Hellbound Heart

This bonus chapter is dedicated to @Monica_Ceja! Thank you so much for the supergift!!! <3

____

"I see that you're slacking off at your job, Lucas. You've specifically been given a royal order to watch over my wife, have you not? Yet why do I find you right here, having so much time on your hands that you can still smoke?" Sebastian's voice was calm and neutral, yet the intense and freezing look in his eyes had Lucas feeling goosebumps running down his whole body… not just his spine. Good god… this little dark lord…r

"Umm… Your Highness… perhaps… did you and the princess fight…" Lucas hazarded a guess before trailing off at the deadly gaze the prince had thrown at him. From the way he was behaving, it was very similar to the time he had stormed out the day after their wedding. And his guesses are usually not far from wrong. What in the hell was up with this prince lately? r

Lucas could not get used to how grumpy this prince had suddenly become since that night he left the castle as if he was running away from something that was hot on his heels. He was used to him being so annoyingly calm and lazy. Previously, nothing could cause this person to waver. The prince was not the type of person to react so strongly over anything, except if someone mentions his older brother, Prince Ezekiel. Yet here he was… behaving like this now. What in the hell had happened? It seemed as though things were starting to get more interesting in this castle now that Princess Izabelle had arrived, hmm? r

Lucas could only suppress the grin that was quivering to be released at the corner of his lips.r

"I had been ordered by your wife to not follow after her during her morning exercises. She had told me to wait right here for her to return, Your Highness." Lucas reported to Sebastian.r

"And you just listened to her orders and really didn't follow after her? Shouldn't you have trailed after her in secret at least?" r

"Uhm… you want me to disobey her –" Lucas blinked and hesitatingly asked the question.r

"It's for her f**king safety, Lucas! How could you let her hike up there alone?! What if she encountered some kind of danger while on her own? Do you think she would be able to solve it alone?!!" Sebastian was on the verge of shouting.r

"Oh…" r

Somehow, that caught Lucas off guard. That was… unexpected. This prince was coming at him like this because he was worried that something might happen to the princess. Now this was… getting really interesting. r

"I don't think there is any danger up there though, Your Highness. You know that there's no dangerous animals that could possibly attack her. And there are still some guards patrolling around the forest grounds for any threats." r

"Those guards' jobs are to guard the hill, not watch over her. What if she misstep and…" Sebastian broke off, clenched his jaws and glared at Lucas as though he wanted to bite his head off. "I'm sending you to Karam for two days. You will leave, effective immediately." r

Speechless, Lucas could only stand there watching as the grumpy prince quickly disappeared from his view. He shook his head and laughed. He could not believe the prince was actually punishing him for this! What in the hell!? r

"Karam, huh… oh well… guess it's not bad that I'll be having two extra days of bloody action again." He murmured as he sighed and went to his car. He still had a grin on his face though. Because it seemed that the dark little lord had finally found someone who could rock his calm façade. r

…r

Sebastian had rushed off after giving his orders to Lucas. Within a few minutes, he had already reached where she was. r

Elle, who had just started to take her leisure walk back down, was shocked to see him on the trail. And he was still dressed in his usual regal attire. Who would come hiking dressed like this?! Was there an emergency that needed her presence?r

"What are you… why did you come here?" Elle rushed forward to meet him, expecting to hear some kind of emergency news.r

"To escort you back down, of course." Sebastian replied in a matter-of-fact tone.r

"Huh… What?" Elle stopped in her tracks as she blinked, not knowing if she had heard him right.r

"I don't think that it's wise for you to be hiking up here all by yourself. You could have met with an accident, and no one would be there to help you." As he said that, his brows furrowed in what seemed to be concern.r

Elle was shocked that those words could come out of his mouth. But… she had to give it to him that he was right on that point. r

Clearing her throat a little embarrassedly, Elle replied. "I'm not that clumsy if that's what you're worried about. And I am a very cautious person."r

He smiled seeing how prickly she had become after hearing his words of concern for her. Why did it seemed so unbelievable to her that he was truly concerned for her safety? Does she only react cautiously to him?r

However, he replied to her comment in a teasing manner, wanting to see more of her reactions. "I highly doubt that."r

"Huh?" Elle looked as though she was being insulted and her brows furrowed a little.r

"If something catches your curiosity, I don't think you're the type to hold back." Sebastian continued.r

Elle creased her brows even more. r

"What kind of something do you think might catch my curiosity to the extent that I'll compromise my safety in an empty and beautiful forest like this?" r

"Like someone who is hunting a prey. You're the type who will pity the little prey and jump to save it, risking yourself to be preyed upon next."r

Elle blinked at him. r

"Are there… really hunters up here? I know hunting in this country is not illegal, but no one should be allowed to come and hunt here, right?" she was honestly curious to know.r

"There are no rules that forbids the hunters from coming here. And people in the castle also come out hunting from time to time."r

Elle opened her mouth to ask again when suddenly, she heard a rustle behind her. It was as if there was someone running toward her at full speed.r