The Crown and The Rose
Chapter 72: Angry?

Chapter 72: Angry?

The Rose

I just needed to make a few simple arrangements to make the emperor let me enter his palace without so much of a tantrum. Or else, who wants a demon lord to sleep under the same roof as you? I had just told him that all I want is to stay here without bothering a single soul in the palace. This is a simple ’request’ and if he couldn’t fulfill my wish, the outcome would be worse than any of his worst nightmares.

I didn’t need to spell out all those things to him to make him understand that I am no better than a shitstorm bringer. My appearance surely is not a good thing. I do not go to places on my own unless I want to. And that ’want’ is whether to destroy you or save you. But most of the time to destroy you. It is as simple as that.

But for the first time, I am here to prevent myself from being destroyed from the inside. To save myself. I need to take the source of my life. Nowadays, I have started to wonder if his memories are the one thing that is keeping me going or the lone thought that I am breathing in the same air as him.

I don’t pray to Gods. They can’t do a shit. So, I will just go and take what is mine even if it means to violate world rules, and step inside the human realm. Is it insane? Yes. Do I care? Absolutely not.

For the first time, I haven’t brought Phillip with me here. He would ask countless questions about what I am doing and other shits that I am not in the mood to handle. So, I just told him that I would return in a few days. He wanted to ask for details but I cut him off. I no longer have the patience to deal with the inquiry. Lush took it with him alongside the unfeeling heart inside me. He took so many things else with him but we are not talking about that right now because I am busy admiring the sight before me right now.

Lush looks as majestic and breathtaking as ever. His silver hair—which looks like gold under the golden sunlight—flows around his face so gracefully that it is perfect. His cherry red lips are parted slightly as shock and surprise flash through his sea-like blue eyes. All of him looks so tempting that I am having a hard time not taking him right here and now.

My heart squeezes and my pulse escalates. I stifle back the hitch in my breathing as everyone’s eyes are on me. My expression remains pristine, cold, and unreadable as ever.

"W-What are you doing here, My Lord?" Lush pushes up from his chair, knocking it down in the process.

"Am I obliged to answer your questions, my prince?" I return his question with a question. I can see the shock in his eyes morphing into something else. Something fiery. More like a disappointment.

"I apologize, My Lord." Lush averts his blue eyes from mine, his fist clenching and unclenching by his side as he gnaws on his bottom lip and I already miss his eyes on mine.

Zhen Xin and Erick are still eyeing me with surprise while Rosalia Red is scanning me warily. Her expression screams that she hasn’t taken a liking to me. At all. Not that I care. All I care is about bringing the silver head with me back to my palace. He doesn’t need to do any of this anymore.

"Lord Vermilion is a special guest invited here by the supreme emperor," Rosalia explains to the air because I suspect any of them is paying any attention to her explanation. It is almost cute how she thinks any of them cares about her explanation, "He will be our guest for a while."

From the words of the emperor of the Red Empire, he is unaware of Lush’s whereabouts. So I went ahead and asked Rosalia to bring me to my Lush. Not ’asked’ but ’ordered’ to be precise. And she didn’t look all that pleased about that but her hands are bound.

"This is good news then." Erick flashes a smile, trying to slash through the thick tension in the air. It is so heavy that it has everyone shifting in their position uncomfortably aside from Lush who is trying his hardest to mask the underlying anger beneath.

I wonder why he is so angry.

"It indeed is." There is a hint of mockery in Lush’s voice and I spot the redness in the rim of his beautiful eyes.

My heart lurches and starts to throw tantrums inside my ribcage at the sight. I can’t recall the last time I was this eager and anxious to know why there were tears in someone’s eyes. But things are nothing like before. I am nothing like before.

We have dinner in pin-drop silence. Nobody dares talk and I can’t bring myself up to ask Lush why he is so hurt seeing me. What did I do wrong? Maybe I know what I did wrong. But why is he affected so much? Does he feel the same way I do...?

I watch Lush the entire evening sitting beside the fountain in the garden, flipping through piles of books related to dark magic from the veranda of the room that I was given. But I can tell, he seems distant and unfocused. I have this unrestrained urge to pry into his thoughts and find out exactly what is going on in there.

"Your Highness," I call out as I approach the bench, my strides unyielding and purpouseful, the sun has set and the moon is dominating the sky. This time of the day makes Lush even more mesmerizing than the rest of the day.

"My Lord." He gets on his feet seeing me, the same look of hurt spreading through his expression once more.

"We need to talk."