TRAPPED BY THE SECOND MALE LEAD
THE CHAPTER 24

"Lady, didn't Your Highness Lucien ask you to come when he replied to the letter?" Hugo is forced to take Veronica out because the existence of the sexy-clothed woman is already known by Meridia.

"I can't wait for him. He always turned his affairs around with me. I'm sick of waiting." The door for herself, the woman glanced into the room "Lucien didn't tell me she had brought him here. So it's not my fault that she saw me."

Hugo, who had received a message from Lucien about keeping the woman from seeing Meridia, had failed before he tried. He took a deep breath, "I'm sure Your Majesty intends to tell you later. Can you go back now? Her Majesty Lucien will not spare us if you approach Lady Meri—"

Meridia kept looking at Veronica's face. Now he is convinced that it was the woman he accidentally hit while inside the party.

"Why did you just send a guest home? isn't that disrespectful behavior?" I don't know when Meridia was standing at the door, watching Veronica and Hugo talking in whispers as if discussing something very secret.

Hugo glanced at his fellow Knights whom he asked to head off Meridia, "DYLAN."

"I've tried everything I can, you know."

"Hurry and help me handle this or we'll lose our heads in a minute!"

"He's already seen, how can we handle it now?"

Hugo and his partner named Dylan replied to each other with just a look in the eye. It was as if they had been so clipped that it was impossible for them to know what each meant by just looking at each other.

Meridia smiled awkwardly, "Lady Veronica, if you don't mind, can we have a chat inside? it's possible that Young Duke will be home soon."

The woman who owns the entertainment district (the night world) was silently observing each inch of Meridia's face. His eyes sharpened as long as he looked at the face of Mayu and calm Meridia. "Well, I'll gladly accept."

Hugo and Dylan could do nothing but accept Veronica. Meridia herself immediately asked Ximena to provide snacks.

Hugo and Dylan had to accompany her as they talked. Meridia did not know what to talk about first as an opening, she wanted to directly ask a question. "Are you a close friend of Duke Navarro?"

Ah, why is the question that came out even this? I hope no one misunderstands me.

"Yes, that's right. We're close enough, I come here often to visit him." Veronica, the makeup woman who was like a Spanish guitar was provoked to a little berahili Meridia. "But who are you? I just saw you here."

Ah, Meridia was at a loss for words. He could not find the right answer to the question posed by the charismatic beautiful woman. "S-I'm a new friend, Duke Navarro."

Meridia begins to think that Veronica and Lucien's relationship is more than a friendship. "New friend? so you don't know anything about Lucien— yet"

"Ekhem!" Hugo coded Veronica not to continue his speech any further. Problems would occur if Veronica to herd opinions that make Meridia uncomfortable.

"Anu, there's actually something I want to ask."

"Ask me."

"Is it true that you said that the Marquess Emerald had another daughter besides Saintess?" Veronica was silent for a while. He glanced at Meridia through the corner of his eye "That's right."

"Veronica."

All the human gazes gathered in the living room led to the door where Lucien was already standing there with an angry face, "What are you doing here? I told you to wait for a message from me."

Lucien raised his chin, gesturing for Veronica to overtake him out of the living room. Veronica grinned at the annoyed face of the handsome young man. The woman looked at Meridia "Sorry, Lady. I'm gonna have a four-eye talk with Lucien now. Enjoy your day."

Meridia stood up to say goodbye. The waist-long haired girl was astonished by her own situation, she then threw a gaze at Hugo and Dylan.

Hugo deliberately blatantly avoided Meridia's gaze while Dylan continued to put on the grin of his horse, obviously Dylan wasn't that smart to understand the situation.

Then am I not the third party here? did Lucien cheat on such a beautiful Lady Veronica?

Meridia scratched her temple "I'm going back to my room now."

Hugo elbowed Dylan's arm rather violently "Let's catch up with His Majesty soon."

Lucien invites Veronica to speak in the garden in front of his palace. The young man looked cursory, but he immediately restrained himself. "I told you from now on don't come here at will without telling me first. Why are you so stupid?"

Veronica played the tip of her hair with a finger, "I'm tired of waiting for your reply. You never set foot in my place."

"No. Your place is just filled with people's garbage, I don't want to breathe the same oxygen as them."

"God, as usual your words are very sharp." Veronica smiled happily. It seemed that he was already very used to the attitude and words that came out of Lucien's mouth. "By the way, since when did you bring her here? I really didn't know she was in your house." asked Veronica curiously.

Veronica who helped Lucien broke the Emerald family's peace by spreading the news that Marigold had a twin who was not recognized by her own family. It was all Veronica heard from Lucien and it was the young man who told her to spread the rumor amid the rapid maturity of Marigold.

Lucien asks only for her help, but does not tell her that she immediately takes Meridia away and lives with him. "You make me jealous. Seeing you save another girl I think I'll lose my mind."

"Stop that crap. If he remembers you, I'll kill you myself." Lucien frowns at the recklessness of Veronica, a great woman who is very reliable.

Two seconds later Lucien's expression changed, he smiled a faint smile "But thank you. I got an idea because of you."

Veronica raised her eyebrows "What have I done?"

"Go home. I'll talk about the next plan later. I still have a lot of work."

"job? whenever I don't say I'm coming, you always relax like a pensioner."

"Not a lot of nonsense."

Lucien summoned his three Knights to face. Hugo, Dylan, and Christ immediately lined up neatly in perfect strapping positions. "I won't tolerate anything if this happens again. Don't let Meridia interact with outsiders. Always put your eyes on good."

"Okay, Your Majesty."

"Lately it seems like I've been getting too soft on you guys so your performance is starting to decline, isn't it?"

Hugo bowed deeply, apologizing earnestly to the master, "Please forgive me for the carelessness I have committed, Your Majesty. I promise I won't do it again."

Lucien was silent not retaliating. He was getting ready to board his horse carriage. The curious Dylan shamelessly or hesitantly asked him, "Your Majesty, where are you going?"

"I'll be home tonight."

It was the only answer Lucien had heard before he actually got into the carriage.

Lucien will come to Marigold with a new status and check what has happened to the Saintess as long as she gives her gift necklace.

The three Knights Lucien had were still standing before the palace door while looking at the carriage he was riding vanished from sight once it pierced through that invisible shield.

Meridia then beat her own head "Let's try to remember something! what exactly am I going through?"

"Oh!" Meridia remembers a horrible dream she had right after a high fever until she fainted and Arden helped her.

It was a dream in which he saw someone very similar to Lucien strangling him then trying to kill Meridia by stabbing her heart and drowning her body in the lake. It happened because of the betrayal Lucien had accused him of.

Now Meridia felt she had become entangled in a new matter.

Dylan, the brownish-haired young man with irises as thin as the color of the leaves in the fall, slightly raised his face to look at Hugo who was taller than him, "Hey, don't you feel like Your Majesty has changed a little? I mean, she's never been this gentle. He who would not normally be responsible punishes us if we make the slightest mistake."

"Perhaps, I don't know for sure either." replied the most burly man among the other two friends.

Just as the three of them often interacted directly with Lucien, Ximena also felt a difference in Lucien after Meridia came to the Navarro palace. He could not say anything but give thanks because the pressure of the palace was reduced rapidly.

"Let's go back to the field." Hugo turned his back.

Hugo was surprised that he had almost hit Meridia who had been standing behind them since when, "How can you not make a sound at all?" ask Hugo in astonishment.

"You guys are too focused on Duke." Meridia wanted to look more friendly by showing a smile but she was too awkward and as a result her stoic face appeared. He stared flatly at the three young men who were standing like tall fortresses and before him.

Dylan pushed Hugo away from the front of Meridia "Ack!" without seeing his victim who was slightly staggered, he looked at the face of Meridia's mother full of enthusiasm. Her eyes sparkled happily, "Good afternoon, Duchess. I haven't been able to introduce myself to you. My name is Dylan, I'm so glad to see you up close like this." Judging from her tone alone Meridia knew that Dylan was the type of person who was cheerful and straightforward.

One of the silvery-haired quietest young men with the blue-sea-neutra took a step forward and bowed respectfully, introducing himself kindly despite the lack of expression "My name is Christ, Your Majesty."

Meridia replied with a bow as well then replied "It's nice to meet all of you," her blackish blue eyes looked at one by one the faces of Knight Lucien to memorize. "What will you do after this?"

Dylan and Christ exchanged looks. The most cheerful young man rubbed the tip of his nose "We will exercise again, Your Majesty. You know, a Knight is required to be stronger and sturdier than a fortress wall." confidently, Dylan smiled proudly after showing off his own work. He puffed out his chest as if he was the strongest among the other two friends.

"Usually the one with the biggest nonsense is the weakest and the first to die on the battlefield." said Hugo, who was still upset that Dylan pushed him.

"Hey! don't generalize your bad thoughts here."

"Indeed, the reality is so. You're the weakest here, don't boast like you're a brave soldier. You're just a burden."

"What did you say?! you wanna compete with me, huh?!"

Christ chose to throw his face in the other direction, he did not intend to divorce and felt very embarrassed to hear the debate they both did just for trivial matters. "Sorry, Your Honor. Things like this happen often."

"It's okay, I can understand it." Meridia replied a little awkwardly.

Dylan let out a rough breath, "Hey, you two go back. Let me accompany the Duchess." the young man eagerly swung his hand beckoning his two friends to leave from there.

"Hey, you're the most unreliable here."

Meridia scratched her non-itchy nape, "Don't call me that, I'm not the Duchess in this palace. Just call me Meridia."

Instantly his speech caught the attention of the three men. They looked in shock, "Are you kidding?" ask them in unison. "Our tongue would be the stray dog food out there if we dared to talk impolitely to you" Hugo said.

"O-oh is that so?" Meridia was surprised because the three of them were actually shocked by her request. Then Meridia glanced at Dylan and said, "Then, Dylan, can you accompany me around the palace grounds for a moment?"

"Of course, Duchess! I'll gladly accompany you!" the young man's brown eyes were glazed over as if he had just been summoned to be given an award. "You can count on me, Your Majesty!"

Hugo and Christ squinted cynically, "It is precisely because you that is what worries us." The inner two simultaneously.

Meridia eventually accompanied Dylan to take a walk around the park. Ximena intends to come along but Meridia keeps telling her to come in and take care of other work. It seemed Lucien was in no mood to add workers so many of the maids held more than two tasks.

The reason Meridia chose Dylan was because the young man looked so honest and not so good at hiding important secrets that he might just tell her everything Meridia wanted to know if she asked.

"Dylan."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Dylan was even more proud as he prepared to take the question. Meridia smiled happily "Is this veil that everyone is putting on?"

The sweet-faced young man immediately shook his head, "No. We can't go in and out as we please. Only if His Holiness Lucien allowed it, then the veil could we see through," both corners of Dylan's lips lifted up "But you are the exception. I'm also initially in disbelief, I'm very curious how can you break through that extremely powerful shield unharmed."

When it comes to penetrating easily, Meridia herself does not know what she has done. Meridia only knew she had the ability to curse which was troublesome for herself and the people around her.

"Ak—"

"Let'soo!!"

The terrified screams of a woman sounded loud coming from the back garden. Meridia and Dylan happened to be not far from the park, they decided to check out what was really going on.

It appeared that a female servant was sitting limp under a tree while looking up at the tree branch above her head. His face turned deathly pale, his body trembling violently.

Meridia crouched down holding onto the woman's shoulder, "What's wrong? what's going on?" ask her who has not realized there is something strange.

"I-it's. i-it's, Your Majesty." she said in a quivering voice. His finger pointed at one of the branches of the tree. There was a corpse hanging upside down with the head down. The body is still wearing full maid clothing.

The beautiful girl looked up and after that she was surprised to see the appearance of the unusual corpse. Dylan quickly took the body down from the top of the tree and examined it.

The condition of the body is like a skull that is still skinned. His skin was already very dry wrinkles with eyeballs poking out. There was a red line around the neck of the woman's corpse.

"Who's in vain?" meridia asked Dylan who was still checking.

"I don't know, Your Majesty."

Meridia frowned when she saw Dylan's flat expression while examining the servant's corpse, as if she was used to seeing and handling the same case.

Meridia glared her eyes in shock as she looked at the circular bracelet on that wrist. "Bracelet is..." Meridia saw the same bracelet that the maid was wearing that was in charge of preparing bath water for Lucien at that time.

"Why did he get to be like this?" muttered Meridia.

Just now Dylan explained that this protective barrier was extremely strong and could not be penetrated by just any living creature, "What kind of beast can make its prey this way?"