Page 51 of Villainess's Redemption
Anderic’s eyes narrowed, clearly not buying my flimsy excuse for a second. “A wall,” he repeated flatly. “And I suppose this wall had arms and legs?”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Oh, you have no idea.”
His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek. “Ilyana,” he said, his voice softer now but no less intense. “Who did this to you?”
The genuine concern in his voice threw me for a loop. For a moment, I almost wanted to tell him the truth. But then I remembered who I was dealing with. Prince Anderic Voltaire, the master manipulator himself. He definitely had someone to tail me all the way and there’s no way he didn’t know where Rosalind was all this time. This was probably just another one of his games.
“Why do you care?” I challenged, meeting his gaze head-on. “Weren’t you just telling me this morning how untrustworthy I am? How you’re going to keep a close eye on me?”
Anderic’s eyes flashed with something I couldn’t quite decipher. Frustration? Annoyance? Or was it just a trick of the light?
“That doesn’t mean I want to see you get hurt.”
For a moment, we just stood there, locked in a silent battle of wills. The corridor suddenly felt too small, too warm. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, though whether from the proximity or the tension, I couldn’t say.
Finally, I broke the silence. “Look, I appreciate your concern, misplaced as it may be. But I’m fine. Really. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a dark room and some peace and quiet.”
I made to move past him, but his hand shot out, gently grasping my arm. The touch sent an unexpected jolt through me, and I froze.
Chapter 14
Before I could even register what was going on, he gently but firmly pulled me, guiding me toward the wing Noah and I shared. I protested, digging my heels to no avail, but his grip was solid. “Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing? Stop ordering me around like one of your soldiers. I’m a grown woman, a lady for God’s sake.”
My protests fell on deaf ears as we entered the room. Laurel sprang to her feet upon seeing us, her eyes darting between Anderic dragging me inside and the room where Noah and I had our conversation earlier. I cringed internally. I had completely forgotten about her presence. Fortunately, she didn’t say anything, or rather didn’t get the chance to say anything as Anderic quickly whisked me into my bedchamber and shut the door.
“Sit,” he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.
So, I did the opposite, I stood my ground and didn’t sit. I planted my feet, jutted out my chin like a petulant child, and crossed my arms. “I prefer to stand, thank you very much.”
Anderic’s eyes flashed with something between irritation and danger. He fixed me with a look that could melt Aetherian steel, so I reluctantly sat down on the edge of the bed.No need to pokethe dragon.Satisfied, he disappeared into the bathroom and returned moments later with a damp towel. He pulled up a stool and sat directly in front of me, his knees nearly touching mine.
As he began to dab at my wound lightly, I flinched, partly from pain and partly from our close proximity. His touch was surprisingly gentle, a stark contrast to the intensity in his gaze as he focused on cleaning the cut. My heart started fluttering at his intense gaze. I took in a shaky breath. This gentle side of his was way too confusing.
What is wrong with my heart these days? It must be from that day in the garden.
Well, attraction is a construct anyway.
“You know, it’s highly inappropriate for you to barge into a lady’s bedchamber like this,” I blurted out to distract myself from those mesmerizing eyes.
He didn’t respond for a while, continuing to clean the wound with infuriating calmness. When he finally looked up, that insufferable smirk was back in place. “I bet it is,” he drawled, one eyebrow raised in challenge.
I bristled. “What kind of answer is that?”
But before I could start my rant building on my tongue, Anderic stood and called for Laurel to bring some medicine. When he returned, his voice dropped low, almost intimate. “This is going to hurt.”
I gritted my teeth as Prince Anderic applied a salve to the wound on my forehead. The sharp stinging made my eyes water.
“You’re surprisingly good at this,” I remarked, unable to hold my curiosity. I had been observing how deftly he cleaned the cut and put the medicine, quick but gentle. He had quite some experience.
Anderic’s lips twitched, caught between a smirk and a scowl. “You’re forgetting I might be a prince, but I spent significant time on the frontlines. As a soldier, you learn these things.”
I’d almost forgotten that he’d gone to battle when he’d barely reached adulthood. Every Aetherian heir was supposed to spend a few years in the army to better understand their role as a future monarch and the people who risked their lives. Unfortunately for Anderic, his time had coincided with the war between Aetheria and Elenthar.
I’d been quite young then. So I didn’t remember much. A tentative peace agreement was signed between the two kingdoms, but hostility still simmered beneath the surface.
Anderic finished dressing my cut with practiced ease. “There, it’s done.”
I reached up to gingerly touch the bandage. We both stood there as an awkward silence fell between us.
