Page 48 of Sumanika

But as soon as I saw an unfamiliar face again, I smashed my head on the book.

“Take it back,” I said again. My inner conscience growled in frustration.

Ten pages this time. I read and finished. I called an attendee for dinner, butshedidn’t come again. I sent her away. Another twenty pages, another attendee, not her, again; fifty pages, dinner, still not her, again. I didn’t realize it then, but I had become frustrated and angry, and now I was truly hungry. I had lost track of how many times I had called them. Finally, I finished the book and clapped once more.

An attendee arrived, her face pale. I tried to speak in a slow, soothing voice.“Dinner, please.” She gulped, and I sensed her nervousness and fear.“Ji,” she nodded and walked away. I stood up and walked.

Where the hell are you? Sumanika Ji, my half-wife.

After sitting on the bed, I lay back and closed my eyes. One knee was bent up, while the other rested across the edge of the bed. My heart raced, and a slight uneasiness churned in my stomach. Honestly, I was just worried about her health. That was it.

As I heard a faint sound of footsteps, I quickly lifted my head slightly to glance at the entrance. My eyes fell onher, and I let out a sigh of relief. Thank you, God!

She appeared pale in her simple yellow outfit. Her eyes looked tired as I observed her walking toward the table to place the plate down.“Your dinner,” she said. I sat up to look at her.“What took you so long?” I asked, and she turned her furrowed brows at me.“For what?” she asked.

She knew the answer.“For bringing me dinner.”

She momentarily lowered her gaze and said,“There are other attendees as well, Kunwarsa. You didn’t stay hungry if someone else served you in the last four years. What changed?” She questioned me.

I gritted my teeth.“I wanted to see you.” I kept my words and intentions direct as I stood up from the bed and approached her.

Her eyes met mine, and I noticed the distance between us shrink. She swallowed hard and blinked quietly before responding in a slow voice,“Since when did a prince start wanting to see a maid?”

Her words wounded me. She sounded upset and rude.“Are you okay?” I asked.

She flickered her gaze and nodded.“I’m absolutely fine. What would happen to me?”

I couldn’t help but gently cup her cheek. Her body stiffened.“Hey,” I said, pulling her closer for a hug. She resisted.“I’m sorry about the bet.”

Her breathing quickened as I gently pulled her face to my chest. I couldn’t help but lean in to kiss the top of her head.“I’m truly sorry for hurting you.”

She shook her head.“You didn’t hurt me.” Her voice became heavy and teary.

“Then tell me who hurt you,” I asked, angling her face to look at me.

“I hurt myself,” she replied.

Shaking my head slowly, I asked,“What do you mean?”

She stepped away from me.“You care about me,” she said.“And no man has ever cared about me. Despite how my heart has hardened, I can’t convince myself that this isn’t real. This can’t happen. The way you keep pulling me back to you hurts… it hurts, Kunwarsa; please don’t do this.” A tear rolled down her cheek.

My heart felt heavy.“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I promise,” I tried to explain, and she nodded, wiping her tears.“I know you never wanted to hurt me, but please understand you’re committed to someone else. You shouldn’t worry about me, and I shouldn’t mistake your care for something more—my savior.” She said, taking a few steps away from me.

I didn’t know what came over me as I held her hand and pulled her back toward me. Our chests collided, and I made her look at me. Her eyes widened.“You don’t have to worry about my marriage,” I said.

She stared silently at me.“And?” she asked, trying to push me away.“Do you want me to become the person I’ve hated all my life? A second woman?” Her voice was weak and painful.

I shook my head.“Trust me,” a weight tightened my chest.“You are not second.”

“Of course,” she breathed deeply.“I’m not second. Maybe third, fourth, tenth, fiftieth, hundredth, three hundred—”

“Stop.”

My heart raced as my face inched closer to her lips. I clenched my fingers, watching her eyes fill with fear and her lips quiver from our proximity.

She looked into my eyes and gulped nervously.

My gaze felt heavy as it fell to her lips. I blinked, struggling to gauge the consequences. The burden of everything except her lifted from my mind as I leaned in even closer.

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