CHAPTER #16

REITERATE.

“Some of the best moments in life are those you can’t let others know about…”

Bora pushed open the door of the colossal restroom that was attached to Sehun’s room with the tips of her fingers – in order not to dirty the handle – and hastily made her way towards the marble sink attached to the wall on the left side of the door. It was for the first time that she was stepping inside the place since the sheer size of the washroom suggested that someone as small as her won’t be able to clean it alone. The royal servants (mostly men) were given the responsibility of the hygiene of the King’s bathroom so there was no need for her to enter it before and she wouldn’t really have done it (especially not without Sehun’s permission) if it was not necessary.

She paused in her tracks for a short moment; appreciating the vast green marbled shelf that was attached to the sink and all kinds of products that were placed on it. She didn’t exactly recognize them since she never had the privilege to afford such luxuries, but judging by the full contents of the bottles she concurred that neither did Sehun (even though it was voluntary on his part).

Shaking her head to get rid of the stray thoughts she focused back on the task at hand and once again used the tips of her fingers to turn on the water tap – easier said than done, but she eventually succeeded in it anyway. Once, the clean water was running she brought her hands under it and washed them thoroughly to get rid of the slightly sticky and excessive substance that have accumulated them while she was cleaning.

Ughh! So much trouble…

The maid complained to herself mentally before taking hold of the soap bar.

You see, she would have avoided these circumstances at all costs if she could, but seriously there was no possible way she could have avoided it (at least she was not conscious of one if it existed). Earlier when she has arrived at Sehun’s room, it has been empty; completely soulless. She hadn’t expected anything else anyway because she knew that the King was going to be out with Lord Byun along with her friend Sooyoung beforehand.

Considering how social and blunt Baekhyun was, one might think that it won’t take him a lot of time and effort to woo a lady of his choice, but Bora has seen him struggling pitifully with her own two eyes when he had asked her friend whether she would like to go out with him to the theatre to watch the latest musical that has recently been the talk of the town with a nervous tint to his expression – and then has belatedly added Sehun’s name as an afterthought too as if somehow, the King’s presence with them there would make his circumstances any better. She was still a little ashamed by the loud snort that she has released as soon as her brain has comprehended his request. Nevertheless, Sooyoung being the whipped girl she was has agreed readily after making a fool out of herself, but Bora was sure that Baekhyun himself was way too embarrassed to notice that- so her friend was fortunate just this once.

Coming back to the problem at present, she hasn’t been aware that Sehun has left his new, cologne bottle (she didn’t even want to think whether it was expensive or not) somewhere nestled in the sheets of his bed and when she has jerked them to straighten them out a little- the glass bottle has flown off the bed to shatter on the floor quite loudly. She has scrambled immediately to do the damage control, but there wasn’t much that she could save except for the silver, glinting ring that has fallen in the puddle of the liquid now littering the otherwise dry and clean floor.

She has cleaned off the floor as best as she could and have opened the windows of the room to dissipate the strong scent of his cologne (which was quite nice and she has shamelessly associated it with all the times she has been close enough to him to get a whiff of the musky scent, but you didn’t hear that from her). Even though most of it has evaporated into thin air as soon as she has touched it still, there was a sense of stickiness to her hands which she was currently rinsing off.

How much can it possibly cost?

The troubled girl thought to herself while mindlessly pulling out the silver ring from her small front pocket to wash it too.

Perhaps, worth two months of my pay…

That wasn’t exactly as unpleasing a thought as she expected it would be since she didn’t exactly have any proper use of the money now that she was finally away from her aunt’s clutches. The castle provided her with all necessities.

How time changes.

She mused to herself and would have probably continued with her thoughts if it wasn’t for the fact that the silver ring slipped from her fingers, clanked against the floor and rolled away towards the mock-mini pool that was located a few feet away from the door on the opposite side of the sink. She instantly chased after it without any hesitance (how was she even going to find it if it falls in the bathing pool) and crouched down to stop it from tumbling into the water, but just as she did that, the hem of her dress got caught under her own feet; which in turn sent her plummeting in the water.

A loud shriek of shock left her lips, as the surprisingly warm water hit the surface of her face before her whole body was engulfed in. She was by no means a bad swimmer, but her dress was made of numerous layers which meant that it was suddenly the weight of the rock as it continued to absorb the water around her.

Gasping, she flailed her arms and pulled her body up to the surface of the water to breath. The water wasn’t that deep; her feet were easily touching the hard surface underneath, but every time she tried to stand steady on them the wet flare still, stuck under them put her off balance.

“Ackh!” She chocked around water in alarm when there was a sudden secure grip around one of her wrists pulling her body up so she could finally speak without getting a mouthful of water.

“What?” The panting girl asked while profound confusion marred her face. She didn’t really get what happened within the span of the past few seconds. How in the devil did she even end up in the water; probably prepared for Sehun’s bath since she can see the rose petals floating around on the surface?

Oh, Lord!

Where is that wretched ring?

Bora panicked immediately and tried to move her both hands around in the water to search for it, but the hand still holding her steady just tightened around her wrist. That seemed to have finally made her realize that she wasn’t in the bath alone which prompted her to snap her head upwards to stare straight at Sehun; who looked fairly amused by the situation to her surprise rather than being angry at her for entering the restroom without his permission in quite a private movement if his very bare chest and dripping hairs were to suggest something.

“I was waiting for you to realize that you have walked in on me bathing, but you seemed pretty occupied.” He sounded confused; probably conflicted about whether he should laugh out loud at her beet red face or be crept out. The flustered girl was sure it was the later one; she was done for already. She broke his bottle of perfume, lost his possibly valuable ring and walked in on him bathing –which certainly meant that he wasn’t wearing any clothes – all in one day.

Wait-

He isn’t wearing any clothes!

Oh. My. God!

The sudden realization caused her to jerk away from his body which ultimately caused him to let go of his hold on her wrist. Unfortunately for her, it was the only thing holding her steady, because she stumbled on her two feet yet again bumping face first into his shoulder.

“D-Don’t!” She stuttered out with an accelerating heartbeat when she felt him wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her once more. Her bashful demand, however, fell deaf on his ears as he only continued to pull her body closer to his’ so she won’t unceremoniously plunge in the water again. Bora pulled away as much as his hold allowed her, to stare at his face (because she absolutely refused to look past his shoulders) which was devoid of any emotion once again.

His wet hairs were messily pushed back revealing his forehead along with the heavy set of eyebrows and almond eyes that she never failed to admire; she doubts she ever will. The water drops slowly dripped down his features and trailed down his neck to finally move past his shoulders. It was only till there that she could follow the wet path they created since she absolutely refused to look past his shoulders for her own sanity and because it was so, so wrong.

“Miss, I wouldn’t have dared step close