The next morning, the intercom communicated something about her "sleep efficiency" again, while she was getting dressed for the day. Her quality of sleep had improved by 5%. Akhile sighed happily.
Her body still remembered the previous night. Her emotions were heightened, causing a temporary euphoric sensation. Akhile caught her image in the mirror, and her eyes were bright.
"Stop smiling so much," she said to herself. "It means nothing, remember that."
Nathaniel's arm, the corridor. The way he looked at her was as if she were an arithmetic problem he had finally solved. The feedback, she finally got positive feedback.
Akhile put on a clean cream blouse and a high-waisted black pencil skirt. Ready for another day at Redcliff Pharma.
She wasn't in the mood to be a display this morning, or an accessory, just a girl who made contributions for the approval of an expansion project.
Tobias met her by the corridor entrance with the same warm expression he always had. His smile made Akhile feel like she was a very special person.
"Breakfast is being served in the dining hall," he said.
"Of course, thank you, Tobias," Akhile muttered.
She walked through the main foyer with a steady pace. The lights brightened in sequence as she passed by, as if they were hurrying her to arrive on time.
The dining table was already set.
This time, it wasn't Nathaniel waiting at the head of the table. It was Nathaniel waiting at the head of the table with intentions.
He was dressed as if he had never been in attendance at the ball last night. There were no signs of exhaustion from having entertained a large crowd. He had on a crisp white shirt and black trousers, with his sleeves clipped down with silver cufflinks. His jacket was hanging on his chair behind him. It made him look more dangerous and back to his strict persona.
Norman wasn't there. He was probably still reeling from the burden of carrying the rest of the night on his back.
That alone made Akhile's stomach tighten. She took her seat without being asked to, and her bright smile had vanished.
The servants placed food quietly in front of her: fruit, croissants, and a pot of tea. Nathaniel hadn't touched his food.
He watched her slice into her pastry like he was reading a report. Akhile lathered strawberry jam on one piece of her croissant and took a huge bite. She could see him watching her with the corner of her eye, so she took another bite and extended her hand out to him.
"Here, do you want some?" she said, chewing with her mouth full.
Nathaniel finally spoke, ignoring her tease.
"You were in the library a few nights ago."
Akhile didn't choke or flinch. She slowed down her chewing, then swallowed.
"Was I?"
His eyes narrowed slightly, as if they had locked onto a target. "Yes."
She lifted her teacup and took a sip, buying herself time to find a response.
"How would you know that?" she asked calmly.
Nathaniel's mouth twitched once, like he almost smiled. Almost.
"You forget," he said, "I know everything that goes on here."
Akhile leaned back slightly. "Funny. I thought you said I was free to go anywhere…that I have to be a Redcliff."
"I never said your freedom had no boundaries."
There it was. Mr Strict Man had resurfaced. His warnings were always dressed as a fair conversation.
Akhile set her cup down gently, and it clinked against the saucer.
"I couldn't sleep," she said. "So I took a walk and stumbled upon the library, so what?"
"You went in there without my knowledge."
"It's a library, Nathaniel. Books, lots and lots of them."
His name landed between them like a small act of rebellion.
Nathaniel's gaze dropped to her mouth again, then back up again. It was a force of habit. He found her lips intoxicating when she was antagonising him. It made him burn for her.
He didn't react to the name the way she expected. If anything, his focus sharpened.
"Well, then…just books, you say. What were you reading?" he said quietly.
"With all due respect, sir, I'm going to keep that to myself."
"Princess Cora!" he charged.
Akhile drew an invisible zipper across her lips to seal them shut before she threw away the invisible key into oblivion.
Nathaniel switched chairs and approached her, leaning forward slightly, his forearms resting on the table, close enough now that the air between them felt thinner.
"This is my home," he said. "And your presence here does not mean you can do whatever you want without letting me know about it."
Akhile kept her face neutral. "Tell me, what are you afraid I'll find in there, boss?"
When she said this, his gaze gravitated to her lips again, and then to her eyes, and then her entire face, her hair dangling slightly over her forehead. She was as beautiful as ever and defiant.
"I didn't take anything," Akhile continued. "I didn't steal your books."
Nathaniel walked back to his seat and poked at the fruit on his plate with a fork.
"So what is this?" she asked. "What are you doing? I thought you said I was doing well last night. Now all of a sudden, I can't go into the library?"
Nathaniel's voice dropped. "I didn't say you can't go into the library."
Akhile's pulse jumped. She hated that it did. Why was she letting him get on her nerves?
He stood up slowly, not hurried, as if the act of rising was part of the point. He walked around the table without asking permission. This time, he came to stand behind her chair.
Akhile didn't turn, she just felt a heavy presence behind her, breathing on her neck. She stared at her tea before raising the cup to her lips, and kept it there without drinking from it.
Nathaniel leaned down some more, his mouth near her ear.
"You are curious," he murmured. "I already know that."
Akhile stiffened as she turned her head just enough to look up at him.
"Nathaniel. Yes, I am curious. But tell me the truth. What are you hiding in there?"
Nathaniel held her gaze.
"Nothing," he said.
The word hit her harder than it should have. It made her think of the dream again. Cora's voice was calm and tired. Don't run, study him.
Akhile swallowed.
"You're so dramatic," she said, forcing lightness.
Nathaniel's eyes did not soften.
Akhile's breath stalled.
He straightened back up.
"Whatever you read in there," he said, "you will disregard it."
Akhile laughed again, sharper this time.
"You can't tell me what to do."
Nathaniel's jaw tightened. He moved closer again, bracing his hand on the back of her chair, caging her without touching her.
"Princess Cora, stop antagonising me," he said quietly.
Akhile felt her skin warming up, her heart pulsating hard against her chest, and her breathing accelerated. It wasn't fear, it was something worse.
Something that made her want to misbehave.
She pushed her chair back deliberately, forcing him to back away.
Nathaniel didn't move in time, causing her shoulder to slightly brush his hand.
Akhile stood on her feet, and now she was facing him fully.
"You don't get to corner me at breakfast," she said.
Nathaniel's gaze dropped to her throat, as if he could see her pulse.
"And you don't get to wander this estate like you're up to something," he replied.
"I'm not up to something."
"No?" he said. "Then tell me."
His expression was polished, his hair slicked back, but the light was hitting the red colour, his orange eyes burning inside.
Seductive. Rather, annoying.
She lifted her chin. "And you're a man who thinks a Princess can be contained."
Nathaniel stepped closer again.
"You have something you want to know about?" he asked quietly. "Then ask me."
Akhile blinked, taken aback.
"What?"
"Ask me," he repeated. "Not the ledgers. Not the letters. Me."
Her chest tightened. How did he assume she was looking at a ledger of all things?
This was not the Nathaniel she thought she understood.
Akhile forced herself to smile, small and sharp.
"I think you're keeping a large family secret," she said.
Nathaniel sighed.
"Permission into the library not granted," he said.
Akhile stepped back, reclaiming her space.
"I don't need your permission, you should understand this," she said evenly.
Nathaniel stared at her for a long moment.
Then, slowly, he smiled.
"You do," he murmured.
Akhile's had butterflies in her stomach, because why is he smiling?
She hated herself for it.
Footsteps approached. A servant appeared at the dining hall entrance, eyes down, her voice soft and controlled.
"Master Nathaniel… the car is ready."
Nathaniel didn't look away from Akhile.
"Cancel it," he said.
The servant froze. "Sir?"
Nathaniel's voice sharpened slightly.
"Cancel it."
The servant disappeared as if she had never existed.
Akhile stared. "You're cancelling work because I was in your library?"
Nathaniel stepped closer again, voice low.
"No," he said. "I'm cancelling work because I need to keep an eye on you."
Akhile exhaled slowly.
Nathaniel's gaze held hers, intense.
"I'm warning you," he said. "You don't know the lines in this house yet."
Akhile's heart pounded.
She forced her voice steady.
"Then draw them for me," she said.
Nathaniel's hand lifted but stopped just short of her face, fingers hovering near her temple like he wanted to touch the mark she always covered.
He didn't. He dropped his hand.
Akhile stared at him. "No," she said.
Akhile walked out of the dining hall without looking back.
But her skin still burned where he almost touched her.
And that was the big issue here.