Even though I didn’t want to see the world anymore, there was still one thing I wanted to see. I wanted to see the man one more ti. Even my mind could visualize his red eyes clearly.
"Cecillia, co with . I would give anything for you."
I could feel the comforting warmth of his hand. I had never felt like this before, not even when I was with King Theodore.
"I’m married now."
His low growl could be heard clearly in my ear. Was the man mad?
"How can you get married when I already told you that we are mates?"
"Because if I don’t, then Northendell will destroy Birwick."
I wasn’t really sure about my answer. Was it true because of that, or was it because I had given up and had no other choice? My father and mother silently pushed to go. I couldn’t stand their cold attitude. Besides, Mirai’s life was threatened because my father didn’t want to let her escape. If I agreed to go, then my father would let Mirai go.
I did it because I had no other choices.
My heart was pounding hard as the man ca closer and sniffed my neck. His attitude was really rude, but I couldn’t refuse him. It was really different from when I was with King Theodore. Even when my own husband tried to get close to , I refused him. Yet, I let the stranger whose na I didn’t know co closer to .
"No sll of other n. He hasn’t touched you yet."
Sothing warm and wet licking my neck, making my body stiffen. "S-stop..."
Weird... it was really weird... I wanted the man to stop his actions. The thing the man did was really rude. If soone saw us now, then we could be punished. My lips begged him to stop, but my body strangely wanted it. When the warmth of his body surrounded , it was the best feeling I had ever felt.
Was I a sinner? I had broken my wedding vows.
"Cecil, have they found out about your power?"
My neck felt hot. It was actually burning. The sensation the man left behind took my breath away, so I couldn’t hear what he had said.
"What?"
"Your power. Do they know your power?"
"Power? I have no power..."
"Ah... you haven’t realized it too?"
I frowned slightly. I didn’t understand what the man ant.
"It’s better like this. This way, no one will be able to take advantage of you. I don’t want what’s mine to be taken advantage of by others."
What power was the man referring to?
"Cecil, co with ."
Seriously, the man was beating around the bush. He just talked about power, but now he asked to co with him again. Though I still couldn’t co with him. I was bound by a promise with King Theodore. I also didn’t want my father to suffer even more because of . Maybe my father and mother were enjoying their happiness now. I didn’t want to take away their happiness just like that.
"I can’t, Sir. I can not do it. I am married, and this is my ho."
"No! Your marriage with that man will only bring a disaster! You and I are a real partner!"
"Don’t be selfish! I have promised in front of the Moon Goddess to always love my husband!"
"Love? You love that man? Oh, my sweet Cecil. Do I need to kill that man so you know that your love is only for ?’"
"Y-you! Really, if you do that, then I will hate you!"
After I said that, suddenly the atmosphere beca quiet. I didn’t know what happened. Without warning, I heard the sound of soone swearing furiously.
"Alright. You choose to live with these greedy humans? I’ll give you ti. You will see how disgusting and lowly the humans around you are. When that ti cos, even the man that you trust won’t be able to help you."
I heard the sound of a window being forced open. The quiet atmosphere was suffocating. I held the rest of the bandage that covered my face and raised my hand. There was no trace of the burns left. My face felt as smooth as before. The man helped again.
Had I disappointed him? Wasn’t this what I wanted? But, why was it so excruciating to hear his sad voice?
I was awake until morning. I couldn’t see out of the window. I could only feel the side of my body getting warm from the sun shining through the window as well as the sound of the ladies-in-waiting arriving.
I heard the curtains on my bed being pulled open and a woman gasped in shock.
"You-Your Highness... your wounds?"
"Yeah?"
"Where did your wounds go?"
"Oh, God! Your wounds!" exclaid another lady-in-waiting. I didn’t want to tell them about the mysterious man, so I just pretended that I didn’t understand what they ant. I just silently listened to the commotion they made after seeing my wounds healed overnight.
Soon I could hear King Theodore’s voice who arrived so quickly, and he checked the condition of my face straight away. The man was really curious, but I only answered all his questions with the sa answer. ’I don’t know.’
Only my eyes didn’t heal. I felt the gentle brush of a finger on my cheekbone.
"I’ve found the culprit. She is a lady-in-waiting, right? She has admitted her mistake. She said she doesn’t like you because you interrupted the Queen’s words, is that true?"
I didn’t know where King Theodore got that story from. Just as I was about to confirm it, Queen Alicia ca. She gasped in surprise and showed her concern in a worried tone.
"Oh, Cecillia... your face... I-is everything okay?"
I turned towards Queen Alicia’s voice, but a warm hand caressed my face.
"Tell , is that really true, Cecil?"
"Cecil...." Again, Queen Alicia’s voice interrupted King Theodore’s words. The woman seed to be threatening in a gentle way, and she managed to do it.
I just wanted to live quietly without conflict. Maybe if I started it now, I could make Queen Alicia trust again, and our situation would return to how it used to be.
"Yes, Your Majesty. At that ti, I was talking to Queen Alicia. And... I-I..."
I had a hard ti saying that. My heart felt like it was being sliced when I forced myself to say sothing that was totally different from reality. If I said it, then innocent people would be punished.
"And, you what?" King Theodore’s question made even more desperate.
"I-I rudely interrupted Queen Alicia and... and.. sob..."
Soone hugged tightly. I could tell by the scent of her perfu that it was Queen Alicia.
"No, Cecil... that’s not your fault... The lady-in-waiting was just plain rude. You didn’t interrupt . Oh, my beloved sister... you are innocent here.... You’ve done everything to your best."
I started crying again. After that, I begged the king and queen not to punish the lady-in-waiting, but, again, my voice was not heard. The lady-in-waiting accused of being a liar on her last scream, and that cry for help kept ringing in my head for days.
I couldn’t breathe properly. I stayed here because I thought I was tied to Northendell, but this bond was too suffocating. I felt like I was being chained. A week after I managed to calm myself down, new terrors ca again. I heard everything. All the words of the ladies-in-waiting and maids that whispered behind my back every ti I passed, I could clearly hear it.
They said I had brought bad luck and dared to lie to win the king’s favor. I didn’t do it for the king. I did it to make the queen trust . I did it to keep Birwick safe. I did it for my father to let Mirai go.
"Cecil, I brought you sothing."
King Theodore’s voice was always gentle. The man visited every day and always gave many new books which had been converted into writings for the blind. He seed to feel guilt. He kept apologizing every ti he looked at my eyes, and I could only snort. It wasn’t the man’s fault. I chose not to see anymore.
We both spent ti reading books together. King Theodore told about a big kingdom that had annoyed him recently.
"There is an empty area and by the agreent with Nieverdell, it is part of Northendell, but Thebis is always interrupted. I want to teach them a lesson."
I just smiled. The man really liked war. He tried to solve all the problems with the war. I was really confused. Was there no other way to solve the problem without war?
However, King Theodore wasn’t afraid of war like Birwick. He always faced it bravely and ended in victory.
"Really, if they don’t listen to my ultimatum, I will bring them to their knees under Northendell."
"You are very ambitious, Your Majesty."
"Ahaha, of course. I want to prove to you that I am a man worthy of being a king even though I only co from a farr’s family."
"Your Majesty...."
Suddenly, I felt my hand being gently touched.
"Hey, Cecil... when I successfully conquer Thebis... will you be my Queen?"
"Huh?"
"Your Highness, I’m sorry for my rudeness, but sothing happened to your rabbits."
I quickly let go of King Theodore’s hand.
"My rabbits? What happened to them?"
"Eum... one of them got stabbed by the sword of one of the training soldiers."
"Oh... no... I’ll be right there."
Then, soone took my hand and led because I couldn’t see the way. "I’ll take you."
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