Rebirth: The unfavored Princess is the Tyrant King's favorite-Chapter 132: Caught in the act

"Are you here to meet someone else other than me, my wildflower?"

Luciana didn’t want to lie, but she knew she couldn’t tell him the truth either.

’Who knew how he’d react?’

"I wanted some peace and quiet, so I came here to think. I... I wanted to enjoy some fresh air," she said, only for him to give her a smile that made her stomach churn in fear.

His smile was dark and wicked, promising evil things. Luciana felt as if she was suffocating under his overwhelming aura, and she took a step away from him to breathe.

She didn’t understand what was funny and had made him smile at her answer, so she took a step back; he took another one to bridge between them.

She took another step back, but he closed in on her. This cat-and-mouse game continued until she hit her back against the wooden pillar of the gazebo. That gave him what he wanted, and then he cornered her.

He placed his hands by her sides on the short wooden fence, effortlessly caging her in his embrace.

His scent of wet earth and the smell of soil after rain enveloped her. Her breath caught in her throat when he raised his hands towards her neck.

She closed her eyes in fear of what he might do—he knew it, she knew it...She was lying.

He might strangle her, choke her even, until she was breathless and speechless, with only her eyes that were full of fear and widened in horror, begging for mercy.

She would admit that Nicholas had changed so much after her rebirth that she had forgotten the monster he used to be—the monster that tortured her.

Luciana shuddered when the strangulation she was expecting didn’t happen, but rather, his calloused fingers trailed down her cheeks, to her jaw and neck, and then his fingers brushed a stray hair that had fallen on her face and gently pushed it behind her ear.

Her eyes flew open at his actions only for her to stare into a gaze full of raw intensity that was swirling with countless emotions.

"You left the royal garden and walked how many meters? You walked...for about a thousand meters away from the banquet hall for "fresh air" at this time of the night?"

Luciana didn’t answer his question, knowing he had already seen through her lies.

His face inched closer to hers, and even though she steeled herself not to do anything to anger him because of how calm he was acting... too calm that she knew it was the calm before the storm, but damn her reflexes.

By the time she realized, she had turned her face away from him, showing him the side of her face—her ear, cheek, and the side of her neck.

He didn’t stop, however, because she felt his lips grazing on the skin of her neck as his words vibrated on the surface of her skin.

"Tell me, Luciana, who have you come to meet... I abhor lies...Don’t waste this chance I’m giving you," he said, and a cold shiver ran down her spine.

Nicholas felt as if he was about to go crazy. ’How much more love and tolerance must he shower on her for her to trust him? She was always hiding things from him while he was like an open book whenever it came to her.’

’He had made sure to show her off in front of everyone. He had given her power over his heart to use his love as she pleased, but she still insisted on hurting him.’

"Please...Let me explain...It’s not what you think," she said, her voice quivering with guilt.

"I...I just...I just didn’t want any fights to break out; I just wanted peace," she mumbled, her voice thick with sobs.

Nicholas had a bad feeling seeing her guilty look.

’Why did she look like she had kept a big secret from him?’ Nicholas cupped her face with both hands.

"Did you cheat on me?" His eyes were full of plea, as if begging her to tell him what he was asking didn’t happen.

"What..."

"Who is it?" he asked, interrupting her and mistaking her surprise as hesitance.

"No, I would never! Why would you think that? I would never do that to you," she said, trying to take away his misunderstanding before it caused more damage.

Because Luciana knew that as soon as he found out David had entered their chambers this morning and had seen her half naked, David’s head would roll.

Nicholas wasn’t stupid; he had realized how she was dodging some of his questions and conveniently answering the ones she chose.

"Tell me, Luciana, who were you going to meet here? Since when have you been having secret meetings with him behind my back?"

Luciana blinked in surprise at his string of questions. What the hell was he talking about?

’Secret meetings!!!’

"Nick, please calm down; I’ve done no such thing. Please trust me," she said, but he laughed as if he’d heard a joke.

"Trust? How can I trust you when you always hide things from me?!" he snarled.

"Please...Just this once, give me one last chance. I’ll tell you everything; I promise," she said, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"Speak!" He commanded her with one word.

"It was when I was about 8 years old; I don’t remember clearly. That was when I met Second Prince David in Serenevale. I knew him as Talon, and I had no idea he was a prince of Gloryland," Luciana began.

Nicholas’s jaw tensed at her words, but he tried to keep his emotions in check so that he would listen to what she was saying.

Luciana told him about how she and David became childhood friends and their childish promise to marry each other and how they later met here in Gloryland and David had found out she was the princess of Serenevale.

She also told Nick about David wanting to get her away from Gloryland because he had figured out how she married him to avenge her late parents.

"Second Prince David thinks I want to escape from this marriage because he thinks I don’t love you and I’m only staying married to you to find the perfect opportunity to kill you. I only wanted to have a chat with him and dispel his thoughts," she concluded.

"Are you sure that’s all?" He asked, and Luciana hurriedly nodded.

"I promise I’m telling the truth, Nick, I love you, I can’t imagine living without you... Please believe me," she confessed.

"When did you last see him? Where and when did you agree to meet him here in the gazebo?"

Luciana’s heart thumped in fear at his question.

’Should she lie or should she tell the truth? David saw her half-naked today, and Nicholas and his men have been hunting for the intruder since morning. How could she tell him David was the intruder? The same intruder she said she didn’t recognize.’