The Royal Mark-Chapter 57: Shirtless

Chris smirked and rested both hands on his hips as he shook his head. "A pervert? I was simply trying to wake you up. The servants were in a frenzy when you dozed off, thinking something terrible had happened to you."

Elsa fired back, "Then why are you touching me again without a shirt?"

Chris responded, "What? Touching you again? Come on, princess, don’t forget you were the one who initiated contact last time, and this time it was purely accidental. I was just trying to prevent your lovely face from meeting the floor."

"While shirtless?" she inquired once more.

"You’ve locked the door, and it can’t be unlocked from the outside. I’ll have to use some force, and I’d rather not ruin my shirt. Do you understand now?" Chris taunted.

Elsa accused, "But why did you have to be the one to wake me up and not the maids? You enjoyed staring at my naked body, didn’t you?!"

"Absolutely! I did! And I intend to stare at your God-created perfect alluring body even more in the near future. So, better get used to it..." Chris moved toward the door as he continued, "I’ll summon the servants to assist you with dressing. We’ll have breakfast here."

She observed him retrieve his shirt from the chair by the table before leaving. Elsa breathed a sigh of relief, puzzled by why she had accused him of being a pervert when she knew his intentions were sincere.

"Why do I let my anger flare up against him when he means no harm?" she whispered to herself as she closed the bath chamber door and continued her bath.

Constance and the maids returned to assist her later. She was astounded by the quality and style of the dresses they had laid out for her, even though she was simply having breakfast with Chris.

"Um... Are there any other dresses available?" Elsa inquired after inspecting everything on the clothing rack.

"I can certainly ask for more dresses, my lady, if none of these suit your preference," Constance responded.

"No, no, no. They are all exquisite and elegant. I’m looking for something more understated and simple. These dresses are a bit too extravagant. After all, I’ll only be having breakfast and, most likely, spending the entire day in this room, so there’s no need for something as elegant as this," Elsa expressed.

"But, my lady, you’ll be having breakfast with the Crown Prince of Arcanis... the future king of Arcanis. It’s important that you wear attire of this caliber, especially if you’re going to dine with him in public," Constance explained, causing Elsa to furrow her brow.

So much had happened in her life over the past two weeks, and she still hadn’t fully grasped the fact that Chris was one of the most influential individuals in the world she is in—a person who commanded both respect and fear simultaneously.

Elsa gazed at Constance and then back at the rack of dresses once more. "Alright, choose the dress you believe is suitable for me, and I’ll wear it."

Constance’s eyes sparkled instantly and Elsa saw how her mood changed quickly from a gloomy to a happy one. The lady-in-waiting swiftly browsed the dresses and chose an emerald green dress designed with gold sequins and laces. It has long sleeves and a sweetheart neckline.

"What do you think of this one, my lady? This will make your hair color stand out. This is actually one of Princess Hera’s favorites," Constance said as she held the dress up to her front.

"Are all these dresses hers?" Elsa quickly asked.

Constance smiled wide and proudly said, "Yes, my lady. She always chooses her dress and often designs it herself and then she also chooses which tailor will make certain dresses depending on their expertise. She’s very good at judging people’s skills even if the person doesn’t know they have that certain talent yet.

Elsa smiled faintly, her eyes and nose turning pink before she took the green dress from Constance. She looked at the dress one more time before sniffing and hugging it.

"Lavender..." Elsa murmured before tears flowed from her eyes that surprised Constance and the maids.

"My lady, why are you crying? Are you not well?" Constance immediately asked upon seeing her tears. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"No, I’m fine. It’s just that her dress still smells like her. I remember her always lighting up lavender-scented candles," Elsa said.

"I am sorry my lady. I forgot that Princess Hera is your mom, it’s just that she was just your age when she ran away and it makes me forget that you are her daughter. It must have been painful for you to remember her this way, I am sorry," Constance lowered her head, regretting what she had relayed earlier.

"That is fine. I actually appreciate it. If you can, I want to hear more stories about my mom. I miss her so much and being in the place where she grew up makes me feel closer to her."

Constance nodded and smiled at Elsa before saying, "Alright my lady, now let’s get you dressed up and make the prince get mesmerized by your beauty once we are done." Constance then signaled to the maids to start dressing Elsa and everyone moved right away.

"Speaking of the prince, can I ask you a question?" Elsa asked Constance.

"Yes, my lady. What is it?"

"Well... Uhm... How is he as a person?" Elsa shyly asked.

Constance giggled at how Elsa chose her words carefully. "You mean how is he as a man?"

Elsa lowered her head as her face turned red. "Yeah, something like that."

"Well, I don’t know him that much but what I know is that he is very popular among women everywhere he goes but never showed any interest in them. The face and body already speak for itself. But what I heard is that he is very dedicated to his kingdom that’s why he agreed to marry Princess Hera even without seeing her. Knowing that their marriage was for an alliance treaty was already enough for him to go through with it."

"I see..." Elsa tersely answered before looking at herself in the mirror.