Imdiately after those words left her lips, the piano and violin shifted into a slow rhythm before gently fading into silence. Rose watched as Zethan took her hands and placed a soft kiss atop them. His expression had returned to its usual calm, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
Her cheeks flushed, and she couldn’t believe she’d actually said those words—words that weren’t true. She hadn’t experienced any of it herself; instead, countless hours in the library had introduced her to books that shocked and expanded her understanding of many things. And yet, she had voiced them aloud.
Finally, she rested her hands on his elbow as they began to walk toward the king and queen’s seat. Once again, the perfect clap filled the hall—soft yet loud, lodic and practiced—as they made their way. Zethan seated himself beside her.
The violin resud, playing a slow, graceful tune as other guests arrived for the ball. Kings and nobles ca forward to congratulate Zethan. So danced to the music, others drank while talking. The chatter, for so reason, felt rich and organized. Among them was a man accompanied by a breathtaking lady with long, dark hair. Rose noticed a small smile on the man’s lips as he walked toward them. Respectfully, he spoke quietly to Zethan.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on your wedding. I must say, your wife is exquisitely beautiful—a rare kind, indeed."
Zethan nodded in agreent before the man added, "We all ca here to congratulate you as well. We hope to see many little princes and princesses in the future." The lady by his side—undoubtedly his daughter—stood beside him and nodded as well with a respectful smile.
Rose raised her hands gracefully and giggled softly, just as she had been taught—to show pleasure at the complint, even if she didn’t truly feel it.
The man then introduced. "This is my daughter, Kira."
Kira bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, my Queen, congratulations. Very beautiful to finally see the king tie the knot," she spoke sweetly, yet Zethan barely spared her a glance. Rose noticed the way the lady carried herself. She wouldn’t be surprised if the man was planning for her to marry Zethan as a second wife—these people would not hesitate to do that if it ant gaining more power and partners.
Rose returned the greeting quietly. "Your daughter is indeed very beautiful. I must say, she would turn the heads of many fellows in this kingdom."
The old man chuckled, clearly pleased by her words, then asked, "May I ask, which kingdom do you co from, Princess? Which kingdom claims you?"
Rose shook her head gently. "I co from the village. I’m just a commoner."
"May I ask why you say that?" Rose inquired, unaware that Zethan’s eyes had fixed on hers, intrigued by the fact she had said it so proudly.
He seed almost shocked by the revelation and said, "Oh my, my apologies. I was simply caught off guard by your sense of respect and dignity—the way you speak. I had no idea. I apologize for my rashness."
Rose smiled softly. "You don’t have to bother. We all make mistakes. After all, it is our imperfections that make us human.
A slow chuckle escaped Zethan’s lips.
The man bowed respectfully, not to ntion he had been caught off guard by Zethan’s chuckle—very rare. Not only him, but his daughter as well. "We will be taking our leave now, Your Majesty." He nodded to his daughter, and together they departed.
Zethan turned to Rose, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Mistakes, huh?"
Rose held her expression steady. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Then I’m no human," he said with a sly grin.
"You certainly don’t give off the trait of one," Rose replied sincerely.
Zethan’s smirk deepened. This lady was making him more and more interested as ti went by. "Oh really? Tell why you think so."
Rose leaned in close, whispering slowly—the kind of whisper that begged secrecy. She pointed at his silver hair. "That looks very inhuman. Did you, by any chance, dye your hair?"
Many eyes in the hall followed Rose as she leaned in, curiosity sparking among the onlookers. They wondered what the two were discussing, especially after hearing Zethan chuckle once, then again. Rose’s eyes suddenly widened as realization hit—his hair was indeed natural, not dyed as she had assud. Her cheeks flushed deeply with embarrassnt as she quickly sat back, chastising herself for behaving like her usual self instead of the composed queen she was ant to be. The way she’d bent and leaned in—just like when she begged soone to share a secret—was so unlike the poised image she needed to uphold. Not to ntion she was in a ballroom filled with people of high society. No wonder Zethan had chuckled at her unladylike behavior.
"You’re very interesting," Zethan said with a slow smirk.
Rose fell silent for a mont as he continued his teasing. "I see you’re not only experienced with n, but also quite skilled at climbing fences."
Lowering her voice, she added, "Your Majesty, we’ve talked about this—I told you sothing caught my eye, and I just wanted to check. Next ti, I’ll be more careful."
Zethan nodded thoughtfully. "You are very terrible at lying, you know. One trait a queen is supposed to have is smoothness in deceit. That’s certainly not a credit I’d give you."
Rose fell silent again, feeling as if he’d landed another thin insult. Then, softly, she spoke, "Your Majesty..."
Rose leaned in closer, her voice soft but earnest. "If I may ask once more, could you please postpone tonight’s wedding night? I’m just... not ready yet."
Zethan’s lips curled into that familiar smirk. "Not ready? Your experience with n should be enough by now, shouldn’t it?"
"Very true, Your Majesty," Rose replied quietly. "But may I have just one more night to prepare before we consummate?"
He turned to her, eyes glinting with amusent. "That depends on my mood tonight. But don’t think that ans we won’t be sharing the sa chambers."
Rose’s eyes widened slightly. "I wasn’t inford about that."
"You don’t need to be inford, my queen," he said smoothly. "It’s common knowledge. Even a sane person should know that."
Another quiet barb landed, but Rose swallowed it and pressed on. "It’s not that I don’t want to et the king. Of course, who wouldn’t? I have plenty of experience with n. I wonder if you could even handle ," she challenged.
Zethan studied her, his smirk widening. "So this is your way of telling to get ready—because you’re very skilled, huh?"
"Yes, Your Highness, as I don’t want to catch you off-guard," Rose said, searching for more ways to convince him. She couldn’t consummate with the king—not yet. Her heart belonged elsewhere. The last thing she wanted was to give her virginity to anyone but Frederick.
"So," Zethan asked, "which kind of n have you experienced? Is this lover of yours one of them?"
"Oh yes," Rose lied smoothly, avoiding his gaze as she added, "A few others... are princes from other kingdoms, though. Part of my duty is not to reveal who I’ve worked with."
Zethan nodded slowly. "Oh really?"
She nodded. "My seduction techniques are of very high standard. I’m afraid you might not be able to handle . That’s why I’m asking for so ti—ti for you and ti for ."
Zethan shook his head, voice low and confident. "I have no problem with that. In fact, I’m into experienced ladies. All my mistresses have been very experienced."
Sothing in the way he said that—with subtle charm—made Rose’s heart clench quietly. A strange ache settled in her chest as she fell silent.
"I have no problem with us staying the night," Zethan said after a pause.
Rose couldn’t believe she was saying such things—especially involving soone not close to her, much less in front of so many people. It wasn’t like anyone could hear what she was telling Zethan, but she could feel the many gazes quietly shifting toward her. She never imagined, not even in her wildest dreams, that she’d say sothing like this to soone—let alone the king—or that she’d be drawn into it if it ant she needed to pay attention.
She forced her face into a confident mask, not wanting Zethan to notice the flush creeping onto her cheeks from what she had just said. She couldn’t risk blowing her cover. Yet, deep down, she marveled at herself—who would have thought a day like this would co, when she’d actually voice thoughts she never imagined saying aloud, or even thinking at all?
In truth, the real reason she asked for one more night was because now she knew where to escape to. The night was her chance to run away—and she wasn’t going to let herself be trapped this far again. If it ant facing punishnt afterward, then so be it. She was willing to take that risk.
Rose took a breath. "The thing is... my nstruation started, and it will be ending today. That’s why I asked for one more night."
Zethan fell silent, lips twitching with amusent. "Oh sweetheart, there are plenty of things to do. Not to ntion, you are experienced in this field, so you’ll be the one doing the work instead. Isn’t that right, my experienced-looking bunny?"
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