She gasped and hurriedly tried to cover herself with her hands, but it was useless, and her trembling fingers couldn't hide everything. Heat rushed to her cheeks as Kaive sat there, that smug smirk still tugging at his lips, and his eyes shamelessly tracing her form.
"Why won't he knock?" she thought angrily with her heart racing. "Does he think he can just walk in whenever he pleases because he's the ruler of this kingdom?" Her anger mixed with embarrassment, burning through her veins, yet his piercing gaze made it impossible to move, or breathe.
The moment he stood up, her heartbeat quickened, thudding so loud she was sure he could hear it. Kaive moved toward her with a slow deliberate steps, and each one filled with quiet danger.
She held her breath, frozen in place, her mind spinning. When he stopped by the wardrobe, her chest eased slightly, but only for a second. He picked up a towel, turned, and walked to her with that same calm intensity. Without a word, he held it out. She snatched it quickly, wrapping it around herself as if her life depended on it.
He turned away without saying a word and walked back to the bed, each step unhurried, and full of authority. Sitting down on the edge where he had risen moments ago, he leaned forward slightly, his eyes never leaving hers.
The intensity of his stare made her throat tighten. Olessia wanted to look anywhere but at him....at the floor, the wall, the window... just anywhere that wasn't those piercing eyes that had just seen too much. No man had ever seen her naked before. The thought made her stomach twist with both shame and embarrassment.
Her pulse wouldn't calm. It beat against her ribs like it wanted out. She clutched the towel tighter, the fabric damp against her skin, and it made her fingers tremble. Every time she blinked, she saw his eyes again... dark, steady, and unapologetic.
Embarrassment crept up her neck, spreading fast until her face burned with red heat.
"He saw me naked." The thought made her chest ache. And it made shame tangled with the fact that no man has ever seen her naked before, biting her lip hard, wishing she could vanish into the air. "Why can't I stop thinking about it?" she thought, her heart refusing to stay steady.
"You're black-haired down there too," he said, his tone sounding icy calm.
Her breath caught instantly, the words sinking deep before she could even process them. Heat flooded her cheeks burning, and humiliating. She knew exactly what he meant, and it made her want to disappear.
Her fingers gripped the towel tighter, it made her knuckles pale, her lips parting... but no words came out. She hated that her lips betrayed her with stillness. Maybe it was fear of the leftover ache from the punishment he'd given her last night. Either way, she couldn't speak.
Locking her in that dark room with no window... just absolute, suffocating darkness had been cruel beyond words. The memory still clawed at her chest, making her flinch at the thought of it. She had screamed until her voice broke, but no one came. Even now, the echo of that fear lingered in her veins. She hated the cold walls, the silence, the helplessness. Every muscle in her body remembered.
"Hurry up and change into something. I wouldn't want you shaking like a leaf because of the cold," Kaive said, his voice even but firm. He knew how easily she froze, how fragile she became when the cold touched her skin.
He watched her quietly as she reached for a dress from the wardrobe, her movements tense and hesitant. The towel still clung to her damp skin, droplets sliding down her arm as she gripped the fabric. She turned slowly, facing him, her eyes flicking up to meet his before darting away again.
Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of the towel, twisting it nervously. The way she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, clutching the dress close to her chest, said everything she couldn't voice aloud.
Her gaze lingered on the door, then back at him... an unspoken plea for privacy he stubbornly ignored. Still, she stood frozen, silent, waiting for him to take the hint and leave so she could dress without his eyes tracing her every move.
Kaive noticed her hesitation and let out a low scoff, the corner of his lips curving into that infuriating smirk.
"I just saw you naked," he said casually, his tone teasing but she could still hear the darkness his tone was laced with.
"What are you still hiding?" His tongue brushed across his lower lip as he spoke, slow and deliberate, and Olessia felt her stomach twist. That simple gesture so effortless, and confident pulled her attention against her will.
When he stood up from the bed, her breath caught in her throat. Her heart pounded so hard it almost hurt, beating so fast she thought it might split in two. Her fingers tightening around the fabric in her hand, her voice lost in fear.
But he didn't walk toward her. Instead, he turned quickly and headed for the door, his footsteps steady and unhurried. Just when she thought he would leave, he stopped.
The sudden pause made her breath hitch. Slowly, he turned back to face her, and the way his gaze locked onto hers sent cold chills racing down her spine.
"Join me for breakfast," he said, his voice calm yet commanding. "I've got a lot of things to ask about." His eyes never wavered, holding her in place as if daring her to refuse. Then, almost absentmindedly, his tongue slid across his lower lip again... a habit she'd already noticed, one that somehow made her heart skip every single time.
Then his gaze shifted toward the window... the same one she had jumped from the day before. The moment his eyes landed on it, Olessia's stomach twisted. Her own gaze followed his unwillingly, and fear crawled up her spine.
The memory of that desperate leap came rushing back... the cold wind, the crash of water, the sting of failure. Kaive's jaw tightened as he lifted his hand slowly. Her breath caught in her throat as she waited, unsure what he would say next. Then he pointed... first at the window, then directly at her.
"Don't do anything foolish," he said, his tone laced with threat. "You know what will happen if you pull that stunt again." The words sounded more like a dare than a warning. His gaze darkened as he took a step closer, and his voice dropping lower.
"This time, I won't bring you out when I lock you in the darkest room. You'll stay there for days." The promise in his tone made her blood run cold.
He paused, his eyes glinting with quiet danger. "Don't test me, black-haired," he added, his voice smooth with venom. "I don't have limits when it comes to certain things."