Chapter 26: Today Is Our First Day

After going through my usual morning routine, I went to find Hugo. Fortunately, he briefly toured me last night — or rather, he pointed at the places of what was in the inn. So, I knew the way to the dining hall. He mentioned having breakfast at this time of the day.

When I was by the entrance of the dining hall, the chatterings from inside already tickled my ears. I peeked my head in, seeing a few more people already eating.

'Wow...' I awed. 'I thought we're the only ones in this place. I had never eaten with anyone aside from mother and father. Sometimes, Ashton will join because I would stubbornly not eat during my tantrums. And then... Hugo.'

Once again, my dinner last night with Hugo resurfaced in my head. I pursed my lips into a thin line, thinking that Hugo and I didn't just eat together. We basically shared the same food on the same plate and the same cutlery. I blamed his laziness for not using his arms.

"Where are they, anyway?" I wondered while looking around. I instantly froze the second I caught Hugo staring in my direction. His brows rose while tilting his head as if he was wondering what I was doing.

Instead of going in, I found myself sliding back carefully. I exhaled a deep breath when I straightened my back, clasping my chest.

"What's wrong with me so suddenly?" I muttered, feeling my face heat up with my heart hammering against my chest. Seeing him and locking eyes with him made me recall the sensation he left on my neck last night.

"Why am I so scared of him now?" came out a question along with a heavy breath. "Or... am I really scared?"

I was unsure why I suddenly felt nervous. That man kept me up all night because of his careless words and he kept teasing me. I frowned at the thought, clicking my tongue. I glanced at the entrance of the dining hall once again and sighed heavily.

"I want to avoid him... " I trailed off, seeing him approach me, making me step back. My body's initial reaction was to run away from him. But just when I took three steps away, a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist and spun me around.

'Goodness... why is he so fast?' I looked at him, wide-eyed. Hugo arched a brow and cocked his head to the side.

"You want to avoid me? Why?" he asked while I swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He heard me. Had he been listening to me all this time? Also, did he run to appear here so fast? Right... that was impossible because he was a werewolf.

"Bambi, I'm asking you. Why do you want to avoid the great me?" he repeated, stressing the word great to highlight he was great and important.

"N — no..." came out a weak lie. "I mean, there's something wrong with my heart."

"Ah?" He blinked twice, bending over as he bobbed his face to scan me. "Are you not feeling well?"

I tried to move my head back a bit. The drumming of my heart would deafen me if he went closer. So, I turned my head away and shook my head.

"I'm alright," I reassured in a quiet tone, biting my inner lower lip. "It's nothing."

"So you're alright?" I nodded at his question, not daring to look at him in the eye. "And I misheard you need to avoid me?"

"No."

"Ah?"

I took a deep breath and snuck a look at him. He had his brows furrowed, sporting a misplaced, clueless expression.

"You didn't mishear it," I confessed, hoping he would understand.

"My Rinnie, why?" he gasped in surprise. Didn't he really know? Because he kept spewing nonsense, that was why! I didn't give him an answer, though. I kept my mouth shut and avoided his gaze.

"Hey, did I do something in your dream, and now you hate me?" he questioned, but I shook my head. "Hah... this is strange and unfair. You're not even looking at me."

I pretended I didn't hear him. Even when I didn't, I would ignore him since I was busy calming my heart.

"You can't ignore me," he said after a few seconds of silence. "How can I do courtship if you ignore me?"

"Pardon?" this time, I couldn't help but face him with eyes dilating. "Courtship?"

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"Mhm! Courtship. They said humans do that kind of thing. I can't court you if you avoid me. Also, you'll be stuck with me around the clock, so it's really an impossible feat to achieve, you know?"

I looked at his determined face, feeling a little conflicted. "Hu — Hugo, do you even know what courtship means?"

"Of course!"

"Can you tell me?" I inquired just for clarity. Hugo averted his eyes as he pondered about it.

"It's to get you?" he explained in an ambiguous tone.

"You didn't have an idea how it works, don't you?"

"Well, do you?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line. I wasn't an expert in this area, but I was once interested in it. Living inside the castle made me read a lot of books where I lived a thousand lives. Also, the maids were always inclined to talk about those kinds of things — they would even brag about their lovers to the other maids. It was safe to say I heard a lot about their experience through eavesdropping.

"Hugo, courtship is when you want someone to be your lover or a marriage partner. It's when you show your sincerity and heart to persuade someone to marry," I explained with a sigh, planting my palm on his chest to push him a bit. "The great you will have to humble himself, which is a more impossible feat to achieve than avoiding you."

"What? Are you saying yours truly can't do that?" he gasped, offended by the truth.

"Well, I'm not the one to judge. But..." I trailed off, a bit hesitant to tell him about what sort of person I viewed him. "... never mind. I won't avoid you, so you can let me go now. You're right when you said it's impossible to avoid someone I am stuck with."

Hugo batted his eyes lazily while still holding my wrist up. "Please."

"What?"

"Please, let me court you. Yours truly is humbling himself so you can give him a chance to show his humbleness, sincerity, and how kind I can be." My face distorted in disbelief. "This is the third time in my life I will say the word, please. Please — that's the fourth."

A helpless scoff escaped my mouth while staring at his dead expression. "That is very... humble, indeed."

"I know, right?" He shrugged as if he didn't get the sarcasm in my words. "So?"

His brows rose while waiting for my response. I stared at him helplessly. His eyes told me he wouldn't take no for an answer. This wasn't courtship at all. It was all wrong from the very beginning... or at least, it was different from what I know.

"Well? Do you plan to stand here all day?" he asked, batting his eyes cluelessly. "I don't mind, though."

"Will we stand here unless I give you an answer?" I inquired, and Hugo nodded slightly, but I knew any answer wouldn't do fine. Does this man play this much? Was he that bored in his life? I studied him and considered the pros and cons.

'I'm sure he will leave me alone when he got bored,' I thought, mentally nodding my head. 'I'll just play along.'

"Sure." I nodded, watching the side of his lips stretch into a grin. "Let's do that. Courtship, I mean. But..."

"But? Bambi, no buts!"

"Hugo, I need you to promise me that you..." I paused to take a deep breath while looking back at him bravely. "... you will tell me once you've given up." — because I planned to make him give up.

Hugo narrowed his eyes as his nose scrunched up. "That doesn't make sense, but alright?"

I nodded while he rocked his head. His smile remained before he suddenly bent over, catching me off guard. I instantly froze, watching him draw away after leaving a peck on my cheek.

"Today is our first day then." He winked with a bright grin. A giant question mark instantly hovered over my head.

Huh????

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