"Still think I'm boring, Princess?" Alex's husky and measured voice teases me while he watches as I fix my dress and hair.
My face is already flushed red from the aftershock, but with Alex's taunting comment, my cheeks only burn brighter. "Shut up. I was only joking," I mumble quietly, trying to hide my obvious embarrassment.
I'm usually not one to get so flustered easily. With Alex, though, it's different. He's gone from being a thorn in my side to being the only person who truly makes me feel vulnerable—in a good way.
Alex holds out his arm for me to take once he finishes getting dressed up again. "Let's get out of here before someone notices."
"Right," I reply, still struggling to calm myself down. I take Alex's arm, and he leads me out of the shed. We walk quickly through the nature trails, hoping to go undetected. Eventually, we make it out of the Royal Gardens and back inside the palace.
I take a deep breath of relief once we travel down the dimly lit corridor. The only sounds we make are our footsteps echoing against the marble floor. Now that the day has passed quite a bit, it's almost sunset, which means the palace halls are mostly empty.
Since my father is an asshole, to say the least, I don't have to worry about eating dinner with my family. I almost never eat my meals with them; we only eat together if there's a special event with other guests.
My stomach rumbles quietly, and that's when I realize that I need some food. Rubbing my shoulder against Alex's arm to get his attention, I wait until he looks down at me to speak. "Can we eat? I'm hungry."
The bodyguard stops in his tracks, his head swerving around as if trying to make sure nobody's around. Suddenly, he grabs my arm and pulls me in the other direction. "Come."
His grip on my arm is almost forceful, and I struggle to keep up with his fast pace as we make our way through the palace halls. We pass many paintings and statues, and my eyes flicker to each one as I try to catch a glimpse of what they depict.
As we near the east wing of the palace, I begin to realize that Alex is taking me to the kitchen. He doesn't even need to drag me along anymore because I gain control of my footing and rush to where the food is.
I love food.
The kitchen is bustling as the chefs prepare dinner. There's smoke billowing from the oven, pots boiling on the stove, and dozens of culinary experts shuffling back and forth, preparing the meal with care.
It's noisy and hectic, but Alex and I seem to fade into the background of the busy room. The bodyguard doesn't speak to anyone, and the chefs are too occupied with their work to notice our presence.
I take a deep breath of the fragrant air, basking in the warmth and comfort of the kitchen. It's a pleasant contrast to the stony and intimidating atmosphere of the rest of the palace.
"Your Highness?"
Turning around, I see that all of the servants have finally noticed me. Some of them bow politely, while others remain confused. "What are you doing here?" another servant asks.
Shit.
I freeze, trying to come up with a lie on the spot. Luckily, I'm good at these things. "I just came to let everyone know that my father had requested that all of you take a break for the evening."
The servants quickly understand what I'm implying and nod along. They don't need to be told twice; any break from their exhausting work is a godsend. One of them even cheers in excitement, and the rest join along.
I hold a hand to my chest, pretending to be embarrassed by all the attention. The truth is that I absolutely love being the center of attention—as long as it's not in a large crowd of people. It fills me with a sense of power and control that I rarely get to feel.
"Wait," a gravelly voice interrupts, causing the contagious joy to die down.
All of the kitchen staff part to make way for the head chef, an old man who has been working for my family before I was even born. He wears a black chef coat, making him stand out from everyone else. His gray patches of hair contrast with his outfit, along with his tan and wrinkly skin, accompanied by age spots under his sunken eyes.
"And why hasn't His Majesty told us this himself instead of sending his little girl—a known troublemaker—to do it for him?" he queries, his Italian accent thick.
Can't a girl just eat without being questioned?
Alex shoots a warning look in my general direction, but it's too late. The eyes of every servant in the room are on me, judging and waiting for my response.
I plaster on a fake smile, hoping to buy myself some time. "Because my father is too busy with his Royal Court meetings to stop by and visit. He just wanted me to let you all know that you deserve a break from all your hard work," I say, acting as politely as I can.
The old man's wrinkles deepen as he scowls at me. It's obvious that he doesn't buy my excuse. As the head chef, his reputation is more important than anything else. He can't afford any mistakes or misunderstandings with the king's orders.
"I understand that, but it's still unusual," he replies with a skeptical tone. "His Majesty has always made it a point to notify us himself whenever we need to take a break."
With my charm, I try to convince him further. "Well, he's getting older, and perhaps he's forgotten some things lately. He must have just forgotten."
The old man continues to stare at me with piercing eyes. I can see him thinking, his mind whirring, and searching for the right move to make. After what feels like an eternity, he sighs and nods. "Okay, I'll send the word out to everyone. But please tell your father we all thank him for his kindness."
Thank God.
I give him a deep bow to show my gratitude. The other servants start buzzing with excitement again, some of them hugging each other while others clap. It's like life has been injected back into them, and it makes me happy to see them looking joyful.
As soon as they all leave, I twist my body and raise my head to look at Alex, flashing him a playful smile. He rolls his eyes and sighs. "You might just be the death of me, Princess."
"You'll live," I shoot back, nudging his shoulder playfully. Finally, I leave his side to walk toward the cabinet and get all the ingredients I need to make lasagna. But then I realized something.
I don't even know how to cook.
Growing up the way I did, I never had to worry about necessary stuff. Everything was handed to me on a silver platter, and the only thing I had to stress about was the preparation of being the heir to the throne. Now that everything I was raised for has been taken away from me, I need to learn how to do things for myself.
"Here, let me help you," Alex offers, sensing the hesitation on my face.
My eyes widen in surprise. "You know how to cook?" I ask, my tone filled with shock. A bodyguard learning how to cook never crossed my mind before now.
Alex chuckles, but his smile slowly turns back into a neutral expression. "My mother taught me. She used to say that every man should know how to cook and cater to their wife's needs," he explains.
I can't help but stare at the bodyguard with a mix of admiration and disbelief. "Wife, huh?" The thought of Alex ever marrying someone makes me feel a certain way, but I don't know what. "I'm sure whoever ends up marrying you will be very lucky to have you."
His bright blue eyes never wavered from me, narrowing slightly. "I'm positive it's the other way around," he replies slowly in an almost calculating way.
My head tilts to the side curiously, not knowing what he means. Why is he looking at me like that?
"Okay, I'll teach you how to make it," the bodyguard continues after a moment, breaking the tension. He grabs a mixing bowl and opens the refrigerator. "The first step is to gather all the ingredients."
I follow him to the fridge and grab everything we need, including the onions, garlic, meat, tomatoes, cheese, and noodles. With all the necessary ingredients in the mixing bowl, we start chopping them up.
I watch Alex closely as he dices the vegetables with ease, his knife skills flawless. It's clear that he's been doing this for a while, which makes me wonder why it never occurred to me that he would know how to cook.
Alex slides an extra cutting board my way, handing me a damp towel to put below it. He also holds out an onion. "Do you want to try?"
Even though I take the vegetable from him and pick up the knife, I still don't know how to cut an onion, let alone hold this kind of knife. My expression is blank, probably looking dumbfounded as I stare down at the cutting board.
After a few seconds, I feel a warm and soft body pressing against my back. Alex's hand grabs ahold of mine and guides me. His other arm is wrapped around my waist, fiddling with the fabric of my dress while his chin rests on the top of my head.
My cheeks heat up, but I remain quiet as my hand moves on the bodyguard's accord. He goes slow, adjusting my grip on the knife so that I can cut better.
"Like this," he mumbles softly, his voice calm and collected despite the fact that my hands are shaking in a way that would frustrate most people.
He's becoming more patient with me.
A gentle hum emits from Alex's lips as he gently rocks me from side to side, soothing me. In that moment, I feel as if all the weight and stress on my shoulders have been lifted, and I sink into the warmth of his embrace. It's a feeling of calm and serenity that I've never experienced before.
Eventually, I take a shaky breath and steady my nerves. I continued to follow Alex's guide, finally cutting the onion with a steady hand. Once I finish, I can see a glint of pride in his eyes. "There you go, Princess. You did a great job."
His praise makes me smile, and I nod at him. I wonder if anyone else has ever told him that he's a good teacher. With the ingredients freshly chopped up, Alex and I start preparing the lasagna.
I watch in amazement as he puts every layer together, making sure the cheese and meat are evenly spread throughout the dish. The oven is already preheated, so we carefully slide the lasagna into it before he sets the timer.
I realize how hungry I am as my stomach rumbles quietly again in response to the delicious smell. I start walking around the kitchen, taking in the fresh air, and exploring my new surroundings.
With everything settled, Alex and I start to clean up, washing the dishes and organizing the kitchen. We work together, not saying a word—our movements are in sync as if we've been doing this for years. The sound of the water running and the clangs of the dishes being cleaned is a soothing melody to my stressed ears.
Once all the dishes are done, the lasagna is finished baking, and the delicious aroma of cheese and spices wafts through the air, making my mouth water. Alex takes the hot dish out of the oven and places it on the counter to cool down while we grab plates and cutlery.
The lasagna looks absolutely scrumptious. The cheese on top is golden brown, and the meat swirls around the pasta sheets and sauce seamlessly. My mouth waters at the mere thought of taking a bite.
We dig into the lasagna, and the moment my spoon hits the first layer, I'm in heaven. The flavors explode in my mouth, the cheese melting into the sheets and filling me up with happiness. I've never eaten something so delicious before.
As I gulp down my fourth forkful, I can see Alex watching me intently. "How does it taste, Princess?" he asks, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Delicious," I reply with a smile, swallowing the rest of my food before speaking. "Look at us—two friends eating a meal together."
The bodyguard unexpectedly stiffens at my words, putting his fork down and clenching his jaw. "We aren't friends," he clarifies after a second, his demeanor shifting from relaxed to cold. "I'm simply your bodyguard."
Is he serious right now?
My brows furrow slightly with a puzzled expression on my face. "Bodyguards don't sleep with their charges," I counter, almost defensively so.
"Perhaps not," Alex replies coolly, taking a sip of his water.
His words sting, but I don't react. Instead, I turn my attention back to my lasagna, feeling a lump form in my throat.
Why does he behave this way?
I take another forkful, but it doesn't taste as good as it did a second ago. I don't have the appetite to eat anymore, so I push my plate away. Alex watches as I leave the kitchen island and start pacing around the room.
"What is going on with you, Alex? Sometimes I feel like I don't even know you," I say, my voice raising slightly. "One minute, you act like you care about me, and the next, you treat me like I'm a stranger."
When he doesn't respond immediately, my frustration reaches its peak, so I let out an annoyed sigh and shake my head. "You know what? Forget it."
I leave the kitchen, not bothering to look back. I don't care if he's my bodyguard and has to follow me everywhere I go. I just want to get away.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・
authors note: this was just a boring filler chapter with some cute moments (minus the ending) to take a break from the smut but enjoyy
ps i can see you horny mfs rereading the smut chapters