"My Lady! My Lady! Wake up!"
My eyes shot open at the unfamiliar voice as I jerked up from the soft mattress beneath me.
My head throbbed like it had been split open with an axe. The sun, streaming through the window like it owned the place, made me squint.
"...Lily?"
"Are you okay, My Lady?"
The voice, soft but concerned, made me pause.
Wait...
What the hell? Did time rewind? Did Adrian f**king kill me? How was I back in my room?
"Head hurts but fine. How did I get back to my room, Lily?" I asked, my hand gripping my hair in a fist as I squinted against the aggressive sunlight.
"My name is Lila, My Lady."
"Yes. Yes. What happened?"
"The Duke brought you back, My Lady. You fainted in front of Prince Adrian. Do you recall anything?"
I frowned, my brain trying to claw its way through the fog and pounding ache.
"I fainted... in front of him?"
"Yes, My Lady," Lila said softly, lowering her gaze like she was too scared to tell me the rest.
My stomach twisted, the memory of last night creeping in like a cold draft. And it hit me. Hard.
---
"Hiding after trying to kill a member of the royal family, Lady Evelina?"
Prince Adrian's voice slithered through the darkness, smooth as silk but with a sharpness that grated on every nerve I had left.
I froze.
Every muscle screaming at me to bolt, but I forced myself to stay still.
Maybe he was bluffing. He has to be bluffing. No way his eyes were sharp enough to see me in this darkness.
"Come out, Lady Evelina. Or do you plan to spend the entire night cowering behind that statue? It's not very dignified for someone with a reputation like... yours."
Like mine? The f**king audacity. What did Evelina even see in him? First meeting, and I already wanted to slap my so-called male lead into another galaxy.
Was this because I'd based his character off Wei? Maybe... But, did that matter? The personality I loved for 10 years... Who would have known I'd grow to hate it and anyone possessing it.
Wei. That bast**d.
My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms.
I had worked my ass off, bled, and blistered my hands to support that f**ker, and what did he do? Cheat on me like the absolute trash he was.
Adrian took another step closer, and I could practically feel the smug grin on his face widening.
He knew I was there. But how?
I inhaled sharply, forcing my voice steady as I stepped out of my hiding spot. "Am I not allowed to roam in my own home, Your Highness? I assure you it has nothing to do with you."
His hazel eyes glinted, unreadable and unsettling.
"Of course, you can. I was merely concerned for your safety, my sweet Evelina. Although..." His gaze flicked down, and his lips curled into a smirk. "The maid outfit would be more suitable in the bedroom. I don't want others seeing you like this."
What the actual f**k. Did he just—? How the hell could he say something so brazen when he had a fiancée? No wonder his character was based on Wei.
"Concerned?" I shot back, my voice sharp despite the ache in my head. "Forgive me if I find that hard to believe. And Your Highness should worry about his fiancée, not other women."
Adrian stepped closer, his presence suffocating in the dim hallway. "You wound me, truly. Here I am, ensuring your well-being, and you question my intentions? How cruel. Be patient, Evelina. No one but you can be my queen."
I nearly gagged.
What I wouldn't give to slap the sh*t-eating grin off his face.
Adrian, you've thoroughly disappointed your mother. I can't believe this sleazeball gave Evelina false hope before the ball. There's no way the heroine didn't know about his affair.
Poor Evelina. Evil to her core, but in the end, played by love. I guess that was her retribution.
"If you were so concerned," I said, my teeth grinding, "you'd let me be. Now, if you'll excuse me—"
Before I could turn, his hand shot out and gripped my wrist. His touch wasn't harsh, but firm enough to send a jolt down my spine.
An electric current ran through me. My chest tightened. Why... why did it feel like Wei's hand on mine?
"You're not going anywhere, Eve," Adrian said, his tone dropping into something deeper, something darker. "Not until you tell me what you were doing skulking around the halls like a thief in the night. Where did you plan to go?"
I glared at him, my heart thundering in my chest. "I don't owe you an explanation, Your Highness. Let. Go. Of. My. Hand."
Adrian's jaw tightened, and the playful gleam in his eyes hardened into steel. "Careful, Evelina. You might find that sharp tongue of yours cut by someone less patient than me."
I yanked my hand back, my skin crawling. "If you're finished with your empty threats, I have more important things to attend to."
What the hell did Evelina see in this man? But then again, what the hell did I see in Wei?
As the question lodged itself in my mind, a strange, sweet scent enveloped me...
My vision blurred, and my knees buckled as everything faded into nothingness.
What the-
---
F**k. Why do I keep attracting bast**d men?
I bolted upright in bed, my breath coming in gasps. The memory hit me like a freight train. My head pounded, my chest tight as I tried to ground myself.
"Lila," I rasped, "did anyone else see me with Prince Adrian last night?"
The maid hesitated, wringing her hands like a guilty child. "I'm not sure, My Lady. But the Duke... he seemed very displeased. He's asked to see you as soon as you're well enough."
Of course, he had. Because why wouldn't he want to pile more sh*t onto my already glorious mess of a night?
I let out a bitter laugh, pressing my fingers against my throbbing temple. "This just keeps getting better."
Lila fidgeted, like she wanted to say something but didn't dare. I waved her off, exhaustion weighing me down like a stone.
"Fine. Help me get ready. Let's not keep the Duke waiting."
I threw my legs over the side of the bed, sucking in a sharp breath.
God, give me strength not to actually murder someone today.