"You have to stop doing that."
"Stop doing what?"
"Saying things that make me want to kiss you when I can't."
Becoming the prince's personal bodyguard should be a dream come true, shouldn't it? Good pay, palace life, but the real gem that ever...
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Before I can even process Alvaro's request, Casimir swiftly intervenes, rising from his seat in one fluid motion.
"You must be out of your mind," Casimir exclaims in exasperation, his voice laced with palpable disbelief and a deep sense of appalled astonishment at Alvaro's audacious proposal.
"Stay out of this, Caz. It doesn't even involve you," Alvaro retorts with an eye roll, his irritation palpable in his dismissive demeanour and tone.
"I don't give a damn about what you think, Alv," Casimir snaps, his frustration seeping through his words. "No way in hell will I let her get mixed up in your delusional schemes."
Sensing the tension mounting in the hut, I weakly clutch onto Casimir's arm, a silent plea for his attention. I can feel a growing urge to speak, to have my voice heard in the midst of the escalating conflict.
Casimir's gaze, previously locked onto Alvaro with an unwavering intensity, softens as he turns to look at me. I can see a glimmer of understanding and consideration in his eyes, a silent acknowledgement that my perspective matters to him.
"Explain," I murmur, my voice carrying a faint hint of fatigue as I struggle to make myself heard.
Alvaro turns to look at me, his hesitation palpable in the furrow of his brow and the uncertainty in his eyes. However, he begins to explain, his words cautious and measured as he unveils his motive.
"As you know, Rosalia's missing. But,the rest of the world doesn't know. Your physique is similar to that of Rosalia's. All I'm asking is for you to pretend to be her for one night. It's going to be a masquerade ball. Your face will be hidden, and I promise that no one will recognise you," Alvaro explains, his words carefully calculated to persuade me.
Yet, something in his demeanour raises an alarm within me. The way his shoulders tense and the evasiveness in his tone almost hint that he might not be revealing the entire truth. A gnawing feeling of unease settles in the pit of my stomach as I sense there is more to his request than he is letting on.
"That's not all, is it?" I press, my tone edged with a mix of concern and suspicion.
His eyes widen, clearly caught off guard by my question, but he swiftly regains his composure and lets out a light, dismissive chuckle.
"You're as sharp as your father," he remarks casually, and I cannot help but tense at the comparison, a feeling of disdain washing over me.
Upon hearing Alvaro's comment, Casimir shoots me a perplexed look, clearly confused as to why Alvaro is bringing up my father.
Alvaro finally comes clean, his demeanour as calm as ever. "It's likely that traitors are going to show up to the ball and if so, I would like for you to be there. I stand by what I say, you are the closest we'll get to understanding how these traitors act."
Not this again.
I cannot hide my annoyance as Alvaro's words sink in. The idea of being associated with my father and these traitors he supposedly gathered, even if only in a ruse, doesn't sit well with me. My lips tighten, and my gaze hardens as I contemplate his request, a mixture of frustration and reluctance bubbling within me.
