The Cursed Prince

"Why are you staring at me?" Mars who raised the bowl to his mouth, ready to drink it, halted his movement mid-air. He furrowed his brows and looked at Emmelyn with a curious gaze. "Is there something on my face?"

Emmelyn shook her head. "No, it's not it."

"So?" Mars downed his potion then put the bowl on the table. "You know that staring is rude,?right?"

Emmelyn nodded.

Her meek attitude made Mars confused.

She was usually feisty. What made her this way? Was she feeling sad?

Did something happen today? This made him feel worried.

The prince didn't know that Emmelyn was feeling guilty for making him sleep on the couch. She suspected that was the reason why Mars had to take his sleeping potion again after so long. She knew this man was very active and needed his good rest.

What should she do? Should she ask him to share her bed again? She already encouraged him to go back to his own room.

There, he had a really nice bed where he could rest properly, but this man stubbornly wanted to stay with her.

Uff... She pressed her temple and tried to think of a solution.

However, after what she had heard from Mrs. Adler today, Emmelyn did not have the capacity to think about other things. She was torn between leaving or staying and causing his death.

"Are you sick?" Mars asked Emmelyn. He touched her temple, to check her temperature. "You're not warm."

"I just feel a headache," Emmelyn said. "It will be okay. I just need to rest."

"Are you sure?" Mars asked again to confirm. She nodded and forced a smile.

"I am sure."

"Okay then. But, please drink the potion. It's good for your health," Mars said.

He waved and Roshan came with a warm soup like the night before. Mars took the soup from the butler and held it for Emmelyn, while he coaxed the girl to take her vitamin. "You should drink your potion now so you can immediately rest."

Emmelyn complied with his request and downed her medicine in one gulp. The taste was awful like usual. Mars immediately took the bowl from her hand and gave her the soup. "Quickly drink this soup."

Emmelyn was really grateful for the attentive man and his efficient butler and servants. She didn't remember their servants in Wintermere being this efficient. Probably, their standard here in Draec was much higher than in her country.

Since Wintermere was a kingdom by the sea, life back there was quite relaxing and slow-paced. She noticed that in Draec, the people were swift, efficient, and passionate.

Maybe that was one of the reasons why they were so successful in invading other countries. Wintermere was not only much smaller in size and population, but their army and overall their people were not the Spartan type, unlike these people in Draec.

Wintermere stood no chance when they had to fight those soldiers from Draec who trained rigorously every day under their crown prince and his generals.

"Thank you," Emmelyn put down her soup bowl and closed her eyes. Her tummy felt so full. She did eat quite a lot lately. Now she understood why. It might be her body demanding more nutrition to prepare herself to feed the growing fetus inside her.

When they arrived back in their chamber, Emmelyn remembered that she just went out to Bydell Village and her body felt a bit sticky from the trip. She saw the bathtub as usual was already filled with warm water.

It looked so inviting. She wanted to soak before bed. However, when she remembered that usually bath together would lead to sex, Emmelyn was hesitant.

Mars seemed to be able to read her mind. He suggested that she took a bath with him. The man quickly added that he wouldn't do anything perverted to her while they took a bath.

"You must feel sticky after going out all day," he commented. "I know I am. Do you wanna take a bath with me? I promise will not do anything perverted... hehehe..."

He chuckled when he saw the longing in her eyes, but she looked reluctant to join him.

"Do you want to add another bathtub in our new room?" he asked teasingly. "We will already have two beds. Will we need two baths?"

Emmelyn smiled awkwardly and shook her head. She remembered when she was disguised as the prince's personal servant and had to carry buckets and buckets of water to fill this tub. It was a lot of work.

She still felt sorry for the servants who had to do the job now every night. Of course, she wouldn't have the heart to make them carry double the water for two tubs.

"It's okay. I'll take a bath with you," Emmelyn said. "I know you can be trusted."

She put off the candles closest to the bathtub and slowly took off her clothes, while the prince was dumbfounded at her attitude.

Emmelyn said he could be trusted and she acted so meekly before him? What sorcery was this?

She was being so nice to him.

This confused the hell out of him. What was actually going on? She was sad, but she could look fine and smiled. And now she even acted meekly and sweet...

[Shouldn't she be feisty... curt, or I don't know... not so nice?]

[I know she likes me, but she would rather die than show her true feelings.]

[This is very unusual.]

[What exactly had happened???]

"Aren't you going in?" Emmelyn's voice moved the man from his daze. Mars stripped and stepped inside the bathtub, as usual on the other end. Now, they were sitting across from each other.

Mars saw Emmelyn closed her eyes. Even though she didn't make a sound, he could clearly see two drops of tears rolling down her cheeks.

She must be crying silently, thinking Mars wouldn't be able to see it in the dark. She still had no idea that the man could see perfectly without lights.

The prince felt a pang of pain in his chest. Why was she crying?

Was it so bad for her to carry his child?

Did she suffer so much because of it?