your highness. Please don't misunderstand," I said in a single breath.
.
.
.
The princess was speechless while Lucius's eyes formed a glint of shock. The only sound heard was the occasional hoots of an owl, or whatever animal it was.
*You've got the subjects mixed up,* entity spouted the painful truth.
*…well, shit...!*
My palm began sweating as I gulped nothing down my dry throat. The princess glared at me with a grossed out look while Lucius shook even more aggressively, holding back his laughter.
*Yeah, be grossed out or whatever, I don't care. Just kill me if you want, sounds good, too.* I smiled bitterly.
"….I don't like ugly donkeys," spat the princess before abruptly walking away.
This is unexpected but I think I'm safe somehow? Nevertheless, I am not so content with the process. My eyes blankly followed the disappearing silhouette of the princess, still dumbfounded with the situation. I suppose, confusion is also a way to go.
"Didn't know you like ladies, too," Lucius teased.
"I don't, it was a slip of tongue," I said, glaring at him.
"I guess she won't approach me for a while as long as you're around….a homo donkey…pffft," he wheezed.
"You bastard, I better get a reward from this!" I kicked his shin, causing him to stagger a bit.
"Ow, what an irresponsible knight!"
"Just heal yourself if it hurts," I grumbled, stomping away.
Even after walking a few meters away, I failed to shook him off of me. Lucius stayed right on my heels, like an uninvited company he is. Not wishing to be bothered with him, I continued my stroll by imagining him as a random dude who was coincidentally going in the same direction as me.
We took a tour around the palace, far away from the main hall. It's a lot more peaceful here as the only sound heard were the crickets and occasional wind. Even the air was very fresh as we were surrounded by lots of greens. Once we've reached the fountain I saw during our arrival, I took a short break there.
"What were you doing back then?" Lucius asked.
"Was counting the stars," I replied half-heartedly.
"What a pointless thing to do," he pointed out.
"That's why I did it."
The truth is, I'm still a bit sad over Arthur's engagement. Doing pointless things like that helped me coping up as time passed by quicker than usual. Oh, I didn't actually count the stars but connected it together, making my own imaginary constellation. I was waiting for the banquet to end but maybe we can return earlier if Lucius wanted to.
"When do you plan to return?" I asked.
"Do you want to return already? You're done enjoying the feast?"
Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I scratched my right ear and answered unwillingly, "I don't feel like eating anymore."
Lucius stared at me for a while before asking, "….is it because of your…Golden Retriever?"
*Bullseye.*
I flinched a bit at the question. He really is uselessly perceptive sometimes.
"You like him don't you?" He asked.
"Yeah, I did….but forget about it. He's a noble, I'm a commoner."
"It's possible, though?"
"It is, but I'm sure you know better than anyone, how harsh it is entering the social circle when coming from a lowly background," I answered, pausing when realisation hit me. I had just said something offensive!
*Ooop, I hope he didn't get offended!* I glanced at him warily.
Fortunately, he doesn't seem to be bothered at all. Rather, he looks calm through the rest of the night. We didn't exchange much words after that and ended the walk once we arrived back at the main hall.