Look how the child is now
"I thought at first that you would bring Sir Hacket back to this residence, Your Grace," said Jeremiah as he served him dinner.
"If I bring him here, what about you and Sir Zen? I don't want to cause unnecessary feuds," Selah reasoned. "Then people think I favored him."
"Thank you for understanding, Your Grace. I wish Sir Hacket all the best at Tullia."
"Yes, I hope so."
Of course, that's just an excuse. The truth is that Selah doesn't want Aeneas to know that she already knows his secret. Aeneas must have recognized Hacket. Selah, who brings Hacket back as her knight, will clarify that she has finished reading Helena's diary.
But at least this way, Uncle will know that I've finished reading the damn diary, Selah thought.
Helena knows too much, and Aeneas keeps too many secrets. This all made Selah confused. Now what was she to do with Aeneas?
Could this man really marry her?
"Excuse me, Your Grace," greeted a servant. The servant greeted Jeremiah, who looked ready to scold him for interrupting Selah's dinner. "I brought a letter from the Royal Palace."
"In this night?" asked Jeremiah in disbelief. He turned on Selah then. "Would you like to read it now, Your Grace?"
In fact, Selah could already guess what the letter contained. "Yes," she said briefly.
As he had guessed, the letter contained an invitation from His Majesty King Tristan Seneca to Duchess Selah Dulcia. Maybe King Tristan had regained consciousness since this afternoon. Because he felt that he was feeling fine, he finally decided to call Selah.
The invitation time is pretty early in the morning. Is King Tristan afraid of falling back asleep? Selah thought.
"Jeremiah, wake me up early tomorrow to meet His Majesty on time. I don't need to dress up extravagantly. The important thing is to be neat," said Selah to Jeremiah. "For breakfast, just prepare something light, and I can finish it quickly."
"Very well, Your Grace."
***
Selah got ready early the following day. The sky was still fairly dark when Selah left for the Royal Palace. Obviously, this wasn't a reasonable time for someone to start their activities. Still, since this was the king's order, Selah couldn't help but comply.
The Royal Palace looks visibly busy. She saw several ministers and their staff wandering around. It seems that since yesterday King Tristan has been calling people non-stop.
Shouldn't he get a lot of rest if he's sick? thought selah.
Well, where is the person who made all this mess? It had been a long time since Selah had seen him.
"Duchess Dulcia? My apologies, but the meeting isn't being held in the Audience Room," said a knight who found her confused. "Please let me show you to His Majesty's room."
Selah was surprised to hear that. "All this time, His Majesty always calls people to his room?"
"Yes. Because His Majesty has difficulty moving, there is no other choice," explained the knight. "You are the last person His Majesty will see, and since you have arrived much earlier, I hope Your Grace will be willing to wait."
"May I know who His Majesty is currently seeing?"
"Crown Prince Blair is talking to His Majesty at the moment, Your Grace."
"What about Prince Aeneas?"
The knight looked doubtful. "His Majesty… always looks for his two sons as soon as he wakes up. Because Crown Prince Blair was busy yesterday, Prince Aeneas was the first to meet him."
"Okay, thank you."
This is crazy, Selah thought. Indeed, what kind of poison had his mother prescribed to Aeneas so that he could set King Tristan's wake time?
Selah waited until the sun rose completely. Instead of a knight or maid to fetch her, Blair herself appears. The two stared at each other for a long time before Selah finally stood up.
"Whatever Father says, you can believe it or not. All decisions are yours," Blair said before he opened King Tristan's bedroom door.
Selah ignored him and entered the large luxurious room. Several healers and knights seem to be doing something to King Tristan. As Selah gave her greetings, King Tristan ordered his men to hurry up.
"Come closer, Duchess Dulcia," King Tristan called. "Last time I woke up, Archibald was the one here. Who would have thought that he had eaten the royal money?"
"I apologize for the mistakes my family has made, Your Majesty. In the future, I will make sure that something like this won't happen again," Selah said, bowing apologetically.
King Tristan waved his hand. "You who have dared to send your own father to prison, I have taken it as your apology. The girl in her teens that Blair once showed her has grown up like this." He chuckled. "I'm getting confused. You look more like Archibald or Helena."
Selah didn't expect her mother's name to be mentioned here. But… that means King Tristan knows her mother.
Could it be that he also knows what Mother has tried to do? thought selah.
"Judging by the choices you've made recently, I can guess who you look more like." King Tristan glared at Selah with his weak eyes. Even though that gaze seemed dim, Selah was a little daunted by it. "Suddenly broke up with Blair and went to Aeneas, and I always believed you wanted to be queen. Tell me why you did it."
"Am I allowed to say anything?" Selah asked defiantly.
"Just do whatever you want. This king was weak and could only lie in bed. I can no longer punish my impudent subordinates with my own hands," replied King Tristan defiantly.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty. Crown Prince Blair doesn't love me, and I don't love Crown Prince Blair. Seeing how my parent's marriage was... It's not wrong for me to want a harmonious marriage," Selah explained.
"I bet Blair wouldn't lay his hands on you."
He's done it to me several times, Selah told herself. "In our engagement, I was the only one putting effort into our relationship. Crown Prince Blair is not as bad as my father, but I feel I am not being treated well," she said.
King Tristan snorted in amusement. "And you got what you wanted from Aeneas?"
"Yes, Your Majesty could say so." Selah said after a moment of silence, "Prince Aeneas… knows what to do without waiting for me to say something."
"Of course. I'm the one who teaches him like that."
Selah's heart seemed to stop when she heard King Tristan say that. Has it started yet? Would King Tristan have said anything about Aeneas as his two sons had guessed?
"Be a sensitive, obedient child, and always be sweet. I also always give it my best. Now look how the child is now. Is there anyone else capable of rivaling him?" King Tristan smiled in a way that Selah didn't like. "He used to have long hair and was very pretty. But since I was sick, he dared to rebel. He cut his hair and now he dares to seduce others."
You lecherous bastard, Selah cursed inside. She clenched her fists so tightly that it felt like her fingernails were digging into her palms. If King Tristan said anything further… If King Tristan dared to mention Aeneas in such an obscene tone, Selah would…
"Duchess Dulcia." King Tristan's smile grew wider. "I've enjoyed it before, after this feel my work is perfect. Aeneas… he is even superior to that Catalina that your mother loves!"