บท 23: Company
Prudence did not know what His Grace planned by suggesting to stay in the same room. She had other plans and if he was going to stay here, there was no telling she would get to escape later or not. "I will be fine by myself, His Grace, thank you for considering."
Vincent did not bother about her words and went to the fireplace to light it. Prudence did not know what else to say. This was his manor, after all, and he actually roamed around the room allotted to Prudence as if her personal space was supposed to belong to him. "I assume you did not light the fireplace because you couldn't, but I don't understand why the window is open on such a chilly night?"
Vincent casually turned around before taking a seat by the fireplace. Prudence had a strong gut feeling that she was about to get caught and she never betrayed her intuitions.
"I like the cold weather," Prudence replied candidly, but it wasn't like she did not know how to light a simple fireplace. Even though her own house did not have one, she had lived at Abiona's place and learnt all those basic knowledge every rich house had. Prudence made her way towards the fireplace to get the warmth that she was craving for a long time. If Vincent had doubts about Prudence's plans, she was not going to try anything funny today. "I think this is perfect. His Grace should have some sleep as well," Prudence said, suggesting him to leave.
Vincent had his eyes fixated on the fire that slowly increased in intensity and did not turn to look at Prudence. She had been acting out of her character for some time now, and he knew there was something fishy about it.
With all the observations he had done, there was one quick conclusion that he had reached to - Prudence was trying to escape through the window using the bedsheet as the rope. But he did not see her working on any ropes yet, but strangely lurking around her cupboard that meant she must have used the extra sheets stacked in here. As much as Vincent wanted to catch her red-handed, he did not want to give her the chance.
"I am not sleepy," Vincent replied, turning his head to look at Prudence. "Let me keep you company so you don't have nightmares while adjusting to a new place."
Prudence did not want him to stay here. Not that she wanted to escape immediately when she was uncertain about Vincent's entry and exit in her room. But Vincent had already scared her by drinking two glasses of blood during dinner.
Since she no longer wanted to escape and be on his good side, she spoke honestly, "I am having nightmares about night creatures like you. How can I possibly be able to sleep with you in the same room?" Vincent had truly got on her nerve now by invading every bit of her space. It was like he was claiming her and she did not understand why. Prudence never wanted to have any partner in her entire life, and here Vincent had come barging into her life saying he had taken a liking towards her.
Vincent could not help but chuckle at Prudence's words. "Is it the red eyes? If this helps," Vincent said before closing his eyes momentarily and when they opened. They were the lightest shade of brown, as if someone had carefully placed two drops of honey in those eyes that shimmered with the flames of the fireplace.
Prudence was taken aback for a moment, watching the handsome face in front of her. If it wasn't for Prudence's fear of the red eyes, she might truly have thought of Vincent as one charming man. But she knew better than that. Prudence asked in worry, "Can all night creatures do that?" If that was the case, then there was no way to distinguish them from the crowd. No one would turn out to be trustable for Prudence then. Even the two human maids assigned to her.
Vincent smiled, knowing she was falling right into the traps, "No, it is just me, as far as I am aware. Since the brown eyes won't be scary enough, you can go to sleep. I will wait."
He picked out a book to read for himself from the small table at the side of the chair where he sat.
Prudence stared at him and the answer he had given. Her curiosity has risen to a peak with the question of how did he manage to change the colour of his eyes. But she held it back for now, "But I still know you are one of them."
"Sleep, Prudence," Vincent ordered in a stern, deep voice, and Prudence, who wanted to retaliate, decided not to test the waters anymore.
She had already suffered from stress because of this man and she had had it enough for the day. There was mental fatigue that was setting into her body and the amount of dinner she had was making her eyes drowsy. She went to the bed and warily laid down, pulling a bedsheet on her till her shoulders. She shifted on her side to see where Vincent was now sitting, keenly reading the book.
Her eyes couldn't help but trail from his long fingers that stretched across the book and up to see his broad shoulders. She cautiously shifted her gaze to his jaw, which was sharp and so was his nose.
When her blue eyes trailed up to see his eyes that had changed colours a while back, Vincent looked at her from cross-eyes before turning his head to her. Prudence quickly got conscious of what she was doing, staring at the man she was supposed to hate. Maybe it was the colour change of his eyes that had mild down Prudence's heart. Her eyes went frantically across the room before ending back on him and now he had shut the book with his thumb in the middle page and was scrutinising her every little moment.
"Is it a beautiful sight, Prudence?" Vincent asked when Prudence had turned flustered at being caught by him. It wasn't like she was admiring him, rather curious about how he changed the colour of his eyes. "Should I come and sit closer so you can have a better look?"
"You think too highly of yourself," Prudence muttered, and immediately closed her eyes in regret. This man was triggering her deliberately, and she was digging herself a grave. She wanted to just go and cut out his tongue so he won't speak and then she won't respond with something so idiotic. He was the king of mafia and apart from that he still was given the rights and respect of the crown in the country of Adglar. She had to be rather careful, "Apologises. There was no offence intended, His Grace"
"None was taken," Vincent said smugly. "People of high standing should think highly of themselves or others look down on you."
Prudence looked at him and what he meant with that sentence. It sounded more true than carrying any bit of arrogance in it. Although she had already labelled Vincent with all the bad adjectives that she wasn't even sure fit him, somewhere she found what he said was against his character.
Prudence had planned to escape tonight. It wasn't even a day since she had come here, but Vincent was now sitting here in her room, keeping her company and ruining her plans.
"Why did you have to bring me here?" Prudence asked, slowly getting up to sit on the bed. It was more comfortable to sit than to sleep and talk with a man who was the King. She had so my doubts about the way Vincent had acted. First, he had danced with her last night, which Abiona claimed he had never done that with anyone. Second, he had gone out of his way to bring her here. Even if he liked her, there was no need for her to be brought here. And what was there to even like in her, thought Prudence.
Vincent, who had not shifted his gaze for even a minute away from Prudence, leaned back in the chair in a way his body was now facing her. "I am a very busy man Prudence, it was better to have you here than so far away in ink road." He thought for a second more as if realising why she had asked that particular question and said, "I like that fiery side of yours."
Prudence's brows crinkled at his answer. "But your ego doesn't agree with that fire," Prudence remarked, just to receive a chuckle from Vincent.
"That is exactly where you don't step the line, darling," Vincent spoke as the smile on his lips lowered. The girl wasn't someone dumb, and Vincent had known this from the first time he had seen her. She was a little cub who needed a lion to stand behind her, and she would roar mightily one day. It was perfect in Vincent's eyes.
Prudence looked away and stared at the bedsheet that was crumpled over her legs. She did not want to offend the man by asking it, but somewhere she knew for him it was possibly an infatuation that won't last a long time because Prudence did not believe in love at first sight. And even if it would have been love at first sight, it was probably because she was dressed richly on the night of the dining. Why was the need for him to still choose her after watching her come home all dirty from the horse farm?
At first, she had thought he was offended by her and was there to bestow some kind of punishment on her, but even she was shocked to hear that he was there because he had taken a liking to her.
Prudence had offended a few people of higher standing before, but their world was dangerous, and so was Vincent's. He was the Mafia King and there was a constant danger that he lurked in, which meant there would be a constant danger for her as well. Worst, the people close to Prudence would be in jeopardy as well after seeing her around Vincent.
"I don't wish to be involved in not so peaceful life," Prudence confessed what had been troubling her. It wasn't out of an attempt to get away from here, but the truth.
Vincent truly lived in a perilous world, and a world she wasn't even aware of. For Prudence, her world was very small. All she had ever wanted was to take care of her mother till the end, without marrying anyone so she could focus on the woman who had given a major part of her life to Prudence. Elizabeth Warrier had suffered many difficulties trying to raise Prudence on her own and Prudence had to grow up young because she had seen her mother suffer in unsightly ways.
Vincent stared at Prudence for a while, trying to understand why Prudence had said that. He knew the mother and daughter must have been through some troubles trying to adjust without a father, and it was obvious that Prudence wanted to lead a simple yet cautious life.
But Vincent did not care. He thought she was perfect for him, and he wanted her at all costs. The fears will slowly melt. Vincent had a faint smile on his lips as he crossed his leg over the other, answering, "You will get used to this life slowly." Vincent calmly opened the book he was reading a while back and comfortably shifted in his chair, as if that was the end of the conversation for him.
Prudence could not believe this man. She did not want this life in the first place, much less to get used to it. "I don't want to-"
Vincent turned to give her an intense gaze as he cut her sentence midway. It was enough of discussion for today and the night was late. "It is late and you better go to sleep or I will join you on the bed," Vincent suggested, and it had Prudence widen her eyes.
A while back, Vincent had already cornered her, and it was enough for her to not try her luck with whether he can actually join the bed or not. He must be used to sleeping with women in his bed, thought Prudence. She glared at him, and Vincent gave her a solemn smile. Prudence opened her mouth to remark something, but right that instance Vincent got up from the chair and it had Prudence quickly lay down to sleep, pulling the sheets over her head. It was better he sat far on the chair than join her on the bed.
Vincent smiled at her little action and went back to his seat, opening the book which he had read previously. As much as he wanted to go and make the girl his right away, he wanted her to ease and come around to accept him. It was not going to be easy, but Vincent never liked easy to begin with.
Prudence had turned her back to where Vincent was sitting now. A gentle warmth replaced the coldness in the room as the fireplace kept burning. Prudence unconsciously snuggled herself in the bedsheet.
After a while, her heartbeat slowed down and no matter how much she fought the need to stay awake because she had company in the room, she gave in to her exhaustion.
Vincent, who was reading the book, calmly shut it and placed it on the table. He walked stealthily as his footsteps did not make any noise against the wooden flooring. Taking one quiet step to climb the platform on which the bed stood, Vincent saw the back of the redhead girl he had brought home. Her reddish-orange waves sprawled on the white pillow, looking like gentle rays of the setting sun decorating the sky. Vincent stood beside her, hearing her heart beat in one steady motion.
What a weak little thing, he thought in his mind. But there was something about her that had him hold her in his mind for longer than necessary.
Prudence shifted in her sleep to lay on her back and the bedsheet that was covered till over her neck slid down below her shoulders. Vincent saw her chest heave lightly and her rosy lips parted. Vincent sat on his one knee to have his face come right in level with hers. He breathed in her scent, a sweet flowery smell that did not remind him of roses but something else that he could not point out specifically.
He saw how some of the strands around her neck fell down, baring it for his honey brown eyes. Vincent clenched his jaws as his fangs started to come out and his eyes came back to their crimson colour.
The breeze blew through the open window, ruffling Vincent's hair along with bringing some of the fringes of Prudence on her face. Vincent delicately moved them aside before going to shut the window. He silently moved to the fireplace, extinguishing the flames, as the temperature in the room was now perfect.
On his way out, Vincent passed the cupboard and his feet came to a halt, remembering something.
He took a few steps back, coming to stand in front of the cupboard and opened the door. His crimson eyes moved from the upper shelf to the lowest when he saw a bundle of bedsheets. Vincent pulled it out to see the long knotted rope that was formed out of all the bedsheets in the cupboard, not leaving any spare for use. He turned to watch the little troublemaker sleeping calmly on the bed. Vincent was aware Prudence would try to escape here, but he hadn't expected it to be this soon.
"What am I going to do with you, Prudence," Vincent whispered as he saw Prudence innocently shift in her bed. "I think you need to be punished well."
Vincent wraps the bundle of bedsheets and carried it with him outside and retreated to his room. His mind was already running through the kind of punishments he would like to give to Prudence. But not so soon. He will let her panic a little about the disappearance of her little troublemaking tool first.
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