chapter 21

" I know you would love this child... Please at least for me.. " She begged of him while crying like a mad person on her couch.

" I won't! "

".. This child is ours, Reli... Whatever you said I would never change my mind. "

" ..! "

" Please..! I'll, I will beg at your leg if you want me to! ...Because if I don't, I would lose you completely..! So please..! "

" Reli.. "

" Don't leave. Chose me! I would cherish you for all of my life, even if you can't bear a child anymore! "

" ...! "

Pang!

His face felt aches and pains not only on his cheeks but in his heart too.

".. How could you say something like that..? " Mumble her in disbelief by her husband's words towards her. She gently caresses her womb while turns her face in annoyance to look at the window.

" ..Jenna... I didn't mean to.. "

" Leave me alone. "

A tear flows again from her eyes.

" I shouldn't tell you about this child's existence before this child is finally born safe and sound. Then you wouldn't hate this child because of my own illness.. "

" What? Jenna..! I..! "

" GASP! "

" Huff. Huff. "

Blink in shock, a single tear flows from his eyes unconsciously when he woke up from his sleep in a shock. With his mouth gasped while letting go a deep breath as a reaction of how frightening he is now after the nightmare he just had, Relius finally sighs in exhaustion and rapidly gets up from his bed while scratching back his hair in annoyance.

" Ha. This damn dream again.. "

" ....sigh.. "

Knock. Knock.

" My Lord, it's Ryss. "

" .... "

".. What is it. "

" His Majesty wants to see you but you look like you're unwell, should I decline the meeting? "

" ... "

" No... Set my carriage ready, I would like to meet him. "

" Yes, my lord "

****

" Sigh.. "

Claire sits on a bench under the big tree at the center of the garden of the Allardis Palace with a big sigh came out of her mouth.

" What should I do now... I didn't have a plan at all.. "

' Ugh..! I've already said to father that I can handle things on my own but what should I do now?? I need to arrange my plan for revenge! '

" Sigh.. "

Once again, she sighed in despair. No matter how hard she thought about a plan, nothing came into her mind. It's absolutely nothing at all!

" Hello there. "

Flinch.

" ...? "

Claire in shock quickly turns her head towards a person who has suddenly greeted her out from nowhere.

" Yes? "

She looks at the guy in front of her with a frown. A middle-aged man with a gentle face looks at her with a smile while Claire stunned, not knowing what to do.

' How could a person get into the palace without any prior notice? Even he does have to notice the head maid beforehand, shouldn't Lenny at least report at me first? '

" Um. This might be a non-respectful question towards an older man like you, but may you tell me what's your name, uncle? " in flustered by the existence of the middle-aged man, Claire with a considerate thought, quickly get up from her seat in hurried.

" Oh, dear! haha. You don't have to get up from your seat, young lady. I'm just a passerby though. "

" Ah, but... It's a manner my father taught me so.. "

" My, my. What a polite lady you're, princess. "

" ..! What? You knew me..? " In doubted Claire quickly distance herself from the suspicious guy.

" Haha. Of course, I knew. "

Shuu...

" ..! "

Suddenly the middle-aged man from earlier transforms himself into a very handsome young man right before Claire's own eyes.

" ..? who.. who are you..?! "

Stare at Claire's attitude towards himself, the young man slowly bows his head towards Claire, and with a polite gaze, he introduces himself with a smile.

" Greeting, your highness the princess. I am the head knight of the Allardis Palace. Edward Cullen at your service. Due to the temporary absence of the head of the Allardis Palace, I take over the works here and lead the whole servants here under my wing. "

Blink in a startled by the news, Claire was completely stunned by his greeting towards herself. ' 'Edward Cullen'? '

" You mean you're the first son of the Duke Almera? "

Flinch.

" ..? "

" How does your highness know about my family background..? even the servants here don't know anything about myself accept the young master. "

Flinch!

' Aah! That's right! I've slipped my tongue! Such a stupid mouth! '

" Ah... I mean, I heard about your name from somewhere before I came here.. and, well.. that.. "

" .... "

Again, Edward silently stares at Claire who was obviously trying to lie at him. He almost can't bear his laughter since the lady looks so flustered by his single question.

" Haa.. Your highness, look here. I wouldn't get mad at you and asked you where did you get the information from but I will be grateful to you if you keep the secret well. " With a stunning smile, Edward stares at her for a while.

Claire, who was fascinated by his gaze quickly change her sight towards a gardener who was passing by them in silence.

" I-I see! That's why you really look very talented for this job as a head knight here, right, sir Edward? Haha. " With an awkward smile, Claire looks at Edward's handsome face once again before she turns her face, flushed because of Edward's gentle aura around him.

Gulp. ' What's up with this other handsome creatures standing in front of me like a statue?? Gosh, stop shoving your bright face towards me! I couldn't handle this kind of creature once again! (She means the same kind of Evans's beauty troop: her father Relius, obviously Evans, the grand duke Felix, etc. )

" Princess, are you alright? your face looks pale from the moment I see you... "

" ...! "

Flushes.

'.. Ugh! stop it! my eyes will get blind at this state! '

" I-I, well, since I know you now, I will take my leave first, sir Edward. haha. "

" ... "

" Yes. please rest well, princess. "

Claire nodded at him with an awkward laugh and quickly run towards the main palace in hurried.

" Oh my goodness! so pretty fu*king handsome knight Evans had here! "

Claire quickly hides behind the curtain of her room with a stammer face.

" Oh my, my lady. What's wrong with your face? it's red like a tomato. Did you burn your face under the sun when you had your walk earlier? though the sun was not that hot today, still... "

" ..My-my face might get burned because of the sun! haha. Yeah. of course! "

Daisy in a big frown quickly touches Claire's red forehead with the back of her palm to feel Claire's temperature.

" ...! "

" You're hot, my lady! you had a slight fever! What did you do on the outside to have this kind of fever... Let's call the high priest immediately. we need to treat it before it gets worsen. "

" ..What? a slight fever..? I didn't do anything though.."

" My lady, why do you look like you're gonna faint at any time? "

" ..What..? I can't hear you, Daisy. Speak louder! "

Claire felt her head aching so suddenly and quickly she pressed her forehead to try to bear with the pain.

" ..what's this.. "

" ..Ugh... Daisy.. seem like you're right.. "

" What? my lady! are you alright?! somebody calls the medics immediately! the princess had a light fever!! "

" ..ugh.. "

As her head becomes heavier, her sight slowly gets hazy while she looks at the flustered Daisy in front of her.

" Ah... This is all that handsome Edward fault.."

Shuu...

" Whaa..! my lady!! "

" My lady! wake up! "

" My.. lady..! "

****

" ..... "

" Bring her here.. "

' Ahh.. feel like I'm floating on the air.. again.. this feeling was like at the time I came back to my younger self.. '

" ... "

" Here? "

" Yes. "

' Ah, even though my head and my eyes feel so heavy right now. I should just enjoy these feelings of death for a while more.. '

" ..her highness just had a slight fever. Give her medicine on time and if she gets more rest often, she would be alright. "

" Yes, I understand. thank you. "

"..ugh..! "

' Why they're so loud when I'm getting my rest here?! such an impolite people..! '

" .... "

Blink. Blink.

" ...! "

" My lady! you've wake up! thank goodness... ! "

" ...? "

" Daisy? " Claire look at herself who was currently laying on her bed in the daylight.

" My lady, you fainted just now. Thank goodness we quickly treat it before it worsens. "

" ..? why I faint though..? "

" Sigh. My lady, like I said before, you had a slight fever and you didn't have a good rest these few days. It's there perhaps something bothering you, my lady? "

" ... "

' Well, to be the truth. Evans was the one problem I had for now. I'm going to use him as my part in planning some revenge on Noelle but now he is basically a beast.. what should I do to turn him back to his original form again? sigh.. '

" ....Well, there's nothing. " Claire instantly smile towards Daisy with a bright smile she had.

" ..My lady.. "

" ..um.. "

" Well... I'm sorry to bother your conversation right now but It's seem like the princess is alright now, so I should take my leave first "

Claire was immediately stunned by a familiar voice she's just heard and rapidly turns her face to look at the statue beside her bed in speechless.

" ..Edward..? "

" Hm? yes, princess? "

" Oh my, you've already met him, my lady? that's good because he would become your personal knight since you would be the one to manage the Allardis Palace now. He also the one that carried you all the way to your own bed. "

Without a blink, Claire's eyes continued to look at him while fascinated by his face again. Like enchanted magic, his face can drove a single woman into madness if she looks at him, face to face.

Gulp.

Quickly she averts her gaze from drowning into his face even more and just like before she never dares to look at him directly.

" .... "

" Wait.. what?? "

" What you just said Daisy?? "

" Hm? which one? about sir Edward would become your personal knight or about he carried you to your own bed without permission, my lady? "

Stunned again by Daisy's words, Claire looks at Edward in shock.

" ...?? "

Edward again stares at her with his gentleness gaze and slowly he bows at Claire politely.

" Forgive me for my rudeness, princess. My name is Edward Cullen and I would become the princess personal knight starting today. Edward Cullen at your service, my princess. "

" .... "

Claire only can blink her eyes in disbelief and quickly she bend her head a little and suddenly slap both of her cheeks until it flushes by her sudden hit.

' Get a hold on yourself, Claire..! '

" Sam-same here, I would be in your care from today onward, sir Edward. Please treat me well.. "

" Yes, as you wish, I will. My princess."

" .... "

Again he unconsciously attacked me with his stunning smile, what should I do if I get more attached to his face more than Evans's?? Evans, I need your pretty face here! There were more rivals for your face than I thought it would have.

" I take this problem so lightly.. what a dumb.. "

" Excuse me, princess? "

" Ah! no, it's nothing. "

' Aaah..! seriously Evans! help me..! your fiance is going to get snatch by the other pretty boy here! '

" .... "

" Haa... You really had to get a hold of yourself, Claire. "

" Pardon, princess? I can't hear you well. "

" Ah... it's absolutely nothing to do with your face..! "

" ..? my face? "

Pang!

Quickly Claire slaps her own mouth and covers her slipped words with a smile.

" Seriously, it's nothing! maybe because of my fever..haha.. "

" Oh, right! your highness's fever might get worsen if I'm here for too long. you might become uncomfortable because of my presence. Please forgive me, princess. Get a nice rest, I will guard the outside. " hurriedly Edward head out of Claire's room and shut the door from the outside.

" ...haha.. yes.. really, really uncomfortable at that.. "