Chapter 39

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖞 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖞 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖞 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

I didn't think that Henry would make a deal with a little child especially since it was Hamilton who proposed for us to be a couple.

"It's because you two looked good together!" The young boy said with a beam so hard to resist and we ended up pretending to be husband and wife while my other friends seemed to be surprised, even Claudius wanted to disagree with the young boy.

In the end, when Claudius knew that Hamilton would cry, he sighed and nodded pretending to be the uncle as well as Cain and Celna to be our old best friends.

We played like that until we were already baking cakes in the small orphanage. This day couldn't get any better, because Claudius taught the children in baking, while Cain and Celna taught the other with embroidery.

Sister Cristine also helped us in baking and cooking some food. I didn't even know that Henry had the skills of a good chef. After baking some cake he immediately started running the stove to cook some curry and I could even smell the sweet fragrance.

Looking at him, he just seemed to be simple. As if he's fitted to live anywhere, as if he's not even a noble to begin with. He could adjust from any other place like the rest of my friends.

Because I have them, it felt like I could live in this small village without any worries, with the people I began to care about.

"It seemed that all the food is prepared, so who wants to dig in first?" I heard Henry say but I sighed. I guess being a pretend wife to her husband is now on the show, so I shook my head.

"Hon, let the kids enjoy their time for now, okay?" I came to his back and gently massage it but I felt as if he had stiffened for a bit. I could see his face reddened while looking at me but I couldn't even predict what he was up to since his eyes wavered.

He was biting his lower lips while his face became red.

"Hon, do you have a fever? That's what you get when you're hunting without my permission," I pretended to be angry but I was worried since he might get a cold from this weather in the small village.

Still, I pretended to be a loving wife to him, since that was our role because it was Hamilton's birthday.

"H-Hon, I-I'm fine, o-okay?" I saw him averted his gaze from me he put the back of his hand to his lips while the ladle was still in his hand.

I managed to put the ladle on the kitchen table and put both of my hands top his cheeks to make him look at me.

"I don't want my husband to catch a cold, so I want to check if he's all right," I said and without any hesitation, I gently put some strands of his hair from his forehead away and put my forehead to his.

He seemed to be normal but the redness of his face grew redder that I could even feel his hot breath on mine, our noses were already touching but I could only sigh as I stepped backward.

"It seemed that my husband is fine, so there's no need for me to worry but why is your face red?" I couldn't help but ask but before I could even hear his words when I looked at his lips, a sudden arm pulled me away from Henry towards his place.

"I think that I have to steal my friend first before anything else to teach me something, right Vestia?" Claudius' voice seemed deeper and darker than usual. It's as if he's speaking in danger that it made my chest feel tightened.

When my gaze shifted from the cold icy stare that Claudius had to Henry, the redness in his face suddenly faded and was returned with the same intensity of Claudius' stare

"Who says you two could monopoly my beloved friend?" A high-pitched voice entered and Celna began to claim my other hand, Claudius smiled at her but it was a creepy smile as if warning Celna that if he didn't let go, she would bear some consequences.

Then after that Cain even went to pull me by the shoulders to his side but the firm grip of the two wouldn't let me go. Honestly speaking, my friends were acting weird.

Very weird or rather strange?

But Hamilton and Sister Cristine addressed the issue and before I knew it, we were already eating the cake that we baked with the children, Hamilton even spoke of the thing she learned from Cain and Celna through embroidery, while Henry and I still acted husband and wife.

We got to have this experience that we never thought we would and when night came, we already left the small village but I could never forget this moment, it would be a moment to remember, enough for me to know what it feels like when I'm no longer a noble if that's what my fate to be.

"It felt like it's not enough for that time, I wanted more of it," I heard Henry whisper while we walked towards the hallways.

After getting out of the carriage earlier, Cain and Celna bid their goodbyes since they won't be staying in my household for the night.

Claudius dismissed the servants who guided us to our rooms as we walked toward the empty hallways.

It's already night and I guess my parents already had their dinner. Just as we walked towards the path, I halted to look at the garden beside us.

It's beautiful.

When the breeze suddenly came in contact with my hair as well as my skin shivered but the look of the spiraling leaves on the silver moonlight in the garden created this nostalgic abyss where there was tiny warmth in there.

"A penny for your thoughts, Vestia..." a deep but husky voice came in contact with my ears and I felt Claudius' coat on my shoulders. I gripped it tighter and smiled at him.

I looked at Henry and he was looking at us with hands on the back of his neck as he shifted his sight to the large tree in the garden.

"I don't think that you and Henry make up the best couple, Vestia..." Then Claudius' voice changed to soft as he chuckled afterward.

"Then would you prepare us to be real?" I heard Henry speak and there was this warning in his voice that made me grip tighter to Claudius' coat.

Was it only my imagination or was it because Henry's looks felt like he was looking at his prey? Shaking my thoughts off, I shrugged my shoulders.

"What I thought is that you better know your place, Henry..."

"Oh, yeah, and where are you at then?"

"Don't start with me saying the truth in front of your face, Henry"

"I don't mind, because in reality, Vestia couldn't love anyone, right?" I looked at Henry who was looking at me and even Claudius took a glimpse but he only looked at the ground with hands turning to fists.

I didn't know what to say, I opened my mouth but there were no words that seemed to come out. Until I heard Claudius sigh.

"Vestia is already engaged, Henry so there's no point in pursuing what you want with her"

"She doesn't like the crown prince so shut up, Claudius"

In the past years, these two would eventually argue, but this kind of argument is very different from what I've witnessed so far.

Just when Henry came back from his countryside estate.

"Listen you two," I came in between them and put both of my hands in front of them.

"Whatever you're thinking, I just want to make it clear, we're still friends right?" I looked at them and they only averted their gazes from me but how they bit their lips never escaped my eyes.

"Then reconcile this moment before I tell you the truth," I saw them click their tongues before looking at each other like they wanted to fight but when they looked at me they only sighed and put both of their hand sat the back of their necks.

"I'm sorry, I overdid what I wanted to say"

"Me too"

I took their hands and shook them together as I giggled.

"Now that's settled, but... there's one more problem I have to say to you," I say and they both looked at me with creased eyebrows.

I know it would be too sudden, considering that by the end of this month after my official engagement with Henry, he and Claudius would start their journey at the imperial academy and I would be left alone for years, and that's the one thing I don't want to think about.

The uncertainty of the future is coming as it's already changing.

I don't know what change it might lead to, but I wanted to do what's the right thing.

"After my engagement with His Highness, would you two spend the day with me in the South Lake?"

"I guess we don't have a choice do we, Claudius?"

"I wouldn't let this opportunity pass by not when we won't be seeing Vestia for years"

"Hey, I could still send her letters, you know?" Henry argued and it made me chuckle when Claudius hid behind me like a cute puppy and I couldn't help but pat his head gently with a chuckle.

"You two, I would miss your arguments but I guess we should include Cain and Celna because the two of them would miss you a lot"

"We know Vestia, we know..."

***

"It seemed that you three have already eaten dinner, but please greet his highness the crown prince who visited during the dinner, and Your Highness, it seemed that my daughter and her three friends had somewhere to go to the day, I would like to apologize on their behalf of making you wait"

"No, it's all right, Duke Elfein, besides, it's just the right time to sleep for the night, I have a lot of things to say to my fiancé..."

But I know that smile, it was never okay. It's creepy and dangerous

"Right Lady Vestia?"