I Am The Queen

Sisley too felt disappointed, angry and frustrated at the halted confession and intrusion in their date.

The two of them finished their food in silence as if hurrying to get out of the place. Once Daniel paid for their food, he hurriedly grabbed Sisley"s hand and walked out of the restaurant.

…..

…..

"Sorry..."

Daniel muttered after a while of silence as they started to roam about whichever inside the mall without any particular destination in mind.

Sisley closed her eyes tight, unwilling to end their first date and unwilling to let it be ruin.

She squeezed Daniel"s hand and smiled at him.

"Hey... why don"t we have fun and just forget about that encounter ever happened?"

Daniel glanced at her. With a smiling adorable face like that, his mood was gradually revitalized, and a smile blossomed on his handsome face.

"You"re right. Come, I still have somewhere to bring you." Daniel pulled Sisley and went to their next destination. Although he didn"t have the chance to confess, he still had enough time later at their reserved private backyard dinner.

----?----

"I"m sorry Eva, I left something at the restaurant. Let me get it first. I"ll be back before you know it."

"Make it quick," Evangeline said dismissingly and walked towards the gla.s.s railing overviewing the grand lobby of the luxurious mall.

Asher smiled and dashed off back inside the restaurant.

However, instead of turning towards their table a while ago, he made a side turn towards that man with messy dark hair and thick eyegla.s.ses who was carrying a tray of drinks.

Before Eric could see the approaching man – a right fist hit his jaw.

CRASH!

Kyaaah!

Eric stumbled and fell on the ground with a busted lip while broken gla.s.s scattered on the marble floor. He wiped the blood from his lips with his knuckles as Asher stared down at him with angry eyes.

"Stay away from her if you know what"s good for you!" Asher commanded, his voice hissing between the s.p.a.ce of his gritted teeth. Then the fuming man turned around and left the restaurant.

Usually, Asher was not this hot-blooded towards other men that Evangeline laid eyes upon. He knew that beautiful cousin of his was looking at them like servants and p.a.w.ns on a chess board and nothing more.

But somehow, he was angry at how his dear Evangeline looked at that particular man differently from the rest.

Meanwhile, Eric began to clean the cluttered broken gla.s.s without any emotion on his face, not even minding the pain on his left cheek. Then his silver eyes caught something on the chair where Evangeline had just seated a while ago when he pa.s.sed by to get a mop to clean the mess.

He helplessly sighed and grabbed the handkerchief and ran towards the exit of the restaurant.

----?----

"Finished?"

Evangeline smiled at the approaching man.

Asher gave a refreshing grin and nodded. "Yes."

Evangeline didn"t look at her cousin anymore and began to walk like a model, emanating elegance and refinement, attracting everyone"s attention.

"Miss Heart!"

Evangeline stopped on her tracks when something tickled her ears. She then glanced at the man with messy hair, running towards her.

Evangeline blinked because she seemed to be seeing sparkles and sunshine surrounding Eric that she momentarily lost grip of reality.

"Eric."

Evangeline beamed sweetly, yet inwardly smirked when Eric was now panting right in front of her, looking only at her, ignoring the deadly glares thrown by Asher at him.

Asher couldn"t believe that after all his threats and that jaw-breaking punch, the man still didn"t learn his lesson.

It looks like I have to break every bone of his body!

Eric extended his hand, holding the silky lavender handkerchief. "Is this yours?"

"Yes." Evangeline smiled and grabbed her handkerchief, accidentally brushing her fingers on Eric"s palm.

She really didn"t forget her handkerchief. She purposefully left it there, gambling that Eric would return it to her.

She secretly grinned.

It works every time.

Then her eyebrows twitched when she noticed Eric"s busted lips and a fresh bruise adorned his left cheek.

Before Evangeline could stop herself, she already blurted out the words even before she could think.

"What happened to your face?"

"The man beside you punched me." Eric didn"t bat an eyelid and answered with a straight face without looking at Asher. Then he slightly bowed and left.

"....."

"....."

Asher was profusely sweating when Evangeline throw him a dead glanced that chilled even the inside of his bones.

Then without saying anything, the woman turned around and walked away.

Evangeline didn"t know why she was upset and angry at her cousin for hitting Eric. She was feeling conflicted, disapproving of her cousin"s actions towards the man.

Of course, every Queen will feel upset when her servant is being bullied.

Yes, that"s right.

Evangeline dismissed her new found feelings and continued to walk, ignoring her handsome cousin who was frantically explaining and pleading to her.

She didn"t give it much thought, not realizing that she never felt this angry at Asher for beating someone before, not even her servants.

----?----

"Daniel, I-I can"t... this is too expensive." Sisley tried to dissuade the man who was trying to buy her a lavish stunning necklace with a rare diamond at the center, flunked by interwoven laces made in gold, forming a heart.

"Sisley. I insist. I want to repay you from all that you"ve done for me. All those foods that I consumed and for all those times that you stayed by my side." Daniel smiled and grabbed Sisley"s hand when the girl was about to turn around and walk out from that exclusive member-only jewelry shop, Rozienheim.

"D-Daniel... I did it out of my own free well without expecting anything in return." Sisley didn"t give up her stand as she looked at the floor, afraid that Daniel would see the hurt in her eyes.

She didn"t like the feeling that others could casually burn half a million dollars like it was nothing while she could barely sc.r.a.pe her allowance to last her a month. She felt demeaned since she could not even afford a hundred-dollar dress from her allowance. She had to beg for his father or had to wait for her brothers to buy her one from their monthly payroll.

She had been busy with her own thoughts that she didn"t pay any mind that what she had said was a lie. She woke up very early in the morning every day to prepare his lunch. She had waited for him every single day and supported him every step of the way. Saying that she did it out of her free will without expecting anything in return was a joke. Everything she did was because she loves him and expected in doing so, hoped that he would reciprocate her feelings.

Daniel took notice of the changes from the girl"s mood. He immediately reached out and gently pinched her chin to raised her head, so she could look at him.

"Sisley, please also allow me to show you how grateful I am to you."

"Daniel.... you don"t have to... w-were not even..." Sisley bit her lips. "We"re just… friends." She changed her sentence at the last second. Her voice sounded brittle as she pulled her head away from Daniel"s hand and looked at the floor once more.

Her meaning, though not stated, was evident. The impatience hidden beneath her soft voice and that sad face.

Daniel sighed, feeling guilty. It didn"t escape his noticed what Sisley was trying to imply. That she didn"t have any right in accepting anything from him for the reason that she was not her girlfriend.

It was subtle. If Daniel didn"t know the girl, he would think that she was rushing him in making their relationship official.

"Alright, then from now on, I won"t eat your meals anymore."

Sisley immediately snapped her head and looked at Daniel with an adorable pouting face that Daniel couldn"t help but laugh.

After a while, Daniel tried to coaxed once more. "Please Sisley…. accept it."

Finally, Sisley couldn"t take it after watching Daniel"s handsome pleading face. She shyly nodded with blushing cheeks.

Then suddenly, all their happiness was sapped out when they heard those familiar voices once more.

"My Queen, it"s not really my intention of hurting him. I didn"t really punch him. It just happened that his face landed on my fist."

Evangeline softly chuckled by how idiotic Asher"s explanation had become.

Still, she continued to ignore the man and walked forward to that oh so familiar faces. She gave out a smile, the ones you gave to strangers. She stopped beside Sisley, checking out the latest jewelry while the latter unknowingly stepped back slightly, bowing from submission.

Daniel frowned. He didn"t like it that Sisley was easily intimidated. Then he looked at that pair of gorgeous people.

Are they following us?

Daniel"s brows furrowed even deeper when Asher didn"t even give him a glance as the man continued to coax and pleaded towards Evangeline while the cold icy woman ignored all of Asher"s advances.

*gasp

The onlookers suddenly huffed.

Daniel and Sisley watched in amazement when Asher, without a second thought, went on his one knee and stared at Evangeline with worshiping pleading eyes.

Evangeline ignored everyone. With a straight iron back and calm composure, her icy gaze ran through the new arrival of expensive pieces of jewelry and then pointed out what she liked.

"This one, this one, this one and that one."

The sales lady gawked at Evangeline since the alluring woman practically pointed out at their most expensive jewelry and they were in set!

Evangeline didn"t glance at the gawking lady as she turned towards Asher with raised eyebrow in her usual haughty, overbearing pretty face.

Asher immediately rose to his feet and glanced at the sales woman.

"Well, didn"t you hear what M" Lady just said?"

Asher"s hissing tone snapped the sales lady out of her shock. She immediately, carefully, meticulously wrapped those set of jewelry that was worth a few millions of dollars.

Without a second thought, Asher grabbed something inside his pocket and flash out his card and paid for those pieces of jewelry on the spot, not even a second of hesitation.

Those pieces of jewelry were worth a fortune, but compared to the fortunes of the entire Cole"s clan which was acc.u.mulated over generations and generations – that was like a single hair on Winter"s fluffy fur.

But of course, no one knew that. The world only knew that the Cole"s were just operating a simple food company in BlackPine Country. They were rich, yes.

But no one knew exactly how rich. Only a few knew that the Cole"s have percentages in all establishments and businesses in BlackPine, and that, they mostly controlled everything in the said country.

"For you, my Queen." Asher offered the tote bag to Evangeline just like a peace offering, but instead of accepting it, Evangeline stood up.

"Not enough."

Then she walked out, swaying those voluptuous hips.

Asher grinned and ran after her, saying, "Of course, whatever my Eva wanted, this humble servant shall buy it all for you."

"...."

"...."

It was already a moment that the pair disappeared from their sight, but the shop remained dumbstruck at what just happened. It was like watching a play of a Prince trying to vie the attention of his Princess. They couldn"t believe that it was real.

Daniel refused to believe that a cool manly man like Asher would kneel and plead without a second thought. Not at all embarra.s.s, pleading and begging to a girl. Not at all ashamed at following Evangeline"s every beck and call and whims.

It was more like. He was enjoying himself.

Daniel was left at a loss. He was thought since young to live proudly and with dignity, never to lower oneself to anybody, much less a royalty like him. He was so sure that every man wouldn"t allow themselves to be treated like a servant. To be degraded as nothing but an errand boy.

All the men he knew were like that. His father was like that. His Uncles was like that. All his friends were like that.

But this Asher can do it – why?

Daniel was so lost in his thoughts that he didn"t notice Sisley"s jealous face, staring at where the two had just left. Whether she admitted it or not, she also wanted to be treated that way.

To be looked at, like no one mattered but her. To be served at without reservation. And to be loved without hesitation.