29 DOES THAT MEAN I JUST LOST MY FIRST KISS?
Of course his own question was only greeted by silence.
"No. If you try, I'm sure I'll just brush you off before you even say a word." He then remembers the past when she is always the one who listens while smiling and tries to keep up with his temper when he is the best at pretending she is invisible.
So, what differentiates him from her family?
Today, once again he was reminded that Ariana has no one for him even in front of her own family. No one treated him like a princess should be treated and for some reason irk him.
"If you come from different families, will our relationship become much easier?"
Zayn remembers the first time he met her when they were young. 10 years ago when he was 13, and she was just 9.
He is still young, didn't know much about what happens inside the empire or politics. He came to the Conrad Resident with his there he saw a young girl picking flowers in the garden.
He knows who the girl was as his father told him but her father reminded not to approach her. But the young girl looks tired, unhappy, soulless even though surrounded by everything that makes him go against what his father said.
"Hey," He said while smiling.
The young girl flinched, but her eyes were still watching him as if trying to figure something out.
"Do you like flowers?" I don't know why he still tries to make conversation with her.
"W-why are you t-talking to me?" She said. As if the situation was something surprising for her.
"Can't I?"
This time she is just lowering her face. Didn't want to look up to him. As if try to hide.
"Do I bother you?" He asked again.
She shook her head.
"Would you like to become my friend?" He offered suddenly as he saw her looking too lonely for his liking.
Her eyes suddenly went big in shock but it lit happily before she started to smiled.
"Of course." This time she didn't stutter.
That day, he went home with a bunch of flowers in his hands. Also, the last time he set foot there and the last time he didn't have any resentment towards the Conrad and her.
Sigh...
Zayn can't help but remember the past that he already forgot.
The journey back felt so long, but Zayn didn't complain about anything. He is still holding the girl tight in his arms until they arrived at the Silver Palace in the late afternoon.
When the footman opened the carriage door,
"Oh my, is the princess asleep?"
Zayn continued to put one finger in his mouth, asking him to keep quiet. He then carefully took Ariana who has fallen asleep in his hand and carried her bridal style out.
The knights and maids who were waiting for them were quite surprised by that as before the Duke never gave such attention to the princess. And this is the second time this is happening!
Lily who is running towards them gasps a little seeing this picture and worry started to spread in her heart.
"My lady...?" Seeing the Duke shook his head, making Lily's voice come out slowly before biting her lip.
"She's just tired." Zayn said to her and then walked away.
Realizing that nothing dangerous happened and the princess only fell asleep, Lily squealed with excitement by herself. She can't believe the Duke will take care of the princess like this. Looks like her prayer so that the Duke falls for her princess is worth it after all!
Zayn entered Ariana's chambers and put her on the bed. He then covered her body with a blanket before looking at her face which was calm in sleep.
He could see at that time that her eyes were puffy even though they were closed, traces of her crying earlier. She is crying non-stop so much that she is tired. Slowly, he gently wiped Ariana's face in that part with his finger.
Anger suddenly rising in his heart at this point. His face turned into a grimace. He then went out of the chambers thinking of going to his office even though it was this late.
Outside the chambers, once again he crosses paths with Lily.
"I put her in the bed. You can change her clothes to comfort one now. Do it carefully so that she doesn't wake up." He stopped his track and told all this to Lily.
"Yes your Grace." Lily couldn't hide her smile anymore then.
Zayn continued to move away while Head Butler Smith who had just arrived there continued to follow him.
Once he was in his office, he stood up while placing both hands on the desk. As if trying hard to calm himself at that time.
"Your Grace?" Smith knows something is bothering his master at the moment.
"Do you know anything about Ariana's nanny before she came here?"
Smith didn't expect that the Duke wanted to know about the matter, making his face change a little, but quickly he answered, not stiffly.
"Madam Ophelia was ordered by the royal family to take care of Princess Ariana as soon as the Queen disappeared due to the kidnapping incident."
"That means as soon as Ariana was found, she was 5 years old, so, in about 11 years she's been with her right?" Zayn calculates.
"I believe so your grace. But, after getting engaged to you, the princess is actually begging me for some help."
This time Zayn turned his body to look at Smith. This is the first time he heard this anyway.
"What kind of help?"
"She didn't want Madam Ophelia to follow her here, that is why we request the King to follow our house whole rules ie all tutors, maids, knights will be provided here as we determined to take care of her as the Duchess."
"There are no such rules here." Zayn stated clearly.
"Indeed. But as you give me the power to solve everything related to the princess at that time I had to use my brain a little. The princess also looks very desperate at the time. "
"What's the King's reaction? " Zayn wanted to know.
"The King didn't offend the idea but he wanted Sir Carl and Lily to come with her. After talking to the princess, we agree with this."
Zayn was silent at that time.
"Ask Melvin to investigate this Madam Ophelia for me. I want a solid result within three days. The sooner the better."
Again, Smith was surprised as Sir Melvin, the Duke's personal knight is always doing more high profile work. He didn't think the Duke wanted Sir Melvin to take care of it, but it's not like he questioned the action.
"Is there something happening in the royal palace?" Smith dared to ask.
Zayn sighed again.
"She's trembling at the sight of that old woman. I didn't like it." with that Zayn continued to sit in his work chair and examine some papers that were still littered on his work desk at the same time closing the room for any other question.
Therefore, Smith went out of the office to do his job.
~~~~~~~~~~
The next day,
Ariana slept soundly overnight until she woke up feeling so refreshed, but the worst part is her stomach feeling so hungry. She skipped her dinner for crying out loud!
Because Lily is so understanding, she is now having her belated dinner+breakfast in her bedroom.
Ariana ate so heartily while Lily combed her hair.
"Do you have a good sleep my lady?" Lily asked.
"I do. Its been a while since the last time I got a deep sleep like this. I mean, I fell asleep in the carriage right? Tell the knight I said thank you for bringing me in. And sorry for bothering them." Ariana didn't even remember what happened. Her memory is stuck at the moment she met the scary old woman.
"What do you mean by that my lady? Don't you remember? The Duke is the one who lifted you from the carriage to here. He even put you down in the bed."
Cough! Again, Ariana coughed and choked because of her food.
"W-what? Are you serious?"
Lily was not satisfied there. That moment supposes to be a historic day for her lady, but the lady didn't even remember.
"There must be something happen inside the carriage before you fall asleep between the two of you, right? Or why he suddenly embraced you and held you so tight. Are you really didn't remember? "
Ariana started to remember something and then the memories became clear. She is now holding her lips.
"What? You remember something? " Lily was curious.
"NO!!! " Ariana can't help but scream.
The entire day, Ariana avoided Zayn like crazy. Even her three knights just seemed aware of her behavior. But they didn't say anything and just follow her faithfully, 3 meters in the back.
She just can't believe what just happened and make her day miserable now when today should be a good day as she got her good deep sleep anyway!. She even forgot to ask Lily who is the scary old woman in the royal castle because she was too distracted with the 'heated moment' that she shared with Zayn.
"Does that mean I just lost my first kiss?"
