It was a whole new feeling for Kat, experiencing this vulnerable side of Lucian, she watched, intrigued, as his chest rose and fell. The gentle rhythm of his breathing was almost hypnotizing, 'was he able to sleep cause he drank my blood last night?' she wondered.
For a moment, Kat forgot about the provocation and tension this man brought upon her. If only he wasn't so infuriating, it wouldn't be bad waking up to such a face every morning, Kat thought.
Her eyes lingered on his face, drinking in the sight. She was tempted to trail her gaze around his body. Her hand that was on his chest could feel how taut and strong it was. She could feel his heart beating slow and steadily in his chest. She felt a flutter in her chest, a mix of emotions she couldn't quite define.
Her eyes locked on his long, dark eyelashes, which almost looked unreal to her, the way his tousled hair fell around his forehead, framing his face in a softly disheveled manner. "How could every single part of you be sculpted in such perfection?" Kat muttered, resentfully admiring this devil's features.
Her fingers subconsciously reached to touch his face; just then, Lucian's hand around her waist pulled her closer, and his eyes fluttered open. Kat's hand froze midway, and her pupils enlarged in surprise. Had she been caught red-handed?
She blinked, her eyes locking with Lucian's, and retreated her hand. She suddenly pushed away from him and shouted, "What are you doing in my bed?! Let go of me!" Yes, that's right; she couldn't let him know she had been gaping at him like an envious fan girl all this while.
Lucian's hand let go of her waist, and Kat scrambled away from him. "Why are you in my bed?!" she repeated with a sharp glare.
Lucian sat up, his eyes moving to the empty space beside him where Kat had lain a moment ago, and his eyes narrowed. 'Did I... fall asleep?' His mind trailed back to the previous night.
Lucian had layed next to Kat, with some space between them. He had discarded his shirt, preferring the cold to being warm. He rested his head on a pillow, and his left hand rested on his eyes. Meanwhile, Kat slept peacefully; the warm scent of rosewood mingled around her, prompting her subconscious self to snuggle towards the familiar warmth.
Lucian suddenly felt something wrap around him, and his hand lifted off his eyes, prompting his head up slightly to see Kat clinging to him like a little forest squirrel clinging to a tree. Lucian's hand reached to pill her off, but she groaned and held on tighter. "Even in your sleep, you find a way to torment me," he muttered, a quiet sigh leaving his lips.
Lucian's gaze drifted to Kat's face; her features softened by moonlight. The scent of coconut and floral notes wafted from her hair, enveloping him. Without thinking, he leaned in, inhaling the fragrance. A stray strand of her hair caught his attention. He picked it up, twirling it around his finger.
Lucian's warmth drew Kat closer, her hand clinging to his bare torso as if seeking anchor. As she smiled, she let out a soft, contented moan, her body relaxing further into his. Her dark skin contrasted beautifully with his pale skin, like a visual harmony of yin and yang.
Lucian wasn't sure what he was doing, but his actions around her were mostly instinctive, as if his body had a mind of its own. The sound of her heartbeat and breathing sounded rhythmic in his ears; his muscles relaxed, and his tension dissipated. His eyelids grew heavy, an unexpected sensation creeping over him. For the first time in a long while, Lucian felt calm and relaxed, giving in to slumber. His eyes fluttered shut, and his chest began rising and falling in sync with Kat's gentle breathing.
Back to the present, Lucian's gaze locked onto Kat's glaring face. "I really did fall asleep," he muttered to himself, with flitting disbelief.
Lucian stood up from the bed, his eyes darting to his shirt on the other side of the bed, behind Kat. He strode to the chair where his shirt lay, and as he reached for it, Kat's gaze followed him. She grabbed the shirt.
Lucian's gaze narrowed at the little action; his lips parted to speak, but Kat stopped him.
"Now you just listen," she declared with a stern face. "You clearly know nothing about boundaries, so let me clarify them to you. Number one, you knock before you come into my room. Number two, you can't just lay in my bed however you please. Number three, what you did last night..." She trailed off, her face flushing. "You cannot do things like that without my permission!"
Lucian's head tilted slightly. "Things like what?" he asked.
Kat's eyes narrowed. "You..." Her words were cut short by a knock at the door.
Both Lucian and Kat turned to face the door. Kat's eyes went wide with worry; no one should see them like this. What would they think?
Kat's eyes snapped back to Lucian, gesturing for him to remain silent. She knew it must be a maid came to prepare the water for her bath.
Lucian's blank gaze stared back at her, his eyes narrowing at the instruction.
"My lady?" A voice called out from the other side of the door. Before Kat could dismiss the maid, the girl had already stepped in.
Kat cursed herself a thousand times for her recent instructions. She had told her maids to enter freely when they came to prepare her morning bath, never expecting it would backfire in such an unexpected way. Now, facing the awkward situation with Lucian, she deeply regretted her decision, wishing she could take it back.
As the maid entered, her eyes widened at the scene before her: the king, half-dressed, and Lady Kat disheveled on the bed, clutching his shirt. With one glance, the maid thought she understood the situation, and her worst luck was confirmed - she had walked in on something private. The maid hastily bowed, her face flushing with fear and embarrassment.
"Your Majesty!... My lady! I apologize for the intrusion! Please forgive my insolence." The maid quavered, bowing quickly, eager to escape.
Kat shook her head, wanting to clarify the misunderstanding, but words failed her. Frustrated, she ruffled her hair. 'This is all his fault!' she fumed inwardly.
The maid halted as the king spoke, his voice cold and detached, making her shiver. "Didn't you come here to prepare the bath?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," she stuttered, keeping her gaze glues to the floor. Not daring to wait for further instructions, she scurried to the bathroom.
Kat wished the bed could swallow her whole. "Damn it. They already gossip about me being a mistress; now they'll spread even more stupid rumors about me," she whispered, letting out a frustrated groan.
Lucian's ears picked up her words, and his gaze lingered on her briefly. "You should get ready." He said and turned to leave.
Kat's anger flared, and she angrily tossed his shirt at him. Lucian caught it effortlessly, Kat couldn't understand how he could behave so insensitively in every God damn situation.
As he turned to leave, Kat stretched out her hand, her fingers curling into a grip, as if attempting to telekinetically choke Lucain to death. Just as he stepped out, Kat gripped a pillow, letting out a muffled growl. She punched it repeatedly, strangling it with all her strength. "Damn you."
On the other side of the slightly opened door, Lucian glanced at Kat through the small gap, a fleeting smirk on his lips, almost amused. After some moment of watching Kat assault the pillow, she wished was his face, he walked away.
Luckily, before the maid returned, Kat had finished her deadly assault on the poor pillow.
Once the maid finished preparing the bath, she greeted Kat with a curtsy and quickly exited.
Kat sighed as the maid left. 'Usually, I couldn't care less about gossip, both as a celebrity and as myself, but yesterday's events as me questioning everything... it's hard to tell what's true or not anymore.' she pondered. 'last night, that feeling... I'm so confused. Is this some twisted game, or am I just losing my mind?'
"What's happening to me? Man I hate him" she muttered frustratedly as she made her way to the bath before the water could cool down.
As Kat descended into the bath, she realized she wasn't in pain and checked her thigh, were the creature had injured her, only to see it was completely healed, even Lucian's bite marks were gone.
After her bath, Kat prepared for the day and made her way to eat breakfast. As Kat walked through the corridors, she noticed something unusual; there were servants buzzing around, almost in every angle, it was a very unusual sight in the castle. As much as she knew, Lucian was a man who valued solitude, so normally he preferred quietness and minimal staff presence.
But today, they seemed to be everywhere. Kat's curiosity grew as she also noticed guards stationed at every corridor, she wouldn't have known the castle had this many guards, as they were never there when needed, she huffed inwardly.
Every servant she came across were either in haste and frightened or just frantically doing their tasks, their body language reminded her a bit of how the servant acted around Lucian, 'could it be about last night?' she wondered.
She quickened her pace, eager to understand the commotion. Upon approaching the dining hall, two guards stood at attention beside the double doors, ready to open them for her. This, too, was unusual; Kat hadn't seen guards posted here in weeks.
But Kat paused her steps, before the guards could reach for the door. An older woman's scolding voice echoed from inside. "How many years have passed, and still, no bride! I'm not getting any younger, Sabastian!" The woman's voice dripped with disdain.
"There are countless eligible women vying for his attention, from princesses to noble women, both alike, within and outside the kingdom. Yet, you tell me not one, not one single one, seems to have secured his attention. How so, Sabastian?" She paused, her tone turned incredulous.
"I personally sent more than a dozen women to him, but each one kept coming back traumatized, or didn't come back at all. What is wrong with him?" Her voice rose in frustration.
"And what happened to the Droomond girl? Didn't she offer a proposal? I thought they were getting along quite well." she asked finally leaving room for Sabastian to speak.
Sabastian's apologetic tone followed. "I apologize, Your Highness, Lady Droomond was interested in His Majesty, but I'm afraid he didn't quite feel the same."
"Didn't feel the same," she repeated, displeased
Kat frowned, her brows furrowed. "Proposal?" she muttered, confusion etched on her face. Unaware, she leaned closer to the door, straining to hear better. The guards, indifferent to her eavesdropping, stood statue-still, their expressions unchanging.
The woman's sneer was palpable, even through the door. "...if you cannot do your job properly, then perhaps you should be dismissed. Perhaps it's high time you retired." Her stern voice, though restrained, was bone chilling.
Kat lingered by the heavy doors, listening closely, her ear tilted to catch the murmur of voices from the other side. Her fingers brushed lightly against the door, straining to hear. ''My apologies...'' Sabastian's words were cut off by the woman's sharp tone.
"I do not want to hear anything from you, Sabastian, unless it's regarding a bride for the king."
Just as Kat leaned closer, the woman's voice cut through her thoughts.
"And you," she said, her tone sharp as a knife, "how long do you plan on standing by the door?"
The question startled Kat. "Does she know I'm here?" she muttered, only to hear the woman's voice respond coolly, "Your heartbeat is hardly discreet."
Kat stepped away from the door, startled. "Come in," the woman commanded.
Kat, still reeling, gathered herself and took a steadying breath as the guards pushed the doors open. She stepped inside, her gaze drawn to a woman radiating elegance and poise.
The woman, likely in her fifties, possessed an ageless quality. Her light grey eyes, shone with a depth and clarity that commanded attention. Her gaze assessed Kat with a steady, penetrating intensity.
Kat's gaze flicked to Sabastian, standing composed and calm a few steps away. However, her attention quickly returned to the woman, who regarded her with a pointed look.
"Come here," the woman ordered.
Kat approached cautiously, exchanging a brief, questioning glance with Sabastian. The woman's eyes missed nothing.
Her hair was styled simply, yet elegantly, drawn back to reveal her refined features. Her tailored gown exuded sophistication, perfectly suited to her taste.
As Kat gazed at the woman, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. The woman's features seemed vaguely recognizable, yet elusive, like a forgotten memory. Kat couldn't quite place her finger on it, but something about the woman's face resonated with her.
It was the eyes, she realized. The light grey hue, while distinct from Lucian's darker shade, shared an unmistakable similarity. The same piercing intensity, the same depth, the same command of attention. Kat's mind struggled to reconcile this familiarity, wondering if she had indeed seen the woman before, or if it was merely the echoes of Lucian's eyes that sparked this sense of recognition.
Kat stopped two steps away from the woman, her gaze equally studying the woman. Noticing this, the woman's gaze narrowed, and she regarded Kat silently for a moment before rising from her seat gracefully. She hummed softly, as if considering something, then stepped forward, her gaze sharp and calculating.
Without a word, the woman began to circle Kat, her eyes taking in every detail with a critical, appraising look that would unsettle most. Kat held her ground, her heartbeat steady, as she met the woman's gaze head-on.
After a moment, the woman reached out, her touch light but firm, lifting Kat's chin and examining her face. Kat noted the woman's scent, like rose petals.
"Who are you?" the woman asked.
"I'm Katherine Young," Kat replied, her voice steady and polite, with a slight curtsy despite the woman's fingers still holding her chin.
The woman hummed thoughtfully, a sound Kat began to recognize as a sign of either approval or something else. Without lingering, the woman fired off her next question.
"Your age?"
"Twenty-one."
The woman's questions continued, quick and sharp. "Where did you come from?" She let go of Kat's chin and stepped away.
"My room," Kat responded, like the most obvious answer.
"Room?" The woman echoed, her gaze darting briefly to meet Sabastian's, her gaze narrowed.
"How long have you been staying here?" The woman's tone was now intrigued.
"About a month and a week." Kat answered each question in turn, her voice as steady as the woman's gaze.
"You don't say," the woman muttered, tilting her head. She stood with her right elbow resting on the left palm of her hand, and her index finger casually placed under her chin.
Sabastian took a half-step forward, ready to intervene, but the woman silenced him with a curt look.
"I don't recall asking for your input, Sabastian."
Kat sensed an opportunity to shift the conversation and tilted her head slightly, returning the woman's stare.
"If I may ask, who are you?"
The woman's eyes narrowed slightly, not with offense, but with a hint of intrigue. She studied Kat in silence for a moment, and then a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth 'what a interesting young woman' the woman thought to herself.
No one had ever dared stand before her, hold her gaze, and question her as this girl did. Lady Charlotte was beyond impressed by Kat's resolve.
Just as Lady Charlotte seemed about to answer Kat's question, the doors of the dining room opened, and Lucian entered, his presence drawing their attention. The woman's gaze slowly shifted to Lucain.