The Man I Was Not Supposed to Love

He's an Enemy!

This is strange. I never thought that anyone, especially men, creatures whom I have not generally been comfortable with being around, would make me feel conscious of what I do and how I react, including what to think. At the same time, this man is making some emotions that I never thought I was capable of feeling rise up deep within me.

We walked closely with each other, even to the point of touching each other’s dangling hands. The moment our fingers collide, I can feel a sort of energy rushing from him towards my body. It is so strong that it makes me shiver. However, I am doing everything within my willpower not to be so obvious before him, or else I would feel so ashamed of myself.

From time to time, I glance at him and look at his facial expression. He’s so silent, just like me. He was walking slowly, as if matching my pace. I smiled. This feels so serene, so peaceful. I enjoy this so much.

“Look at that fountain,” William finally said.

My eyes automatically followed the direction that his index finger was pointing in and I was totally captivated by it. Automatically, my feet turned in that direction without waiting for my brain to function.

“Easy… hahaha!” William laughed as he suddenly held my arm. “Be careful with what you are stepping on.

Suddenly, I looked at what I was walking on and realized that there was a stone there. Ah, how careless I am. Also, I realized that we were in the garden again. I bet we walked here without me realizing it as I was so focused on how to behave before this gentleman. He’s making me mentally blocked and all I can do is to make myself aware of what is happening around me.

“T-thank you…” I whispered in his face. Again, our faces are so close to each other. This is not the first time that this has happened since I met this man minutes ago.

“Pfft!” he burst again. “You amuse me, you know. You’re the first lady who just responds to me with words like ‘thank you’ and a few words more. Now, I am dying to know what is running in that mind of yours.’”

I blushed not because of the words that he said, but because of the way he was staring at my eyes. Something in those crystal clear emerald, green eyes seemed to be looking right through the things that I was keeping within me.

Slowly, he let me go. Then, he took my hand, interlocked his fingers with mine, and pulled me towards the fountain, walking on the side away from the rock that I should have stumbled upon. However, the interlocking of our fingers is getting all of my attention. My senses are sensitive, so the touching of our hands and fingers causes my mind to go ballistic.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” William said and turned his face to look at me.

I smiled, then nodded. Yes, this sight of the fountain with a different design in the Ekron Kingdom has a breath-taking view. I guess I wouldn’t get tired of looking at it all day.

“Yes,” I answered. “It’s beautiful…”

“I can build you one if you want…” he said.

That took me by surprise. What is he talking about? I opened my mouth to say something, but words just refused to come out. I slowly turned my head to look at him. Something is telling me to look at his eyes again. Of course, I lack the willpower to resist that. I found myself exchanging unspoken messages with his emerald, green eyes. His hand lifted and touched my face. His touch is so soothing to the feeling that I felt my world freeze, and I felt as if we were the only ones existing in it.

“Take your hands off from my daughter, you filthy man!”

I flinched. That’s my mother’s voice. How come she came to burst this bubble of happiness I just found? Why is she here all of a sudden? I could see William’s face surprised by what he had just heard. Suddenly, his finger froze but his eyes were still on me.

“I said, take your hands off my daughter now! I command you!” my mother shouted again.

I can’t take it anymore.

“I’m sorry, Lord William,” I whispered softly. “That is my mother, and she doesn’t really like it when she sees me intimate with men. Please accept my apologies in her stead.”

He nodded and withdrew his hand from my cheek. He turned towards the direction that my mother was coming from and bowed his head.

“My apologies, My La-“

Pak!

My hands lifted to my mouth the moment I saw mom’s hands landing on William’s cheek. I was too shocked to think of anything anymore. However, I found myself in front of William and shouting at my mother the next moment before I could stop myself.

“Mom, how could you do this?! He did not do anything wrong. He is just keeping me company at this lonely party that you are forcing me to attend. Mom, you have crossed the line this time.”

“How dare y - ” mom said angrily and was about to slap me when I saw William’s hands stopping mom’s arm in the air.

“I’m sorry, My Lady, but I cannot let you slap your daughter in front of me. She has done nothing wrong,” William said calmly, but I can feel the bravery in his words.

I cannot help myself from gasping when I saw my mother’s raging eyes again. She is literally throwing daggers at William.

“You!” she said as she pointed her hand at William’s face. “Who do you think you are?!”

“He’s my son, Marquise Roman,” a woman’s voice sounded. He’s the future Marquess of Cabar.”

“Lady Lans!” my mom cried in horror, as if seeing someone whom she never desired to see.

“Greetings, Lord and Lady Roman,” Lady Lans greeted calmly my father, who suddenly appeared at my mother’s side, and my mother, who was obviously controlling herself from bursting into anger.

“Greetings, Lord and Lady Lans,” my father greeted me in my mother’s stead.

My eyes transferred from one set of couples to another. Our parents seem to know each other. Based on my knowledge of mom’s character, it seems that William’s parents are not her friends. For the first time in my life, I felt fear start to saturate my heart as I realized who Lord and Lady Lans could be. Slowly, I turned around to look at William as tears started to well in my eyes. This can’t be!