Seeing Amelia hold out her hand in a silent demand, Prisca looked like she was on the verge of tears. “I-I haven’t a clue about what you are talking about. How could you accuse me of being a thief?! That’s awful!”
The mother-daughter pair excelled at weeping crocodile tears—to an awe-inspiring degree. Is this how they’ve been deceiving those around them until now? Amelia should have felt enraged, but more than that, she found it laughable.
As the king watched the pair burst into tears and Amelia gazed at them with frigid eyes, he appeared rather thrown off. “What…exactly is the situation here?” Judging by how he didn’t jump to the fourth consort’s defense, he probably wasn’t completely on the fourth consort’s side.
Luke’s crisp voice cut into the chaos. “With all due respect, Your Majesty. May I offer my opinion?” He bowed humbly.
The king slowly nodded in response.
The future duke continued, “I came across Princess Amelia when I was fourteen, fell in love with her at first sight, and entered a betrothal with her. I believe you are aware of the circumstances as well, Your Majesty, as I made a direct appeal to you.”
Prisca should have been sobbing her heart out, but her expression grew stormy in an instant. If she’s going to pretend to cry, at least follow it through to the end, Amelia thought with exasperation.
“However, I couldn’t see Her Highness in person even a single time for the subsequent four years,” Luke reported. “The letters I sent received no replies, and I received a similar silence to my presents as well. In addition, my requests for meetings were also turned down. I have told myself to endure patiently for a long time—it all happened because Princess Amelia had a weak constitution, and her reaction, or lack thereof, was understandable. Alas, the reality is before your very eyes.”
Everyone’s gazes converged on Amelia. Taken aback, she stood straighter on reflex.
Luke’s tone lowered. “The princess is the picture of health. As if that wasn’t enough, she hasn’t seen hide nor hair of any of my letters or presents. She was a prisoner in the Fifth Palace in a brutal situation where she had to work on a farm to put food on her table every day. Your Majesty…were those your instructions?”
His word choice and attitude could only be described as courteous, but his gaze clearly sent a different message: If that’s true, I will never forgive you.
At last, he finished with, “In that scenario, my plan is to welcome the princess into our residence at once and to take her as my wife. I could never leave her behind in the royal court after learning such truths.”
It was no different from picking a fight with the king himself, and anxiety crept into Amelia’s heart. But a second later, she realized that Luke was declaring to her father that he was going to marry her. She wasn’t sure how she should feel as she watched, a mix of nervousness and embarrassment dancing within her chest.
“I could never.” The king shook his head before shifting his gaze to his consort. “Fourth Consort, I believe you owe me an explanation. The claims they are making are considerably in conflict with yours.”
“I suspect it is a misunderstanding on the young Lord Klein’s part due to mistaken assumptions and misleading circumstances. It is true that I prepared a field in the Fifth Palace, hoping that it would serve as a diversion from her illness, but never in my life could I have predicted that she would see it in such a way…” She dabbed her handkerchief against the corners of her eyes once again.
Both the king’s and Luke’s expressions were grim as they watched her.
Luke asked, “By that, are you stating that everything is simply a misunderstanding on Princess Amelia’s and my part?”
“I am at fault for causing such a misunderstanding, but I have performed my duties as Amelia’s guardian to the best of my ability. I will continue to do so, so please rest assured. More importantly, I believe we should move on to the matter of your engagement with Prisca. That is why we are assembled here today, after all.”
The fourth consort meekly made her case, and anyone watching would assume that Amelia and Luke were the ones in the wrong. She’d likely tricked countless people around her until now, but Amelia couldn’t find fault with her victims—after all, when one of the king’s consorts was appealing to your emotions like this, it would be difficult not to be swayed by her.
That said, backing down now would be a repeat of the past, and it’d also mean that Luke and Prisca’s engagement would become reality. She had to say something.
Amelia moved to step forward, but a hand reached out from her side and gently stopped her. Luke smiled brightly at her before turning back to the king and the fourth consort with a solemn expression. “The presents I have prepared for Princess Amelia weren’t merely flowers and food. Accessories and dresses were also on the list. I have also sent her fine-quality fabric since I didn’t know her measurements after a few years.”
Amelia had heard that Luke had sent her presents, but it was the first time she’d ever learned of the details. Luke’s gifts were more extensive than she thought, and her heart felt full from both remorse and happiness.
Luke continued, “I noticed that during the evening party a few days ago, the fifth princess was wearing a deep crimson dress featuring rather distinct golden embroidery. How curious, for it was identical to the custom-made article I requested tailors to make for Amelia. May I ask why you were wearing it, Your Highness?”
Prisca replied with a smile, but she couldn’t fully conceal her discomposure. “I-It must have been a coincidence.”
That reaction… Did she really make a dress out of the fabric Luke gifted me? Amelia had never heard anything more shameless, but then again, Prisca had never shown even a hint of respect toward her, so it likely hadn’t even crossed the younger princess’s mind that the fabric belonged to someone else.