Can I Sleep Here?

Prince put down his cell phone and listened to the door for a while. The soft knock repeated, but he doesn't know who it is. The clock displayed the time, and Prince hissed, seeing it's only minutes away from 11. He quietly groaned, sweeping the comforters aside.

Prince left the screen on and doesn't bother to let his sleep interrupted later. Good for someone to raise a concern when the master of the house is already taking a rest after a long day.

He opened up the door, and only saw bare feet. It was pinkish, more like a woman's toenails. Prince doesn't have the time to think who it was, because he knew who pestered him at night.

"Prince," Aria sighed. She waited Prince to look up at her, and he did so. Aria lowered her shoulders down, hopeless about spending the night inside a large room with the voices getting louder every day.

Prince pursed his lips. Aria had read it on his body language. He must be getting annoyed.

She gritted her teeth, afraid to ask it because he might turn it down. She held her pillow close to her chest, and Aria doesn't know if she should turn back around or stay in front of him.

Prince breathed deeply, understanding her situation in every bit, muttering, "What is it?"

Aria fiddled with her hands together, munching in her bottom lip, and hissed. "Can I sleep here?"

She's born to be straightforward, someone who would never back down from the words she had to say. It's enough to get the way she wanted, but asking the permission would help, too. Aria widened her eyes, and smiled forcefully.

It's absurd for a pregnant woman to ask to sleep inside a man's bedroom.

No one can circulate speculations to them, as Prince briefed that she's pregnant, and he's not the father of the child. Aria doesn't have enough time to gain sympathy, so she headed straight to their office and work along.

Prince pleaded the maids not to articulate any gossip around the mansion for Aria not to be uncomfortable.

His jaw dropped on the floor, and scoffed, turning to the bedroom. Prince shifted his eyes to her once again, smiling awkwardly, and inquired, "You… you're going to sleep here?"

He raised his eyebrows. Aria's being serious. There's no joke painted in her face. Prince doesn't have enough time to think, adding, "This is a man's bedroom, Aria. Are you sure you'll be alright here?"

Aria doesn't know who she should approach inside the mansion. She hasn't got along with the gardeners as she was still new inside. Aria reminded, "You're the only one I can approach here inside, Prince. I don't know anyone else, because they just started to get acquainted to me."

This move will be good. She's inside Prince's mansion and it's entirely new for her. With Prince coming home, Aria felt comfortable, because she has someone she can talk to. Prince looked inside the bedroom, worried that Aria would leave it with a bad impression.

He doesn't need any insult for now. It left him with uneasy will to avoid the person as much as possible. Right now, Prince got surprised to see himself not even feeling it. Even if the carpet is well-groomed and the clean couches covers had a stain of Spaghetti sauce on it, he knew Aria wouldn't care.

As long as she's in a company of someone who can keep her safe, she's alright.

"I'm sorry for barging into you in the middle of the night. If it left you uncomfortable, I'll go back to the guest room---"

"No, come in." It came out unknowingly. Prince doesn't have time to think it over, since Aria's words made him guilty. Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

He was never beyond guilty until now. With Aria asking to sleep inside his bedroom, Prince felt bad on rejecting it down, ordering her to sleep in her guest room when she can't even do it alone. Prince wouldn't torture his employees with poor etiquette.

They're humans, too. Everyone will feel this way after a traumatic situation.

Aria took a step forward, but Prince was impulsive with her touch. He's actually protecting himself from receiving another kiss, because it might turn into something drastic. Prince was unsure of the things that may happen in the future, but Prince vowed not to witness that scene with his own eyes.

"Can I…"

Prince stepped aside, opening the door wider. "Come in."

Aria hissed, and come inside, watching Prince locked the door. He stood by the door frame while waiting for Aria to move. They both stared to each other, and neither talked. Prince raised his eyebrows, placing his hands behind his hips, crossed to each other.

Aria looked around to gather enough strength to start a conversation, at the very least.

Right now, she's inside her employer's bedroom. In other words, she's inside the half-heart of the person who saved her in goodwill. Aria felt lost, because she didn't expect to be with a man ever again. When she ran down the mountain, she cursed in the icy air not to get along with a guy after what happened.

Now, she's breaking off the rule. Or was it seemed like the moments were all too coincidental? And she had to meet Prince with a purpose?

"You take the bed, Aria. Women should sleep comfortably. Plus, you're pregnant. Don't stress out," Prince reminded. Aria turned to him, horrified. She hugged the pillow, rushed to the couch, and pertained that she's going to sleep there.

Prince shook his head, ran faster, and sat down on the couch, lengthening his arms. He blocked Aria in every way. She huff some air out, looking at the bed, confessing, "I'm nobody to sleep in your bed, Prince. I should stay here since I'm your servant."

Prince shushed her. He stood up from the couch, stared at Aria, saying, "Don't say that at all.

Everyone inside the mansion knows your name, and I am, too. Nobody is someone who doesn't define herself with a name. You have an identity, and you're a human, too."

Aria wouldn't be that all giddy on sleeping inside a luxurious bedroom, but because Prince let her feel like the mansion as her home, she admired him more. A princess should return back the favors to a prince. It's a give and a take.

"Aria, you'll give a birth to the child inside your womb. In just 7-months, you're going to have your child in your arms. You should give enough care and rest to her—or him. Like I said, I'll give you a doctor as long as you keep your promise to pay me," Prince pointed out.

Aria smiled widely, and her cheeks blushed. With her face reddening of overwhelm, she knew it wouldn't be hard to recover from the trauma at all. Prince was at her side, and he's going to help her all the time. Aria couldn't hope for more.

"Prince, did you love someone before you met me?" Aria queried.

He doesn't know why he felt queasy with her words. Right at that time, he realized what she's saying. Aria stared at her like an eager kid desiring to know the answer. No one should be able to know—especially Aria—inside the mansion about his past relationship with her twin sister.

"Yeah?"

"I'm asking if you had a girlfriend before saving me."

Aria seemed innocent while asking it. There's nothing suspicious at her voice at all. Or Prince was just fooling around to realize what Aria was up to?

"Why are you asking me about that?" Prince tried to suppress a smile.

"You seemed to care too much, that's why…"