Chapter 39: |You Are Too Dense, Lady Rottenstein|
"....."
"Ah, I-I am sorry.."
His hands still hadn't lost, it's contact with my cheeks.
"But, it's just that you are too adorable and precious to resist, Lady Rottenstein.. I really can't believe how my brother could reject a cutie like you.. "
I blushed more and quickly shook my head, forcing him take of his fingers from my face.
Why is he treating me like a kid!? Even though I am clearly older than him!
"It just makes me wanna punch him face and kick the butt of the prince charm-- m-my brother who had rejected you, Lady Rottenstein.. "
"....."
"Sir Nozen...? "
".....What..?"
Prince Zeno suddenly looked at my face with a blank expression probably confused by my soft whisper.
"A-Ah, it's just by childhood best friend. We were so close when we were still just kids. But, then he abandoned me and ...i never met him again. Well.. I can't blame him..I.. guess, he had finally found my worth and that's the reason he tried to keep his distance... "
"That's no-way that is true Lady Rottenstein! How could you ever
think like that.. I-I am sure, your friend might have just been feeling very down and had took out that anger on you. I am sure he is definitely regretting that incident the rest of his life... "
He mussed softly staring at the floor with a painful expression, An expression I had never known Prince Zeno could even make.
With those words my eyes suddenly widened, struck with realization.
"T-These thoughts.. " I abruptly cupped my palms over my hair and looked at him with complete shock.
"..T-There is no-way anyone else would ever have them, don't they!! Could it be.. just what I have thought before..! " I hushed and took a step back in realization.
Prince Zeno looked at me intently with wide eyes and let out a deep sigh as though he had understood exactly what I was feeling.
"Could it be that...y-you are..?!.." I continued stammering.
And an acknowledging smirk soon played on the second prince's lips.
"Could it be..? "
"I-I can explain everything.. Lady Rottenstein.. " he said softly as he gently touched my hands that were cupped on my hair.
His blue eyes pierced into my own hazel ones and I stared at him in bafflement.
"...."
.
.
.
"...."
"Prince Zeno.. Are you acquainted to my childhood friend, Sir Nozen..? "
I asked the one question that has been bothering me all the while since my mother's death when Prince Zeno abruptly dropped his palms off mine with his jaws wide open.
"Eh..? "
"You are a friend of Sir Nozen, right? I knew it. You can't hide these things from an extremely smart pro-villainess like me, Prince Zeno. I must confess, I am pretty too smart for a eighteen year old. Aren't I?.." I proudly educated him about my glories expecting a teasing counter.
But, Prince Zeno just stared at me as though he could not believe what he was hearing.
DUN DUN DUN DUN!!
"...."
"Well, forget that! How is Sir Nozen? Is he well? Man, I haven't seen him for years. I am so happy that he had become friends with a kind prince like you. I guess, he would have matured a lot for making new friends now. And, I wonder, how much he would have grown. Ah, but, that doesn't probably matter because I would recognize him right away? Don't you think so too Prince Zeno..? " I asked and waited for a teasing answer but found none, yet again.
"..."
"...Prince Zeno..? "
"..."
"Prince Zeno, why aren't you saying anything.. Is something wro.. "
"You are too dense, Lady Rottenstein. Wayy Too dense! Waahh.. "
"..What?.. Was I wrong then..? "
"...."
The smile-masked Charming let out a deep exhausted sigh but soon flashed an extremely awkward smile.
"..Well, I guess, I should just be happy about it as my explanation time has been prolonged due to it.. "
He chuckled lightly kissing my hand.
"Good night, princess.. Me and my mother were really lucky to be acquainted to your family as pen friends, Lady Rottenstein.. "
He smiled and slowly walked towards the door.
I gently rubbed my arm and looked at his retreating figure when the last term he had quoted slowly echoed on my ears.
Pen friends..
I smiled.
Yes,...It is really fortunate for us to know each other because my mom was a pen friend of his mother..
But, there was one thing I can't get. Did my mother really have many pen friends back then...Because I can clearly remember that the only pen friend my mother dearly loved and had tried to introduce me was, Sir Nozen's mother and Sir Nozen himself.
I am positive my mother never had any other dear friend other than her, because after she married my step-dad ,mother had become extremely busy as our fairytale had officially begun, by then.
Well, that's a little weird..
Hmmm.. Sir Nozen, my childhood best friend and his mother, Countess Caroline, the ex-pen friends of our family.
I rubbed my chin in serious thinking when nostalgia gradually struck me...
Penfriends...
Penfriends...
Penfriends...
----
I recalled my first conversation with Prince Zenon.
'Lady Rottenstein.. You really don't remember me.. Do you..? '
'Excuse me? '
'A-Ah, nothing.. "
----
I blinked.
That.. Conversation was strange too.. and..
And, I must recall that..
He knows, about the story of the ugly duckling (Something only Sir Nozen knows) and..
He knew, I love red roses and enjoy the view of the fireflies sight.
He loves the scent of my favorite rose petal perfume, the one I had always used, since the time I was just a little kid.
He always calls me as "princess", something I dreamed and pledged to become without depending on my parents or a prince for royalty,.. in front Sir Nozen.
And...
My jaws dropped open when realization finally hit my extremely dense skull.
"Y-YOU.. Y-YOU ARE HIM!! AREN'T YOU!!!?!"
Prince Zeno's footsteps abruptly halted and his fingers that had cupped the door knob to open it, paused immediately.
"..What do you mean? "
"Stop acting dumb! You are S-Sir Nozen! Aren't you, PRINCE ZENON!?"
"....."
Prince Zeno quickly turned his face towards mine and I found them, look at me with bafflement, astonishment and surprisingly a tiny peck of hope and anxiety..
"You are Sir Nozen! Not an acquaint but the Person! Aren't you!? My...my.. now that I think about it, even your names are just the rearrangement of each other. Isn't it, Prince Zenon Charming!!?"
I screamed in a loud voice when a strong gust of wind blew behind me washing most of the rose petals decorated inside the room...
I waited for a strong denial for the otherwise, but to my horror and the addition to the extremity of my bombardment, I found none.
An awkward silence filled in..
"...."
"...."
"Hmph..Finally, you have figured it out.. Huh?"
And, suddenly, just like that, a naughty yet bright grin curled in the corner of Prince Zeno's lips.
"...Took you long enough. Didn't it, big sister Anasta.."
Were his last words before I collasped right on the giant carpet of the room.