Chapter 139: He knows

The infirmary room was quiet except for her breath and the soft flutter of the curtains.

Unable to meet Lucian’s eyes, Ruelle started to pull away but his fingers came up to her chin, holding her there gently, as if he were not ready to let her go just yet.

“Look at me, Ruelle,” Lucian murmured, his voice quiet and controlled. When she looked up, she met his wine-red eyes, which could drown a person with his undivided attention. “Do not mistake that for a lesson. I kissed you because I wanted to and I still want to.”

Her thoughts scattered at his words, and she realised she had been staring at him for far too long. She quickly lowered her eyes, her fingers tightening in her lap before she gave a small nod.

“Good girl,” he said softly.

When he finally let go of her chin, his fingers brushed lightly against her jaw as they withdrew, and the small touch made her heart stumble again.

His eyes lingered on her face for a moment longer, as if studying her reaction. She still would not look at him, and he noticed the way her fingers were gripping her dress and the faint colour that had not yet left her cheeks.

She had not pulled away and something in his expression softened, almost subtly.

As if to distract from the current emotions that she felt in her chest, Ruelle asked, “Can I…ask you something?”

“Go ahead,” he replied, watching her patiently.

Ruelle’s fingers fidgeted lightly in her lap. She hesitated for a second and then asked, “Do you have enough money?”

For the first time since she had known him, Lucian looked caught off guard. Then something seemed to click into place in his mind, and the corner of his mouth moved slightly before he asked, “Are you asking whether I intend to buy you?”

Before either of them could utter another word, she heard hurried footsteps approaching the infirmary, which seemed nothing less than a whirlwind. She instinctively stood up, staring in its direction.

And in the next second, Prince Edward walked through the front of the room with Hermes following right behind him.

“Ruelle! I can’t believe how much time has passed,” came Edward’s bright voice as he walked towards her. Ruelle offered him a polite bow, and the next moment, he held her hand and asked, “Did you miss me?”

“She has been rather busy surviving. I doubt she had the luxury of missing you, Your Highness.”

Edward heard the voice from below, and the sound of it immediately grated on his nerves.

Lucian rose from where he had been crouched, straightening to his full height. When he glanced at Edward holding Ruelle’s hand, she quickly pulled away her hand.

“Slater… for a brief, beautiful moment, I was under the impression you had finally returned to Hell,” Edward wore a look of displeasure at the sight that he was wrong.

Lucian slipped his hands into his pockets. He responded, “Give it time, Your Highness.”

The prince’s smile faltered before waving a hand as if dismissing him. Edward turned to Ruelle and spoke,

“Ruelle, you need not worry yourself about Minister Greaseworld any longer.” He placed a hand over his chest and inclined his head slightly. “I have resolved the matter after speaking with him personally and he will not try anything again.”

“Really?” Relief softened Ruelle’s face at once, as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. A small smile appeared on her lips. “That must have been troublesome for you. Thank you for doing that for me, Your Highness.”

Edward gave a soft huff and shook his head while glancing at Lucian with a proud smile. Lucian watched the exchange in silence. The prince replied, “It was hardly any trouble. Being a prince has its advantages. We were received immediately and had a hospitable time in the courthouse.”

’Prince Edward, what do you suppose you are doing to one of the ministers in here?!’ the Elder minister questioned in shock. ’This is not how things are handled.’

“The Elder minister was very happy to see me and he said I should spend more time with him,” the prince continued.

’Perhaps a few hours of reflection will help Your Highness determine what exactly went wrong and how it could be handled differently. Please…’ said the Elder Minister before the door was shut.

“But enough about me. I am quite exhausted from being discussed wherever I go,” Edward gave out a tired sigh before questioning, “I stopped by your class earlier and was told you had gone to the infirmary. Did you hurt yourself?”

Ruelle shook her head as she answered, “It isn’t anything big. It was a small mistake and I hurt my back last evening.”

“How did that happen?” Edward asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

Her answer would decide if the people from yesterday deserved more torture or not, and she wondered about it for a second. When her eyes briefly glanced at Lucian, Edward demanded,

“Slater, did you do something to her?”

Ruelle began to speak, “He didn’t—”

“You will have to be more specific, Your Highness,” Lucian answered Edward’s question and this had the prince blink. Before the prince could decipher it, Lucian continued, “If you mean the part where several vampires tried to drink from her, then yes, that did happen. It seems not everyone fears the crown. Pity.”

Edward’s eyes just narrowed at Lucian, as his competence and title were being questioned. His voice lowered and he said, “You have some nerve—”

“Your Highness, everything has already been taken care of, and I would not wish for the matter to be stirred again,” Ruelle tried to bring the conversation to an end. “If you and Mr. Slater continue like this, people might misunderstand the situation. It will not reflect well on any of us.”

Edward looked torn for a moment before letting out a quiet, exasperated sigh. He replied, “I wouldn’t want to tarnish your name. But I would like to be informed on who hurt my—friend.”

Lucian’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the correction.

The prince offered Ruelle a smile and when it shifted to the other pureblooded vampire, his expression soured. He demanded, “And where were you when Ruelle was about to get hurt? Waiting to point fingers at me, I suppose?”

“Close enough,” Lucian replied, slipping his hands into his trousers’ pockets, “that she did not get hurt.”

“Ha—reasons—” Edward began with a small huff only to be interrupted by Ruelle, who spoke,

“What is important is I am fine now. Thank you both of you for helping me.”

“You are right,” Edward was quick to comply with Ruelle’s words. “Let us not think about the past but about the future. Perhaps it would be best that I assign you my guards so that no one will ever try to harm you.”

Guards? She didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to herself. She replied, “That’s perfectly fine. And you are here now,” she added.

Hearing this, Edward’s chest puffed. He nodded,

“You can always rely on me, Ruelle. I will make sure you are properly protected.” He walked a few steps across the room, as though already planning several things at once with his back facing the rest of them. “There are very few problems that cannot be solved by me, and I have no shortage of that. If someone troubles you, they trouble me,” he placed his hand on his chest.

And while Edward was busy talking with his back to them, Lucian said only for Ruelle to hear, “I will see you later,” before pressing his lips to her cheek.

Ruelle’s eyes widened slightly as he pulled back, his expression barely changing but his eyes darkened. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the infirmary. Was he looking for blood? She asked herself, alarmed.

Catching Lucian exiting the room, Edward huffed and stated, “Some people just cannot handle my aura. Locking horns with—” But the prince stopped mid-sentence when he turned and saw his attendant standing with a pale expression. He questioned, “What is it? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”

Hermes’s face had frozen from what he just witnessed, the truth finally sinking in.

Edward looked from Hermes to the door that his attendant stared at, and then back again, the prince asked, “What?”

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