How to Ta My Beastly Husband — Chapter 163. Secret Teahouse
Celestine had chosen the path she thought was right. Now everything was in Annette’s hands.
Celestine pressed her lips together, and took that hand in her own. It was a hand that had been carefully tended all her life, delicate as a flower, but with an unexpected strength.
“Did His Highness go to the place we agreed?” Annette whispered.
“Of course. All you will have to do is wait there quietly.”
Today, she would be eting the prince.
Annette sighed with relief at Celestine’s confidence. She couldn’t imagine how she had done it; it was extraordinary that she had managed to get Ludwig out of the palace. It had been a good decision to enlist Celestine’s help.
Annette wanted to know how much Ludwig knew. King Selgratis had done all this to protect his weak son, who was to beco the next King of Deltium. The King had done all this to protect the lineage of his family.
Ludwig should know it.
But Annette was uncomfortable at the thought of eting Ludwig alone, especially after what had happened during their last eting. But she could not let her personal feelings get in the way. This was an issue that went beyond the two of them.
Nodding to herself, Annette turned back to Celestine.
“Very well,” she said. “We can leave in ten minutes.”
That was enough ti to relax with a cup of tea together, and they took Celestine’s carriage to go to the shopping center, the unmarked carriage easily lost among all the others on the road. It didn’t take long before they reached the place where she was to et with Ludwig.
“I will take the carriage around. I hope the conversation is fruitful.”
“Celestine, are you sure you don’t want to co?” Annette asked, looking at the other woman with concern. From her point of view, it must be worrying, to send Annette to et privately with Ludwig. Regardless of Annette’s feelings, Ludwig had once planned a future with her, and still had feelings for her.
But Celestine showed no concern for it.
“It’s all right. It will be a much easier conversation if I’m not there. And anyway, we are hardly marrying for love. That’s what a political marriage is, isn’t it?”
Celestine was a confident woman. She was not possessive of her fiancé and felt no desire to cling to him, just because he liked another woman. Annette nodded at the curt reply.
Calmly, Annette entered the teahouse alone, discreetly displaying her ring to the approaching host, who recognized the sign of the Guild of Secrets. The host escorted her through the teahouse to a room with a secret door hidden in a wall.
Prince Ludwig was already sitting there, waiting.
“Annette!”
Ludwig rose as she entered, taking her hand affectionately. But he did not cling to her this ti. It seed that the painful words she had spoken at their last eting had had an effect.
“Thank you for coming, Your Highness,” Annette greeted him formally. “I am sorry for asking you to co to a place like this.”
“You don’t have to be that polite,” he said, with a sad flicker in his eyes. “Though you are another man’s wife, that cannot erase the childhood we shared. At least let remain your friend, and in your society.”
Perhaps because they were half-brothers, for a mont there was a resemblance to Raphael on his features. There was no denying their relationship. But she could not falter, no matter how pitiful he looked.
“Your Highness,” she replied politely. “Then as a friend with whom I share many of the sa mories, there are so things I’d like to say.”
Annette was a woman who valued logic over emotions. And she had not forgotten Ludwig’s previous bad behavior.
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