Chapter 105: Chapter 105: BOYS AND UNDERWEAR

VALORIA WILDEROSE

“I don’t need a babysitter following me around.”

“His Majesty says it will be for a little while.”

“So you’re going to follow me everywhere? Even the bathroom?”

Eros cringes, only now thinking about that part.

“Except the bathroom. I’ll settle for waiting at the door.”

But it’s not any better than having a hound watching my every move and reporting everything back to him.

He follows me closely like a bodyguard rather than an actual nanny, down the path that leads to my room, and I imagine he’s not going away anytime soon.

The last thing I need is for Azrael’s spy to find out that I’m smuggling secret texts away from his hidden archives—records pertaining to the dagger and his curse.

Internally I panic. My mind races for a way to avoid his suspicion or at least throw him off my tail, an excuse to go somewhere he wouldn’t want to tag along to.

An idea pops into my mind, and I pause right in the middle of the hallway.

“Darn it, I forgot.” I suck air through my teeth for added flair to my fake disappointment.

I slowly turn to him, putting on a dejected look.

“I was supposed to meet up with Calliope in her room. We were supposed to braid each other’s hair and talk about boys. I doubt she’d feel comfortable with you poking around while we’re in our underwear.” I emphasize key words so he knows he’s not invited and won’t be welcomed—enough to scare him away.

I imagine he’s bluffing anyway. There’s no way he’s actually going to tag along 24/7.

“You’re right,” he responds with the same blank unmoving stare.

“Yeah. I’m sorry.”

I hide my grin underneath a fake sigh.

“It’s a good thing I saw her walking towards the garden before I ran into you.”

And then I see something so small it could be my imagination—a shadow of a grin on his lips before it fades away as fast as it had flickered.

I bite my lip.

“Oh, you did? Well… that’s because we’re meeting there first to talk about boys and underwear before we go to her room and change into our… underwear.” I’m biting my lips and saying nonsense while passing him side glances, hoping he gives up and walks away.

Girl talk has always been the bane of a man’s existence.

But he shrugs it off casually, unbothered.

“I’ll gladly follow up until the point you both start stripping,” he states smugly, calling my own bluff.

I glare at him, realizing he won’t back off as easily, and neither will I.

“Fine, suit yourself,” I say, storming off towards the garden, ignoring the thumping of his footsteps catching up to me with ease while I secure the books to my chest even tighter.

The walk to the garden isn’t long enough to miraculously lose him before I spot Calliope, Yara, and Elodie seated outside around a table of snacks and documents and a laptop Yara types at incessantly with Calliope by her shoulder.

While Elodie focuses on eating.

I walk up to them faster, building more distance between Eros and me, plastering another smile on my face as I meet them.

“Hey, guys. I’m sorry I’m late for our meetup,” I greet.

Yara nods dryly. Calliope, though confused, offers a wave in my direction. Elodie raises her brow, incapable of taking the hint.

“Meetup?” She peeks from her bag of chips towards me with a tired expression.

I widen my smile, winking at her.

“Yeah, you know—the one we planned for this afternoon in Calliope’s room in our underwear? We were going to talk about men and their… hot sweaty abs?”

I wink again so she gets it, but her confusion deepens.

“You said you hate sitting in your underwear and… hot sweaty abs? Didn’t you say you’d be too busy reading your books in the royal archives today? After all, that’s all you’re interested in doing besides obsessing over His Majesty’s curs—”

I grab a handful of chips in a microsecond and shove them right into her mouth before she can make me any more suspicious than I am, glaring at her.

“That’s not what I said.”

“No, I’m pretty sure you said—”

I stuff her mouth full again and then another, buying myself more time before she can chew, swallow, and attempt to out me outright in front of Eros, who stands a good distance away from us.

“My schedule cleared up, so I’m here, Elodie.” I hide my glare underneath another perfectly crafted tight-lipped smile. “And with Eros, everyone.”

On cue he steps closer, revealing himself to everyone and the betrayer in front of me.

“Good afternoon, ladies.” He passes a curt smile, bowing his head lightly in greeting to the three of them, two of whom acknowledge it like normal people.

Except Elodie, of course.

Her eyes light up like saucers while grinning with bright wondrous mischief, leaning closer to him.

The bag of chips that had once held her full attention tossed to the corner of her mind and the table.

“Eros, Eros, Eros. We really should stop meeting this way.”

His reaction to her is almost instant. The polite smile wanes away into instant exhaustion, yet he can’t ignore her. Being too gentlemanly to do that, he looks at her, maintaining his stiff proper countenance.

“Trust me, Lady Elodie, I’m not trying to.”

“Really? You say that, yet all I’m hearing is forced fateful encounters you’ve planned to constantly run into me like this. You romantic brute.”

Playfully she jabs him in the rib, and he stiffens on the verge of exploding. His eyes, which had once gleamed with victory, slowly shift to me, begging me to go anywhere else.

But I’ve already caught on that this is much more torturous than anything else I can think of.

I shake my head, ignoring his pleas, and focus instead on Calliope and Yara in their own world, rummaging through files and a laptop. I try to peek into it to figure it out myself first.

“What are you guys up to?”

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