Chapter 115: Under Whose Protection

Ruelle’s heart was racing so loudly she was certain Lucian could hear it, and that only made her more conscious.

“I thought you were going to be mindful…” came her soft words.

“I am,” Lucian answered in a composed voice. It was then that Ruelle understood that the calm in his voice was not the same as gentleness.

If Lucian didn’t do or say what he did, Ruelle wouldn’t have paid attention to the way his fingers where his palm rested against the wooden door held a faint tension. His sleeve was drawn back just enough to reveal the subtle lines of veins beneath his skin.

When his hand moved, her eyes followed without meaning to. Only after turning did she realise how close Lucian stood and her back pressed against the wood. Her lips trembled as she uttered, “I—I am trying to make sense of it…”

Lucian’s eyes hadn’t left Ruelle since they had arrived here. He knew she had never looked at him that way and that some things were worth waiting for.

“I won’t rush you, Ruelle,” he said quietly and he saw brown eyes look up to meet his gaze. A breath passed between them before he added, “But I won’t be retreating either.”

Ruelle swallowed at his words. She reminded him, “I am a human.”

Lucian tilted his head briefly before he raised his eyebrow, “I know. Did you take Griswold’s words to heart about my knowledge?”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Ruelle clarified with a nervous smile. She placed her hand on her chest to emphasise, “I mean, I am a human and you don’t like humans.”

“I guess strawberries on you made quite the impression,” Lucian murmured.

For a moment, Ruelle blinked. Hailey’s strawberries… She answered back, “If you want strawberries—it is being served in the dining hall.”

“Are you sure about it?” Lucian asked her. He stepped closer, his hand settling over hers where it rested on the doorknob. His voice lowered. “Be careful what you offer so lightly…I don’t know how to take it halfway.”

At the same time, the tower bell rang, signalling the end of classes. The corridors outside began to fill with voices and footsteps, life moving on as if nothing had changed while Ruelle stood there, staring back at Lucian.

She felt his hand move clockwise over hers where it rested on the doorknob. The movement was slow, almost guiding, until the latch gave a soft click.

“You must be hungry. Go ahead,” Lucian said, his voice calm. “I will leave in a while.”

To Ruelle, it might have felt like he was done talking to her and letting her go. But it was a false space, as if she had been given the choice when the concept didn’t exist. But she didn’t need to know that, the pureblooded vampire thought.

“Okay…” Ruelle murmured.

Her gaze lowered as she opened the door, slipping into the corridor quickly. She hurried through the passing students, placing her hands on her warm cheeks.

On the way, her shoulder bumped harshly with Caroline, who gave her a stare as she walked past her. It seemed that her sister had resorted to passive aggression towards her while she hung around with Halflings.

When Ruelle reached her classroom to retrieve her belongings, she spotted Hailey and Kevin near the door. Before her friends could speak, she asked, a little too quickly,

“The person who came by earlier. Did he have something important to talk about? The older-looking man.”

Hailey shook her head before answering, “Not really. I thought he was here to pick one of us, but it looked like he was searching for someone. Why? Do you know the man?”

“We ran into each other when I first visited Slaters’ Mansion.” Ruelle’s eyebrows furrowed. “I panicked and gave the first name that came up in my mind. Alanna’s name. I didn’t want him looking for me.” But men with higher ranks were always able to track down people…

“Well, it is good then that Lucian came to get you,” Hailey’s lips pressed into a thin line, and then she asked, “Why did Lucian make you step out?”

“It was nothing serious. He just wanted—the notes. His notes. He was asking where I had left them,” Ruelle murmured, feeling terrible that she was lying.

“I see,” Hailey said easily, accepting the explanation without further thought, though Ruelle felt Kevin’s gaze linger on her a moment longer than usual.

“Did something happen?” Ruelle asked him.

“Nothing,” Kevin replied with a small, reassuring smile. He suggested, “We should head to lunch. Or, if you want, we can stay here and get food brought over.”

Ruelle blinked at the unexpected consideration. A faint smile tugged at her lips. “I won’t lie, that does sound tempting,” she admitted softly. “But I don’t think hiding would help.”

“That’s my friend,” Hailey beamed warmly, giving Ruelle a light pat on the back. “Look at her being strong.”

But Ruelle’s decision had little to do with courage. She had avoided Lucian once and he had stepped into her classroom. She didn’t want to test him to know what he would do.

“Did you notice six humans didn’t show up to class this morning?” Hailey asked as they walked down the corridor.

Kevin didn’t look at her when he answered. “They were bought,” his voice was quiet. “It’ll keep happening. There’s a probability that Ruelle won’t be here in a week or two.”

Hailey jabbed her elbow into Kevin’s arm.

Ruelle knew that one of the reasons why no vampire or vampiress had come for her was because she had danced with Prince Edward. There had been whispers of how he would take her with him once his time in Sexton came to an end.

“I heard something else,” Kevin said under his breath. “A senior told my roommate that Mr. Henley has been offering his wife to a minister.”

“That must be difficult,” Hailey sighed. “I mean giving your wife like that…” Ruelle didn’t comment on it.

When they entered the dining hall, Ruelle noticed at once that Lucian was already seated with his friends.

The dark edge he had carried that morning was gone. Though he did not smile as openly as Sawyer, who sat beside him mid-laughter, he sat there relaxed.

As though he had felt her looking, his gaze moved to her and she looked away.

“Oh! Look, they made blueberry muffins!” Hailey exclaimed in delight. “And they are warm and soft.”

“Ruelle!”

The prince’s voice interrupted through the noise of the hall. Heads turned as Edward strode in through the doors, his usual charm replaced with a deep frown. His gaze locked onto her immediately.

“We need to talk,” the prince ordered.

“Now?” she asked carefully. Everyone seemed to want a piece of her today, she thought. The Winter’s Ball had been meant to ease tensions, not create them.

“Well, yes. It’s important,” Edward said, already gesturing toward the exit. “I’ll meet you in the corridor.”

Ruelle excused herself and started to make her way out. Across the hall, Lucian wore the same calm expression as he sipped from his cup.

Once she stepped into the corridor, Ruelle slowed when she saw the prince’s rigid shoulders. He stood with his back facing her, one hand braced against the stone wall as if trying to control his emotions. Hermes lingered at a respectful distance.

Her stomach tightened as she approached. She asked, “What did you want to talk about?”

Edward turned at once. The usual brightness in his expression was gone, replaced with something far too serious for someone like him. He apologised with a sigh,

“Ruelle, I am sorry.”

Huh?

She saw him drag his hand through his hair as if struggling with his pride. He took a moment before saying,

“After you left, I was in a bad mood. I had planned everything perfectly, like rowing you to the middle, lighting a lantern together and making it memorable.” His jaw tightened. “Instead I made a fool of myself.”

Ruelle didn’t utter a word and continued to listen to what Edward had to say.

“When I returned to my quarters, I drank. Quite a lot.” He cleared his throat. “Hermes tried to stop me but I may have chased him with a knife. You must have come to check on me… and I—” He hesitated, face turning red with embarrassment. “I bit you.”

Ruelle stared at him. How in the world had he come to this conclusion?

“In my defense, you looked very lovely and I was not in my right senses. It was a rather strong liquor and unfortunately, I cannot remember how it felt,” he muttered under his breath. “You must be upset but I will take responsibility. Which means there is no reason for you to—”

“You didn’t bite me,” Ruelle stopped him gently, knowing where the conversation could lead to.

“—deny about my—what?” Edward froze, a frown appearing on his face. “I didn’t bite you?”

Ruelle took a deep breath and exhaled. She repeated, “You didn’t.”

“But someone saw you last night walking in the corridor wearing my coat,” Edward pointed out as if that was the right version, but Ruelle shook her head.

“I was heading to Hailey’s room.”

For a moment, silence filled around them with Edward’s frown turning deeper.

“…Then who did it?” He demanded, the earlier embarrassment disappearing and replaced by anger. “Who dared to touch you when it is known that I have already shown interest in you?”

Ruelle stiffened, his anger almost spilling on her. This was something she had been worried about when the rumours had begun to spread. Edward appeared to be harmless, but he was a member of the royal family. Last night at the ball, she had witnessed the control and power the prince held over the people.

One word from Edward to the king, and it would be enough to destroy a person.

Edward’s expression turned even grimmer as he thought about it. “Someone bit you,” he continued, fury threading through his voice, “while you are under my protection. That is not foolishness. That is defiance.”

“Edward—Your Highness—” Ruelle began but Edward was already pacing with agitation.

“To cross me. To lay claim where I have already spoken,” a humourless breath escaped from his lips. He stopped in front of her again. “Tell me. Who is it, Ruelle?”

Ruelle hesitated, the name refusing to rise to her lips. Edward mistook her silence for fear and said,

“You do not need to fear them,” his voice firm with authority. “If it was a student, an instructor, even a minister… I will see them stripped of their position. And punished.”

“Your Highness.”

Ruelle’s eyes widened at Lucian’s voice and her gaze moved to the pureblooded vampire standing in the corridor. Was he not just sipping blood at the table? Lucian was unlike the other vampires, but crossing the royal family was something else entirely. Her hands clenched at the thought of it.

“I know who bit her,” Lucian informed the prince.

Ruelle gave a small shake of her head when Lucian’s eyes flicked briefly toward her. It was a silent plea not to step further into danger. Edward didn’t see it. The prince snapped,

“Stay out of this, Slater. This matter concerns Ruelle and me.”

Lucian stood unbothered by the prince’s words, hands resting in his coat pockets.

“Does it?” he asked nonchalantly. “Because from where I stand, she looks like she wants to end this conversation.”

Edward glanced back at Ruelle and the tightness in her posture did not go unnoticed by him. Guilt flickered in his eyes briefly before pride smothered it.

He turned angrier as he did not like that Lucian Slater was informed about everything that happened with Ruelle, while he was not. That was absurd. He could hardly wait for her to move into the newly built quarters. The prince’s lips twitched and he then asked Lucian,

“Who was it?”

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