Chapter 169 - Playing Dirty (2) (1/2)

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat at Carlisle’s penetrating gaze. She wasn’t sure exactly what he was saying, but she had an idea that something irreversible could happen. Elena shook her head as she answered.

“No thanks.”

“…I see.”

Carlisle’s expression fell, and he moistened his dry lips with his tongue. The sight of it was so erotic that it made Elena’s heart beat faster.

Kung kung kung.

As she listened to the thrumming in her head, she realized that she was quite drunk. The Carlisle sitting before her seemed more handsome than usual. His black hair was a striking contrast against his pale skin, and his long nose and firmly closed lips drew Elena’s gaze like a magnet.

‘Does he look better now because of my heart?’

She knew he had a handsome face since the start, but now she felt excited whenever she looked at him. Perhaps the danger was not Carlisle, but a drunken Elena. To Carlisle, she may be just a woman, but to her, he was the only man that caused her to shiver.

‘Sober up before you make a mistake, Elena.’

Suddenly, she was alarmed at what she might do under the influence of alcohol. The effects of it made anyone less inhibited, and she did not want to be honest about her feelings without any countermeasures. She was afraid of how Carlisle would take it, and her shoulders were already heavy with burden.

Fortunately, her depression from the day had eased off a little, and she rose from her chair to recover her senses.

“I’ll take a short walk to sober up and come back.”

Elena stood up and started walking away from the terrace, then stopped when Carlisle captured her wrist.

“You took the bandage off your ankle.”

“Ah…”

She hadn’t wanted to reveal any signs of weakness at the party, and so she removed the bandages. She had been so busy that she had forgotten about it—until Carlisle pointed it out now. It hadn’t been a serious injury from the start, but wearing high heels all day did make it feel worse. Elena quickly made an excuse for fear that Carlisle would worry over her if she told the truth.

“I feel well enough that I don’t need the bandages.”

“Really? Your ankle looks more swollen today.”

The physical change was so small that Elena couldn’t even tell by sight, only by the feeling of pain. Carlisle’s ability to detect subtle differences was incredible.

Elena hesitated for a moment, and Carlisle noiselessly entered the bedroom. He was back out in a hurry with a bandage, and he approached Elena again.

“Sit down. Don’t overdo yourself until you’re better.”

Carlisle pulled a chair and placed it behind Elena, and she seated herself in it. Carlisle knelt before her and held her slender ankle, then gently began to wind the bandage around it.

“Car—Caril….”

Startled by his posture, Elena made to rise in a hurry.

“Hold still.”

Carlisle’s firm voice blocked her movement, and Elena flushed in embarrassment.

“What if someone sees you kneeling?”

“Kneeling to hold my wife’s ankle?”

“You’e the Crown Prince of the Rupert Empire. This behavior…

“It doesn’t matter if I’m the crown prince. It’s my decision no matter what position I touch my wife’s ankle.”