Chapter 165: Golden King
Of course not! She wanted to yell at him.
But the possibility was staring her in the face with a cold smirk.
"I have no reason to believe so, yet." Was all she said.
Claire couldn’t help but notice the hope in her own voice.
Did she want to carry his child?
He looked so handso and regal with his hair combed backwards and left to roll off his shoulders with waves that shone like polished tal under the mild sun.
And his eyes glowed brightly, holding no trace of the disgust or foreboding she had expected to see there.
He was not going to marry her in the foreseeable future so what good could co of having his child?
Unless...
She threatened to start a scandal and demanded marriage as compensation.
But she had sworn not to do that very thing.
"Can I speak with your sister, alone if you may?"
She tightened her hand on her sister’s and watched him with a defiant glint in her eyes.
His gaze moved to their linked hands and he smirked faintly.
Aurora looked between them, a confused looks on her face.
"Please. I have a reward waiting for you, co by the study afterwards."
And just like that, Aurora peeled her hand away from Claire’s and ran off, only pausing to give her a sheepish and helpless look.
Claire fird her shoulders and lifted her head to glare at him.
At a good distance behind him stood his guards... and hers as well.
"Andon is leaving on the morrow, just before dawn."
Leaving? She thought he had overruled such a decision.
"You cannot..." She trailed off and bit her lower lip.
"He took her hand in his. "I always have to uphold the law. Everyone wants to see cracks, but I can’t give them such an opportunity."
His eyes said sothing different.
He looked... lonely.
Then, he fetched a folded parchnt and handed it to her. Without opening it, she asked, "What is this?"
He shrugged. "I believe you were taught how to read, Miss Stenly."
Slowly peeling her eyes away from his, she opened the parchnt he had handed her.
It felt so light, like the soft breeze could blow it out of her stuff fingers without even trying.
Enclosed within was the deed to Penbrook and all of the Straught lands. It was just as he promised. Both her na and Aurora’s was written at the bottom in bold ink.
She read through the legible and beautiful scribble, noting how he must have taken his ti to write it out himself.
"This wasn’t written today, was it?"
He shook his head in response.
"When exactly did you decide to give
my uncle’s properties?"
"The day I recovered from my poisoning."
She took a step back and folded the parchnt.
"Thank you. I should think that my service to you has co to an end."
At his continued silence, her face grew hot. "Or has it not?" She prodded.
"It has." He finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"But I do not think it is such a good idea for you to be living on your own when Redmare is out there, so are the Rogues." There was a pleasing note in his voice.
But Claire was not falling for it.
"You would say anything to ensure that I remain in your service. But if I must remind you, I and my sister live in the rundown house at Loodswood contentedly for more than a year before you ca along."
His jaw tightened slightly and he took a step forward, closing most of the distance between them.
"If you and your sister were so content, why then did you agree to live with your uncle?"
She gulped, completely at a loss of words.
"Because we were very poor! I wanted my sister to live without being sick all the ti and having to worry about her next al. But," she sighed deeply, "we were happy. Much happier than we have been since we left."
Then, she turned to leave.
Yeren reached out and grabbed her hand.
"And what if you are carrying my child? I will not allow you to throw yourself into harm’s way just because you are intent on avoiding , Miss Stenly."
He looked... angry?
She had seen many emotions, but never anger.
"Why do you care so much? Wouldn’t it ruin your precious reputation as the golden King?"
He raised a brow at her words and she quickly wished she had never dared to say it aloud.
"As a golden King, even my bastard ought to be well taken care of."
The word ’bastard’ and the way he said it made everything in her go cold.
"Very well. I will lock myself up and keep safe until I confirm that I am not with child."
He didn’t seed content with her suggestion.
"You will remain here with , until ’I’ confirm it myself. And while you remain, you will no longer be my Cupbearer."
"I thought you would be more eager to hurry
off. Wouldn’t it taint you?" She asked, stepping forward and closing whatever distance that was left between them.
Standing so close to him, she had to look up into his handso face.
"It wouldn’t." Was all he said.
His words were vague, too vague.
So she had to ask, "Does that an you would marry ?"
He blinked for a second and she feared he would not answer her.
"I wouldn’t hesitate to do what’s right by you, Miss Stenly."
Do what’s right, she repeated inwardly. Was that all this was to him?
"Very well, I will remain. And now I am no longer your Cupbearer, I never have to put up with you any longer."
Claire was determined to avoid him like the very devil until he had made all his confirmations.
At this point, all she could do was pray very hard that she wasn’t with child and it was all a wild speculation.
But the other half, the insensible half, hoped she was.
Then she turned and stord off.
Only then did she allow the tears to roll freely down her reddened cheeks.
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