CRIMSON HUNTER ♔ PRUSSIA[✔]

III

The scenery drastically changed as a sleek, old style car made its way along Germany. Your family was not as German as the other noble families, you actually descended from The Roman Empire, but nobody really decided to mind where you came from. 

Gilbert sat next to you, surprisingly quiet as you glared outside the window. Although the scenery was pretty, you had to control your emotions to let the world know you didn't want to be here. Of course, that was expected from your stubborn self. 

Gilbert snuck a couple glances at you awkwardly before talking.

"So umm..." 

You whipped around and gave him a scary glare. 

"My name is (Name) Černá. I like reading. I like ice skating. I like my dog. I hate arranged marriages!" You snapped before turning around. 

"..." Gilbert sweatdrop before breaking out into a cocky grin. 

"Well, I guess it's only fairy that I tell you about myself then." He said. "I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt. I like shooting targets, archery, and hunting. And my pet bird. 

"So you like killing animals?" You asked haughtily. 

Gilbert smiled thoughtfully. 

"No. Not animals. Just dummies and targets." 

You couldn't help but shudder a little at his red, eerie gaze.  

♔

Upon stepping into Gilbert's Manor, your breath was taken away. It was large and grand with a beautiful fountain in the middle. Yes, a fountain inside the building. The ceilings were high and the design reminded you of old Europe. This made you smile in amazement. It was absolutely beautiful, giving you a  nostalgic feeling from your days traveling Europe.  

Gilbert noticed your awe and smirked. 

"I designed it myself." 

You turned towards him and narrowed your eyes, huffing and lifting your nose in the air.

"Hn. I guess its okay." 

Gilbert gave you puppy dog eyes and put his hand to his chest. 

"Ouch. Your words hurt, (Name)." He said, but smirked. 

"I don't care. Just show me my room." You said. 

"How would your parents react if they knew you were sassing me right now?" Gilbert asked. 

"I could care less about the shit my parents would get mad at me for. They aren't a part of my life anymore, and that means I don't have to listen to them." You said, huffing and crossing your arms. 

Gilbert eyed you for a second and sighed in defeat. 

"Fine, I'll take you to our room." 

"OUR ROOM?!" You shrieked. Gilbert flinched. 

"I was just kidding... For now. Later on, you know we're going to have to sleep together... We're technically engaged." Gilbert said, wiggling his eyebrows. You glared at him in disgust, but said nothing as you were too tired to sass him. 

When he stopped in front of a room, he stood in front of the door protectively, fidgeting with his shirt a little. 

"Okay, this is your room. I uh.. I tried my best. I wasn't really sure what you liked and stuff... I kind of went off what I already knew about you." Gilbert said, suddenly becoming very shy. You cocked your head and nodded, a little surprised by this new side of the Prussian Duke. However, that was very short lived as that stupid, arrogant, cocky smirk slithered to his face again. 

"What am I saying? Of course it'll be great. Also, this used to be the guest room, and we used the closet to keep extra things in there. I had the maids clean it out, but if you find anything there... Just call me." He said, his tone serious. 

"Don't worry, I'll tell you if I find your mature novels," You said, wrinkling your nose and pushing past him. 

"No, that's not what I meant!" He said, blushing deep red. You pushed open the door and immediately, the breath was taken out of your lungs. 

The walls were painted a warm, off white color to promote the minimalism and cleanliness of the room. The room reminded you of old Europe- the architecture and furniture boasted Greek and ancient Roman. The furniture was Old Scandinavian and absolutely beautiful. The bed looked cozy and plush, and there were paintings on the wall. 

A particular painting showed a man holding a deer's head. There was a rifle in his hand. He was blonde and buff with shining blue eyes. Even though his and the Duke's features seemed way different from each other, you could still make out some similarities. 

The deer... Or rather his head,  showed lifeless eyes. Although the deer had been cleaned, you could still imagine the blood pouring out from it's body. Gilbert noticed you staring at the picture and paled a little. 

"That's my brother's." He said. "I can take it down if it makes you uncomfortable. He liked to keep it in here because this guest bedroom usually holds the uh... Hunters that come to visit our family." 

You stared at the painting still, zoning out. Gilbert snapped his fingers in front of you. 

"(Name)?" 

"Huh?!" You said, shaking your head. "Umm.. No, it's fine." Your mind was on something else right now, the book. You just wanted to take a shower and keep reading it... Then get some sleep. 

Gilbert was growing slightly suspicious of your thoughts, but he brushed them aside. There wasn't too much time until that day anyways. 

"Good night, (Name)." Gilbert said emotionlessly, red eyes gleaming as he shut the door and disappeared into the hallway. 

The moment the maids brought in your luggage, you stripped and stepped into the shower, letting out a long held sigh as the water warmed your body. It had been a long day, and your mind was racing-but who could blame you? You had practically left your family and homeland to be wed off to a stranger. 

After drying yourself and changing into a nightgown, you opened the book again and scanned the pages. It was the same, but you still couldn't tear your mind off of the fact that this book contained so much information about dead people!

Finally, you passed out. Maybe it was partly because you were so tired, maybe it was because the silk was inviting to your soft skin. The book lay open across your chest on Natalya's page.