Page 56 of Villainess's Redemption
As if sensing my gaze, Anderic’s head suddenly snapped up, his eyes locking with mine across the distance, my cheeks burning. That dangerous smile was back, sending another involuntary shiver through me.
Damn it all.
I cleared my throat and said, “Let’s move over there.”
I didn’t give Laurel any chance to respond before I hurriedly moved towards a different part of the terrace. It was still overlooking the training grounds but far enough from Prince Anderic. This portion of the ground was closer to the armory and I could see the various weapons nearby, a few blacksmiths fixing weapons. The clinking rhythmical sounds of the weapons almost made me forget those electric blue eyes when I remembered one crucial incident from a different lifetime.
Right there on the grounds below, in a few months, Anderic would fall for Rosalind. Yeah, that’s right Rosalind never had a dearth of men falling head over heels for her, Anderic was no exception. One day when I was spying on her after she snuckinto the palace as a maid with the help of my dear husband, I saw her getting offended by something a soldier had said and challenged the soldier for a duel. I scoffed at her at that moment not knowing that she was excellent at sword fight.
She won, not just the duel but also Anderic’s heart.
It will probably happen this time too. She might not be disguised as a maid but she was still in the palace. Most things didn’t change even when I tried.
I sighed. What was so good in her? Why everyone fell for her? I might have changed for the better now but still, I never understood what was so special in her. What did I lack compared to her? Why couldn’t it be me?
Yes, I was quite evil last time but I’ve changed this time. I’m trying. God knows how much I have been trying but not much has changed.
It was like, she was the heroine of the story and me, the unfortunate villainess. Nothing I did ever mattered.
I was still wallowing in self-pity when I heard someone clear his throat, a rough masculine voice, yanking me from my thoughts. I snapped my head around to find Anderic standing there in all his golden glory, still shirtless and glistening with sweat. He looked slightly out of breath as if he’d sprinted all the way up here.
I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening on the stone parapet.God, why did he have to come here looking like… that?But then I remembered how he was destined to fall for Rosalind too, never mine. I’d be alone, not desired by anyone,neverdesired by anyone, and something inside me snapped.
“What the hell do you want?” I spat. “Why can’t you just leave me alone? I’ve been trying, okay? I’ve been trying so damn hard. Why is it so difficult for you to give me a chance? Why do I always have to be viewed with suspicion? Why?”
The words poured out of me in an angry torrent. I knew I was being overdramatic, but my earlier thoughts had left me raw and irritable.
“I’m just trying to live quietly,” I finished, my voice breaking slightly. I took a shaky breath, suddenly feeling very exposed.
Anderic arched an eyebrow, his expression maddeningly neutral. He cleared his throat.
“What?” I snapped, feeling calmer but increasingly self-conscious about my outburst.
“You’re hurt,” he said simply, moving forward and grasping my left hand. He unfurled my tight fist, revealing scraped skin I hadn’t even noticed.
I tried to pull my hand away. “I can take care of it. You don’t have to bother.”
But did he listen? Of course not. The domineering menace proceeded to call out to someone behind him. Out of nowhere, one of his men materialized like a fairy and handed him a small jar of ointment.
I looked on, dumbfounded. So that’s how he knew I was watching him earlier. I thought I could always spot his men tailing me. I guess he purposefully let me see only the ones he wanted me to know about.
I scoffed. Of course. What did I expect from him? Everything was calculated, every move a piece in his grand chess game.
But then he started applying the ointment with such gentleness that my breath caught in my throat. I glanced up, meeting his gaze. Those striking blue eyes bore into me, a mix of amusement and something else I couldn’t quite place swirling in their depths. My heart did that annoying flutter thing again.Traitor.
As I watched him, I wondered why I was suddenly feeling this way around him. Well, that would be a lie – I knew why. It was this gentle, caring side of him. After all, that’s what drewme to Noah before, his gentle nature. But I couldn’t let myself be weak for Anderic. This side of him couldn’t be trusted either. All of this could be a ploy to get me comfortable before going for the kill.
He suddenly looked up. “How’s the wound on your head? Have you been resting?”
“Yes,” I said automatically.
At the same time, Laurel piped up, “No, Your Highness.”
I shot her a furious glance, but she pointedly avoided my eyes.Traitor.
“You should take care of yourself,” Anderic murmured, finishing with the ointment. What was Anderic playing at? Why the sudden show of concern? And more importantly, why was I letting it affect me so much? I was about to deliver some scathing remark when he slowly brought my hand to his lips. His eyes locked with mine as he pressed a soft kiss to my knuckles, leaving me gaping like a fish out of water.
What. The. Hell.
