Chapter 60 Cotton Candy
Caspian had just finished his meal and was about to stand up from his seat. An aide entered and bowed.
“Your Highness, I have a report for you.”
“What is it?”
Caspian asked, hoping it wouldn’t be a nuisance. A nuisance here was a summons from his mother or his brothers.
“A report on Princess Espin.”
“Princess Espin? What is it?”
Caspian’s face lit up when he realized it wasn’t his mother or his brothers.
“There have been reports of her being seen at the Eve festival with the Duke of Drea.”
“Princess Espin at the eve festival?”
Why in that crowded, smelly place? She has very peculiar tastes. Caspian shook his head. He’d expected more from a princess, but her taste was disappointing.
‘She’s beautiful, so I thought I’d take an interest in her, but if you’re into that sort of thing, maybe … isn’t for me.’
Caspian stroked his chin and thought for a moment. But it didn’t last long. There was nothing else to do, so he decided he could spend a few hours with Princess Espin. Even if her cheap tastes were off-putting.
“Good, I was about to get bored,” He thought to himself, “so why don’t I get moving?”
A smile crept across his handsome face as he feigned a chance encounter. It was a cold smile.
***
“Ah! It’s Mr Killion!”
Veronia wasn’t the only one who heard Killion’s name as it flowed from the Espin princess’ mouth. Jediel called out his name in delight.
At the sound of familiar voices, Killion turned his head and saw Zediel and Veronia.
‘Ah…!’
This was the first time he’d seen the mother and child together properly, so he should have felt uncomfortable, but he didn’t.
‘You look just like…!’
When he first saw Jediel, he thought he looked just like his brother Aaron, but when he saw him standing next to Veronia, it was obvious. He realized that Veronia and Jediel were related.
‘I can’t believe I didn’t recognize them!’
The sight of Veronica and Jediel together made him flinch, but as soon as his eyes locked with hers, he felt his breath catch in his throat.
One moment his heart was racing furiously, and the next it was plummeting to the floor in a cold thud, only to rise again and fall with a crash.
Veronia’s condition was not much different from Killion’s. The sight of the beautiful woman beside him sent her spiralling downward.
This was the same Veronia who, just a few minutes ago, had vowed to erase Killion from her life. Whether he was alone or with someone else was none of Veronia’s business.
But it wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped. Her mind kept drifting back.
‘I thought you said she was the youngest princess of the Kingdom of Hisric. Are you two… engaged?’
Veronia’s heart sank as she recalled the newspaper article predicting their future together.
Meanwhile, Killion stood still, unable to answer Jediel’s call. Instead of waiting for him to answer, Jediel scurried to his side.
“Mr. Killion, hello!”
Jediel’s blue eyes sparkled as he looked up at Killion. He was so happy to see him after all these months.
He bent down on his knees to get eye level with the child.
“Yes, Jediel. How have you been?”
“Yes, I’ve been eating well, going to kindergarten, and doing well. Oh, and…”
At that point, Jediel glanced at his mum and motioned for Killion to come closer. Veronia’s eyes narrowed as she turned to the two of them, but she didn’t scold.
At Jediel’s request, Killion leaned down and put his ear to the child. Clasping her hands together to block any sound from escaping, she formed a small trumpet and whispered into Killion’s ear.
“I can throw a ball and catch a ball well now.”
“So all that practice has paid off!”
“Yeah!”
Jediel exclaimed, and Killion patted him gently on the head. Veronia felt a little flushed as the two of them whispered to each other.
‘No, I mean, when did they… get so close to each other? Do they have secrets they can whisper? Behind my back? Jediel, this guy…?’
Tonight, when she gets home, she’s going to sit Jediel down and tell him the whole story, Veronia thought.
There was one other person who seemed to have calmed down as Killion and Jediel argued, and that was Onyx.
‘You’ve never whispered to me before. Killion, when did you and Jediel become whisperers, and why is the normally shy kid so…?’
‘He took time out of his busy day to come here with me today…, and he even gave me a ride home under Veronia’s fierce glare!’
Onyx was stunned. He tried to put on a nonchalant face, but it wasn’t as easy as he’d hoped.
It was then that Jediel’s sparkling gaze fell upon Princess Espin. His eyes widened at the sight of the gorgeous gown with its ribbons and jewelled trim, the first time he had ever seen it up close.
“But who is she? Is she Mr. Killion’s lover?”
Veronica, Onyx, and Killion’s faces turned pale with surprise at Jediel’s comment. Espin, on the other hand, burst out laughing.
“Awww, what a cute little boy! Auntie’s name is Espin, and I’m not Mr. Killion’s lover yet.”
“Aww…”
Oh, look at those cheeks! Espin stroked Jediel’s chubby cheeks and giggled. The group is momentarily surprised that she doesn’t flinch at being called ‘auntie’, but they soon breathe a sigh of relief.
Jediel and Espin continued their conversation.
“If it’s not yet… then you’re going to be in a relationship from tomorrow? Or the day after tomorrow? But what’s the day after tomorrow…”
Jediel shook his head, trying to recall the words he’d learnt in kindergarten, but couldn’t quite remember them.
Espin had to resist the urge to peck him on his chubby cheeks, as he looked so adorable.
When Jediel was still at a loss for an answer, Espin finally spoke up.
“It’s a joke!”
“Oh, that’s right!”
“Yes!”
Jediel and Espin looked at each other and smiled broadly.
“Ms. Espin is very, very pretty, and I think handsome Mr. Killion and pretty Ms. Espin would make a great match.”
“How old are you, and how come you speak so sweetly?”
“I’m four!”
Jediel stretched out his short fingers to form the number four. Princess Espin couldn’t help but swoon at the sight of his adorable fingers.
The sight of Jediel laughing and giggling as he casually chatted with Princess Espin, whom he had just met for the first time, was very strange to Veronia.
‘Maybe Jediel wasn’t as shy as I thought he was…’
Before, whenever he met a stranger, he was always busy grabbing the hem of Veronia’s skirt and hiding behind it, but not anymore.
‘You mean he’s grown up? How time flies.’
Jediel’s head tilted to one side as he looked at Espin, who was still talking intently to her. Then his gaze locked with Onyx, whose state was no different from Veronica’s.
They could see each other’s thoughts so clearly. They must be thinking similar thoughts to mine, amazed by Jediel’s new appearance.
Veronia and Onyx locked eyes and nodded slightly. The corners of their mouths curled upward.
Killion’s eyes lit up at the sight of Veronica and Onyx smirking at each other.
‘What is it with these two, I thought they were just friends, but are they more than friends?’
No. That can’t be. Killion cut off his next thought, for he remembered something Veronia had said yesterday.
‘And I’m still in love with her father. I know he’s dead, but I miss him every night and it drives me crazy.’
The fact that she still misses Jediel’s father did not mean that Veronia and that man were more than friends.
‘No. Maybe she was just making up excuses to keep me away.’
No, not drop, false excuse… He was horrified that the stream of consciousness that was running through his head was hurting him. He shouldn’t have thought about it at all, it was better for his mental health.
Onyx recognized Killion’s sharpened gaze immediately. It was a look of suspicion, a look of suspicion of his relationship with Veronia. Onyx chuckled at Killion’s misunderstanding. It made him feel unnecessarily good.
Onyx scooted closer to Veronia’s side. He reached out and ruffled her hair, startling Veronia, who opened her rabbit eyes and looked up at him.
“Why, did you ask me something?”
“I thought you were, but you weren’t.”
“Thank you, though.”
Killion’s face contorted as he listened to the two’s affectionate conversation. He wanted to keep a poker face, but it wasn’t as easy as he’d hoped.
When Veronia smiled again, Killion was frustrated to realize that her smile was directed at Onyx, not him, and his discouragement made his shoulders slump unnecessarily.
