Femme Fatale: The King's Deadly Temptress

The cousins ventured towards the kitchen where servants were still busy taking care of things before they turned in for the evening. When Katherine and Caroline entered the area, they stopped their work and waited at the side for whatever the two young mistresses wanted. Caroline opened her mouth and was just about to ask one of them to make them some tea when Katherine waved them off and said, "It's okay. As you were. We can make our own tea."

Caroline cleared her throat, her shoulders relaxing as she watched the other move about the kitchen. She'd never done anything by herself around the house. Whenever she needed something, the servants would always be at her beck and call and she never bothered to do things herself. She watched Katherine look for some things to use for brewing tea. A female servant showed the things Katherine asked for and offered to do it, but the latter insisted on brewing the tea on her own.

Not used to seeing the kitchen for a long time like this, Caroline couldn't help but look around curiously.

While waiting for the water to boil, Katherine asked where the tea cabinet was, and the servant led her to the corner closet. They opened a cabinet that was full of glass canisters, ceramic jars, and tins that stored all the different kinds of tea leaves. "Which one is Grandpa's tea?" The servant pointed to a ceramic jar to the right. Katherine nodded and took note of it. "I'll make tea for him tomorrow. What time does he usually have it?"

"Madam is the one who always makes the tea for your grandpa. He drinks it at around eight in the morning, just about the time the Madam leaves for work," responded the servant.

"Okay." Katherine thought that she should be awake before then.

She made their tea and they drank it in the kitchen. The servants went about their chores, occasionally glancing their way. They liked Katherine and thought that the mansion was livelier whenever she and Damien were around. Seeing the two spend time in the kitchen was like a breath of fresh air. Although it wasn't like the usual, they enjoyed the chatter in this otherwise quiet mansion.

After sharing a cup of tea, the two decided to call it a day and they headed up the stairs and into their bedroom. Katherine changed into a pair of pajamas which she thankfully left there, along with a few more clothes that she could change into in the morning. She brushed her teeth and then decided to check on her grandpa once again before sleeping.

Grandpa Theo was still asleep and she didn't want to disturb him, so after making sure that the humidifier had enough water, she went on to check the windows. There were several guards outside—the usual guards of her grandfather. But there was also a man whom she recognized as one of Damien's security. She ignored it, thinking that him leaving her here probably worried him a lot. However, that didn't change where she stood with him being overprotective.

When she came back to her room, her phone beeped. She slipped into bed and checked the message.

[ My King: I'm home. I was supposed to be in the study, but I couldn't concentrate. I think I'm just gonna turn in. How are you? ]

Katherine was with Damien the last time she stayed in this room. The thought of him in this bed with her only made her miss him. She curled into a fetal position and laid on her side, rereading the text that he sent before composing her response.

[ Katherine: I'm okay. Just got in bed. You must be tired. ]

Not a minute later, her phone rang, and Damien's caller I.D. flashed on her screen. She took a deep breath before answering it. "Hi…"

"Hey… You settling down okay?" 

"Yeah. I feel bad for sending you home because now I miss you. My head is a mess...and I don't like us fighting, but I feel like this is what I need to do even if it might not be the best thing to do. Do you hate me?" she asked, her lips slightly trembling.

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm upset that we're not together tonight, yet I understand. I'll never hate you, love. And you're right. It might not be the best thing, but maybe we do need this. Are you still mad at me?"

"I don't know… I am but I'm also not. Are you still mad at me?"

"Yes. You're very stubborn." He sighed. "I wanna see you, Kitten. Turn your camera on."

Katherine shifted to make herself comfortable and then turned on her camera. "Is that Bear?" She smiled, seeing Damien with their fluffy furbaby. He laid on the sofa while Bear was on the floor.

"Yeah. He was looking for you. He whined for five minutes at the door after I came home."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"Damien…" She studied his face, seeing the crease between his brows. He was clearly worried. "I still mean what I said in the hospital. And I don't think I'll change my mind soon. Will you give me more time?"

"It's okay, Katherine. Let's not talk about it tonight. Are you tired?" Damien changed the subject. It was hard to talk about their problem when they weren't together at the moment. He thought it was exhausting to talk about a matter that they both disagreed on.

"My eyes sting...I want to close my eyes and sleep but my mind can't rest. It's like I'm running on an endless treadmill in my head. I'm sure I'll have a headache tomorrow."

He reached to caress her face through the screen. His poor Kitten was suffering and he was too far to hug her to sleep. "You should take some medicine."

"I already drank some tea earlier. Hopefully, I can sleep soon."

Damien nodded. "Can I do something for you?"

Katherine's brows drew together, feeling a prick in her heart. She didn't deserve this man. "How can you have so much patience for me? You're mad and you're still asking if you can do something for me? I wish you'd just yell at me..."

A handsome smile flitted across his lips. This woman… "Believe me, I ask myself that too. I never have the patience for other stuff or people. I guess I just love you that much." 

Her bottom lip curled into her mouth and she chewed on it. She loved him too. Sighing, she asked, "Can you play the piano for me? My eyes are getting heavy."

He smiled. Her voice was so soft, it felt like feathers touched his chest. "Of course, baby. Anything for you." Damien got up from the sofa and strolled towards the grand piano. He leaned the phone against the rightmost frame so that the camera captured him and the keys.

Glancing at the screen, Katherine smiled at him and he smiled back. She set her phone against something and grabbed another pillow that she hugged while watching him through their video call. He took a deep breath and carefully laid his fingers on top of the keys, and then they began to dance on their own, playing a soft version of the song 'Faded'. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, being lulled by him that night.