Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 176: The Intrepid Princess

"Hello..."

Princess Celine couldn’t suppress the smile on her face as she waved at the tall, handsome man before her. He was everything she had imagined and more.

Still wearing the dress she had worn to court, Princess Celine embodied her role as a princess. Beside her was her brother, Osbourne, who had a gentle smile on his face.

"Hello..." Caleb replied with a soft smile and stepped aside. "Please, come in."

"Thank you," both royals said as they made their way inside, looking around as if they were strangers entering a new room for the first time.

Closing the door behind him, Caleb turned to the royals and offered them a seat, moving to take one himself. Through it all, Celine could not hold back the excited smile on her face.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Your Highnesses?" Caleb asked softly, leaning forward slightly. His gaze shifted towards the princess, who looked away with a slightly red face.

’She can’t be any more obvious.’ Caleb noted with a knowing smile, turning his attention back to the Prince.

Osbourne glanced at his sister for a moment and then shook her head. Even a blind man could see what was going on here. Then again, the princess never hid her interest, so there was that.

Her lessons in proper court etiquette and behaviour were still ongoing. Celine had a long way to go if she were to ever be like her mother, the queen.

Moreover, unlike her brother, who would eventually be king, Princess Celine had the freedom to choose whoever she fancied.

King Gray had no intention of giving his daughter away. No one was there when she was bedridden, and he expected no one to be bold enough to come now.

"We apologize for coming to you like this when you’re supposed to be resting, but..." Osbourne looked at his sister, smiled, and then turned back to Caleb, adding. "Celine could not wait any more."

"You don’t say..." Caleb smiled in Celine’s direction once more, noticing the same shy reaction.

"Yeah... Celine has been very adamant about meeting you ever since..." The prince’s voice faded, his expression one of grateful reminiscence. "Ever since you helped her and my father. You disappeared so quickly that she didn’t get the chance to see her saviour."

Caleb nodded at the prince’s words, acknowledging the words. However, for him, the king’s appreciation was more than enough. Moreover, it was a system quest for which he received a reward, a reward he was still wearing now.

"Celine...?" Osbourne gestured at his sister, signalling her to do what she came to you.

The princess looked at her brother and then back at Caleb, swallowing the lump in her throat. Those turquoise blue eyes, gentle smile and presence around Caleb made Celine’s heart beat faster than usual.

Till this point, she hadn’t been able to control her facial expressions, especially the slight blush on her cheeks. Whenever Caleb looked at her, she couldn’t help but lower her gaze or look away.

Now, given the chance to talk, she was at a loss for words. For whatever reason, the princess became entranced just staring at Caleb, not realising that her actions were very apparent.

"Celine...?" Osbourne chuckled at his sister’s actions, his voice pulling her out of her reverie.

"W-what...?" The princess abruptly shifted her gaze to her brother, confusion in her eyes.

"Don’t you have something to say to Mr. Zane?" The prince’s eyes gestured towards a still-waiting Caleb, who looked on with a gentle smile.

"Ah, I’m so sorry....!" Celine stammered when she looked back at Caleb, realising where she was and what she needed to do.

Osbourne didn’t realise how many times he had sighed from this simple interaction with Caleb. Celine was just all over the place. The princess was just too excited to even keep her composure.

’All her lessons go down the drain before this man...’ Osbourne glanced at Caleb, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips — he approved.

The man had everything one would seek in a partner. He was a powerful man with abilities unlike anything seen before. Furthermore, he came recommended by the goddess herself.

What’s there not to like?

Watching his sister get to her feet while trying to regain a bit of composure, the man in question also stood up, as Caleb could not sit while the princess stood.

"Caleb Zane...I- I wanted to thank you." Princess Celine began, her voice trembling slightly, and she looked away, trying to compose herself. "You did more than save my life... y-you made me whole..." Her cheeks flushed red as she struggled to hold Caleb’s gaze.

"Though I must warn you, you’ve made it very difficult for me to think straight now." A small, nervous smile crept across her face. "You just arrived, yet I’m finding it really difficult to look at you."

Hearing the princess’s heartfelt words, the smile on Caleb’s face grew. It must’ve taken a lot of courage for her to say that, especially on their very first meeting. It showed just how innocent and pure the girl truly was.

On the couch, Osbourne leaned back with one leg crossed over the other, enjoying the moment. ’To think she has the courage to confess on the first meeting... she’s truly our mother’s daughter.’

"It was no trouble, Princess Celine. I—"

"Please, call me Celine," the princess interrupted before he could finish, lifting her gaze to meet Caleb’s for a moment before quickly lowering it again. "Call me Celine when we’re alone."

"When we’re alone, huh?" Caleb chuckled, teasing her a little. He glanced over at Osbourne, who just shrugged in response. Looking back at the princess, he noticed her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red.

’She’s really putting in effort,’ Caleb thought, genuinely appreciating her courage. ’I don’t think girls back on Earth would’ve done this... especially not in the time I lived.’

"Very well, Celine." The princess beamed at the sound of her name on his lips, her gaze still wandering. "And I’m glad you feel this way about me, but..."

Celine abruptly looked up, locking eyes with Caleb. A flicker of fear flashed in her pupils. Her skin turned a shade paler, and her heartbeat quickened—something Caleb didn’t miss.

She had already jumped to her own conclusion before he could even finish. Guessing what was running through her mind, Caleb stepped closer, standing right in front of her, his presence looming protectively over hers.

The princess lowered her gaze again, this time with embarrassment. She realized she might have moved too fast. Her eyes shimmered with tears that threatened to fall, and it took everything in her not to run from the moment.

"Celine..." Caleb gently lifted her chin, making the princess look into his eyes. Though she tried to look away, Caleb didn’t let her. "Will you allow me to finish what I was saying...?"

The smile on his face made Celine’s heart skip a beat. Without realising it, the princess nodded, causing her held-back tears to fall freely.

"Good..." Caleb nodded, wiping the stream of tears from her cheeks. "We haven’t interacted enough for us to know each other."

"But..." Celine cut him off again, a pout on her face, as she wanted to defend herself and her confession.

"Let me finish, Celine," Caleb chuckled at her cute expression, making her want to turn her face away. Unfortunately for her, she could only shift her eyes and not her head. "Maybe you aren’t aware of this, but I already have two partners."

"T-two...?" Celine stammered, her eyes widening in shock and surprise. "I-I thought... I thought."

"That I only had Jess?" Caleb chuckled softly. "No, Celine. There’s someone else. Are you bothered about this fact?"

"N-no..." The princess shook her head, doing her best not to fold under his gaze. She never imagined having Caleb all to herself to begin with, even as a princess. "It doesn’t bother me. Even if..." She didn’t finish her words, but the message was clear to Caleb.

A month ago, she wouldn’t have been able to imagine herself in a position like this. Now, however, she could share her feelings and thoughts with the person she admired. Why would the others he liked matter to her when she could be a part of that?

Glancing at Osbourne, Caleb realised he didn’t show any reaction to his revelation. ’He already knows...’

"How about this..." Caleb continued, appreciating her honesty. "I’ll be living as a guest of your father until the Royal Assembly concludes. In that time, we can get to know each other better. How does that sound?"

The princess nodded eagerly, a broad smile beaming on her face. The light that was momentarily lost returned in full, as her eyes sparkled with renewed interest.

"I’ll like that very much..." Celine managed to say through the sound of her beating heart. When Caleb smiled in return, the princess lowered her gaze, trying her best to keep her composure that was already in shreds.

"Excellent..." freēwēbηovel.c૦m

Caleb nodded and then stepped back, glancing at Osbourne, who slowly got to his feet. The two men exchanged a curt nod as Osbourne moved close to his still-blushing sister.

"Celine..." he gently called. "Why don’t we leave for now? I’m sure Mr. Zane would like to rest." Osbourne glanced at Caleb, prompting Celine to do the same. "You can visit him tomorrow, and I bet he’ll accompany you during your training."

"Mm," The princess nodded shyly, taking another glance at Caleb. "See you tomorrow, Mr. Zane."

"Please, call me Caleb."

"Right..." The princess chuckled at the jab. "See you tomorrow, Caleb."

With that, the princess turned around and made her way towards the door, his brother right behind her. Before the two could leave, Obourne turned to look at Caleb. "Right, I forgot to mention this, but your two companions will be joining you shortly. See you around."

With a nod of acknowledgement, the two royals stepped out. For a moment, Caleb stared glued to the spot, staring at the closed door. ’Courageous and assertive. Are all women in this world this bold?’

The thought made him chuckle. Turning around, he moved towards the bed and lay in it, his hands sprawled out as a sigh escaped his lips. ’I don’t dislike it at all...’

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