Kissing Hellfire: Marry Me, Evil Lord
Chapter 140: Is Courtship Needed?

Chapter 140: Is Courtship Needed?

"You are not allowed to leave me."

Not a word left Lauren’s lips while staring at Alec after what he said. She did not know what she should say. Before she could think about it, he had walked past her and she stayed where she was standing until he left the hallway.

He didn’t want her to leave... but she had to. No matter what would happen, it was non-negotiable.

Ever since her mother died, all her life she felt like she didn’t fit in the castle. She was ridiculed for being a lowly concubine’s daughter, for being the black sheep in the royal family. She felt unwanted. The people in the castle, even her father, wanted her out of the castle. She always knew that her presence didn’t matter, and she became used to it as time passed.

For the first time, someone in the place where she grew up told her to stay. For the first time, she felt needed... she felt valued. She felt like finally she earned her place in the royal castle.

She felt happy. But it was the kind of happiness that hurt.

"You won’t go down for dinner?" Lauren tore her gaze off the book she was reading and turned to Alec who was walking towards her. He had been busy the rest of the day and it was the first time he saw her since that morning when they went to the dungeon.

"Should I tell the maid to bring our dinner here?" He asked as he took off his royal suit, leaving his long-sleeved undershirt topped with a vest. A bit of his hair went to his forehead when he unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt. He then sat on the edge of the bed, in front of the chair where she sat.

"Let’s have dinner here then," she simply said and went back to the book she was reading, but she could no longer focus. Alec’s blatant stare was a distraction.

After he called a maid and gave orders to send their dinner over, she asked him, "Any news about Jasper Owens?"

"The council is on it. He must be hiding in someone’s skirt right now. I believe he has strong connections with the rebels," Alec answered in a cold tone. The mention of the man’s name irritated him. He only saw Jasper once, that was when Lauren went to the ball in Owens’ mansion, but he could remember every detail of his face. And he swore to kill the man himself. Lauren was put in danger because of him.

"And if we are unable to find him despite the council searching Evardin thoroughly, it means he’s receiving protection from someone powerful. The mastermind of the rebels must be one of the elites. After all, the council nor the royal guards cannot easily search the houses of the nobles," Lauren said, her thoughts straying far from the thoughts she had about the book before Alec arrived.

Alec had stationed people in the borders to monitor the arrival and departure of people in Evardin since it was possible that Jasper might be planning to leave the kingdom. Despite of that, they knew Jasper could be out of the land now. No matter how strict the guards of the exits were, if he had strong connections, he might have managed to get through it.

"If that bastard managed to escape Evardin, the nearest land is Acheron and he’d most likely stop by after long hours of journey. I will send men to cooperate with Acheron’s council."

Lauren shook her head at what Alec said. "I don’t think Jasper would leave the kingdom. He seems angry about Thalia’s situation. For sure he would do something to take her out of the castle."

In the middle of their talk, their dinner arrived. The servant carefully placed the dishes on the small round table in the corner of the bedroom. She left right after.

There were only two chairs on the table. Alec pulled a chair for Lauren, which made her lips twitch.

"You are becoming a gentleman these days, Your Majesty," Lauren teased. She had never seen him so chivalrous to other women. Back when she was still a princess and she often saw him in the palace balls, she always noticed how aloof he was to women. He could even pretend that they were not talking to him without caring if it was rude or not.

"Is it because you confessed your love for me and now you are courting me?" Her brow raised arrogantly, looking at him through the candles at the center of the table. Even without the lack of light, he still looked dark, full of menace, and very much... handsome. Malicious thoughts filled her mind out of nowhere, making her insides flutter.

"Do I still need to court you? I am your husband," he reminded as if she wasn’t aware of it.

"But it all started with a contract, Alec. To be specific, I was the one who offered you the marriage. You were bored so you accepted it. We are married, yes, but we are not having a romantic relationship."

He set aside his plate and got hers. While cutting off the meat on her plate, he questioned, "So you want me to court you. Is that it?"

"Should you not?" She challenged him. "I don’t share the same affection you have for me. You have violated the number one rule in our contract so I guess the contract doesn’t work now. If you want this to work, why don’t you try to make me fall for you? I might change my mind and consider staying as your queen forever."

Now that Alec’s feelings for her were clear, she doubted if he would give up their marriage easily. He was a lord of his own, someone who always found solutions to his problems by hook or by crook. So to make him lose interest in her, there was one thing she could do. Tire him out and make him believe that their marriage would never work out the way he expected.