The Alpha Prince's Purchased Maid
Chapter 326: Haunting Experience

Chapter 326: Haunting Experience

“It should be time soon,” the prince whispered from close to me.

I glanced up at this face as I wondered what he meant. It sounded like he was waiting for something to happen or start and that piqued my interest. I couldn’t see his face because of the mask that he was wearing but I could sense his slight excitement.

“Stay by my side,” the prince said with a slight warning in his tone.

“Of course...” I replied obediently.

It wasn’t like there was some place else that I would rather be. Plus, his presence felt like a very reassuring pillar that I could lean and depend on. I didn’t think that I could remain composed for long without him by my side. Slowly and steadily, the prince led me forward as we walked past many groups of people engaged in conversation.

Some people broke out from the groups that they were standing in and also walked along with us. Everything happened so casually that at first that I didn’t realize what was happening. After a short while, we emerged into another part of the event space and the crowd around us had gotten significantly smaller than before.

“This way. Don’t let go of my hand,” the prince whispered to me.

I just nodded my head, but I wasn’t sure if he could see me because the lights in the venue around us suddenly dimmed. It became significantly darker than before, but I could still make out outlines of things. Prince Leonard’s hand tightened around mine as his other arm looped around my waist to pull me closer to his side. The adrenaline pumping in my blood made my heart race in my chest as I started to feel anxious.

We continued walking for a little bit in the dimly lit venue while I could feel some people following us on the same path. I wondered where the prince was taking me, but I didn’t have any time to voice my question. A large double door opened in front of us, and I could see a rough outline of the space that lay beyond. Wordlessly, Prince Leonard led me through the door.

What is this place?

If it wasn’t for Prince Leonard holding my hand and leading me, I might have tripped over the rows of seats due to the lack of lighting. The darkness and the cold air only added to the mysterious atmosphere of the place. After leading me along a row of seats, it seemed like we had finally arrived at ours.

“Take a seat here, Mila,” the prince instructed calmly.

The moment I lowered myself into the seat, the lights came on and bathed the entire space in warm light. I winced a little as my eyes adjusted to the light and that was when I realized that we were inside a very large auditorium. Looking around, there were so many people there besides us to the point where almost all seats were already occupied. Given how silent it was before, I hadn’t realized that there were so many people in there with us.

The large stage in front of the auditorium was covered from view with deep red velvet curtains with intricate gold patterns. Just when I was about to turn to ask the prince if we would be watching a play or some kind of show, the curtains began to part.

“Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen! It is our highest honor to welcome you here tonight,” a booming voice announced.

A man walked up on stage along and my attention was immediately drawn to him. It seemed like the show was about to start. The man who appeared to be the host for the night continued on with his short welcoming speech. At first, I thought that something sounded familiar about this voice, but I thought that it must have been a factor of my own imagination.

“It’s about to start,” the prince whispered from my side.

What is about to start?

My eyes felt glued to the stage which was now in full view since the curtains had completely been pulled to the side. The host’s welcoming speech came to an end and there was a round of applause. After that, a very beautiful woman dressed in a glittery evening gown that sparkled as she walked onto the stage while pushing a cart in front of her.

“Now, we present to you the first item for the night. This ultra rare painting will surely be recognized by everyone here tonight. After disappearing from the public’s eyes for almost a century, this masterpiece of art is now available for your bidding tonight,” the host announced proudly.

The woman beamed a smile at the audience before pulling the black cloth covering the item on the cart away completely to reveal a painting of a vase of flowers. Although the host did say that everyone would recognize it, I had to say that I don’t recall seeing that work of art before. From the murmurs of the people around us, I could tell that they were excited with the first item up for auction.

An auction?

That was when I realized that the prince had taken me to attend an auction and that we weren’t here to enjoy a play or any kind of performance. Suddenly, I felt a tremor run through my body and I suddenly felt cold. The excited audience did not hesitate to raise their hands to bid for the painting that was supposed to be rare. Prince Leonard, however, showed no interest in the painting. I wondered silently what the prince was really here for.

“Please bear with me for a little longer, Mila,” the prince told me before raising my hand up to his lips.

His lips felt very warm against my cold hand as he planted a kiss there against the back of my hand. By that time, my heart was beating faster and harder in my chest and it wasn’t because the prince had just kissed my hand. My throat felt constricted, and I found it harder to breathe.

--To be continued...