Chapter Four
“PRINCE LUCAS, I’M FINDING IT RATHER DIFFICULT TO speak with your wife.”
“Then consider it generous that I let you sit in front of her at all, Prince Islan.”
At the moment, Lucas had a hold on me so tight, his muscles seemed to be made of stone. And as if that wasn’t enough, he had a hand clamped over my mouth. He’d completely restrained me.
Not only was I committing an extreme breach of etiquette by sitting on my husband’s lap with my back turned to the prince of Majaar, but now all I could do was mumble incoherently while my husband manhandled me. I couldn’t help but loose a weary sigh.
Dirk covered his mouth to suppress his laughter, and peering over Lucas’s shoulder, I could see Princess Yana giving me a sympathetic look.
We were at a meeting today in Aram, at the Salkishan estate. Prince Islan, Princess Yana, Dirk, Lucas, and I were all here. It was obvious we were here to discuss the incident at the banquet the other day.
The Salkishan family ruled over Aram, but the Tikrits had been trying to take over the role of chieftain for years. Lately, they’d even resorted to underhanded tactics, like attacking while the Salkishan monster-slaying force was deployed, which was an outright act of rebellion.
And if that weakened Aram’s forces, who knew what the Egrich Empire might try next? Prince Islan had just arranged for his younger sister, Princess Shireen, to marry Prince Leon, but if Islan’s reign were destabilized now, the alliance between Bern and Majaar would be meaningless.
That was why Prince Islan and Dirk chose to exploit Lucas’s anger and their esteemed state guest in order to take down the Tikrits.
Thanks to our date at the bazaar, everyone in Majaar already knew how close Lucas and I were. Princess Yana’s position as Prince Islan’s favorite was similarly well known. Under normal circumstances, a proposal from a dancing girl in this kind of situation would simply be dismissed as a silly joke.
“She’s just a girl with a cute crush, just let it slide!” They might say. If they pushed all the blame onto the dancer and cut her loose, they could even use the chance to drive a wedge between Lucas the Hero and Prince Islan over it, weakening the prince’s influence and power as a ruler.
It was a card they could play again and again, in any situation.
But the idea that Lucas would be treated as nothing more than a convenient pawn to be made a mockery of made me so angry that I had decided to dance. But if the Hero, who treasured his wife above all else, demanded someone’s head, they could at least get their political enemies thrown into prison. And what if that ended up damaging Lucas’s reputation?
Even though he’d agreed to it, Dirk knew that Lucas wasn’t the kind of person who cared about appearances. He had used that to his advantage, and now he got to look good? How irritating.
Still, for as long as Lucas was holding back his anger at Prince Islan for hiding his involvement in the dance, I could accept this humiliating seat on his lap. But was it too much to ask to be given the chance to speak?
“I see,” Prince Islan conceded. “Well, if you’ll answer what I want to know, then I suppose it’s fine. Princess Cecilia?”
Wait, we’re just moving the conversation along? That was a quick pivot.
“Mm.”
I meant to say yes, but I wondered if he understood me…
I expected him to keep talking, but I didn’t hear his voice. He was still there, though, right? Lucas held me so tightly I couldn’t even check. All I could see was the strong line of his neck, the way his white silk shirt clung ever so slightly to his skin, and the golden necklace around it. His rock-hard chest was right in front of me. This is too much!
He’s so gorgeous! Of course this outfit would look criminally good on him. It’s addictive! I could stare at him forever…except, well, people are watching!
Prince Islan probably wants to bring up Princess Yana now, so can you please take your hands off me?
I tapped on his chest lightly, and Lucas’s throat twitched. A few seconds passed, and he looked down at me with slight annoyance. I tipped my head to the side.
“What?”
Wait, does he think I’m trying to tickle him or something? Oh no, is my husband secretly ticklish?! That’d actually be kind of adorable.
“Mmgh, mmgh!” Let me go!
I narrowed my eyes and gave his chest another tap to make my point. If he didn’t let me go, I’d tickle him again.
Sure enough, he drew in a sharp breath and grumbled at me, looking frustrated.
“Damn it. That’s not fair, Cecilia.”
“Mmph mm?” What’s not?
“Tch. I covered your mouth because I knew if you asked me with your sweet voice and your puppy dog eyes, you’d get your way again. Especially wearing that makeup. I never should’ve dragged you into something so stupid. I should’ve just killed everyone who looked like they’d cause trouble. It’s not too late, right?”
He heh, he’s so cute when he’s like this. But stop making plans for mass murder, Lucas. I told you not to solve everything with brute force! The prince gave you special treatment, even if it was an apology, and he’s letting me turn his back on him in the middle of a diplomatic meeting! This should be where you back down!
“Mm.”
I shifted a little and reached up toward his neck. He looked curious, but he let me pull him closer, so I leaned in.
“Hm? What are you…”
And as expected, my darling husband instantly figured out what I was trying to do and pulled his hand away from my mouth.
Then, as if the presence of the prince and princess meant absolutely nothing to him, he started to lean in for a kiss, but I interrupted him. I placed a finger gently over his lips and smiled at him triumphantly. Too bad for you!
“Tch, seriously? Don’t you think that’s a little too cruel?”
“He heh. Lukie, there’s something we need to talk to Prince Islan about, remember? So it’s time to act like a prince now,” I told him, tapping his lips while I tipped my head like a proper little villainess.
And just like that, the man I loved gave me the cutest pouty face and replied in the sweetest voice, “When you do that with that look on your face, I just feel completely satisfied for some reason. Like I’d do anything you asked. You really don’t play fair, Cecilia.”
“It’s payback for always making a mess of my feelings, my darling.”
Because you love me so much, it makes me want to give that love right back.
I gently smoothed a strand of his dark hair away from his collarbone and locked eyes with him, pouring all my feelings into that look.
He caught my gaze and let out a huge sigh, then reluctantly rested his forehead on my shoulder. And for some reason, he started bragging to Prince Islan.
“My wife is the most beautiful, adorable, sexiest, most brilliant woman alive, Prince Islan.”
What are you saying?!
“Are you showing off now? Well, I’ll admit that she’s very intelligent and lovely. Yana and I came together in a deal, but it’s true that I value her above anyone else. I didn’t think she’d just toss everything aside to serve as lady-in-waiting for Princess Cecilia, of all people, though.”
The prince just agreed! That would’ve been nice except for that last part. I didn’t like his tone of voice. Who do you think you are, anyway? You say it like you’re suffering, but maybe try looking at your own behavior first before acting like the victim!
It was true that they had a relationship based on a mutual understanding. He was the prince, and she was his favorite, but that didn’t mean Prince Islan ever had to sacrifice anything. Even after marrying Yana, he still kept bringing women into the harem as he pleased. He knew that she, meanwhile, had no one else to rely on.
Islan acted like he was above it all, striking deals that left the people of Aram basically hostages. So I really didn’t want to hear him pretend that he was the only one who got hurt.
“We couldn’t afford to have a gentle relationship.” The pain on my friend’s face when she said that flashed through my mind, and I remembered it was Prince Islan who sent Yana to Lucas. That entitled attitude of his made something inside of me snap.
But just as that frustration was building inside me, Lucas suddenly spun me around to face Prince Islan.
Wait, no. I’m mad right now. I don’t even want to see him right now!
Then for some reason, he gathered my hands in front of me like he was restraining them, and my mind went blank. Why is he restraining me right now?