Married To The Enemy Kingdom's Illegitimate Prince
Chapter 28 — Sharing a Carriage

Chapter 28: 28 — Sharing a Carriage

The red-haired woman curled her lips into a bright smile.

"I came to drop you off to the carriage safely, Your Highness," she bowed slightly and quickly rose from greeting.

How I’d love to crush that smile of yours, Elise.

Those were Cynthia’s thoughts but she couldn’t be transparent. She hadn’t learned to be transparent.

Not in this life.

In the past, there were countless times when Elise harmed her. Whenever that happened, Cynthia would seek out help from Lucian, the butler who could barely do anything about it, and the head maid who never bothered to listen to her pleas.

She had given up hope as time passed.

"What’s the point of fighting all this? This is the hell in which brother— no, King Alistair threw me off too. He knows what’s happening... I sent him countless letters... so... so why isn’t he coming to look for me?..."

Cynthia was confused but soon she came to terms with her new lifestyle. She merely had to keep quiet and make sure Elise wouldn’t find her, nor any of the other servants who could let her know about her whereabouts so she could hide in the garden at times, or in the forest a few kilometres away. No one would look for her, after all.

That was when she met Arlot, a shapeshifting eagle, in her past life— in the forest.

"What are you waiting for? Let’s go," an irritating Elise’s voice caused Cynthia to snap out of her memories.

"Sure," the grand duchess forced a smile and exited her bedroom.

Control, control, control. Things are getting slightly better with the servants. I shouldn’t lose my cool. Not yet.

Once arrived before the magnificent golden carriage on the landscape of the entrance of the mansion, Cynthia tilted her head to the back.

"This is..."

"My carriage," Lucian appeared from behind, wearing a dark blue suit, contrasted Cynthia’s silver dress. His hair was slicked on his head, a white family crest’s brooch was placed on the left side of his chest.

"And why is only your carriage here?" Cynthia raised an eyebrow, her voice turned sharp as her usual tone. She couldn’t act right now. She was too impatient to meet her brothers. And now, she was wasting time with this handsome man before her.

"Your carriage?" Lucian asked, puzzled.

A brief silence fell among the couple before they both spoke at the same time.

"Don’t tell me you thought we were going separately?"

"Don’t tell me we are going together?!"

Lucian inhaled deeply. What was he going to do with this woman? One moment, she clings to him, the next she wants to be as further away from him as possible.

Two faced much. Just like the rest of her people. I can’t believe even for a moment I thought she could be different. Must be because she ate the poison instead of me.

The dark-haired young man scoffed.

"Let’s hurry and leave. We shouldn’t keep our guests waiting. It’s bad manners," Cynthia, who was already seated on the carriage, spoke, gesturing to him to enter the carriage.

"You’re acting like this is yours, and not mine."

"Everything a husband owns belongs to his wife."

Seated opposite her, Lucian turned his gaze towards the window. He preferred watching the plain green scenery instead of the woman in front of him.

"Why aren’t we going separately? I’m certain you didn’t miss my face as much as I did."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well... you wouldn’t even glance at me," Cynthia turned her face as well.

Not that I’m dying to see your face either. Should I have brought a knife? But killing him would be too easy. He needs to suffer—

Cynthia bit her lips, shaking away those dark thoughts. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t kill him.

He was a war hero.

A war god.

No one could defeat him. Even if she was confident to unalive hundred men, Lucian could unalive thousand.

"Did you forget what happened in Eldoria? Or on our wedding night?"

Cynthia hummed, pretending to think for a second before gasping.

"Ah! You wanted to do more than a kiss on our wedding night? You should have said so," she chuckled.

Shameless. Utterly shameless.

Lucian clenched his fist, inhaling deeply. He was irritated but he couldn’t show it. Not now.

The kings of both kingdoms would be present at the banquet. This marriage was merely an alliance between them to end the war which lasted for a decade.

If Cynthia were to complain about her stay in Selvarys, perhaps the king would change his decision and take her back to the kingdom. And then...

And then King Valerian will...

Cynthia gently shook Lucian whose expression had darkened yet his face turned pale.

"Did that scare you so much? Don’t worry, I was joking."

Lucian gently pulled away Cynthia’s hand from his shoulder.

"I don’t want you to get killed—"

"Because you fell in love with me?" Cynthia interrupted him, her violet eyes twinkling in excitement.

However, her complexion quickly turned to a neutral one once she felt Lucian’s glare on her.

"Because the war can start again if anything happens to you. I can’t risk that. Not after—" he was interrupted by the sudden stop of the carriage.

"We’ve arrived," the horseman announced.

"Let’s go," Lucian opened the door and exited the carriage without looking back.

After taking a few steps, he remembered one of his etiquette class teacher’s words.

"You need to escort a lady outside of the carriage, no matter what your relationship is. It’s basic manners for nobles. Ah, but a low life like you..."

Clenching his jaw, with quick steps, he turned back to the carriage. However, Cynthia was not inside.

"Did something happen within the few seconds I was gone?!" He wondered, turning around.

She surely wasn’t behind him.

He rushed to the other side of the carriage and he saw her.

She was with a tall blonde-haired man dressed in a white suit with dark pants. Golden laces decorated the plain white cloth, making the man who wore it no less than a prince.

"Who is that?" Lucian mumbled.

He wanted to go and ask but he couldn’t.

Perhaps her lover. I wouldn’t be surprised. But... which fool would love a villainess like her?

With a scoff, Lucian walked away from the landscape and entered the banquet hall after the guards announced his arrival.

"He... didn’t come with his wife?"

"What the?"

"Lord, have mercy. I’m just grateful I’m not the scapegoat of the royal family."

"Right. They just throw everything at him."

"But he is an illegitimate child. So he is just paying for the sins his mother committed."

The crowd of nobles murmured and mocked Lucian as soon as he entered the hall.

Those whispers weren’t whispers, rather; they were mockery in disguise of sympathy. He was used to it however, he didn’t want this to reach Princess Cynthia’s ears. She could enter the banquet hall at any moment.

She’ll look down on me for sure. Perhaps, she’ll look at me with pity. And I’ll want to kill her more. The last thing I want is sympathy from my enemy.

Clenching his fist, he made his way to the throne where the king was seated, accompanied by the crown prince.

"I greet Your Majesty, the king of Selvarys, King Valerian Von Gwyndor and Your Royal Highness, crown prince, Valen Von Gwyndor," Lucian bowed, placing his hand on his left chest, looking at the ground.

"This is not how a knight greets his master, is it?" Valerian sneered, looking down at the young man.

From his seat, Lucian looked like no less than an ant he could crush at any moment. However, he was also the pawn he needed to succeed in all his ploys. The best way to keep him in control was to make sure he knew where he belonged.

"I—" Just as Lucian was about to drop to his knees, Cynthia joined in beside him and bowed.

"Greeting, Your Majesty, King of Selvarys and Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince Valen."

"... You may rise," Valerian ordered.

Eldoria’s King was also present. He couldn’t keep Eldorian’s Princess in a greeting for too long unlike he could do to Lucian.

"I would have done so even if you hadn’t told me, Your Majesty," Cynthia smiled brightly, grabbing Lucian’s arm.

"But that is basic etiquette. You need to wait for the king to give you permission to—"

"Brother!" Cynthia exclaimed and dragged Lucian towards Alistair who was standing among the crowd.

"This little girl... she dares to interrupt me..." Valerian muttered under his breath.

"I greet Your Majesty..."

The other nobles quickly followed the greeting, forcing the king to maintain his composure, despite the bitterness gnawing at him over Cynthia’s coldness toward him—despite his status as king.

When the newlywed couple approached the blond-haired young man, they bowed gracefully, offering their greetings.

"How have you been?" Alistair smiled warmly, gesturing for them to rise.

Lucian glanced nervously at the silver-haired woman beside him, anxious for her response.

After all, everything depended on her answer. If she were to say she had been doing well, Selvarys would be secure—more importantly, his men would be safe, as they were the ones who would put their lives on the line in battle.

However, if she were to say the opposite...