A Game Of Chess With A Vampire
Chapter 257: Lost...?

Chapter 257: Lost...?

Avelina’s face furiously heated up in embarrassment, and she watched Draven sit up on the bed, wishing the ground could open up and swallow her.

How would she have known he was awake? I mean, he sounded like he was asleep. Come to think of it, he has never slept at night before. Why the heck did she even assume that he was asleep? No, why did she even touch him like that?

The urge to burst into tears overwhelmed her, leaving her unable to deal with the level of embarrassment she was feeling.

"Why did you stop?" Draven ran his fingers through his hair, wrapping it up into a pleasantly messy man bun.

Avelina squinted her lashes.

"W-what?"

"Well, you were exploring," Draven responded. "No one has ever done that to me before. I didn’t stop you because I was curious. I was not exactly sure what you were doing, but it seemed like you wanted to get a closer look. It felt like you had never seen my face before." He looked at her, his expression one of amusement.

"Also, your face is very red. Hmm, your ears and the tip of your nose too."

Avelina gazed at him for a short while before slowly getting down from the bed. She walked into the bathroom, shut the door behind her, and buried her face in her palms, deeply embarrassed.

"Arghhhh, Avelina, why did you do that to him?" She beat her head with her hands and quickly rushed to the sink to stare at her face.

Her eyes twitched uncontrollably, and she tightened her hold on the sink. "Somebody, please kill me!!"

She turned the tap on and palmed a large amount of water to splash on her face. It took a while before the embarrassment she felt dissipated.

She took a deep breath, straightened up, and proceeded out of the bathroom, but she was met with disappointment when she opened the door.

Draven was...gone!

"That...fast?" she mumbled, having not expected him to leave.

I mean, it’s not weird that he left, after all, she did say she only wanted to wake up to him, not that she wanted him to stay.

She just thought he would have stayed a bit longer, even if it were just for a few minutes.

A deep, cynical breath fled her nose, and she shut the door to the bathroom. She walked over to the bed and sat down.

Today, she would figure it out—what exactly it was that her heart wanted and how she felt. She does not have the desire to be confused any longer or hurt this man any more than she already has.

She softly smiled at herself and quickly turned her head the second she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," she answered.

Camilla and Thalia walked in.

"Good morning, my lady," they greeted in unison, politely dipping in curtsy.

"Good morning," Avelina replied, standing up from the bed. She walked to the bathroom.

Camilla and Thalia followed suit.

...

At the pavilion, Avelina sat alone, having her meal. Just as Draven had said, they were having separate meals, be it breakfast or dinner. No matter how many times she tried explaining to him, he concluded he was making her uncomfortable and wouldn’t believe her.

She deeply sighed and chewed down the small slice of pancake in her mouth. It was currently eleven a.m. in the morning, and everyone, including Draven, had gone to sleep.

She was the only one awake. Although there was still one maid yet to sleep, this was due to her still having her breakfast.

Avelina glanced at the maid, who stood by the side, unmoving. She politely smiled at her and stood up from her chair.

"I’m done. Thank you very much."

The maid replied, "It is my pleasure." She went ahead to clear off the table.

Avelina adjusted her light blue dress and tucked her hair behind her ear. She stepped out of the pavilion and left to stroll the royal grounds.

As usual, she was left drowning in boredom, but this time around, she had no desire to stay cooped up in her room and read all day. She needed some fresh air in order to clear her mind and think things through.

Catching a glimpse of the white-colored curvy bench situated close to the flower-sculpted water fountain, she smiled. She approached the bench, wiped it off, and took a seat.

Her soft gaze was fixed on the fountain, watching the way the water gurgled and poured onto each other.

"Bored?" Someone’s voice suddenly sounded

Avelina immediately turned her head. She fluttered her lashes at the sight of Aurora, who stood there, staring at her with a warm smile on her lips.

"Ah...I guess," she stuttered.

Aurora chortled. She asked, "May I have a seat?"

Avelina glanced at the space beside her and frantically nodded her head. "Of course." She shifted.

Aurora sat down on the bench beside her. She lifted her head to glimpse the fountain.

"Are you alright?" she inquired.

Avelina nodded, seeming a bit confused. "Yes..." She couldn’t understand why Aurora would ask. Didn’t she look okay?

Aurora beamed and adjusted on the bench. She could glimpse the perplexed look on Avelina’s face, so she went ahead to clarify, "I asked because you looked like you had something on your mind. You seemed lost."

"Lost...?" Avelina furrowed her brows, bewildered.

Aurora nodded. "Mhm. Your face says it all."

Avelina could not help but stare at her. If she could tell that she had something on her mind, could she also be able to answer her questions? Would she be able to help her figure things out?

Aurora had been the only one nice to her since she came to the royal family, so maybe she could inquire from her.

Avelina took a deep breath. She began to fidget with her fingers and bit her lip, not exactly sure where to begin.

"Um...Aurora," she mumbled.

Aurora looked at her. "Hm? Is there a problem?"