Chapter 19: Malice

Sylvia's POV:

I felt like my face was about to touch the floor.I was so scared that I closed my eyes.But much to my
surprise, I didn't feel the pain I anticipated.

Instead, I felt someone grasp my shoulders firmly, and I fell into a familiar embrace.I felt strange.When I
half-opened one eye, I saw a delicate collar pin.I froze for a moment.

"Are you not going to stand up?"

A teasing voice sounded above my head.

I was startled and immediately came back to my senses, wanting to break free from his embrace.But I
found that my hair was tangled at his cuff.I pulled it, but it didn't work.

Instead, it got even worse.I was in a dilemma.I bent over, and my face was burning with embarrassment.

"Prin…Prince Rufus, my…my hair…" I said in a low voice.

"Hold on."

After saying this, I heard the sound of the button falling off.It sounded like he directly ripped it off violently.

"It's okay now." I stood up stiffly and looked at his hand.

Sure enough, he was holding a black button, which was the cufflink on his coat.

He didn't say anything and just put his hands in his trouser pockets lazily.

"I'm so sorry, it was my fault.I didn't take good care of Miss Todd."

At this time, the head maid behind me suddenly knelt down and bowed her head to apologize.



"Miss Todd is not used to wearing high heels, so we should have supported her.But she was in a hurry to
come out to see you."

After hearing this, Rufus raised his eyebrows and glanced at me.

A faint light flickered in his eyes.

I immediately blushed and felt like a cooked shrimp.

"I… I was not in a hurry to come out.It's just that…"

"It's beautiful."

I was stunned and couldn't help looking up at him, suspecting that I was hallucinating.

"The dress suits you very well," Rufus casually said with a smile.

But the seriousness in his eyes made my heart skip a beat.It was as if it was about to jump out of my
chest.

"My dear, you really have a crush on him. I can hear your heartbeat," Yana teased me naughtily.

"Of course not! I'm just embarrassed. And this dress is so tight that I just can't breathe," I categorically
denied it.

"Even if the dress is too tight and you can't breathe, your heart will not be beating like crazy," Yana
murmured.

Obviously, she didn't believe me.

"Shut up, Yana! If I say that my dress feels tight, then it must be it."



But the truth was, the shyness in my heart kept my temperature rising.I thought I was no longer a cooked
shrimp now but an erupting volcano.

"Why is your face so red?" Rufus touched my face with the back of his hand.

It was a cold touch.

"Well…" I faltered.

My eyes wandered, not daring to look at him.

He frowned, lowered his head, and looked down at my high heels.I was still in a daze when he suddenly
picked me up.I was so frightened that I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck.

Rufus walked to the sofa and put me down.Then he lifted up the hem of my dress and took off my high
heels

"You don't have to wear them if you're not used to them,"he said casually.

"Prince Rufus, this is against the rules and etiquette," the head maid interrupted at once.

But Rufus just lowered his eyes and ignored her words.

He turned his head and asked the other servant behind him to give him a pair of shoes with much lower
and chunky heels.

Although they were thick-heeled shoes, they were not bulky at all.

It even suited my dress more.

After changing my shoes, I sat in front of the dresser and let the head maid behind me do my hair.I
peeked at Rufus through the mirror.



He was wearing a black tailored suit with his head slightly tilted to the side.His facial features were as
perfect as an elaborate sculpture.His fingers rested on his temples, seemingly lost in thought.

"Your Highness, His Majesty wants to see you."

At this moment, a guard stepped forward and informed Rufus.Rufus nodded, stood up, and glanced at
me.I quickly looked away and pretended to be serious about getting my hair done.

He turned around and left without saying anything.

Suddenly, I felt my scalp tighten.

"It hurts.I think you grab my hair too hard."

"This is how the hair should be set for a royal banquet," the head maid said coldly. I looked at her in
surprise through the mirror.

The modest expression on her face had turned into contempt.

Before I could say anything, she chuckled.

"But I'm not surprised that you don't know.After all, you are just a slave and the daughter of a traitor.It
only makes sense that you're so ignorant."


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