'He's on top of me!' Lila exclaimed in her mind.
Under the soft glow of candlelight, Axel's sculpted muscles were on full display, as if meticulously crafted by the hands of a master artist over centuries.
'Our mighty creator really took his time on him.' Lila uttered to herself.
"Can you get off of me?" Lila's tone was nonchalant, masking the effect Axel's proximity had on her.
This was the first time she had seen a man's bare chest, and despite herself, she felt a flutter of nerves.
"I slipped. My apologies," Axel replied casually, amidst the chaos of their earlier misunderstanding.
With a chuckle, Axel locked eyes with Lila, his teasing gaze drawing her in.
"Would you mind?" Axel gestured to his unbuttoned shirt, feigning innocence.
"You're the one who—"
"Yes, Your Highness." Lila quickly rose to her feet before Axel could say anything else. She began buttoning his shirt, her fingers moving deftly from bottom to top.
As she reached the final button, Lila's impatience got the best of her, and she inadvertently broke it in her haste.
"I get that you wanted to see my chest. But, honey, you should've just said so. You don't have to ruin my shirt," Axel teased, his arrogance shining through.
Lila felt her frustration mounting. Could she really endure being around him? She was torn between making him fall for her and openly despising him.
He was the opposite of her ideal man—cocky, arrogant, and yet undeniably handsome. Was she being swayed by his looks?
His ability to be both hot and cold simultaneously was maddening, and as he walked away with an indifferent expression, Lila couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat.
"My Lady, are you alright?" The servant's polite inquiry snapped Lila back to reality.
With her hair in dishevel and the dining table in disarray, it certainly looked like they had engaged in some illicit activity.
"Yes, please prepare a hot bath. I badly need it," Lila replied, her mind and body in need of cleansing.
≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾
After a lengthy process of grooming and dressing, Lila emerged wearing a white dress that exuded a sense of purity in her appearance.
"She's a goddess."
"Her face, everything about her exudes beauty."
Lila couldn't help but smirk at the servants' flattering comments, assuming they were directed at her.
"There she is."
'My time to shine', Lila thought as she stepped outside.
"Lady Stella of Belfort, isn't she the most ideal candidate for the Crown Princess?"
'Oh— it's not me. But, wait, isn't she?' Lila hurried to join the conversation.
"The Northern Empire of Ezra's Crown Prince, Axel just got married to the Lady of House Belfort, Stella."
Lila's memory flashed back to her previous life. Lady Stella of Belfort was Axel's wife.
"The Northern Empire of Ezra announced that the Crown Princess Stella of Belfort just died from childbirth. The legitimacy of the child was questioned as the Crown Prince Axel Carlisle of Ezra stated that he never in his life slept with his wife."
'It was a buzz before. How can I forget this? They never slept together. They didn't marry out of love. However, how can this be possible, when he's a casanova even before? It was reported that Stella cheated on Axel while he's battling in a war. It was also revealed later on, in Stella's diary, that she only saw her husband twice. The day before the wedding and the actual wedding. He didn't even go to their first night, leaving Stella alone and abandoned. That's exactly what I wanted. I may have chosen the right choice.' Lila recalled her first life.
As Lila approached Stella, she couldn't help but admire the woman's stunning beauty—her long red hair, plump red lips, and captivating brown eyes exuded an irresistible allure that seemed to command attention from everyone around her.
However, Lila's admiration quickly turned to disbelief as she realized who Stella was conversing with—Axel, with his striking red eyes and black hair, stood before her, engaging in a heated exchange with Stella.
"Your Highness, you swore that I will be your Crown Princess. How can you abandon me and leave me after we had that one passionate night?" Stella furiously exclaimed.
Lila was taken aback. 'They had never slept together in their first life, and now they did?'
"Stella, cut your nonsense. Do not bother me anymore," Axel retorted casually as he walked away.
"The Palace is really just inviting anyone here. Goodness, there's a rat roaming around," Stella remarked, her gaze piercing as she directed her words at Lila.
"There's a rat in the palace? Where is it?" Lila asked Stella.
Walking towards Stella, Lila casually said, "Oh! It's right in front of me,"
Unfazed, Lila met Stella's gaze head-on. "A rat who doesn't know her place," she retorted with a smile, refusing to back down.
Stella's anger flared, her face turning red as she prepared to leave. But Lila wasn't finished yet.
"No, you don't get to leave first," Lila declared firmly, halting Stella in her tracks before walking away herself.
Stepping out into the vast garden, Lila couldn't help but appreciate the beauty surrounding her. The lush green grass, the fresh air, and the warm sunlight all combined to create a serene atmosphere, offering a moment of peace amidst the chaos of palace life.
'Oh— it's the Empress.' Lila silently uttered.
"Warm greetings, Your Royal Highness," Lila said.
Seeing the Empress, Lila couldn't help but admire her beauty, which still radiated despite the passage of time. With her flowing black hair and striking golden eyes, she was the epitome of elegance.
"Oh, Lila! I am glad that you are here. As you can see, you're going to meet the Emperor tonight. I was just about to tell you the message now but I luckily ran into you," the Empress exclaimed.
"Thank you for letting me know, Your Royal Highness," Lila responded gracefully.
'But wait? The Emperor?' Lila contemplated.
"Did you know that out of all of the flowers that I had in this garden, the flower named Lilac is my favorite," the Empress casually mentioned as she grabbed the Lilac flower beside her.
"Lilacs bloom only for a short while, having their lives cut short—" She said as she cut the beautiful Lilac flower and gave it to Lila.
"However, they are vibrant and lively in their short lives."
"Due to their early blooming time, Lilac symbolize romance, renewal, rebirth."
"I love it, Your Royal Highness," Lila said.
"Wow, she's extremely beautiful. The Crown Princess is smiling," a nearby servant remarked.
"I am glad to hear that. Esteban, please fill the Crown Princess' room full of Lilacs," the Empress instructed the gardener, Esteban.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Royal Highness," Lila said as the Empress nonverbally excused herself.
≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾
"You're really not going to run away? I'm giving you a chance right now," Axel whispered in Lila's ear.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince Axel Carlisle of Ezra of the Northern Empire, and Lady Lila Elara of Montgrave from the Southern Empire, Azro have arrived," the royal attendant announced.
"Let them in!" the Emperor exclaimed.
It's now or never. Lila won't run away. Thinking about it, Axel is like a poisonous flower that she should've never touched. But...
"I pick my poison and it's you, Axel Carlisle."