[Bonus chapter]M

[ Lazuli Palace ]

SLAM!

Inez stood behind the shut door of her chambers. Her breathing was suspended as she broke out in sweats.

"Your Highness --"

"Leave me alone!" she roared at the person who knocked from the other side of the door. "I want to be alone. Anyone who disturbs me will be punished. Heavily." 

She was panting as she retracted her back from the door, glaring daggers at it. Her hands balled into a fist before she bit her thumb while pacing back and forth.

"I lost my mind," she muttered, recalling the taste of the crown princess's lips and the aromatic scent of her perfume that lingered in her nostrils. 

The thought of how the crown princess looked when she left stopped her pacing. Bitterness instantly filled her eyes as she bit her lower lip, running her fingers through her auburn locks. 

"It's her fault," came out a whisper. "That woman from Rikhill..."