CHAPTER 28
The sun hasn’t risen yet but we were walking down to the village. We will go to the home of the village chef. Amelia and Scarlet were the ones who will take care of the bride and the female visitors by using their skills in beautification. There are tons of people so they should arrive there early as possible and I too, came along together with Nanny and Dairy who’s sleeping on the arms of Nanny.
“My brother is very excited that he can’t sleep comfortably”
“Yes, it’s because this is his most awaited event in his life”
“As far as I know, those two were childhood friends”
“Your brother, is the happiest man right now, so we must not ruin his wedding”
“Yes, and we’ll do our best to make the bride the most beautiful girl in the village”
As soon as we arrived to the village chef’s home. I guess all the female in the village were present in there because, we saw the others sitting outside. Amelia and Scarlet pull out their things. They told everyone to line up and the bride will be prioritized, the bridesmaids and the family of both the groom and the bride. But, it’s too early that’s why they chose the visitors first.
The both of them were too busy. I sat at the corner with Dairy sleeping on my lap. Nanny was chatting outside while the important guest was inside. I caressed the hair of Dairy who still peacefully sleeping.
Yesterday, when I’m resting. I want to tell Scarlet and Amelia that I know or I remember everything because, I planned to go home to settle the things there. I know my mother had a very hard time right now. I want to end up these mess as soon as possible.
After clearing the conflict on the manor, I know that there’s still a struggle ahead where I’ll meet the female protagonist and the crown prince or should I say the emperor. Last month, should be the day of his coronation.
The story seems progressing while I’m not present there. The female protagonist will do anything to gain the attention of the crown prince eventually turned to love. And since, I am not encountering those people right now. I think it’s first to focus on the problem rather than avoiding that away. It might be worsened if this keeps up.
I already live the life in here which I’m thankful for and I can’t be a burden any longer. I look like a freeloader which is bad for my conscience. I’ve been thinking too much that I started to felt sleepy.
• Lowell Fox POV (the crown prince)
I was looking around as soon I wake up. I’m not used to tight spaces as well as having people sleep with me. I don’t like sleeping at the center so I choose the right side of the window. We were arguing late at night whether who’s going to sleep on the floor. Sebastian insists he’s going to sleep on the bed as the owner of the house but, the Grog Shmann didn’t falter. As the guest, Sebastian must cater to our needs as well as make ourselves stay here comfortable as what he argued. I really am okay sleeping on the floor as I've been experiencing camping outside when I'm on a war. I’m tired and I wanted to rest. As soon as I command my troops to capture the bandits, I directly travelled here.
There’s this feeling that keeps bugging me ever since, I saw her. Its not like my heart just thumping so fast. It feels like we have some kind of unexplainable connection. And I can’t decipher what is it. Logical reasoning seems doesn’t to apply, I barely know her.
I received report regarding what happened to me. That night, there’s also something happened to me that I need further investigation. My knights and intelligence keep tracking and finding some information about that. There’s only one person who knows what happened that night, it’s the adopted daughter of Marquis Leabeth.
The way she described what happened is reasonable. Someone put my drink an aphrodisiac. Even though, my body is resistance of poison, I can’t control myself that day and my vision is blurry. When I go to my room, I committed a serious crime. I made loved with the girl who’s present in my room that moment. I put my desire all of her. I can't control my urge that night, there's unexplainable emotions piling up that pulls me towards her. It's a very sweet fragrance that I smell that night and the familiar scent was coming to Chantria whom I saw for the very first time. I can't possible point her as a culprit as she was kidnapped and it's impossible that she's on my bed that night.
When I woke up, Lady Leabeth was there. I’m convinced that she was the one I made actions with but, my guts telling me it’s not. There’s something missing, the sweet scent of flower blooming on summer. It was the taste that I couldn’t forget. Perhaps, it’s the poison that made me drive crazy. It’s my fault for not having a strength to control myself over such a mere liquid.
Now, she’s claiming that I’m the father of her child she carried. I deepen the investigation that when I enter the Marcox manor. There’s an urge that the place has something to do with it. Furthermore, I saw the Lady that made me feel unexplainable emotions. I assigned my knights and intelligence force to investigate and that’s the time, I knew what happened to her, the kidnappings.
What’s more suspicious is. That’s the same night. It’s like someone plotted us these things. I need to observe that Lady more while I’m here. I know my trusted knights would do their very best to unveil the truth.
I opened the curtains. I heard them groan because of the sunlight. I scoffed when I saw Sebastian blinking his eyes while Grog Shmann opened his bleary eyed. Sebastian suddenly stood up. It’s as if there’s something urgent, he needs to do.
“What time is it?”
I pointed the grandfather clock on his side. He looked at it and was stunned. He rummages all of his belongings.
“What are you doing?” i asked curiously.
“There’s a wedding we need to attend, right now. It’s already eight, we have to arrive there before ten”
“We?”
“Yes, you two barged in our home. You might as well be useful”
“What do you mean?”
“We need to escort the ladies. Do you have something formal there? A black suit? Tuxedo?”
“Yeah, I have”
“Then that’s good”
He approached Grog Shmann who now, covering his face with pillow. He pulls the pillow away, but Grog keeps pulling it back to his way. The irritated Sebastian flickers his forehead to make him wide awake.
“Ouch! What’s that for?”
“You go first take a bath then, make yourself presentable. There’s a lot of suits there, go grab one”
“Why? Even though, I opened my eyes or didn’t take a bath. I’m still handsome”
Sebastian smacks his head. “Stop spouting nonsense and do it now! I don’t want to be late. And you! His highness, follow me! Let’s eat breakfast first”
Grog clicked his tongue. “Brother, I’ll eat first”
“No, there’s a limited time. You go first, then come eat outside. After that, you go change and make yourself handsome”
“But I am handsome”
“Do you want to eat my punch first thing in the morning?”
“All right my dear brother. I’ll go now and take a bath”
“Good, I’m not your mother nor servant to reprimand you what to do”
“Right, right. Brother”
After, their small argument. Sebastian drags his feet outside and I followed him obediently. This means I can see the Lady, right? I don’t know why but, my tiredness in lacking of sleep seems to fade away. It’s not bad feeling like this for once in a while.
“Where’s your parents?”
“Oh right, probably fetching the priest or just assisting the event today”
“What’s the event?”
“Have you lost your hearing, my dear highness? I told you earlier that we have to attend the wedding”
“My bad”
“You were thinking about something, what is your purpose here, anyway?”
“Investigation”
“Who? Is it the Lady Marcox?”
“Yeah”
“Why? She’s a good person. After a month observing those girls. I can tell”
“She may be a victim to what happened that night”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s the same day, where her abduction happened”
“What?!”
Sebastian widened his eyes in shocked. I told him what happened to me that night because he’s one of my trusted partners during our younger years. We may bicker with each other when we met but, when it’s come to this discussion that’s confidential, he’s trustworthy.
“If I remember correctly, that’s the time where you two supposed to meet, right?”
“Yes”
“Then, that does mean that there’s someone don’t want you to engaged with her? Or meet her?”
“Probably, she’s the strongest candidate suitable to be the Empress and she will be going the reason that those faction who opposed me being the, Emperor will turn their votes towards me. Then that’s more like it to stop our engagement”
“But, have you step down?”
“Yes”
“For what purpose?”
“That’s a facade”
“What do you mean?”
“To know the traitors within the Empire. I know, right now. Most of them celebrated and the palace, is now chaos”
“What? Your highness, are you insane?”
“No, if my brother is success dealing those people and plucking the traitors one by one then, I should really consider stepping down”
“Is that really your decision?”
“You know me”
Sebastian just sighed in frustration. Afterall, the prince doesn’t want the throne in the first place. He just wants to live a peaceful live together with his family. A simple man having an impossible dream. A prince has the duties to protect its people even, if he’s not the one who sit on the throne. He is still part of the royal family.