Rumble!Rumble!
"….."
"….."
The pitter patter of the torrential rain kept the atmosphere gloomy, yet also serene and quite relaxing, an ideal atmosphere to snuggle in bed and sleep.
However, for those who got stuck in traffic in the middle of the road, it was rather chaotic.
But not as chaotic as the mind of the two people who were silent since they left the restaurant.
Sisley kept on fidgeting her fingers on her lap while her eyes darted towards to her side. Sometimes, it would glimpse on the handsome man. Other times, it would gaze outside the window.
While Daniel, he seemed to be focusing on the road, but his mind was elsewhere.
Sisley slightly coughed before deciding to break the somewhat uncomfortable silence between them.
"It"s quite chilly, huh."
"Mmm…" Daniel absentmindedly turned the heater, not glancing at the girl, his eyes remained glued forward.
"It"s almost winter soon…."
"Mmm…."
"I heard that winter in Frizkiel is a sight to behold." Sisley clapped her hands, underneath her joyful voice hid expectations and excitement.
"Mmmm…."
Sisley"s brows knitted, but she maintained her happy expression as she turned towards her boyfriend. She kept on rea.s.suring herself that Daniel must be tired that was why he didn"t catch the hidden meaning behind her words.
She tried once more.
All the more determined to dispersed the aftertaste of that scene where Daniel and Evangeline talked to each other alone. She wanted to divert her… or rather, both of their attention away from Evangeline Heart.
"What will you be doing during winter break? It"s a long two-month vacation after all. Jen and Max proposed that we go to the hot spring in Frizkiel." Finally, Sisley said the thing she wanted to say.
She wanted for her and Daniel to spend their first Christmas together out of the country. Though it would be expensive, but her family was not that poor that she couldn"t afford traveling abroad for a week.
Daniel"s eyes that remained stuck on the road slowly turned towards the pretty girl beside him. The expectation and excitement in her eyes was like a bomb that shook his system, momentarily rendering him at a lost on what to do nor say.
His eyes dimmed, and he quickly averted his gaze towards the road.
"Sorry… the whole winter break… I"ll be going back to my home country…." Daniel didn"t hide the disappointment and guilt in his tone as he continued to stir the wheel.
"Oh…." Sisley"s happy expression instantly broke into a gloomy, disappointed face. She wanted to smile and talk about cheerful things, yet she couldn"t bring herself to do so. She wanted to ask if she could come… but held herself eventually.
Daniel didn"t bring up that topic. If he wanted for her to come, he would have said it from the start – but he didn"t.
Sisley bit her lip to held the negative emotions that started to resurface.
"…..."
"..."
Daniel softy breathed for air and then turned towards his girlfriend with a dimpled smile on his face. "Why don"t we celebrate Christmas here before I go home? We can invite Jen and Max."
Sisley"s mood turned jolly except that it plummeted after Daniel said to invite her friends. She loves her friends, but she really just wanted to spend their first Christmas together. Only the two of them.
Doesn"t he feel the same way?
"I…." Sisley"s eyes stung before she quickly lowered her head. "I wanted it to be… just the two of us…" She whispered. Her voice barely audible. But the silence inside the car made it vibrated in all corners.
"…."
"…."
Daniel flashed her a smile and nodded. "Alright. Pick a date and place that you like." Then he focused his eyes on the road once more.
Sisley sighed in relief.
Still, there was something lingering inside of her. Something that she was afraid to discover and explore. She could feel it. From the top of her hair down to the tip of her toes.
Something is different.
Until the two of them arrived in Sisley"s home, neither one spoke. Even the rain seemed to have given them privacy as it quieted down before completely disappearing.
Sisley remained seated even after the car had stopped in front of the gate of her house.
After a moment, she slowly unbuckled her belt and flashed Daniel a dimpled smile.
"Thank you…."
Daniel was now staring at his girlfriend with a kind smile on his face, yet his blue orbs appeared to be in conflict with something.
"Mm…. See you tomorrow."
Sisley nodded, then her eyes darted left and right while her head lowered. Her cheeks painted in hues of rosy pink.
Daniel, of course, knew what the girl wanted. He softly chuckled and brought his lips to her forehead with a light goodbye kiss.
Sisley was slightly disappointed, but she perfected the mask of happiness. She beamed once more before she got out of the car.
After waving each other goodbye, Daniel drove towards his own house overlooking the seas and cliffs at Royal Hill, a private domain exclusive only for people who were born in n.o.bility.
His family also owned a cla.s.sic Rococo inspired palace near his modern home, but he was not comfortable leaving together with his family ever since he got into college.
The Richardson palace here was an exact replica of their castle back in his home in Everland, only a bit smaller in size.
The palace was erected long past centuries ago since it was customary for every son of the royal bloodline to study in the country of Burberry due to its prestigious and unorthodox ways of teaching.
Besides that, it was also a form of experience to broaden one"s horizon in living in an unknown country.
And of course, to get out of the limelight from the pesky n.o.ble"s attention and the many troubles in court.
But he, Daniel knew that by the time he finished his major, he would return to his own country and stay there for good.
And that fact kept on troubling him.
Aside from that, the main reason that he was so quiet was that he discovered something alarming.
His feelings for Sisley had somehow – died down!
He still likes her, but the intensity wasn"t as much as before.
Ever since he reconciled and gotten answers from Evangeline, his feelings have somehow found peace. But along with it, his emotions and the fire that kept on burning for Sisley had suddenly been doused off with cold water.
But the alarming thing was, it was his rationale of his current feelings.
Even though he didn"t want to acknowledge it, it appeared that he had hooked up with Sisley for her to fill the gap that Evangeline didn"t.
Oh… f.u.c.k….
And what was more, the one thing that kept on bugging him the most, but decided to ignore since day one was – he was a Prince!
A true blooded royalty with very strict customs and traditions and responsibilities.
It was fine if it was any other country or kingdoms, but Everland?
Statuses were important as life. Tip the other and the power balance would fall and crumble.
Even how much he didn"t want to. Even how much he wanted to choose for himself. Even how much he like Sisley.
n.o.bles must marry n.o.bles. This was a rule in their country that was never to be broken no matter what.
Much less him!
Third in line for the throne!
He could only have one wife and must be a Princess or a daughter of the Ducal household and nothing less. No mistresses, no concubines, no flings. Only one wife. Only one Queen.
This was not some drama nor novels where a gorgeous, filthy rich Prince fell in love with a commoner and lived happily ever after.
This was reality!
If he chose Sisley, for sure, without a doubt, his family would disown him. It was not like; he was not the only one who was a male in the family. He still had cousins vying for the throne. He just so happened to be the oldest male next to his father and uncle.
And for Daniel, being born in the lap of luxury. Having been thought of his role and responsibilities since young.
The power and wealth, he could give up, though it would be hard – he was willing to give it up. It was not like, he was useless without his family"s backing and support. He already invested most of his money in real estates, stocks, companies, and businesses that rake him millions of dollars each year without even doing anything. He didn"t need his royal t.i.tle to earn an enormous sum of money.
But what about his goal? His purpose?
He had always wanted to be a King. Not because of some messily egoistic claim for power and riches, but because he just really loves his country. Had been dreaming of a new era for his kingdom. A country that would flourish and would continue to flourish no matter the tribulation to come under his rule.
This was already engraved in his bones. Set his future in stone. A t.i.tle that already became a part of him, making him whole.
This.
This was something he could never give up.
His love for his country and its people remained number one in his heart. Unquestioned. Uncontested. Undefeated.
Daniel ma.s.saged his crumpled brows that were beginning to knit in one line.
He still likes Sisley, but somehow, he couldn"t see his future with her by his side. He likes her, but sooner or later, he had to face reality and break up with her.
The only problem was; he didn"t want to hurt her.
He didn"t even know how to explain himself and ask for forgiveness even he have thousands of mouths. Because all things said and done, it was entirely his fault for letting his emotions ruined his rationality.
What have I done?