Blow a Gasket

*Chapter 52*

I didn't know how long I was kneeling to the ground and staring at nowhere. All I knew was the realization that I managed to speak with the man I hated the most.

And I didn't realize that it was Prince Atticus himself!

I was too late to realize that!

"Damn it..." I lowered my hands seeing how fidgeting they were. "Stop hands! Stop trembling, Novalie!" I said angrily to myself.

I even tried to stand up but my knees wobbled and failed me. Even my breath was shaky.

That was my first time... That was my first time seeing and talking with Prince Atticus.

*"You looked stunning as always, Lady de Carteret."*

I clenched my hands upon hearing how he addressed me. Was he fucking serious?! De Carteret?! He used his royal family name to address me?!

"How dare..." I said through gritted teeth as I stood up. Was he mocking me?

Before I knew it, I jumped out from the balcony and landed in the sea of snow. I wouldn't waste my time staying there. I need to catch up with him and accuse Prince Atticus of how he ruined my life.

Because of him...

Because of him... I was left in despair!

Running hastily, I arrived at the carriage parkway and immediately looked for the flag of two head wolves facing against each other with royal crowns on their heads and thorns of rose vines surrounding them. In order to recognize that one was royalty in the carriage, they used that flag. I felt my heart hammering inside my chest, hoping that they hadn't left yet.

I sniffed in the air to smell the male perfume he was wearing. However, I smelled something familiar with a distinctive scent along with it. I immediately spun around when I felt someone walking from behind me.

Hoping that was Prince Atticus and thinking irrationally, I pulled out my dagger from my thigh holster and spun around to attack him.

But I was greeted by a shocked Frederick while he was holding my hand with a dagger.

"F-Frederick?" My eyes widened as I blinked from the realization.

Hesitant, he nodded. "Um... I am, my goddess. Have I... Have I done something wrong?"

I released my hold from him and ignored him. I hastily went where Basil parked the carriage while Frederick was calling my name but I was ignoring him.

As soon as I spotted him, his eyes widened when he saw my state. "Luna?" Confused, his eyes grew terror when he looked behind me.

I furrowed my eyebrows and looked behind me, which was Frederick whose stern face suddenly changed into a smiling one when our eyes met. I dismissed that and turned at Basil.

"Have you seen a fancy carriage left from here?" I asked impatiently.

"Um... Y-Yes, Luna."

"Does it have any flag? A royal flag?" I gritted my teeth when I uttered that.

He looked behind me again before he shook his head. "N-No, Luna. I see no flag, I'm afraid."

That made me frustrated. "Damn it!" I threw the dagger to the snow in so much irritation. I almost screamed in annoyance and approached the carriage to destroy it.

I was about to punch it in an attempt to destroy it when a hand, that sent chills down my spine, ceased me. I hastily turned my head and growled at Frederick who was looking at me solemnly.

"What is happening to you, my goddess? You already have lost your composure..." he said in a dejected tone.

I growled again before I yanked back my hand. "It is none of your business!" I barked. "Basil, where did that freaking carriage go?"

He bowed his head deeply. "P-Please forgive me, Luna! I have no idea where it went..."

"You imbecile!" I couldn't help punching him in his face.

"Novalie!" Frederick spun me around and made me look at him. "What on earth is happening to you?! This is so not you!" he said, panicking.

Anger rose inside me upon remembering that I was made a fool by that bastard prince again. This was so frustrating and insulting. I should have known! I should have known! Bloody hell!

"Arsehole... Because of that lycan prince! Because of him, he ruined my life!" I barked as I pushed him in anger. "Do you have any idea how he made my life suffer?! Do you wish to know how I so wanted to strangle him for causing my life in vain?! You don't know? Now, shut the—"

I gasped when Frederick hit the side of my neck. My body collapsed and my eyes were feeling drowsy all of a sudden.

"What did... you do...?" I hissed softly and slowly fluttered my eyes when he caught me.

"You need to calm down and rest, sweet..." I felt his hand pressed against my back. "I didn't expect that this is how you... Basil, open..."

"B-But... Luna... Y-Yes, Y-Your..."

I could barely hear the conversation as drowsiness succumbed to me. But before that, I felt tears cascade down my cheeks, not knowing what happened next.

I woke up feeling my hair being caressed gently. I rubbed my eyes and opened them. My heart suddenly jumped out of my ribcage seeing Frederick's intense gaze piercing on me.

He smiled sweetly before he lowered his head to plant a feather-light kiss on my forehead. "I, Frederick, greet my goddess this morning," he uttered softly.

I creased my forehead and immediately got upon the realization that I was in my hotel room now. "Where did that carriage go?" I asked, not minding he greeted me.

I heard his sigh. "My goddess... What is really happening to you?"

I looked down seeing I was already wearing my nightgown before I turned at him in a cold facade. "How dare you put me to sleep? Did I even command you to do that to me?!" I raised my voice which he flinched.

He exhaled sharply. "I... I only did that because you... you can hardly control, my goddess." He got up from laying down in my bed. "You have been shouting recklessly which I am afraid would earn attention from the people inside the art gallery..." he reasoned and went in front of me to kneel before me. "Y-You can punish me, my goddess. It is my fault I acted on my own accord..."

I pierced my lips into a thin line. This man... The nerve of this man to even dare to reason out to me.

"Get out and kneel in front of the hotel establishment," I commanded in my icy tone causing him to gasp and his eyes to widen.

"B-But, my goddess—"

"Are you going to question me? You do not have the rights because you are just a slave dancing in my palm, darling." I kicked him so he could land on the floor. "There. You deserve to be in that place." I stood up and violently stomped him on his chest causing him to cough before I roughly grabbed his collar. "Next time, do not make a decision without my permission, Frederick. It seems that you have been so full of yourself that you cannot even distinguish our status as a master and a slave. Repent your sins and do what I command you. Are we clear?"

His eyes shone with a melancholy expression before he was compelled to nod. "Y-Yes, my goddess... Please forgive me... M-May your anger dissipate." His voice croaked.

"Get out." I pointed to the door. "Now, Frederick."

He nodded once more before he stood up. "I-I shall take my leave, my goddess."

"Summon my servants before you will do your task." He bowed, having a disdainful expression.

When Frederick left, I collapsed in my bed, trying to contain my anger. I already lost my composure again... This time, it was much worse because last night... I didn't expect that I would get to meet the fifth lycan prince hiding in a full mask.

Then I was hit with a realization.

He bid on my paintings... Each of them for a hundred million! Damn it!

He wasn't just a feudal lord! He was a freaking royal lycan prince! He was the fifth lycan prince, to be precise!

"Prince Atticus Frederick de Carteret... You bastard... How dare you make me a fool under your hands again!"

How in the Moon Goddess' name he was invited to that art gallery?! I was certain that no one from the main branch of the royal lycan family had attended the auction here in the Art Institute of Selenium...

I witnessed it and attended the auctions ever since I was chosen to present my artworks in this art gallery.

Damn it... This wasn't good.

Prince of Redwinter, Atticus Frederick de Carteret, had never shown himself to the public. I attended many parties beforehand and I never got to see that he was with the Crown Prince and the Twin Garnets. I understood if the lycan princes would attend less since they were helping Alpha King Azarius for the state affairs but I had never seen Prince Atticus with them.

What the hell...

That mysterious fifth prince who never showed himself before to me now he made an appearance by wearing a masquerade mask. The downgrading part was I never got to see what he looked like.

I turned my head when I heard knocks on the door. "My muse, we are here to serve you."

I massaged my temple and nodded. "Come on in." I felt like I was getting a headache right now.

They helped me to get a bath as we all got down to the lounge area to eat our morning meal.

"Luna... Um... How about S-Sir Frederick? He... He hasn't eaten with us," Basil uttered when I invited them here to the lounge area so they could grab their meals.

I glared at him which terrorized him. "He must stay there and learn his lesson. I spoil him too much. He thought that he could go overboard with me," I said in a glacial tone.

"But..." he paused and gulped. "Y-You were frightening last night, Luna. It looks like... no one can calm you but... Sir Frederick only."

I shrugged and simply sipped on my tea. "'Don't quite remember," I said nonchalantly to drop that unpleasant situation I had last night.

His jaw dropped before he nodded and smiled wryly. "I see, Luna..."

I wiped the corners of my mouth after finishing my meal and my tea. "I shall take my leave. You can stroll around while I am dealing some business here," I said as Adrian pulled out the chair for me.

"Yes, my muse."

"Yes, Luna."

I fixed my tailcoat before I took my cane and my hat. Dorian bestowed me the slave collar before I went outside the hotel establishment.

I saw Frederick kneeling on the pavement of the hotel while his head was looking down to the ground. I saw people pass by and ignore him. I scoffed since people knew that a slave must be treated like this when he was being punished by their owner.

"Are you enjoying yourself under the scorching sun, darling?" I asked in a scornful tone.

He flinched and bowed his head. "Please forgive me, my goddess..."

I forwarded my foot in front of him. "Since you are a pathetic, useless slave, you know what to do to ask for my forgiveness," I stated in a cold, fathomless tone.

Frederick didn't hesitate when he lowered his head to reach for my footwear and left some kisses on it. He didn't make any protest and behaved well just as I wanted him to.

"Enough."

"What must I do next, my goddess?"

"Look at me." I stepped forward when he looked up. I made him wear his slave collar along with the leashes. Then I roughly pulled it up causing him to hiss softly. "Know your place, darling. Do not act on your own accord next time. Do you understand me?"

He groaned in pain and nodded. "Yes, my goddess. I-I learn my lesson..."

I rolled my eyes and kicked his chest. I stomped my heel to his chest causing him to groan once more. "I'm so furious I wanted to tie you up and bestow you some lashes... with wolfsbane. I am not liking how you behaved last night. Do you think I shall be grateful to you? No!"

I kept stepping him roughly because I remembered how Prince Atticus made fun of me. And now... This... This valueless slave of mine misbehaved. That wasn't cute anymore!

"My... My goddess... I-It hurts!"

I smirked. "Oh, yeah? Does it hurt? Then I shall make it hurt more!" I kicked him on his side causing him to widen his eyes as he almost screamed in pain but he halted himself by biting his lower lip. I knelt on one knee and squeezed his cheeks, looking at him with a sinister glare. "I hate being interrupted at the heated moment. Since I did not manage to catch up with that prince last night, I am looking forward to receiving the punishment in exchange for calming myself." He expressed an excruciating pain in his eyes while he looked at me, horrified.

"P-Please spare me, my goddess... I-I beg you..."

"No, darling..." I clicked my tongue, looking at him pitifully. "I am still irritated from last night. Once we go home, I shall tie you up to the saltire cross. I am certain you will like my punishment." I tapped his cheeks after squeezing them tightly before I distanced myself away from him. "Stand up there and do not annoyingly idle in the pavement!" I commanded sternly.

Frederick nodded while his eyes were glistening with tears. "Yes, my goddess. I hope... you will forgive me soon..." he pleaded. "I am sorry for hurting you... It is all my fault..."