Vampire's Veil Of Obsession-Chapter 152: Part Two: Cancel

Roselina lay atop the fence, half her body dangling toward the exit, the other still inside the castle grounds. She was stuck between two worlds—part inside the safety of the castle, part outside in the unknown. She had climbed at the back garden, where the fence wasn’t so high—or so she had thought.

Her blonde hair was pulled tightly into a bun, and her hazel eyes widened as she looked down, finally realizing how high the fence truly was. ’How on earth did I climb this thing?’ she thought, clinging to the hard fence like a spider checking if humans had damaged its web.

Now, the height terrified her.

"Oh please," she muttered, hugging the fence tightly. "How am I supposed to get down now?"

She had to leave before one of the guards noticed her. Carefully, she tried to sit up. If she slipped and fell, death wasn’t out of the question. Her intrusive thoughts were quicker than her reasoning, spiraling faster than she could stop them.

If only I had made friends with one of the guards, she thought. It would’ve been easier. But this place was full of prideful people. They’d report her in a heartbeat just to gain favor—or maybe even a promotion.

If only she had seen Ryan Li... He was the only person she knew who wouldn’t mention anything. But his shift didn’t start until next week. She couldn’t wait for him. Her wedding was tonight.

"Tch. You’re not weak," she scolded herself under her breath. "You’re a brave, smart girl."

She finally managed to sit up properly, gritting her teeth as she cursed the gown she wore—one of the main reasons her escape was so painfully slow. Not to mention her stomach felt like it was being strangled. They had laced the dress so tightly, she was surprised she could still breathe.

’How did I even get this far in this ridiculous thing?’ she wondered, glaring down at the layers of heavy fabric bunching around her legs.

"Why can’t this castle give us something comfortable for once, huh?" she muttered. "Stupid gown... and it’s probably expensive too."

She scoffed. "If this is how they live, then there’s no denying it—the king must be just as arrogant as the rumors say."

"Arrogant, huh?" a deep voice said suddenly.

Roselina’s body jolted in shock—and then slipped.

Her eyes flew wide as gravity pulled her down. This is it, she thought. This is how it ends.

WHOOSH

Strong arms caught her just before she hit the ground.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up—and froze. Her wide eyes met the dark, crimson gaze of the man who held her.

Zethan.

His Majesty

He slowly lowered her to the ground, his expression unreadable. Roselina’s heart pounded as her feet touched the earth again, but her eyes stayed locked on his.

Her heart began to pound louder in her chest. ’Oh, Rose, she scolded herself inwardly. If only you had just kept your mouth shut. Why do you always say things out loud? How many times has this exact habit gotten you into trouble back at home?’

The reality sank in. If it had been anyone else, maybe—just maybe—she could’ve talked her way out of it. But this wasn’t just anyone. This was His Majesty.

And not only was she trying to escape... she had insulted him too.

But what could he possibly be doing here?

She felt the blood drain from her face. Brilliant. Just brilliant. How in the world am I supposed to explain this one?

She straightened her gown quickly and curtsied, bowing just as she had been taught these past few days.

"Your Majesty," she greeted.

A signal of doom seemed to pass through her, as though her body would have crumpled if he hadn’t caught her. She acted composed, though her heart—and body—were waging a silent war just to keep steady.

Her gaze drifted to Zethan, whose intense, unreadable stare bore into her. Then he spoke.

"Escaping?"

She quickly shook her head. "No, Your Majesty. I wasn’t escaping. Something caught my eye from the other field—I saw it from the room I stayed in last night—and I wanted to explore a little."

Zethan’s lips curled into a cold grin.

"Explore...I see," he said, voice laced with a hint of mockery.

’It seems the rumors were true about how astonishingly handsome he is,’ she thought.

Then Rose spoke, trying to support her lie.

"I know it might not seem ladylike, but sometimes it’s good to check things for yourself. You might find something useful—something that could benefit yourself and others."

She mentally smacked her forehead. What am I even saying? The words felt ridiculous, but she had to act confident—even if her lie made no sense.

Zethan fell silent for a moment, his gaze unreadable as he studied her face before glancing at her hair.

"You expect me to believe that?" he asked, scanning the area. Then he muttered, "Carrots."

Before Rose could understand what he meant, he began to chuckle—a sound cold and void of warmth. She wondered if it could even be regarded as an emotion.

"A bunny indeed," he said. "No wonder you came to feast."

Rose’s eyes widened slightly. She forced herself not to glance at him over, despite his cold and intimidating aura. She was definitely frightened—but she held herself together.

Why is he calling me a bunny? Was it because she had ended up near a carrot field? If only she had fallen outside the castle instead of back in it—at least then, the pain would’ve been worth it.

"Your Majesty," she said quietly, curtsying again. "May I be excused?"

She turned to go, but his voice stopped her.

"Who gave you permission to leave?"

She froze, turning back slowly.

"Your Majesty, is there something you require of me?"

Zethan’s lips curled into a faint smirk, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Why the formality?" he asked. "We’ll be husband and wife soon. We need to get to know each other."

As he stepped toward her, Rose’s eyes widened, though she forced herself to remain composed. One thing she would not show this proud man was weakness.

His eyes narrowed slightly. Then his fingers reached for her chin, lifting it gently until her eyes met his—dark, unreadable, and intense.

Her gaze held his, and her heart thumped for reasons unknown to her.

No wonder he has so many mistresses, she thought.

Then he spoke.

"Who leaves a palace... to return to its pit?"

Rose’s eyes flew wide in surprise at the thinly veiled insult. So the rumors were true—this man was cold, heartless, arrogant, and soaked in pride. Whatever cruel label one could imagine, he wore it proudly.

Money had truly blinded many, and she was certain he was no exception.

Still, her voice remained steady, laced with calm resolve.

"Your Majesty, a pit can be cleaned," she said gently, "and still be purer than a palace that hides its decay beneath gold."

She didn’t waver under his gaze, even as his lips twitched into a smirk.

"Elaborate," he said.

Though her heart pounded like a drum, her voice remained composed.

"A pit can be cleaned," she said again, tone thoughtful. "If it belongs to someone with little, they’ll find a way—any way—to make it better, because that’s all they have. But a palace... once it’s built, the wealthy often want something grander. To break it down just to build again shows a divided mind. And in doing so, they not only waste what they spent so much on—but prove that even gold can’t fix a flawed foundation."

She immediately bit her lip, realizing she had spoken more than she intended.

"Your Majesty, if I may—please, may I leave now?" she asked hesitantly.

But Zethan shook his head even more intrigued by the fact she was not interested in staying here.

"You must explain your reason for wanting to escape. Aren’t you happy to marry a king?" His voice was low, almost a whisper.

Rose forced a smile.

"Your Majesty, anyone would want to marry you."

Zethan’s eyes darkened with cold intensity as cold shivers ran down rose spine.

As expected of a proud man, she thought.

Zethan stiffened. Rose’s eyes widened. No, she panicked. I only said that in my head, right? Why does it feel like he heard me?

Thinking quickly, she continued,

"But I’m not truly interested, Your Majesty... because I’m into someone else here in the palace."

Zethan’s eyes widened in surprise, and her cheeks flushed deeply.

"Tell me—who is he?" he asked quietly.

It was the first time she had ever admitted her feelings aloud, and it surprised her. For some reason, she wondered: Was he actually going to help her? Would he think this through?

Maybe he’d understand. After all, they were both in the same situation. Neither of them had chosen this marriage—it was what the seer had foretold. Still, she was curious about his thoughts.

Gathering courage, she asked,

"Your Majesty, if I may... do you have any plans to tone down the wedding tonight?"

Zethan was silent for a moment before he spoke,

"Answer my question first."

Her voice dropped to a whisper, her body trembling slightly from the suffocating coldness that clung to the air.

"He is... he is... he is a guard here."

For some reason, Zethan’s face darkened at her words. Still, she pressed on...Bravely.

"Your Majesty, may I ask again? Is it possible to cancel the wedding tonight?"

Zethan shook his head firmly.

"I won’t. We are getting married." For some unknown reason he was now interested in her.