Chapter 229: Not willing to share
Emily’s eyes widened, her heart leaping to her throat as time seemed to stand still for the briefest of seconds amidst the silence and the lingering echo of the jarring piano keys. This wasn’t part of the piano lessons, was it? Finally finding her voice, she said,
"I think—that’s enough piano lessons for today. I know how to play the piano keys gently now."
She attempted to retrieve her hand, but her captor held it firmly. Moreover, he hadn’t said a word, even though more than ten seconds had passed. A soft gasp escaped her lips when she felt his breath next to her ear.
"There seems to be a problem, Princess." Raylen’s words were like the air, soft and gentle.
Seeing that he still hadn’t let go of her hand, Emily said, "Perhaps the piano is not well-suited for me, and I should consider try—"
"I think it suits you far better than we first thought," Raylen answered, every word of his akin to a finger pressing a piano key, eliciting faster heartbeats. The hand he held was smaller than his, almost hidden beneath his own. "Though I wasn’t talking about the piano. Do you know what it means when you don’t like a man being around a woman?"
"That they are incompatible?" Emily asked, her voice softer than his, while silently hoping he would release her hand.
Raylen’s hand didn’t let go of hers, and instead, his grip tightened, as though he believed that if he were to release it, she would slip away. And he wasn’t one to let opportunities pass. His lips lacked a smile, and his gaze was unwavering on her face, observing her not dare to look at him. He remarked,
"It seems that I don’t like you talking about Julius or praising him. It is making me more peeved than I usually am."
"I didn’t realise that praising someone else for their piano skills could peeve you," Emily muttered, and she briefly considered whether this could be a useful tactic to get back at him in the future. However, her gaze drifted back to their hands. She said, "I won’t mention or praise him in front of you anymore. Can you let go of my hand now?" It had been too long now, and things were starting to feel a little strange.
He didn’t offer any objection, and soon she felt the grip on her hand loosen and let go. At the same time, she noticed her pale skin flush with colour. She felt him pull away from her from their previous position, leaving only his shadow cast upon her.