Chapter 559
After returning from the beloved’s birthday celebration, and even before that, it had been difficult to meet the lady’s gaze like they managed to do before the scene made by a lowly woman soured their day. Thus, the one last cross of their gazes once they arrived at the palace had left a sense of anxiety in his chest, lingering without mercy, intense in its stuffiness. For the innocent eyes of a beloved did not lie in that split moment... and his soul could tell there was something unsaid as the summon from the Emperor came to hinder the desired exchanges.
’She’s concerned...’ — Zeleskiaz thought with distress at the idea. — ’That woman was there so what else was I to expect? I should have explained even if it meant disrespecting the duke... But f*ck... That would also make a bad impression...’
Pained by the difficulties his character would naturally provoke if left unrestrained, the crown prince frowned. Yearning for the enthralling niceness they briefly could experience yet had to end because of an unbecoming third.
"Curse it all... F*cking traditions..."
With such thoughts and grumbles, the crown prince had made his way to an untimely father. Solely to realise there were good reasonings behind the call.
— None of our steps should be unthoughtful from here on. It must appear as if nothing goes on yet all is done under the surface. This you must respect Zeleskiaz. We cannot let anyone notice. Not even the cute child should know... much less with all the troubles her family is under. —
"Haaah... it’s one thing after another." — He now sighed while regretting the brief escape from her sight this morning.
The surprise of finding her figure had overwhelmed the man so deeply that any thought halted at the aery sight of her reddish brown. Taking his breath as none of the complexity seen in their last encounter the day before could be found in her countenance, and rather than a worrisome demeanour, hers was flawlessly demulcent, hypnotizing as her tenderness caressed his spirit with comely gestures.
"Her presence stunned me... She has never been there to meet my eye when I lean in selfish yearning... I could not react properly..." — Holding his head in pain at what this action could cause, Zeleskiaz stared at himself in the mirror. Knowing how his current appearance wasn’t as close as he would like it to go court and seduce his beloved... yet moving quickly, solely to get the waters clean his demeanour from the dizziness, he snapped out of the daze. Immediately deciding to make his way out of the chambers after acknowledging he had no patience to play pretentious when concern filled his chest as to what the lady could think or misunderstand from his doings.
"Tsk! What does it matter? If she’s saddened by this then I have no absolution!"