The two large doors opened while Aries stood in the middle. The second she caught the long dining table with a chandelier over it, she caught Joaquin sitting on the end. He was already slicing through the steak in silence, ignoring her presence.
Aries crossed the threshold and stopped, glancing over to her left.
"Bring me a medicinal kit for the crown prince's scrapes," came out an unfaltering voice to the nearest maid standing on the side of the door.
"Yes, Your Royal Highness." The maid bowed deeper and walked with her eyes down to get what Aries needed.
Meanwhile, Aries resumed in her steps and greeted the crown prince. Joaquin didn't reply even until she sat down on his right, instead of the other end of the long table, since that had become a routine to them.
Studying him silently, Aries gazed at the cuts on Joaquin's knuckles. She sized him up and figured, aside from those on his knuckles — probably after beating Roman to a pulp last night — Joaquin was just as neat as always.
'Should I break the silence?' she wondered and then mentally nodded, disliking this silence reigning in the dining hall. However, just as her lips parted, Joaquin placed the plate with the sliced steak in front of her.
Her brows rose in surprise before gazing up at him. Joaquin, who had been ignoring her since her arrival, sported a gentle smile. With the knife still in his grip, he propped his jaw against his knuckle. His other hand that was holding the fork was resting on the edge of the table.
"Don't give me that look," humored Joaquin, studying the apparent surprise dominating her face. "I simply cut the meat into small portions so my wife doesn't have to bother slicing the meat herself."
"Joaquin…"
"Hmm?" he tilted his head a little to the side, blinking almost innocently.
Aries held his gaze for a moment before a shallow breath slipped past her lips. "Very well. Thank you. I appreciate this gesture."
"You're welcome." He nodded in satisfaction, winking at her, while the servant placed another serving to Joaquin. The crown prince didn't idle as he started slicing the meat on the plate into small portions.
"I've had a very long night, Circe. But I'd say it was quite productive too. Although I barely slept." Joaquin shrugged, talking to her casually as if nothing had happened last night. While he continued his tale about last night, Aries could not help but study him in under the facade of listening to him.
In her eyes, Joaquin wasn't bothered by Roman or what he did to the man. There wasn't even the slightest vestige he felt sorry for the seventh prince.
It turned her stomach.
Although Aries was aware Joaquin was heartless, the seventh prince was still his brother and someone he used to trust. For sure, there were memories they shared and not everything was bad.
After all, Joaquin had this side where he could be very considerate sometimes. This side of Joaquin was what Aries had been taking advantage of and she was certain it was the same with Roman. But in just a snap of a finger, nothing ever mattered to him, and Joaquin could go on with his life; he would eat fancy meals, talk to his wife as if he was the cleanest man in the world, and then act like a doting husband.
It was sickening how he could stomach torturing others and come to his wife as if no one was suffering because of him. For sure, he was like this too in the past. While Aries was suffering, Joaquin was having the time of his life.
"So…" Aries spoke when Joaquin finally paused going around in a circle. "… was my gut feeling correct? I hope I wasn't."
Joaquin smacked his lips, chewing the food until he swallowed it. His eyes studied his beautiful wife, giving him this fresh look from the grotesque scene he was in all night.
"Why do you wish you were wrong?" he asked and quirked a brow.
Aries didn't respond immediately as she wiped the corner of her lips with a white cloth. "Because at the end of the day, the seventh prince was still one of your trusted henchmen. Having someone as close as him as a spy is troublesome."
"I see…" he rocked his head and leaned back. "Well, guess what?"
She looked back at him and waited for his reply. His expression didn't change much. If anything, Joaquin seemed to be in an excellent mood despite everything. Hence the anxiety and restlessness in her heart.
"Apparently, my keen wife was correct." He sighed. "The seventh prince is a traitor."
Aries closed her eyes. "Did you kill him?"
"No. You seem to view me as a cruel man, Circe." Joaquin shook his head, blurring the lines between what was being cruel and being generous. "The seventh prince was one of my henchmen, but he turned out to be a traitor. Even so, I couldn't just set aside the good and bad times we shared."
She held her breath. "Really?"
"Really." His lips stretched as he winked at her once more. "I do not want to return his treachery with evil deeds."
"How generous." She laughed and shook her head, hiding any traces of disgust and dismay trying to resurface in her eyes. Today's breakfast was critical, knowing Joaquin would be doubtful to anyone. However. Aries was wrong and she would know why shortly.
Joaquin reached his hand to her, cradling it. He kept his eyes on her, smiling subtly, before guiding her hand to his lips to place a light peck on her knuckles.
"I haven't thanked you for looking out for me," he expressed, kissing the back of her hand once more. "I am near my goal, Circe. You should not bother about other things for now. Reducing your workload will allow you to rest more and take care of yourself."
Her eyes softened as a subtle smile dominated her face. "How long would I have to wait?"
"Short enough for you to prepare yourself to carry my heir." He blinked while nodding, grinning when her brows furrowed. "Circe, you had proven yourself to me countless times. It would be foolish of me to keep doubting your loyalty. Therefore, I want to take you somewhere today."
"Outside?" she asked, only to crease her brows even more when he shook his head.
"Somewhere better." His lips stretched broader, making her heart pound against her ribcage. "After this, let's take a morning walk. I had freed my morning schedule to spend some time with you."
A shallow breath slipped past her lips before holding his hand to her cheek. "Alright," she replied. "I would love to."
Little did Aries know, the place he would take her would make her question every decision she made since stepping foot in this place once again.
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