Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 249: Numbered Days

Chapter 249: Numbered Days

After a tiring night, Daphne fully expected Atticus to be snoring in her ear. To her utter surprise, her husband was already up before her, completely dressed.

"You’re awake?" Daphne asked through half-lidded eyes, wondering if her husband was possessed. The sheer vitality he exuded was out of the ordinary. He was even humoring Zephyr’s attempts to pluck out the hair from his head when he would have normally thrown him down the bed.

"What can I say? I’m in a very good mood after last night," Atticus replied, whistling a cheerful tune.

Daphne flushed in embarrassment as she recalled precisely what happened the night before.

He continued, "I hope everyone in your family heard us fucking through the night. What do you say we go and meet them for breakfast? I want to show off the marks you left on me."

Insufferable! Daphne groaned in her pillows as her face bloomed a brighter red. Oh god, if her family heard her lustful cries at night, she would sooner expire at the dinner table.

Then again, perhaps Drusilla would take a hint and give up on marrying Atticus.

Daphne snorted to herself. Yeah right. Cows would fly before that ever happened. Atticus could get a tattoo of Daphne on his face and Drusilla wouldn’t give up.

Daphne wanted to go back to sleep, yet as the sun slowly rose higher in the sky, her stomach began to growl louder. She was forced to get up for breakfast.

As she and Atticus walked hand in hand into the dining hall, they were greeted with a sight reminiscent of their dinner yesterday.

Only this time, Hazelle was present while Lady Josephine was not; presumably, she was recovering from her near-death experience at Atticus’s hands.

Daphne saw the way Hazelle turned her nose up at their joined hands, while Drusilla managed to conceal the envy in her voice as she greeted Daphne a good morning.

"Good morning, Sister Daphne! Did you have a good night’s rest?"

"I did," Daphne said bluntly in reply as they took their seats and began to help themselves to their meal.

Drusilla’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the marks left on King Atticus’s neck. She had a new plan of attack.

"King Atticus, what happened to your neck? You look like you’ve been attacked by a wild animal!" Drusilla exclaimed loudly, drawing everyone’s attention to Atticus’s exposed neck. Daphne froze, but Atticus seemed increasingly unbothered.

"I was with your Sister Daphne the whole time," Atticus said, bored. "What are you implying?"

"Then... Did you mean Sister Daphne left you these marks?" Drusilla gasped, as though scandalized. "How could you, sister? You could have hurt him!"

Daphne rolled her eyes at the needless dramatics. "As you can see, he’s alive and well. The welfare of my husband isn’t your concern."

Blanche smirked into her bread, while Luis and Silas elbowed each other wordlessly at Daphne’s scathing retort. Who knew their oldest sister had claws?

Drusilla flinched as if hit, her eyes blinking rapidly in surprise, the very picture of hurt innocence on her face. "I... Sister Daphne, is it so wrong for me to care about my brother-in-law?" she asked, her tone seemingly aggrieved. "Why, I can’t bear to sit by and watch you ill-treat King Atticus like this!"

"Do you feel ill-treated, my husband?" Daphne asked sweetly.

"Only by the rest of your family," Atticus said frankly, snorting loud enough for the entire table to hear. He made a show of looking up and down the table. "Thank goodness that washerwoman isn’t here today. Seeing her first thing in the morning would have ruined my appetite."

Now it was Queen Anette’s turn to hold back a smirk as her husband’s face purpled. Drusilla fluttered her eyelashes at Atticus, her lips pressed into a delicate pout.

"I must apologize for my mother’s behavior, King Atticus," Drusilla said meekly. "She didn’t mean any disrespect, she was simply upset that I was insulted."

Atticus frowned. "How is calling you a bastard daughter an insult? It’s the truth."

Drusilla squeaked like a mouse being trodden on. Yet, she persisted. "Yes... you are right... Nonetheless, I must make it up to you, King Atticus. Please, stay a while longer so that I― my mother and I can make amends."

"There’s no need for that, do not trouble yourself," Daphne interrupted icily. Drusilla was certainly comfortable with talking to her husband as though Daphne did not exist. "Right, Atticus?"

Daphne fully expected Atticus to shoot down Drusilla’s offer. To her utter amazement, Atticus let out a thoughtful hum and seemed to consider that offer.

"Fair enough. We could always stay here for a while longer and infringe on your hospitality." Atticus shrugged. "It’s a big kingdom, I could do with a guide."

Drusilla beamed brightly as she shot her father an encouraging look.

King Cyrus slowly calmed down; it turns out that for all of his noble words, Atticus was still a man. Which man would turn their nose up at an attractive woman flinging themselves at him?

Atticus squeezed Daphne’s hand under the table, a wordless plea to trust him. Daphne squeezed back reluctantly, deciding to trust Atticus’s decision. He definitely had no feelings for Drusilla, so there must be another reason for lengthening their trip.

Surely her husband had learned from the spring parade fiasco. If not, she would shave her husband bald in his sleep.

When breakfast was finally over, everyone went their separate ways. Atticus pressed a brief kiss to Daphne’s cheek, claiming that he would be busy with Jonah. Daphne reluctantly watched him leave, a sour feeling in her heart.

Just as Daphne was about to make her way back to their rooms to read the book she stole, Hazelle bumped into her without any warning.

"Excuse me?"

"Your days as Atticus’s wife are numbered," Hazelle said smugly in lieu of an apology. "You can mark him all you want with your mouth, but that’s the truth."

She had been watching their interactions at breakfast with vindictive satisfaction, loving the way Daphne’s face fell.

King Atticus had already begun to stray, even if Daphne didn’t know it yet. Atticus had contradicted Daphne’s words in public, proving that the loving couple was not as united in spirit as they portrayed to others. Hazelle knew it was too good to be true!

Powerful men like Atticus were never faithful. Her husband was proof.

As long as he gave Drusilla the slightest opportunity, his marriage with Daphne was effectively over!

"Bold of you to say," Daphne said, rising from her seat. The legs of the chair screeched nastily as she did, dragging against the floor. She took a threatening side closer to Hazelle, meeting her eye-to-eye.

Hazelle took a step back, not understanding why a surge of fear rose within her when met with the cool blue of Daphne’s eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and her mouth went dry. A shiver ran down her spine.

How did this woman change so much in the months she was gone?

Daphne wasn’t much taller than Hazelle but the latter felt small in comparison as the former spoke.

"I don’t need marriage advice from a woman who isn’t even able to capture her husband’s heart," Daphne coolly said. "When you’ve managed to charm my brother for even a fraction of a second, then we can talk."