Published at 8th of November 2019 03:30:07 PM
Chapter 83 – Sovieshu’s Anger (2)
A serious fight seemed inevitable at this point . I gave a worried glance at Sir Artina, who nodded his head and gently squeezed the hilt of his sword . At that moment—
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
Someone came running from a distance and was calling to the prince . I turned around, and saw it was the blue-haired knight that often followed Prince Heinley . Sir McKenna, was it?
He stopped in front of us, gasping for breath before speaking urgently .
“Your Highness, I think you should go now!”
“What is it?”
Sir McKenna hesitated as he looked at Grand Duke Kapmen . The knight seemed unsure whether he should speak in front of him .
I turned to Prince Heinley and nodded at him .
“Go quickly . ”
I would rather he hurried, but he stared at me with a regretful look then carefully knelt on one knee . He lightly kissed the back of my hand, keeping his eyes fixed on me the entire time . Sir McKenna shifted in impatience .
“I’ll speak to you later . ”
His voice was soft as he stood up, and when I nodded, he turned around and left with Sir McKenna . Unlike his slow, gentle kiss, the speed of his pace was brisk . I wondered if it had anything to do with the Western King…
I stared at the back of Prince Heinley’s head and sighed .
“Are you friendly that prince?”
I suddenly remembered Grand Duke Kapmen’s presence and quickly turned to him . He was looking at me with a strange expression .
“Are you friendly that prince?”
He repeated himself .
“I think he’s a great man . ”
I couldn’t say I was friendly with him, but I didn’t want to lie, so I gave a moderate answer . However, Kapmen’s face only twisted . I observed him carefully .
“Are you…jealous?”
“It seems so . I was about to grab his throat earlier . ”
“You didn’t . ”
“Yes, it was hard for me to control my mouth . ”
I offered him a sympathetic smile, and he gave a careless shrug .
“It’s incredible how much emotion drives someone . ”
“…How do you feel?”
“Have you ever been jealous?”
“Jealous…”
Sovieshu pushed me to take care of Rashta . That painful feeling in my heart—was that jealousy?
“Maybe . ”
As soon as I agreed with him, Grand Duke Kapmen gave an unexpected reply .
“You admit it too easily . ”
“You were the one who was so frustrated you gave me a love potion . ”
He gave a bellowing laugh, and he put his hands in his pockets and lowered his gaze .
“Did I spoil your mood?”
“Watching the Grand Duke struggle is not so bad… ”
“Do you find me amusing?”
“Do I have to answer?”
Grand Duke Kapmen pursed his lips .
“I don’t think you’ve ever been so intensely jealous, so let me tell you—it’s like something invisible is yelling next to my heart . And I want to listen to that voice . ”
” … . What is it saying?”
“I can’t tell you . ”
“Why?”
“That invisible something is whispering to me now . We can’t let you learn our intentions . ”
I laughed thinking it he was joking, but I soon realized he was serious . He looked at me quietly for another moment, then gave a sigh .
“Just looking at one person can be very fulfilling . At the same time, it makes one feel insecure . In many ways…It’s a strong potion . ”
“When will the effects—”
I was about to ask when the effects would fade, when I heard the sound of someone else approaching . I looked around and saw Sovieshu . His eyes were cold .
‘Why does he look so grim? Did he overhear the conversation?’
“He wouldn’t have heard it . ”
Grand Duke Kapmen murmured a reply as if he read my mind .
I was amazed at his timing, and he spoke again in a low voice .
“He wasn’t close enough to hear our words . ”
I looked back at Sovieshu . The closer he came, the icier his expression . If he did hear the conversation, it would be a misunderstanding . Sovieshu waved his hands at the servants and knights nearby, and they stepped away .
Sovieshu turned towards me .
“Which one?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Grand Duke Kapmen, Prince Heinley . Which one?”
“I don’t understand what you mean . ”
Sovieshu looked at Grand Duke Kapmen with derision .
“Two foreigners must be an attraction for the Empress . ”
He was here now, but he seemed to have been watching since Prince Heinley was present .
“It’s a misunderstanding . ”
I cut off his words . Prince Heinley was only a friend, and although Grand Duke Kapmen had been in love with me for a while now, it was only because of the potion . Sooner or later, that would dissipate . Sovieshu didn’t seem to believe me, however .
“Why can’t you be careful of your behavior at this time?”
“What is ‘this time?’”
“The pregnancy of an emperor’s firstborn . Is this the time to have a scandal with other foreign men?”
“…Why not?”
“Why not?”
Sovieshu frowned at me like I didn’t know . I knew . It was the same reason I couldn’t openly be friends with Prince Heinley . It had only been a short time since Rashta became Sovieshu’s concubine, and she became pregnant with the Emperor’s first child . If I had a scandal with another man at this time, salacious gossip would spread about the Imperial family, and there was no dignity involved in that . I understood the need to be careful, but it felt different when Sovieshu pointed it out .
“You want me to be careful of my actions for your first child?”
“My first child? A baby of the Imperial family also means they’re your child . ”
“No . Whether there are a hundred or a thousand of them, your concubine’s baby is not my baby . ”
“Empress!”
“And as for the birth of your child, it is your happy occasion, not mine . ”
Sovieshu stared at me with a hostile expression .
“After all, Rashta’s baby can neither be an imperial prince or princess . Everyone knows that . ”
“So if they’re neither a prince nor princess, they’re not a baby of the Imperial family?”
“Yes, that’s the law . And no matter how set your mind is, in fifty or one hundred years, everyone won’t even know who those children are . ”
Sovieshu stared at me incredulously, then gave a hollow smile .
“The Empress truly is selfish . ”
“No matter how much you hate Rashta, are you already wary of her innocent unborn babies?”
“No . ”
“I wonder if the Empress even regards me as a husband—”
But before Sovieshu’s words continued, a fist came out of nowhere and struck him on the face .
It was Grand Duke Kapmen .