Our Strange Duet (Yandere Modern Princes x Reader)

Chapter 3: Illegitimate

After breakfast, of which Rei spent the majority kissing and hugging (Y/n) greatly, the blonde reluctantly parted with her to tend to his responsibilities. There was much clinging done by him, claiming he needed his "cupcake" to focus. Of course, he was denied due to the fact that no one believed him. He would only have been distracted, either kissing her or waiting for her to look or speak to him.

His father remained, his mother going off to accompany Rei during his work. There was an awkward silence between the two, the man focused on reading his novel or occasionally taking a sip of what appeared to be tea. The younger girl felt largely uncomfortable, holding her hand in her lap and focusing on a certain spot on her elegant dress. The feeling of uncertainty increased as the man's eyes trailed on her, looking her over as if to assess her worth.

"I am grateful," the man said, ending his sentence there.

"W-What for?" the (h/c) haired girl asked, stuttering to exemplify her fear of the powerful and intimidating man.

The man smirked at hearing the younger girl's voice and let out a low chuckle that almost shook her to the core. There was an awkward silence afterward, only the sound of servants' or other people's feet rushing about to prepare for the coronation. Still, it was the man's silence that greatly unnerved the younger girl, prompting shivers to run up her spine in the most uncomfortable way. The man's eyes trailed once more to her, his smirk widening as if he was greatly amused, then returning to his novel.

"Rei would be quite upset to know you've spoken in his absence. Let us keep this our little secret."

The man returned to silence, his smirk fading into a focused gaze on the paper of the book. His eyes skimmed the book, taking in what it had written in it, but he left the younger girl alone. Feeling chilled with that fact, the (h/c) haired girl stood up and promptly left. She was obviously not allowed to be left unsupervised, guards following her. Though they were temporary, her real guards were being chosen later that same day by Rei and they served as a temporary substitute.

(Y/n) was forbidden to go outside of the castle grounds, not even allowed to go near the sight of the gate that separated the castle from the public streets. Rei's explanation was that someone would try to insult her or harm her. Of course, the true idea behind it was that he didn't want anyone laying eyes on her before he officially claimed her as his. Still, he was rather strict about it.

Of all places to go, the younger girl rather enjoyed the garden. It was large and expansive, going on for as far as the eye could see. The main part was what the (h/c) haired girl truly loved about it. There were neatly kept vines and hedges, even a small maze. It was a secure place and often had the most colorful of butterflies fluttering about, their lively wings brightening the atmosphere.

"Ah," a gasp sounded, coming from behind the younger girl, "It's been a while, young miss."

The (h/c) haired girl turned around, coming face to face with an orange-haired male with vibrantly teal-colored eyes. He had a soft and kind smile on his face, his face as pale a white as a corpse. Bags were under his eyes signifying something was amiss with him, but still, he held a kind aura. He was simply overjoyed to be out in the garden even if he was surrounded by countless staff, some of which were trained doctors.

"Orion," the girl said, stumbling over her feet to bow to the boy.

"No, please don't," the older boy said, a concerned expression on his face, "I always feel so guilty about that. I wish you wouldn't treat me like some kind of..."

"Crown prince?" the (h/c) haired girl finished, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"I won't be after today," the male beamed, giving a small chuckle.