Ariel could not believe the audacity of this jerk‑prince. He was already making moves to torment her before she'd even settled in.
He was looking for trouble.
Ariel sighed and averted her gaze.
His stare was so intimidating it began to crawl under her skin.
And she didn't want to be intimidated by him.
"What do you want?" she asked through clenched teeth. "Your… Highness?"
She added the honorific after realizing that—even though he was a jerkass, he was still the most powerful man in the room. And the scumbag could easily twist a lack of manners into a challenge, something she didn't want at the moment.
Daniel could see the fury burning in her eyes. He wondered why his presence worked her up so much. Wasn't this what she wanted in the first place? The reason she teamed up with that scheming old lady—his grandmother—so she could stay in the palace during the selection?
He was certain she wanted his attention. So why was she so angry to see him? Was it just pretense—a façade to make him think she wasn't interested, while deep down she was enjoying it? She was indeed a drama queen. A professional actress. A vulture disguised as a flamingo.
Well, he wasn't going to fall for her tricks. No siree. He would make sure the trickster was tricked by her own game this time. And he wouldn't back away until she finally gave up and her true colors were exposed.
With a tiny smirk playing on his lips, he sat upright on the bed and looked at her intently.
She truly was a beauty to behold. If she weren't a puppet, he might have gladly played with her for a while—or even taken it easy on her. But now he knew better. He wasn't going to let her have her way with him.
"Aren't you happy to see me?" he muttered, propping his head on his hand, elbow arched against the pillow.
Ariel snorted. "Happy?" She turned to face him. "Do I look like I'm thrilled by your presence, Your Highness?"
"Mmm… not really. But I'm sure your little heart is pumping with joy right now, despite this—" he gestured at her angry face. "So instead of hiding it, why don't you come clean? I already told you—I don't like fake people."
Ariel scoffed, folding her arms in disbelief. 'Seriously? This jerk. Still calling me fake? And what—'my heart is pumping with joy at seeing him'? Ha! If only he knew how much I want to smack that smug grin off his face. He wouldn't be so overjoyed with his assumptions. The jerk.'
She growled inwardly but forced herself to stay calm. Instead of blowing up, she smoothed her expression, relaxed her nerves, and decided to handle him—
In a gentle way.
"My apologies, Your Highness, if my attitude toward your unexpected visit is not what you hoped to see," she said sweetly.
"I honestly didn't expect you to be so eager to see me in private before the Introduction Ball tomorrow and the Bridal Selection. What? Are you already eager to solidify our relationship?" Ariel's lips curved into a subtle smirk as she watched him stiffen. "Wow, I am truly surprised, your Highness. I didn't know that I had already won you over without even trying so soon. It is truly unexpected." She silently smiled seeing him looking uneasy after twisting the words, flipping the implication back on him, making it seem as though he was the one eager for her not the other way around.
'Got ya, didn't I? You think you can play me? Ha! Think again, Your royal jerkass. I've been playing this game far longer than you can imagine. You can't mess with me, no matter how hard you try. Let's see how you wriggle out of this one.'
Daniel could see the invisible smirk hiding behind Ariel's composed, sweet, stoic face. She had twisted his words—something he hadn't expected. But he liked it. This woman was dangerous. Still, he wasn't about to let her win or gain the upper hand. No way.
He smirked, sat upright, and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, my lady. Unfortunately, I was chasing someone who looked like an intruder—someone who managed to get away and disappeared into one of the rooms on this floor. I'm sure you're aware of the palace attack that took place a few days ago. Someone tried to kill me. And it's believed this person could also be targeting the women participating in the selection. So I stopped by to see if the intruder entered this room and perhaps harmed you. Please don't get too excited. I would never dare break the rules just for my satisfaction—much less for a petty woman." He muttered the last words under his breath, but Ariel heard them.
She snorted, glaring at him in disbelief. 'Jerk, ingrate, pervert! I couldn't care less about you either, scumbag!' she cursed silently.
Daniel could feel the burning weight of her gaze. She was obviously cursing him for shattering her little fantasy of him being interested in her. Well, he was interested—but not in that pitiful way. He didn't care about her; he just wanted to get under her skin, to see how long she could keep wearing her flamingo‑vulture façade. He had promised himself he would pluck off her feathers and grill her into a roasted chicken—and he wasn't backing away from that promise.
He smirked again, stood from the bed, and stretched.
"So rest assured, my lady. The competition is still on, and it will be fair and square. You can count on it. Don't think otherwise."
Ariel was baffled by his remark. 'He thinks I'm head over heels for him? That I want to be his wife? Ha! The nerve! I couldn't care less about him—or this stupid competition—if I didn't need to use him to get revenge on my enemies. I would never stoop so low as to be involved with a scumbag like him. But since I promised myself I would tame him, I'll do exactly that. I'll make sure he doesn't gain any leverage over me. That, I will definitely ensure.'
She sighed. "Well, excuse me, Your Highness, for mistaking your intrusion as one of familial piety. Since you and I have been… acquainted for quite some time, I truly thought His Highness had finally fallen for this lady's exceptional beauty and charm, and decided to make it known—and official."
Daniel snorted. "You wish." He turned his gaze away.
Ariel smirked and exhaled. "Well, since that's not the case…" She moved toward the balcony door and gestured to him. "Then I suggest we bid each other farewell. Since you are such a 'rule‑abiding gentleman', best not to let anyone misunderstand now shall we. So…" she gestured again, "have a good afternoon, Your Highness."
Daniel smirked. "Trying to play innocent, huh? Oh, I see."
Ariel rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry. I won't force you to admit your feelings for me so soon. We still have plenty of time together. But don't cling too tightly to your little fantasy—you might end up disappointed." He flashed her a cocky smile.
Ariel scoffed.
'Okay. That's it. Time to make this clear once and for all', she growled inwardly as she strode up to him, stopping just inches away.
Daniel was taken aback by the sudden closeness. He hadn't thought she would dare step forward after his remark. He expected her to keep her cool and let him win this round. But she didn't.
"Bold flamingo," he murmured. "What? Are you trying to confess your love for me already? Tsk… go on. Don't say I didn't at least let you try your luck." He smirked.
Ariel scoffed. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"
Daniel snorted. "Come on. Don't pretend. I know women like you—pretending to be hard to get, but deep inside craving the thrill of adventure with the beast of the kingdom. Am I right?"
Ariel folded her arms across her chest. "Unbelievable."
Daniel closed the distance, standing just a breath away from her.
Ariel could feel his breath on her face. The closeness stirred sensations she had never felt before. His masculine scent, laced with deep cologne, filled her nose, and heat pooled beneath her feet, her stomach, and lower abdomen. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. Last time it had been like flames dancing around her—but now it was a full‑blown inferno, burning chaos inside her.
Strangely, she liked it.
So did Daniel.
Being close to her always made him feel things he didn't want to feel—things he couldn't explain. Just like with his mystery woman.
But one thing grounded him: this woman was not her. His mystery woman was bold and daring. Fierce and fiery. This one was a fake. A pretender. A tigress with no teeth. And he hated that—especially the way she played innocent. She put up a challenge, yes, but not enough.
So why did she make him feel the same way his mystery woman did? He didn't like it.
He stepped closer, and she inched back like prey before a predator. If she was afraid of him, then why had she dared to step close in the first place—only to retreat at a little proximity?
Daniel studied her darting eyes, moving frantically. A scared rabbit, pretending as usual.
"Tsk… if you want to be my woman…" he whispered, "then stop acting like a little rabbit."
He leaned in, locking his gaze with hers as Ariel tilted her face back slightly.
"You've fallen for me, haven't you? But too bad. I'll say it once, and I'll gladly say it again: I. Don't. Fuck. Rabbits. So get that through your head—and let go of that little fantasy of yours. Okay?"
The room became still.
Silent.
His statement hung in the air like a storm cloud, suffocating the space—ready to unleash its torrent at any moment.
Ariel could not believe what he had just said.
Her… falling for a barbaric maniac? A royal jerk like him?
The assumption was beyond outrageous. Truly unacceptable.
Maybe if she were her old, naïve self, she might have fallen blindly. But life had taught her how love could betray in the most painful way. She refused to fall victim again. Never would she be bound in its trap. Never.
And if he thought he could scare her again, he had better think twice. She vowed to tame the beast—and she would not let him intimidate her. Not ever again.
"I'm afraid His Highness is quite mistaken about me. So allow me to make this clear." She moved closer, locking her gaze with his. "No. I will not let go of any fantasy—because it never existed in the first place. I never, and I will never, fall for you, Your Highness. That is a dream that will never come true. I wouldn't even dare dream of it. So don't expect anything from me—because I will not expect anything from you either. Your Highness. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to settle in. Please leave."
She stepped away, eyeing him up and down before muttering under her breath, "Fall for you? Tsk… my ass." Then she turned her back.
But Daniel heard her clearly. And he was taken aback. For the first time, he wondered if he had been mistaken about the Flamingo's intentions. He could feel the fire burning behind her eyes when she spoke—it was unmistakable. She was not attracted to him as he had thought. And that piqued his curiosity even more.
Without warning, he yanked her back toward him with sudden force.
The momentum sent them both tumbling onto the bed.
"Mwaa…"
Ariel's eyes widened as she landed on top of Daniel—her lips pressed against his.
The breeze from the balcony swept through the curtains, filling the room and turning it into a romantic tableau.
Bodies pressed together.
Lips touching.
Eyes locked.
It was surreal.
It was magical.
Both felt a strange sensation, as though their hearts were beating in perfect sync.
A flawless accidental moment.
If only it were real, it might have been perfect—like two lovers caught in the heat of romance.
'Like hell it will!' Ariel growled inwardly as she tore her lips from his and tried to move away. But…
Something felt....wrong.
Something poked her hand. She tried to pull back, but instead squeezed—only to be met with a low growl and a pair of crimson eyes, darker than before, glaring back at her.
Her eyes widened as realization struck. She knew exactly what it was, and where her hand had landed.
Her heart hammered in her chest. She didn't dare look down.
And as if things couldn't get any worse—
The door opened.
Both their heads whipped toward the newcomer—only for Ariel's eyes to widen in horror.
Standing at the door was her father, Raymond.
His eyes mirrored her shock. He hadn't expected to witness such a scene when he came to see his daughter.
Awkwardly, he froze, darting his gaze between the two of them. Then, clearing his throat, he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him with stiff unease.
Ariel shut her eyes and bit her lower lip. "Fuck…" she whispered.
"Fuck indeed," Daniel rumbled beneath her.
Ariel turned to face him—and froze. His eyes were blood‑red, a color she had never seen before. The sight sent a shudder down her spine.
"Now… would you mind getting off? Otherwise, the word will turn into reality soon enough."
Ariel snapped back to her senses and tried to move away—but his grip tightened, holding her in place. She looked at him, confused, her gaze questioning why he wasn't letting her go.
Daniel released a low, animalistic growl that felt unnatural. His own eyes widened in shock as he stared into Ariel's bewildered ones.
The beast was awakened. Something no woman had ever managed before. He had always kept control. But this Flamingo had stirred its hunger—and its power surged like never before. He was on the verge of losing control.
And one thing was certain:
It would never let its prey go until it was satisfied.
'Shit. I'm fucked.' He growled.