Caelum immediately shoved me into the carriage, not wanting the misunderstanding to fester any longer.
"It was a reflex." He said, explaining himself as he got on, and I mouthed a little, 'no one asked for an explanation'. "Nothing more. I have no reason to save a female like you."
I was on my knees in the carriage, unable to understand how he shoved me into the carriage so quickly that I couldn't react.
Then, I lifted my head, my perfectly combed hair now disheveled.
I looked at him, mad, but then noticed the little flush on top his pale ear. Oh my, mister 'I'm the coldest in the land' has a flush on his ear. Isn't that cute?
I got up, dusting the coat, and then walked up to him, kneeling with one knee on the space between his legs and leaning my body onto him.
He opened his eyes and flinched, startled because he didn't see this coming. Who told him to keep his eyes closed because he felt embarrassed?
"What kind of female am I?" I asked, keeping my eyes on his. His eyes trembled a bit, and I watched him swallow, his Adams apple shifting to the movement. "Hm? It seems we started on the wrong foot. Do you want a do-over? You can still get yourself in my good books if you try just a tiny little bit harder than you are now."
"Who's trying to get in your good books?" He asked, trying to keep his expression firm, but that flicker in his expression was already giving him away.
"Oh? You're not?" I leaned my face closer, my breath brushing against his icy, pale cheek. "Then should I interpret this as your usual interaction with females?"
"Lyssa, stop it." He said, frowning. "You can sit on the other side of the carriage and don't come close to me."
"Why not?"
I moved away from him but just as he was feeling relieved, I balanced right next to him, grabbing his arm and he just couldn't fling me off.
"I think it's safer sitting next to you like this."
"It's not. It's dangerous," he said, throwing his face towards the window.
Wow, is he being shy? He's so fun to tease.
But I decided to let him be for a while. Just holding on to his arm like this was enough to create a misunderstanding. If I can get that, then it's fine.
Then, I began to hear chatter outside the carriage. It was a bit loud and annoying.
"What's going on?" I asked, opening my eyes.
"They say the dragon prince has woken up and is returning to the capital." Caelum responded, even before I probed him.
It was as if his uneasy nerves had settled down. But even now, he wasn't pushing me away.
"Dragon prince?" I whispered, as if something came to mind but I grinned. "Is he handsome?"
Caelum looked at me with a look of disdain, knowing what I had in mind but he still didn't push me away.
"Mind yourself, Lyssa. If you mess with the royal family, you might not live to tell the tale."
"How scary," I whispered and then closed my eyes again.
It'd be nice if I could bag royalty as well. And though I'm confident there's no man I can't entice, I don't want to draw unnecessary trouble yet.
Let's just focus on these wealthy brothers for now. I have a lot to milk out of them. I licked my lips.
The carriage finally stopped, but I was having a nice little nap. I slept the whole night, but the gentle rocking of the carriage made me sleepy again.
Caelum tapped me gently, not something you'd expect from a man who had been constantly disrespected by me. I was sure he was so close to throwing me out a window that morning but after a series of back and forth, he suddenly softened up towards me.
Was it that easy? I wondered. No, it was just that my charm was too strong.
I opened my eyes, not waking up to his pat but to the feeling of the carriage no longer moving.
"Are we there already?" I asked as I lifted my body, and Caelum stiffened.
I brushed my hair over my hair, my mouth in a small pout as I tried to recollect myself after that short nap. Then, I saw him staring at me.
What? Was there something on my face?
"There's..." He gestured at his own lip but I couldn't understand yet, not when my brain was still trying to function.
So, instead of his gestures, he reached his hand towards me and brushed the hair that was stuck in my mouth away.
I blinked and then turned my head away, angry. That was so uncool.
How could I have hair in my mouth?
Still... I glanced back at him and found him blushing in the ear again. He was such a strange one.
And then, as I tried to get off the carriage, he asked an even stranger question,
"Are you serious about my bother?"
I paused, my head counting one two three before understanding the simply question he had just asked.
"What's that about?" I asked, rubbing my neck and he looked at me blankly.
There was no expression on his face for me to read, no movement in his eyes either. He just stared blankly, with a cold gaze like he did the first time we met, though not as cold.
"You shouldn't ask a female who just woke up weird questions." I said and got up, planning to exit the carriage. "I'll head out now."
But I had forgotten that the carriage was high and the footing wasn't something I could handle.
I thought we were walking on bare ground so when I stepped out, I was on my way to falling face flat. A fall that could break my nose and ruin my perfect face, when a hand wrapped around my waist and caught me midair, holding me up like I weighed nothing.
"You should pay attention to where you're going," Caelum said and I looked back at him, my heart hammering in fright.
That was close. That was... Really close.