The Cursed Prince

"Can't I rest first before we decide on whether we should take a bath or have dinner?" Emmelyn pursed her lips when she heard Mars' question.

[Gosh.. this guy. Does he only think about bathing and eating??]

"Of course you can," said Mars, smiling broadly. He lay down beside Emmelyn and closed his eyes too.

The girl turned to the side and narrowed her eyes. "Ugh... why are you copying me? Can't you find something original to do?"

Mars pretended not to hear Emmelyn's words. He was enjoying the feeling in his chest as he closed his eyes and his tired body felt the soft mattress on Emmelyn's bed.

Wait.. that reminded him. They still hadn't replaced the four-poster bed. He completely forgot about it. He quickly made a mental note to ask Roshan to take care of it tomorrow. It's too late now.

Ahh .. It felt so good, knowing that tonight he would go back to sleep here.

His lips curved slightly upward at the thought that tonight he would go back to sleeping with Emmelyn in his arms, after... ahem, he did his duty to his country.

Meanwhile, Emmelyn, who was watching the prince's side profile, could only shake her head. She didn't understand what was so funny that the man suddenly smiled.

***

"How was the food?" asked Mars after he had finished his meal and rose from his chair, ready to leave the dining room.

"It's delicious, like yesterday and the day before," Emmelyn answered honestly.

She was pleased because now the cooks always served the dishes she liked for their lunches and dinners. She felt very spoiled.

Ahh ... at this rate, Mars would succeed on his mission to fatten her up.

[Whoaaa... She said the food is delicious!]

[It looks like she starts being honest.]

[This is good progress.]

Mars watched as Emmelyn walked with lazy steps, leaving the dining room. Gradually the man's face was decorated with a smile.

He realized that Emmelyn was in an excellent mood today that she even forgot to pretend to complain about anything. The girl looked very different from last night when she was visibly depressed.

Mars could only assume that he made the right decision by pretending in front of Emmelyn that he wasn't interested in her romantically.

By saying to her that he had realized he absolutely had no romantic feelings for her, he lifted the pressure from Emmelyn's chest. Now, she could calmly carry out her role in this castle until one day she gave birth to their children.

Mars could imagine if he didn't give Emmelyn the peace of mind that he wouldn't fall in love with her and thus wouldn't forcefully detain her in Draec, Emmelyn would be frustrated, and maybe she would try to escape from here.

Mars felt that at this point, status didn't matter at all. Whether he married Emmelyn or not, the important thing was he got the girl. By hook or by crook.

So, if that means, he had to keep lying to her about his feelings to make her stay.. so be it.

Why would he make Emmelyn feel uncomfortable and hurt by forcing her to marry him if that would only make her hate him? It was not worth it.

Now, Mars only had to convince Emmelyn that he didn't love her, and convince his parents that he had no intention of getting a wife. What mattered was Draec had his heirs to secure the throne, right?

The king and queen had absolutely no choice but to accept Emmelyn in Mars' life. Later, when the situation changed... when Emmelyn could accept him and get over the enmity between their two countries, Mars would convince the girl to become his wife and the queen of Draec.

"Why are you just standing there?" asked Emmelyn, looking back. She realized Mars had not yet walked from his spot to follow her.

Mars shook his head. "It's all right. I have something to do. You go ahead."

Emmelyn shrugged and walked out of the dining room. She went up to the third floor and headed to her chamber. There, she saw several servants preparing hot water for her bath.

When Mars asked her to choose dinner or bath, of course, Emmelyn, who was a foodie, chose to eat dinner. She already felt a little refreshed after resting for a while and didn't think the bath was that urgent.

After all, she recalled that Mars used to take his hot bath to relax his muscles so he could sleep comfortably. So, it was for the best if they took the bath before going to sleep.

She touched her hair. It felt sticky. Ahh ... she should wash her hair before going to sleep. Otherwise, it would be very uncomfortable.

"The bath is ready, your highness," said the servant after he bowed respectfully, once they had finished filling the bathtub with hot water.

"Mmm.." Emmelyn nodded and waved, sending them away.

After they got out and closed the door behind them, Emmelyn immediately took off her clothes and dipped her toes in the water to test the temperature.

Ahh .. it was perfect.

Emmelyn smiled in satisfaction and then got into the bath. She sat elegantly on the tub and soaked her body in the hot water up to her chest. It felt oh so comfortable and relaxing.

Her tired body slowly began to relax. Emmelyn scooped some water with a wooden bowl and rinsed her head. Ahh .. the warm water that washed her head felt very refreshing and made her head feel light.

The girl then closed her eyes as she decided to enjoy the serene atmosphere in her chamber. The warmth from the water soaking her body gave her protection from the chilly autumn.

She decided to empty her mind and not think about anything tonight. She wanted her body and mind to fully enjoy this relaxed atmosphere while that scummy prince was busy downstairs and didn't bother her while doing her 'me-time'.

Emmelyn was enjoying her hot bath immensely as she cleared her mind from any stress-inducing thoughts.

The chamber was dimly lit, with only two candles, on each side of the bed. The atmosphere was very soothing to the mind.

Ahh .. if there was soft music playing in the background, this atmosphere would be perfect.

Emmelyn was so relaxed that she did not hear the sound of the door open and the crown prince stepping into the chamber.

Mars paused for a moment in the doorway when he saw Emmelyn soaking inside the bathtub with her eyes closed.