Chapter 1018 Draco Roseland's Box
Rowena looked at the box for a moment, before she smiled and reached out her hands to receive it. Even though she actually didn't want to accept the box, anything at all that had her father's trace on it, she decided not to make a scene and give face to her mother-in-law.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," she said with her gentle voice.
The queen nodded in satisfaction when she saw Rowena keep the box by her side. She said, "The box is a special box that can only be opened by people who share the same blood as the owner. So, it's of no use to anyone. None of us here can open it. But you can."
The queen added, "I don't know if you would like to have whatever it is that your late father left, but I didn't want to make an assumption and throw it out before I can give you the chance to look at what's inside and make your decision. There might be items that are valuable or important to you."
"Oh..." Rowena batted her eyes. Her perception of the queen immediately changed. She was initially disappointed by Queen Lilith for giving her the box that belonged to her evil father, thinking the queen didn't care much to find out that Rowena hated her father.
However, now she understood that her mother-in-law was just doing what she thought was the right thing to do. And for this, she was grateful. Now, would Rowena be interested in checking what's inside the box before she threw it? Maybe not. Still, she would just take the box and keep it with her until she could go home and decide on what to do with it.
"Thank you very much for your kindness, Your Majesty," said Rowena. The queen waved her hand and smiled. She proceeded to introduce the ladies around her to Rowena and then they all had tea together while discussing some people and events around the capital.
Rowena's mind wandered around, even though her body was with them and she could always show a polite demeanor and fake looking interested. She appreciated the queen's gesture to invite her to the royal palace and introduce her to other people. However, by then, Rowena realized she didn't like meeting people.
Being in the crowd suffocated her. Especially now that she had her late father's box beside her, Rowena couldn't wait to go home and throw it in the trash or burn it.
Finally, after the ladies were satisfied with their chatter and tea, the boring tea party ended. Rowena went home with the same carriage that took her to the royal palace.
When she arrived in front of their mansion, Rowena realized her husband's guests were still there. She saw several carriages and horses parked in their courtyard. This made her feel conflicted. Should she go in and say hello to them? Or maybe it would be better if she just slipped through the backdoor and went inside.
After she thought about it, Rowena decided it would be better for Raphael to spend more time with his friends. There might be so much they wanted to catch up with after so long. That's why they were still here.
So, Rowena thought she shouldn't bother them. After she met the ladies in the royal palace earlier, she also felt exhausted. She had no more energy for small talk.
"Good evening, Your Grace," Uri, their housekeeper greeted Rowena. Rowena nodded to her servant with a smile. "Hello, Uri." Rowena stepped in through the kitchen and said, "Don't tell my husband I have returned. Let him enjoy his time with his guests."
"Very well, Your Grace," said Uri obediently.
Rowena walked through the hall and went to her bedroom. She put the wooden box on the table and then lay down in bed to close her eyes. Soon, she drifted to sleep. Everything around her felt so peaceful and calm.
Rowena only woke up because she heard voices from outside her window. Her lashes fluttered and she furrowed her brows to bring herself out of drowsiness. She didn't recognize one of the voices, it seemed like a woman's. While the other voice was Raphael's.
Who was he talking to? Rowena was wondering. She got up from bed and walked to the windows to look outside. Rowena was surprised to see a beautiful woman with light blue hair hugging Raphael, and her eyes were filled with tears.
She stepped back unconsciously and watched the scene with anger in her heart. Who was that woman and why did Raphael let her hug him? Rowena wanted to go out of the room and scolded the impudent woman, but she managed to hold back.
She must not embarrass Raphael in front of other people by acting like a jealous wife. "I'm sorry..." Nymia was sobbing as she gripped her hands in Raphael's arms. "I have been keeping this to myself for a long time, and it's eating me from the inside. You are my first love and I need to get it out of my chest. I have to make peace with myself and accept the fact that you have chosen another woman to become your wife."
She looked so broken that Raphael didn't have the heart to push her away. When Nymia came to visit with their other friends, Raphael already noticed her sadness. She didn't look like her usual happy self.
After the others finally went home, Nymia asked if she could see him for a moment. Since they were friends and Raphael didn't have any problem with Nymia, he said yes.
He was very surprised to see Nymia suddenly confess her love to him. To him, it was out of the blue. However, now that he thought of it, he realized he was just very insensitive to her feelings and didn't pay attention. All the signs were there.
He stood there in silence, looking surprised, watching Nymia pour her heart out. Nymia explained she was caught off guard when Raphael returned home with a wife.
She honestly thought Raphael would get over his feelings for a mortal and one day realized that he was too good for Rowena. So, seeing him with Rowena made Nymia feel upset.
"I'm not too good for my wife," Raphael said coldly. "You are very wrong."
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