Page 89 of Wicked Prince of Frost

Unable to bear the scrutiny, I gather up the blanket from the floor and pile it onto the bed. I sit on the edge and pretendto be focused on the demon jumping onto the pillow, then tumbling off, only to do it over again.

Iseul joins me, sitting where she can see my face. “I never thought I’d see the day when our Joon would fall in love.” She sighs wistfully, then snorts. “I never thought he would be one to be so obvious about it.”

“It’s not what you think,” I say, hoping she doesn’t see the way my cheeks warm.

“Movingyou to live with him. Overseeing these lessons is not something for a prince to concern himself with. What other reason could there be?” Iseul leans in.

“He is trying to keep me out of trouble,” I point out.

“Then why did he look at you like that just now?”

“Because I’m wearing my nightdress,” I counter.

Iseul tilts her head to the side. “Which he has already seen after spending the night with you.” She smirks. “He told me as much.”

“I had a fever.”

She makes it sound as if I’m not alone in these ill-fated emotions I’ve miserably failed to prevent. Allowing myself to believe that will only hurt more in the end. Besides, there is a reason for it. She would understand if she knew about the bargain and my condition.

“I’m serious, Vi,” she says softly, using the same shortened version of my name that Talya and Sebastian do. “He’s changed since you came to the palace.”

My throat tightens at the way my heart leaps. “How so?”

“You know of his reputation throughout the kingdom?”

To hide the warmth burning my ears, I busy myself with gathering the blankets from the floor and piling them on top of the bed. The demon wastes no time pushing them around for maximum comfort before settling in. “Everyone does, but that’s a facade. You andMingi know as well as I that he’s not what they say he is.”

“True. We know many sides to him, not just the one he shows the world.” She doesn’t outright disagree with me, yet her face and voice reflect her skepticism.

“I told him it was important to me that we trust each other. I think we were able to become friends because of that. Perhaps the others”—I avoid sayingwives—“never tried to get to know him beyond all the rumors?”

“Perhaps,” she concedes. “So, why did you?”

I shrug, buying myself a few seconds to come up with something close enough to the truth. “I’m here for a purpose, and I want to do everything to the best of my ability, which is a lot easier to do if you trust the person you’re working with.” I swallow and confess another truth. “The thought of being nothing more than a vessel, of each of us doing our part separately, seemed so horribly lonely.”

The demon yawns, stretching their arms and legs out before wriggling deeper into the blankets.

“I think there’s more to it than that—he’s gentle with you. Softer. More himself. Like the person Mingi and I knew as children.”

It might seem that way, but Joon and I are just looking for the same things. Someone to be there for us. Comfort. To know gentleness in a harsh world. Things we have both lacked for too long.

We are both lucky to have good friends, but they can’t take the place of family or a lover. The way Joon touches me is different than anything I’ve known, the intention behind those touches is the same.

The only words I have to offer her are the ones I don’t want to share. That I like having someone who doesn’t see me as a walking tragedy, waiting for the moment when I collapse,dead. To see me as another person with a normal life ahead of them.

So, I shrug and say nothing.

“It’s nice to see him like that again.” She sighs. “You’re good for him.”

If she knew about my condition, she would understand why it would be pointless for anyone to fall for me. Let alone a prince who will go on to make a queen of someone with noble blood.

“Even the guards and other servants have noticed a change,” Iseul continues. “It’s likely that the king and other nobles will have as well. Which would explain why he wants me to give you lessons.”

“Or he doesn’t want me to embarrass him,” I suggest.

“I can see you won’t be convinced otherwise. Fine then, the two of you arefriends.” Iseul shakes her head, smiling softly as she turns to the demon. “I will say, you certainly have a way of capturing the heart of the most fearsome of creatures.”

I realize I referred to myself as a vessel, hinting at his curse, details I shouldn’t be able to divulge.