Chapter 23: Chapter-23 Let's go to university

"Are you ready?" Miss Zoya asked Elliana, who nodded with the biggest smile on her face.

"Great, let's get you to the university," Miss Zoya said.

Elliana smiled before looking at her reflection one last time.

She descended the stairs with Miss Zoya, ready to leave, when the chef ran behind her.

"Princess! Wait up for me!" Chef shouted, and Elliana turned to look at him with squinted brows.

"What is it?" She asked, confused.

"Here. I prepared a bento box for you. What will you eat during lunch? What if you don't like the food from the canteen? It's your first day. I don't want you to overwork yourself. It's all your favorite food and -"

"She is going to a university, not to school, Chef," Miss Zoya said, and the chef looked at her disappointed.

"Hey, I just -"

"Do you want her to look uncool? Do you want others to mock her? Who brings lunch to Universities these days?" Miss Zoya scoffed, and the chef felt even more uncomfortable. He had been preparing for lunch and what to put in it since night.

He was so excited to prepare the Princess's first lunch.

But was what Miss Zoya said right? He didn't want the princess to be embarrassed because of him.

Elliana noticed his faltering smile and sighed.

"I am so thankful to you, Chef. You have no idea how happy and loved I feel seeing this box. No one has ever prepared a lunch box for me," Elliana looked at the chef with a genuine smile before holding the box close to her chest, and the chef immediately became chirpy again.

"I know that, right? I am ready to spoil you," the chef's words made Elliana smile, and she was about to leave when she heard Sebastian's voice.

"Are you leaving?" Sebastian asked, and Elliana turned to look at him. His brown hair was styled back and was wearing a long black colored overcoat over his formal clothes. Even though this was his casual attire for meetings, he looked handsome, and Elliana blinked twice to concentrate on his face.

Sebastian noticed her staring and couldn't help but roam his gaze all over her.

Seeing her dressed in a baby pink sundress and white wedges with her hair curled in soft beach waves cascading on her back and shoulders with a light pink tint on her cheeks and lips, Sebastian stared at her for a few seconds before clearing his throat.

"Do you want me to drop you? It's on the way," Sebastian said without thinking twice, and Lucas looked at him with raised brows.

What was the prince talking about? They were going to meet their spy that was in the western regions. The university was almost in the opposite direction and will cost them more time. Lucas thought, not saying anything though.

Miss Zoya scowled at the prince. She was really hoping to go and drop the princess on her first day. It was obvious since Elliana didn't want their relationship to be out, she wouldn't allow the prince with her inside. Miss Zoya wanted to help the princess to her class and ensure she was comfortable, which she was sure the prince wouldn't do.

"That's okay. I don't want to be a burden. You are probably going out from official work. Also, I am not using the car. Can you please ask someone to drop me at the nearest bus station, and I can take the bus -"

"Have you lost your mind?" Sebastian cut her off, and Elliana immediately shut up.

"I don't know how things were back in your kingdom, but royal members don't travel in buses here. And even if they were, I would never allow you to travel on public transport. Do you think this world is a nice place just because you haven't been attacked yet? Will you be able to fight against multiple Vampires if they bully you?" Sebastian asked, and seeing her going quiet, he nodded at himself.

"That's what I thought," Sebastian scoffed before he looked at Miss Zoya, who was eyeing him suspiciously.

Honestly, what he said was true, but bogus at the same time. There were strict rules against bullying others in the kingdom, and if anyone even dared to lay a finger on Elliana, he would cost his entire lineage.

Blue and other guards were already appointed to guard Elliana in secret. So there was no way anyone would harm her.

"Are you coming?" Sebastian asked, and Elliana shook out of her thoughts before hurriedly taking her bento box from the chef and following the prince.

Sebastian gazed at the bento box in her bag and sighed.

Was she really old school? Or was she looking for ways for people to torment and find a way to bully her? Who brings a bento box to their first day at college? Sebastian looked at the girl, who was looking out of the window with a distant smile, and couldn't help but notice how beautiful her side profile was.

'What if she catches the eyes of one of those? I just hope she finds a gentleman who would kiss the path she will walk on. I can't wait for her to tell me all about boys,' Miss Zoya's words echoed in Sebastian's ears, and he scrunched his brows.

He grabbed Elliana's hand, making her turn to look at him.

"Concentrate only on studies, okay? I don't want to hear any rumors about you being mischievous in college," Sebastian said, and Elliana nodded.

"You don't have to worry about that. I have always been a loner in my previous school too," Elliana said like it was the most normal thing to say, and Sebastian looked into her eyes for a few seconds before sighing.

Why does this girl always evoke this feeling of protecting her whenever he looks into her eyes? It's as if she is some kind of witch with manipulating powers.

Sebastian left her hand and cupped her jaws instead, rubbing her cheeks with his thumb softly.

"You won't be a loner anymore," He found himself saying, and Elliana placed her hand on his, almost shocking him with the warmth.

It was as if he didn't know what he was doing until she placed her hand on his.

"Thank you," She said before smiling at him, and he nodded before removing his hand from her face and looking out.

Lucas, who witnessed everything, looked away, unsure himself. Something told him that if his prince stayed persistent with his suspicions about Elliana even after how quickly they were forming their relationship, one of them would get their heart broken, and it would be a terrible site.

"Ambrose!" Lucas shouted, and the car jerked with a screech, making Sebastian raise his brows, and he quickly pulled Elliana onto his lap, forcing her face into his chest to protect her.

"What's going on?" Sebastian's cold voice resounded, and Lucas turned to answer before quickly looking forward, not wanting to intervene in their privacy.

Sebastian's one hand was securely placed on Elliana's head, forcing her face into his chest, while the other hand was secured on her thighs so she was close to his body as he almost engulfed her.

Elliana's heart was beating dramatically, and her hands were clenched around Sebastian's shirt as she was afraid of what was happening. Once the car started going smoothly again, Sebastian finally relaxed.

"We are sorry, sir. A deer jumped in front of the car out of nowhere," Ambrose looked at Sebastian through the rearview mirror before quickly averting his gaze back to the road.

With a curt nod, Sebastian hummed before he realized how Elliana was still clinging to him. His skin tingled where he was touching her, with her hot breath fanning his chest as she breathed heavily.

She was probably more shocked by the way he pulled her rather than how the car jerked.

"I am sorry," Sebastian removed his hand from her head first, and Elliana nodded before finally looking up.

Seeing his face up so close, even with the mask, Elliana's eyes widened slightly when she looked into his eyes.

Sebastian looked back at her eyes, her face appearing even more appealing from this close. Her face was so flawless that he was tempted to bruise it, bruise it with pinching or biting these slightly chubby cheeks.

"Thank you," Elliana shifted uncomfortably, and Sebastian nodded, not removing his hand from her thighs nonetheless.

"Your hair got all messed up because of it. If Miss Zoya saw this, she would surely scowl," Sebastian murmured before he started combing her hair with his fingers, loving its fullness and how soft they were.

With a push button, he lifted the partition so Elliana won't feel uncomfortable with others in the car.

"It's okay, Mr. Prince. You don't need to worry about -" Elliana jerked closer to him because of the speed breaker, her chest pressing against his, and heat crept up her neck and face.

Seeing her face almost turning a shade of tomato, Sebastian smiled softly inside his mask.

"So we are back to Mr. Prince?" He teased, and Elliana gulped, looking away from him.

She wasn't sure what to say after she had embarrassed herself like this. What will the prince think about her now? Will he think that she was being desperate? That she was throwing herself at him? Elliana bit her lower lip.

She has read many romances, and gentlemen really hate women like these the most who throw themselves at them. Will the prince start hating her now? What should she do? Should she get off hurriedly? But that will appear planned too. Elliana racked her brains to come up with a plan.

Sebastian, who saw a strange swirl in her eyes, from confusion to horror to annoyance, scrunched his brows.

"You there?" Sebastian placed his finger under her chin, and she looked at him before shaking her head and then nodding.

"So you are, but not at the same time?" Sebastian couldn't help but find her amusing.

"I am sorry for earlier. It wasn't intentional. I swear," She chose to tell the truth, and Sebastian looked into his eyes for a few seconds before he chuckled slowly, his chuckle shocking Lucas and Ambrose, who almost lost their balance.

Elliana jerked forward again, this time almost hugging the prince.

"I am so sorry," Elliana shrieked, and Sebastian smiled before placing his hand on her back to keep her where she was, half hugging him.

He turned his head to tell her it was okay, but when he inhaled the smell of her hair, he paused before taking a whiff again.

She really smelt good, almost edible. Sebastian gritted his teeth at the thoughts before clearing his throat.

"Let's get you settled first," he said before he helped her down, evening her dress.

Elliana blushed when she felt his hands on her thighs. His hand was so big and warm. It made her look at his veiny palm, wanting to hold it as they did earlier. Seeing him rubbing his hand on her dress to even it, she felt goosebumps as she clenched her fists beside her to control her feelings.

Sebastian smiled inwardly when he noticed it.

It was really easy to get a reaction out of her, no?