Imprisoned to Love You [Edited]

♦⊱ Chapter 17 - Abducted ⊰♦

This chapter is dedicated to TechTwin2! Happy reading!

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Ruka pov:

I hummed to myself as I walked down the hallways towards Kichiro sama's study. The attendants I passed by bowed to me respectfully and I gave them bows of acknowledgement in response.

It had been just a little over six months being here in the palace with Kichiro sama. It was surprising how comfortable I had become around Kichiro sama, so much so that I actually enjoyed his silent company. Smiling and laughing when around him came naturally now. Holding hands, sitting in his lap and sleeping next to him hadn't stopped – it still flustered me but I had convinced myself to just think of it as normal...so to say.

I also played my guitar often and learnt that Kichiro sama enjoyed it. He liked it when I sang and often insisted on that too. We had become closer to each other in an odd way and I had grown curious about the relationship between us. Sure, I considered us as good friends now – that's the only thing I could think of to describe us considering the comfort level between us – but it seemed to become more and more interesting with every day that passed. I felt drawn to Kichiro sama somehow, after all.

He was often silent and reserved but had a warm aura that made me content. His silent company didn't allow any sense of loneliness though I did feel lonely when he was busy with the work that came as a part of running his empire. While he was busy, I spent time with Kyo chan.

Kichiro sama trusted me now. As such, I was allowed to wander to almost any part of the palace whenever I wanted to and I had even visited the marketplace a few times with only a few soldiers as escorts. I cooked occasionally and Kichiro sama ate without any complaints on the rather simple foods. I was glad and even a little smug that my cooking skills were good enough for even an emperor to eat.

The talk with Kijima san had pushed me to being livelier around Kichiro sama and give him at least a slight sense of belonging. I was certain that Kichiro sama had felt the positivity from my behavior and so, his gentle gestures had increased. He was kinder to me, softer and tender, and managed to make me blush every time he did something that was the slightest sweet.

On that note, I was really touched when I had seen the very first painting that I had made hanging on the wall in his study. It was something he had insisted on keeping but I never imagined that he would cherish it. It had inspired me to make more random drawings and give it to him as gifts which he accepted without hesitance. They weren't great but Kichiro sama accepting it nonetheless made me happy.

All said and done, I wanted to go on a date with Kichiro sama now. On one of my excursions to the village, I had come across a beautiful meadow, a place I found to be magical! I'm sure it would be even more magical with fireflies flying about in the evening and I really wanted to go there with Kichiro sama. I was being silly, wanting to go on a date with Kichiro sama but I couldn't help but wish to...how things had changed in mere months.

Shaking my head with a laugh, I knocked on the doors of Kichiro sama's study that I had just reached. I was given permission to enter so I stepped it, my lips curling up into a smile. I walked to his study and shamelessly interrupted his work by saying, "Kichiro sama?"

He looked up from the parchments he was going through. I held in a soft laugh – despite being around him for so long, smiling and laughing and being light-hearted, he had not smiled even once. I suppose it was difficult for him to change after being alone and so serious all these years. The one thing that made me fell less troubled though was that the expression in his eyes was no longer cold when he looked at me.