Chapter 2

I lifted my head, meeting Alexander's gaze, making sure my eyes looked timid, with a hint of admiration.

Alexander drummed his fingers lightly on the desk, again and again, each tap echoing in my chest.

"Was it you who saved me in Westwood Hills?" His voice was smooth, but it made me feel like I'd fallen into an ice pit.

I bit my lip, my eyes filling quickly with tears that were pooling but refusing to fall.

"Your Royal Highness... It... It was me..." I stammered, my voice thick with tears. "I dare not claim any credit. I merely happened to be passing by..."

[Whoa, give her an award already. That acting is next level.]

[Ugh, how can anyone be this fake?]

[Prince Alexander, don't fall for it. She's totally lying.]

Alexander watched me, the curve of his lips deepening into a smirk, and the intrigue in his eyes growing even stronger.

He looked at me like I was a helpless creature, oblivious to the trap I'd fallen into, still struggling in vain.

"Oh? happened to be passing by?" He rose from his seat in an unhurried manner, strolling toward me step by step.

The scent from him enveloped me in an instant, and the sheer force of his presence made it almost impossible to breathe.

He stopped in front of me, bent down, and his slender fingers firmly pinched my chin, forcing me to look straight into his eyes. "Then tell me where I was wounded? What poison was I afflicted with? And how did you manage to save me?"

Three questions like mountains crushing my chest, leaving me gasping for air.

I was screwed. I didn't have a clue. Cold sweat broke out across my back.

[Here we go. Iconic scene alert. Let's see how she spins her way out of this.]

[Hurry up and say something. Out of lies, huh? Get ready for your punishment.]

As I read those gleeful comments, a desperate, reckless resolve surged within me. I couldn't admit it. That would be the end of me.

My mind raced. My father was a hunter, and I'd picked up some basic knowledge of herbs from him when I was little.

Suddenly, I remembered hearing on my way to Capitavia that Alexander had been ambushed and struck by a rare poison, barely making it out alive. It was time to roll the dice.

Tears poured down my cheeks as I cried, looking as fragile as a lily in the storm. "Your Highness... back then, you took an arrow to the chest, and it was coated with Frenzy Venom.

"When it hit, your whole body started convulsing, like you'd gone mad... I'm no healer, but I remembered my father once mentioning a miraculous antidote in the mountains called Nightshade Remedy, so... so I fed it to you..."

Once I finished speaking, I held my breath. The entire room was dead silent.

Alexander's grip on my chin tightened. His eyes became piercing and impossible to read, as if he could see straight into my soul.

[Whoa, how does she know all that? Even Frenzy Venom and Nightshade Remedy?]

[She's guessing, right? There's no way she actually knows. What are the odds?]

[Wait, didn't the original story mention her dad was an expert hunter? It makes sense she'd know about herbs.]

As I read that comment, half the tension in my chest finally eased. I gambled and won.

Alexander stared at me for so long, I thought he might crush my throat right then and there. Then, all at once, he released me and flashed a smile.

"Very well." He straightened, towering over me. "You saved me, so naturally, you deserve a reward. From today onward, you'll live in Moonview Pavilion at the Eastarian Palace. Whatever you need or want, say the word."

He paused, his voice dripping with implication. "I'll make sure to 'take care' of you." He lingered on the word "care."

I lay trembling on the ground, but it wasn't from fear. It was from a rush of thrill burning inside me.

Alexander, I was in. Let the games begin. Let's see who got the last laugh in the end.