Rebecca’s POV
I stared at Kaden in disbelief. Was this man seriously expecting me to follow his rules simply because we were living in his palace?
"Are you done?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.
"Not even close," he replied, returning to his desk. "Now, I suggest you sit down and listen carefully because I’m not going to repeat myself."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "You really haven’t changed, have you? Still the same arrogant bastard who thinks everyone has to obey him."
"Rebecca, if you’re going to interrupt me every five seconds, we’ll be here all night," he warned, pulling out his chair.
"Then stop talking like you’re giving orders to one of your servants. I’m not your prisoner anymore, Kaden."
"I’m well aware of that," he replied calmly. "And if you’d stop arguing for one minute, you’d realize these rules are meant to make the next ninety days easier for both of us."
I rolled my eyes but reluctantly sat in the chair opposite his desk. "Fine. Let’s hear your precious rules."
Kaden leaned back in his chair, looking rather pleased with himself. "First, we stay out of each other’s bedrooms. You have your room, and I have mine. Unless there’s an emergency, I don’t want you entering my bedroom without permission."
I burst into laughter, unable to believe he was actually saying this. "Seriously? You think I want to enter your bedroom? Kaden, I’d rather sleep in a dungeon than share a bed with you."
His expression darkened. "Good. Then we understand each other."
"Perfectly," I replied with a sarcastic smile.
"Second, we stay out of each other’s personal lives," he continued, ignoring my expression. "Whatever I do, whoever I speak to, and how I spend my time are none of your business. I expect you to respect my privacy."
I raised an eyebrow. "Does that include Rola?"
Kaden’s jaw tightened slightly at the mention of her name. "Yes, Rebecca. That includes Rola."
"Wonderful!" I exclaimed, leaning back in my chair. "Because I don’t want you interfering in my relationship with Melvin either. Who I speak to, how often I call him, and what we discuss are none of your business."
"I couldn’t care less," he replied dismissively.
"Good. Neither could I."
Kaden exhaled slowly, clearly trying to control his irritation. "Third, I don’t want unnecessary arguments or embarrassing scenes in front of the servants. Whatever disagreements we have, we settle them privately. I won’t have the entire palace gossiping about us."
I couldn’t help laughing. "Then perhaps you should stop giving me reasons to argue with you."
"Rebecca," he warned, giving me a stern look.
"What?" I asked innocently, spreading my hands. "I’m only telling the truth."
He shook his head and continued. "Fourth, you’re not allowed to teleport into my presence whenever you please. If you want to see me, you will use the door like everyone else. No suddenly appearing in my bedroom, my study, or anywhere else without warning."
I stared at him before rolling my eyes. "Trust me, Kaden. The last thing I want is to suddenly appear in front of your annoying face."
"Then we shouldn’t have a problem," he replied.
"Obviously."
"And if you intend to leave the kingdom, I expect you to inform me beforehand," he added, looking directly at me.
I immediately frowned. "Why? Are you planning to lock me up again?"
"Don’t be ridiculous, Rebecca," he replied, sounding irritated. "I’m not stopping you from going anywhere. But considering the circumstances surrounding this marriage, I need to know if you’re leaving the kingdom. The last thing I want is another problem with that damn spell."
I considered his words for a moment before shrugging. "Fine. As long as you understand that informing you doesn’t mean asking for your permission."
"I never said it did."
"Good," I replied, crossing one leg over the other.
Kaden picked up a pen from his desk, turned it between his fingers for a moment, and placed it aside before looking directly at me. "And lastly, Melvin is not allowed to visit you in this palace."
I stared at him in disbelief. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me, Rebecca," he replied firmly. "I don’t want that dragon king coming here."
I let out a disbelieving laugh. "And why the hell not?"
"Because I won’t have people gossiping about my wife entertaining another man under my roof," he explained, his expression serious. "Whether we like this marriage or not, you’re still my wife for the next ninety days, and I have a reputation to protect."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "Oh, so this is about your precious reputation? Fine! Then Rola isn’t allowed to visit you either."
Kaden frowned, clearly displeased by my response.
"Rebecca, I’m not stopping you from seeing Melvin," he said firmly. "You’re free to visit him at his palace whenever you want. You can even spend the entire day with him for all I care. You can teleport straight to him whenever you please, so it’s not like I’ll even know when you go to see him or what you two are doing over there. And frankly, I don’t want to know. Just don’t bring him into my home."
I folded my arms across my chest. "Then the same goes for Rola. If Melvin isn’t allowed here, neither is she."
Kaden narrowed his eyes at me, his expression hardening. "Are you seriously trying to dictate who I can invite into my own palace?"
"Well, you seem very comfortable dictating who I can invite, so why shouldn’t I?" I challenged, refusing to back down.
"Because this is my palace, Rebecca!" he snapped, raising his voice.
"And I’m your wife, remember?" I shot back, leaning forward in my chair. "You seem very fond of reminding me of that whenever it suits you. So if you’re going to use this ridiculous marriage as an excuse to make rules, then those rules should apply to both of us."
Kaden clenched his jaw and stared at me for several seconds. His expression was so intimidating that anyone else might have lowered their eyes, but I held his gaze without flinching. I wasn’t about to let him intimidate me simply because he was the Alpha King.
Finally, he rubbed his forehead and let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine," he muttered.
I blinked, surprised by his sudden agreement. "What?"
"I said fine," he repeated impatiently. "Rola won’t visit me here either. Are you satisfied now?"
A small smile spread across my face. "Very."
"Don’t look so pleased with yourself," he grumbled, clearly annoyed.
"Why not?" I asked with a teasing smile. "It’s nice to know you’re capable of being reasonable occasionally."
Kaden shot me an irritated glare before picking up the documents on his desk. "Now, if we’re done arguing, you can leave. I have work to do."
I stood up and straightened my dress, more than happy to end our conversation. "Gladly. Believe me, spending another minute in your presence wasn’t part of my plans."
I turned toward the door, but just as my hand reached the handle, Kaden spoke again.
"And Rebecca?"
I stopped and glanced over my shoulder. "What now?"
"If you can obey these rules, the next three months will be much easier for both of us," he said firmly, holding my gaze.
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please, Kaden. Just make sure you follow those rules yourself."
Before he could respond, I opened the door and slammed it behind me.