Chapter 188 His chin was so sharp it could slice off a hand…
That evening at the Duran family ball, I saw him again. He wore a crown, his silver hair was tied back, and he wore a long, flowing silver robe that covered his long legs. The collar, sleeves, and hem of the robe were embroidered with pearls, which shimmered and dazzled the eye.
I also got a clear look at his face—his dark and refined eyebrows and eyes, his highly defined nose, and his chin so sharp it could cut off a finger, yet he had an elegant swan neck and delicate, soft collarbones.
His looks couldn't compare to Bernard's; he wasn't stunningly beautiful, but he was still handsome and charming, with an irresistible allure. He also possessed a unique personality and an amazing presence, attracting a huge crowd when he stood under the crystal chandelier.
But he approached me, holding a glass of gleaming red wine. "Mrs. Lanna, I apologize. I was in a hurry passing through the garden today and didn't have a chance to greet you." His voice was surprisingly charming and alluring.
"Hello, Your Highness!" I said politely.
He laughed, and the captivating blue light emanating from his icy eyes bore a striking resemblance to Bernard. "You're not as ugly as the rumors say, nor do you seem to have that kind of shrewish, filthy personality. It's clear that rumors are always somewhat distorted."
I didn't know how to respond for a moment, so I could only say, "You are more handsome than the rumors say."
"Oh? You think I'm very handsome? How do I compare to Bernard?" He smiled and moved closer to my face, his breath almost touching mine. "He's hailed as the most handsome man on the continent, and he's lived off a lot of women. But I'm different from him. I'm always the one giving food to others. I'm both handsome and tough. When can you give me a try? I have plenty of tough spots too."
I took two steps back and said with a forced smile, "You're joking. You and Prince Bernard are both men of integrity."
Pretend not to understand his ambiguous feelings.
These men in high society treat flirting as commonplace and are adept at seduction; if you take it seriously, you've already lost.
“I’ve noticed you’re quite the smooth talker,” he laughed, a captivating smile that shone through his icy blue eyes. “Is that how you hooked up with men?”
"Excuse me, I have something to attend to. Please excuse me."
"Hey, don't go, it'll be no fun if you leave..." He suddenly grabbed me. I didn't expect him to be so blatant. We were already attracting a lot of attention, and now this pulling and tugging only made us more the subject of ridicule. I was both anxious and angry. "Don't touch me! If you pull me again, I won't be polite!"
He was also taken aback, not expecting me to say that. Just then, unnoticed by any of us, a maid was carrying a tray of red wine glasses and carefully offering it to a nobleman three steps away from me. However, the nobleman was engrossed in watching the spectacle and, without noticing, spilled the wine, splashing it all over himself. The maid exclaimed in surprise, and everyone's eyes turned to her again.
He looked away for two seconds, and I took the opportunity to stomp on his foot hard. Caught off guard, he cried out in pain. I took the opportunity to pull my right hand back and slip away quickly.
I squeezed into the crowd, not knowing where to hide. The hall was too big, and I couldn't find the exit for a while. I was getting a little anxious when a slightly rough but clean white hand grabbed my wrist and led me smoothly through the crowd and out of the hall.
In the quiet corridor, I stared in surprise at the woman with her hair in a maid's bun and dressed in a white maid's uniform. It was the same maid who had just served the wine glass. But what surprised me even more was that she was someone I knew. "Hello?!"
Years ago, I was penniless and desperate. It was because of her help that I was able to become a tutor in Iani's family. At the entrance of the clothing store, Iani's mother had already rejected me, but she helped me get an interview opportunity.
“Madam, it’s been a long time. You weren’t frightened just now, were you?” she replied with a smile.
I smiled and said, "Thank you for getting me out of that awkward situation."
"Don't mention it, madam."
"Come on, take me to a quiet place to eat." I haven't had a chance to eat yet after all that commotion, and now my stomach is growling.
In a quiet, elegant little dining room, Hero served me buttered bread, steak, grilled fish, and a fruit and vegetable salad, along with steaming hot broth and hot milk.
"You're trying to make me gain weight!" I chuckled.
Hero laughed, "If you're worried about gaining weight, just eat a little of everything."
I laughed and said, "I'm very hungry now, I can eat it all."
"Then let's eat it all and start dieting tomorrow."
We smiled at each other. Hero then told me about her experiences. After I went to prison, Iani's family was greatly shaken. Iani's father was dismissed from his post, stripped of his noble title, and reduced to a commoner. But even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse; Iani's father still had some savings. He had intended to use this money to start a business, but his mistress stole it all and ran off with it. Overnight, Iani's father went bankrupt and, unable to bear the blow, fell ill and died less than six months later.
Iani's mother also fell into poverty, and her family treated her like a monster, daring not to lend a hand and keeping their distance. Fortunately, Iani's mother had helped a friend several times in her younger years, and this friend introduced Iani to a wealthy man—a fallen nobleman whose family had long since declined but still possessed considerable wealth. He was attracted to Iani's youth and wanted her to bear him a son. Iani and her mother, of course, agreed, having already reached a dead end.
However, Iani gave birth to two daughters and was unable to have a son. Fortunately, the two daughters looked very much like their father, so he did not separate from Iani and continued to support them.
“That’s when I left their house,” Hero said. “I had a friend who was a maid in the palace, and she said they were recruiting new ones and asked if I wanted to give it a try. I had wanted to leave Miss Iani’s house for a long time, so I was happy to give it a try and that’s how I got in.”
"Why do you want to leave Ianne's house?" I asked.
"Their family was basically bankrupt, and my salary kept decreasing. The palace offered better benefits, so I decided to become a maid there. Miss Iani killed the illegitimate eldest son of a wealthy family. Although the old tycoon spared her life because of her father's noble title, he cut off all of her father's businesses, including his secret ones, leaving him extremely poor. He had to sell his large house and rent a place. A few years later, Prince Bernot found out about this and stripped Miss Iani's father of his noble title and ruined his family. Iani's mother's family swore to sever ties with Iani's mother, which is how she escaped."
"Hearing you say that," I said, puzzled, "Iani should hate me, so why did she give me a house?"
"She always hated her father, who frequently beat her mother, almost killing her several times. Her father's family also looked down on her because her mother's family was of lower social standing. After she killed the illegitimate son of a wealthy family, her father's family kept pressuring her to commit suicide, fearing she would bring trouble upon herself. It was fortunate for her that her father's family fell from grace; at least no one was forcing her to commit suicide anymore. Therefore, she wouldn't resent you because of her father's family."
The dining room door suddenly opened, and a tall, muscular figure entered like the wind, quickly walking to my side. Helo quickly stepped aside.
“I’m sorry you had to suffer,” said Bernard, who was wearing a large cloak and looked like he had just returned from outside. “I came back late, which caused you to be bullied.”
“It’s not that serious,” I laughed. “Your brother is quite handsome.”
Bernard's concerned gaze turned into a half-smile, "None of them are as handsome as me."
Hero silently withdrew. I pushed the broth in front of him, "Have you had dinner?"
He took my hand and said, "Next time, wait until I get back before going to the ball, or maybe don't go at all, even if it's the Durand family ball."
"It's not that serious." I smiled and used my other hand to fork some fruit and vegetable salad. "I only went because I heard that the Duran family's ball was very grand and I wanted to broaden my horizons."
Of course, it was also because the head maid mentioned that the Duran family's first ball of the season was quite important, and they needed to give the Duran family face.
He snatched the salad from my silver fork and ate it in one bite. After finishing, he laughed and said, "Just remember, from now on you can only go with me."
Two days later, I heard that Crown Prince Ivankh's most beloved mistress had been caught in bed with another man, and the scene was quite chaotic. The mistress and several lovers were having sex when Crown Prince Ivankh hit her on the head with a wine glass, yet she still insisted on finishing her business. Crown Prince Ivankh was furious.
Some nobles were whispering among themselves that the mistress should have kept this a secret. She had been doing this for a long time and was always extremely careful. How could she have been discovered? She was caught red-handed by Crown Prince Ivanhoe and several ministers, losing all face.
The mistress was forced to leave the capital, otherwise her family would lose face.
After telling me all this, Hero stepped back to the window and said, "There are rumors that Prince Bernard is taking revenge for the Crown Prince's rudeness to you last time."
Today, Hero was officially transferred to my side as a maid, and she told me what had just happened.
I was sitting in a chair by the window, drinking tea. "Maybe."
Late at night, Bernard and I exercised until we were drenched in sweat, but we just couldn't stop. We were entangled and inseparable, our bodies wishing there wasn't even a tiny gap between us.
I was soaking wet, lying on top of him, my long, wet hair falling over his eyes. "Tell me," I said, "how many mistresses have you stood up for?"
"Just for you." He laughed hoarsely.
Aren't you afraid of getting bitten on the tongue by a cat when you lie?
"I just want to be bitten by you."
"That mistress who framed me is so arrogant, probably because you're backing her up."
"She is my chief mistress, so I can't treat her too badly."
I slid down from his hot, broad chest, my long hair falling all over the pillow. He gently snuggled against me, trying to appease me, "You're not angry so soon, are you?"
I turned back and smiled at him. "Why should I be angry? I also doted on my former lover, the prince of the North, and he was really good to me. You treat your mistress the same way I treat my lover.
His expression immediately turned cold, and he said unhappily, "Don't mention other men in front of me."
"Didn't you mention your mistress too?"
"You're the one who started this conversation."
I turned over and ignored him. He hugged me from behind, coaxing and whining, "Let's not talk about them anymore, okay?"
I ignored him. But his hands started to wander, groping me. He teased me, making me laugh, and then I was aroused too. I turned and kissed him deeply, the kiss growing deeper and deeper. His lips were like the most alluring poppy; I knew they were poisonous, yet I couldn't resist. I bit his lips, captured his tongue, and kissed him wildly, making him retreat as I pushed forward, until finally he accidentally fell off the bed, and I burst into laughter.
He quickly got up, half-knelt by the bed, and kissed my lips fiercely again, his words muffled, "I want to be with you forever, and crush you, you little vixen."
I wanted to laugh, but his kisses prevented me from doing so. I could only increase the intensity of my kisses, making his breathing heavy and rapid. He then rolled over and pinned me down, and that's how we did it a second time...
Under the bright summer sun, Hero and I walked one after the other in the garden full of bright flowers, as if we were in a sea of flowers. The royal palace in the Eastern Territory was really generous, with beautiful and exquisite flowers planted all over the garden as if they were free.
"Lady Lana, we meet again." A man's voice, smooth and beautiful as silk, came from behind me.
I turned around in surprise, but Hero was gone, and Prince Ivanhoe, in his exquisite and luxurious white robe, stood behind me.
The sunlight fell on his sharp, angular face, adding a touch of softness and warmth.
"Thank you for getting rid of my mistress. I've wanted to dump her for a long time. This is great, I don't even have to pay a breakup fee." He laughed loudly, very unrestrained and indulgent.
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Author's Note: I hope everyone will check out my other works and pre-order "Animal Farm"! Mwah!
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