CHAPTER 13
(A/N: Please refer to chapter 6)
The nobles who are present in the royal court got into a heated battle when the news about the reinforcement getting wiped out before they even get to the border reached their ears.
All of the nobles are talking simultaneously which made the crown prince frown at their noises. When he slammed the table hard, all of the noises died down and they all looked at him with a cautious expression.
Crown Prince Karl Henry IV showed a face of a proud person who won't accept defeat. Before the nobles open their mouth again, he quickly dismissed them. After the last one left, the prince took the envelope and throw it away, it's the envelope that contains the news of the reinforcement that got wiped out with unknown forces. But they knew it wasn't someone else.
"Raizel! That bastard!" Crown Prince Karl Henry gritted his teeth in anger, he thought that the news he'll receive this time is Duke Tarquin Raizel Tennesley's death, but it isn't, instead, his troops are the ones who died.
"Y-your majesty, please calm down, we'll thoroughly investigate this matter and-" the minister was trying to soothe him, but he got cut off by Crown Prince Karl as he threw another envelope towards the minister's face.
"Shut the fuck up! We don't have to investigate this matter, because Raizel killed them!" his temper runs loose in front of his subordinates, although they're used to this kind of scenario where the Crown Prince loses his temper because of his mortal enemy, Duke Tennesley.
The two were best friends when they were little, but when they grew up, a gap suddenly appeared between them. The two would get into a heated battle with one another when they got the chance, but the wise emperor always stands between the two without taking any sides. The emperor thought that they'll make up soon, but that time didn't come, the two got married to their fiancees, a scandal happened and their hatred for one another grew even more.
The moment the Crown Prince sent Duke Tennesley towards the battlefield after his marriage, he just showed the face of a person who just responds with someone's tantrums which irritated the Crown Prince even more. While the Duke is on the battlefield, currently risking his life to save the empire, the Crown Prince covet Duke Tennesley's wife.
The Duke went home after a year, seeing the woman he married holding her newborn baby while looking at him with the eyes of someone who doesn't show any remorse. The Duke got his pieces of evidence and told his wife, Duchess Emily, to sign their divorce papers or he'll ruin her until she wishes she were dead.
The Crown Prince thought he got the Duke good, but when he woke up the next morning, he saw the former Duchess threatening him to take her as his concubine or she'll tell everyone the adultery that happened between them. Crown Prince Karl Henry doesn't want to lose the citizen's favor, taking Emily as his concubine will only make Duke Tennesly look even worse, getting abandoned by his wife after a year of marriage is really something to laugh at.
"After six years of taking away his wife, it seems like he still hasn't moved on. I'll let him be this time, once he comes back to the capital, I'll make his head roll on the ground." After Crown Prince, Karl Henry said that he walked proudly leaving all of his subordinates with baffled and tired expressions.
All this time, they still didn't know the reason the Crown Prince's obsession with killing his former best friend, keeping up with this Crown Prince made them all tired.
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Arabella tapped her fingers onto the table inside her office. The place is good and nice to think quietly while Blaine and Scarlet play outside. Arabella thought this will be the best time to rest for a while and thoroughly examine the situation that happened two weeks ago, but a pair of eyes doesn't seem to agree with her.
"Stop looking at me or I'll gouge your eyes" her harsh words made Ruel flinched. He's now sitting on the sofa inside her office, with a cold cup of tea in his hands.
"I already told you, I won't spread anything about you. You can rest easy because I'm not some greedy person who will take advantage of it. I got two children to feed and associating myself with you isn't a smart move." Arabella sighs after repeating the words she said earlier.
"Yeah, I know." after Ruel's short response, Arabella thought it'll be the end of their conversation but it doesn't seem like it.
"We've been investigating Lord Wen, but his place is in chaos because of his sudden disappearance. Investigating him after the incident two weeks ago will let his people know that you and your children are the ones who last saw him before he disappeared. That'll endanger you all."
The two looked at the eyes of each other which made the atmosphere colder, even though it's still summer. It's not a romantic gaze but a threat of a gaze.
"Should I say thank you for postponing your investigation?" Arabella asked sarcastically.
"I don't need it. I just want to know what happened before I saw you harming yourself in front of your door." their calm voices masked the real intention of each word they threw at one another.
"Do I like repeating myself? No. But for the last time, I'll say it again. Lord Wen or who the fuck that is, I never saw him. His disappearance is none of my concern. And to correct you, I wasn't harming myself that time, my head just hurts"
Arabella turned her head to look at her fingernails, although her answer was very suspicious she shrugged it off. Ruel Crowe isn't someone who will harm her just because she lied once or twice or whatever.
"I see, you still refused to tell. You seem to like my visits, so I'll completely be obliged to your request." after saying this Ruel stand up and smiled at her who's still frowning and trying to decipher what he just told her.
When Ruel already left, that's the time Arabella realized his words.
"How dare that punk?! Does he think he's my type? I hate green peas!" Arabella shouted.
Arabella turned her head towards the door when she heard a knock, she calmed herself when she thought Ruel came back, she's now neatly sewing her thoughts that she'll throw at him. But, it wasn't Ruel. Two cute little children opened the door with their wide smiles. Arabella who was in a bad mood earlier smiled at the two cute little bunnies.
"Scarlet, Blaine come here. So how's your trip to the river?" Arabella asked. She quickly stood up and went towards her children.
"Mother, you should've come with us! The water was sparkling earlier, it's like diamonds are underneath the river!" Blaine isn't exaggerating, the river truly sparkles as if it's magical water.
"Tomorrow I'll go with you two, the visitor just left, I can't leave him here."
After mentioning the visitor, Blaine frowned that made Arabella chuckled at her son.
"I don't like him." with his blatant dislike towards Ruel, Arabella laughed.
"Sshh, he's not a bad guy, he helped us."
Blaine and Arabella were talking to each other when Scarlet who's quiet at the side started coughing.
"What happened? Blaine, did you let your sister swim in the river for too long? Come here Scarlet" but before Scarlet can even take a step, she fainted.
Arabella quickly catches Scarlet before she fell onto the floor. With her heart beating fast Arabella quickly took her daughter to her room and asked Blaine to go call for a doctor. She was suddenly thankful to Ruel as he gave them a mana product that can call the physician anytime, he gave them this because the children are worried for her, they even tried making the physician live in the mansion.
"Her temperature is too high, Blaine what happened?" Arabella nervously asked her son who's face is paled as a sheet of paper.
"We-we were just looking at the river and picking pretty pebbles near it. We didn't even swim. M-mother will she be alright? This is all my fault, I-I'm so sorry" Blaine who's worried just like her, cried. Arabella quickly hugged her son and rub his back to calm him.
"Scarlet will be fine, the doctor will soon come. You should go and change- Blaine?"
"BLAINE!"