Chapter 18 - Avoid Trouble And It Will Go Away

That night, Reo requested that he could sleep in my room; in fact, he insisted upon it. I granted it as long as he wouldn't touch me and he rapidly agreed. However, he got a huge slap in the morning for making me wake up to him touching my chest. For the rest of the day, I walked around the palace, content as can be. I read through one of my past journals, trying to find a way back when I ran into Hiroto.

Seeing me, he immediately blushed and turned around, running away. Is he trying to avoid me? Oh, I don't think so! As I jumped across a pond and under a bridge, I then waited for him at a corner. As he turned it, he jumped, falling to the floor. I giggled, eventually extending my hand out for him to take. "You can't avoid me forever, Hiroto. Why don't you stop acting like a shy little boy and come have lunch with me!"

My smile was hypnotic, making everything around me dull in comparison to me. That kiss was no accident, it was what he desired and he acted on impulse. He remembered how soft my lips were and the sweet scent of my hair, which reminded him of roses.

Despite his reason telling him to refuse, he joined me in having my lunch. The way I ate, the way I reacted while trying different foods, all of those expressions made him dig an even deeper hole for himself. The more he talked to me, the more beautiful and the more desirable I became. He wanted me. He wanted me badly...

Just as he was about to lose control, my expression turned sullen. "Hiroto... I've got a question and I need you to answer it honestly..." He looked up at me immediately, his eyes fixated on mine. "Reo... how was his childhood?" Hiroto frowned. "Lord Reo was the sole heir to this nation. Because of the ancestral rules, he could only continue being Lord if he only took one wife. He married a woman who had a high fertility horoscope, which happened to be Lord Reo's birth mother. She gave birth to Reo around a year after their marriage. However, late Lord Watari did not love his wife. He only cared about shaping and moulding his son into becoming a great warrior."

That's where the paranoia of constantly having to be the best must have come from. Hiroto continued. "One day, while travelling to another country, the late Lady and late Lord Takahashi died. There was a storm and their carriage went flying over the cliff. That was when Lord Reo was only thirteen." So at only thirteen years old, he was already shouldering so much responsibility. I then smiled.

"So... he's just like me then." I made that smile again, a smile that made Hiroto want to kiss me again. "Lady Mimi? Is that you?" Edamura Sawano appeared out of thin air, rushing towards us. Seeing me, he took my hands and smiled. "I've missed you terribly, Lady Mimi. Please lend me more of those strange books! I've learnt quite a big deal from them!" Hiroto looked at Edamura, tilting his head to the side. "What do you mean, books? And what have you learnt?" He grinned and showed Hiroto a picture book of a children's story.

"Never talk to a strange wolf in the forest! That's the lesson here!" I giggled. "Not quite. The lesson isn't to talk to strangers in general. Back in my hometown, mothers used to tell their children these stories in order to show them what the consequences would be if something like that happened." Edamura seemed to be appreciating the collection of children's books that I have. He's gone through them at an exponential rate. But I'm glad that I get to spend time with these two. They are great people to be around, especially for research purposes. I'm lucky to be here...

...----------------...

Thank you for reading my book! Make sure to like if you've enjoyed the story and want more. Subscribe by tapping the heart button so you don't miss any updates. Doing that would mean a lot! Leave a comment especially! I love to read them~.