Chapter 66 Rejecting My Crush: His flirting was already obvious, but I didn't...
"Yes, I'm already with her," I quickly replied.
Bernard smiled slightly and tightened his grip on my hand, which I was trying to pull away from.
Princess Yanni was displeased. "Bernot, what do you mean by this?"
Bernard said calmly, "She has always been mine."
I don't like hearing things like, "I am not anyone's exclusive property."
Princess Yanni replied, "Why don't you ask her whose side she is on?"
But Bernard held me even tighter and walked around Princess Yanni from the side.
Princess Yani was furious and tried to stop them again, but several tall and strong maids stopped her even faster. The tallest maid smiled apologetically and said, "Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Princess Yanni slapped him across the face. "Get out of the way, all of you get out of the way!"
The maids formed a human wall and remained motionless. The tallest maid still smiled apologetically, "Please forgive me, Princess," and even offered her face so that Princess Yani could continue hitting her.
Princess Yanni slapped her several more times without any hesitation.
By this time, I had already been led far away by Bernard, and I was startled by the crisp, continuous sound of slaps.
Walking through the crisscrossing corridors, past rows of engraved pillars, and reaching the end of the corridor, the heavy snow hitting me gave me the illusion of returning to a wild and untamed land. It was just like that back then, with its dark, blizzard-swept skies and seemingly endless blizzards.
Arriving at the palace prepared specifically for foreign dignitaries, we saw lavishly decorated rooms, thick carpets, and warm fireplaces.
I felt a little nervous when my gaze fell on the only large bed.
Is this bed for me, or for him? Or...?
I subtly moved away from the bed and sat in a rocking chair near the door.
Bernard sat down beside me with a smile. "You really like it here? How about I decorate your room like this when we get back?"
"Go back? Go back where?" I became nervous again. "Your home?"
“The Eastern Capital, you haven’t been there yet, but I think you’ll definitely like it. It’s not as hot as the South, nor as cold as the North.” He cleverly ruled out Princess Yanni’s and Mambo’s homes.
I said, "I have already promised Princess Yanni that I will be with her."
He immediately denied it, saying, "That doesn't count."
I said, "You're already married and have a mistress, what are you doing here looking for me? To be your Nth mistress? That's impossible."
He smiled faintly and said, "So that's why you've been so cold to me."
I sighed, "We're not a good match."
His long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and the blue in his eyes seemed to flow. "You are my only mistress. I will give you a formal title when we get back."
So, being the chief mistress is also a title? I was both amused and exasperated.
"No need, I am already Princess Yanni's chief mistress."
Since she'd be a mistress anyway, being Princess Yani's mistress was better than being his, for one simple reason: Princess Yani was a woman.
He suddenly left the soft chair, bent his knees and half-knelt in front of me, at the same height as me, looking me in the eye.
“Lana, listen to me,” he said very gently, “Perhaps you don’t like me or approve of me, but I am sincere towards you. Please believe me, I will definitely make you happy. I will do everything I can to give you the best life.”
It's impossible for me not to be moved. I'm just an ordinary girl, and how could I not be moved when such a handsome man confessed his love to me? But I quickly came to my senses. Men in this world are pragmatic, or rather, all men in the world are pragmatic. If I don't have resources to tie our relationship to each other, our relationship will never last and could be replaced by something of greater benefit in no time.
And I—am afraid it won't last. I'll be heartbroken.
—He just wants to play with me. Or rather, he's just temporarily blinded by so-called feelings, and he'll leave me once he sobers up.
And this ending is what everyone is happy to see—who told me to be so presumptuous?
It would be different if I were with Princess Yani. I wouldn't develop feelings for her, and without developing feelings, I would suffer less if I were abandoned.
God, do I know that I will definitely fall in love with Bernard, so I am afraid of getting hurt and do not want to be with him?
My nose tingled, and I almost burst into tears.
No, I must not show my vulnerability.
A steaming cup of black tea was handed to me. I hesitated for a moment and didn't take it. Bernard gently placed the teacup in my palm. "Weren't you afraid of getting tired of all that juice you drank at the banquet? This will help you cut through the richness."
Please don't do this, okay? I wanted to throw the tea on him, but then I felt like it was just like a boyfriend and girlfriend flirting, so I just held the teacup, pursed my lips, and didn't say anything.
Bernard's smile was captivating. "Anyway, you've rejected me more than once, so I don't care if you reject me again this time."
How did he know I would refuse again this time?
I took a deep breath, placed the teacup on the table beside me, and stood up. "I should go."
I was afraid he would stop me—afraid that I wouldn't be able to refuse.
Unexpectedly, he didn't stop me; he just sat there and looked at me with a mocking expression.
"I'd like to know, how long can you hold out?" His smile was meaningful.
I stood frozen in place.
“You never tell me your inner fears,” he spread his hands. “I don’t know what you’re afraid of?”
I bit my lower lip. "I'm not afraid."
I walked towards the door.
The proud and noble prince still did not stop him, and said lazily, "Don't regret it. If you miss this opportunity, you won't get another chance. I won't lower myself like this again."
I slammed his door shut with a bang.
Princess Yanni's room was spacious and luxurious, with a warm fire in the fireplace. Princess Yanni was admiring the snow falling heavily in front of the French windows and was quite surprised to see me push open the door and enter.
"Oh, I thought you'd be spending the night at Bernard's."
Tears streamed down my face, but my voice remained perfectly audible as I said, "How could this be?"
Princess Yanni shrugged. "You're stubborn too. But it's best that you came back on your own, so I don't have to figure out how to get you back."
Then she went to the bathroom to take a shower.
I collapsed in front of the exquisite gate, feeling completely exhausted.
Princess Yanni took a long bath. By the time she came out, I had wiped away my tears and was sitting on the carpet in front of the French windows, watching the snow falling in the last glimmer of light before dark.
“You’ve done Bernot a great favor,” Princess Yanni said lazily, sitting in the rocking chair in front of the fireplace. “I heard that he defeated the bastard Rob and returned to the capital, and it was his chief mistress who advised him. Wasn’t you his chief mistress back then?”
I said calmly, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Princess Yanni looked at me with a half-smile. "He bribed all the vagrants, artists, and theaters in the East to publicize Rob's evil deeds and subtly satirize his father's favoritism, making it impossible for his father to deal with him later. The whole country was watching. Seeing that these tactics were effective, he spent a lot of money to bribe some famous bards to sing an old ballad about a persecuted child seeking refuge everywhere. Now even the royal families of other countries were paying attention to this. Of course, these royal families knew about these things before, but they wouldn't say it openly. But once it spread, everyone was happy to see the joke. The nobles of the East naturally couldn't sit still and demanded that the eldest prince return to the capital to prevent the rumors from being confirmed."
I said, “I heard about this in the brothels of your southern border. Yes, it was me.”
“Since you’re so capable,” Princess Yani smiled, her eyes crinkling, “why don’t you offer me some advice?”
"I'm not as smart as you, but I'll help if I can, just don't have too high expectations," I said honestly.
“You’re a smart woman, as evidenced by your choice of me over Bernard.” Princess Yani yawned and rose from her rocking chair. “The men in the royal family are all sweet-talking but venomous at heart; I’ve seen through them all long ago.”
Princess Yanni pulled down the bed curtains. "I'm going to sleep now. If you want to sleep, you can sleep under the bed. There are spare bedding in the wardrobe."
"What about the women in the royal family?" I asked.
"What's the meaning?"
"You just said that the men in the royal family are heartless, what about the women?"
“Most women are like that, but…” Princess Yanni paused for a moment, “there are still one or two who are different.”
She didn't say how it was different, and I didn't ask, because I knew she wouldn't answer.
From that day on, my relationship with Princess Yanni changed. Wherever we went, we were inseparable.
The royal family in the North, like that in the Westerlands, held one ball after another, and the upper-class nobles lived a life of debauchery.
I accompanied Princess Yani to various balls and never encountered Bernot again, but I did run into Mamboya a few times. He was accompanied by the petite and charming Suro, who would lift my chin with pity and say, "You've got dark circles under your eyes after just a few days. I have to tell Yani not to make you work so hard."
Before I could answer, Su Luo said gently, "Sister Lana and Princess Yani are inseparable now, and I'm so envious."
Mamboya looked me straight in the eye. "Tell me, are you happy?"
I had an urge to burst out laughing—your mistress is still by your side, yet you're showering attention on another woman. And this mistress, of course, acts completely unconcerned, always smiling.
"I'm very happy." I subtly avoided his hand that was lifting my chin.
He seemed pleased to hear that, "So you really like it here."
I don't quite understand what he means.
He said, "Our palace in the North is much more beautiful than the one in the South. Whenever you have time, I'll take you for a tour."
I was speechless for a moment.
“Let’s wait until the weather gets better,” he said, his voice as gentle as water. “You’ll love my garden.”
I turned around and left.
His flirting was already quite obvious, and I didn't want to be ambiguous with him. Besides, I felt his concern was somewhat staged—he was quite domineering on the train back then, nothing like the gentle manner he was displaying now.
"His lips are as sweet as honey, but his heart is as venomous as a snake." That's what I thought to myself.
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