Chapter 23: ²³: people are strange

"I didn’t expect to see you here, Miss Moonvel."

Though the words themselves sounded innocent enough, his tone and the intent behind them certainly weren’t.

Suppressing all the thoughts racing through my mind, I turned around with a forced smile on my face. Rightfully so, I hadn’t mistaken the voice.

"I also received an invitation, Mr. Dreven. If Your Majesty didn’t want me here, then perhaps you shouldn’t have sent one." I replied, keeping my tone just as sarcastic as his had been.

"Ooh... fiery?" Louis said, taking another step closer. "After the last encounter we had, I didn’t expect you to be like this."

He bent his six-foot-three ass until we were eye level and whispered in that irritating voice of his, "Honestly... now that I think about it, I like you more like this."

"I thought you hated me, considering you told your friend that you’d only hold back from violence while we were on campus. Now that we’re outside the academy, instead of the violence you promised, you’re saying you like me? That doesn’t sound very convincing."

I crossed my arms, meeting his gaze without backing down.

I had expected him to drop this pathetic act right there. Yes, act. Because just yesterday he had looked at me as though I were his greatest enemy, and now, all of a sudden, he was trying to be friendly? I was not going to buy this shi-.

But instead of breaking character, he simply continued looking into my eyes before letting out a quiet chuckle.

"I like your sense of humor, Miss Moonvel. That day I said those things in the heat of the moment. Today is my birthday, the beginning of another year of my life and I’d like to start it by becoming friends with you. What’s so wrong with that?"

Before I could answer, he glanced toward the orchestra and gave them a subtle signal before taking hold of my hand.

"Will you grant me the pleasure of a dance, Miss Moonvel?"

A loud shriek sounded behind me. Rose.

I had almost forgotten she was here with me.

I was about to decline the ridiculous offer, but before I could even open my mouth, Louis gently but firmly guided me toward the center of the ballroom, drawing everyone’s attention as whispers immediately spread through the crowd.

"I never agreed to this, Mr. Louis Dreven," I whispered through gritted teeth as he positioned one of my hands on his shoulder while waiting for the orchestra to begin.

"A little dance won’t hurt you, Miss Athena Moonvel," he replied, deliberately mimicking my tone.

The orchestra came alive with a graceful waltz. Violins carried the melody while the piano accompanied them softly, giving the ballroom an elegant rhythm.

Louis stepped back with practiced precision, still holding my hand before smoothly guiding me into a slow turn. As I spun back toward him, he caught me effortlessly, one hand settling at my waist while the other remained clasped around mine. Together we moved across the polished marble floor in measured steps, gliding with the music as though he had performed this dance countless times before.

"Or is it that you don’t consider me worthy enough to dance with the one and only Dravera holder?" he asked, his hands moving up along the curve of my waist while his gaze lingered on my face looking at my eyes and then at my lips before looking back at my eyes.

I scoffed. Sliding my free hand up from his shoulder to the back of his head, I buried my fingers in his hair before giving it a sharp tug. He hissed, his eyes widening in surprise.

A satisfied smirk spread across my face.

Serves you right for dragging me into the spotlight and forcing me to dance with you, Louis Dreven.

"You’re showing so much interest in me because you didn’t like that I’m the one who received the Dravera, aren’t you?" I asked, deciding it was finally time to uncover the real reason behind this classmate’s strange fascination with me.

"Don’t you think that’s a little petty for a royal like you?" I smirked as I looked the way the smirk he had gotten on his face after I pulled on his hair vanished.

With a firm motion, he pulled me closer as the dance carried us into another turn, leaving almost no space between us.

"You think that’s why I’m interested in you?" he asked quietly as he brought his face dangerously close to mine while his grip tightened on my waist. "What exactly have you taken me for, Miss Moonvel?"

I wasn’t intimidated. Instead, I smiled. "What else could it possibly be, Mr. Dreven?"

Without warning, he guided me into another graceful spin before drawing me back until I was standing with my back against his chest as the dance continued.

Keeping his chin on my shoulder, he brought his lips dangerously close to my neck.

"Maybe I’ve found myself caring about you, Miss Moonvel." he whispered and before I could say anything he sucked on my neck grazing his teeth on my skin like this was just another day of it.

My eyes widened and before he could do anything more, I immediately turned to face him again, refusing to give him another moment of that advantage.

I glared straight into his eyes, my eyes filled with fire. "Caring?" I scoffed. "Are you trying to recruit me as another one of your sidechick now that your first one is lying in a hospital fighting for her life?"

"Looking at your face makes my blood boil," I said coldly and without caring about the dozens of eyes watching us, I turned around and walked away, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the dance floor.

I was done with this pathetic ball.

The reason I’d come here had already become complicated enough, and now this? All I wanted was to go back to the comfort of my mattress and sleep.

But with my luck... How could anything ever be that simple?

The moment I stepped out of the ballroom and made it halfway down the grand hallway leading toward this rediculously big mansion’s entrance, someone suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me behind one of the equally rediculously enormous marble pillars.

Before I could even let out a startled cry, my lips were clasped shut - by someone elses.