My eyes remained glued at the huge portrait on the hallway near the stairs. A smile bloomed out of my lips as my eyes studied the painting before me, admiring every stroke. "Wow..." Even though I've already seen it countless times, I can't stop admiring it. He is really not a court painter for nothing!
I gaped at the painting, praising the painter in my mind nonstop. The painter captured the moment perfectly. It was as if the portrait was alive and full of happiness. The portrait contained the three of us sitting on a blanket. I had a huge smile on my face, to the point my eyes formed into crescent moons, while my parents were both kissing my cheeks. My smile grew wider. It might be a bit expensive, but it was worth every penny.
"Are you staring at the portrait again, Miss? You've been doing that a lot recently." I glanced at my side to see Celsia standing not too far from me. She slowly walked towards me with a gentle smile on her face. "Do you like it that much?"
I let out a smile and nodded gently. It's my first time having a complete family portrait. Her eyes softened as she placed a hand on top of my head and stroked my hair gently. "I like it a lot too, Miss." I let out a toothy grin. "Really?"
"Yes." She nodded, still stroking my hair. "It's the first time I saw Miss that happy. I like everything that makes Miss happy." Warmth seeped into my heart as I gaze at her warmly. I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a hug. Celsia, I promise you that I will never let you suffer such hardships this time. I will become the Miss whom you can be proud of.
We stayed like that in silence, basking in each other's warmth. "Good morning, my lady." A voice called out behind me as we hurriedly detached ourselves from each other. I glared at the owner of the voice, irritated. Does this guy know how to read the atmosphere? My eyes left him as I scanned through the hallway to check if we're alone before returning my gaze back at him, pressing my lips together. As if reading my mind, he eased my worries. "My lady need not be worried, I am not one to spread rumors."
My shoulders relaxed as a sigh left my lips. It would be not good for Celsia if rumors spread that I treat her differently from others—though, it's kind of true—and I didn't want to hear rumors about me discriminating servants, and further soil my reputation. That would be such a huge minus for me.
I want to be a fair master who treats everyone equally, but most of the servants were still wary of me, making it impossible for me to approach and improve my relationship with them. I stopped forcing myself onto them and let time take care of it. I don't care what the nobles think of me, but I want my people to think of me favorably. They would be the people whom I'm going to spend with most of my time after all. I really still have a long way to go.
I focused my gaze back to the black-haired knight in front of me. First of all, I still need to win this guy over. If I can win him over, I'd be making a big progress. My eyes roamed through his body from top to bottom. Even though he's only 2 years older than me, he's already a head taller.
He's still on the first stages of puberty but he's already this tall! I can't imagine how tall he can be especially if he's yet to experience a growth spurt. Ah, I wish I could be that tall...
I always wanted to be tall even in my previous life. Even though I'm taller than most girls my age, I'm still one of the shortest girls in my job. I even barely reached the minimum height required to become a model. And Amarizi in the game seemed to be just a little bit taller than the average height too. I hope Aphrodite made me taller this lifetime...
My eyes landed on his face as I scrutinized his features carefully. His lips were moist and full. He also has a pointy nose, thick eyebrows and attractive indigo eyes. His looks had a hint of boyish charm and was still maturing, but he would become an outstanding beauty once he grows up. A certified bishounen who would soon grow into an ikemen.
My eyebrow perked up when his cold eyes suddenly glinted. What...? Celsia let out a loud cough, making me turn my head towards her, hiding my face from his sight. She leaned in close to my ear while her gaze was fixed on him. "Miss, I know he's attractive and all, but I hope you could restrain yourself from openly gawking at him."
As soon as she whispered those words to my eyes, I glanced at him at my peripheral vision before glancing back at Celsia with an unfazed look. I leaned in to her ear. "I'll try my best to look at him inconspicuously next time." She shot me a bewildered look, caught off guard by my bluntness. I turned around to face him, smiling.
"My apologies, Sir Mades. I must have made you uncomfortable. I got lost in my thoughts so I didn't know I was staring at you." Well, it's partly true so it should do. I sighed inwardly as I resisted the urge to slap my forehead.
I really need to fix my habit of openly gawking at attractive things, or I'll always stir up misunderstandings. He stared at me silently, the glint in his eyes growing brighter. Ah, shit. He's not getting the wrong idea, right?
The room fell into an awkward silence, neither of us willing to break it. I boldly returned his stare as I cocked an eyebrow at him. I almost lost my cool when his lips suddenly curled upwards. I blinked my eyes fast, trying to get a clearer look, only to see his usual blank face. The heck...? Did I perhaps see that wrong? But I'm pretty sure I saw him smirk though!
My eyebrows scrunched up together as my gaze fixated on him for a short while before shrugging my shoulders lightly and tearing my eyes away from him. I turned on my heel and walked towards the tea room, the two of them trailing behind me quietly. I can't even trust my eyes now.
I opened the door wide and went inside, settling down on the comfy couch. I straightened my back as I waited for the two of them to come inside and close the door. "Sia, please prepare some lavender jasmine tea and some light snacks."
"Yes, Miss. I will bring it to you in a while." Celsia gave a respectful bow before leaving and closing the door behind her. Silence fell upon us as soon as she left the room. Should I...Or should I not? I bit my inner cheek as my eyes darted to him who was silently standing beside the door.
I feel like he's going to turn me down as soon as I open my mouth...wait, will he even utter a sound in the first place?! I inwardly groaned.
Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut... I shook my head. No. I have to win him over. I steeled my nerves and locked gazes with him, taking in a deep breath. Well, here goes nothing. "Sir Mades, please come take a seat."
"I decline, my lady." Instant rejection, huh? I gave him a small smile. "I didn't ask you to sit beside me, I just want you to sit down on a chair since you've been standing there like a statue for a while now." He shook his head firmly, his gaze unwavering. "Thank you for your concern, my lady, but I will still politely decline."
I feel like pushing him any further will just push his buttons. I heaved out an audible sigh. Haa...he's really a stubborn one. "Then, please do not hesitate to take a seat if you feel tired."
Silence filled the room once again. I tapped my feet onto floor, eyes darting around the room before silently falling back to him. Ugh, this silence is so uncomfortable. I stood up in my seat abruptly and walked towards him, feeling his piercing gaze on me, watching my every move.
I stopped on my tracks when I was only a few feet away from him. I met his blank eyes, holding his gaze. "Can I ask you something?"
Silence.
Uh...silence means yes so I'll take that as a yes then. "Did my father ordered you to become my personal knight?" He remained silent as his brows drew together. "Please answer me." He shook his head. "No."
"Then, he forced you?" His eyes went cold, lips forming a thin line. "...no. I volunteered to become my lady's personal knight." My eyes shot up as I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Huh? You volunteered? Why?"
"...because you asked me to become your personal knight before." Huh? When did I do that? Did the former Amarizi met this boy before? My lips formed a scowl. "Then, why won't you talk to me?" He went silent for a while before letting out a small smile. My eyes went wide at the sudden gesture. Huh? He smiled?
"My lady told me that she wanted me to be her personal knight because I don't talk much. So I refrained from talking too much since my lady likes it when I'm not talking." What?! So it's the former Amarizi's fault?! Damn it, that girl really has no filter!
I gave him a small smile. "You don't have to do that. You can talk to me anytime. Forgive me for causing such misunderstanding." He suddenly knelt down and bowed his head. I stood frozen on my spot. "No, my lady. It is my fault for assuming things. Please pardon me for my insolence."
"No, it's my fault so please stand up, Sir Mades." I quickly grabbed his arms and helped him stand up. He stood up without hesitation and smiled at me fully. My heart thumped loudly as my gaze lingered on him.
He certainly looks handsome even when his face remained indifferent, giving him a cool, mysterious look. But a smile on that beautiful, indifferent face definitely raised his handsomeness by a few notches. He is really an eye candy. This is bad for my heart...
I continued to stare at him, lost in my thoughts. He let out a snort, snapping me out of my own world. Did he just snort? I tilted my head slightly, furrowing my brows. A smirk replaced his smile as he took a step closer.
"Do you like my face that much, my lady?"
A/N: I keep forgetting they're still kids. Smh.