The Crown's Fire - Chapter 256

Chapter 256: Just Curious
Jade Palace, Kingdom of Ebodia

Elijah was exhausted from working nonstop all day, ensuring there were no spies or traitors within the Jade Palace before the king’s arrival. It was no easy task, especially since he had to check on the families of those within the royal estate. After the incident with Tessa, they faced numerous possibilities regarding her role—whether she was a victim or a culprit discarded by the enemies. Atlas assumed Tessa was a culprit, prompting the need for stricter security measures.

Arriving back at his quarters, Elijah immediately took a shower to clean himself up. Usually, he would go straight to sleep without eating, but tonight he needed to recharge his energy for dinner with Greta.

He smiled at his reflection in the full-size mirror and hummed, “All cleaned up and handsome again! Now, let’s go and do this!” He even patted his cheeks to shake off the sleepiness since he was still sleep-deprived.

He left and walked towards the private pavilion by the Jade ponds. The servants greeted him and asked if they should serve the meal. Elijah shook his head, a wide smile gracing his lips as he saw Greta approaching.

“Yes, do serve everything now,” he instructed, and the servants quickly set to work.

Elijah walked towards Greta and met her halfway. “Good evening, Milady,” he greeted with a roguish smile, extending his hand. Greta offered her hand, and Elijah kissed the back of it.

Greta chuckled, and it was like music to Elijah’s ears. He couldn’t believe how head over heels he was for the woman in front of him. Even her chuckles were like lively music, pleasing and comforting. After trying to keep his feelings in for years, he now felt like an active volcano ready to erupt and express himself without a second thought.

“You look so lovely as always,” he praised her. Greta’s face blushed deeply. Their relationship had progressed well by now, and Greta no longer hissed at him as she used to; instead, she often blushed around him.

“How come you look a bit tired, though?” she commented as he led her to walk to the pavilion.

“Well, it’s truly a tiring day for me since Atlas is trying to kill me by giving me so much work!” he scoffed with a pout.

Greta chortled, “How about I extend you some help? I can repay favors so we can lessen our dinner together?”

“No way!!!” Elijah blurted out. “I would rather do all the work alone than compromise seeing you every night!” he firmly pointed out. “You’re like my energy booster! Don’t you know that?” he added with a pout.

Greta didn’t respond as they entered the pavilion. She knew she was blushing hard, and her heart was pounding as if it were drumming against her chest. This Elijah… she didn’t exactly know when it started, but this man was giving her strange feelings, like the churning of her stomach as if there were butterflies inside.

‘Was this the feeling of moving on and falling in love?’ she thought, because lately, Elijah was the only man occupying her thoughts, and she found it weird.

Also, she couldn’t deny that she looked forward to having dinner with him every night like this. She even made sure she was at her best tonight. He still held her hand now, and she didn’t pull it away because it felt warm. She felt a pang of disappointment when he let go of her hand to pull out her chair.

She sat down and watched as Elijah took a seat beside her. Her forehead creased in confusion since most men would sit across from her, right? Then she gulped as Elijah started putting dishes on her plate, even cutting her meat for her.

“You, I can do this,” she murmured.

“Ah, I know, but I want to do this to pamper you,” Elijah remarked with a smile. She ate silently, hearing nothing but her own heartbeat.

“By the way, do you always forget things that happen when you’re drunk?” Elijah suddenly asked, making her frown.

She turned to him with wide eyes and asked, “Did I do something when I got drunk? Tell me…”

Elijah had that teasing smile, and Greta could only guess she had messed up again. She was curious about what trouble she caused this time.

“Are you sure you want to know?”

She nodded and demanded, “Tell me everything.”

Elijah stared intently at her and said, “You kissed me again and even tried to make love to me. But since you were drunk, I didn’t allow you.”

“What?! Are you serious right now, Elijah?!” she hissed at him.

“Of course not! You were kissing me and trying to undress both of us. What do you think that was, if not an attempt to make love?” Elijah questioned with a pout.

Her face turned beet red. She couldn’t understand why she couldn’t remember anything while drunk.

“I didn’t bring up that incident to embarrass you, Greta. But please, next time, don’t get drunk with other men. Do you know how much control I had to exert that night? I didn’t sleep properly for days afterward because of that struggle. Not all men would have respected your boundaries in that situation like I did,” Elijah said with a sigh.

“You… should consider holding your liquor from now on, and if possible, not drinking at all!” he added, his expression serious.

Greta gulped. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.

“But you were the one who suggested that drinking game,” she mumbled after a tense silence.

“Yes, indeed, and I apologize. It’s clear that after all these years, your tolerance for alcohol hasn’t changed much. You should seriously consider limiting or avoiding alcohol altogether,” he answered with a heavy sigh.

“Let’s continue eating. Would you like some fish? I’ll debone it for you,” he offered as he began to serve her.

Greta ate in silence, and when they finished, Elijah led her to sit near the overlooking pond while they sipped tea. Soon, Elijah yawned, and Greta suggested, “We should go so you can get some sleep.”

Instead of replying, Elijah put down his cup and she flinched as he rested his head on her lap. “Can we stay like this? Let me take a quick nap here with you. Wake me up if you feel sleepy. Finish your tea,” he murmured with his eyes closed.

Greta blinked rapidly as she stared down at Elijah, who seemed to drift off to sleep easily. She shrugged and finished her tea. The night air was growing chilly as winter approached. She set her cup aside and gazed out over the pond and up at the night sky. If she were her old self, she might have pushed Elijah away. But now…

Greta looked down at Elijah’s sleeping face. He wasn’t bad looking, she thought. Just average, but his sense of humor made him attractive. She appreciated his carefree yet thoughtful nature.

Unconsciously, she found herself smiling as she watched him sleep. She was tempted to touch his face but held herself back. She had kissed him on the lips before, but being drunk, she couldn’t recall how it felt. Unconsciously, she found herself staring at his lips, licking her own.

She felt strangely drawn, as if compelled, leaning closer as if hypnotized, tempted to kiss him again. Greta’s lips brushed against his, and her eyes widened when she saw Elijah’s eyes open. Immediately embarrassed, she pulled away, wondering if Elijah had noticed or if he was still too sleepy to register what happened.

Elijah stared at her for a moment, and she quickly looked away, pretending nothing had occurred. She glanced at the pond and muttered, “I’m glad you’re awake. I’ll go now, so get out from my lap,” with a poker face.

Quietly, Elijah shifted his body. His silence made Greta nervous. She hastily stood up and said, “Thank you for the meal.” As she moved to leave, she felt him grab her wrist and pull her towards him, causing her to sit back on his lap.

“You—” her words were cut short as his lips met hers.

His kisses were tender and pleasurable. Elijah caressed her lower and upper lips gently, and Greta found herself wrapping her arms around his neck. He slid his tongue into her mouth, and she followed his lead, unsure but eager to reciprocate. They danced together in a rhythm that felt intoxicatingly good.

An unexplainable sensation coursed through her body. She lost track of time in their intense kiss, and when Elijah finally released her, they were both breathless. “You… sneaking in like that to kiss me,” he murmured against her lips, his eyes locked on hers.

“I…” Greta faltered, unsure how to respond. “I… I was just curious,” she stammered, feeling a mix of embarrassment and exhilaration.

“It’s okay. If you’re curious about something, you can explore it with me, anytime, anywhere,” Elijah whispered, pulling her into a tight hug.