21 Chess with Ignis (1)

"You insolent maid, I tell you, I will never allow any girl to sleep in my bed, except my future wife."

Anna blinked a few times. She frowned because she felt weirded out. "Your Highness, considering that you said you will never fall in love with an ordinary girl like me, then why do you need to do something like this?"

"T—That…" Ignis paused.

'No, there is no way she doesn't understand what I mean,' Ignis observed Anna's face, trying to find at least a thin tinge of red on Anna's face to see her reaction. But nope, this girl didn't even look at him romantically.

'She is not that stupid! She must've understood that I'm trying to tease her!' Ignis thought he could finally get the upper hand. Anna would blush, and in his imagination, Anna would say something in line with…

[P—Please stop, Your Highness, this is embarrassing! I—I didn't mean it!]

Yes, that kind of reaction. Then Anna would act coquettish like those noblewomen, and then Ignis would reply with something in the line of…

[Then I guess you will have to pay with your body.]

Anna glanced at Prince Ignis, who was dazed while staring at her face, "Your Highness, I know this is some kind of pick-up line that will be very effective against the woman that likes you. Did you call me here to use me as a dummy for your pick-up lines training?"

"You are ridiculous! I don't need such training!" Ignis denied vehemently. "I am Crown Prince Ignis Lunaris. Do you think I cannot get any girl that I want?"

"I believe Your Highness can get any girl that you want. You are the Crown Prince after all," Anna sighed. "So why would you need to bring me here? Pardon my impertinence, Your Highness, but if the problem is because I slept in your bed, I had changed the sheet right after I woke up. It is my fault."

"But please don't cut my minimum wage, thank you," Anna said politely.

Prince Ignis was silenced for a moment. Knowing that he got no logical answer to that question, he reacted rather strongly, "But you sleep in my bed! Didn't I tell you that only my future wife will sleep with me here? And now I have to share my bed with you!"

"Then, do you want to make me your future wife?" Anna asked bluntly.

Ignis jolted in surprise. He stared at Anna, who didn't seem to have at least a bit of spark in her eyes. Anna stared at him as if she was staring at a kid who would often make troubles.

Feeling humiliated, Ignis shook his head vigorously, "Of course… not! Do you think I will fall in love with you and make you my queen? Dream on!"

"So there is no problem then," Anna got up from the bed and politely bowed her head, "Your Highness Crown Prince is a busy man, please forget about my unnecessary mistake. Now, if you excuse me, I need to return back to my room."

Anna was about to leave the room when Ignis caught her wrist, "Who said that you can leave now?"

Anna turned her head and almost rolled her eyes. She wanted to complain because she didn't get paid enough to cater to this troublesome Crown Prince. "Your Highness, should I ask for someone else to serve you instead? All I can do is cleaning the room and take out your dirty laundry."

Truthfully, Ignis also had no idea what to do right now. The only thing in his mind was teasing and taunting Anna, making fun of her, or threatening her for being so daring to sleep in his bed.

But since Anna didn't even seem to be bothered, Ignis had to find another way to make the maid stay.

'Wait, I am the Crown Prince. If I want to make people kneel, they shall be. If I want to make someone stay, then she should be!' Ignis just realized how dumb he was, being played by a maid like this.

"You stay here and…" Ignis' eyes scanned around his room. He was searching for something that Anna could do to make her stay. His eyes darted at the unused chess table near the window. Ignis got an idea and commanded Anna, "Maid, I order you to stay here and play chess with me!"

"Chess?" Anna's brows scrunched. "Your Highness, I'm just a maid. I'm not proficient with chess."

"Don't worry, I will teach you how," Ignis said confidently. He was proficient at chess because it was a game he often played chess with his Generals during his military campaign. Of course, for someone as smart as Crown Prince Ignis, beating the Generals was no big deal.

'I will crush her in chess. She will know how intelligent I am!' Ignis thought.

Anna sighed and walked slowly to the chess table. Prince Ignis was already sitting on the white side of the table. "Your Highness, I just don't find this necessary."

"Hmph, I know you are just scared that I will bully you. Don't worry, to make it more exciting I will give you a prize. You are complaining about that cheap wine glass, right? I will give you a thousand Eyr if you can win against me, what do you think—"

Without asking twice, Anna sat on the black side of the chess table. She cracked her knuckles and gazed at Ignis like a predator, ready to swallow her prey.

"I am ready, Your Highness."