CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Alyssa glanced at the clock, following the sound it made and watching as each seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to an hour.
Finally, she stood to her feet and glanced at the mirror, admiring herself and tucking her hair beside her ear.
Tiffany watched her from a corner in the room, curious about her acts and wondering why she was suddenly so obsessed with looking good.
“You’ve been acting quite different these days. I mean, suspicious…”, Tiffany noted but kept mute the moment Alyssa shot a dead glare across to her.
Alyssa danced at the front of the mirror after which she swirled around to stare at Tiffany.
“Do I look good?” She inquired.
“Of course! Everyone would die to have you at mere glance”, Tiffany said, meaning every single word she uttered.
Alyssa nodded her head and set out for the door, ignoring Tiffany questioning glares.
It was evening. The cold breeze wafted through her nostrils, causing her to smile in delight. Since afternoon, she had waited for evening to come because she couldn’t wait to set her eyes on him.
They had met earlier at the library, but she looked forward to meeting him at the garden where they first met.
Just as she walked into the garden, her mind wandered off in thoughts of what she had observed earlier. The gold wrapped around his wrists and biceps was certainly a sign of royalty. Her mind clicked on the fact that he worked directly for the prince, but considering how cold and wicked he was rumored to be, she doubted that he would gift his servant such a thing. For a prince who hates the sight of handsome servants, it was definitely queer to think that he would allow his servant wear such an adornment before him.
“And here comes Alyssa, the most beautiful of all times”, she heard Liam’s voice and immediately, her heart skipped a beat.
Her stomach twirled in excitement and suddenly, it seemed as though her legs had given her away.
“Hi, Michael”, Alyssa said, trying so hard to hide her red cheeks that were already giving her away.
Liam strolled forward and pulled her into a warm hug. Just as they disentangled, she caught sight of the gold on his wrists again.
Her soul craved to get answers on that, but she would rather not ruin such sweet moments with unnecessary questions that might arouse suspicion.
“So, how long have you worked in the palace?” Alyssa questioned as she stared at him keenly.
Liam chuckled as her question, bracing up himself to avoid giving away information that would reveal his status.
“About three years ago. My father was the royal physician”, Liam explained and darted his eyes to the ground.
There was just something about this conversation that didn’t go down well for him. It ached his heart to see that he lied to a woman he loved.
“Wow! That’s great. I mean, the son of a physician is one himself, isn’t it?” Alyssa asked and immediately, Liam started coughing.
With a smile on her face, she stretched her hands towards his back and patted it calmly to soothe his cough.
“Sorry about that”, she whispered, caressing his neck calmly.
Liam became stiff. For minutes, he didn’t move an inch. It felt as though the world was on standstill just as they peered into each other’s eyes.
“Thank you”, Liam murmured and quickly narrowed his eyes away from her.
“Did you always want to work in the palace?” Liam asked while Alyssa searched her head for a suitable answer.
“Yes…i mean, everyone hopes to work in a royal palace. It’s a big privilege”, Alyssa replied and quickly chuckled.
Liam nodded, even though he was far from understanding her response.
They gazed into the look for a moment, each lost in their different thoughts. They stole glances at each other and for the first time in a long time, Alyssa felt contented.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.
“I hope you didn’t plan to commit suicide today?” Alyssa finally asked the one question that throbbed her head.
Inasmuch as he appeared great and cool, she wanted to be sure that he was not planning something stupid again.
Liam broke into a loud laughter, clutching on his stomach and almost falling to the ground. Not only was Alyssa caring, she was filled with amusement.
“No! I didn’t”, he said.
“Who would have such wild thoughts when they’re now blessed with your beautiful face every evening?” Liam asked while Alyssa blushed and looked away.
“You are so beautiful, Alyssa. You have no idea”, Liam commented.
For a second, Alyssa mood fell and became sullen. She recalled the numerous maltreatment she got from step sister because of how she looked better than them.
“Thank you, Michael”, Alyssa replied with a bright smile.
Liam felt another pang in his heart. He made to blurt out the truth, to tell her that his real name was nothing close to “Michael”. But then, he gulped down the words right before they came off.
Alyssa felt extremely bad for holding up crucial information about her life. Her heart was racing at his mere presence and with each minute that passed, she became convinced that she was falling for him. However, she was certain that he wasn’t divulging everything about himself and that made her relax her nerves.
“How have life in the palace being?” Alyssa asked, with hopes of gaining more information about the golden artifact.
“Life in the palace have been great! I mean, not as bad as one would think”, Liam replied.
“Are you so close to the King?” Alyssa inquired, peering piercingly into his eyes.
Alyssa could feel waves of guilt flushing through her, especially because she was misusing his trust for her selfish interest.
“Well, because I work directly for the prince, I make frequent contacts with the King”, Liam responded, without an iota of suspicion in her questions.
“So, have you heard the story of the golden artifact that makes the King strong and powerful?” She asked calmly, hoping that her voice did not sound of desperation.
Liam turned a sharp look at her. It was quite strange that a mere maid was asking such question about something that was considered top secret.
“Ohh! I read of it in some stories while growing up…”, Alyssa chimed out when she realized that she might have sounded the wrong way.
“Really?” Liam asked and finally smiled to cover up his serious gaze.
“Well, I haven’t heard anything of such, neither have I placed my eyes on it. That only sums up to one thing; it’s only a myth”, he said in conclusion while Alyssa nodded her head in understanding.
Just then, a guard came towards where they stood. Liam was quick to catch sight of him just as he strolled towards them. Before he could utter a word, he brusquely grabbed him on his wrist and led him out.
Alyssa stared at them from where she stood, wondering why Liam behaved so cruel and harsh to his fellow servant.
After a while, Liam returned to Alyssa with a fake smile plastered to his face.
“I need to go now, something just came up”, he bidded her goodnight and quickly dashed out of the garden.
Alyssa was dazed and furious. She didn’t like the fact that he treated someone else like that, even though his status was higher than that of the person. She swore to talk to him about it the next time they meet.