The Scarlet Phoenix and the Prince of Winter

Chapter Thirty One

"W-What? Why would I be jealous?" I said nervously and it was as good as admitting to him that what he thinks is accurate as hell.

Prince Kao smirked at my reaction. "I saw how you look at her. You clearly don't like her."

"That's just my poker face. I have that expression when I meet strangers."

He nodded at that but I can tell that he was not buying it. And then the realization hit me. If the Crown Prince is not buying my alibi then he must have realized himself that I have feelings for him! Dear Lord! What am I going to do about that? And how would I act in front of him starting today? If I am right then I must as well jump in a cliff. I think I could not bear the Crown Prince's annoyed expressions if he ever did know that I have romantic feelings for him!

"She's a family friend," he then said to me sincerely even though he did not have to explain anything to me. "She's the daughter of the mayor of Plumba."

"Oh," I said in confusion. She's the daughter of the mayor of Plumba? Isn't Plumba the town famous for their frozen lake where you could still catch freshwater fish? From what I know that town is rich with both seafood and freshwater food as they used to be a coastal town where a huge river meets the sea back when snow was just a visitor. But when winter stayed in Aure, the river froze forever and so is the sea. It now an endless frozen seawater.

Back when I was still a student our class wanted to go there for a holiday trip and everyone was looking forward about it (including me) but an accident happened that made our school decide to let students go there. A group of student tourists went there and got lost and up to this day they have never been found again. Because of that, from being a famous tourist destination Plumba became an infamous place that parents and tourists have avoided. I also lost my excitement on going there, as people still claim that the disappearances there never stopped and were just being hushed by the mayor and the King himself.

"Is she s-someone you know personally?" I can't help but ask him because they acted like they knew each other for quite a while now when they talked a while ago and that just made me so curious. The Crown Prince nodded and it made me nervous for some reason. What if he fancies that girl too? I think it would ruin my life forever.

"Her family is close to my father," he explained. "Perhaps you have heard of what happened back there at Plumba some years ago?"

"What? Are you talking about those infamous disappearances?"

"Yes. That's what I am talking about," he replied. "Those disappearances gave my father a hard time and he was forced to investigate about those mysterious disappearances. That scandal made my father and the mayor close and they became very close friends."

"Oh. So that's why you know her," I said looking down at my feet because I could not look him in the eye now that I know why the two of them seem very close. "I thought... I thought that---"

"You thought that I was somehow romantically involved with her, right?"

My cheeks were very hot now... No, my whole face was on fire now. He just read me accurately. How on earth would I still be able to talk to him properly now that he knows?

Can someone just kill me right now?

"Millicent and I are just childhood friends," he further explained, but it also made me further ashamed. "She was here for an important matter regarding her father and then we agreed to talk in the garden. Of course, I would rather talk indoors with her but there was a purpose to that meeting in the garden that you just witnessed."

"Oh. Is that so?"

"Yes. One of the reasons why I wanted to meet her there where no one was around was to create a buzz, Rainha."

"A buzz? What do you mean?"

"A buzz to make people shut up," he said with a tone of satisfaction which led me to believe that he had gotten what he wanted from that scene. "You know, when we came back from Kajos that night, someone saw us. Luckily, he did not saw our faces but he reckons that it was me and my supposed 'secret lover.' So I don't know if you already heard about it but I bet that you did not because Madame Morris had made that issue go away."

I could not keep up with what he was telling me. Did someone saw us again? But this person was not able to recognize me? Or the Crown Prince? How lucky could we get?

"Madame Morris made up a story that I just went out with a friend, and most people inside the castle believed her. But of course, we don't know how long our connection with each other is going to remain as a secret so we I have to make a solution to that before it goes out of hand."

I nodded. "Okay... So what does that Millicent girl have to that with us?"

"Can't you still not see it? I'm trying to make it look like the 'secret lover' that I keep seeing on nights is her... Millicent."

"WHAT?"

How could the Crown Prince think like that? And why is he making that girl take all the spotlight when it should be me? Is it because she comes from a prominent family? Is it because if the King learns that it is her that the Crown Prince is seeing then she will be spared and the issue will be redirected towards her? Is that it? Is that what the Crown Prince is planning to do?

"Why do you look upset?" he asked me curiously. Disappointment must have been visible in my face right now as he was trying to understand why I was behaving like this. But I bet that won't get an answer because even me--- don't understand myself anymore.

Why am I so disappointed with myself? I should be happy right? Now that someone's going to take the spotlight then people would not suspect someone like me no more. It would also make me safe as I would be no longer in danger from the King. I should be both happy and relieved about this but why am I so hurt and disappointed?

I do not like how I am reacting to this right now. This should not how I should be behaving. I am just a court servant. What rights do I even have to demand an explanation from the Crown Prince?

"I'm sorry..." I said softly with my head down. I was trying to pretend that I was not going to cry but my shoulders betrayed me. They were now shaking from the tears that I was shedding. I don't know, I just feel so useless and so immature right now. I know I have reacted immaturely and I felt like it should have been better if the Crown Prince just scolded me. But he's still acting nice to me and I could not tell if he's sincere about it or not anymore.

"You don't have to be sorry," he told me. "You did not ruin the plan at all. Yes, I was surprised by what you did but I guess I should have seen it coming. I also did something bad to you. I deserve more than that, to be honest."

I have to look at his face because I could no longer understand what he was trying to say. "What are you talking about, Prince Kao? I am the one that you should punish. I was the one who did a bad thing. Not the other way around. Please don't be lenient on me just because of our connection---"

"I am not being lenient to you," he said, interrupting me. "I am just saying that I deserve your anger, or irritation, or whatever was that. I was afraid that you were already resenting me but you were just keeping it to yourself just because I am the Crown Prince, you know? I felt like it would have been better if you really tell me how mad or disappointed you are about me."

I hung my head with that. "I still don't get what you're trying to tell me."

"It was my promise to you that I was not able to fulfill. It was your golden bracelet. I haven't returned it to you yet and I was avoiding you this past few days and I feel so bad about that."

My mouth was open again with what he just said. So he was also thinking that he had done something wrong to me? because he did make me wait for him these past few days and he never gave me another word to reassure me. I even thought that maybe he was not going to return the golden bracelet to me anymore.

"I felt so bad that I tried to find a way to save you from the gossips permanently," he added. "That is why I was talking to Millicent. I wanted the people to see the two of us casually talking so that they would assume that it's her..."

I was speechless. So that was what he was doing? He was trying to find a way to save me from a bigger scandal?

That's so sweet of him, but I also suddenly felt bad for that girl called Millicent.

"So now, Rainha... could you still forgive me?" he asked with pleading eyes and it was so unfair because even if he did not ask me for forgiveness I think I would still give it to him.