Chapter 16.1
Chapter 16.1
Jasmine let out a deep sigh.
“I guess that’s how rumors work,” she said. But when are we arriving to my room?
“I can’t live like this, unable to do what I want because I’m scared,” she added.
Abruptly, he came to a standstill, prompting Jasmine to freeze in her steps. Duke Aion’s intense gaze was now fixed upon her.
His azure eyes seemed like a wild beast in the night, causing her cheeks to tingle. She blinked repeatedly, and Richard released a short, almost imperceptible exhale.
The man, who had turned toward her, began walking in her direction, causing her to stumble backward. His tall frame and broad shoulders cast a long, deep shadow. The sunlight streaming in through the window behind him created a golden halo around his chiseled features and slender figure.
His expression lacked any polite smile; it was as unfamiliar as if she were seeing him for the first time. A subtle shadow flickered across his face, a feature she had never noticed in their seven years of acquaintance.
One step forward, then one step back.
As her back neared the wall, his long arm reached near her shoulders as she turned away. His fingers brushing lightly against her clothing felt like bolts of lightning.
Their gazes locked. For a moment, Richard, silently examining Jasmine’s small, fair face, revealed a faint smile, his lips curling ever so slightly.
“We’re here.”
Click.
The door behind them swung open abruptly. Large violet eyes that blinked, then sharpened as they fixed their gaze on him. Jasmine swiftly retreated, maintaining her composure.
Feeling flustered, embarrassed, and uneasy, Jasmine pursed her lips and swiftly slammed the door behind her.
A brief silence enveloped the hallway.
In the ensuing solitude, a slow and obscure emotion began to surface on Richard’s smooth face.
He was puzzled by what had driven him to behave like a bully. He pressed his fingertips against his temples and roughly ran his fingers through his neatly rolled hair.
“I can’t live like this, unable to do what I want because I’m scared,” Jasmine had said.
“What you want to do….”
His disconcertment didn’t stem from Jasmine’s actions; it originated from within himself.
Why did I do that?
He couldn’t express it directly, but he was acutely aware that his recent actions had clearly crossed a line. However, it irked him to frustration when she briefly mentioned meeting other men while acknowledging him as her previous romantic interest.
He had thought it was a relief that her wound had healed. He felt sorry for Jasmine, and it must have been a waste of time for her. Subsequently, when rumors about Jasmine and that man surfaced, he unconsciously listened to them, but that was the extent of it.
But why did it bother him so much?
It didn’t make sense to him; he couldn’t comprehend it. It was somewhat surprising as well.
One source of his confusion was how quickly Jasmine had sorted out her emotions. It hadn’t even been two months yet. She had been deeply infatuated once, but she appeared to have moved on so effortlessly. Richard, on the other hand, had no immediate desire to meet someone else, even though it had been a long time since he had any lingering feelings.
Certainly, it wasn’t because of Lily. He simply couldn’t find a woman who captured his attention as effortlessly…
As Richard stared down at the hand that had clasped hers, his eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly. He absentmindedly toyed with his empty hand.
“Hmm.”
There was something unsettling with the way events were unfolding.
***
Jillian, true to his reputation for meticulousness, had prepared everything as promised, from Jasmine’s dress to the maids. However, she couldn’t help but wonder how he knew her size. Her reluctance faded when she remembered that they both frequented the same shop.
After confirming that the accessories, gloves, shoes, and parasol perfectly matched her tastes, Jasmine contemplated when the prince had started planning this situation.
Perhaps he hoped that things would go well between the Duke and herself.
Sighing, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her lush, tousled blonde hair and her slightly dazed periwinkle eyes appeared somehow dull.
Jasmine absentmindedly touched her soft cheek and pulled it taut. It hurt. She felt the swollen cheek. His eyes, dark and intense, had roamed over her skin, her irises, the bridge of her nose, and the corners of her lips…
She must be delirious!
She tried to push away the odd sensation of her back tingling and her heart pounding fiercely. While she had experienced her heart beating wildly due to her unrequited love for him, it felt different this time. She cleared her throat and fanned herself.
Jasmine had never been unpopular among men due to her noble status.
Whenever a man showed interest in her, she had more often than not felt annoyed and uncomfortable, prompting her to push them away or maintain her distance. But regardless, she knew what kind of look a man gave when he was interested in a woman.
An awesome story 💖💖
Thank you for the translation 💜
You are welcome, Israella!