Ariel could not believe what she had just done.
She had slapped the beast right across the cheek without hesitation.
Where did she get the audacity from?
This was not only the beast who threatened her life, but also the future supreme monarch of one of the most powerful kingdoms.
The Crown Prince.
And, regrettably, her future husband.
But if the royal imbecile hadn't kidnapped her and dragged her into his room—obviously for his perverted reasons—she wouldn't be here.
Treating her as though she were some cheap prostitute, or worse in this case, a chamberlain.
Did she look like some desperate woman willing to climb into his bed just to wear a crown?
Clearly, he was the one who was soo...desperate.
And the nerve of the pervert…
To even have the audacity to try and seduce her with his annoyingly—irritably—handsome, naked body, as if she would melt for it.
Well, the sight was making her feel things she didn't want to feel, and that only irritated her more. It fueled the magma of her fury until it erupted, strengthening her resolve to slap him hard across the face—to drag him back to reality.
If he thought she was cheap and easy to manipulate, then he was wrong.
Crown Prince, Beast, or whatever he was—he was going to hear a piece of her mind.
So, glaring at him with even more fury, she growled:
"Are you awake now…"
He didn't respond, only stared at her in bewilderment.
He definitely hadn't expected that.
Good.
Now he knew she was not to be messed with.
"If you are…" she continued, "then let me go, you royal, perverted imbecile!!"
She roared in his face and seized the chance to wriggle free, slipping out of his loosened grip thanks to the shock of the unexpected situation.
Ariel stood at a distance, glaring at him, her chest heaving with fury.
Daniel still stared at her with bewildered eyes.
She looked at him.
He did look breathtakingly handsome.
His wet, silky hair clung to his face, perfectly framing his sharp jawline. His rosy lips were slightly parted in dreamy bewilderment. His muscles were sculpted to perfection—from his eight-pack torso, to his bulging biceps, down to his toned legs. He looked like a god standing before a mere mortal like her.
A true heartthrob for women, indeed.
Especially with the towel tied across his waist, covering his last shred of dignity. He looked maddeningly sexy.
So sexy.
Ariel's eyes subconsciously dropped to his V-line.
She swallowed hard as her mind betrayed her, drifting back to the time she accidentally saw… what she saw that night when the towel fell.
Her face burned hotter as her gaze fell to her hand, her mind betraying her again—bringing back the memory of yesterday, when she accidentally squee—
'Mmm… mmm!!' She immediately cleared her throat in her mind and ran a hand through her hair to compose herself.
Her heart was already running a marathon thanks to those thoughts.
But the thought of him kidnapping her and trying to take advantage of her reignited the seething rage that had only just subsided.
'Who does he think he is?' she fumed. 'Just because I allowed him to get a bit too… close, he now thinks I'm all over him. That I want him. That I'm desperate for him. Ha! The nerve of that royal jerkass!'
She huffed.
'I thought I made it clear yesterday that I didn't want anything romantic to do with him. So why did he do this? Guess I'll have to make myself clear again—so he won't dare try something this audacious ever again. Just because he's the Crown Prince doesn't give him the right to take advantage of me. And if he needs a beating to realize that, then I'll gladly deliver it.'
She exhaled sharply and fixed Daniel with a fierce, cutting gaze.
"Your Highness, forgive my audacity for slapping you. But I had to bring you back to reality. You were acting like someone with a sleeping conscience, so I slapped you to wake you up." Ariel said firmly.
Daniel blinked at her in confusion. "What?"
Ariel exhaled sharply. "Look… I thought I made it clear to you. I don't want anything romantic with you. Even if we become husband and wife, our marriage will have no strings attached. I couldn't care less about your activities after our marriage because I don't want anything romantic with you. I thought I made that clear. You can go out with your mistresses or whoever you want—I won't care! But me? Me! I am not cheap, you hear? I am not cheap! And I am most definitely not a bed toy, floozy, or slut you can use to satisfy your desires whenever you feel like it. I am not like that! So even if you kidnap me, drag me into your room, and hold me against my will—I will never give in to you! Understand!"
She heaved, her voice rising with fury. "If you want that, then please, please go kidnap, find, or hire one of your women who likes being your royal chamberlain and satisfy your desires with her. But not me! Not me! So please stay away from me regarding this matter. You'll only get a chance after we're married. But right now… nah ah! No! It's not going to happen. So behave yourself and be dignified. My goodness."
Ariel fumed, pulling out the scrunchie that tied her messy hair into a disheveled ponytail. She straightened it, letting it fall freely down her shoulders and back, before trying to walk past Daniel to exit the room.
"Now if you please excuse me…I would like to leave and pretend this never happpened. I think this conversation is over." she muttered, attempting to brush past him—only to stop as his hand caught her arm in a firm grip.
Ariel turned and glared at him—only to be shocked to see him glaring back. His crimson eyes were now a shade darker than before.
She flinched.
She knew she must have angered him. Her head could roll on the floor at any moment.
But her own blazing fury at his audacity—kidnapping her, trying to take advantage of her—was too strong to control.
So she did the impossible, acting without thought for the deadly consequences that might follow.
A shiver of fear crept up her spine as she met his monstrous, deep crimson gaze. His eyes seemed to bore straight into her soul.
But she couldn't let him intimidate her. Otherwise, he might think she was weak—pretending to be angry while hiding an ulterior motive. To him, she would be nothing more than a rabbit pretending to be a vulture, a sheep in wolf's clothing.
A scared little creature.
No. She was not that.
She was the vulture.
The wolf in sheep's clothing.
The predator.
Just like he was.
And she wasn't going to back down so easily.
She would not let him take advantage of her again.
She vowed to tame this beast.
And she would do it.
To hell with the consequences.
She would not cower in fear because of him.
No… never.
With that resolve boiling inside her, she locked eyes with Daniel—her own gaze burning with the same fierce fire as his.
"What? Eager for another slap to bring you back to reality, Your Highness?" she growled, staring at him fearlessly.
Daniel yanked her toward him, inching his face closer to hers.
Ariel glared back, refusing to flinch—even though his hot breath on her skin felt like flames licking her face, sending unwanted sensations rippling through her body. He was close. Too close. But she couldn't let him win. Never.
Daniel smirked inwardly at her resolve.
He was deeply amused.
He had underestimated this Flamingo.
She was fierce.
She was fearless.
She was ruthless when cornered.
He could feel her unyielding resolve, her determination to face him head-on despite knowing her life was in his hands.
And he liked it.
He liked it a lot.
Apart from his mystery woman, this was definitely his kind of woman.
Yet she exuded the same fierceness and intensity as his mystery woman, and he wondered if it was just his imagination. Or… maybe…
No.
No, it couldn't be.
His mystery woman was far more than this.
But he had to admit—this was a stark challenge. And he wondered who would conquer him first.
He leaned in toward her face and whispered, "I… kidnapped you? Brought you to my room to take advantage of you? Do you really think I'm a pervert, Ms Ariel?"
Ariel exhaled sharply. "Then what am I doing here?" she growled.
Daniel snorted in disbelief. 'This woman really thinks I'm a jerkass pervert, doesn't she? The nerve… what a sad excuse for her actions. She's the real pervert here, not me. She is the one that walked into my room obviously to seduce me. And now that I caught her in her delusions she is turning the tables on me! I kidnapped her! I wanted to take advantage of her? The nerve. Does she think this is a joke or what?'
He grumbled inwardly, thinking she must be joking—until he caught the look in her eyes.
The clear sight. The accusation. The resolve glinted in them.
His own eyes widened slightly before narrowing back into their usual cold demeanor.
He smirked and pulled her closer, until their noses nearly touched.
"Listen to me, Flamingo. The only reason you're still breathing after doing something so audacious… is because I find you a little bit amusing. But don't take my amusement lightly. Otherwise… things will turn uglier than they should. Got it? Mmm…" he warned.
"Are you threatening me, Your Highness?" Ariel shot back.
Daniel smirked. "Lets just think of all this as a little argument, darling. A lovers' quarrel—mixed with warnings and fury. I'm sure we'll be fine after a good night's rest, don't you think?"
'And also wake up from our delusions.' He added in his mind.
Ariel's eyes widened, her lips curling into a scoff. 'Lovers' quarrel? Please… as if you were worth it.'
"Fine… as you wish, honey," she said, pulling away. "Thanks for the fight. It was really eye-opening."
'Of what a truly shameless pervert you are!' she mused inwardly, before walking toward the door. She paused near the exit, turning back to face him.
"Oh… and next time you want to pull this stunt, try wearing something that won't ruin your perfect macho ameno in winning a lovers' quarrel," she said, pointing at his towel. "That's already an accidental defeat waiting to happen in my favor. An accident that will prove I was right about you—and you were wrong about me. Just remember: a silent victory is more honorable than a loud, arrogant one. So… excuse me, Your Highness. Have a good night."
She walked out of the room.
Daniel scoffed and tried to go after her to retort, but then…
Vrrr… slip.
Fate, as usual, made him a laughingstock.
The towel fell. Again.
"Bloody hell…" he growled.
Just then, Ariel's words echoed in his mind:
'That is already an accidental defeat waiting to happen in my favor. An accident that will prove I was right about you and you were wrong about me. Just know that a silent victory is more honorable than a loud, arrogant one.'
The words rang in his head as Daniel stared at the fallen towel in disdain, as if it were screaming the word PERVERT! in his face.
He averted his gaze and chuckled sarcastically.
"Well played, Flamingo. Well played."
He sighed, looked back at the towel, and cursed.
"You fucking jinx."
He picked it up, headed straight to the closet, changed into his pajamas, then returned to switch off the light. Finally, he threw himself face-down on the bed.
His mind drifted back to his conversation with Ariel.
"Kidnapped her, huh? And yet she's the one who walked into my room like she owned the place. That damn Flamingo."
He growled, then recalled the look of bewilderment she'd worn earlier.
"But she was telling the truth… she didn't walk in here on her own. Then what the fuck happened?"
He wondered.
"Urgh… it doesn't matter. Better get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be another fucking day. Ah, I hate this," he grumbled into his pillow before falling silent.
Unbeknownst to him, a faint blue glow shimmered inside his desk—before fading away, swallowed by the darkness.