He had tried to see her again by going to the flower field, hoping she would be there at the same time, playing with her puppies. But she seemed to realize a stalker was trying to find her and decided not to come back.
Or, perhaps, it was the bodyguards. They were aware of Nicholas' presence the last time and advised their lady to stay away from strangers.
Nicholas thought he could get her out of his head if he tried, but all his efforts proved to be futile. Finally, the Crown Prince couldn't help but summon his people.
"If I'm going to be the king, I might as well use the power and authority it can give me," Nicholas muttered to himself and soon inquired into the identity of the woman he encountered in the valley.
One of the servants who stayed in the royal villa was quickly summoned alongside the nearest informant who both bowed to their future king. Nicholas' expression was grim and he tried to hide the emotions on his face.
"Who are the people living in the manor close to my villa?" Nicholas eyed the two people in front of him with nothing more but a frown.
The servant and informant were worried and already sweating. Did the crown prince realize that another manor was present in the outskirts of the city and wanted it demolished? The servant bowed low and spoke.
"I believe that the manor is currently being occupied by Lord Ariam Romanov, Your Highness." the servant said.
"What?!" Nicholas' eyes widened and he unintentionally slammed his fist on the table. It made the two people quiver but then he looked at the informant with a frown.
That dark duke again!
Nicholas felt intrigued by this information. So, the duke had left Hastings and now resided in the capital. What did he want from here?
The prince clenched one fist to the side and pointed at the informant with his other hand. "You. Tell me if Lord Romanov has a sister."
"No, Your Highness." the Informant replied with a shake of his head. "Lord Romanov is an only child. If there is any woman inside of the manor or you may have seen, perhaps you are pertaining to his wife?"
"Wife?" Nicholas couldn't believe it.
That dark duke and that woman he had seen were together? A husband and wife?
No. That couldn't be possible, right? Nicholas massaged his forehead but it all started to make sense to him as he muttered glumly underneath his breath.
Now he remembered the stories he heard while he was investigating in Hastings. The duke was newly married and the townspeople said she was a daughter of lower nobility in Hastings.
Nicholas thought the woman was a wicked woman who married a wicked man, or perhaps a pragmatic woman who only married the duke for money.
Never in a million years, he thought the woman would be this gentle and beautiful angel he saw in the valley several days ago.
This made his heart sink.
"Of course, a woman as beautiful and happy as her must have been happily married," he muttered to himself.
Maybe she was really an honest woman who married Duke Romanov with sincere intention? Perhaps the duke, albeit disfigured, was kind to her and gave her everything she needed?
"Your Highness?"
"Who is this woman?" Nicholas inquired again. "How did Lord Romanov acquire a wife? I remember that he came from Frisia and did not come with a wife originally so where did she come from?"
He needed to make sure this was really the same woman he heard marrying Duke Romanov when he was in Hasting. If not, maybe he was wrong and this was a completely new wife?
"We believe that the woman is from Hastings, Your Highness." the informant replied. "A lot of other nobility are actually trying to decipher the identity of this woman because they were intrigued."
Nicholas' expression froze for a moment. "What? What do you mean other nobility are inquiring about Duke Romanov's wife?"
"Your Highness was currently preoccupied and unable to attend many of the gatherings and events are done here in Livstad. However, if this servant has gotten the correct woman, then she is the Shining Moon of the Ball." the informant replied.
"What? What are these titles you're speaking of?" Nicholas frowned. He knew for a fact that nobility liked peppering nicknames and titles for remarkable people, so he didn't realize that Duke Romanov's wife was already a great presence.
"Ahem." The informant cleared his throat. "The title that was aptly nicknamed for the Romanov couple has been the Moon couple, simply because the woman shines like the light side of the moon, whereas Duke Romanov is like the hidden part of the moon."
"Ridiculous," Nicholas muttered to himself. "Once again the nobility have proven that they have nothing to do but give titles and gossip amongst themselves. If there is a moon then there is a sun? What about stars? How ridiculous."
"Your Highness?"
"Do you have a name for Duke Romanov's wife?" Nicholas asked. That had been the first thing he should have but he got distracted by the details so now he looked at the informant with hunger in his eyes.
The informant wobbled for a moment. "Her name is Lady Sophia Romanov, Your Highness. I believe she was a minor nobility in Hastings before Duke Romanov met her."
Nicholas thought the name was awfully familiar.
"I see… that is all that I need for tonight. The two of you can leave."
Nicholas Hannenbergh sighed aloud and dismissed the two people. He was once again alone in the study in the royal villa. The crown prince was sorely tempted to go out again and try to see that woman but he didn't know.
"Sophia? Not Sophie?" Nicholas said to himself and then shook his head. "Perhaps it is all coincidence?" He remembered the two lady beggars in the street that tried to bring him to this woman named 'Sophie'.
"Sophie... Sophia..." He repeated the names solemnly.
.
.
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From Missrealitybites:
Nicholas is THIS CLOSE to the truth. Ughh...
By the way, I will publish several more chapters later today ^^
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺