CHAPTER 2 THE RING AND THE VAMPIRE

As a token of love, the rings of Solicit are engraved with romantic words especially meant as a proposal of marriage. As the Prince of Solicit and your future groom, I send you this token of love. I hope you like it.

~ The Prince

Sylvia huffed, crossed her legs and threw the weighty scroll of parchment onto the coffee table.

As a token of love, they engraved the ring with romantic but fake words. If you'd have asked Sylvia, she'd rather throw the ring than wear it.

But as Sylvia took a close look at the ring, she had a change of heart.

The slow shine, the minute engraving, the lovely texture... wow.

On it, were carved the copperplate words: His token of love.

Sylvia snorted. Rubbish.

But the ring was beautiful. Who had designed it so gorgeously that she, a person who was always averse the idea of wearing a ring, suddenly fell in love with it?

'Miss, it's your mother. '

Sylvia turned and saw the butler, William, standing there, bowing, waiting for her response. She offered him a small smile.

'I'll be right there, William, ' said Sylvia.

William turned around after bowing with a short 'Sure' and left. Sylvia sighed and looked at the ring in her hands. Looking at the ring, two words rang in her ears: Prince Crescendo.

The Prince, the prince of Solicit, the ice demon king. Crescendo.

'I hope you and Prince Crescendo would have a meteoric progress once you meet each other, ' said Sylvia's mother, as emotionless as always.

Sylvia got up without a word. From years of experience, she knew how niggardly her mother could get if her orders were not followed immediately.

William escorted Sylvia to the room The Prince was supposed to be waiting in and shut the door behind her as she entered it.

The moment she raised her eyes, Sylvia forgot to breathe.

What is standing before me is not the Vampire that haunts me in my dreams. He is noble and sublime, has seriously long legs and his hair short and simple. I feel like I'm burning from his gaze... what grey, stormy eyes...

Then she regained her senses.

Crescendo was smirking.

Of course, like any other prince, Crescendo was like someone popped out of a fairy tale: beautiful, smart, gentle, innocent...

'Hello, Bukowski. Can I kiss you? '

...or not.

'Prince, ' Sylvia bowed, ignoring his previous comment altogether.

'Stop being so formal, Bukowski, ' he said, plopping on the bed.

'You're in the pink, I see, ' remarked Sylvia, carefully sitting on a chair near the bed.

'How long are you going to maintain that hundred-meter distance between us, Sylvia? '

Sylvia. Sylvia. Sylvia.

The name echoed in her ears like a broken record. How did he pronounce it that way?

Once again, she gave up on breathing.

Sylvia smirked, realizing that it was getting awkward, 'Crescendo, why do you think you're marrying me? '

They had known each other for almost as long as anyone can. Because of their noble lines, they had to frequently meet in parties and balls. But Sylvia had never really liked Crescendo romantically. Now, however, when they were meeting after almost half a decade because Crescendo had gone to the US for studies and had just returned, all Sylvia could see, all she could feel was pure, unadulterated attraction.

I want to kiss you.

'Why, for love of course, ' was his sarcastic reply.

Sylvia didn't know what triggered it: the way he put it, the ridiculous idea of them falling in love or the whole sexual tension, but whatever it was, it was hilarious.

They both ended up in stitches.

They were laughing so mirthfully that, for a second, they forgot they didn't like each other romantically. It felt like a date.

Sylvia's cheeks were red from laughing so much and suddenly, Crescendo was too close.

'Well, ' she coughed, shifting the chair slightly away from the bed, 'as you say. '

He laughed again and a small spurt of laughter escaped her too.

'Solicit will prosper if I marry you, ' spoke Crescendo, abruptly turning serious, 'and likewise for your family, Bukowski. '

'That's why, ' Sylvia replied just as calmly, 'and here I was thinking you had probably lied to all your family that you were marrying me for love. '

Crescendo's expression changed in the blink of an eye. Mirth bubbled upon his lips again, but he held it in, and looked at Sylvia with a strange proximity in his grey eyes.

'Actually, ' spoke The Prince, 'I did. '

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