I am the Queen

Chapter 80

Satele\'s house

It was a weekend, so Satele was doing house chores, and Seth was out to his part-time job while their mother was in the hospital for her weekly check-up.

It was supposed to be a relaxing day for Satele of just doing house tasks, but the sudden appearance of Asher ruined it all. Apparently, the man had so much free time to criticized her house.

"What a poor choice of color. That sofa is so old than my grandfather\'s clock. That lamp looks hideous. That vase is out of place, "Asher rant on and on, pointing all over the place.

Irritation welled in Satele\'s heart, and if Asher didn\'t shut up soon, he would find the end of the broom on his face.

She took a mouthful of air and slowly breathed it out of her mouth. She wouldn\'t give him the satisfaction of seeing her annoyed, which somehow that was all he came to do.

"Ouch!"

Satele\'s attention flicked at Asher when his cries echoed in the house.

Asher rubbed the space between his brows and glared at Satele.

"Look what your stupid hanging lamp did to me. This damn thing is too low, and I\'m surprised you don\'t bump your head on this ugly thing all around."

Satele rolled her eyes and resumed wiping the table. "We short people don\'t have that privilege."

Satele jolted when out of the blue, large palms hit the table, trapping her with no else to go. She faced Asher and raised an eyebrow. "What do you think you\'re doing?"

"I want you to kiss the pain away."

". . ." Satele would laugh if not for the seriousness on Asher\'s face.

"Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I\'m kidding?"

"You\'re not really hurt and you\'re asking me to kiss away the pain. Are you five?"

"Are you going to blow it away or not?" Asher said the irritation in his voice reflected on his face.

"No," Satele said, "and why should I?"

Asher\'s expression crumpled. "Woman, are you really going in that direction?" He grinned and teased, "I know you want to. Don\'t pretend that you don\'t. I know you like me."

Satele held herself for shoving the wiping cloth into Asher\'s mouth.

"Yes, I\'m attracted to you like probably all the women out there," she confessed and added, "But it\'s just a silly attraction and nothing more."

The grin on Asher\'s face widened. "Then prove it. As you said, it\'s just a silly attraction, so a kiss on the forehead isn\'t a big deal. Right?"

Satele bit her bottom lip. God, this man is so annoying.

"Fine!"

Satele rolled the words on the tip of her tongue and tiptoed to reach Asher\'s head. She closed her eyes tight and stood on the edge of her toes. Her face flushed warm, and her hair rose on end. Her stomach fluttered, but it wasn\'t unpleasant. If she opened her mouth now, her words would only fumble. This was the effect on her by this man, who she claimed she just had a silly attraction.

Straining her neck, Satele leaned closer. But no matter how she stretched her body, she could barely reach Asher\'s head, much less his forehead.

Satele opened her eyes and shot Asher the most murderous glare she could muster.

"You\'re enjoying this, aren\'t you?"

Asher repressed his grin with no such luck. "Not as much as when I\'m teasing you."

"Get off!" Satele snapped and pushed Asher away.

But Asher remained on his spot. Sturdy as a rock. He merely caught Satele\'s hand, and the grin fell right off his face.

"Something is missing on your finger."

Satele snatched her hand back and answered in a snapping tone, "None of your business!"

"It is my business because I gave it to you."

"Exactly! You\'ve already given it to me. So what I do with it doesn\'t concern you anymore!"

"Why can\'t you just answer me? Where\'s the ring?"

Satele huffed a breath of irritation. "It\'s in my room. I don\'t wear it because, as you can see, I\'m cleaning."

Asher sneered. "You have so many excuses. Why don\'t you just say that you don\'t want to wear the ring?"

Satele looked at Asher for a moment and sighed. "You\'re impossible."

She then scooted away from him and resumed cleaning, but Asher held her hand.

"I\'m still talking to you."

"There\'s nothing to talk about. You\'re being unreasonable. And can you please get out? You\'re interfering with my work."

"I won\'t leave until you wear that god damn ring, and I\'ll stay as long as I want."

"Are you a child?" Satele whisked her hand away and faced Asher with a serious face. "I am busy. I have to clean the whole house. Do the laundry and study well in school while juggling with my part-time jobs. I don\'t have the time to take care of you and your silly games. So could you just please pester someone else?"

Satele was about to leave, but Asher held her hand again, and this time, he pulled her in his embrace.

"And that\'s the thing. You talk too much, but your problem is simple. Come live with me and you\'ll live like a Queen."

. . .

. . .

Asher\'s hand on Satele\'s back tightened, bringing her closer to him as his head rested on top of her head. He didn\'t know why she was so stubborn. All she had to do was ask. Rely on him, and her worries would disappear.

"For how long?"

Satele\'s question pierced the silence and covered Asher in confusion. His hold on her loosened as he captured her eyes. The lack of emotion on her face unnerve him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Satele sighed, and met his eyes. "Let\'s not play games. There\'s no love between us. Only a \'like\' and for how long will that \'like\' last? A month? Two months? Three months at most?"

She laughed with no humor and pushed Asher away. "I\'m sorry, but I don\'t have the time to invest in an emotion that I know wouldn\'t last forever."

. . .

. . .

Asher couldn\'t react to that nor opened his mouth to say anything. His brain even blanked out for a moment. Deny, as he might nor whatever reason he had, he knew she was right. For how long? He couldn\'t answer. Maybe as long as his family wouldn\'t find out and force him into marriage just like his older brother.

"Who cares?" Asher barked instead and followed Satele all around.

"As long as I\'m enjoying and your enjoying. Who cares how long? You can even beg me, and all your problems would dissolve. Please me, and you\'ll get an extra reward."

Satele looked at Asher with dead eyes and said with a dead voice, "I\'m not your whore, nor I am your mistress."

Asher grinned and cupped Satele\'s cheek. "No. you\'re my woman until I say you are."

----

Chapter 81

In Burberry amusement park, loud music, waves of laughter and screams boomed all around. Everyone was enjoying the rides and kicking up their feet to line at the attractions. They giggled and chomped corndogs and burgers down their throat while waiting in line.

At the top of the Ferris wheel, the music, roars, and excitement dimmed. Inside, Daniel and Sisley were awfully quiet like there was a death procession. They were supposed to celebrate late Christmas, but it seemed that they were mourning the dead.

Daniel was quiet throughout the date, and if ever he spoke, the words that came out from his mouth were counted in one hand. While Sisley was the star of the day, always had something to talk about, keeping the mood lively.

But as their date neared its end on a ride in a Ferris wheel at sunset, Sisley ran out of topic to say. And until the ride to her home they were quiet.

There was something different about Daniel. He was preoccupied with something for the rest of the day, and a smile rarely grazed his lips. This made Sisley on edge.

"Is something wrong?" Sisley finally asked when Daniel escorted her in front of the door of her house.

Daniel looked at her, and what left of her smile gradually disappeared. But the next words he said drained her blood from her face.

"Let\'s break up."

His words came out in soft whispers, but it landed on her gut like scalpels, tearing her insides. Her lips kicked up a smile that only appeared force.

"W-what?"

She was trying to understand what was happening, but she couldn\'t. Her brain had stopped working.

Daniel\'s eyes were clear as the blue sky as she remembered. Only, it was cold, and his face was grave as his voice.

"Sisley . . . I-I\'m sorry. I shouldn\'t have . . . I shouldn\'t have courted you from the start . . . I . . ." Daniel paused. The tears spilling on Sisley\'s cheeks made him want to vomit.

He swallowed the bitter lump in his throat as he could only say, "I\'m sorry."

He then turned, shoulder slumped like there was something heavy on his back.

Before Sisley know what she was doing, she blocked Daniel\'s path. It was the perfect distance for a kiss, but Daniel refused to look at her.

"W-why?" Sisley choked. This couldn\'t be right. They loved each other. How could it just disappear?

"You and I . . . it\'s never going to work."

Daniel then left. He didn\'t dare look back, couldn\'t look at the pain he was causing her.

Tears blurred Sisley\'s vision, rapidly streaming down her face. "Please . . . ," she whimpered, but Daniel already climbed into his car. And when she thought that he was going to come back, he left, leaving her alone.

She collapsed on her knees as the pain tore her limb by limb.

"Don\'t go . . . ," she sobbed, and her body collapsed on the ground.

----

In Daniel\'s Mansion, Lilybella was counting the stars on the balcony, waiting for Daniel to return.

The whole day, she was preparing to dress herself according to Evangeline\'s instructions. She spent painstaking long hours putting make-up, eyeliner, and false lashes just to look good. She specifically wore a dress that showed her knees and shoulders to surprise Daniel.

She was on her toes, just imagining Daniel\'s reaction. One look or just his words affected her mood.

She wondered if that is \'love\'?

She giggled.

She jumped on her feet when she saw Daniel\'s car approaching the front door. She fixed herself and went downstairs just in time Daniel entered the house.

The smile on her face almost ripped her lips apart as she blocked Daniel\'s path.

"Your Highness! Welcome home!"

The smile on Lilybella\'s face lessened when Daniel ignored her. Not even sparing her a glance as he circled his way into his room.

But Lilybella\'s enthusiasm only flared as she followed Daniel around.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! What do you want to eat? Lilybella will cook it for you!"

"Your Highness! Your Highness! How about seafood? Or pasta?"

Daniel was reached for his bedroom door when Lilybella blocked his way again.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Have you notice anything with Lilybella?"

Lilybella smiled her brightest, showcasing her crook canines as she twirled in front of Daniel, holding the edge of her dress.

"Your Highness! Your High––"

Lilybella\'s words fell short when Daniel caught her jaw with one hand, squeezing it tight.

"No I don\'t!" Daniel snapped. "I don\'t notice anything. You\'re still that annoying, irritating girl I know. And whatever you do, you\'ll forever be that girl! So get out of my sight before I kick you out of my house!"

Daniel pushed Lilybella away, not a care that she fell on her butt. He then entered his room, slamming the door shut.

. . .

. . .

Lilybella blinked and put a finger on her chin. "Maybe he didn\'t like the eyeliners?"