The young maid clung to the barbarian's neck with a life-threatening dagger. She looked at me with an easy smile. The reason why I knew about the prince in the novel—even though he was just a minor character—was because of her.
Her body was fit and perfectly shaped. Everything about her made me excited in a way I won't mention it.
Aric was left mesmerized by the maid he had only read about in a novel twice. In the novel, she ended up betraying the prince to find her freedom and family.
She was born and raised at the royal palace to be a maid who would serve the prince for a lifetime. As time went on, she would eventually find out about her family. That's how she betrayed him.
Aric, stunned by her subtle smile, smiled as well. The barbarian wasn't able to move. He didn't want to, either. He was playing along, her pushing him forward while her hands pulled him toward her, perfectly bent.
Aric coughed. "Leave him be…"
The maid, as soon as she heard his orders, jumped, bouncing from the barbarian's back. She flipped over to the other side, landing right in front of them.
She dropped to the floor just like a leaf landing on water. As soon as she touched the ground, her back bent as she gave gratitude to her master.
Though they were around the same age, she never showed any sign of comfort while being with Prince Aric.
Aric took out a tissue paper from his shirt. He approached the barbarian with a gentle smile on his face. Extending his arm, he waved the tissue, signaling, "Take it. Sorry about that. We are on high alert, you see…"
The barbarian, on the other hand, didn't flinch—not even for a second. He looked at her with a death stare. "It doesn't matter. A wound not even deeper than my skin is anything but a kiss. What matters is how much did you hear?"
He was muttering in his head, 'How could I get relaxed? At this rate, there might even be other jerks like her. How pathetic for me to not even notice… I barely even felt her hands when she touched me. She is skilled. I must be careful.'
The maid didn't reply, as her master, Prince Aric, hadn't allowed her. Usually, when she bowed her head, he replied, saying, "You may raise your head, maid." But this time, he didn't. He wasn't even looking at her.
So, in short, she stayed silent.
Aric smiled again. "You really are terrifyingly good at this. You can stay focused even when threatened by a dagger… And oh, don't worry. She is part of the plan."
The barbarian smirked. "Oh… so she is an ally."
Aric replied with a light smile, "Yes, of course she is."
In some contexts, standing with hands clasped behind the back is a posture of authority and confidence, often seen in military settings or with leaders. Aric turned around to assess the situation with a calm and commanding demeanor.
"You may raise your head now, maid."
She slowly raised her head, her eyes closed. When she straightened her back, she abruptly opened them.
Though he did not show it—not even a hint—his heart was louder than his brain.
They locked eyes. The eyes that felt like heaven from afar were cold and sharp as a predator's.
She felt a bit weird looking at the prince she had always seen as a kind-hearted scumbag. He felt different. She was used to seeing fish eyes filled with emptiness. Now, she only saw mirror eyes—unpredictable eyes.
As a chemical reaction with no clue it even existed burned with curiosity, he spoke first, loud as ever—but this time, it was different. He didn't speak to cry out loud, but to ask out loud.
"Why did you attack our guest, maid?"
She bowed her head again. "My apology, Master. The fact that our guest was about to stab you forced me to take a countermeasure. I can't let a man smirk in your face, let alone hold a knife, Master."
Aric turned his face backward, half his face glaring at the barbarian, showing that he did not take him seriously and found his presence beneath him.
"Is it true? Is what she just said true?"
The barbarian felt threatened. His hands shook a bit, but he played it off as nothing in his heart. "Yeah. I was trying to test you. If I meant harm, she wouldn't have even reached me."
Aric knew what happened. However, he was still disappointed in himself. 'How could I not even see it coming?'
"It's o—okay! That's a reasonable answer." He shook his head both ways. He turned fast and outstretched his hand. He clearly meant a handshake. "I'm the prince of the great Fourth Kingdom, and my name… my name is Aric Thorne."
The barbarian gave a firm handshake. "I don't know why we're doing this again, but whatever. My name is Torin Ashburn."
Torin the barbarian glanced at the maid with a creepy smile on his face. "Wait, you really look hot, maid… Woohoo, man, she's gorgeous, ain't she?"
Aric sighed. "Give me a break. You got ADHD or what? You were too serious and all not too long ago."
Torin got confused. True, he didn't know ADHD. But it was a lie that would never happen.
Torin laughed. "ADHD? Come on, man, I'm not a wandering-around smoke…"
Aric was shocked. 'How do these people know ADHD? It wasn't supposed to happen. It's too early for that. No, maybe I'm just overthinking it. It's been a really long time since I read it, so it's expected I may make minor mistakes.'
Torin then stepped side to side toward Aric with a happy smile. He twisted his finger, looking at the maid. "So, mine is Torin. What's yours?"
The maid stood expressionless. She closed her eyes for a second and opened them. "Nyxia Nocturne."
Torin rubbed the back of his neck. "Wow, your name's so cool. Do you happen to know the meaning?"
As he asked such a question, Aric walked toward the door. Nyxia the maid noticed he was getting out, so she humbly declined the little chitchat and followed her master.
The barbarian Torin followed them out of the room. The corridor was vast and artistic. The thing was, they were going in, and Torin was going out, so they walked separate ways.
The maid noticed her master's change. He was altogether different than what he always seemed. She was confused. Uneasy about it.
"Master, is everything alright?" she asked with a sweet and pleasing voice.
Aric was happy that she asked. He didn't know what kind of lie to tell her, but he was sure she would rip his head off if he told her he took over the body.
While thinking about it, she stopped walking, frozen, glaring at someone who was in front of them.
Aric didn't notice, but little did he know—he was about to meet his stepbrother.
"Hey there, worthless…"