158 The Real Mate
Roshan’s mouth was left hanging as his lips parted. It looked like he wanted to say something, or that he had something to say but there were no words that came out of it, as though he was still stricken by the sudden question that unfailingly repeated itself in his ears.
‘Do you like me?.....’
Surprisingly, he had only started thinking about that now. The reason he went after the woman sitting in front of him was practically because she interests him in ways he couldn’t possibly say, she annoys him to the fullest, no doubt there but he couldn’t imagine raising a finger at her, nor will he let anyone else touch her while being alive.
The littlest things she does or says grabs his attention unlike anything else that even mattered, he always had the urge to comfort and console her whenever she was down or sad. And most times, he hated himself for it cause he wondered if her life would have been positively different if she didn’t meet him at all, if he never met her and now, she’s caused this strange uncontrollable beating in his chest.
Can all this be considered as likes?
But why was she asking?
Anna, who stared at the dazed, speechless demon in front of her, bit her lower lips to stiffen her anxiety. She was beginning to wonder if she did the wrong thing by asking him such a direct question and her own heart slowly dropped with nervousness.
There’s a big difference between liking someone and just fulfilling sexual needs and she needed to know which part he currently stood on, to know if she’s on the safer side as well, to know how much distance she has to keep away from him so he doesn’t get affected by her death again.
“Do you?” She pried.
.....
At this point, Roshan had no answers to give, he didn’t really feel that word to be honest, more like he was expecting an even dumbstruck question but if she was currently asking if he liked her, then she should have asked him this way back in Ark Ville, cause right now, he didn’t only like her, he considered her more special than that. So what was the use of saying it now?
Human emotions, he still has trouble understanding it.
“Anna..” he held both her hands in his, gently rubbing his thumb over the base of her palm and it sent sweet tingles straight to her heart. He wasn’t even looking at her but she could tell her simple question had left him conflicted.
Was it good? Or a bad thing?
Before he got a chance to utter a word to the anticipating woman, whose big doe eyes were fixated on him, a sudden knock on the door interrupted them both, making their heads turn towards the direction of the door.
‘So close!’ Anna grimaced inwardly. She was at the verge of hearing his response but who in the heavens’ name chose to interrupt now??
Please don’t be Roseline! Anyone but Roseline! But then, what if she got hold of the elder lady of the palace??
A light chuckle snapped the panicking Anna from her thoughts and she retracted her gaze to the handsome man who was shaking his head at her.
“Calm your poor heart, it isn’t either of them.” He assured the already perplexed woman who freed her hands from his.
The fact he just responded to something she didn’t even say out loud made her eyes widened in stupor and it constantly reminded her that she had to stop thinking whenever she was around this man.
“Come in.” Roshan gave the orders and when the door opened, a young man stepped in and to Anna’s relief, it wasn’t Roseline or Lady Odette, but one of Roshan’s trusted guards who was fully dressed in his armor, like someone prepared to go for a war and it struck Anna’s curiosity.
“Your highness, the others have arrived and your presence is needed to continue the rest of the training.” Lorenzo quickly and politely informed with his head bowed, secretly raising his head a little and signaling with his eyes that things could get really serious if his highness didn’t show up.
Getting the signal, only Roshan was able to understand the meaning of the looks his loyal guard kept secretly casting his way and it disturbed his already lightened mood.
“Wait outside.”
“Sure thing, your highness.” After confirming Roshan got the message, he closed the door, giving the two people some privacy again and Anna instantly got to her feet, still surprised to see the guard in full armor and her brows knitted.
“He’s dressed in armor, what sort of training are you putting yourself into?” Questioned Anna but as expected, Roshan nonchalantly brushed it off with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Nothing important, just something to keep me busy with.” He sounded neutral, but Anna didn’t take it to be as completely neutral as he tried to put the situation in.
“Are you sure?”
Roshan let out a hiss at her persistent inquiries before turning around to look at the woman whose eyes were filled with genuine concern. Obviously she was worried and he knew, but he didn’t think he was worth any of it.
“Yeah,” he faintly responded, “you should stop thinking about me a little too much and think of yourself.” He hummed, but Anna was actually off on his point there.
“Meaning?”
“Don’t let them use you as a trash they can dump just cause you’re a maid, even maids deserve respect cause they’re people too.” He couldn’t say he was any different, but he had hope.
He barely relates with any of the maids or servants in the palace except for Anna, but that doesn’t mean he had the right to treat them like used dumpsters.
He has experienced how difficult life can be without money, you have to work day and night just to earn even if it’s a dime, and he did all those things while blending as a human in Euphrasia, and it wasn’t easy. So basically, the poor people have his respect way more than those born with a silver spoon..
Anna blinked in bafflement, still not understanding exactly what Roshan was trying to pinpoint, ” so you’re saying...?”
“I’m saying you should strike,” he clarified while meeting her startled stare, “stop tolerating, even tolerance has its limit’s Anna but you’re too good for your own sake.” He admitted, “not everyone deserves the kindness you give and sometimes, you need to let them experience that little dark side in you.”
“But they’re meant to be your mate and they’re important guests too.” Even if their actions are uncalled for, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s still a maid and nothing more than that. She might be Aveline in the past but she was Annalise in this life, an Euphrasia clan, a maid to the future leader of Viscarrian.
It ends there.
“Who’s the one with the mark?” He questioned blatantly but the woman he was currently talking to folded her arms with a firm look, still unshaken.
“It’s fading.”
“But it’s still there,” he pointed out before taking a step towards her, towering over Anna whose height was just reaching his shoulder, “cause it’s fading doesn’t mean it’s gone.”
He leaned closer, searching her eyes with interest and it made Anna’s heart accelerate. He could hear it loud and clear what his mere presence does to her, he could feel it and he could tell the sweet fantasies scheming through her head. He sexily raised a brow.
“I think we both know who the real mate is.”
He was tempted to give her a kiss, or maybe one on her cheeks, or even her forehead, something to make her daydream about him till he returns but he was afraid of himself.
Because a kiss from her can dangerously lead to the both of them getting tangled up on that bed and doing things that would make her cry and grant her the inability to walk and work for days.
“How do you know I have a dark side?” She suddenly asked with twinkling eyes, it left him baffled for a few minutes to the point he couldn’t hide it.
“What?”
Out of all the things he’s been saying to the annoying woman, only that was able to grab her attention.
“Well, there’s always a dark side to every angel.” He added, and he sort of felt it in her. His princess was more than capable of stepping up her game if she wanted, she just needed a little push and he really doesn’t mind giving her that.
Anna was puzzled, does that mean he sees her as an angel? Before Anna got a chance to ask him about that, the glacier turned around and headed for the door, already done for the day.
“Wait, you never responded if you liked me or not?” Anna reminded him.
“Ask me tonight.”
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