The Next Day
The queen was fully dressed, she was probably going out.
"I'm joining my husband at the West Palace. We'll be back tomorrow," she said, leaving with her guards.
For both of them to leave the palace meant two things: either there was an important ceremony at another powerful kingdom, or they wanted to remind Ethan of his royal duties.
I sighed and went to the kitchen to get something for myself. I washed an apple and started eating when suddenly, someone hugged me from behind, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist.
I froze. "Crown Prince…" I whispered.
Ethan smiled and turned me around. "How was your night?"
I glanced toward the entrance. "I'm fine… please, this is very dangerous."
He ignored me and leaned closer. I quickly looked away. "Please, I don't want to smell like you! Anybody can come in anytime!"
As if I were speaking a foreign language, he held my face and kissed me deeply.
Just then…
"Allison…"
I flinched. I tried to move away, but the stubborn prince didn't stop. He ignored the voice and kept kissing me until he was satisfied.
When he finally pulled back, I turned and saw Katherine bowing her head. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
Ethan smirked. "I'll be back soon, okay? Don't do any work today," he said, kissing my forehead before leaving.
I faced Katherine nervously. "It's… not what you think."
She giggled. "We know," she said, tossing Ethan's shirt to me.
I caught it and asked in confusion. "We?"
"Holding that shirt will save you from questions of why you are smelling like him. It's powerful and unique, I've been sniffing it since," she teased.
I moved closer and whispered, "What do you mean by we?"
Katherine smiled. "Prince Ethan already bought some loyal maids and guards to cover up for you. Don't worry, we won't reveal your relationship with him." She winked.
"Relationship?" I repeated, panicking.
She sighed. "You're lucky, Allison. Prince Thomas only uses me as a sex toy. But Prince Ethan, he loves you. I knew he was the ex you once told me about."
I stared at her in shock, then I quickly dragged her to my room and locked the door. "How did you know?"
"The way he looked at you when he first arrived," she said softly. "He loves you, but the way his face turned cold after… it means you hurt him before."
I sighed. "Can you help me get out of this situation?"
"You want to run away?" she asked.
"I can't keep doing this with him, Katherine. It's too dangerous. Look at Monica's fate!"
She nodded slowly. "The queen is planning to send ten maids overseas for some errands. It'll take them a month to return."
"Really?" I asked, feeling a glimmer of hope for the first time.
"Yes. By ship."
"Yes! I'll write my name! Are you going too?"
"Of course," she said. "I want to escape Prince Thomas."
I sighed in relief after writing my name among those travelling overseas. One month away was enough, my contract would end by then.
While walking past the balcony, we suddenly heard strange noises. Groans. Moans. We exchanged looks and decided to check.
What we saw made my heart ache.
Monica was on the floor, surrounded by guards. One of them was thrusting into her roughly while others stood around, waiting for their turn.
"I feel sorry for her," I whispered.
"Actually, she brought it on herself," Katherine said coldly. "She tried to get pregnant for the crown prince. What was she thinking?"
"Maybe she loved him…" I murmured.
"She was sleeping around for money," Katherine said. "Even if Prince Thomas liked her, could he ever accept that?"
I nodded sadly. "That's true."
The rest of the day felt strange. The other maids kept acting differently toward me. I wasn't allowed to lift anything or do chores. They treated me like some fragile doll. Even the queen's loyal maids, who feared no one, refused to let me work.
It was scary. Did Ethan buy all of them?
"Ahhh! What should I do?" I panicked, pacing my room. "I need to leave before he returns!"
I quickly packed my few things for the trip. Whether it was today or tomorrow, I had to get on that ship.
After saying goodbye to my mom, I met Katherine, who was already prepared.
"Is it today?" I asked.
"Either tonight or early tomorrow," she said. "Some are already on the ship."
My heart danced with joy. The further the car moved away from the palace, the freer I felt. "I'm safe now," I whispered happily
When we reached the sea, I smiled as I climbed the ship's stairs. The ship was massive and shining beautifully. "So expensive…" I muttered.
"You look happy," Katherine teased.
I nodded. "You don't understand, I just saved my life. I may have fallen for him, but I can't lose my life because of him. If I die, he'll just marry another woman."
"Good choice," she said. "The queen never jokes when it comes to Prince Thomas, imagine what she'd do for Prince Ethan."
I laughed softly and went to explore the ship. It was peaceful. I ate some fruit and gazed at the endless blue water. "Almost night," I murmured.
"Enjoying yourself, huh?"
I froze when I heard that familiar voice. Slowly, I turned — and there he was, leaning lazily against the wall, dressed in black pants and a white shirt with two buttons open. My heart skipped.
He looked so hot.
My face changed immediately. "What are you doing here?" I asked nervously, glancing left and right.
He moved closer. "You're trying to run away again?"
I shook my head immediately. "No… the queen is sending maids…"
"Running away," he cut in, "is the only thing you're good at."
"My prince, I can explain…"
"I'm speaking," he said firmly. His voice was cold and authoritative.
"Whether you like it or not, you're my queen. Didn't I tell you to trust me? You only think about yourself. What about me?"
I stared at him, and I gritted my teeth. There was pain in his eyes and I hate seeing him in pain.
"Things can't work between us," I said, as tears streamed down my face. "I can't become your queen. Your parents won't allow it, and even the entire kingdom will mock you."
"You think I care?"
"But you hated me, Ethan! How can you suddenly like me now?"
He chuckled quietly. "You thought this palace really needed maids when they hired you?"
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Where have you ever heard that someone chooses to work in a royal palace?" he asked. "The royal family chooses for you. The lowest service years are five."
My eyes widened.
"I instructed them to hire you," he said, his voice low. "Because I thought you missed me… and wanted to come close again."
"I didn't even know you were a prince!" I protested.
He raised a brow. "My face is everywhere in the kingdom, and you didn't know?"
"I…I…I don't pay attention to that stuff…" I stammered.
He smiled sadly. "I felt betrayed when I saw you with that man. I've been watching you ever since. You're mine, Allison, no matter what."
"I don't know about any of that… but please, Ethan, let me go," I pleaded softly.
He nodded slowly, stepped back, just as I thought he would finally listen to me…
"Take her back to the palace," he said coldly.
Two guards appeared out of nowhere and gently grabbed my arms.
"No! No, please, my prince! I'm begging you!" I cried.
But Ethan didn't even look back. He was already in the car… driving away.