After I asked Mother to send the letter to Lilla, Lilla imdiately made a copy of my letter and passed it to the public. In just a day, everyone in the capital already knows about my letter.
I didn't ntion anything about it to my parents, so when they got ho, they imdiately bombarded with questions. Mother only thought the letter I sent to Lilla was about my work in the Foundation. That's why she was still shocked when she heard what I did.
"Csille, why didn't you tell us that you're planning to do this? Do you know how shocked we were when we heard about your letter?" Father asked in an annoyed voice.
I take my notebook and write on it.
'Because I know you won't agree with it. I just want to help Prince Fraser clear his na. Is there sothing wrong with that?'
Father glares at . "What's wrong is you didn't inform his majesty and his highness about this. Do you know that his majesty is calling us to explain why you did that? Do you know how much commotion you have made?"
I bite my lips. I know this will definitely cause commotion, but I didn't expect his majesty to call us. Is he offended because I have interfered with the issue? But I have no other choice. I don't want to be mute anymore, and that is the only thing I can think of to make my voice return.
Mother imdiately scolds Father when she sees him glaring at . "Why are you glaring at your daughter like that? Can you calm down? We won't be able to talk to her if you continue acting like that. You're just scaring her."
Mother sits beside and gently holds my hand. "My dear, please forgive your Father. He was just frustrated with what was happening. But can you tell us why you didn't ntion your plan to us? We could have helped you."
I look at Mother and shake my head. Help ? I don't think they can really do that. Father is still skeptical about my engagent with Prince Fraser, and I know he won't help if I try to defend his highness' rude behavior towards . After all, he is the Father of Csille. How can he watch her own daughter defend the person who once disrespected her?
'Will you really help ? I know Father doesn't still agree to continue my engagent with Prince Fraser, and I don't want him to do things he doesn't want to do. That's why I take the matters into my hand. Forgive , Mother and Father. I just couldn't stand still and watch people criticize Prince Fraser. If this continues, I'm afraid the people will start to lose trust in Prince Fraser. And we all know that Prince Fraser is the only son of King Simmond. How can our Kingdom continue if the only heir is disregarded by the people?'
Mother and Father look at each other before they sigh. "But dear, it is still rude to do that. You should have asked permission from his majesty first before you do that. I know your intentions are pure, and you just want to help them, but I'm sure they have a reason why they haven't released a statent about the issue. Maybe they already have planned how to handle that, but with you releasing your statent, it might have ruined their plan. That's why they are inviting you to the palace." Mother look at Father. "My dear, what are we going to do? If we let Csille face his majesty, he will surely know what happened to her voice."
My eyes widen when I realize what Mother said. She is right. I cannot face his majesty, or else my engagent with Prince Fraser will definitely be in jeopardy. That cannot happen.
I look at Mother and Father helplessly.
Father shakes his head and sighs. "We already decline his invitation a couple of tis. Do you think he will appreciate it if we refuse to go to the palace again? That will be a total disrespect to his majesty. Especially the reason why he is inviting us is because it is sothing related to the reputation of his highness, Prince Fraser. I don't think it's possible to decline it."
I felt my world collapse when I heard Father say. That… that ans I need to face his majesty today. It also ans his majesty will know that I beco mute, and there's no King would let his son marry soone who is mute.
I shake my head. No! No! I take my notebook and write on it.
'Mother, please help . I don't want his majesty to cancel my engagent with Prince Fraser. Please, Mother.'
Mother imdiately hugs tight. "Don't worry, my dear. I will not let that happen."
Father step up. "My Countess, what do you an? Are you planning to decline his majesty's invitation again? You know we cannot do that, right? It will be a complete disrespect to his majesty."
Mother glares at Father. "Waltier Lauretré! So, what do you want to do, huh? Let the people know that our only daughter becos mute? Do you want to ruin her life? You know how people regard disabled people. How can I bear to let those people look down on my only daughter? I won't give them the rights to do that."
"My Countess, what are you saying? We cannot keep Csille's condition forever. You—"
Mother stands up and slaps my Father's face. "Are you saying my daughter will be forever mute? No! I won't let that happen. Csille is not going to be mute forever. We were only delaying the news. We will tell people what happened once Csille recovers her voice."
My eyes widened when I saw my Mother slap Father. I stand up and stop her. Mother is already crying now while Father is looking at Mother with disbelief clearly written on his face.
The three of us got silent for a couple of minutes. Mother's cry is the only thing I can hear.
A mont after, I heard Father sigh. Then he walks towards us and hugs us both. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't an to say it like that. I know our Csille won't be mute forever. Don't be mad anymore, My Countess."
Mother cried even more when she heard what Father said. I just try to caress Mother's back to comfort her. As much as I want to say sothing to make her feel better, I know I still can't move my mouth.
But I still try to say sothing. "I-I'm sorry, Mother…"
The three of us got frozen when we heard that voice. Mother imdiately breaks free from the hug and looks at .
"Csille, your voice. It had returned."
I put my hand on my mouth and cried. It finally returned. I was right. The only key for it to return is to help clear Prince Fraser's na.
Mother hugs tightly while laughing. "Thank goodness, it returned. My dear is finally okay now. I'm glad. I'm sure your Brother Pascal will be happy to hear this news. We definitely need to send him a letter."
I smile at Mother and hugs her back. I can now be at ease. Finally, my voice had returned. I can now face his majesty without worry.
I break from Mother's hug and look at two of them. "Father, Mother, now that my voice had returned. I can now face his majesty. I am ready no matter what the consequences of my action are."
________________________________
Mother holds my hand tightly. We are currently walking through the hallways of the Palace. The butler is guiding us to his majesty's tea room. A sign that the conversation we will have today is sothing important.
A mont after, the butler announces our presence. "Your majesty, your highness. Count and Countess Lauretré are already here with their daughter, Da Csille."
What did the Butler say? His highness? Did he really say, his highness? Does it an Prince Fraser is here today?
I suddenly feel like I want to back out. I wasn't prepared to et Prince Fraser today. After what happened between the two of us in the western region, I don't think I'm ready to face him.
A mont after, a bell rang inside. It's a sign for the butler to open the door because his majesty accepts our presence.
The door opened, and the butler gestured his hand inside the tea room. The mont the three of us step inside, the butler imdiately closes the door.
The three of us imdiately greeted his majesty and his highness, but we didn't receive the usual warm welco from the King. He just looks at us and waves his hand.
"It's a good thing you had the ti to answer my invitation. I thought you were planning to decline again." Although he doesn't sound mad, I can definitely hear that his statent is a passive aggressive statent.
Father bows his head. "Apologies, your majesty. As you know, our daughter was recuperating with the trauma she experienced because of the hurricane."
His majesty looks at . "Is that true, Da Csille? Were you really traumatized by what happened?"
I bow my head. "Yes, you're majesty. You probably heard what happened to , so I won't describe it in full, but I was haunted by that mory every night. Sotis my parents would even see sparing blankly for hours. I know it's not right to decline your invitation, but I hope you can forgive ."
I heard Mother and Father sigh softly. They are probably relieved that I was able to answer his majesty. After all, I was still a mute yesterday.
His majesty nods his head and gestures his hand to sit. "Please sit first."
Mother imdiately guides to sit. I am sitting in between my parents. While Prince Fraser is seated beside the King.
We didn't imdiately talk. Instead, his majesty takes his ti brewing tea. After he finished brewing the tea, he even asked us if we wanted tea which the three of us accepted.
After we all took our ti sipping our teas, his majesty put down his cup and looked at . "Da Csille…"
I imdiately sit up straight and nervously look at his majesty. Is he planning to scold for what I did? Did he get offended because I interfered with the issue?
"Why did you do that? Why did you explain to people?"
I take a soft deep breath before I answer him. "Your majesty, I apologize if I didn't ask for permission before I did that. However, I only did that because I was bothered by how the issue was progressing. I originally planned to ask for permission, but I know you're currently busy, and it'll probably take so ti before you can see my letter, that's why I decided to do it on my own accord. I apologize, your majesty. I know I shouldn't act on my own will, especially it is sothing related to the Astalieu's. If you think I deserve punishnt for what I did, I am willing to face any consequences you will impose on ."
His majesty didn't say anything for a few seconds. He just looked at with his expressionless face.
Mother probably noticed my anxiety because she gently caresses my hand, as if saying that everything will be okay.
While Father, who is sitting on my left, stands up and bows his head to his majesty. "Your majesty, I apologized for what my daughter did. However, if you will punish her, please punish too. I didn't do a good job of parenting her."
My eyes widened when I heard what Father said. I didn't expect he would do that. I know Father loves Csille dearly, but this is sothing related to Prince Fraser. I thought he would just let his majesty punish her.
Mother, who is sitting beside , tries to pull the hand of Father. "Waltier Lauretré!"
Father looked at Mother, he was about to say sothing, but his majesty cuts him off.
"Count…."
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