Chapter 80: The Only One Who Calms The Storm
She blinked, her voice uncertain as she asked, "So....are you willing not to be with any other woman, for as long as you’re with me?"
"Yes." He threaded his through her hair, his thumb gently caressing her cheek.
"Really? You would do that?" she pressed.
"Yes...I want no one but you."
She fell quiet for a few seconds before her nerves pushed her to ask again, "And what about the ones who serve you their blood? Will you still drink from them?" Her eyes flickered anxiously between his, searching for an answer.
"No, I won’t if you don’t want me to. Besides," his voice softened further, "I prefer your blood over anyone else’s."
Her eyebrows furrowed, "B-But....won’t it be like starving you? Like....I am putting you on a strict diet?"
For a moment, Ivan just stared at her, surprised by her innocent question. Then suddenly, he threw his head back and burst into laughter, startling Eve in the process. She continued to stare at him as his deep, unrestrained laugh filled the room, making him look absolutely mesmerising.
Alex and Arthur, who had just arrived in front of Ivan’s room, froze at the sound of his unrestrained laughter, the very first time either of them had ever heard. And they were utterly speechless to say the least. Both men had known Ivan since they were young and had witnessed the heavy weight he carried from that one incident that changed him forever. It robbed him of any joy, as if he had deliberately cut himself off from anything that might bring him the faintest happiness, as if punishing himself instead.
Now, hearing him laugh so freely for the very first time filled their hearts with warmth. They knew, without a doubt, it must be the princess behind this. Quietly, they thanked the stars for her arrival in their prince’s life.
On the way there, Alex had already told Arthur about Evelyn’s true identity, since Ivan trusted Arthur as much as he trusted Alex. They had both come to his room regarding some work, but upon hearing such a rare joy in his voice, they exchanged a glance and decided to wait a little longer. Neither of them wanted to disturb him...not now. So for the moment, they retreated.
Back in the room, once Ivan calmed down, he gave her a devastating smile and said, "Are you feeling bad about robbing me of my meal options?" He traced the back of his fingers over her cheek as he added, "So tell me...how will you compensate me for this? Hm? My Eve?"
Evelyn blushed hard at the way he called her so endearingly, "Y-You can have my blood?"
"That I will...." he murmured. "And as much as I love your blood, I’d also prefer it to continue running through your veins. So....what else could it be?" His voice drew out lazily as his fingers slid from her cheek to her neck with deliberate slowness.
Realization hit her, and she quickly swatted his hand away. "You’re so shameless!" Her response earned her another low chuckle.
"Hm...and a very demanding man," he teased, his tone dripping with sensuality.
Then he finally got up and walked to the bedside, retrieving the ointment. Returning to her side, he undid the lid, dipped his fingers into the salve, and carefully began applying it to the bruise on her cheek with gentle strokes.
"So can you walk me through everything that happened yesterday?" he asked as he continued applying the medicine. Listening to him was when she realised that only one day had passed since she was kidnapped and everything that followed after.
Eve started to narrate the whole incident in detail, though she left out the part about the woman with golden hair who told her to call for the one she yearned for the most. Because that detail felt far too strange and embarrassing for her to admit out loud. As she spoke, he noticed some bruising on her wrists from the chains, so he quietly applied medicine there as well, while listening to everything carefully with sharp attention.
"After that, I only remember you standing in front of me," she finished softly. Her voice then faltered before she added in a tender murmur, "Thank you...for rescuing me and taking care of me, Ivan."
In response, he picked up her hands in which he had just applied the medicine, and pressed a soft kiss on each of her palms, making her heart flutter giddily. He then asked, his eyes still fixed on hers, "Do you feel pain anywhere else?"
She lowered her gaze and murmured, "I can apply it myself...you’ve already done enough."
"I am not a very patient man, Eve. So tell me....where else?" His tone left no room for refusal.
’This stubborn man,’ she sighed inwardly before whispering, "My ankles."
He gave her a nod and then got up from his seat only to kneel before her. Gently, he lifted the hem of her dress to her knees and commanded, "Hold it."
Heat rushed through her as she burned to her very roots at the sight of him kneeling before her. He carefully took one of her feet, first to examine it further for any other injuries, before gently applying on her ankles that had angry red marks. The image of this formidable vampire prince on his knees while tending to her foot so gently was so incredible and heart-warming that Evelyn felt herself melt little by little, as her gaze softened and a shy smile graced her lips.
That’s when he suddenly stopped, looking up at her and asked, "Did you meet or speak to anyone who could be considered suspicious while I was away?"
She tilted her head to the side, while thinking aloud, "I cannot be certain...I spoke to many people when you weren’t around."
Ivan’s jaw tightened at her answer, irritation flickered in his voice as he pressed, "And just who are these people?"
"Other students, mostly classmates, apart from Damien, Cece, and Edward...Oh, and Lord Oliver." On hearing Oliver’s name, something Ivan shifted, and he narrowed his eyes on her.
"Olivee, hm? And what exactly did you discuss with him?" His gaze pinned her in place, unreadable, though the air around him seemed to thrum with restrained kraken to be unleashed.
Evelyn quickly noticed the sudden shift in his demeanor and wondered if he didn’t like Oliver, so she carefully responded, "Nothing much, really. I only spoke to him yesterday after class, when I was heading back to my room alone and..." She paused as she remembered the sleazy man in the courtyard, her eyebrows creased at the unpleasant encounter. Ivan, who was closely studying her expression, felt her unease. His eyes turned cold as he asked, "What is it? Did Oliver try something?"
She shook her head quickly, "Oh no! He actually saved me from a sticky situation." She pursed her lips and then looked at Ivan before asking, "Ivan, do you remember that guy we met at breakfast that one day....When I was choking on my tea, and he suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started-"
"Touching you inappropriately," he finished her sentence, his eyes hardened as he demanded, "What about him?"
Eve hesitated, a little as to how to explain it, but said, "I actually do not get a very good feeling from him. I ran into him yesterday in the courtyard..." Then she recounted everything that happened, "At first, he helped me pick up my books, but later he kept trying to bring up the same issue from breakfast that day. I couldn’t get away from him until Lord Oliver showed up and helped me out."
Ivan’s eyes suddenly flickered orange, and every candle in the room flared at once, startling Eve. She looked around in alarm before her gaze snapped back to Ivan, catching the glow in his eyes intensifying, so she called out to him with worry, "Ivan!"
When he didn’t respond, the heat in the room started to rise as the flames in the candles swelled higher. Alex and Arthur, who were waiting close to the staircase of the second floor, saw the candles flare throughout the palace and knew something must have upset His Highness, so they rushed towards his chambers.
Back in the room, Ivan was unable to control the utter wrath boiling inside him after listening to what Eve had just told him. Every fiber of his being screamed to storm into the academy and tear Drake apart piece by piece for everything he and his corrupt father had done. He knew it was Drake who had orchestrated Eve’s drugging, and his instincts told him that it was he who was behind this kidnapping incident as well.
Blinded by fury and unable to wait another moment to bring judgment upon him, Ivan didn’t hear Eve calling out his name. He was about to rise when suddenly he felt cool, fragile hands pressed against his cheeks.
His focus slowly shifted to her face, her beautiful features which were twisted with worry as she pleaded, "Calm down, Ivan...please."
She was already on the ground, kneeling in front of him, her hands continued to caress his cheeks tenderly.
"Eve.." he whispered hoarsely.
"Yes..just focus on your breathing," she urged him softly.
