Chapter 144: Chapter 144
[ We are merely slightly acquainted, Third Prince. ]
Blinking in awe at how the Lady had expressed her relationship with the Crown Prince, he repeated in, an unknowingly audible volume for Zeleskiaz, whispering voice.
"... Merely... Slightly acquainted...?!??"
The Lady nodded indubitably as the Crown Prince carefully landed the teacup he was holding on its tiny plate... Only to ensure his strength at the conflicting response wouldn’t break it to smithereens since a new turmoil was taking place in the growing void of his chest.
"....."
Silently, with his almost white eyelashes covering his turbulent eyes as they looked downwards with disguised composure, his ears were completely focused on listening attentively to what would be said next.
The child, cautiously yet uselessly, made sure that his Older Brother was not aware of their ongoing conversation and continued to ask.
"Then... My lady... If he invited you to the Palace..." — Glancing back and forwards making sure once again that Zeleskiaz wasn’t paying them any attention, the child finally asked. — "What is the reason for doing so??"
"....."
This time the Lady and the Crown Prince flinched at the child’s pure question.
The woman inadvertently reacted because she had a slight inclination as to why the crazed Crown Prince had called for her.
’... You wouldn’t like this answer, little Prince... But I think... He’s a bit of a horny guy... So..... At the very least I can say he has a good eye. I’ll give him that much.’
In her deepest thoughts, she pondered as she answered the child with the honesty she could not place on her letters.
And...
As to the man who was being somehow criticised on her head, slight embarrassment spread through his mass, as he was fully aware that his reasons to bring her to their Royal Residence were born from the selfish and strong desire to shorten the distance between the Glamorous Lady and himself for one that permitted him to be as close to her entity as he was at this moment.
Zeleskiaz felt a powerful uneasiness at the response the honest Lady would undoubtedly give now to his little Brother while the repetition of the words he had heard in her previous answer were told inwardly.
’... Slightly... Acquainted...’
The Lady had started to write once again and the Crown Prince’s heart accelerated from whatever the contents of her response would be.
[ As you may see... The condition I am currently in does not help me to communicate with spoken words, my Prince...
I find that The Crown Prince, although he has no similar condition, also does not speak much, does he? ]
The clever woman led the question to hint at a fairly possible reason to the concerned child, to which he nodded wondering what she meant by that last question.
[ Then... Although I do not know of his true motive... My Prince, I would like to believe that your Brother, The Crown Prince, wants to befriend my unique self for the lack of words we share. ]
"... Oh..." — Receiving the last message, Dioclecià understood what she had in mind. However, as he glanced at his supposedly ignorant Brother, the little Prince came to a new and smart conclusion.
’... Lady... Pardon me, yet... I do not think Zeleskiaz invited you for those reasons...’
The sights the little Prince found of his Brother were as common as the Crown Prince used to portray. Regardless, as well as the Emperor, the child was sharp and could sense an unfamiliar vibe from the nonchalant Crown Prince seating across him.
Tense by the uncertainty of what the two were exchanging in secret, Zeleskiaz was battling the urge to shamelessly read her comments by stealing from them the stack.
Nonetheless, the proximity was enough for his lowered eyes to peek meekly at said stack, only being able to read the last tad of the message.
—... Crown Prince, wants to befriend my unique self for the lack of words... —
... Ba- thump...
To the absurd words that made it into his sight, his expression twitched as it wanted to frown from the loud drop of his heartbeat.
’... Befriend her because she doesn’t speak?..... How could she conceive such a ridiculous idea...?!’
Annoyed by the misunderstanding, Zeleskiaz continued to grow a frustrated rage from the excuse she had given the child who didn’t need to learn her real suppositions.
His face commenced to show his discomfort as all what they had done ran quickly through his mind.
’No words... I did dance with her for the convenience of her silence... Yet this invitation to the Palace..... It has nothing to do with that!!’
"Tsk..." — His furious emotions managed to come out in a muffled click of his tongue while his jaw clenched to restrain it further.
’I’ve kissed her... And... Touched her..... Visited secretly and went mad from her distance... Yet it all has been taken as... As–..... D*mn, Bloody hell.’
The frustration was overwhelming him, making some of his thick veins pop up on his fortunately hidden neck.
Until... a crucial thought emerged, halting his anger to the important realisations it would lead him.
’Have none of those encounters made my intentions... clear...?... No...’
A simple attempt to make a criticising question had opened his eyes to an important detail the awkward Prince had ignored from the very beginning of their "acquainted" relationship.
’We’ve... We’ve barely even talked..... I’ve yet to tell her... how much I want her.’
Lifting his gaze towards the busy Lady, he avoided looking for long, as new ideas sparked in his troubled head.
’Yet... How could I tell her?..... The mere conception of the idea... instils fear in me...’
More rejections would sink him into madness.
The Crown Prince did not have experience in the works of courting as he did have in the meaningless satisfactions of his manly desires on the sheets.
Although he knew that all these insane cravings she summoned within him were desperate for such tangling works... He had no confidence in executing them for the uncertainty of the neverending new sensations invading him.
Hopelessly desiring her all, yet overwhelmingly afraid of the outcomes, Zeleskiaz had unique visions on the matter for the two.
What has been always meaningless, was now filled with intentions, and so, his one fear was born from it...
For the unknown deepness of those motives kept expanding immensely on his spirit and his goals were, undoubtedly, not ones that would end once he met them...
The confusion was tremendous and appallingly perpetual that his heart throbbed again in pain to the thoughts of her distancing herself from him because of the clumsy attitude the Crown Prince had shown, bringing various misunderstandings.
Repeating to himself the goals he had set through the night, Zeleskiaz tried to shove all of his inner conflict with determination.
’I don’t want her to hate me... I want all of her being... To myself.’
Inhaling the sweet scent of her hair that flew through the pacific breeze, the Crown Prince’s eyes portrayed true longing in their crystalline hue as they avoided light from reaching them with his thick lashes.
’... And I don’t want..... My Lady to misunderstand these complicated feelings she invokes within my feral soul.....’
Adding a new objective... Zeleskiaz turned to look at the Lady with admirable confidence in his yearnings.
He had diminished his aura’s presence from the moment Marianne had entailed in a secret conversation with the third Prince. Yet, even before he started to make it more evident, the Lady had turned to him granting the fall of her majestic eyes to cross with his.
Marianne’s gaze was impenetrable.
Like a thick rocky wall, it stood strongly before him, showing that some restriction was being placed between them.
The foreign child was posing cautiously for his previous misleading behaviour. However, her strict eyes were only displaying harshness by how sharply they were looking at him as they noticed something was going on with the dubious man beside her.
’... If I weren’t perceptive and knew nothing about this guy... That look in his eyes wouldn’t seem so concerning right now...’ — The foreign soul thought as she held his sights, ultimately adding... — ’... Is this guy getting bloodthirsty?!’
Acting up on impulse, reminded by his unpredictable behaviour, the Lady began to write a short message.
[ Is His Highness not feeling well? ]
Still feeling conflicted, Zeleskiaz answered on the laying stack.
[ No ]
Marianne stared blankly at it for a moment, surprised, and then responded.
[ Is his Highness tired... or bored of this wonderful meal? ]
"....."
[No]
Once again she started in silence at his unhesitant answer and wrote.
[ Then... What is bothering His Highness? ]
"....." — Zeleskiaz was now who had fallen silent to her handwriting.
’... It is you, My Lady... Your existence bothers me..... For how extremely excited I become in your presence..... That I do not know how to deal with myself in the state your mere image induces my soul... I crave you, My Lady Marianne...’
His honest feelings were told on his deepest corners as his eyes unwaveringly stared into hers, longing for these words to reach her somehow, yet timorous from entirely conveying them with so measle demonstration.
The way she knew something was taking off within him and the sincere and straightforward inquiry about the issue... only escalated his ambition for closing the increasing gap between them as her true character was slowly learned with each small interaction they had.
Now, struck by the gentle approach she had granted even after acting inappropriately towards her, Zeleskiaz softly spoke to answer her last inquiry on the gracious stack and suggested a meeting to straighten his missteps.
"Nothing, My Lady. It is only that... I was wondering if there was some other meeting in your schedule for today after this meal."
Certainly serious about his inquiry, Zeleskiaz did not let arrogance show in his expression, making sure that no hidden intentions were concealed in his question for her to misinterpret.
"....."
The two souls responded with silence to his unexpected demeanour, which only brought the Crown Prince to directly say what it was he wanted at this time.
"I... Wish to converse with the Lady today. It would be pleasant if I could learn more about you, Lady Marianne."