Day after day, class after class, meal after meal, Madeline slowly got used to living, eating, and tutoring in the castle. She especially enjoyed the free leisure time she would often spend in the library - reading some of the greatest and rarest novels or study books - or outside - playing and laughing with the children.
She wrote a letter to Alissa, telling her all about the old house the owners ordered to be taken down and their abrupt decision to move her out. But she also wrote that after feeling nervous and out of place, she adjusted to life in the royal castle.
Knowing what interested Alissa the most, Madeline wrote about the eldest prince's birthday ball and her meeting his close friends but, to Alissa's disappointment, didn't expand her relationship with any of those eight men.
It was the last week of October and the autumn festival started with the official start of the fall season yet the ball was to be held at the end of November. That schedule gave Madeline enough time to teach Princess Hannah the elegant ballroom dance without fear that the prince would see through her Liliana disguise since he was still away for his travels.
Given how much fun Princess Hannah had by being taught ballroom dance by Madeline, Prince Lucas also wanted to take her classes so their dance teacher was, unfortunately for her, dismissed from teaching them further. But, to Madeline's luck, her payment was doubled.
The needle reached the end of the vinyl record, ending the song. Princess Hannah huffed and stepped away from Madeline, seeing the pleasant smile spread across the tutor's face.
"That was good, Your Highness. You will be ready for the ball just in time," Madeline patted Hannah's head and the girl beamed a smile at the teacher, skipping happily to the sofa and plopping down to rest.
"You're a great teacher, Maddie," Hannah grinned, kicking her feet that couldn't reach the floor. "That was amazing."
"You're too kind, Your Highn--"
But Madeline's words were cut short due to the double doors of the ballroom bursting open and the excited boy running inside.
"Hannah!! Maddie!! Look what I got!!" Prince Lucas ran to his sister, hopping on the chair and showing a small box to his sister.
"Wow!" the princess's eyes widened when the young prince pulled out a well-designed miniature car figurine.
"And there's more. Look!" he giggled and took a handful of toy cars from the wooden box in different colors and shapes.
"Where did you get those?!" the princess's eyes glimmered.
"Brother gave them to me," Lucas grinned and Hannah pushed her lower lip into a pout.
"Not fair! I want toys as well!" the princess whined.
Madeline's breath caught up in her throat. Her head whipped to the right as she felt his presence. And she was right - at the door, smiling brightly at his siblings and holding a couple of boxes in his hands, all while dressed rather casually in a suit and turtleneck sweater appropriate for the cold autumn weather, stood Prince Christopher all blond, handsome, and powerful.
It had been twenty days since she saw him last and her heart strangely thumped against her chest, making it hard for her lungs to expand and accept any air she pulled in through her nose. Madeline barely knew the prince but would always remember his touch, smile, and captivating aura, the close proximity they shared, and his mellow voice as he spoke to her waking the butterflies in her stomach. That fluttering feeling was addictive, she wanted more of it - she wanted the closeness he had with his friends, to know more about him, but knew that it was impossible - she was just a tutor.
However, she didn't get that warm feeling now when his eyes met hers. Instead of feeling butterflies, Madeline felt tension and nervousness tying her stomach in a double knot.
"Chris!!!"
Hannah's happy shout made Madeline visibly flinch and Christopher averted his eyes from the tutor to his sister. He crouched down and accepted Hannah's hug. Madeline, being called by Prince Lucas, went to sit next to him while Hannah happily giggled while accepting her present from her older brother.
The tutor tried to look interested and occupied while the younger prince showed her the toy cars but she still couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling in her gut. Her eyes would dart up to the eldest prince and his dimpled smile as he talked to Hannah, giggling at her happiness once she unwrapped the present and hugged him again to thank him for the beautiful doll in a floral dress.
"Maddie, look!" Hannah ran to the woman, showing her the blonde doll with curly hair and a beautiful ballgown. "Chris bought it for me in Atheson! Isn't she beautiful?!"
Madeline forced a smile and nodded, "She's lovely, Your Highness... gorgeous."
"And he has a present for you too!" Hannah turned to her brother.
Madeline pulled her gaze up and saw Christopher walking forward, entering the room with a smaller box in his hands. The young woman stood up and bowed when the prince stopped before them.
"Welcome back, Your Highness," she said, the nervous knot in her stomach preventing her facial muscles from forming a polite smile. Instead, her lips thinned and the knot came up to her throat when his eyes captured hers again. Only this time, Madeline could clearly see the source of her nervousness - his eyes that would sometimes carry a warm glow now had that same sharpness and icy coldness they carried when she first saw him on the interview day in August.
"It is good to be back home, Miss Simmons," the prince smiled and dipped his head in greeting. When he looked back at Madeline, his eyes seemingly got sharper. "Before coming here, I stopped by my father's office and learned your situation," he intentionally paused to observe Madeline's expression, noticing how her eyes slightly widened and her throat working a hard swallow.
Christopher sighed, placing a hand over his chest in compassion, though Madeline saw through his spurious act and fake concern. His siblings were too occupied with their new toys to notice.
"It sorrows me greatly to hear what happened to you but it brings me great pleasure to hear you have accepted my father's offer to live in the castle," his smile didn't match the emotions swirling in his eyes yet Madeline needed to stay strong.
"With all due respect, Your Highness," Madeline cleared her throat, "Initially, I didn't want to accept. I didn't want to pull your parents or siblings into my personal problems but--"
"Are you saying you were pressured into making that decision?" Christopher's smile faded and the ice-cold glare pierced Madeline deeper. She felt the painful pressure twisting her insides and drying her throat. She swallowed yet again, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down her back.
"I..." she barely parted her dry lips and breathed out, feeling as if she would faint any second.
"You couldn't say no to the king's offer in order not to tarnish the perfect image everyone has of you, correct?" the prince struck with another question and Madeline feared her legs would give up due to his intense glare. "You feigned your decision...In conclusion, you weren't yourself. Right... Miss Madeline?"
Madeline pushed her shoulders back. Prince Christopher always addressed her by her last name. But what struck her more was his choice of words in his last sentence and the venomous tone of his voice as he talked, emphasizing certain words.
She feared what he would say next. She felt her hands cooling off and sweating, the pearls of cold sweat gathering at her hairline. He stared at her and she couldn't move, as if his stare and powerful aura nailed her feet to the shiny polished floor of the large ballroom. Madeline's ears rang, the buzzing nulling the voices of the twins sitting on the chairs beside her. Her heart thumped so hard she thought it would explode inside her chest. Her saliva seemed nonexistent as if her glands didn't work or as if she swallowed a spoonful of cinnamon that dried off her mouth. Her mind was blank and she couldn't think of a perfect answer to his words.
But a sudden glomp pulled her out of the trance and Madeline looked down at the twins hugging her, glaring at their older brother.
"Hey, don't be mean to Maddie, Chris!" Hannah spoke first, "She stayed because of us! So that she could teach, read, and play with us the whole day!"
"Yeah!" Lucas backed up his sister, "We demanded it and she was too nice to comply!"
Christopher was taken aback by his younger siblings standing up to him and defending their tutor. His aura and gaze softened and the smile returned to his face when he crouched down to be in the same eye level as them.
"Well, you shouldn't force people into doing things they don't want to," Christopher arched his brow, his voice coming out soft but having a trace of lecturing.
Twins looked up at the woman at the same time, having a saddened glow in their eyes.
"You don't want to be with us, Maddie?" Lucas pouted, eliciting a sniffle after.
Madeline's body relaxed slightly and a smile returned to her pale face. Her cold hand came up to stroke the boy's soft black hair.
"Of course I do," she spoke gently, "Back then I just didn't want to be a burden but now..." she placed her other hand on Hannah's head, "I am so glad I accepted your father's offer. You two are my favorite students of all time."
The kids rejoiced and stepped away from Madeline, taking her hands each and twirling her around the room.
"Let's go play with these toys now that our dance class is over, Maddie!" Hannah giggled and her twin brother nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, let's go!" Lucas added and they stopped spinning around, pulling Madeline toward the door.
"Dance class?" Christopher raised his brow, turning to the three of them.
Hannah nodded and spoke up first again, "Yup. Miss Larson had some family problems so Maddie stepped in for her but now she completely took over her classes and became our dance teacher as well!"
"Hmm..." Christopher's eyes went up to Madeline's face, noticing how she didn't look at him. But then he looked down at his sister again, "Don't you think you're putting too much pressure on your tutor - she's tutoring you in the morning and dancing with you in the afternoon... It's too much."
"But she's living here now," Lucas joined, "She can rest whenever she wants and not travel back and forth between her house and the castle." He paused and looked up at Madeline again, "It's not tiring to tutor us, right Maddie?"
"Absolutely not," Madeline spoke, "I'm enjoying every minute of it."
Christopher's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched but he sighed away the tense muscles on his face and pushed a smile instead.
"Hannah... Lucas..." Christopher spoke and the little ones looked at him, "Why don't you go play in your room and order us some tea while I talk to your tutor? I'd like to see just how good of a dance teacher she is..." Madeline's head snapped up at him, her eyes wide and face even paler. "I might learn a step or two for the Friday masquerade."
His smirk etched on his face and that suffocating pressure returned to Madeline's throat.
"Oh, you'll love it!" Hannah giggled, releasing Madeline's hand from her grasp, "It's so elegant and lovely... as if you're dancing on a cloud!"
"Oh, really?" Christopher arched a brow, his smirk widening when his eyes met Madeline's fidgety ones.
The children ran out, their giggles echoing through the hallways until they were completely silenced. Christopher waited for that silence before he moved, stepping to the gramophone and winding it up. He positioned the needle on the vinyl and the familiar waltz started playing, the song filling the space of the room.
When he turned back to her, Madeline saw Christopher's gentle smile yet, when he stopped right in front of her, she tensed again upon seeing the coldness in his stare that threatened to freeze her to the bone.
"Care for a dance, Miss Madeline?" Christopher extended his hand and Madeline hesitated but pulled her arm up and placed her palm into his. His smile widened just a bit as he stepped closer and placed his other hand on the small of her back.
"So... Miss Madeline," the prince spoke up, taking a first step forward while Madeline's leg went back. He savored the panicked look in her eyes, looking down at her. "Where did you learn how to dance?"
"In... In college," she replied, cursing herself for stuttering.
"Hmm? Interesting," he hummed, looking over her head as their feet worked around the floor.
After a short pause, Christopher looked down at Madeline again, the sound of him clearing his throat causing her to look up into his eyes again.
"It's remarkable knowing that your college in Brethron Lake held dance classes," he suppressed a scoff, "And have you danced anywhere else?"
They turned and Madeline stiffened. Christopher felt her flinch under her touch, her tensed amateur dance steps annoying him.
"I... The college held ballroom dancing competitions and I did participate in them."
She was merely grazing the surface of her past but, given the position she was in and the prince's obvious questioning, she knew what was the meaning of his anger.
"Then you should relax, Miss Madeline," her eyes met his again but his smile was nowhere to be found - only a stone-cold glare resided on his scowling face. "If you are a former ballroom dancer, you should act like one and let your feet glide across the floor," his scowl hardened just like his jaw, "I have a feeling as if I'm dancing with a statue."
"Yes, Your Highness," she dipped her head and that way broke away from his powerful stare.
Madeline breathed out of her mouth and for a moment closed her eyes, letting her ears fill with music. Nervousness continued to simmer in her body. This was the first time since the masquerade that she danced with Prince Christopher and there were no outside factors that would "save" her and pull her away from him.
When she breathed out again, Madeline's senses began to register everything - the prince's hold of her hand, his other hand on her back, his quiet breathing, his captivating cologne, the elegant melody guiding her body through the dance and causing memories to resurface. She danced on instinct but the more time passed, the more her body gave in. There was no point in hiding it anymore.
"That's it..."
She heard his voice coming out low and quiet, a trace of encouragement present in his tone. Madeline still held her eyes closed but her body started warming up. Even though she didn't look at him, she felt him, and she would let her mind replay their first dance...
Christopher held Madeline close as he did that Friday night. He guided her through the dance so well that all her previous anxious feelings evaporated with every step and turn they would make. She lost herself in his arms and presence, her love for dancing resurfacing and letting her feet and his hold carry her around. Time stopped for Madeline and her body swam in tranquility, a small smile tugging at her lips. She could dance with Christopher forever, feeling light as a feather as her heart swelled with pleasure instead of unease.
But her back suddenly slammed against the wall and Madeline abruptly opened her eyes, looking up at the angered prince. His stiff facial expression and cold eyes frightened her, pushing out all the oxygen from her lungs harder than the impact of her body against the wall. His eyes locked her in place once again.
Christopher let go of her body and hand and reached up to her head, pulling away the hairpins that held her bun, letting her brunette waves cascade down her arms and back. The shock of his actions and the hit stilled her body and she could only widen her eyes as he undid her hair. The next thing Christopher did was to remove her big round glasses, his furrowed brows knitting closer together once the glasses revealed her face. He let the eyewear fall on the floor.
"It was you... all along..." his voice came out as a growl and Madeline gulped, not daring to move.
"I... I don't..."
But her words were cut off as Christopher slammed his hand close to her head, making her flinch and let out a small yelp.
"Don't pretend you don't understand! Don't fucking lie to me, Madeline!" the prince raged, but then mockingly scoffed, "Or should I call you... Liliana?"
Her eyes instinctively filled with tears. "How...?"
Christopher grabbed her hand, the one he was previously holding, and pulled the sleeve of her dress slightly, revealing her wrist. Madeline was confused but Christopher tightened the grip on her forearm, making her wince in pain.
"Liliana also had this small mark on her wrist," he scoffed yet again but then looked back into her eyes. "Are you still wondering how I found out about your lie? How did I put the pieces together?!"
Christopher's voice echoed through the room as the song ended and only a faint sound of the needle scraping the end of the vinyl was heard.
"My travel to Atheson, looking through some documents, and talking with Hyunjin was enough to find out that no Liliana was studying at the academy under a scholarship," he hissed close to her face and her heart thumped, lips drying off yet again as his eyes pierced hers. "And on that night when I met you in the hallway, when I spilled my heart and feelings out... Fuck!" he hit the wall and Madeline flinched again, tears spilling from her eyes.
"Why did you lie?!" Christopher yelled and her body began shaking in fear, "What was the purpose?! So that you can keep your 'Miss Tutor' image clean?!" he repeated those words; words so true that Madeline couldn't deny them because that was exactly what she wanted - to appear disciplined and proper to the royals.
"Why did it matter?! Did you think you'll get fired just because you went to the ball?!" his shout seemed louder and her lower lip trembled, "You know what..." Christopher chuckled and backed away, "It doesn't even matter anymore - you played your role, Madeline, thinking that your fake identity would make you appear innocent."
Christopher went to the chairs, took the box, and took out the small item. He threw the object at Madeline, her stiffened hands barely catching it. Looking down, Madeline saw a lacey masquerade face mask yet her mind, occupied with fear, couldn't register its beauty.
"You were wearing a mask this whole time, Madeline, pretending to be someone you're not," he ran a hand through his blond hair, shaking his head before throwing a look at the woman, his eyes full of disdain.
"I don't tolerate lying but since I can't go against my father's decision to keep you here, I will give you one last warning..." The prince paused, anger coursing through his veins. "Don't ever talk to me again because I won't be able to distinguish if those words are true or false. You disgust me, Madeline."
Without another word, Christopher stormed out of the room, leaving Madeline alone for her feelings to finally erupt and engulf her body. Letting the elegant mask fall from her hands, Madeline slid down against the wall and covered her face with her shaking hands, weeping quietly and letting the tears soak the green cotton of her dress.
All of this could have been avoided only if she told him her real name that Friday night or explained and revealed the truth when she had a chance.
Her silence led to this moment of her sobbing in the empty royal ballroom because she was too focused on being the perfect tutor and did not want the king to regret his decision to employ her for that position.
But her lie getting revealed now will surely make everyone regret knowing her in the first place - the king, the queen, the twins, and... Prince Christopher, a man who would sometimes stir the warmth in her stomach, and a man she once enjoyed dancing with.
As she sobbed, Madeline was sure that this was her last enjoyable dance class.
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To be continued...
A/N: Hey Google, play "Lie" by BTS Jimin