Chapter 3
The food tasted bland this morning, and I knew it had nothing to do with the ingredients or the chef. It was me. My mood had been off ever since I heard that Chaos might have been involved with someone else. The thought gnawed at me, no matter how hard I tried to push it away.
Did I really fall for him?
I shook my head, trying to focus on my mission. I hadn’t accomplished anything since arriving at the palace, and it was time to change that. Maybe I could start by investigating the servants. Some of them had likely been here before the war and might know something about what happened to the Vampire Kingdom.
After forcing down a few bites of breakfast, I changed into simpler clothes. Long dresses would only hinder my movements, and I wanted to blend in as much as possible. Comfortable trousers and a loose tunic would do. I inspected myself in the mirror. My red hair was still a problem—it was too striking. But then I remembered the rainbow-haired vampires from yesterday. If they could flaunt their colorful locks, maybe my red hair wouldn’t stand out as much. I decided to leave it down, hoping it would help me blend in.
As I stepped into the hallway, I nearly collided with Chaos. He looked me up and down, his sharp eyes taking in my outfit.
“Where are you going?” he asked, his tone casual but his gaze intense.
“Nowhere,” I replied, avoiding his eyes.
“Really?” he pressed, raising an eyebrow.
I sighed. “I just want to walk around freely, okay? Without guards following me everywhere.”
He studied me for a moment, then his expression softened. “If you want to ask or tell me anything, you can trust me.”
I nodded, though I wasn’t sure how much I could trust him. Not yet.
“Before you go,” he said, reaching into his pocket, “let me give you this.” He handed me a sleek black card.
I stared at it, my eyes widening. A black card—limitless spending. My heart skipped a beat.
“Oh my…” I muttered before I could stop myself.
“I’m guessing you like it,” he said, a smirk tugging at his lips.
I tried to hide my excitement. “Nuh.”
“Then maybe you don’t need this,” he teased, snatching the card back.
“Hey!” I protested, reaching for it.
He laughed and handed it back. “Alright, here you go.”
I composed myself, trying to act nonchalant. “Since I have this card, does it mean I can go outside the palace?”
“Yes, you can go anywhere… in the capital,” he said, hesitating slightly.
“Without the guards,” I pressed.
“Without the guards,” he conceded.
“Great!”
“Just be sure to come back before night falls.”
“Got it,” I said, unable to hide my excitement.
“Oh, by the way,” he added, his voice dropping to a low, intimate tone. “Before you go, I need to give you one more thing.”
“What is it?” I asked, curious.
“This,” he said, pulling me into a sudden, passionate kiss. My traitorous body responded before my mind could catch up, and I found myself kissing him back with equal intensity.
Poor me.
We were lost in the moment when someone cleared their throat loudly. I tried to pull away, but Chaos held me tighter, growling softly as he gently bit my lip. His grip was firm, but I wasn’t about to let this escalate in front of an audience. I placed my hand between us and gave a gentle squeeze. Shocked, Chaos loosened his hold, and I took the opportunity to step back.
“Your Majesty,” said an elderly woman standing in the doorway. She looked ancient, her face lined with wrinkles. Most vampires stopped aging at a certain point, so her appearance was unusual. Is she even a vampire?
Chaos composed himself, though his cheeks were still flushed. “Marcela,” he said, acknowledging her.
“Your Majesty, this is…?” Marcela asked, her sharp eyes darting to me.
“She is Aroa,” Chaos said, his voice firm. “My woman.”
“I—” I started to protest, but Chaos cut me off.
“Aroa, this is Marcela, my uncle’s widow,” he said, gesturing to her.
Marcela’s eyes widened in shock. Clearly, this was news to her. Did Chaos never introduce his past lovers to her? Not that I was his lover—disclaimer: I was not!
I’d heard that Chaos was raised by his uncle. If his uncle had passed away, it couldn’t have been a natural death. Immortals didn’t age, but we could still die if someone decided to kill us.
“Your Majesty,” Marcela said, recovering from her surprise, “Sabina is returning.”
My heart skipped a beat. Why is she telling him this? Does he care?
“The prime minister is one of your most loyal subjects,” Marcela continued. “We are expected to welcome his only daughter.”
“What do you suggest?” Chaos asked, his tone casual as he gently kissed my palm—right in front of Marcela.
Okay, this is getting awkward.
Marcela looked uncomfortable but pressed on. “We should prepare a celebration for her.”
“Mmm,” Chaos agreed, still holding my hand. “You take care of it. I’m busy with… important matters.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Marcela said, though she looked like she wanted to say more. She bowed and left, her expression unreadable.
As soon as she was gone, Chaos pulled me into another embrace. “How about you forget about going out, and we continue where we left off?” he whispered, his breath warm against my ear.
I kissed his jaw, feeling him inhale sharply as if trying to restrain himself. Then I moved to his lips, kissing him soundly before pulling away.
“How about no?” I said with a smirk, then darted past him before he could stop me.
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