Pleasing Lies

Naria stood in the middle of Ace and Veronica, feeling trapped and uneasy. She couldn't help but feel like a small mouse caught between two fighting cats, with no chance of escape. The tension between the two was palpable, and Naria wished she could just disappear from the situation.

"You only care about what person and never me!"

"That's because it doesn't matter to me!"

Ace and Veronica were arguing about something that Naria couldn't quite understand. She didn't want to get involved, but she also didn't want to seem like she was taking sides. So, she just stood there, trying to keep a neutral expression on her face.

As the argument continued, Naria's discomfort grew. She shifted from one foot to the other, wishing she could just walk away. But she knew that doing so would only make things worse. So, she stayed where she was, feeling more and more like a prisoner in her own body.

Finally, the argument ended, and Ace stormed off, leaving Naria alone with Veronica. Naria let out a deep breath, relieved that it was over. She looked at Veronica, who was still fuming, "it's all your fault!"

Naria couldn't understand how Veronica could love Ace. When they were young, both Ace and Veronica used to bully her relentlessly. Naria couldn't forget the times when they would make fun of her, or the time when they locked her in her room for two days with no food or water.

As they grew up, Veronica's hate and jealousy towards Naria had taken on a different form. She would often make snide remarks or put Naria down in front of others. But Ace's behavior was different. Instead of bullying her, he seemed to be obsessed with her. He would follow her around, beat her up and then make grand gestures to impress her. But Naria couldn't understand why anyone would love Ace.

Despite all of his antics, Naria found Ace to be arrogant, selfish, and even cruel. She couldn't comprehend why anyone would willingly subject themselves to his behavior, let alone love him. As far as Naria was concerned, Ace was nothing but trouble, and she wanted nothing to do with him.

Naria couldn't help but wonder why Veronica had fallen for Ace. Was it because of his charm, his good looks, or something else entirely? She couldn't understand it, but she knew that it wasn't her place to judge. All she could do was try to avoid Ace as much as possible and hope that Veronica would eventually see him for who he really was.

Veronica made a comment that Naria didn't particularly like, but she didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Instead of engaging in an argument, Naria decided to politely ignore it and head upstairs to her room.

She didn't want to give Veronica the satisfaction of knowing that her comment had bothered her. So, she just smiled politely and said, "I'm going to head upstairs now. Goodnight." Then, she turned around and walked up the stairs to her room.

As she walked, Naria tried to shake off the negative feelings that Veronica's comment had stirred up. She reminded herself that it wasn't worth getting upset over, and that she needed to focus on staying positive.

Once she reached her room, Naria closed the door behind her and took a deep breath. She looked around at the familiar surroundings and felt a sense of comfort. This was her safe space, where she could be herself without fear of judgment or criticism.

Naria decided to do something that always helped her relax: she picked up her favorite book and began to read. As she lost herself in the story, the tension from earlier began to fade away, and she felt herself becoming more and more at ease. She knew that tomorrow was a new day, a day where she will have to head to the palace…

Naria was so engrossed in her book that she didn't even notice the passage of time. Before she knew it, the night had welcomed her, and she realized that she had been reading for hours. She placed the book on her almost breaking night table, and as she did so, she didn't even notice that Ace had come into her room.

When she finally looked up, she saw Ace standing there, reeking of alcohol. The sight of him made her feel uneasy. She had always been wary of Ace, but seeing him like this made her feel even more uncomfortable.

Naria didn't know what to do. She didn't want to be alone with Ace, but she also didn't want to make a scene. She tried to keep her voice steady as she said, "Ace, what are you doing here?"

Ace didn't answer. Instead, he stumbled forward and grabbed Naria's arm. She tried to pull away, but he held on tight. Naria felt a wave of fear wash over her as she realized that Ace was drunk and out of control.

She tried to reason with him, telling him to let go of her, but he wouldn't listen. Naria felt trapped, and she didn't know what to do. She wished she could just disappear from the situation, but she knew that she needed to stay calm and think of a way out.

As Ace continued to hold onto her, Naria tried to keep her cool and think of a way to defuse the situation. She knew that she needed to stay strong and not let Ace intimidate her. But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was in danger, and she needed to get out of there as soon as possible.

"You little slut, why are you going to the palace tomorrow?"

'He knows…' A cold shiver ran down her spine and she looked at him, "A-Ace, I don't want to go there!" Her voice stuttered.

Naria stood nervously across from Ace, her heart racing as she tried to find the right words to please him. "Ace, I don't want to go to the palace. I'd rather stay here with you."

Ace's face brightened at her words. "Really? You want to stay with me instead of going to the palace?"

Naria nodded, her heart heavy with guilt as she lied to him. "Yes, I just...I don't feel comfortable around all those important people. And there's a prince there, and he kind of scares me."

Ace's expression turned protective. "Don't worry, Naria. I won't let anyone hurt you. You can stay here with me, and we'll have a good time together."

Naria smiled weakly, relieved that Ace had bought her lie. "Thank you, Ace. I just want to be with you."

Ace furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Naria's bright eyes lightening , "then why didn't you send me any letters if you missed me?" He raised his hand and slapped her cheek.

A sharp electric vibration went through her skin. Naria blinked at him, not understanding what was going on. When she looked up to see a man with short dark hair glaring down at her, confusion turned into horror. Her breath caught in her throat as the fear that gripped her body grew stronger than ever before.

She stared wide eyed and open mouthed at Ace. Her whole world seemed to be spinning out of control, everything had gone from being right side up to upside down. She felt her knees go weak and she could feel herself falling. Ace grabbed her hair and pulled her back onto his lap then a hysterical laugh escaped from his lips.

"I'm sorry," he said putting his arm around her shoulders and holding her tight. "But I can't let anyone else have you or enjoy your attention. You belong to me only…"