I like you!

The way Charlotte taps his back, it was warm and comforting. Duke could hear the loud thumping of his heartbeat.

"What's happening to me?" he barely looked in Charlotte's direction who just gave him a sweet smile. Duke was still staring at her a few minutes later.

Charlotte could feel awkward with those stares he was giving her. It was different from before. The way he stares at her right now was different. She averted her gaze at him, but Duke lifted her chin and faced him.

"How could you be this beautiful, Caroline?" he uttered, making her heart flutter and her cheeks started to get reddish. She never thought Duke could be this sweet and gentle. She could feel the fastening of her heartbeat while both eyes locked in a shared understanding.

Charlotte immediately looked away because she knew Duke didn't like her but Caroline's personality. Her name is Luna in this story. And she didn't know how Duke would react when he found out she was the assassin who wanted to kill his sister. Charlotte let out a deep sigh and began to stand up.

"Your Highness, I need to get going now," she said, but Duke's eyes seemed to say that he wanted her to stay right beside him right now.

He clears his throat, "Alright. See you then," he uttered, and his voice seemed sad and in despair. Charlotte bowed her head and started to walk away from him.

As she was walking away from him, she could feel a little pinch inside her chest. The pain is like an ant bite. A sigh escaped her mouth as she continue to walk back to the temple secretly.

As she was back in her room, she immediately removed the bandages on her side and clean her wound, and put on a new bandage. When Charlotte was putting the bandage on her wound, Elton went inside her room.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked her, and she raised her head, nodding it with a bitter smile.

"What was that?"

"What?"

"Something wrong with your smile. Does something happen? What is it?" he asked her.

She sighed, "Yes."

"What is it?" Elton asked her as he sat down beside her.

"I went to the Prince," his eyes widened at what she said.

"Hey! Are you crazy? Why would you do that? You have to rest and recovered," he said worriedly.

"I know, but I was worried about him," she said, and there was a trace of sadness on her face.

"Luna?"

"Yes?"

"Are you falling in love with the Prince?" he asked, and it make her stunned and speechless for a moment.

Charlotte gulped, "No. I don't."

"That's a relief then," he uttered.

"Don't you dare fall in love with him? You and he lived on a different place and level," he reminded, and Charlotte nodded her head.

"Alright. I'll let you rest for now. Take some rest and recovered as fast as possible, okay?"

"Yes, I will."

When Elton went out, Charlotte held her chest. She was thinking if she's really had something towards the Prince. "Do I like him now?" she asked herself, but later on, she shakes her head, "That's absurd. I can't like him. We are rivals, and we can't be lovers."

But whatever she said to herself, it seemed like there was something she felt inside her when she was with him earlier. "Maybe I'm just confused," she said to herself and nodded. Charlotte tossed herself on her bed and closed her eyes.

While she was closing her eyes, there was nothing that went inside her mind, but Duke. She was shaking her head and got up from her bed. Charlotte was sighing all along while thinking about him. "What's happening to me? Why am I always thinking about him? Why? What's happening to me?" she asked herself while she was holding her chest as it was beating so loudly.

Charlotte opened the window in her room and let the fresh breeze go inside room. It makes her calm, and she was closing her eyes at the same time the breeze hits her face.

"Prince Duke... What are you doing to me? Why do I always think of you? Why?" she muttered through the air.

On the other hand, Duke feels the same, he can't sleep properly as he was always thinking about Charlotte. He got up from his bed and took his pen. "Caroline..." that was the only thing he had written on the paper on the table beside him.

He let out a deep breath, "Seven dates left," he said. Duke was trying to get himself busy with other things to forget about her, but he's always ending up thinking about her.

The sun started to rise. Duke wasn't asleep. His eyes were having dark circles now. He doesn't have enough sleep, thinking about Charlotte all night long.

After he take his bath, he walked toward his father's room. All the maiden and maids inside the room, bowed their heads when he went inside.

"How's Father?" he asked the doctor who was checking on his father's condition.

"He's getting better. He's just asleep for now," he replied, and Duke nodded and bowed his head at the same time in front of the doctor.

The doctor went out of the room and Duke walked closer to his Dad. "Father, please wake up now. I'm so worried about you," he said to his father.

The door suddenly opened that caught his attention. Duke then looked at the door and saw Caroline over there wearing a smile when she was looking at him.

"Ms. Caroline," all the women inside the room said and bowed their heads at her.

She then walked closer to Duke with a smile. She bowed her head when she looked at the King laying on his bed.

"What are you doing here?" Duke asked in surprise.

"I wanted to visit the King," there was seemed a disappointment inside him when he heard that.

"Ah, I see," he said.

"Also," he looked at her. She smiled, "I wanted to see you," she said, making him to formed a smile on his lips.

They were walking outside the room and went to the garden while talking to each other. Charlotte was feeling the pain inside her when she remember she had run a mile just to be with him right now. She stopped walking, and Duke noticed it.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yes, I am."

They continue to walk towards the garden and looked at the clean pond that was full of fish. Duke saw a smile on Caroline's lips while she was looking at the fish on the pond.

"It was beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yes, it is," he replied, and went Charlotte looked at him, she saw him looking at him while saying that word.

She could feel that her cheeks seemed to get reddish, and she could feel the heat over there. She swallowed hard while staring at him, but late on, she chuckles and went back to look at the fish on the pond.

Duke smirked to see her reaction. She was so cute and adorable when she does that. It makes him feel for her deeper.

"Caroline?"

"Yes?"

"I have something to tell you," he said in a very serious tone, making her nervous and swallowing at the same time.

"W-What is it, Your Highness?"

"I have feelings for you," he said directly without having hesitation causing her too stunned and speechless. She blinked as her eyes adjusted and, "Your Highness. What was that? I don't get it," she said.

"I like you."

Their eyes are locked on each other, and Charlotte feels those butterflies inside her stomach while Duke was saying that to her. It was a lovely feeling, but she thought of Jackson. He'd be angry if he finds out that Charlotte and Duke were really officially dating.

"I'm sorry, Your highness. I don't like you."

"What?"

"I... I don't like you."

"Why?"

"I just don't. I'm sorry."

"But, there are still seven dates we need to do. Just let me finish it," he said as if he was begging her to like him back.

"Your Highness. I'm sorry. Even if we do that seven dates, I'm still going to reject you," she uttered.

Duke seemed to be speechless when she said that. "So, Your Highness. I'm sorry," Charlotte bowed her head and started to walk, but Duke stopped her while holding her wrist.

She looked back at him. "Don't you feel something towards me even a little?" he asked, and Charlotte was having difficulty with the situation between them.

It may be didn't want to say those things to him, but she had to. To make him avoid her, "Yes. I don't Your highness," she replied, causing Duke to release her hands from his grip.

He was staring at his shoes, "Alright. I'm sorry," Duke said and he started to walk away from her, leaving her behind.

Charlotte sighed deeply while watching him leave her. She didn't want to do that but as a side character of the story. She had to do what her role for her to protect the Prince and the King.

"Killing the Princess is my goal and I had to do that no matter what."

To be continued...