CHAPTER 30
Her plan had fallen apart completely. Walking towards the palace, she couldn’t help but be embraced in his arms, unable to resist. Closing her eyes tightly as she walked barefoot, she couldn’t refuse him.
“It’s better to refrain from walking barefoot.”
“I was in a hurry.”
“If you get cut on something sharp, what then?”
“I’ll have a maid bring some shoes.”
“I’ll carry you there faster than that.”
Caught in a situation where she was running away only to be caught and embraced again, she sighed at her own predicament.
‘I didn’t expect it to be a trap.’
She lamented her own actions, realizing that just like she had pretended, he had followed suit. Why hadn’t she thought of it?
Letitia wanted to turn back time. If she could, she would have prepared more before fleeing.
After today, Arden would undoubtedly strengthen security even more. Today, he had allowed things to go her way, but it wouldn’t happen again.
She had thought it strange that there were no guards visible, but her haste had prevented her from thinking deeply. It was her own oversight. If she hadn’t followed his plan and slept by his side, what would have happened?
She struggled to hide the sense of defeat spreading across her face.
—
Arden led her not to her room, but to his own bedroom. Eventually, he lowered her onto the sofa and knelt down, one knee bent.
Suddenly, he took her foot in his hand, causing her body to lean back against the chair, her eyes wide with surprise.
“W-what are you doing?”
Startled, she tried urgently to push Arden away, but he didn’t flinch.
Casually examining her foot in his hand, he then gently placed it back on the floor. Despite his unexpected tenderness, she couldn’t tear her gaze away from him.
“Fortunately, you’re not injured.”
Looking up at him with a puzzled expression, Letitia wondered why he sometimes acted in such incomprehensible ways.
“The ground was soft with plenty of dirt and leaves, so it was okay.”
“So, from now on, even if you’re in a hurry, wear your shoes.”
She bit her lip in response to his warning, knowing full well what he meant.
“Taking them off might be mistaken for trying to walk silently. It’s better to avoid that misunderstanding, don’t you think?”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Despite knowing everything, she felt compelled to play along with his admonition.
“Well, thanks to you, we managed to avoid a difficult situation.”
It seemed like trouble had been averted, but it still felt bothersome.
Sitting opposite Letitia, Arden grinned broadly on the sofa. But she couldn’t find it in herself to smile back, sensing an underlying meaning in his expression.
The tension between them was broken by the arrival of a maid, who brought water for Letitia to wash up.
“It’s getting late, so go wash up quickly.”
“Understood.”
The maid hastily placed the basin in front of Letitia.
She lowered her head and looked at the clear water rippling in the basin. As her dirty feet, soiled with mud by the maid’s hands, submerged into the water, her matured face vanished beneath the surface.
The soothing sound of the water filled the quiet room.
As the warm water enveloped her feet, Letitia finally relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.
The once pristine water became murky due to the dirt on her feet, and the maid rinsed her feet repeatedly with clean water before drying them with a towel. Her previously dirty feet were now clean, and she even put on her shoes.
Without a word, the maid who had been assisting withdrew, leaving behind a renewed silence.
Feeling suffocated, Letitia sat quietly, gazing at Arden as he sat before her, brushing his chin.
“She’ll come back again,” she thought.
The failed escape drama left her feeling disappointed, but she had learned something valuable: without thorough preparation, today’s events would likely repeat themselves.
Today’s impulsive actions must never happen again. Although she managed to overcome it with Kabita’s help, there was no guarantee she would receive assistance next time.
Her rash judgment, fueled by the thought of having a child, was a mistake born out of impatience. Unconsciously, she brought her hand to her belly, as if to cradle it.
As fate would have it, it seemed to turn a blind eye to her desires, flowing in a direction opposite to what she wished.
“If it weren’t for you, I would have been in big trouble,” he said, as if he had stumbled upon a fortune teller and averted a disaster.
Speechless and frozen, Letitia blinked slowly at his words.
Clutching her arm tightly, Letitia awkwardly forced a smile. Despite her efforts to hide her emotions, her heart pounded so loudly it felt like it could burst through her chest.
Thump, thump.
She feared revealing what she was hiding, afraid of what might happen if her true feelings were exposed.
“Is that so?” Letitia forced a smile, lifting the corners of her mouth.
“Perhaps it’s best to call it a night and prepare to welcome the Archbishop tomorrow,” Letitia suggested.
“Agreed,” Arden nodded in her direction.
There was no sign of him getting up from the sofa, indicating he would let her sleep alone. But when Letitia got up from the sofa and looked at him squarely, she spoke.
“Let’s sleep together.”
“…”
“Weren’t we supposed to share the bedroom?”
“Thanks to you, I’ve had more than enough sleep today,” Arden said as he rose from the sofa and walked towards the door, passing her by.
His long legs gracefully stretched forward as he reached the door in no time, turning to face her as he spoke.
“Tonight, I’ll let you sleep alone. Someone in a hurry might need to seek help.”
Letitia smiled broadly at his words, then sat on the bed and pulled the blanket up. Quietly, like an obedient child, she pulled the covers over herself and closed her eyes.
❖ ❖ ❖
Arden had finished preparing early in the morning, despite not having slept, he felt light and refreshed.
“Even a brief nap makes me feel so light,” he thought to himself.
It had been a while since he felt this way. Arden glanced at the mirror, tidied his disheveled clothes, and glanced at the clock. With unhurried steps, he left his room and headed to the reception room.
Raymond followed behind, matching his pace.
“The guests?” Raymond inquired.
“They’ve already arrived,” Arden replied calmly.
“Shall I inform the Queen to come to the reception room as well?”
“Tell a maid to relay the message. But what could possibly go wrong?”
Arden spoke nonchalantly as he continued walking ahead.
While Arden maintained a calm demeanor, Raymond felt anxious. What seemed like calm waters could soon turn into raging waves. Raymond’s face paled at the ominous signs of trouble ahead.
“Your Majesty, perhaps it would be wise to inquire further before jumping to conclusions,” Raymond suggested cautiously.
“Are you concerned that I might question whether the Duke of Castaine conspired against me with the Queen as the ringleader?” Arden’s casual mention of ‘conspiracy’ unsettled Raymond. If the Queen was unaware of the truth, the shock would be immense. It could lead to significant turmoil.
“Didn’t she already demand a divorce, citing disgrace to her family? Her Majesty may also choose to turn her back on her own lineage,” Raymond mused to himself.
His master, Arden, was someone who could offer both warmth and conceal his true feelings. It was better to remain silent than to choose words that would only inflict wounds. It might be considered a skill, but it was one that hurt nonetheless.
Raymond tried his best to deflect the conversation and prevent any further escalation.
“It might be best to meet separately. Regardless of the circumstances, if it wasn’t an act of treason, then there shouldn’t be an issue,” Arden stated calmly.
“Do you not realize that even if it wasn’t an act of treason, it could still be seen as an insult? If the Duke, who sent away his only remaining daughter, hears the accusation of treason, he will surely react with indignation,” I replied, my frustration causing my voice to rise unintentionally. Raymond immediately bowed his head in acknowledgment of his mistake.
Arden halted his steps and looked at Raymond, who was now bowing his head.
“The affront I received when the Queen demanded a divorce seems insignificant now,” Arden remarked.
“…I apologize. However, Your Majesty, don’t you also understand? Her Majesty would never be such a person. How could someone with such a tender heart…” Raymond’s voice trailed off.
The Queen’s departure from the palace the previous day had been strange, but it was ultimately to assist someone in need. Raymond wished the Queen, who seemed to have finally touched Arden’s heart, had stayed by his side until the end.
“Is the Minister of Affairs acting as the Queen’s representative? Even the maids… How do they know the Queen’s heart so well when it’s something I can’t seem to understand?” I pondered.
Arden’s piercing blue eyes scrutinized Raymond, as if searching for something. Despite his intense gaze, Arden didn’t seem to take the matter too seriously, almost as if he wasn’t deeply concerned about finding the differences between them and others.
“Occasionally, it seems I unwittingly become the Queen’s confidant,” I remarked.
“No, that’s not… I misspoke again,” Raymond confessed, closing his eyes tightly. It seemed like Mary, the Queen’s maid, had said something similar in front of him before. If he wasn’t the Chief Minister, if he had no power or influence…
Perhaps, like that maid, he would have been in a similarly precarious position, his neck on the line.
“Raymond, it’s not misspeaking; it’s misspeaking. Isn’t it just a slip of the tongue?” Arden corrected him.
“…I apologize.”
Arden halted in front of the reception room. As the door opened, he could see the faces of those waiting inside. A slight smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he observed their expressions.
