Chapter 96: Prefer Being Intimate
Ezme beamed widely as she rode beside Atlas on her own horse, a rose-colored mount. He had kept his promise, allowing her to serve as his personal assistant for a hundred days. She was convinced that this duration would suffice for her to win him over.
Her strategy was simple: she aimed to acclimate him to her presence and demonstrate her sincerity. Though she harbored genuine feelings for him, she couldn’t help but wonder if he reciprocated her sentiments, or if he merely tolerated her due to her status as the Princess of Valcrez.
"This weather is my favorite," she ventured, breaking the oppressive silence that hung between them before it drove her to madness.
"Your kind typically despises the sun, but having an exordium blood in you, you’re unaffected by its heat. I detest winter and much prefer the sun’s warmth," Atlas remarked candidly, causing Ezme to purse her lips in thought.
"So I guess, we’re nearing?" Ezme commented since she could already see the castle walls from their position.
"We’re nearing Ebodia Castle," Atlas replied plainly.
"Aren’t we heading to your family’s residence?" she asked curiously, hopeful for the chance to meet the rest of his family. She had already met his sister, Dani, who served as one of the ladies-in-waiting for their Queen. It seemed that their kind, especially their Chancellor Abel, had arranged for Dani’s capture, as she and Abel were soon to be married.
Ezme turned dreamily to gaze at Atlas directly. She wondered if she would succeed in her endeavor as well. Despite Atlas’s cold demeanor, she sensed an attraction from him, a promising start that she intended to leverage.
"Stop staring," he murmured, his face flushing red, which she found rather appealing.