The Prince’s First Love Was Me Chapter 16

Dozens of pairs of eyes swept over me as I confidently entered the hall.

I had expected to see servants walking around, but I never imagined that a whole group of maids would be cleaning the place together first thing in the morning.

Don’t be intimidated! Straighten your shoulders! Walk in there with confidence!

Ignoring the whispers that grew louder with every step I took, I approached the maid who looked the most senior.

“Excuse me, may I ask you something? Do you know where His Highness is right now? I have something urgent to discuss with him.”

“His Highness?”

The senior maid shot me a suspicious glance.

Her expression clearly said, Who do you think you are to ask to see the prince?

I was about to snap back at her for looking down on me when a maid with twin ponytails hurriedly stepped between us.

“His Highness is in his office. I’ll show you the way. Please follow me.”

When the senior maid gave her a displeased look, the twin-tailed maid covered her mouth with one hand and whispered something to her.

The senior maid then slowly looked me up and down, examining my hair, eyes, and clothes in that order.

It was exactly the same order the royal guards had followed when they looked me over.

Do people here have a set order for checking someone out?

While I was wondering about that, the senior maid finished her inspection and suddenly broke into a bright smile, completely changing her attitude.

“Please, follow me.”

I was curious about what had caused such a sudden change, but my destination was right ahead, so I followed without a word.

“Why are you following us?”

“Please don’t misunderstand. We have business over there, too.”

Before I knew it, three or four younger-looking maids had joined the group behind me.

I turned around and gave them a sweet, generous smile, as if I were doing them a favor.

When you’ve got a face this good-looking, you ought to show it off!

The maids who witnessed my eye-smile up close covered their mouths and excitedly slapped each other’s arms.

Whatever chaos was unfolding behind me, I pretended not to notice and leisurely climbed the stairs.

Isn’t this what dreams are made of?! Ah, this is so thrilling!

“His Highness is in here.”

Before the maid could even knock, I flung the door open and strode inside.

The theme of this operation was rudeness.

It was also the reason I had no choice but to barge in here without announcing myself.

Whether they were startled by my lack of manners or impressed by my overwhelming confidence, the maids behind me let out a chorus of gasps.

A moment later, the door closed quietly.

“……”

The door had suddenly swung open without warning.

Footsteps approached with confidence.

Aaron, who had been sitting at his desk, frowned and looked up.

I flashed him a wide grin, as if I’d been waiting for this moment.

Ta-da!

The rude, uninvited guest has arrived!

The moment Aaron’s sharp gaze landed on me, it softened instantly, as if someone had flipped a switch.

I breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t seem upset, then immediately scolded myself.

Why am I relieved? That means my plan isn’t working!

I was doing all kinds of things to ruin Aaron’s mood and make him disappointed in me. And yet, deep down, I was afraid that he might actually get sick of me and turn his back on me.

What the heck do I even want?!

I put my noisy thoughts aside and pressed ahead with my plan.

I squared my shoulders and strode proudly into the room, only to make direct eye contact with Chris, who was sitting on the sofa.

Why are you here?!

I was so startled that I stopped dead in my tracks.

Chris, who had spotted me, also looked as if he were wondering what had brought me here so early in the morning.

But the damage was already done.

Having an audience wouldn’t change anything.

I gave Chris a brief nod, then marched straight toward Aaron again.

Sensing my unusual determination, Aaron put down his pen and smiled faintly.

“What brings you here, Ronnie?”

I stopped in front of Aaron, took a deep breath, and answered in a deliberately defiant tone.

“What brings me here? Obviously, I came because I wanted to see you!”

Before he could respond, I slammed my fist down on his desk.

“What? Am I not allowed to visit when I want to see you? I was at home, practically dying of lovesickness! Was I supposed to consider whether you were busy before coming over?”

I glared fiercely at him and thrust my face closer to his.

Aaron shook his head, looking as if he were holding back a laugh.

“Of course you can. I’m glad you came.”

Instead of looking startled, Aaron simply smiled and spread his arms wide.

What was that supposed to mean?

My mind froze for a moment at this unexpected turn of events.

Was he inviting me to jump into his broad, open arms? Did he want me to show him just how dangerous a raging wild buffalo could be?

“Ahem.”

Chris cleared his throat from behind us to remind us that he was there.

Thanks to him, I managed to grab hold of my sanity just before it snapped.

“Come to think of it, of course you wouldn’t mind. Your lover came all the way here to see you in person. I’d forgotten that for a moment.”

I continued my shameless act and crossed my legs as I sat on the edge of the desk.

Aaron’s face as he looked up at me was a sight straight out of heaven.

How can someone look this sexy just by looking up at me?

I did my best to ignore my wildly pounding heart, lifted my chin haughtily, and casually swung my foot.

My father’s suggested strategy, “Be Rude,” seemed to have done enough without going too far.

I could have pushed it further, but yesterday had taught me that I needed to know where to draw the line if I wanted to avoid getting hurt.

Then let’s move on to Lucy’s plan.

With a determined look, I hopped down from the desk and lightly grasped one of Aaron’s shoulders.

Aaron glanced at my hand on his shoulder before looking straight at me again.

I leaned down and met his eyes.

As for this pose, it was the same one Aaron had used when he’d dazzled me with his handsome face and told me to look at him properly instead of looking away.

I totally lost my mind back then.

I couldn’t imitate the seductive aura Aaron gave off, but I did my best to create a somewhat sensual atmosphere and keep his attention on me.

We were barely a handspan apart.

His steady amber eyes, without the slightest hint of hesitation, stared directly into mine.

I was the one who was so nervous that my palms were getting sweaty.

Damn it. I can’t let him get to me!

I calmly collected myself, then lowered my gaze to move on to the next step.

The target was Aaron’s navy-blue shirt.

Two buttons were already undone, and whenever Aaron leaned to one side, his shirt shifted, revealing half of his collarbone.

The sight alone was enough to make me swallow hard, but Lucy’s plan was to make me look like someone who was obsessed with sex. And there was only one way I could think of doing that.

“Aaron. Don’t you feel a little stifled dressed like that? We’re indoors, not outside. You should undo half your buttons and let yourself breathe.”

Before Aaron could stop me, I reached out and began undoing his shirt buttons one by one.

I’d succeeded in making a bold move, but every time the opening of his shirt widened, my hands trembled as if I had a serious case of the shakes.

What’s wrong with you? Calm down! You’re not actually planning to do anything to Aaron right now. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Just stay calm. Undo the buttons neatly, then step away. Got it?

I was busy scolding my out-of-control hands when Aaron, who had been quietly watching, suddenly caught them in his own.

I jerked my head up, startled like someone who’d been caught stealing.

“I’ll do it.”

“Excuse me? D-Do what?”

Aaron gently guided my hands down and began undoing his buttons himself.

Frozen in place, I stared blankly at the scene unfolding right in front of me.

With each button that came undone, my eyes blinked in confusion, as if I still couldn’t understand what was happening.

Soon, Aaron had undone every button, and his neatly fastened shirt slid open on both sides.

He gave me a playful grin and pulled the shirt halfway off his shoulders.

“Are you satisfied?”

Heat rushed across my entire face.

I hurriedly covered my face with both hands and shrieked.

“Aaron! What do you think you’re doing?! How can you just strip off your clothes anywhere like that?!”

“You said I looked uncomfortable. You seemed to be having trouble undressing me, so I helped.”

“It’s different when I’m the one undressing you! You didn’t even give me time to prepare myself!”

“Do you need time to prepare? We’re both men. It’s nothing to make a fuss over.”

“I’m naturally shy, all right?! At least give me a warning next time!”

I’d tried to tease Aaron, only to have the tables turned on me. I was so embarrassed and flustered that I ended up raising my voice.

After grumbling for a while, I gradually caught my breath and cautiously spread apart the hands covering my face.

Through the gap, I caught sight of Aaron’s firm, well-defined pectoral muscles.

Below them, his sharply defined abs stood out.

I nervously stole a sidelong glance at him. I swallowed hard.

Get a grip, Ronnie. This is all for the plan!

“Ahem. Um, Aaron. If you don’t mind, could I touch them? I’ve never seen anyone with a body as perfect as yours in my entire life.”

I’d only ever seen bodies this artistic in the media. This was my first time seeing one in person.

When I looked up at him with sparkling eyes, Aaron let out a quiet chuckle and nodded.

“Do whatever you want.”

The moment he gave me permission, I poked his stomach with my long index finger.

Wow. So it really is possible for someone’s stomach not to squish at all.

Grinning foolishly, I slowly curled my finger back.

Then I delivered a line so exaggerated that even I could barely stand it.

“So this is where my very own chocolate was hiding.”

It was my desperate attempt to make up for how Aaron had turned my own plan against me.

But the response came from an entirely different direction.

“……You two.”

Chris let out a long sigh, as if he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Please remember that there are other people in the room.”