Lucy’s POV
By the time my eyes opened, it was new day. The sound of birds chirping were a wonderful way to start the day, and even before I sat up, I was already bubbling on the inside with some happiness. Although, I wasn’t very sure why exactly I felt happier than I had been in a while.
Beside me, the bed was empty. Shaun must have left before I woke up. I got out of bed, eager to wash up and start the day. I had even picked out clothes to wear the evening before, knowing fully well that I didn’t want anything to interfere with my plans. I had to go and see Tessa and finish setting up the venue for the Moon Festival coming up. The final touches were underway, and everything had to be absolutely perfect.
I removed my robe and opened the door to the bathroom, humming a little tune-
“Oh my goodness!” I said, pressing my hand against my chest and freezing at the door. “What are you doing here?”
There Shaun was, rinsing his face without a care in the world. He only turned around once I had finished asking my questions.
He raised a brow inquisitively, completely unaware of the jolt of shock he had sent through my body. That wasn’t all, he also had the audacity to be shirtless and still dripping with water from a recent bath. Unbidden, my eyes trailed down his body, taking painful note of the sculpted muscles and tanned, beautiful skin that were just begging me to run my hands over them.
The sight of them reminded me of the night before when we had been sleeping in the same bed, and yet, were so far apart. It wasn’t terrible, but. . . It hadn’t been enough for me. I craved more.
And now, here he was, looking at me as though daring me to take that step.
But what would it have cost?
“Do you need something?” he asked, and I didn’t miss the way his eyes went down the front of my flimsy nightdress.
After gulping down my saliva, I merely shook my head, took a step back, and shut the door. Then I went back to my bed, unable to keep my mind devoid of all the thoughts of him that flashed throug it.
I sat there until he came out of the bathroom, completely dressed. The sight was a little disappointing. I looked up at him as he came to where I sat, with a smirk on his mouth.
“What was that back there?” he asked, looking on the verge of bursting into laughter.
“Nothing. I didn’t know you were inside.”
“You didn’t hear the faucet running? Hmm. That’s strange.”
I groaned. “I just woke up. I didn’t know you were inside. I thought you had left already.”
After that he just stared at me for a while, saying nothing. Just . . . looking. I started to get a little warm and had to break eye contact.
Luckily, I was saved from further embarrassment when someone knocked on the door to the room. Before I could get up to answer it, Shaun had already beaten me there. It was like he didn’t even care about who saw us together or what they were going to think.
He opened the door to reveal Rosa, who was halfway to knocking again. Her eyes went a little wide at the sight of him, but that was the only sign of surprise she revealed.
“Hello, Rosa,” Shaun greeted with a nod. “Here to see Lucy?”
Rosa, ever the innocent, smiled sheepishly. “Yes. Is she in?”
Shaun nodded and opened the door wider, allowing her entry. As she slipped in, he turned, gave me a little nod, and stepped out, leaving us girls alone.
Rosa looked back at him as he left, before turning to me and stepping fully into the room. “What’s going on between you two?” she asked before her bottom touched my bed.
“Absolutely nothing, Rosa. He just came over to watch me during the night. You know how things are currently.”
“Yes, I know that there’s someone on the loose trying to hurt you, but does he really have to come all the way just to spend the night with you?” She leaned in, giving me a knowing look. “He definitely has feelings for you.”
I shook my head, even though deep down I hoped that it was true. “He doesn’t. Didn’t you see how we were always at each other’s throats?”
“Were,” she said, “and that seemed to have been a long while back. Now, things look good between you and the triplets. You’re even working together with them on this Moon Festival preparations.”
I sighed, knowing fully well that this was already a lost argument. My eyes went over Rosa’s face. She looked much better, but I couldn’t quite push away the images of her twitching on the ground the other day, coming so close to death.
“How are you feeling?” I asked her quietly. “Any side effects or symptoms you’re still experiencing?”
She shrugged. “Not at all. Whatever the doctor gave me was very potent. Was feeling perfect in about a full day.” She noticed the look on my face and touched my shoulder. “And you need to stop blaming yourself. You didn’t know that the food had been poisoned. Besides we have other things to talk about, like those two snobs that came into this pack and had to move to this wing.”
“Are you talking about Gert and her brother?”
“Mhmm. They’re so annoying. They keep getting in the way of everything. The servants are having a tough time with them.”
“That’s interesting,” I said getting up from the bed. “But also expected. Since the very first day they came, I knew they were trouble. Something’s off about them, but I can’t place my finger on what.”
–
Later on, I finally set out to the venue for the Moon Festival, hoping to finish setting up. But as I got there, I noticed that things were looking a little different than I had left it last time I had been there.
I stopped one of the decorators helping out. “What’s going on? Why haven’t the banners been put up yet?”
The woman’s eyes shook with a frantic light. “Um, someone came and told us that we were doing things the wrong way and had to change things.”
“Who? Am I not the one in charge here?”
The woman’s eyes turned fearful. “I-I’m sorry. She threatened to have me sent away from here if I didn’t do as she said.” Her body started to shake.
I sighed. “There’s no need to get frightened, just tell me who this lady is.”
The woman pointed forward to the front of the hall, where there was indeed, a woman bossing around the workers, nearly screeching.
I walked across the hall to where the woman was, stifling the annoyance growing within me. Who gave this person the audacity to just come and ruin what I had been working on for weeks?
“Who are you, and what are you doing?” I asked once I was within proper distance.
She turned around, and immediately I saw her face, I couldn’t help but inwardly groan.
It was Gert.