By the time the queen was done reading the short note, her face was as pale as a sheet. The note almost fell off her hand, but she quickly caught it and flinched when a knock came on the door. She didn't waste any time before tucking it inside her dress before going to open the door. It was her bodyguard.
"It's time for dinner, my queen," he said with a polite bow.
She tried to hide her emotion as she narrowed her eyes on him and asked, "Did... you see anyone approaching my door or leaving the hallway on your way here?"
He looked at her and shook his head. "Did something happen, my queen?"
She looked at his face closely. He seemed curious too. Was probably wondering why she was tense. She shook her head and tried to relax. It wasn't like she suspected him. In fact, if he had seen the shadow of anyone around here, he would have chased and brought her the person's head before knowing why the person was lurking around here.
"Are you okay, my queen?" He asked with concern.
"I'm good," she said, but her hands, which were in tight fists beside her, said otherwise.
<strong>'All secrets will come to light. And this isn't about Prince Harold's mother.'</strong>
The note had said.
She could feel the arrogance with which the person had written the note. The person did know something. And whatever they knew wasn't good. It was going to ruin her.
Her legs were so weak that when she took a step to leave the room, she almost fell but quickly comported herself. Her bodyguard said nothing and went to open the door for her.
Immediately the door opened, they saw the King and Damon had just arrived. The sudden arrival made the queen, who was behind the guard, gasp and jump, making everyone confused.
"Uh... I'm... sorry, my king. I was just..."
"Why are you anxious?" The king asked as he looked between her guard and the queen. He could smell her anxiety everywhere, and it was unpleasant.
The queen tried to force a smile as she looked at the king and at Damon, who was still looking between the two with a kind of suspicion and irritation.
"The queen is nervous because of the banquet and meeting all those guests tonight. I served her a soothing tea earlier, but I guess it didn't work. Please punish me, my king," The guard said and bowed humbly in front of the king.
The king just stared at them before he turned and walked away while the "ever-righteous" Damon glared at them too before he followed the king, and the queen tried to steady her breathing before following.
********
"What are these?" Susan's mother asked no one in particular as Harold joined the dining table.
He didn't need to ask what she was referring to as he could see the strange snacks displayed on the table, and something told him that was what Alicia had packed for him.
Aside from Ivan who was lost in his thoughts and dead to the world around him, everyone who had been seated stood up as soon as he entered, but he paid no mind to them since he was thinking about something else.
How come it was being served to everyone? He had asked her to prepare what she liked for herself, but she had made enough to feed everyone? Why hadn't she mentioned this piece of information to him? This was going to make the aristocrats talk badly about her since she wasn't supposed to go to the kitchen. Where was she anyway? He turned his attention to the door and took his seat absent-mindedly while the others followed suit.
"They are very tasty snacks. Prince Harold's bride prepared them to welcome you all," he heard Susan whisper to her mother, who turned to her in surprise, and every eye around the table moved to Susan too.
A Princess? In the kitchen? It seemed like the rumors about her were true, the aristocrats mused, while Harold turned his attention to Harvey, who looked like he was trying to figure out something. Beside Harvey, was his sister, whose head had been down the entire time.
Sensing he was being watched, Harvey looked at Harold, and the two stared intensely at each other.
Harold was waiting until after dinner before approaching Harvey, and he hoped for Harvey's sake that the young man wouldn't provoke him anymore than he had already done.
"She went into the kitchen? She can cook?" Susan's mother asked, and Susan bobbed her head.
"She went into the kitchen to prepare them for you. You will love them," Susan assured her mother without answering her question, and her father turned to her sharply.
"You tasted them already? Don't tell me you went into the kitchen with her?" Her father asked with displeasure, making Susan, who realized her error almost immediately, glance at Williams for help.
At that same moment, Harvey lowered his gaze, and Harold turned to the Queen's brother with a frown on his face.
"What is that tone supposed to mean?" Harold asked in a voice that made it quite obvious he didn't want a wrong answer to that question.
Even though they all knew that Susan's father didn't like Harold, as he was the queen's brother, he couldn't be rude to Harold either since Harold was a prince.
Before Susan's father could respond, Alicia walked into the hall, and all eyes turned to her. She smiled graciously and bowed to them all without saying a word, before going to sit beside Harold.
Everyone could hear the way her heart was beating fast, but the smile on her face wavered only when her eyes met Harvey's eyes, and she quickly looked away.
She almost sighed when she met Benedicta's gaze and saw a look she recognized. The girl was an aristocratic version of Beth. She seemed to dislike her for being married to Harold.
If she was the child bride, then why did that change? Was it about the curse? She had no idea what the curse was until now. Although she doubted that Harold would tell her about it if she asked, she was going to ask him anyway.
Her gaze moved to Harvey's father, and she noticed that the man was just looking at her with curiosity, and thankfully, there was no form of animosity or disapproval in his eyes. Just plain curiosity.
Her gaze shifted to Luciana's parents, and she noticed their expressions of displeasure and disapproval as they looked at her. She had no doubt that Ivan had said something to them about her.
She had yet to open her mouth, yet it seemed like half the people here already disapproved of her. She wasn't so sure anymore that the appetizers and desserts she had prepared were going to help her warm her way into their hearts.
Her gaze moved to Luciana, who was seated between her parents and Ivan, but Luciana's head was down, so she couldn't see her face. She felt sorry that she had contributed to the lady's problem.
When she looked at Ivan, their gaze met, and she noticed that all the scratches and bruises she had left on his face the previous evening had completely faded and he looked as though she had never scratched him. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she looked closely at him. How was this possible? By chance, was it the herbal medicines they had here?
"You didn't answer my question," Harold reminded Susan's father, and Alicia turned to him, wondering what the question had been about.
Both men stared at each other, and thankfully the king, the queen, and Damon walked into the hall at that moment, saving everyone from what would have no doubt been trouble, as it was obvious that Harold was annoyed.
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