TRAPPED BY THE SECOND MALE LEAD
THE CHAPTER 34
After the King left the meeting room, the three of them who were asked to see Gilbert again now for a while gathered in the living room while enjoying a small meal before they were entertained by the royal luncheon.
Ever since he got there, Ziel kept glaring at Lucien who was engrossed in enjoying his tea without feeling bothered by his gaze which he had already made clear. Actually not unperturbed, Lucien was deliberately waiting.
But feeling uneasy after almost five minutes of continuous gazing, Lucien finally looked back at Ziel, "is there something stuck in my face, Marquess Emerald?” ask him in a friendly tone.
Ziel threw away his face while grunting softly, “Nothing. Can I ask you something?” asked Ziel ketus, he was always upset whenever he saw Lucien's smile, “where do you live? I've hardly ever seen you outside or even at the social events of the nobles.”
Arden glanced at Lucien, to be honest he was also a bit curious to know the answer even though he currently felt he had to mediate between the two.
"Hm...." Lucien muttered long on purpose so that the two people were dying of curiosity, “I am not a leisure person who can always be present wherever the party is held, Marquess. I just need to get out if I want to. Simple, right?” lucien replied casually which did not arouse suspicion. “You may not see, but Prince Arden already knows that I also occasionally travel outside.”.
Arden as the audience instantly gasped in shock. His sky blue eyes looked at Lucien's face. He only found out that the head of the Navarro family was also watching him through the window of the inn while he was busy looking for Meridia who until now he could not find. Arden nodded small, “Yes, that's right. Some time ago I had a chance to see Duke Navarro was at the Fair.”
Ziel took a sip of his tea to help ease the anger he felt. “And again, why should the King hand over those two territories to you when you yourself do not do much outside activity, how will you evaluate and always check the development of that region?” Ziel continued to spill all of his thoughts no matter if his attitude was judged presumptuous and disrespectful to the young Duke.
Was he not ashamed to openly show his inadmissibility? thought Arden and Lucien together.
The man full of mystery smiled as he lifted his index finger into the air, “King knows what a leader needs is not fame but hard work that brings real results.”
Arden was amazed to see Lucien's calmness which could actually provoke Ziel to continue to issue his teething. But he had to do something so that Ziel did not spill his frustration on the wrong person, he hurriedly said, “Have it been, Marquess, he said, perhaps King Gilbert has his own views on the quality of Duke Navarro's work that not everyone knows including the two of us.”
The tension started to feel heavier than before and Arden did not know how to ease it.
Suddenly the door of the living room gradually opened, they thought it was the bodyguard who wanted to tell the meeting time. Moments later, someone appears and it turns out that it is Marigold, a saintess who is Ziel's favorite daughter.
“Arden?” call him in a soft voice.
Ziel frowning confused, “Marigold? What are you doing here?” he was surprised to see his daughter still roaming around inside the palace.
“I searched Arden everywhere, I thought he was home. There's something I want to talk to him about.”
Ziel grunts quietly “wait on the train, I'll be done soon.”
“But..”.
“Oh see who came here? Marigold, you've grown up huh,” Marigold jumped in shock hearing Gilbert's voice from behind him.
“Ah Your King!” Marigold smiled happily at the man.
They greet each other with familiar even Gilbert also did not think to keep his image and instead behave like a Marigold peer. Gilbert had known Marigold since she was so young that she considered Marigold like her own son.
Not long after that the King and the three nobles went to the throne room to continue their discussion.
After arriving, unwilling to make them wait any longer, Gilbert immediately opened the conversation. “My time is not much so I will just shorten our meeting,” the three men lined up neatly in front of Gilbert, waiting for what he wants to say. Only Ziel felt his heart pounding fast.
“I just want to tell you Marquess, I'll take one of your territories for me to give to Duke Navarro,” Ziel and Arden were surprised instead of playing, gilbert's remarks were too sudden and there was no reason for him to move the leadership.
Ziel was still trying to dare to ask. “Yes?! Your Majesty, have I made a big mistake on the management of the territory?”.
Gilbert shook her head casually and replied, “no, I just want to give it to Lucien.”
Arden was astonished by Gilbert's unsubstantiated decision-making, and even the reasons given were unclear. All this time the King has never done an action without a decision like this.
Ziel was too shocked to argue at the moment, the man could only silently endure all his frustration and grief over Gilbert's reckless actions. then he was reminded by Meridia's vow when his daughter was deeply disappointed by his actions as a father.
The king with a youthful face now landed his eyes on William Palmieri's son. “Oh yes, Arden, I heard you will soon have an engagement with Marigold. Is that true?” Arden kept silent while Ziel was surprised that Gilbert was not usually concerned with the rumors spreading in the community.
Ziel looked at Arden in the hope that he would hear good things to heal his disappointment. “That news, from where did you hear the news Your Majesty?” Arden suspected that the one who told him about the rumors was Lucien.
“I heard from the palace guards who saw the two of you talking intimately in front of the palace.”
Lucien chuckled softly a little mockingly, “doesn't Lady Marigold overly publicize her own wishes?”
Arden could not answer anything. He was eager to convey the truth so that the misunderstanding would not get worse and cornered him. To be honest Arden only wanted to be friends and did not have the slightest intention to establish a relationship with the country's Saintess but it felt heavy because right now Ziel was looking at him with hope.
“You two look very harmonious. If you guys feel fit, I hope you guys catch up with Lucien who next month will marry his girlfriend straight away.”
Arden clenched both hands tightly, sighed deeply then looked at Gilbert without hesitation. “I am glad the news spreading about the two of us is good news. It seems that for now I cannot think about it because my father asked me to learn to be the leader of Palmieri first.”
“Hohoho so yes,” now the King of Bommenhaum turned his eyes to Ziel who looked very sad. “Marquess Emerald, I also heard rumors that in fact you do not only have one daughter.”
Ziel froze being asked such a question. He was getting more depressed as Arden and Lucien followed along looking at him intensely. The blond-blonde-blonde man glanced at Ziel who imprudently replied and instead quietly lowered his head avoiding everyone's gaze. "Don't Meridia be right her son.” Inner Arden.
Ziel smiled stiffly. With all the energy he has now, the head of the Emerald family said, “I don't know if there are such rumors that are spreading there. I myself love Marigold very much, he often brings his friends come and I treat them as well as on my own child.”
“That makes little sense..” Inner Lucien and Arden together.
“But I've also heard that before Marchioness did give birth to both babies safely,” timpal Lucien deliberately made Ziel cornered. The man in his forties still looked calm, “That might be the hope of them? I also hope that the Marigold brothers can grow up together and love each other,” Lucien raised next to his brow confused.
The black-haired youth shook his head “nothing Your Majesty, I just felt nauseous,” cupped to hear the lies of Meridia's real father made Lucien's hands itch so badly wanting to slap the man as hard as he could.
Arden felt unbearable to see Ziel whose condition looks increasingly bad “oh yes, what about Duke Navarro himself? What is the name of your future wife?” Arden as much as possible passed the attention to Lucien. In addition to that reason, Arden was specifically curious about the figure of the girl Lucien brought to the fair.
“It...”
Lucien gave some distance to the answer.
“You will soon find out through the invitation that I will share,” Lucien showed an unambiguous smile that was irritating in the eyes of Ziel and Arden.
Gilbert who observed the interaction between the three of them so laughed to see the dissatisfaction Ziel terumata on Arden who really wanted to know the future wife Lucien “hahaha fortunately I did not mention his name see your efforts to make people others remain curious.”
“You heard it yourself. Duke Navarro will definitely invite the two of you to his wedding,” continued Gilbert who made Arden so pull out his head “what then can we find out where Duke Navarro lives?”
Everyone was dumbfounded to see Arden asking a question that was a bit out of context, “hahaha, what a pity son, Duke Navarro will carry out his wedding in the palace hall so you don't have any trouble finding his home.”
“Ah so yes..”
Lucien silently looked at Arden from the edge of his eyes, his cold expression emanating clearly as many people have known “he was so curious as to know who I wanted to marry, he was quite sensitive as well, he was quite sensitive as well,” said the young man in heart.
Twenty minutes later they had finished talking about the matter that had happened today. All out to return to their respective places.
Arden chose to take the furthest path so as not to meet with Marigold again, he was already quite tired of responding to the scattered gossip. Coincidentally Arden saw Qouila who had just come out of the doctor's room “Uncle Qouila!” greet Arden happy.
He had not seen the man who had been his teacher for a long time and wanted to say hello again before he came home. But after the bright blue-haired man turned around, Arden was startled by the sighting of Qouila's right eye being bandaged to the point of covering the base of her “P-uncle, what happened to you?!”
Qouila smiled seeing her protege for two years now appear at the palace of “halo, Her Highness Arden. Long time no see.”
“Uncle, what happened to your eyes?” rework Arden again.
“Oh this? how do I explain yes? well, anyway something happened because of my carelessness.”
Qouila was unable to explain what exactly happened to her a few hours ago. The injury to his right eye was Lucien's.
Just after Meridia escorted Hugo out, Qouila told Lucien that he had left Meridia for ten minutes and when he returned suddenly saw Meridia sitting on the floor with a shocked and confused face.
Qouila had no intention of telling it but ten minutes was long enough and Lucien's instinct towards Meridia was sharp, she seemed to know that something had happened to Meridia when she was left alone before Qouila even said anything.
“Your job is to keep only one person and you are not responsible at all. Shouldn't the palace employ such an imprudent person like you,” Lucien pulled out a sword from its sheath and scratched a long line stretching from his right forehead to his right cheek “this is the last warning for you.”
At that moment Qouila really felt how cruel a Lucien who was completely unblinking and kept a flat expression when he injured someone. He seemed to care nothing, he would instantly do what he wanted to do.
In contrast to being with Meridia, her expression softened as well as her cold demeanor. Lucien seemed to show a figure like he was not.
After giving the wound, Lucien left without saying anything else, letting Qouila groan endure the excruciating pain while holding her blood so as not to dirty the floor. Gilbert knew of his condition but could do nothing but tell him to be treated immediately.
Arden immediately remembered with his discussion with Lucien a few hours ago, he then had the idea to ask Qouila “paman, can I ask something?”
“Yes, just ask Your Majesty.”
“Duke Navarro said he had met with the King to talk about his marriage, did he come here with his girlfriend?” if Lucien was right to bring his lover, he believed Qouila must have seen him because the man was often at the King's side.
“Love? Yes, I heard they have not met for a long time and immediately decided to get married,” Arden not so surprised, “he is so brave yes.” praise Quoila half surprised.
“Ya, there you go.”
“Indeed why did His Majesty ask that?”
“Um, does uncle know what his name is?”
Qouila smiled clumsyly “I can't say her name carelessly or my tongue will be made into dog food. I'm sorry Your Majesty,” Arden knows that behind the light Qouila said there is a tremendous pressure that he feels.
“Then can uncle mention his features?”
Qouila was silent for a moment, thinking about the specific characteristics of Meridia in order to easily convey them. In addition he considered between answering or not, one mistake alone could make him die. “She is very beautiful like Lady Marigold, Your Highness.” that's just the answer that came out.
Arden's breath was choked. Suddenly his heart seemed to stop beating “paman, are you sure they are just as beautiful instead of looking so similar to each other?” Arden held both of Qouila's arms tightly and with a hopeful look.
“Then about it..” he did not pay much attention to Meridia's face. Different makeup quite covers the similarity that the Emerald twins have, moreover no one knows that Marigold has a twin “I'm not so sure, Your Honor.”
"Oh, yeah. Yes, thank you uncle for answering me. May uncle recover. I'll go to the library."
Arden wanted to find the complete history of the palace and the crisis they faced. After all, they the palace must have records of every problem that occurred in the Kingdom of Bommenhaum.
After several hours of struggling there, books had piled up on the table, still there was not a problem that he was looking for. "So, this is the first time the disease has struck? where can I find the palace witch? I'd better go now. King Gilbert won't be mad because I have access to the palace."
