Chapter 4:

King Dennis himself coming to visit Bijou at this hour—what could it possibly be about?

Maxime immediately realized that his presence here would be a massive complication. Thus, he quickly resorted to his signature move, blending into his surroundings like a chameleon, and hid in the most concealed corner of the room.

Bijou took a deep breath to steady herself before finally opening the door.

She was met with King Dennis's piercing gaze right at the threshold, leaving her no choice but to play her role convincingly.

First, she widened her eyes in feigned surprise, then offered the most welcoming smile she could muster.

"Oh my, what brings you here at this hour? You could have summoned me, and I would have come to you myself. You didn't have to go through the trouble of coming here."

Bijou babbled on as she pulled out a cushioned chair to invite Dennis to sit, then moved to prepare tea.

"No need. I won't be drinking anything," Dennis replied coldly.

This was completely different from his demeanor earlier in the day—calm, gentle, and courteous to everyone, including Bijou. Now, standing before her, he seemed like a completely different person.

Dennis didn't bother sitting in the chair Bijou had politely offered. He glanced around the room, then scrutinized her from head to toe. That penetrating gaze made Bijou feel as though her entire act had been seen through.

"So... um... what brings you here, Your Majesty?" Bijou stammered, attempting to be as submissive as possible.

Dennis narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed by her question.

"Am I the fool, or are you?" he snapped.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Bijou flinched at his words.

"Enough. I don't want to see you pretending any longer. Stop playing dumb. Tell me, what are you waiting for here? What outcome are you hoping for?" Dennis demanded, his questions coming one after another, not giving Bijou a chance to respond.

What in the world was going on?

His sudden appearance and these bizarre questions were making Bijou even more anxious than before.

Naturally, with such vague and strange questions, Bijou had no idea how to respond.

"I… I…"

Dennis's eyes were now filled with contempt, making Bijou wish he would just stay indifferent instead of looking at her like this.

His disdain was palpable, evident in his gaze. Her stammering responses only fueled his irritation, making him despise the woman standing before him even more.

"You're still the same as you used to be," Dennis muttered, his tone suddenly dropping to a low, dangerous level.

"Someone like you will never understand other people's feelings."

"Someone like me? How ridiculous! What did I ever do to offend him?" Bijou wondered, frantically trying to recall. "No, aside from breakfast, I haven't even seen him since I set foot in this place."

While Bijou was busy shaking her head, convinced that she had done nothing wrong, Dennis pressed on relentlessly.

"What are you trying to achieve here?"

He backed her into a corner, his intense presence making Bijou's heart race wildly—not from excitement, but from sheer panic. The words coming out of Dennis's mouth felt like pages of a book she was desperately trying to read but couldn't understand.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Your Majesty," Bijou forced herself to maintain a semblance of politeness, even as she bit back harsher words. If he weren't the king, if he weren't the ruler of this city, she would've kicked him straight in the face for his attitude.

No, on second thought, Bijou realized just one kick wouldn't suffice. She'd have to spit in his face too, just to feel satisfied.

"Perhaps you've never experienced what it's like to be abandoned," Dennis concluded, clearly taking pleasure in watching her flustered reaction.

"Tell me, what exactly are you planning to do here?"

What am I planning? Bijou was growing more and more frustrated. Could it be that he somehow found out about her snooping in the kitchen and sneaking into Sandy's room? But she had been so careful, hiding herself well.

She was completely bewildered. Her mind felt like a tangled mess of confusion, and Dennis's sharp hostility only made it worse.

Suddenly, Bijou's vision blurred. Everything before her seemed to swirl together, making it impossible to see clearly. She rubbed her eyes, but it didn't help. Then, a splitting headache hit her, making her dizzy.

"Listen, I don't know what I did to upset you, and I don't think I deserve to be treated like this, whatever the reason may be. I'm tired and I want to sleep, so please, leave me alone."

With that, Bijou staggered towards her bed, leaving Dennis standing there with countless unanswered questions.

He must have thought, *Who does she think she is, daring to brush past me like that?*

But Bijou didn't care anymore. Her head was pounding so badly that she quickly collapsed into bed and drifted off to sleep.

No one knew how long Dennis stayed there after Bijou fell asleep. Did he leave right away, or did he linger for a while longer for some reason? Did sinister thoughts cross his mind? That was something Bijou might never know.

All she knew was that the next morning, she was hit by yet another shock.

***

Bijou opened her eyes and nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized a pair of wide eyes were staring down at her.

Those eyes belonged to someone standing upside down compared to her lying position, peering down at her unblinkingly from the head of the bed.

Bijou's first instinct was to scream, but her throat was so dry that only a small yelp escaped.

She bolted upright, only to realize the eyes belonged to none other than Sandy.

The young prince, in *her* room?

Bijou glanced around frantically. There was no one else in the room. It was clear that Sandy had come here on his own—no one had guided or coaxed him.

Bijou's eyes darted to the wide-open door. So, Dennis hadn't locked it before leaving last night. That man was utterly heartless. If a thief had come in and abducted her, he probably would've been thrilled.

Bijou felt a pang of disappointment, but quickly reminded herself that a cold man like Dennis caring about her after what happened last night would be shocking indeed.

It was then that Bijou noticed Sandy's expectant expression. He had been standing there patiently, waiting for her to finish sorting through her thoughts.

"Sandy, what are you doing here?" Bijou forced a smile, feeling awkward. After all, pretending in front of a child was much easier than in front of his father.

"I want you to study with me," Sandy replied quietly.

In this rare moment, Sandy said a full sentence. It was also the first time he had ever initiated a conversation with anyone.