Chapter 304: Rainy Days and Dangerous Conversations
Chapter 303: Rainy Days and Dangerous Conversations
Lyria’s POV
I paused, my brows furrowing in thought.
Perhaps it was only me, but something about his words unsettled me.
The people who hurt me were none other than the Queen, members of the royal family, and those who obeyed them without question. Yet Lucian had spoken as though he wished to remove those who caused me suffering.
Surely that was not what he meant.
Surely I had misunderstood him.
"Y-your Grace," I called softly.
His expression softened immediately.
"Yes?"
"S-surely you do not p-plan to do what it is I u-understood?"
He regarded me quietly.
"And what did you understand?" he asked.
I refused to answer.
Some thoughts were too dangerous to speak aloud. Especially thoughts regarding the royal family. Especially thoughts regarding treason.
I lowered my voice.
"Y-you of all p-people know to be c-careful with your words. We may be a-alone, but what is the p-probability—"
"We are alone," he interrupted gently. "No one is near."
"S-still!" I said, more sharply than I intended.
The word echoed faintly across the lakeside.
I drew a breath.
"T-that does not give you the right to be c-careless w-with your words. I u-understand, at least a little, w-why you are pained now, Your Grace, but p-please control your words. I-I would hate to lose you b-because of s-something like this."
The confession slipped out before I could stop it.
I watched his expression change. It was not obvious but his eyes softened.
The silence that followed was not uncomfortable.
It was simply... heavy.
I sighed.
"Y-you really need n-not concern yourself with w-what is being done to me, Your Grace," I said quietly. "I d-do not plan to e-endure it for l-long."
That much, at least, was true.
Once my mother regained consciousness, I intended to leave the palace with her.
The palace was not a home.
It had never been a home.
I could not risk my mother’s life nor could I risk Lucian’s.
He had so much before him, a future, a territory that depended on him. Friends who also cared for him.
I could not permit him to throw those things away for my sake.
"Do you perhaps have something in mind?" Lucian asked quietly.
I froze.
I had not intended to reveal that much.
Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on how one viewed it—Margery spoke before I could formulate an answer.
"Pardon me, Your Highness," she said respectfully, "but we really must depart."
I nodded.
She was right.
The longer we remained, the greater the danger.
I turned back to Lucian.
"I shall see you t-tomorrow, Your Grace," I said. "P-perhaps we could d-dance without any d-depressing discussions regarding my s-standing in the palace. I h-hope you have a g-good night."
Lucian exhaled heavily and rubbed a hand down his face.
"I hope you have a good night too, Your Highness," he said quietly. "And, as you said, we shall see each other tomorrow."
I smiled.
Then I gave him a small bow which he returned.
I adjusted my cloak more securely around myself, and together with Margery and Pippa, began the journey back to the palace.
The walk back felt quieter than usual.
The moon remained hidden behind clouds, and the wind had grown colder.
We kept to the shadows as we did previously. Thankfully, no one saw us.
When we finally returned to my chambers, relief washed over me.
Immediately, Elara joined Margery and Pippa in helping me change out of my clothes.
Pippa insisted on massaging my legs despite my repeated protests insisting they would ache at a later time if I did not let her massage them and so I let her.
And she was right, the massage helped a lot.
The soreness I had been ignoring gradually faded beneath her skilled hands.
By the time I finally settled beneath my blankets, exhaustion overtook me quickly.
---
The following morning brought disappointment.
Today was my scheduled outing with Earl Hawthorne.
I had been looking forward to it.
Perhaps we would stroll through the gardens and enjoy conversing with each other.
But that would not be the case, I stood by the window of my chambers and stared outside.
It was raining heavily and without any intention of stopping anytime soon.
"I am going to miss watching the guards train," Pippa announced mournfully.
"Watching them train?" Margery repeated.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Do tell. Will you be missing watching the guards in particular, or perhaps the noble gentlemen who train alongside them?"
Pippa gasped dramatically.
"Now, Margery, it is not my fault that the gentlemen possess such distinctive physiques that a young woman such as myself becomes quite besotted."
"And besides," Debbie added from where she was arranging my wardrobe, "it is not merely for our favour. Her Highness enjoys watching them too."
Heat flooded my face immediately.
"D-do not involve me, please," I begged, covering my face with both hands.
"It is the truth, Your Highness," Pippa said. "There is no need to be shy about it. Men’s chests are to be admired in the same manner that they admire us women."
Debbie nodded solemnly.
"Especially when they are well-defined."
She paused.
"Or lean, like Baron Redwick’s."
My face grew even warmer.
"I do wonder how the others would look, though," Bridget said thoughtfully.
There was a brief silence.
Then Elara spoke.
"I know how Marquess Hale looks without a shirt."
Every head turned toward her.
"How?" Pippa demanded immediately.
I opened my mouth before thinking.
"L-like a bloody b-beer bottle," I said.
The room fell silent.
Oh dear.
I had not intended to say that aloud.
It had simply...escaped.
I had seen Marquess Hale shirtless before.
Back when we had still been friends.
Sometimes he would climb through my window after swimming in the lake, dripping water onto everything in sight while I complained bitterly.
He had never made me blush the way Earl Hawthorne had.
Nor had he possessed the elegant build of Baron Redwick.
Or the unfair beauty of Duke Thorncrest.
He had, however, possessed what I had once affectionately described as a small stomach acquired through excessive consumption of food.
"Your Highness!" Debbie gasped.
I looked around then and noticed they were all staring at me.
"I-I am sorry," I said immediately. "I should n-not have s-said that."
"No," Elara said with a laugh. "You should have said better. He resembles one of the deadly sins."
"Greed?" Margery suggested.
"Gluttony?" Pippa added.
"Pride?" Debbie offered.
Bridget tilted her head.
"Bloody pompous biscuit?"
We all paused and turned to stare at her.
I could not help it.
The laugh escaped me.
And then everyone else began laughing too.