(Next morning)
Eva sat on the bed, legs crossed, hands folded neatly in her lap, her eyes fixed on Kyel as he rifled through the mess around the room.
"Did you find it?" she asked, tilting her head.
Kyel didn't look up. "No… not yet."
Eva sighed, glancing at the clock. "It's 10 already. We've been stuck in this room for four hours."
Her voice softened slightly, but there was an edge. "Kyel, you said you had to go to work today, and it's very important, right?"
Kyel gave a quick nod, still searching. "Yes. Very important."
"Then move those hands a little faster," Eva snapped, tapping her fingers impatiently.
"I'm trying, Eva… can't you see?"
"Why did you toss it away like a fool?" she fired back.
"And why did you lock the door like an even bigger fool?" Kyel countered without missing a beat.
"You called me a fool!"
"You did it first," he shot back.
"Now you're blaming me?"
"Of course it's your fault. Why did you lock the door?"
Eva crossed her arms. "If I didn't, you would've run to another country last night when I tried to seduce you."
Kyel laughed. "That's true… I really would have run away from you."
"You dare laugh? You think this is funny, don't you?"
Kyel shook his head, smile fade away. "No… sorry."
"Now stop showing me your teeth and look again carefully for the key. Where did you toss it?"
She pointed at the floor. "Look there too. See if it's there."
"I already looked there."
He rubbed his hair frantically. "I swear I tossed it that way. Where did it go?"
"Are you sure?" she asked, tilting her head with mock suspicion.
"Why are you asking me? You were here too. You saw me tossing it, didn't you?"
"No, I didn't see it."
"What?"
"Yes. I was looking into your eyes, so I didn't see you tossing it to the floor."
Kyel blinked, cheeks flushing. "Oh… oh."
"I'm not so sure either," he muttered, rubbing his red face. "I wasn't looking at the key either."
"You were not?"
"Nope."
"Then where were you looking?"
Kyel's gaze faltered and dropped slowly from her eyes to her breasts.
Eva followed, feeling her face heat up as she looked down, then their eyes met again—awkward, electric. Both of them quickly averted their gaze.
"Oh… I guess we both didn't see where the key went," Eva said quietly, biting her lip.
Kyel's cheeks burned crimson. "Yes… I guess not."
He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck. "I'll look for the key again"
Kyel searched through the room again, tossing cushions, peering under the bed, and muttering to himself.
Finally, he stopped and let out a frustrated sigh. "I guess I have no other choice but to break it."
Eva's eyes widened. "Wait… are you going to break the door?"
"Yes," he said firmly, gripping the doorknob.
"Why?"
"Because that's the only way."
Eva shook her head. "No, we have another way too. You don't need to break the door."
Kyel frowned, confused. "What other way, Eva?"
"Why break the door when we can just open it with the key?"
Kyel blinked. "Yes… but we don't have the key."
"Who said that?"
Kyel's eyes narrowed. "Princess, are you okay? We are stuck here because we don't have the key."
Eva raised an eyebrow, smiling mischievously. "Who said we don't have the key?"
Kyel ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Of course we don't have the key! That's why we're stuck in this room!"
Eva's grin widened. Slowly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the small, shiny key. "So… you were looking for this all this time?"
Kyel froze. "Wait…"
His face turned red-hot with anger. "Eva! You had the key all this time with you?!"
"Yes," she said casually, twirling the key between her fingers.
"I was the one who took it from the floor while you were sleeping."
Kyel threw his hands up. "Then why didn't you give it to me?"
Eva leaned back, smiling like a queen who had just won a battle. "I was just teasing you… a little."
Kyel groaned, pacing in circles. "Eva! You were teasing me? Didn't you see how desperate I was? I was searching for the key for four hours!"
Eva's eyes sparkled, and she tilted her head. "Oh… so you were desperate, Kyel?"
"Yes!" he snapped, cheeks burning.
Eva leaned closer, her voice playful. "Tell me, Kyel… are you feeling hurt now that you know the truth?"
Kyel sighed, defeated, and ran a hand over his face. "Yes, Eva… I feel hurt… so much hurt."
"Kyel, if you feel hurt and you were desperate, then we are even," Eva said, her voice sharp, eyes flashing with anger.
Kyel frowned, confused. "What do you mean by… we are even?"
"I never hurt you or made you desperate in any way," he added quickly, trying to defend himself.
"You never did?" Eva's tone was incredulous, but the sharp edge in her voice made him pause.
"No… I never did it to you," he insisted.
Eva's eyes narrowed, her hands clenching. "Looks like you forgot. Let me remind you."
"Come closer," she demanded, her voice low, dangerous.
Kyel's brows furrowed in anger, but he obeyed, stepping closer.
In a swift motion, Eva grabbed his collar and pulled him face to face.
Her gaze burned into his. "When I broke into your room that day, you said you would leave the house if I did that again."
"Do you remember?" she hissed.
Kyel's jaw tightened as he nodded.
"That day… I was hurt because you said you would leave me," she continued, her voice trembling with fury and emotion.
Kyel's expression shifted; fear flickered in his eyes.
"And you didn't just stop there,"
Eva went on, her fingers gripping his collar. "You locked the door of your room, and left me alone."
"Do you remember that?" she demanded.
Kyel swallowed hard, nodding again.
"Eva let go of his collar and gave him a gentle push, sending him stumbling back slightly."
"Do you agree we are even now?" Her eyes bored into him, daring him to deny it.
Kyel ran a hand through his hair. "Fine… I apologize for everything I did."
"Now give me the key," he added, reaching for it in Eva's hand.
But she didn't let him.
"Eva, what are you doing? Give me the key!"
"You want the key, Kyel?" she asked, a sly smile tugging at her lips.
"Yes! I told you I have something very important to do!"
"On your knees… and beg me," she said calmly.
Kyel froze. "What?"
"You didn't hear me?" she shouted, a sharpness in her voice.
"I said beg me… on your knees."
Kyel staggered back slightly, incredulous. "Eva, you're taking this too far! Are you… are you right in your mind? You want me to beg you fo—…?"
"So you do know," Eva interrupted, her gaze burning, "that people in their right mind would never tell another person to beg, right?"
"Of course," Kyel admitted, flustered.
"Then why did you tell me to beg?" she shot back.
"When did I say that?" he stammered.
Eva grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, their lips almost touching. "Last night, when we were in bed… you stopped in the middle and wouldn't give me yourself."
Her voice dropped, low and dangerous. "And you told me to beg you… for your love."
Kyel's face burned bright red, a mix of embarrassment and guilt. "Eva… I was just teasing you."
"Teasing me?" she echoed, incredulous. "Or were you planning… not to give me what I wanted if I didn't beg?"
Kyel shook his head frantically. "No… no… there's no way! I told you, I was just teasing. I would've given myself to you… even if you didn't beg me."
"Are you telling the truth?" Her eyes searched his, fierce and unyielding.
"Yes… of course," he whispered.
Eva pushed him lightly. "Then we are fine."
She held out the key. "Here. You can take it now go and open the door."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Kyel took the key from her hand and stepped toward the door.
"Stop," Eva commanded.
He froze.
"Come back here."
Obediently, he returned.
"Bend down a little," she instructed.
Kyel bent, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Her lips brushed against his ear.
"And one more thing," she whispered.
"Yes?" he asked, tense.
"Next time, if you tease me… and tell me to beg for your love…"
Her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "I'll kill you… with my own hands."
Kyel shivered, feeling chills run down his spine. "I—I'll never do that again."
"You promise?"
"Y—Yes… I promise," he said, still trembling slightly.
Eva pulled back just a little and smiled. She patted his head. "Good boy."
"Now… give me a kiss."
Kyel chuckled nervously. "Oh… okay." He leaned in and kissed her lips.
When they parted, he wiped the corner of his mouth and asked, "Done… anything else?"
"No… now go and open the door," Eva said, her eyes flicking toward the lock.
"Okay," Kyel muttered, stumbling slightly as he made his way to the door. He fumbled with the lock for a moment, then finally twisted it open.
"Here… it's opened now," he announced.
"Good." She smiled, stepping aside. "Now I'm going to take a bath."
"Okay," Kyel said, watching her leave.
Eva paused at the door.
"And…"
Kyel straightened, alert. "Yes, Princess?"
She pointed at the floor. "Remember to clean all the mess before you go to work."
"Yes… Princess."
Eva smiled, a mix of mischief and satisfaction, and left the room.
Kyel let out a long, shaky breath and slowly walked to the bed, collapsing onto it and melting into the soft mattress. His hand went straight to his chest, gripping his pounding heart.
"Damn… she turned me on," he muttered, his voice low, almost embarrassed.
"That was… so damn sexy," he continued, his fingers tightening around his hand as if trying to calm himself. "My heart is pounding so bad…"
A grin spread across his face despite the heat crawling up his neck. "I felt goosebumps all over my body when she said she'd kill me…"
His face burned bright red. "That… that was something."
Shaking off the lingering warmth, he stood up and started picking up the mess on the floor, but a smile tugged at his lips.
"She's getting bolder and bolder every day," he thought, remembering every dangerous, teasing word she'd whispered.
"She even remembered that I told her to beg me last night…" he murmured, a shy laugh escaping him.
"I should watch my mouth next time… or she'll make me beg next time."
Still smiling, he happily swept up the scattered items, though a fleeting thought struck him.
"Wait… I don't have time for this," he muttered, tossing the mess aside.
"I need to go back to the palace… or Hans will kill me before Eva does."
Without another thought, Kyel sprinted from the room, heart still racing, cheeks still flushed, and a grin that refused to fade from his