Chapter 68: Unwanted Company
Later that evening, Cece was called by one of the professors, leaving Evelyn to walk back to her room alone. As she crossed the courtyard, the clouds rumbled above, announcing an impending downpour. She quickened her pace, not wanting to get drenched.
Hearing footsteps behind her, she glanced back to see who it was. When it turned out to be just a few students walking past her, she exhaled softly and turned forward again, only to collide with someone.
"Oh!" she gasped.
The books in her hands slipped through and scattered across the ground. Before she could stumble backwards, a firm hand caught her by the waist, pulling her against a solid chest.
Startled, she tried to pull away, but the grip didn’t loosen around her, making her frown.
So she looked up and found herself face to face with none other than the strange man with sleek grey hair, who had once introduced himself as Drake Viremont.
She stiffened under his touch and immediately stepped back, breaking their close contact.
"Careful, Princess Evelyn," he rasped in that sly voice that made her skin crawl for some reason.
"My apologies, I was momentarily distracted," she blurted quickly, then bent down to gather her scattered books. He crouched beside her and started picking up her books.
As she reached for the last book, his eyes raked over her form, and he deliberately brushed his hand against hers in the pretence of reaching for the same book. Eve flinched, snatching her hand back, she rose to her feet with half the books in her arms, leaving the rest in his possession.
"Thank you for your help. You can hand them over to me," she said, extending a hand as she waited for him to return the rest of the books.
But Drake had no such intentions, as the princess he had been obsessing over for the past couple of weeks was now within his grasp, and he had no plans of letting her slip away so easily.
"Why don’t I help you carry them back to wherever you were heading to?" he suggested smoothly.
Evelyn, who was already feeling uneasy by his presence and that intense gaze, quickly denied, "That won’t be necessary, they are really not heavy, I can carry them myself."
"Oh, but I insist, consider this as my way of apologising for the last time when I...made a mistake." His mouth curved into a creepy smile, which unsettled her further.
But Evelyn was not someone to be pushed around, and the last thing she wanted was to be anywhere near this man, whom she barely knew. So she refused firmly, "There’s no need to apologise, as that matter was settled back then itself. I wouldn’t want to trouble you any further."
Her defiance only pushed him further, "But Princess Evelyn...you still seem upset with me...."
Evelyn scowled, not liking how this man continued to persist when she had already told him she didn’t need his help. "Lord Viremont..was it? I believe we already cleared our misunderstanding back then. I don’t see the point in continuing to drag this on."
Drake stepped forward, his lips curled into a sticky smile. Her firm response only seemed to excite him, to arouse the hunger he had been suppressing. He had waited for so long, wanting her, obsessing over her, that nothing would get him off anymore unless he imagined her every time he had sex with some other woman. His voice dropped into a sultry whisper, "You see, I’m not dragging it on..I would just really like us to be friends."
He took another step towards her, only for her to instinctively step back. But before he could press further, a voice cut through the air.
"Princess Evelyn!"
She turned, and relief washed over her at the sight of Oliver. Drake’s face twisted with anger at the interruption, but he masked it before anyone could notice.
Oliver walked up and sensed the tense atmosphere between them. He didn’t know Drake very well, but everything he did hear was less than favourable.
He turned to her and said, "Princess Evelyn, I was hoping to speak to you." He turned his brown eyes towards Drake and said, "Would now be a good time?"
Drake’s eyes darkened at him, and he was about to speak when Eve cut in swiftly, "Yes, I was on my way to get some rest. Why don’t you walk me back, and we can talk on the way?’
Oliver gave her a warm smile before his eyes flickered to Drake and noticed a couple of notebooks in his hands. Evelyn also turned to Drake and said in a more clipped tone, "Lord Viremont, my notebooks?" She fixed him with a sterner look this time.
Drake clenched his teeth together, realising now that they had company, he won’t be able to continue cornering her, so he reluctantly handed it back to her, but Oliver took it from him and said, "Allow me, Your Highness."
Eve, having no issues with Olive, so she didn’t object. But Drake’s gaze lingered on her, sharp and possessive, as though he were memorising the sight of her accepting someone else’s help when she just rejected him not too long ago. He gave her a tight smile and said, "I do hope our...conversation can continue another time, Princess."
Evelyn stiffened but gave no reply. Oliver noticed her discomfort and gently guided her away. "After you, Your Highness," he prompted. She gave him a small nod and headed towards her room.
Leaving Drake behind, who still maintained a tight smile on his face, one that slowly slipped away with every step she took away from him with another man.
Thunder roared across the sky, followed by a heavy downpour that soaked him where he stood. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Not too far from him, Kayla had witnessed everything. Fury burned inside her, not just at Evelyn but herself, for failing to claim the kind of attention Drake was lavishing on the princess. Not being able to bear it anymore, she decided it was finally time to act. Especially now, since Prince Ivan had been absent from the academy for four days.
She walked towards Drake, who stood drenched in rain, his eyes still trained in the direction where Evelyn had disappeared. Kayla laid her hand lightly on his arm and spoke in a voice laced with sympathy, "Drake...I can see the way she consumes you." She wore a mask of fake sadness as she continued, "But standing here, watching her leave with another man? That isn’t you. It’s not the Drake I know."
"What do you want, Kayla?" He turned his eyes slightly towards her.
She tilted her chin up, "I’ve been patient, watching you in silence...suffering. And now...I have seen enough. If you truly want her, I can help you take her. Not just now but forever."
Drake let out a humourless laugh, his mouth twisted, "And how exactly are you going to help me?"
Kayla’s smile widened, her tone smooth and reassuring, "I have a plan, one that will guarantee she won’t be able to slip through your fingers again. Not now, not ever"
This piqued his interest, and he turned to her, "Well, let’s hear it. What’s this plan of yours?"
Kayla looked around the courtyard, then said in a low voice, "Not here, too many ears. Let’s go to your room, and I will explain everything."
He assessed her for a second before responding, "Okay, follow me."
Kayla’s lips curled into a slow, victorious smile as she trailed after him.
....
When Eve and Oliver were several paces away, she released the breath she hadn’t realised she was holding.
"You looked cornered back there," Oliver said softly once Drake was out of earshot. "Did he hurt you?"
"No," Evelyn shook her head quickly, but her voice sounded wary. "But...he makes my skin crawl. I don’t understand why he was being so persistent."
Oliver’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "I suggest you maintain your distance from him, Your Highness. I haven’t heard anything good about him so far."
"I was planning on doing just that." Then she smiled at him and added, "Thank you for rescuing me back then."
Oliver returned her smile, "You can always count on me, Princess."
"So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked as they walked towards her room.
"I heard you were injured during the physical examination. Forgive me for not coming to you sooner; a difficult situation had kept me occupied."
"My injury wasn’t a serious one, as Dr. Zora already healed me," and Ivan, she added inwardly. "Is everything alright now?" she asked, trying to steer the topic in a different direction.
"Yes, my partner was causing some issues, but it was settled with the help of Professor Dante."
"I see.." She wondered what kind of trouble his partner had caused, but not wanting to pry, she didn’t ask further.
Then she heard him say, "I haven’t seen His Highness around lately." The words made her heart skip a beat, but to her credit, she managed to keep a straight face.
"Yes...He hasn’t been attending classes lately," she replied.
"Oh..I hope everything is alright?" Oliver asked.
"I hope so..." she said, implying she has no idea where Ivan has been lately. As the words left her lips, her heart sank a little at the thought of him.
