Lilith didn’t fail to notice Zordan’s change of tone into a calm one towards Gabriel, especially compared to the curt and stiff one he used with her earlier. It piqued a strange curiosity in her as she also observed the frozen skeptical look on Gabriel’s face. She had a pale, stunned grimace as if she was entirely surprised by his arrival.
Zordan exhaled a small huff of breath and walked a step closer before he wrapped his arm over Gabriel’s shoulder to pull her closer to him. His sudden move of gesture indeed flinched both of them even more. Particularly Gabriel, who winced and retained a baffled glare at him while the bitter angst grew stronger inside her.
“Hey, w-what are you doing—”
“We shouldn’t be wasting time here, Lady Gabriel.” Cutting in between her sentence, Zordan further replied in a serene tone. “I know you are emotionally devastated at this moment, so I will escort you to the cremation hall myself. Come with me.” Staring deep into her wadded eyes, he mumbled calmly.
Whereas standing opposite to them, for a brief moment Lilith couldn’t believe her eyes since it was the very first time she saw Zordan acting fondly towards a woman.
And the person was especially Gabriel which triggered her instincts more, provoking a strange uneasiness inside her.
“Crown Prince Zordan, I am also devastated by the sudden tragic demise of our Chief Advisor.” Lilith cleared her throat and tried to intervene in between their conversation, keeping a vague small smile towards him. Even though Zordan didn’t show any sign of particular interest, she continued her mumble, “The incident is purely tragic and I hope the assassins will be captured soon.”
“Hmm.” A cold nod came from him.
“By the way, I also do feel nice to see you again, Crown Prince. I wonder if you do remember me? We had met a few times earlier before I left the castle. Oh, and myself, Lilith, the daughter of our Prime Minister of this kingdom. It’s good to see you again.” She tucked her thin strands of hair behind her ear and tossed a small smile as she greeted him.
But Zordan still kept his cold stiff expression intact towards Lilith and after a brief pause, he commented, “I only remember you as the daughter of our Prime Minister. I guess there was nothing else particular about our previous meetings to keep you in my memory.”
“Huh?”
Zordan’s brief blunt response left both Lilith and Gabriel baffled for a few seconds as they stared at him. Rolling her ocean eyes bigger, Gabriel forgot to blink her lashes by watching the cold and stiff side of him which was a rare sight to her. She has always known him as a kind and warm-hearted man but his other dark side which she had been observing since yesterday had shaken her core.
She stared with disbelief, wondering if the person she has seen until now was all just an illusion created by her mind.
Is this the real side of Zordan?
Whereas for Lilith, the comment was purely insulting. She stood numb for a second, gawking deep into his dark eyes as she hitched her breath for a moment, “P-Pardon?”
“For now, I think it will be just a waste of time to continue our conversations here with you, Lady Lilith. So please, excuse both of us.” Zordan tightened his grip around Gabriel’s shoulder and holding her close, he gallantly walked past Lilith keeping that stern look on his angular jawline.
However, as they both walked past her, Lilith couldn’t believe her eyes since it was the very first time Zordan acted such coldly towards her. Unlike Marcus, he was renowned in the kingdom to be an aloof prince but at least before he wouldn’t bother to show such a mean side of him to others.
Confusion and worries overwhelmed her mind as Lilith clenched her fist and turned around, glancing at both of them from behind as they walked ahead. The wrap of his arm around Gabriel’s small shoulder strangely irked her uneasiness within her heart.
Frowning her brows, she wondered, ‘Why did he act such a way towards me…but particularly calm towards Gabriel? Since when did this two become so close?’
…
“Hey, what the heck you are plotting now, huh? Just stop clinging on to me!”
With a confused and irked glare towards him, Gabriel grunted at him aloud while trying to push him away with her elbow.
But Zordan tightened his grip more around her shoulder without showing any sign to let go as he firmly replied, “We should stay now like this. She is still watching us from behind.”
“What the fuck do you want from me? Why did you come here? I don’t want to see your face!” The bitter pain of angst had stirred her heart as she gritted her jaws at him. The more she observed the calm yet dark look on his face, the more her agony surged.
“I am well aware that you don’t want to see me, but, for now, I am sorry. I can’t fulfill your wish yet.” Keeping his calm posture intact, Zordan responded with a heavy sigh. “Also, I am well aware of the fling she had with Marcus and the split that happened between you three.”
“W-What?” Startled at his answer, Gabriel rolled her ocean eyes orbs with a tinge of disbelief in them. Up until now, Zordan was indeed aware of every little thing about her whereabouts but she never found a single circumstance to have a doubt about him!
Just how mysterious was this person since the beginning?
Zordan peeked a small glance at her and mentioned casually further, “I just came here to take you out of the uncomfortable situation she was creating for you. Nothing else.”
“Pfft!” A small pained smirk sliced the edge of her lips as she murmured, “Don’t fuckin’ tell me that you came here because you were worried about me! Don’t give me that shit to believe again—”
“We are here.”
Before she could utter her words complete, both of them had reached in front of a giant metal close door room, which was the anticipated cremation hall. Her body trembled in pain to face the dreadful reality before her eyes, whereas Zordan removed his arms away from her shoulder before the guards opened the door to let them in.
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