Joaquin returned to the banquet hall, only to know Aries had already left without waiting for him. He didn't think much about it as he returned to the Sapphire palace immediately. However, when he arrived in their shared room, just to check on her, Aries wasn't in the bedroom.
"Where did she go?" he wondered, marching outside the chambers. Joaquin didn't ask anyone as he went straight to the other room, which was now being used by Curtis. There was only one place that Aries would go to if she wasn't in her room and that was Curtis's.
As Joaquin approached the chamber, he caught Gertrude exiting the room while closing the door behind her.
"Is Circe inside?" he asked, stopping at arm's length from Aries' personal maid. Gertrude gazed up before she bowed politely.
"Yes, Your Royal Highness."
"I see."
Joaquin was about to take a step to enter the room but stopped when Gertrude blocked his way. He arched a brow, gazing down at her.
"What are you doing?" he asked in a cold tone.
"Your Royal Highness, the crown princess is already resting." Gertrude snuck a glanced at him and breathed out deeply. Her back broke out in sweats and her knees were trembling in fear and anxiety, but she kept a strong front.
"If she is resting, why is she resting in this room and not in ours? Moreover, how dare you block my way?"
"Forgive me for this impudence, Your Royal Highness. Her Highness ordered she didn't want to see anyone and specified especially the crown prince."
His brows creased. "Why?"
"Her highness didn't say anything, Your Royal Highness. But those were her orders."
"Nonsense." Joaquin took a step to intrude inside Curtis' room, only to stop once again when Gertrude blocked his path. "Get out of my face while I am asking nicely."
"Your Royal Highness, you cannot come in."
"Hah…" Joaquin laughed in ridicule, getting more annoyed and suspicious about what pushed this maid to have the courage to even speak in his presence. "Do you think I won't kill just because the crown princess favors you?"
"I think my actions right now are punishable by death, Your Royal Highness." Gertrude's eyes shook as her heart was pounding against her chest violently. "However, I'd rather die in your hands than let you see Her Highness' state, which she didn't want you to see."
Joaquin narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"Her Royal Highness had consumed wine more than she should have, Your Royal Highness." Gertrude hung her head low to hide the fear dominating her face. "And she was inconsolable."
"Inconsolable? What happened?"
Gertrude took several seconds before she mustered enough courage to raise her head. Once she did, her fear was replaced by slight anger and dismay at the man.
"I am not in the position to speak about my master's grievances, Your Royal Highness. However, I had served the crown princess for years and I had never seen her be in such a devastating state." Her jaw tightened, channeling all her fear and anger she had for the crown prince to help the Aries' plans. "I don't know what Your Royal Highness did, but if you truly respected the crown princess, please let her rest and gather her thoughts for tonight."
Joaquin curled his hand into a fist while staring back at this fearless servant who was staring back at him straight in the eye. He would've raised his hand or ordered someone to cut her tongue for her audacity.
But he didn't. He couldn't.
His wife favored this servant, and he gave her his word he wouldn't touch Gertrude or Curtis. It was easy to go back on his words and justify his action, but for this meek servant who would die for Aries to speak so courageously, there must be a solid reason.
He gazed at the door, and his eyes flashed with worry. Just earlier, Joaquin and Aries were fine. Although they had a moment where they shared a somber atmosphere, it wasn't enough for Aries to get drunk.
So, what happened?
Joaquin pondered about it before realization dawned on him. "Did she come to see me?" he asked without averting his eyes away from the door.
"The crown princess went to see His Royal Highness when he hadn't returned to the banquet hall. However, when she returned, she was alone and was emotional." Gertrude heaved a sigh of relief when she sensed Joaquin calmed down. "That's all I knew, Your Royal Highness."
When a minute passed and Joaquin was still standing in his spot, Gertrude held onto a lifetime of luck once again.
"Please, Your Royal Highness. I might have overstepped my bounds and I will accept any punishment, but a brief separation is a wise decision to calm things down. I know the crown princess and she only needed some time to settle her thoughts and emotions," she advised in a now polite tone, desperate for the crown prince to hear her plea. "Talking to her now in a state will only escalate her emotions."
"Damn…" he breathed out, pinching the bridge of his nose in distress. Joaquin already got the gist of what happened. Aries came to see him, but she probably saw Cherry with him and misunderstood.
"It's a misunderstanding," he mumbled, reopening his eyes as he gazed at the door behind Gertrude. He looked at it for some time before his eyes shifted to her.
"I'll see her tomorrow," was all he said and didn't wait for her reply as he pivoted on his heel to walk away.
As he left, Gertrude's knees trembled uncontrollably as she held on to her soul from leaving her living body. Her hands reached for anything that could assist her, as she just used a lifetime of luck to block Joaquin's path. After minutes of trying not to collapse, she gazed at the shut doors in distress.
'Goodness… I'll die early in this place.'
*****
Inside Curtis's room, Abel was chuckling with his lips closed as he was listening to Gertrude's conversation with Joaquin.
"Darling, I have a petition." He nodded in satisfaction, gazing at Aries, who was sleeping soundly on the bed beside him. "How about giving her a raise?"
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺