The World Of Sally

Chapter Twenty- Seven: Winter Ball Gone Wrong

THE MUSIC is pleasant to the ears but she can’t help but notice the whispers around them as they started dancing in the center. Other than that, her heart is beating like crazy. She thought of leaving after the dance but the crown prince was one step ahead of her and knew what she’s thinking all the time.

“What? Do you feel uncomfortable by their stares? Would you like me to gauge their eyes so that they can no longer stare at you?”

“Please don’t. That’s horrible.”

“Ha!”

The crown prince laughed shortly at her disgusted expression.

“The dress looks good on you.”

“Thank you. You look handsome today too, your highness.”

He steps closer to her while she continues stepping back. Instead of dancing, they looked like chasing each other in the center. The crown prince glared at her and with a fast speed, he held her arm to stop her from stepping back further from him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He asked in annoyance. Sally blinked and smiled awkwardly at her.

“It is because the crown prince continued chasing me with a scary face so I moved away.”

“You just complimented my looks a while ago and now you’re saying my face is scary? Perhaps you’re lying earlier when you compliment me.”

“I didn’t lie, your highness.” She denied it and tried to calm herself down. Finally, the music ended. She bowed down in front of him and the nobles around them started to clap their hands.

“Not bad. You didn’t step on my foot.”

“Of course. I tend to do my best especially when my life is on the line.”

The crown prince laughed. She’s not kidding around when she said that. She thought that if she stepped on his foot she might have a free pass towards the afterlife.

“You never failed to amuse me, Ms. Esther.”

“Likewise, your highness.”

“Good evening, brother.”

The two looked beside them and saw the second prince, Edmund, looking at them with a gentle smile. Both of them looked exceedingly handsome in a different way. The crown prince Helios had a fierce and dangerous charisma like that of a breathtaking, ferocious beast while the second prince had a princely, knight in shining armor charm like a character in a fairytale book.

‘Either way, both of them are handsome.’

“Ah, a second prince. It’s been a long time since I saw you.”

“Yes, that is true. I’ve been very busy lately. May I know the name of this beautiful lady beside you?” He asked as he fixed his golden eyes to Sally.

Sally felt threatened. She doesn’t like connecting herself to another royal family member. One is already enough for her. No matter how reluctant she is, she can’t ignore the second prince’s question.

‘A royal blood, I looked powerless in front of all of them. How despising.’

“She’s a schoolmate.”

Sally glanced at him in both confusion and surprise.

‘He didn’t tell my name?’

“Ah, I see. Then, would you like to dance with me, lady?”

‘My feet are aching…’

“I apologize, your highness the second prince, however, I planned on resting for a while.”

‘I’m leaving this place since I already fulfilled my promise to the crown prince.’

“I see, I understand.”

“Thank you, your highness. If you will excuse me.”

She turned her back from them however she froze when she noticed the gazes from everyone around them. They were scrutinizing the situation between her and the two royal princes, other than that, she can sense their curiosity in their eyes.

‘It’s a good decision that I didn’t let the servant announce my name in front of everyone. It will be a bother if I socialize with the nobles.’

She went outside and arrived at the garden of the royal palace.

“How dare you left me alone?”

She startled and hurriedly turn around. The crown prince is frowning at her and in his hand is a bouquet.

“Your highness, you’re here? What about the second prince?”

“Why would I invest my time over that brat?”

‘Whoa, that mouth of yours! Are you royal blooded?’ He smirked and looked at her as if he read something interesting in her mind.

“By the look of your face, I can tell you’re insulting me.”

“How dare I do that to the crown prince of the kingdom?”

“Who knows?” He shrugged. He walked closer to her and gave her the bouquet. She stared at the flowers and looked at the crown prince’s face. She had a blank expression which the crown prince can’t tell if she’s happy or not. “For you.”

“Thank you, your highness, but why are you giving me flowers again?”

“Do you not like it?”

“No, not at all. I’m just curious.”

They stared at each other for a while before the crown prince started talking.

“No particular reason, I just want to give flowers to someone. If you despise it, throw it. I don’t care.”

“… How can I do that to these flowers? I like them since they’re pretty.” The crown prince glanced at her. Her voice seems cold and bitter. “Are you seeking forgiveness, your highness?” He didn’t answer and remain looking at her. “The white tulips, it means seeking forgiveness, the hydrangea means heartfelt, while the amaryllis means beauty beyond. Though the latter seems a little odd I understood the tulips and the hydrangea.”

“Why do you think the amaryllis flowers are odd?”

“It didn’t suit me. You gave me this before and I can’t help but wonder if the crown prince had an illness in his eyesight.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? I told you my eyesight isn’t bad, and I told you either that if I say that you’re beautiful, you are beautiful.”

She’s silent for a moment. The atmosphere is a little awkward, and she’s not used to compliments.

“It’s snowing again. You should head inside, your highness.”

“You mean you want me to leave you here alone?”

“I’m going home now. I already fulfilled my promise to you which means, my presence here is no longer needed.”

“I didn’t permit you to leave the event yet.”

“Your highness!”

“That is an order.”

She closes her mouth. ‘How can he be so stubborn!?’ She thought. She was about to argue when she felt a killing intent nearby. She pushed the crown prince. They fell on the cold ground.

“Your highness, you should escape.”

“Hah, they had the nerve to ruin the atmosphere.”

The crown prince stood up and pulled Sally on her feet.

“Your highness!”

“The one that should be running away is them and not me.” He said. His eyes were glowing like molten gold. One by one, the assassins burned to ashes. Screams in terror and pain ruined the tranquility of the place and Sally can’t help but watch him in fear. The screams were heard by the people inside the banquet and immediately went outside and saw the burnt corpses on the white, cold ground. Everyone is terrified.

But there’s still that intense killing intent other than the crown prince’s murderous aura. Sally looked around and saw someone hiding behind a tree meters away from them. His presence was covered thanks to the people from the banquet. He threw a dagger aiming at the crown prince. She stepped beside the crown prince and it hit her. She hissed in pain and held her injured right arm.

“Ms. Esther!”

Her vision started getting blurry.

‘Poison…’

The royal knights managed to seize the assassin. Helios held Sally’s body who’s slowly getting colder. Felix saw what happened and rush to their side.

“Your highness! Oh my God, I-I’ll call the royal doctor!”

Felix glanced at Sally before running away to find the doctor.

“Hey, stay with me! Don’t close your eyes!”

The crown prince touch her cheek and cursed at how cold she is. Sally blinked several times to clear her eyesight. She forced herself to sit upright.

“What are you doing?” The crown prince asked sharply at her.

“I, need, to go home, now.”

“Can’t you see you’re injured!? And most of all poisoned!?” He roared silencing the crowd around them. He glared at the royal knights and they immediately evacuate the people by sending them home. The doctor finally arrived with Felix. Other than the two, Athena and Ethan were present beside him. The doctor injected something into her. She flinched and felt drowsy.

“Your highness, let’s move the patient first to the clinic. I already gave her a medicine to prevent the poison from spreading in her body.”

The crown prince gritted his teeth and carried her in his arm. His face darkened and his mana dreadfully showing around him.

“Home…”

“Shut up. Why is it that you want to go home when you’re like this?”

She didn’t answer and fell asleep. The captain of the royal knights, Captain Kenneth Locksworth, approaches him. He bowed down and reported about the captured assassin.

“Leave him for now, I will personally greet him in the dungeon.” He ordered coldly to the captain. Capt. Locksworth felt how terrifying his anger is. He didn’t say a word and went back to the dungeon.

They arrived in the clinic and the rest of the treatment continued. The crown prince ordered a room for her to stay and he send the Robia siblings as well as Ethan home. He stared at the woman on the bed with a cold and mad expression.

“When will she regain her consciousness?”

“About three to five hours, your highness, the antidote was very effective that her temperature returned to normal.”

“You’ve done well.”

“Thank you, your highness.”

“Leave.”

The doctor left them alone. He walked towards the bed and sits on the edge. He removed the strands of hair on her face and caressed her cheek.

“Your stupidity will harm you.” He mumbled. “You asked if I seek forgiveness, which is true. I wasn’t a person who bows his head instead other people should bow to me, however, there’s something that makes me want you a little longer. I don’t like you, but I want you a little while longer.” He whispered the latter as he stared at her sleeping face. After a while, he stood up and left the room.

---

Her body felt heavy and she felt cold. She slowly opened her eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. She slowly gets up and felt a sharp pain in her right arm. 

‘Right, assassins showed up and I saved the crown prince.’

“I’m such an i***t for shielding such a strong person.” She mumbled under her breath. She roamed her eyes around. It was a spacious, elegant room. “Right, I need to go home.” She flinched due to pain but managed to get out of the bed. She noticed that she’s not wearing the ball gown she had before but a sleeping attire. She sighed and wore the cloak.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

She startled and looked at the crown prince who was leaning on the wall beside the door.

“Y-Your Highness, you’re here?”

“Of course. As far as I recall, this is my palace. Don’t change the subject, young lady. Where are you going?”

“Going home, your highness.”

“Hah! Your stubbornness is quite amusing. Do you want to die? And you will leave my palace wearing only that thin, piece of cloth?”

“I don’t want to die, your highness, and I need to go home someone is waiting for me.”

The crown prince suddenly appeared in front of her, pushed and pinned her on the wall. His eyes were full of fury staring at her silver irises.

“Who? Who is the person waiting for you? Is he your lover?”

“That is none of your highness’ business. I already fulfilled my promise to you therefore I need to go home.”

“Don’t you dare test my patience, young lady?” He growled. Sally felt threatened and suffocated. She sighed and calmly looked at him.

“Calm down, your highness. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lover and I am not planning on having one in this lifetime. I was talking about my grandmother. She easily forgot simple yet important things and she’s all alone in the house.” She explained. The crown prince’s eyes turned gentle from chaotic. He moved away, that’s the time Sally was able to breathe.

“I see, but I will send you home.”

“It’s alright.”

“Quit being hardheaded.”

‘You’re the one being hardheaded. I told you I can go home alone.’ She muttered inwardly and sighed.

“I can see you’re insulting me again in that tiny head of yours.”

“I didn’t, your highness.” She denied.

A carriage was prepared by the crown prince’s butler. Sally asked for her horse and the crown prince looked at her both shock and amazed.

“You rode this horse wearing that heavy clothes?”

“Of course. Aren’t I awesome?”

“Not really. I think you’re an oaf.”

‘The heck was that?’ She uttered mentally.

They rode the carriage for two hours and a half due to magic teleportation and arrived at the foot of a mountain. The crown prince was astonished again looking at the thick forest.

“You’re house, you said it’s on the top of the mountain?”

“Yes.” Sally hopped on the back of the horse.

“I’m coming with you. Who knows there might be beasts in there?”

Sally laughed wholeheartedly. The crown prince glared at her since he wasn’t kidding around when he uttered that. The forest was filled with tall trees and its dark at the same time cold. Bears might roam around and attacked her.

“There’s no such thing in that forest. I’ve been here since I was a child so I am confident in my statement. There’s no need for your highness to worry.” She pulled her hood to cover her head. “I’ll be leaving now, your highness. I apologize for ruining the mood of the winter ball, though I already paid it when I covered you from the assassin’s dagger.”

“Don’t be silly. Who wants that type of payment?”

She chuckled.

“Goodbye, your highness.”

The horse started running towards the forest. Helios stared at her moving image moving further away. He grinned.

“Go without me and lend me that horse.”

***