After concluding the meeting with the ministers, Rowan made his way to Freya’s room, concerned about her well-being. He wanted to be sure she was fine and wasn’t blaming herself for what happened. When he arrived at her room, he found the door locked. He wondered where she might have gone and decided to check the library first since she enjoyed staying there, and if she wasn’t there, then he would ask Louis.

As he approached the passage leading to the library, someone crashed into him with force. Due to Rowan’s larger stature, the person lost their balance and tumbled to the floor.

"Are you okay?" Rowan asked, offering to help.

The young man nodded, but when he raised his face and saw who it was, he recoiled, his eyes wide with fear. "R-Rowan?" he stuttered before running away.

Rowan’s eyes narrowed as he watched the young man disappear into the nearest passage. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that the young man was up to something wrong. Moreover, he recognized a familiar scent on the young man’s clothing, the pungent aroma of pot and tobacco, a smell he knew well because he smoked occasionally. Shrugging it off, Rowan continued on his way. Upon reaching the library, he encountered two maids speaking in hushed tones; when they saw him, both gasped.

Rowan frowned, not understanding why everyone in the palace was acting strangely. He ignored them and asked, "Is Freya in there?"

The two maids looked at each other, then gulped. "Fre-ya... you mean?" One maid stuttered. Before she could finish her sentence, Freya was seen walking out of the library with a sad expression.

"Never mind," Rowan waved his hands dismissively to the maids when he saw Freya. His eyes locked onto her, and his expression softened. He noticed her slumped shoulders and the look of defeat written on her face. He strode towards her, his long strides covering the distance between them. Grasping her wrist, he pulled her into a gentle but firm grip.

Freya raised her eyes and almost turned pale when she saw Rowan. Thinking that he already knew about everything she did, she tried to push him away, but his grip was firm. With one pull, he dragged her away from the library, and upon reaching the nearest balcony, he pinned her against the wall.

"What’s wrong with you?" Rowan asked, looking worried. He reached forward to touch her face, but Freya covered it with her hand. "Were you thinking about me?"

Freya remembered what had happened earlier and how she had mentioned Rowan’s name. She was clearly thinking about him, but she wouldn’t admit it to his face.

"No! I wasn’t... why would I think about you?" she whispered, her heart racing with fear.

Rowan chuckled, taking a step closer. He used his finger to raise Freya’s face. "I don’t know... if you really weren’t thinking about me, then why are you looking so flushed?"

"F-flushed..." Freya rubbed her face. "That’s just how I look. I wasn’t thinking of you, and I didn’t mention your name!"

Rowan’s brows knitted as he tilted his head. He was now even more intrigued by her words. "I never said you did... were you really thinking about me?"

Freya pushed his chest with force. "I said I wasn’t!" She turned to leave, but Rowan was quick to hold her waist, pinning her to his chest.

"Okay, okay, I believe you," he chuckled. "I was just joking... I knew you’d be worried about me. Not to worry, the whole situation has been settled, and the young man with his friends will send an apology letter to you."

Freya had almost forgotten about the trouble she caused Rowan. All she was thinking of was why she had mentioned Rowan’s name and why she kept thinking about him in that way. When she felt Rowan’s hand around her waist, unlike in the past, Freya didn’t feel repulsed by it, nor did she want him to take it away.

"I’m glad everything is fine now. You should have started with that. Why do you always tease me?" she muttered, her hands now on Rowan’s chest. She had the urge to hit him or even feel how sturdy his chest was without his shirt on.

Rowan, noticing that the girl wasn’t being rebellious even with his hands on her waist, smiled. He raised one hand, cupping her face. "Tease? I can’t tease without touching." When he said this, he leaned closer as if to kiss her, but it was just to see her reaction. The girl quickly closed her eyes.

The corners of Rowan’s lips curled. It happened even faster than he had expected, but it was still good. He rubbed his thumb gently on her lips, pushing her back to rest on the wall.

Freya inhaled deeply as she felt Rowan’s hand on her. Unlike how she imagined, this time it felt even better, and she wanted more than just his hand on her face. She wanted... Freya remembered how good it felt when her fingers stroked her nubs, and she wished it would be Rowan’s touch instead. This caused her to bring her legs together and squeeze them again.

Rowan’s eyes quickly caught this little action. Using his own knee, he pushed the girl’s legs apart, pressing his knee between her legs.

"Rowan..." Freya’s voice was a cry for more pleasure, her hands gripping Rowan’s chest tightly. It wasn’t fair to her. She had just imagined being touched by Rowan a few minutes ago, and now it was actually happening, and she didn’t know what to do.

Seeing how the girl’s body was responding exactly the way he wanted, Rowan rubbed his knee gently on her inner thighs. Hearing her call his name when she longed for him brought a smile to his face, and he couldn’t wait to fill her up with exactly what she wanted.

"Seems like someone has been doing naughty things..." Rowan pulled his leg back. When he did, Freya opened her eyes. There was a little protest in those innocent brown eyes that made him want to carry her into his room and do the things that would make her call out his name while he was buried deep inside of her.

Freya cleared her throat, slowly bringing her hand down from Rowan’s chest.

"You’re not denying it?" Rowan raised his brows slightly. "Have you really been thinking about..."

Freya scoffed, fanning herself with her hand. "Thinking about what? I’m glad everything is fine now, I need to rest." She turned and ran away. As she left the palace, Freya inhaled deeply, sure she caught the scent of the burning leaves, the same scent she noticed in the library, and it made her wonder if Rowan had been in the library earlier.

Rowan watched as the girl ran awkwardly. He was right. The reason she didn’t look away that night when she saw him was because she had been curious, and now that same curiosity was burning her from the inside. She wanted to quench it, and that was why she was coming around. It was always like that with innocent girls; once they found out about the world they’ve never known, they don’t want to go back into ignorance. It was this same curiosity that would bring Freya to his doorstep.

The thought of it brought a bright smile to Rowan’s face. "You can’t run for too long, little mouse. This cat is a little too impatient."