The longer Prince Theron watched her, the more he felt something was unusual in the air. It was as if even without her speaking, he could feel there was something wrong with her mood. He finally decided to go closer to her and make his presence known, unaware that the young lady had long been aware of his arrival.
Esther could feel him coming closer behind her, and with each step, she felt the heart that she was trying to calm turned chaotic again.
She closed her eyes for a moment. 'Why? Why am I like this?!'
Standing behind her, the Crown Prince leaned down to place his face above her shoulder, his chest pressed against her back, with his hands resting next to hers on the railing of the gazebo. His masculine scent and the warmth of his body immediately enveloped her. Esther gulped but remained frozen in her place as she was being trapped by the Crown Prince.
"May I know what upset you, my lady?" Prince Theron asked in a low voice.
"I am not upset, merely lake viewing," she replied, "but may I know why Prince Theron has left the banquet, leaving his future queen unattended?"
'Future queen? Who?' Prince Theron smiled as he could sense the jealousy from her words. It made him recall what happened after their dance. Near the table holding the refreshments, Prince Theron had seen Esther chatting with an older noble lady. Now that he thought back, she seemed to be from the Walter family, the mother of the lady he was dancing with. Seeing how Esther left afterwards, he could guess that some ugly words must have been exchanged to upset her.
"Are we jealous here?" Prince Theron asked.
"Why would I be? Your Highness and I are mere acquaintances. Your private matters have no relation to me. You should pay more attention to them instead of looking for a servant," she said, her tone sarcastic, as it appeared she was truly hurt.
"To me, that servant is more important than anyone else," he said.
Esther's temper flared. He did not deny her claim of calling herself a servant though she was now a baroness. It angered her that he still considered her a lowly servant, just like that woman she met during the banquet. He was looking down at her. Perhaps, he found her purely for entertainment?
She turned to face him to show her anger, but the moment she turned, only then did she recall that he was standing very close to her. His face was only about an inch away from hers that she swallowed her words. "I…." Her throat felt dry and she nervously licked her lips.
Prince Theron's gaze moved across her face, lingering mostly on her caramel-coloured eyes and moist lips which she had just licked.
"My lady, you should never do this," he said, looking into her eyes.
"W-What did I do…?"
Prince Theron mimicked her action and licked his own lips.
Her gaze stuck on his moist lips. To her eyes, they looked more alluring, and she wanted to lean closer. 'What is this man doing to me?' she cried inwardly as she gulped.
"You should not lick your lips recklessly in front of me, my lady," he said and covered that inch distance between both of their faces. His lips briefly touched hers and he warned in a low tone, "Or else, this would be the result every time."
His lips brushed hers before he swooped in to capture them. His hot breath mingled with hers as he kissed her deeply, causing her to faintly swoon as if energy suddenly left her legs. Prince Theron caught the back of her head and her small waist, not allowing her to pull away from him. He ravaged her mouth with raw desire, and as she responded with a sultry moan, he felt himself losing himself, hungering for more.
When they parted away, Prince Theron let out a low chuckle as he appreciated her wet and plump lips. "This doesn't count as a punishment; that's a separate matter. This kiss is simply because I wanted to show Lady Esther how delectable she looks tonight."
Esther was brought back to her senses by his teasing, and she felt her entire face go hot in embarrassment. Her heart was beating crazily inside her chest, as if it wanted to jump out. Her gloved hands were on the lapels of his clothes, and she realized that during the entire duration of their kiss, she was pulling him close instead of pushing him away. She didn't know how exactly she should react, aside from weakly placing her hands on his chest. Whenever he approached her, she simply could not resist him…but she had no wish to admit it out loud. Not to him or to anyone, not even to herself.
Esther took in a calming breath as she composed herself. "Your Highness, it won't be good if someone sees you with me at this hour and in such a situation." Her tone was gentle yet firm, as if his words didn't make any difference to her.
"Instead of worrying about me, shouldn't you be worried about the rest of your punishment, my lady? Or should I think this is your attempt of sending me away to get away from your much-deserved punishment? Are you scared already?"
"I…am not scared," she replied, trying to keep herself calm. The memory of her last punishment in his bed-chamber was still fresh in her mind, and even now, it did not fail to give her goosebumps. She did not even want to begin imagining what the next one would be like.
"Still pretending to be obstinately brave, huh? We will see. I await your return to my chamber to get the rest of your punishment."
She no longer wished to talk about it and moved away from the handsome man standing in close proximity to her. "Your Highness...I need to go back to my quarters. It's late."