Damsel In A Red Dress (Tsukasa X Reader)

Chapter 17

When I woke up in the morning, last night seemed like a dream. I was floating in bliss. Drifting through the hallways almost like I was flying. Humming a quiet tune to myself in happiness.

The prince had confessed to me. He held my hand so gently as if it would break at the slightest shift and he looked so determined.

The words he said to me last night replayed in my mind.

"(Y/n), I love you." I looked at him in awe with a growing crush making its way from my neck to the tips of my ears.

I opened my mouth to respond but I couldn't speak a word, for he hadn't let me.

"I don't want you to answer right now." He placed his hand over my mouth to quiet me. "Honesty, I'm scared of your reply. For now, I will try my best to get you to love me like I love you, even if you already do. But I don't know that." He removed the hand over my mouth to smooth back his hair.

He was stressed. I had never heard Tsukasa the great, powerful, terrifying younger prince who rivaled his brother admit to anyone, a women no less that he was scared.

Tsukasa stood there looking at me expectantly.

A soft smile grew on my face. I could feel the wind move my hair off of my shoulders as I smiled and gave him a small nod of acceptance.

"You have told me how you felt and I respect that, however I am not quite ready to share my own feelings." Held my hands together.

It was only when I bowed to the prince that I noticed my tears on the ground. I had been crying and I didn't even know it.

"Y-your sad at my confession?" The younger prince grew weary as he held onto my shoulder, wiping a tear away with his gloves finger.

I shook my head and laughed. Taking his hand in my own. "No, I do believe these are tears of joy and relief."

I noticed the lightest pink dust over his cheek as he looked away with a shy face. "Those are the only tears that are allowed." He huffed and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Then thank you for letting me cry...?" I joked. The both of us laughed in a chorus. He walked me back to my room that night. Sharing nothing but stories about precious moments like those in the garden.

I wasn't in a dress that was to die for like Nene had dressed me in at the palace. It was a sky blue with a white apron. It was to match a character in a book I had read when I was younger. I was fond of her dress styled. If was comfortable.

In the library, I rolled up a bandana into a headband, helping to keep the hair from my face. I tied the top to look almost like bunny ears.

The maids in the hallway almost looked worried for me when I marched through to the kitchen confidently. There, my father was discussing something with the younger prince like last night.

I opened both doors with a strong push and I saw my father lean across the kitchen table. "I have the right to demand my daughter back. Sell her back to me. I'll break you that deal."

"The only deal you gave me here is to your profit. You want me to sell you your daughter back to which you sold her to the palace for your own profit in the first place. And now that a member of the Imperial family is demanding compensation for the upkeep of said daughter that cost more than you are willing to spend, you demand to buy her back to save money. I know what you're doing I'm not stupid. I'm a business man just like any other if so more skilled." He dusted off the sleeves of his shirt. His lack of attention at my fuming father made me catch his eye.

He gave me a sweet smile only to turn back to my father with the coldest glare.

I quickly tapped Tsukasa on the shoulder to stop him from talking.

"Father, you talk about them selling me to you, well how do you feel about selling your title as lord?" My smile widened with confidence. This was a man who controlled me a year ago. He was no more to me then another person.

"Excuse me?" His eyebrow raised in disbelief at what he was hearing.

"Well it's only fair isn't it?" I flaunted my arms as I walked around the table in circles. "You want them to sell me when they found me precious enough to keep in the first place. Why would they sell me to you just because you want them to? Because it benefited only you? You proposed a dead ended deal.  I'm probably just as important to them as your title is to you."

"How dare you-!" I put my hand over the gross man's mouth. His fist had slammed down on the table in aggravation while I giggled in delight. I was begging to think Tsukasa rubbed off of me with how I was acting.

"Ah but did you forget?" I smiled wickedly at my father. "Being owned by the imperial family gave me a higher status than even you. So like Tsukasa said earlier..." my father sat up from his chair at the table in slight fear.

With every step he took back away from me I took a step forward, poking at his clothed chest. "Know. Your. Place."

I turned around to look around the room. Tsukasa had an excited look on his face. It wasn't the face of someone who was proud. That was straight excitement. What for?

"I'm a little surprised by your own daughter's behavior today lord Azon." He took a few steps toward my father. "I know your daughter is the most wonderful person I've met, but I am one hundred percent clear that it is most certainly not from you."

And just like a tasteful game of chess. Tsukasa and I had moved our black chess pieces to take down their one and only king.
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Original release date: April 23rd, 2021