Her Devious King

No harm

Adeline decided to call it a night. She had read a few chapters and was finally getting a bit sleepy. It was a silly habit of hers to read before bedtime. Unfortunately, that was the only method that successfully lulled her to sleep. Moments like this reminded her of when her parents used to read her bedtime stories.

As a child, she would always have strange dreams of a dark hallway, her bare feet echoing upon the marble. There were enormous windows on the left and not a single soul in sight. Despite how daunting the hallway was, little Adeline was not scared.

Her parents however, were worried. Thus, they would read her to sleep.

"Dad would've scoffed at this type of book," Adeline contemplated. Her father, Kaline was not a fan of historical novels. However, her mother, Addison, would have loved it. She enjoyed this genre the most and was the reason Adeline had fallen in love with books.

Adeline shined the flashlight to the hanging clock on the other side of the room. Soon, the sun would be rising and the moon would be going to sleep.

"There's another dreadful ball tomorrow," she pensively sighed.

Adeline closed the book with one hand. She was prepared to turn the flashlight off. That is, until something caught her attention in her peripheral vision . She shifted her chin in time to catch glowing red eyes.

Her heart dropped to her stomach. Was that… was that a Vampire?

The breath was knocked out of her chest. She fumbled to turn the flashlight off, her fingers shaking in fear. She blindly searched for the panic button located beside her bed. Holding it for three seconds would be enough to notify Asher.

"W-who…" she stumbled out, her nerves skyrocketing.

Her heart was racing faster than a speeding car on a highway. It loudly thumped in her ears, as blood rushed to her head. She was terrified.

Judging from the tall silhouette and sturdy build, it was indeed a Vampire.

He was looking at her.

She was certain of it. Their eyes had met.

And before she could blink, the man was beside her balcony window.

Adeline continued to search for the button. Her legs were numb with distress. Her adrenaline kicked in, but instead of fight or flight, her body simply froze. Whoever said there were only two options was a liar.

Thankfully, the windows were always locked.

Knock. Knock.

Adeline let out a horrified shriek, hoping it would at least alert the patrolling guard outside her room. The Mardens were not that wealthy, therefore could only afford one protector to stroll the hallways.

"Adeline?"

Adeline's entire body tensed. His voice was slightly muffled, but she recognized the humor. That, and the way her name effortlessly rolled off his tongue.

"Be a darling and let me in, Adeline," he coaxed.

Adeline was uncertain of what to do. Her finger had finally found the panic button. To invite the familiar stranger in, or to call for Asher… which should she choose?

Adeline decided not to press the button. The man was a Vampire. Judging from how vibrantly red his eyes were, he was undoubtedly a Pure-Bred. The more prominent the red, the more powerful. She did not want a blood bath.

Asher would get hurt. Even worse, there would be a ruckus. If Aunt Eleanor woke up to find not one, but two men in her room, it would be disastrous. Viscount Marden would undoubtedly kick her to the streets.

Regardless of how much time had progressed since the medieval era, Adeline was of high-birth. Her reputation in the close-knit circle of aristocrats was vital. If word escaped about the incident, no one would want her.

"How nice would that be?" she mumbled to herself.

No more restricting corsets. No husband to obey. No disturbance in her life.

"Yes, it would be fantastic if you opened up," he mused.

Adeline pressed a hand to her mouth, instantly regretting her words. He must have thought she was referring to—oh, nevermind.

"I-it's midnight," she slowly stated. Seeing as he could hear her words, despite being a few feet apart, she could only conclude that he had impeccable hearing. Yet another quality of a Pure-Bred.

Just what kind of trouble had she gotten herself into? She had rebelled only once. And now, a mountain of problems lied before her.

"And I am a woman," she mentioned.

"Really? I couldn't tell," he sardonically responded. "I'd think by your ample breasts and your womanhood, that you were a man."

Adeline instantly frowned. He was so… so… she struggled to find the right words for him. Did he find it entertaining to tease her like this?

"Oh dear, it seems I've offended you," he pointed out.

"Y-you don't sound apologetic," Adeline stuttered.

She bit her tongue. When would she finally get rid of this habit of hers? It always came out when she wanted to say something impactful. The stammer made it difficult for her to appear confident. It was exactly why Viscount Marden ridiculed her.

"Should I be apologetic?" he offered. "Will that make you happy?"

Adeline's frown deepened. Her brows knitted together in displeasure. "D-did you come to my window like a stalker just to bully me?"

"No, I came to watch you sleep."

To say she was startled was an understatement. She hoped he was joking. She prayed to the high Heavens that he was joking.

Then, his lips spread into a large grin, revealing pearly white teeth. It was blinding in the darkness and she caught the glint of his sharp, retracted fangs. She read that fangs were usually longer, roughly half a pinky in length, but Vampires could shorten them depending on their preferences.

"It was a joke, darling."

Adeline grimaced in response. She pulled the blanket closer. One of her hands was tightly gripping the mattress, hoping to hide her anxiety.

"Aw, don't look at me like that," he cooed. "I mean no harm, truly."

Adeline continued to eye him like a crazy murderer. She was truly an i***t. There was a strange man outside of her window and she was having a conversation with him, instead of calling her bodyguard. Was she out of her mind?

Just as she debated to press the button again, he spoke up.

"Of course, unless you enjoy pain, then that is a different story."

"I-insolent!" she scolded.

He let out a cool and crisp laughter. She jumped. Her poor heart could not be frightened any longer. The sound tickled her stomach.

"You're the insolent one, darling," he teased.

"What a-are you talking about?" she asked.