ROYAL HIGHNESS

54. you'll see

An hour later, Ovie emerged from her room, the soft click of her heels echoing lightly against the oakwood floor.

She had changed into an elegant, cream-colored woolen midi coat, belted neatly at the waist, paired with matching heeled boots and a high-neck knitted dress underneath in a soft almond shade. Her long hair had been loosely curled and left down, the waves spilling past her shoulders like silk, and a faint shimmer dusted her eyelids. A pair of pearl earrings peeked out from beneath her hair—understated, classic, and effortlessly poised. She looked like winter royalty walking out of a fairytale.

Across the living space, Amyardh stood with his back to the window, adjusting the cuffs of his charcoal-gray coat. It was cut sharply over a black turtleneck and slim-fitting trousers, paired with black leather gloves and polished boots. His usual severity was softened today—not absent, just restrained.

When he turned and saw her, something flickered across his face—a pause, subtle and brief, like a mental camera shutter capturing her in that moment.

“You’re overdressed,” she said teasingly, breaking the silence.

“You’re underestimating,” he replied smoothly, eyes lingering a second longer than necessary.

Outside the lodge entrance, the world was breathless with white.

Flakes of snow fluttered down gently from the sky like falling feathers, resting on pine branches and rooftops in a hush that made the entire resort feel untouched.

Just as they stepped out, a man in a company jacket approached, holding out a single key fob.

“Mr. Pathak?” the man asked, slightly out of breath. “The vehicle has been delivered. Everything’s in order, sir.”

Amyardh nodded once, took the keys, and the man offered a quick smile before turning around and climbing into the back of a waiting cab, which drove away quietly into the snow-laced road.

Ovie blinked in confusion. “Who was that? You… you have business connections here too?”

“An employee?” she guessed, folding her arms against the cold.

Amyardh glanced at her, amused by the suspicion in her voice. A soft chuckle rumbled from his chest. “That was the sales manager of a car dealership here.”

She frowned. “What dealership?”

He tilted his head toward the sleek obsidian-black vehicle parked elegantly near the entrance. “I ordered the car online about half an hour ago.”

Ovie's eyes widened. “You bought a car?”

He shrugged as if it were as casual as ordering a cup of coffee. “Felt like driving something that wasn’t the resort’s SUV.”

She stared at the car—smooth, shiny, powerful-looking—and then stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “Amyardh… we’re not settling here. We’re just here for a few days.”

He opened the passenger-side door for her. “For as long as we’re staying, let’s use it well.”
She slid in but not before muttering, “Wow. You really like throwing your money around.”

He rounded the hood and slid into the driver’s seat, calmly fastening his seatbelt. “Relax. I’ll sell it the moment we leave.”

Ovie rolled her eyes, tugging the belt across her lap. “Of course you will.”

The drive to the restaurant was scenic, the roads weaving between hills and pine woods dusted with fresh snow. The sky was muted gray despite it being noon, casting the landscape in a silvery-blue hue. Amyardh drove with one hand on the wheel, expression calm and focused, while Ovie sat beside him, chin resting on her gloved hand as she gazed outside, visibly charmed by the foreign stillness.