░10░ Being The Crown Prince

As soon as Princess Monique had already gotten what she wanted on the jewelry shop, they immediately headed to the imperial palace. Her court lady was carrying the box inside and it only contained an opal blue phoenix bracelet

'I can't wait for my birthday to come, I'm sure he already has a gift for me, Ha! The rewards of being a princess, I can buy whatever I want, I can claim what I wanted the most. I have already claimed Damon so that's already enough'

With that thought, she inwardly laughed heading to her room with her court lady but she was stopped in her tracks. She stopped in her tracks when suddenly Wilhelm was walking towards the opposite side as they meet each other

"Brother Wilhelm, what brought you here at this hour? Have your private lessons already finished?" Princess Monique asked her brother who just smiled afterward at her

"Not yet, Monique. I was called by our father in his office. Be careful and take a rest," Wilhelm said as he gently patted his little sister's head. He was still smiling as Monique pouted in return but regained her posture earlier and removed his hand on her head

"I'm not a child anymore, brother Helm. You should now go ahead and I'll proceed to take a nap for a while," Princess Monique said pouting again at her brother who was continuously smiling at her

"Alright, see you later on," with that Wilhelm walked ahead of her - together with his servants and attendant

Monique, on the other hand, only watched her brother’s back walking away before turning ahead and walking towards her room. The maidservant, on the other hand, only followed the princess while holding the gift the princess will give to Damon on her birthday. She’ll give it as a sign of being an engaged couple

Little did she know that he's already falling for someone else and it's never her, to begin with.

***

Wilhelm upon seeing Monique earlier was surprised. He knew very well that her sister hated going outside - except for having tea parties with her friends. So it was the first time he was astounded by her sudden actions. Yet, he never bothered to portray such emotions

After talking with her, he immediately proceeded to their father's office, the imperial office of the emperor. He stopped in front of the large olden door - followed by his servants and his attendants. After doing so, the door suddenly opened for Wilhelm to see that his father was already sitting in his seat – the seat of the emperor - looking seriously at his eldest son

"Come in, only him and the others leave," Emperor Arthur said seriously. The servants around them shiver in fear and obeyed respectfully. They had already left the two alone to talk things outs as the emperor looked seriously at Wilhelm for the second time. As soon as the door closes, Wilhelm knelt before his father and bowed respectfully acting the proper way as a crown prince should behave

"I greet the holy sun of the empire," Wilhelm said respectfully still bowing looking at the ground

"Seems like you learned a lot of Lessons from Sebastian, you may rise now," Emperor Arthur said with a reassuring voice. He was looking intently at Wilhelm - who was now standing in front of him but still kept bowing respectfully

"I called you today knowing that you haven't yet decided about your fiancée. If you're so eager to postpone the said picking of the crown princess then be it. But do remember that within two years from now you should already have decided about it," Arthur said sighing afterward while looking at his gorgeous son seriously

Arthur just shrugged the thought as he shook his head

"Anyways, you may leave," Arthur said dismissing his son like he's just some pawn that he was using. Then, when he's no longer useful, he'll just immediately dispose of him

'He's the complete opposite of Monique. He's well calculative, cunning, and silently planning something. I know he's that kind of son I can rely on and needed to succeed the throne. I just have to hope that when he finally decided to pick someone, it should be a worthy person – a person the same as him'

Arthur thought sighing as he watched Wilhelm bow respectfully. Then he was turning his back to him walking out of the office. Arthur watched his son’s figure until he fully disappeared from his view. With that, he immediately walked towards the huge window of the office. Setting his sight to look at the outside view then reminiscing the past with his nostalgic feeling upon the rays of the sun striking the vast surrounding of the empire

"Victor, wherever you are I hope you never bother to come in here again, never again," Arthur whispered while looking around the vast place outside. Focusing his view on the garden that was bringing some bad memories he wanted to forget. Meanwhile, upon leaving the emperor's office Wilhelm proceeded to his room closing the door. He leaned his back there and sighed hardly enough for him to avoid sounding broken

"Huh, so all in all, I'm just a puppet for him to be controlled. Same old boring life with nothing new at all" he said sighing as tears were streaming down his face. He can't control the loneliness that he's feeling inside of him currently so he cried silently. He feels like every day he was being eaten by loneliness. He felt like no one tried to understand him. Even with his so called friends, they never understand the true him

"Fiancee, huh? Just the thought of it makes me want to vomit hard enough. Don't ever compare me to that stupid good-for-nothing sister that I have.She’sbasically being overly obsessive with that Maxwell's son - Damon" Wilhelm whispered through the room while tears continue to stream down his face

'For a moment I thought you called me because I was something that you had loved. Yet, I'm disappointed knowing you only called because you wanted to use me. You called because I was your successor to the throne. You needed me to be vicious enough that no one else will take the spot'

With that thought, he silently laugh wiping his tears from his face. He looked towards his window then walked to it. There, he was looking at the view outside seeing the servants, some butlers, and knights talking while doing their works

'They can freely do anything they want in here, eat, live, talk and sleep but no one even dared to deeply understand what I'm feeling, no one dared. Even my so called – friends never understood the real me'

With that he immediately fixed himself. He was stopping himself to cry as he wiped all the tears there had to be wiped. Then, arranged his clothes as he breathe slowly calming himself

Afterward, he proceeded again with his private tutor for another lesson

'The never-ending lesson I have every day started to act within my dull and boring life'

***

"As I thought, I just left the bakeshop earlier and that's already the scenario portrayed in front of me. Are you sure you two were just friends?"

After hearing those words, Damon suddenly let go of Iris who was now crying her ass out after it hit the ground. That earned him a glare from her. Though, Damon pretended he never saw Iris the, whistle like a commoner as he tried to avoid looking at her eyes

'He's such ------UGH!'

Iris continued to glared at him even after fixing herself from falling into the ground

'What's the sense of catching me if he'll let go in the end!'

After some deep thinking, she calmed herself and sighed. She was now looking at the surprised Selby in front of them. Suddenly, she changed her expression from Glaring Damon to being surprised as well. Now Selby was curious more than ever with the two of them

"Let me tell, you – pointing at Iris - just slip while cleaning. While, he – pointing at Damon, who they know was El - he's there to catch but unfortunately let you go because he was surprised by my voice. Tell me that what I just said was correct Iris. If not, then your pays will be greatly deducted. I just can't imagine you two together for Pete's sake!" Selby, who was surprised earlier, exclaimed in front of the two. While the two bowed their head like they were being disciplined - which is true

The two of them were currently being disciplined by Selby - whose ears and face were fuming red. His nose were almost blowing smoke that the two had been imagining with his expression.

"You're mostly right about it, Selby I almost fell to the ground if it weren't for him catching me until you came and question us. That made him loosened his grip on me then made me fall to the ground. Oh, and not with the salary cut, Selby please!" Iris explained looking seriously at Selby while he makes some fake cough. Then looked at Damon - who was now looking seriously back at him

"Alright, explanation accepted but do remember my rules, no relationship allowed in this shop Iris and El, remind yourself if you still wanted to get paid," Selby seriously looked at the two while proceeding to the kitchen getting the book he left earlier in the bakeshop

"Alright, you two hurry and finish your cleaning. I'll be leaving for the day now. If you two already finished, just locked the door of the bakeshop, I'll be carrying the key with me," Selby instructed making the two look at each other. Then they looked at Selby smiling at him and nodding back

"Yes, you'll never be disappointed at our cleaning. The IrEl Duo Cleaning" Damon said smilingly that made Selby laugh out so hard. Selby laughed hard that he's holding his stomach while patting the table in front of them

"You two are very funny, go ahead and be early tomorrow on time, got it?" Selby reminded them as the two only nodded and smiled at him

Afterward, he walked out of the shop leaving the two behind looking at each other. Iris implied differently with her thinning eyes and raised eyebrows as Damon averted his gaze on her. He was trying to step back but Iris was faster than him. She started pulling his sleeves as he was pulled towards her

There she immediately grip his clothes upward not considering that he’s way taller than her. Yet, because of her rage she suddenly acted that way

"You! You should've gently made me stand, not let go of your hold! My butt truly hurts deep, El!" Iris shouted in front of him making him laugh at her sudden anger

'I thought she's going to kill me for a moment’

With that, Iris gripped his clothes tightly making him suddenly choke. Then he immediately touched her grip gently. With the sudden action, Iris' serious face suddenly looked soft and embarrassed at how Damon looked at her calmly

"Alright, I get it. I apologize. The next time you fall, I'll immediately catch you without ever letting go even if someone interrupted us," Damon said reassuring her. Only then, it made her blushed as her hands were now on her sides

"You promise that?"

"Yeah, I promise"

As they promised each other with pinky swear