[Discontinued*] The Darling Princess [A Twisted Wonderland Fanfic]

🐙 Chapter 88

"You appear to be exceedingly troubled about something."

Y/N shrieked and jumped out of her seat, instinctively holding her pen out in front of her hair. Her eyes were wide and wild as she stared at the two Leech brothers, who seemed at least mildly amused by her antics. 

"My Dearest Pearl," Jade said kindly, "You need not be frightened by us." 

Y/N remained as still as a statue as Jade took a step forward. Gently, with the grace of an ocean current, he brushed a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. He smiled at her and reached into his pocket. He withdrew a single shell clip and slipped it into Y/N's hair, handing her locks away from her face.

"There. Now we can see your enchanting face in all of its glory, Little Pearl." He wrapped his arm around Y/N's frame and led her back to her seat, gently pushing her toward her spot next to Yuu.

"Now," Jade said, turning to the rest of the group, though he rested a hand on Y/N's shoulders. "What are you complaining about?" No one missed the knowing smirk on his face.

"There is a certain someone working us to the bone," Ace huffed, picking up another one of Jack's chips and popping it into his mouth. He ignored the growl that rumbled in the boy's chest. 

Floyd laughed in his usual unsettling way and slid into the seat next to Y/N. "Ah ha! The contract breaking anemones are saying something. You don't have the right to complain." He glared at them. "Shut up."

Grim ducked into Deuce's shadows, tearing up at Floyd's uncharacteristically malicious looking face.

"Eek! I'm gonna get squeezed again..."

Y/N suddenly felt someone running their hand through her hair and she turned to see Jade carefully braiding her tresses, smiling at her as he did so. 

"The one I'm talking to is not any of these anemones, but rather, you." He turned to Yuu. "The prefect of Ramshackle Dorm."

"Me?" Yuu moved a little farther away from the Leech twins, muttering an apology to Deuce when he bumped into him.

"Why are you jumping back like a shrimp," Floyd asked, though he was grinning from ear to ear. "Shrimp... Hm... You're so little so I guess that makes you Little Shrimp!"

Y/N glanced over at Yuu with a frown. She found it hard to believe that he was small by any definition. He towered over her and had a build that was similar to Jack's.

"I think any student is going to look small next to you," Deuce muttered. 

Ace seemed to agree. "These two being this big is just too powerful..."

"You were playing spy together with Riddle just the other day," Jade continued, ignoring the comments that his brother was making toward the Ramshackle Prefect and the comments that he was getting in return. "So you're probably already aware of who we are, but allow us to reintroduce ourselves."

Jade took a step toward Yuu and extended his hand. "I am Jade Leech. This is my twin, Floyd."

"Hello~" Floyd nearly threw himself on top of Yuu. "I'm Floyd. Nice to meet you, Little Shrimp." 

Y/N saw no point in helping her friend out and simply smirked at him. 

Jade, thankfully for Yuu, pulled his brother off. "Back to the matter at hand. Is your concern perhaps about..." the corner of his mouth quirked up slightly. "The situation that these anemones find themselves in."

'You hit the nail on the head.'

Jack seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "'Perhaps' my a**. Look at his smug grin."