The Reincarnation

Chapter 29

Anxiously, I nod at Leon who has now sat me down on the edge of his bed and is staring at me suspiciously.

"So you dressed up as a woman to catch the assassin from that night?" He asks, narrowing his eyes at me.

I wipe my clammy hands on my pyjama trousers and nod, "Yes. I wanted to catch that person so you would be safe. I was afraid they would come after you again Your Highness."

For a moment, we sit in silence before Leon suddenly bursts into loud guffaws. I watch him, stunned at his reaction. "I can't believe I fell for it! Here I was, thinking you were a beautiful woman."

I don't know whether to be offended or pleased by his compliment.

Leon suddenly leans closer until his knees are touching mine. "You make a beautiful woman Car."

Biting my lip, my face heats up and I know that I must look like a tomato right now. He frowns and places his hand against my forehead.

"You're burning up Car! I should call a doctor." He says in panic.

I shake my head and move his hand away. "No. Isn't the reason you left the palace so you could hide somewhere without drawing attention to yourself? If you call a doctor, it will all be for nought. Plus, this is a good place. The assassin won't find you here either..."

"Why do you look stressed all of a sudden?" Leon asks curiously.

"I just remembered that some people here might have seen you before with the royal family. We should prepare a disguise for you for when you step outside."

What kind of disguise would be good enough to hide the crown prince's elegant aura? Even his walk shows royalty. Anyone would recognise him.

"I have an idea." He grins suddenly and I know what he is thinking as soon as he holds up the long wig I wore to the ball.

"No way! You're not really going to wear that? It's a feminine wig." I say in disbelief.

He laughs, "I'll just be a woman like you then. Even I didn't recognise you with all that makeup on earlier so if I take a leaf out of your book, it will be the perfect, full-proof disguise in the kingdom."

I laugh as I form a mental image of the prince with the wig on. Even the assassin wouldn't doubt him.

"Let's get some sleep first." I say, standing up from his bed. I suddenly lose my balance and fall forward into Leon. My heart beats rapidly as I try to stand back up but I find myself trapped between his arms.

"I've caught you." His voice is full of amusement as he speaks in a low baritone. I hope he can't hear my loud heartbeats. His arms are wound around me tightly, preventing me from regaining my footing.

"C–can you let go please?" I say, trying not to blush again.

"Not until you promise me one thing." He says.

"What?" I ask curiously.

"Promise me that you won't leave me..."

I sigh. What is this, some sort of heart-to-heart session?

"...and tell me how to make my chest muscles bigger like yours."

My jaw drops and I pull away but his arms hold me in place so I end up staring at his face which is bad for my already frantic heart, especially from this close up.

Fortunately, I did wear a bandage around my chest at the ball so I have it here but I removed it when I was showering and didn't wear it again because I intended to head to my room and sleep as soon as I got out.

I sigh, "Promise."

He grins and removes his arms from me, letting me free. "Do you want to sleep with me?"

My face flushes at his question and I shake my head and run to the door. "Definitely not!"

"I don't mind." He calls behind me but I ignore him and head to my room.

Once I have made sure that I have locked the bedroom door, I lie on my bed and touch my chest. My heart is still beating as if I ran a marathon throughout the entire kingdom. Why does it react so strangely around Leon?

"You make a beautiful woman Car."

I slap my cheeks. No. I can't keep thinking about how good he smelt or how low his voice sounded or how close we were back there. And the way his arms around my body made me feel...

Snap out of it Carmella!

There is no way I can have weird thoughts about the crown prince. I am a man and only his personal servant at that. I will only ever be that close to him. There is no step for me to shorten the distance between us.

Covering my eyes with my arm, I try to ignore the strange feeling of sadness which is growing at the pit of my stomach. I can't forget my duty.

*************
*Leon*
*************

"Come and catch me Leon!" Her laughter tinkles like a melody as she runs out of my reach. Her luscious long, wavy, brown hair shines under the sunlight and her flowy white dress makes her curvy legs look pretty and long.

I grin and chase after her. I can't let my beloved escape from me. I run as fast as I can but the more I increase my speed, the further our distance.

"Don't leave me!" I scream, hoping she hears me and stops to wait for me.

I gasp for air and blink. As my eyes adjust to the dark room, I realise that I was dreaming. Was that a dream or a nightmare? My heart is beating faster and my palms are sweaty.

This is the strange inn which Carter brought me to. It must be later in the day now but why is it so dark?

I stand up slowly and walk around. Someone closed the blackout curtains. I haven't had a good night's sleep like this since the night I was attacked.

It's fortunate that I can kill two birds with one stone here. I won't have my father badgering me about marriage since he won't find me and I won't have the assassin after me when I am in disguise.

A smile is on my face as I glance in the mirror and I quickly wipe it off. Why do I feel giddy when I recall Carter in women's dress?

Was it rude for me to compliment his look? Did he take offence to my words? I should have stayed quiet!

"Leon, are you awake?" The melodious voice asks from outside my room.

Melodious?! Why are you thinking of his voice in such a way Leon?!

I clear my throat and respond, "Y-yes, I'm just getting ready."

Once I return to the capital, I will have the royal doctor assess my symptoms of hallucination, rapid heart beat and silly smiles.