Temptress

The golden thick sheet was rolled and bound with a red ribbon. They had printed the royal emblem on it, obviously to scare me.

It was already a day full of surprises so I was definitely not ready for another one. I stretched my right hand which was shaking and grabbed and steadied it with my left hand. Finally, I grabbed the scroll.

I unrolled it. As I predicted, it was not a piece of good news. It was a deterrent written in tidy handwriting.

The detail went this way...

- Dear whoever your real name is,

A change in the plot means changes in fates. God decides fates and you are no god.

Both of you and your guard's fates here are cursed. Together, you'll only multiply it. You either have to die or tie a knot with the prince. Your guard is bound to become a villain and die alone.

Further changes in the plot will be fatal. Both of you will have to face all the consequences, alone. I believe you don't want anything catastrophic to happen.

Send the duke back to Dagresh. -

When I finished reading the letter my head started to ache. I supported my head with both hands. I couldn't think of anything else. I sat there for a few minutes with that scroll pressed against my head.

"Edward?" But he had no reason to send a scroll to tell this. He had almost said the same to me directly a few minutes ago. It wasn't him.

'Who else could it be?' the very thought gave me goosebumps. My assumption was right. There must be more people from my world.

More powerful, more perspicacious, more calculative people...

I still couldn't believe this predefined fate blabber. It must be an attempt to confuse me. Whoever the sender is, they wanted to separate Victor from me. Of course, having him beside me is one of my strengths. The people from my world cannot be valiant as the main characters in the novel. Victor, the most powerful warrior is on my side. That must scare them. Without him, it would be easier to kill me or make me obey them. Victor was the only obstacle standing in their way.

That also meant that if I didn't send him back, he could become prey to one of their evil schemes. They somehow want to remove him from the equation.

Victor was not safe in Astrana anymore. But without him, I wouldn't be safe. It was a dilemma.

What should I do? Should I still choose to be selfish and keep him with me or...?

I was extremely scared and exhausted to think further so I gave myself an excuse to go to bed early that day. Still, I found myself twisting and turning for a few hours. When it was around zero hours, I heard a thud on my balcony.

I was wide awake and immediately sat on my bed. 'Who could it be? At this hour?' I unconsciously brought my hand to my teeth and started to bite the nails in fear.

'Has Edward already sent an assassin to kill me?' I thought as I soundlessly rolled off the bed and hid behind one of the cupboards.

Within a few seconds, a mysterious, tall, shadowy figure entered the chamber. It directly walked straight to my bed and paused. I could see the person's puzzled face clearly in the candlelight and it made me smile even in a situation like that.

"You," I suddenly showed myself from behind the cupboard. I expected that it would startle him but there was no reaction from his side. He looked at me as if I had always been harmless.

"Why are you still awake?" Victor removed his hood and mask. "Roaming in the middle of the night like a ghost," he continued.

"You're the same. No, you're even worse... What are you doing in my room in the middle of the night?" I asked.

He once looked at me raising his eyes. I saw a momentary sparkle in his eyes. Then he calmly lowered his eyes and spoke, "We have things to discuss."

He took out a scroll that looked similar to the one I received from one of his pockets.

'He got one too?' I widened my eyes. My whole attention had already drifted from Victor to the scroll so I hurried and took the scroll from his hand. I walked to one of the candelabra. Victor followed me as his black cloak trailed behind him.

The message written for him was quite different. It was also a deterrent but the subject was me. The message clearly warned Victor to not trust me. Also, it mentioned me as an alien and manipulator. That part, I wouldn't deny. In the sentence, he was asked to leave Astrana as soon as possible in order to survive.

Victor was silent, giving me time and space to read. But something inside my stomach started to twist since I was worried about what his next question will be. What if he inquires further on this. Did he come to inquire about this?

I turned to him and smiled hiding my doubts. "You're here because of this?" I paused. "So, not gonna trust me anymore?" I asked as I tilted my head.

"What do you think?" he raised his eyebrows once. I couldn't read the meaning behind his expression. His eyes beautifully reflected the candle fire from those flickering candles. They shone in the darkness victoriously hiding his state of mind.

He looked dashing in black in his usual black spy suit. He blended well in the dark still, the candlelight reflected on his suit here and there. His hazel eyes glistened and exposed his presence. He took a step forward and now his face was glowing despite the darkness surrounding him. The light and the darkness cordially made him into a breathtaking view.

Victor would be a perfect date for a candle night dinner. His charms were the same as before. Still, in the faint light, their influence on me seemed to have amplified.

'This man is too beautiful to die in the hands of some alien manipulators. I should send him back' I thought.

"I remember ordering you to stay low," I furrowed my brows. He never listens, does he? He had sneaked into my chamber in the dead of the night. He had done this before as well but now was the not same as before. Edward already knew about us. Despite knowing it, Victor was there to meet me. It was reckless.

"You are reckless, Victor," I grumbled.

"I told you. We have things to discuss," he looked serious.

"We have no time for discussions. You need to return, immediately."

Victor's expression drastically changed with this. He seemed aggrieved.

"And after that?" he asked as he stepped towards me. This question confused me at first.

"After that..." I wondered. He did not say a thing. Still, his sparkling eyes screamed the rest of the question.

'After that, what'll happen to us?'

When I understood what he meant to ask, immediately averted my gaze. I had no answer to that question. After that, I may die. I may be forced to marry James or some other clown. I may never get to see Victor in this lifetime again. When I looked up again after a long silence, I noticed his knitted brows and eyes which were fixed on me. He looked like he knew what was in my mind.

'Is this why he was not willing to leave?' I couldn't be more thankful. But I was afraid to show him how grateful I was.

Ignoring his question, I've used another tactic...Distortion.

"Let's leave it to fate," I blankly said.

"..." he looked startled for a moment or two. Suddenly he leapt forward and stood right before me.

"Fate, you say?" he furrowed his eyebrows.

I was afraid, confused, and in the wrong. I couldn't help but lower my eyes when I met his clear eyes.

Though we hadn't expressed it in words, both of us were aware of the tension between us. So it was an irresponsible answer from my side.

"Let's discuss important things and leave the rest," I muttered.

This time, he didn't hold back. He raised his hand to roughly grab my chin. He lifted my head so that he can see my face.

"Look at me and say that again," he demanded. When our eyes met, he spoke again, "What am I? Your plaything?"

I struggled and released my face from his hold. This time he captured my arms and forcibly dragged me further close.

He seemed to be analyzing my face for a few seconds. The next words he spoke were a lot more impairing than before

"You do know how I feel," he muttered as if to assure himself. He grabbed one of my hands and placed it where his heart was. "You know," he repeated. My clenched fist was against his chest for a few seconds. At first, I tried to pull it out of his hold. With time, I felt so drained. My will to escape vanished. My clutched hand relaxed over his chest. With fluttering eyes and fastened heartbeats, I gently stroked my hand over his suit.

"Don't make it hard for me," I almost begged. Still, I couldn't be truthful to myself and ask him to stay with me.

He grasped my hand and gently pressed my fingers once. Realizing what I was doing, I tried to pull back again. His other hand immediately seized my waist and crashed me on him.

"Stop it!" I ordered.

As usual, the decision was his. He seemingly paused thinking about whether to obey or not. Within seconds, he chose the latter.

There were no expressions on his face. It looked darker. There was still a visible fire like the glint in his eyes. This glint was something that wasn't related to his nonchalant face. Something that exposed everything his face tried to hide. Something that made him a lot more attractive in that ill-lit room.

He was too close than he was supposed to be. I lowered my eyes as his scent protruded through my nostrils. I could hear his breathing clearly as ever. With every exhalation, his breath slowly brushed over my face. I could sense my face helplessly turning red.

It was an enchantment that made my five senses extremely sensitive. All I could hear were his breaths. All I could smell was his scent. All I could feel was the temperature that arose from his body.

He kept looking at me with those flickering eyes. When I looked up to find an escape, I met with his eyes once again. He was staring deep into my eyes. The ardent look in his eyes made me want to escape that instant, but I couldn't. His amorous eyes drifted to my lips. His lips parted, leaving a soft breath out.

"Temptress," his lips moved leaving me in shock.