TRAPPED BY THE SECOND MALE LEAD
CHAPTRE 13

William drove a cup of coffee to help Arden stay awake in front of the many piles of paper that were somehow contained. Helena asked her husband to watch over their son and immediately stop Arden if what he was doing was at great risk to his own safety.

"Why don't you just rest for a while? You're too hard on yourself." Reprimand William while sitting on the sofa, take a piece of paper strewn across the table and read it.

"When will His Majesty King Gilbert meet again?"

"Next week, if there is no sudden schedule change. Do you want to come along or do I need to convey all this to His Majesty?"

"I can't go to a meeting yet, can I?" william has a meeting. While William was still officially the leader of the family, Arden did not need to attend because the main one was his father.

William answered Arden's question quickly. "Can. If you want, come with me. The king cannot forbid you from attending."

Arden was doubtful. Her father's extraordinary shadow scares Arden in case he makes a mistake that could embarrass William or disrupt the order of the meeting.

"That's a rolling meeting?" ask the handsome boy again.

Usually the King will hold alternating meetings. Per day he made the nobles of every city that is close, if in something important enough discussed the King will gather all the nobles who became the leaders of a region and the palace council of the whole city under the leadership of the kingdom of Bommenhaum (Goldenleaf, Norfolk, Avallone, Avallone, and Whitebridge).

"No. I think next week it's a big meeting because the king said he wanted to tell everyone something."

"Then I'm the one who delivered it all. I can't go with you."

William nodded in agreement to his son's words while giving Arden a letter "What is this?" the man with Grand Duke status did not reply and asked Arden to read it himself "This is from Marigold?"

"Yes. I heard he and his family wanted to invite us to his maturity party. As you know, I can't go there. Helena can't attend either."

Arden put the letter back in the envelope. The riddle of the disease that took dozens of victims in just one month could not be solved. The journey to Norfolk takes about six hours. Considering his presence there is no exaggeration. "I'm not sure I can go on to represent father and mother."

"Yes, I get it. You don't have to force yourself to attend, it's not a mandatory event so you can send a letter to Marigold and apologize."

Arden agreed with William. He had already written as much as one sentence and raised his pen on paper when Meridia suddenly flashed through his mind. There was a sense in him wanting to meet that ketus raven girl again. "Why did you stop? Look at the ink's already covered your writing."

Arden gasped and immediately put the pen into his ink bottle "I still doubt it. I want to attend, but at least I have to complete one more stage." Instantly Arden like new got a big motivation, the speed of his hand movements increased.

William is more sensitive if it's about reading Arden's true intentions than Helena. If there was Helena there maybe she would have thought that Arden was so eager to see Marigold again that he had a hard time choosing not to attend "Who would you like to meet there?"

Arden shook his head in shock, he turned his gaze "No, I just want to attend. To the representatives of the Palmieri family."

William raised one eyebrow "Who are you trying to lie to? A five-year-old boy? Arden I actually wanted to ask you this."

It was there that William asked about Arden's true feelings towards the girl he had just become his friend some time ago. The rumors had reached his ears. Many people say that the two young people are very suitable and will soon establish a more serious relationship.

Arden didn't answer much in specifics. It was not that William would complain to Helena who somehow belonged to the group that approved his betrothal to Marigold, but rather his faith that was not yet strong.

It was clear that Arden did not feel any strange feeling when he was with Marigold. Another story was that while he was chatting with Meridia, something was wrong with his heart. However, Arden is not sure of his feelings and he wants to find him further.

The atmosphere in the Emerald mansion was colder and quieter, much different from last night. None of them had chatted as leisurely as before.

The servants seemed to avoid meeting with Meridia even though since morning blind Meridia had gone outside.

Meridia had thought of bringing her important belongings and did not set up again in the house but the inspectors continued to wander around in places that were the way out of the mansion territory.

Marigold was still debating subtly with his father who unannounced first had spread the invitation of the maturity party. Besides the thing that makes him confused is, should his debutante party fall in the next two months. Marigold himself had yet to realize what changed everyone's mood.

As Ziel explained a little matter especially Meridia's curse was related to their family. Marigold froze on the spot, he wasn't sure what was going to happen next but it was obviously going to be difficult from now on. "So that's why I woke up all of a sudden and felt uncomfortable?" marigold.

Ziel tries to convince his wife and son to accept his plan. Zoya dislikes Ziel's plan so much, it pisses her off. "If we persuade him, maybe he'll take back the curse."

Ziel had already said what the plan was behind hastening Marigold's feast of maturity in the social milieu of nobles. Ziel wants Zoya and Marigold to treat him well, inviting him to take part in the debut celebration that is supposed to be done for both. Although they (the Emerald family) will still hide their true identity.

"Let him feel Marigold's life for a day. He's not a vengeful kid. I'm sure after receiving all that he won't get angry and we can persuade him to take the curse off." Ziel thought that the quiet Meridia was an innocent child who could not distinguish between being sincere and being resourceful.

No one would glance at Meridia as much as the attention Marigold would get so it certainly wouldn't raise as many questions. The plan is simple, but hard for them to do.

"How do we know the curse is true if he doesn't touch us?" ask Marigold.

Ziel pensively thought about it, as he said that Meridia indeed only spilled despair but did not make physical contact "Oh, sorry. Before that dad touched her to beg her."

"Ziel!" Zoya gaped in disbelief with her husband's carelessness.

Goody. What Marigold feared was really happening. Marigold felt that Meridia was ready to displace what she had built so hard. "I've always had the feeling that the power he has is stronger than mine, but I didn't expect him to do it this fast." - Marigold.

Ziel held onto his head which was like it was ready to explode at any moment. As much as possible he should be able to lift the curse or his son and wife will suffer.

He could not deny, Ziel until now still feel the emotions felt by one of his twin daughters. Her heart slightly reacted to seeing Meridia's heart-wrenching face.

Marigold then remembered she had bought an extra dress that day for a time given to Meridia with the intention of making it flashy— certainly not for good purposes.

Marigold smiled at his father "What a father, I understand this decision. I'm glad my sister will be with me enjoying this debutante party that will only be done once in a lifetime." Zoya looked at Marigold in shock "Honey, what do you mean talk like that? He'll bring bad luck to your party."

"Mom was too worried...Meridia wasn't that bad until she kept on giving others trouble."

Ziel smiled proudly at his daughter. Marigold grew up with a kind heart, Ziel thought. "Oh yeah, I sent an invitation to Arden. I think he'll come too."

Marigold flinched in shock "Eh? What did you say?" Zoya pinches lightly on her fat-free cheeks that belong to her daughter who meets "You have to dress up pretty, your future fiance will come all the way here again just to be present at your important event." His god who added a tinge on both Marigold's cheeks "I-this mother..."

As they plotted the cunning, Meridia sat by the river in the forest close to the Emerald mansion. The forest was the only quiet place, away from the crowds, and the atmosphere always helped Meridia to remove her brain impasse.

"Dam. Why are the guards getting more and more days? I'm not a criminal with ten-layered charges." His grunts while wasting pebbles into the river.

"There's nothing I can do now."

"What have you been mumbling since? Why did you bend your face like that?" Meridia was shocked. Whose voice suddenly sounded? There's no way an animal here can talk, right? The pale-skinned beautiful girl looked back and forth to find the source of her voice because she was sure that there was no one but her there.

"I'm here" he looked back, precisely on the tree had dangled the feet of who the owner was on the tree branch.

Meridia felt a little relieved because she initially thought that the one following her was Ziel's bodyguard who was indeed prepared to continue monitoring. "Who are you?"

The young man jumped down and without permission sat down next to Meridia "Yet again you don't remember. Oh, never mind, how else. You really don't remember me? I'm Lucien, we've met before."

"You trying to trick me?"

"A traveler like me has no experience being a fraud. I only know the forest."

Meridia ignored Lucien's explanation, her head was empty.

"You look sad, what's wrong?" Lucien was a little horrified to see Meridia who suddenly turned her head with glaring eyes disliking. The young man turned his gaze "If you talk to a stranger who doesn't even know your real life at all that helps."

"I don't have the energy to tell everything," now Meridia managed to remember Lucien, their last meeting in the temple "Why do I always forget you? That's weird."

Lucien simply smiled knot "You won't be able to remember me until you decide to bond with me."

"You mean?"

"You've been living in the woods all day?" meridia's forehead creased as the young man avoided her question "This place is not as healthy as the rest. I'm sure you come here often."

"Not healthy?" Lucien pointed at the grass under Meridia "A lot of grass is stepped on, the leaves here are also some of you torn, you come here often."

"O-oh, yes."

"You want me to teach you how to survive in the woods?"

Lucien takes Meridia around the forest, introducing a variety of wild plants that are safe to eat and how to distinguish them from poisonous plants. At once Meridia only focused on new science and was very interested in Lucien's ability to recognize forestry.

There Meridia learned to make fire, fish and burn it herself. Lucien was relieved to see Meridia continue to smile enthusiastically when she was with him "I guessed it was the smile that best suited you."

"You said something?" ask Meridia. He was busy watching his fish burn so completely that he could not hear Lucien saying "No."

"If I could make my own hut. I'll just stay here."

"Pff!" Meridia raised her one eyebrow in surprise as Lucien gave a smile "Why? Is something funny?"

"Haha no. I'm just surprised. Here your hut won't last long. I told you, stay with me, I have plenty of empty rooms."

"You said you were a traveler."

"Yes, but I still have a place to go."

Meridia looked at Lucien's two eyes "Why do I feel familiar with your face? You, why do you always wear that mask?"

"I didn't have enough confidence so I covered it up."

Meridia continued her activities in the forest with Lucien until noon. Today the weather is quite blistering, playing under the lush foliage that becomes a natural umbrella does not make hot weather interfere with its activities.

Recalling that after feeling happy outside but having to return to the Emerald mansion made the hard-earned pleasure he built it collapse instantly. "It seems like someone is looking for you," Meridia woke up from her daydream and looked at Lucien "Who?"

The sound of footsteps is not just from one person. Meridia became tense "What are my supervisors?"

Lucien saw Meridia's tension, the girl was afraid to face Ziel's tantrums again after spending a night of considerable energy to vent her frustration "They just want to pick you up, I think so. Don't worry." His broad hands slapped the top of Marigold's twin blue head as he stood about to leave before anyone saw him "Come to me then I'll give you a way out."

Meridia stood up, "You're here."

"I wouldn't be able to do anything if it wasn't you who came and begged me."

"Lady! Turns out you're here? His Majesty Marigold is looking for you since then."

Lucien was gone when one of the soldiers found himself.

"Marigold?" reiterate can't believe it.

"Yes." Yeah."

"Why is he looking for me?"

"I don't know. I'm just assigned to look for you."

Beyond a doubt. Why do they speak so politely? Even to call her 'Lady'? their arrival was suspicious enough. Meridia hopes to feel the calmness of a day without any problems that need to be faced.