THE CROWN'S OBSESSION | LK ADAPTATION

Chapter 40 - Jittering Nerves

Lalisa looked at the exits in the garden, her eyes taking in the surrounding of the castle where they had covered only a quarter of it.

The castle was built on a vast ground that stretched far enough where even her eyes could not reach.

She remembered the time when she had used the carriage to travel from the castle to the outer gates that must have taken at least a decent five to ten minutes.

She wondered if it was possible to run away from this golden cage the King had placed her in.

Even if she made her way towards the gates, she had no transport to go back home as after the gates came the forest.

Lalisa had to weigh her options carefully.

And the King would find her, wouldn't he?

All he would have to do was send his men to her home to fetch her back, yet, she wanted to get away from him.

"You look very enchanted by the trees, Lady Lalisa," commented Lia, who was walking slowly next to her,

"Are you the only daughter to your parents?" asked the vampiress.

"I have an elder sister. Roséanne," replied Lalisa.

"Must be nice to have a sister, isn't it? I always wanted a sister when I was a young girl, but I think I am content with just a brother. It would be hard to fight for affection when there are two flowers in the same stem,"

Lia's words reminded Lalisa of her current relationship with Rosé on how it had turned sour in a few minutes after Jungkook had picked her and not Rosé to stay in the castle.

She wondered if Rosé's anger had cooled down by now.

"Who is she married to?" asked Lia as Lalisa had mentioned Beth being elder to her.

"She is yet to be engaged and married-"

"Oh, how unfortunate,"

Lia could only wonder that this sister was not pretty enough to be picked by Jungkook to have her as a guest in the castle,

"She must be feeling terrible that the King didn't pick her," and the girl smiled at the end on seeing how Lalisa's expression turned quiet.

"Mr. Park is courting her right now, and they have spoken to each other," answered Lalisa, trying to hold her ground with this girl who only appeared to look sweet but in truth, she liked to rub salt over people's wounds.

And it wasn't a lie that Mr. Park was whom Rosé was genuinely interested in, before Jungkook's invitation arrived at their home that changed her elder sister's mind.

"Mr. Park?"

Lady Lia happened to raise her brows in question, "Isn't he the man who works for one of the Lord's?"

"Yes, he's the one,"

Lalisa confirmed, offering the girl a smile, "He is very taken by my sister."

"Hmm," came the uninterested response of the vampiress as she couldn't poke anymore.

"What about yourself, Lady Lia? Do you have children?"

Lalisa's question caught Lia off guard.

Lady Lia's eyes narrowed in question, "What?"

"Did I say something wrong?" asked Lalisa feigning innocence,

"Aren't night creatures always older than what they appear to be?" and she wasn't wrong in her question, but even Lalisa knew that the girl was younger than her.

Lia wanted to retaliate at Lalisa for indicating she was old and had children when she still not engaged,

"I don't have children," she corrected the human who gave her an apologetic look.

She looked naive, and Lia didn't know if the girl had deliberately tried to provoke her,

"I am yet to be married not because there haven't been any suitors. I have had plenty of men who have stood outside my home to talk and have a glimpse of me."

She threw the air of confidence and how high she was when it came to status and looks, "I am not going to marry anyone who is not suitable."

"Of course," Lalisa smiled, "You will find a good man of your calibre. Maybe if you asked the King, he would find you the best groom in the entire land."

It seemed that this girl was smarter than what she had weighed in the dining room, thought Lia to herself.

"You are right," said Lady Lia, "Brother Jungkook dotes on me which is why he forgives my mistakes compared to my mother," smiled the girl.

They spent some more minutes outside in the garden before heading back inside the castle.

Lalisa noticed how the maids and other servants bowed in the presence of Lia who walked with her head held high as if she owned this place.

When they reached the court, Lia was the first one to enter and make her way towards Jungkook who had just dismissed a man after talking to him.

Lalisa's footsteps were slower compared to Lia who was eager to talk to the King while she fell behind.

She could feel several people's eyes in the court on her.

But when her eyes moved around the room, the people in here had their head bowed and they left the room as if not wanting to be the next one to be beheaded in the courtroom by the King.

Her eyes then met Jungkook's eyes that had been looking at her since she had entered the room.

"Brother Jungkook, are the wolves tied in the den?" asked Lia who tried to get Jungkook's attention on her, but Jungkook's eyes didn't move away from Lalisa.

She had been dolled with his own taste of clothes and jewels that he had handpicked for her.

"How was your tour in the castle?" Jungkook asked Lalisa, ignoring the question which was asked by the vampiress who felt slightly embarrassed as her words were brushed away.

"It was good," Lalisa murmured, trying to keep her words polite.

Both of them stared at each other, one who kept a passive expression and the other who smiled.

Every time he smiled, her nerves felt as if they were going to break down because of how stressful she felt around him.