20 Chapter-20 Trust the beauty

"Miss Zoya, don't worry about it. You know our prince, don't you? He is like a coconut for the people he cares about. He might have appeared strict earlier, but we know he won't do anything to you, or your family," Lucas placed his hand on Miss Zoya's shoulders, and the latter shook her head.

"It's not me I am worried about, Lucas. As weird as this might sound, I am actually worried about Mrs. Elliana. The girl already had her fair share of humiliation today. If sir went to her in this situation and took out his anger on her and blamed her for not defending herself, she would break down," Miss Zoya turned around and left, and Lucas pressed his lips into a thin line.

The chef, who heard all the commotion and what Mizz Zoya said about the princess, clenched his fists.

He obviously can't go to the princess to talk to her, but he can cook some healthy and tasty food for her that will immediately improve her mood, right? The chef went inside the kitchen to formulate a new healthy recipe and prepare some desserts.

Elliana closed her eyes, letting the wind caress her hair softly as she let them down. The faint sunlight shone on her face, warming not only her body but her soul too. She was sitting on the ground with her legs folded in an Indian style.

'mmmm, one day, in your path of hope and love, I want to lose myself in your arms,

One day I want you to love me,

Maybe that day when you'll know I am a human too, my heart beats and hurts.

That I cry tears of blood too.

I know my words don't really affect your reign,

But your love is all I want to gain,'

Elliana hummed the random words that came to her mind.

G had mentioned to her that under no circumstances should she sing any word carelessly. Since she has unlocked her chakra potential, she will attract other species toward herself, and that would be the last thing she would want when everyone is already searching for people like these.

That's why Elliana ensured she wasn't hitting high notes or singing. She only resorted to mumbling words and humming while trying her best to not strain her vocal cords.

'I will be there where you keep me safe,

My heart just wishes for that one day.

One day when you'll love me and live for me.

The day you'll trust me,' a soft smile played on her lips.

Meanwhile, Sebastian, who was about to enter the terrace to calm his rage before confronting the princess, heard her beautiful voice and felt his heart skipping a beat.

Was this really her voice? How come he never realized she had such good vocal skills? Then again, did he really know anything about her other than what Lucas told him as a piece of vital information about the suspect?

Sebastian slid down the wall and sat near the staircase, enjoying her singing. To him, it felt like his heart was at ease after a really long time. It sounded like one of the lullabies his mother used to sing to him.

He didn't want to disturb Elliana. He didn't want her to stop. It was selfish of him to listen to her in secret like this, but he never believed he was a saint.

He was sure that Elliana wasn't really singing any song. She was just humming useless words without any meaning whatsoever. There was no tone or music to it, but even without that, it was one of the best things he had heard after a really long time.

He wondered what her voice would sound like if she really concentrated on her vocal cords and tried to hit all those notes like professional singers. He wanted to hear more of it.

Elliana continued to hum for a few more minutes, completely unaware of the people stopping their work to hear her.

After some time, she stopped altogether before standing from her place. She looked down from the height and suddenly had an intrusive thought of jumping from the balcony.

How good it would have been if she had wings to fly, no? She wouldn't have to worry about getting lost or things like that. She had heard from one of the maids in the royal kingdom that fairies were real too. They look like humans who can fly and grant wishes. If that were the case, would they grant her the wish to find her mom? She sighed before looking into the sky.

"Mom, can you see the same sky that I see? If yes, it means we are closer than before, right?" She sighed, a stray tear falling from her eyes.

"Sir, what are you doing -" Lucas paused when he saw how serene Sebastian looked.

As if his appearance disturbed him greatly, Sebastian opened his eyes, scowled, and stood from his original position on the ground, leaving Lucas speechless.

Lucas- "..." What did I do now?

Sebastian walked towards the entrance of the terrace and saw the girl leaning on the railing, her back hunched and sadness and loneliness oozing from her figure.

"So where did you go?" Sebastian asked, and Elliana, who wasn't expecting anyone, shook with wide eyes.

"God, why would you scare me like that, Mr. Prince?" Elliana turned to him before quickly looking away. She patted her cheeks and wiped the remaining tears, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Sebastian, who had a neutral expression as he leaned beside her.

'Maybe she is just a broken girl who has never received love from her family? Just like you?' Miss Zoya's words echoed in his head, and he took his chance to look at her properly.

She was definitely a beauty, a rare one at that. She was so beautiful that it was almost inhumane. He hadn't even seen vampires with this kind of flawless skin, and to say, she was never treated right and often bullied in her family.

His gaze moved further to her hair cascading on her shoulders and fell on her back loosely. He had a sudden urge to take a twirl in his hand and play with them to see how smooth they were. Her beauty was almost an illusion, and he was sure if he had married her in any different circumstances where they weren't enemies, he could've fallen for a girl like that. The more he looked at her, the more attractive she became.

'Maybe you are being a bit too harsh on your relationship,' Miss Zoya's words echoed again, and he stepped closer to Elliana.

Even with the loud wind, he could hear Elliana's heart increasing its pace and was unsure if it was because of fear, nervousness, or hatred towards him. She was so reactive to his presence that even a step closer made her heart race.

"Were you crying?" Sebastian asked, and Lucas, who was standing at some distance, felt a sudden urge to slap his forehead in helplessness. How did this neutral prince with no emotional intelligence come from such a romantic and lovely couple?

He knows the prince has zero EQ level, but does he really need to be so direct? She was not his subordinate or a convict, for god's sake. His prince was a hopeless case in love.

"I... I just missed my mom," Elliana said half-truth, and Sebastian hummed.

"So? What did you buy today? Were you happy with your outing?" Sebastian tried to initiate a conversation.

Elliana turned to him, her hand accidentally brushing against his, shocking her. She quickly retreated as if her hand had caught fire, and Sebastian thinned his lips. Why was she so jittery around him?

"I don't bite, you know," Sebastian said in a way to tell her he won't harm her, but he hadn't expected what came next.

"Why?"

"Excuse me?" Sebastian looked at her, confused. He was trying to console her, and she was asking why wouldn't he?

"Why don't you bite? Aren't vampires supposed to bite? Is something wrong with your fangs? Do you need to see a dentist? Should we make an appointment? It's better to get things checked early. What if you die of hunger? What will happen to me and -" Elliana widened her eyes when she realized she was rambling, and Sebastian looked at her for a few seconds before he laughed.

"Hahaha. I can't be with your humor. This is the first I have heard in my life. How can you be so naive? Stupid girl," Sebastian's laugh not only shocked Elliana, but Lucas too.

This was the first time he heard the prince's laughter, and it felt so calm. It also felt illegal, like this laughter was meant for the princess only. It was as if he was intruding on the couple's privacy, and he didn't know what to do.

"You should laugh more. Your voice is soothing to the heart," Elliana stepped closer to him daringly and looked up into his eyes.

It was as if her words were the ones that made him realize he laughed, Sebastian stood there frozen when Elliana smiled at him.

"One day, I hope one day, you will be able to trust me enough to show me what you look like," Elliana said, and her words surprised Lucas and Sebastian.

"Aren't you afraid that I might look uglier than what they say?" Sebastian asked, and Elliana smiled before shaking her head.

"I don't care. This is what matters," Elliana jabbed her finger on his chest to mention his heart.

If it had been anyone else doing this to him, touching him without his permission, he would've thrown that person straight down from the terrace without a single thought, but when Elliana did it, she looked exceptionally cute, and he couldn't bring himself to become angry.

"Besides, I don't care what you look like. You are my husband, and that's all that matters to me," Elliana said with the utmost sincerity before she looked away at the forest, leaving a shocked prince whose heart skipped a beat again.

\

"Do you want to see what I look like?" Sebastian asked, shocking Lucas as this wasn't a casual thing, and Elliana shook her head.

"No,"

"No? But just now -"

"I want you to trust me before you do that. The day you will take off your mask in front of me, I will understand your heart is open for me to step in," Elliana smiled.

This girl, she was really good with her words, wasn't she? Is this how she has been possessing everyone? Sebastian thought before sighing.

"So, what did you buy?" He asked, and Elliana smiled.

"I spent a lot of money," she smiled like a kid who knew she had done something wrong and was proud of it.

Sebastian's hands clenched around as he controlled the urge to pull her cheeks until they became red, and she revealed all the truth.

He was really tempted to see what she would look like when he does that. It looks like he will have to wait till night. She sleeps like a wooden log and doesn't care about her surroundings at all when asleep. He would be able to see it that time. Sebastian nodded at himself at the childish plan.