"Good evening Lady Adira. If it's not too much trouble, may I have this dance?"
...
I should've rejected it. I shouldn't have hesitated and cared how he would look at other noble's eyes if I rejected him.
Adira grumbled to herself while feeling one particular piercing glacial stare amidst the warm and dreamy gazes of everyone else.
Who wouldn't be mad at this set up? Her fiancee just stepped away to speak with an ambassador from the neighbouring kingdom and a few minutes after, a bachelor suddenly came and swooped his fiancee away.
To others, it may seem harmless. But that is not the case with Casimir! He was very well aware of the hungry wolves that was eyeing his fiancee.
The temperature dropped a few degrees while Adira did everything she could not to look at Casey's way, else she'll see the lord devil rise from hell.
Please, just end this song! Hurry up! Before Casey explodes!
You idiot Adira! Even if he had already pulled you up before you could answer, you still should've said no! That's what you get for hesitating and dazing off! Idiot!
"Adira." She was snapped out of her inner turmoil of worries about Casey. She was so out of it she did not notice the face of this dreamy Lord look at her with worry.
"Are you okay?"
"Why, yes, Lord Dalriada. Forgive me if I have offended you in any way." She answered with a civil smile.
Please don't look like that, Casey! I'm only being civil! Hands off your sword please!!
"Is it because of him?" Triton asked while sneaking a glance at the chilling death on the prince's face.
"Eh?"
"Is it because of the prince that you rejected my proposal?"
He looked incredibly crestfallen as he asked Adira and this didn't slip past her. She was confused why Triton was acting like this. He never loved her anyway, so what does it matter if she chose the prince instead?
"Why does it matter?" She replied and coincidentally the music finally stopped. She stood there waiting for him to answer her. She never understood why he always visited her even after she rejected his proposal.
At first she thought that maybe he wanted to be friends and that was fine with her. It's better to be friends than be enemies. But also, there was that saying, 'Keep your friends close but your enemy closer.'
So why not, right?
She also thought that maybe his ego couldn't bear to be rejected but she didn't want to think that of Triton. All the years that he spent visiting her, and she receiving him, she thinks that he wasn't a stuck up, annoying jerk, at least.
So why? Why does it matter?
"Because I've—"
"You're done, right?"
A cold, deathly chill ran up Adira's spine and sent her on immediate high alert as soon as she heard the voice. She turned around to find Casimir standing behind her, still looking indifferent but definitely murderous—even as he tried to hide it.
Triton returned a glare towards Casimir but quickly wiped it off his face. He quickly bowed and left a gentle kiss on Adira's hand before excusing himself. All done under Casimir's nose.
You dare challenge me, Dalriada, huh?
Adira immediately spun around after Triton left and tried to pacify the solidifying iceberg standing behind her.
"Ca-Casey..." "Come."
He didn't let her finish and grabbed hold of her hands before pulling her out of the dance floor and back to their corner. On the way back to their spot, Casimir grabbed a glass of liquor that was on a servant's tray.
He let her sit down on the chair and knelt in front of her before pouring the liquor on her hands that Triton kissed.
"It was this, right?" He rhetorically asked but didn't wait for Adira to answer and continued to empty the drink on her hands.
"Ca-Casey! What are you doing?!" Shocked with the nipping coldness of the liquor and his actions, she tried to free her hand from his hold but he kept a tight grip.
Casimir didn't answer and just stared at her drenched hand soundlessly.
"Casey, please, let go. Let me go wash my hand, please."
The coldness that continued to glint dangerously on Casimir's platinum eyes was starting to scare her. She didn't like Casimir looking like this. She knew how he was cold to others, but it's an entirely different matter when it's directed at her.
"Casey.." she tried to call him again to make him look at her. After Triton left and they returned to their spot in the corner of the hall, he hasn't once looked at her in the eyes.
He finally made a move after staring at Adira's hands for a minute and started licking the excess beverage still dripping on her porcelain-like smooth hands.
"Ca-Casey! Your highness!! Stop!" Adira exclaimed—not too loud for others to hear them but not too soft that it won't reach Casimir's ears either.
"Don't worry. I'm just disinfecting your hand." Might be the longest sentence he's said after facing Triton.
"Casey look at me!"
Adira ordered the prince—a very brave soul indeed—before using her free hand to gently cup his face and make him feel her.
Finally looking up at her, he then noticed the bright red cheeks of Adira. She was so adorable, so charming—a dainty little creature, who was panic-stricken with his little stunt after being riled by Triton.
"It's okay. There's nothing between Triton and me. Calm down please."
"What's with him then?" Why do you look so close? Why do you have this complicated look whenever you see him? Why does he keep buzzing around you? Why?
Unaware of Casimir's list of unsaid questions, Adira paused and pursed her lips into a thin line as she also tried to think what was wrong with Triton.
"I really don't know. I also tried to ask him after the dance stopped but you shooed him away before he could even answer me." She grumbled a complaint.
Because he was going to confess right then. If you heard what he wanted to say...
"... What would you do?" Casimir softly whispered a question.
"Shoo them away as well." Adira, thinking that Casey was asking her what she would do if it was the other way around, answered seriously before smiling brightly at him which took the latter off guard.
"Do you know how nerve-racking it is to be little Casey's fiancee? Haha! You do know how many girls are gunning for my spot, right?" She giggled like soft silver bells and watching her like that was enough to slowly melt the frost that covered him.
A lot are also pining for my spot, my dear.
Casimir thought and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping her hands, as he chuckled in reply to Adira's words. He placed a lasting kiss on her hands, still desperate to overwrite Triton's touch on her.
Adira, inexperienced from being pampered and loved openly, could feel her face burn at Casimir's actions then she hid her face with her hand and turned away. While the few nobles, that were not at all interested with the current dance, were more engrossed with their display instead.
Reveling in their crown prince and crown princess' public display of affections, eating the served dog food* willingly.
But, of course, not everyone was happy with it.
Notes:
*Dog food here is how chinese authors describe PDAs of couples. Lately, I've been obsessed with chinese romance novels so I kinda picked random stuffs up. I'll be sure to explain it in the notes if I do this again. Thanks!
The latest chapters been full of Casimir and Adira's affairs, right? Hoho~ I especially like how Casimir's the jealous and possessive type. It's cute but don't go too far, okay Casey?
Casimir: do not call me Casey, only Adira gets to call me that, you vermin.
Author: sorry.