The Hidden King's Stolen Wife
Chapter 74: Favorite Sister

Chapter 74: Favorite Sister

"You look lovely like this," Ralph said, casting an appreciative eye over her. Before she could blush and splutter, he added impishly. "Especially without the ink mark on your face."

Soleia groaned. "I’m sorry I fell asleep and left you hanging last night. That was most uncharitable of me."

Rafael shrugged as he escorted her to the dining hall. "That’s not the first time a woman has fallen asleep before me and left me waiting. I’m used to it."

Soleia coughed. Somehow Ralph’s tone seemed to imply something less innocent than what actually happened!

They arrived at the dining hall. Thankfully, her father was absent. Instead, her two sisters were present, along with their husbands and her nephew. Their lively chatter fell silent when Soleia entered the room with Ralph in tow.

Bellaflor stood up and waved her over to make introductions.

"Soleia, good of you to join us. This is my husband, Prince Deacon, and you’ve already met Desmond. Desmond, how do you greet people?" Bellaflor prompted.

She furrowed her brows as her son continued to stuff his face with food. Years of etiquette lessons have failed to make an impact.

Desmond looked up, his mouth stained with jam. "But Father isn’t getting up," he protested.

So Bellaflor turned her ire to her husband, who did indeed remain seated the entire time.

"Dearest, do you mind?"

Prince Deacon blinked and greeted her while sitting. Soleia tried not to take it personally― Prince Deacon was a prince in his own right, and most likely of a higher position than her in his own country.

"Good morning, Princess Soleia, and... who might this man be?"

"This is Sir Ralph Byrone. I told you about him just yesterday. You can’t have forgotten it already!" Bellaflor scolded, with a twitching eyebrow.

"Right." There was a heavy pause as husband and wife exchanged a glance. The husband turned back to Ralph and acknowledged him with a nod, before turning back to his breakfast.

Soleia spotted her sister trying not to roll her eyes.

"Desmond?"

"Good morning," Desmond greeted politely. "You smell nice today. Not stinky at all. Sir Ralph looks cool."

Bellaflor’s entire body twitched. Why did her son take after his father so closely!

"He’s just a kid," Soleia hurriedly said, just in case her sister blew her top at the breakfast table. "He didn’t mean it maliciously."

Her other sister added, "It might even be considered a compliment. This is my husband, Prince Gilbert."

Gilbert was a mousy man, but he actually stood up and offered Soleia a quick handshake, so Soleia had a marginally higher opinion of this brother-in-law. He then gestured for her and Ralph to take a seat.

Just as they were making themselves comfortable, Desmond blinked his wide blue eyes and asked Soleia, "Aunt Soleia, where is your husband?"

"Desmond!" Bellaflor shot her son an aggrieved look, while Soleia choked on her potatoes. "You can’t just ask that― it’s not tactful!"

"But Mama, you wanted to know too!" Desmond protested. "I want to see him. He killed a dragon. That’s cool."

"Did he not come down for breakfast?" Soleia asked after she swallowed a mouthful of juice. She half-expected Orion and Elowyn to walk into the dining hall, hand in hand, and feed each other by hand to humiliate her further.

"If he did, we did not see him, nor his mistress and we were here since the rooster first cawed," Celestina sniffed haughtily.

"How strange," Ralph said. "Orion always had an appetite in the morning."

Celestina scoffed. "Then I guess he must be too busy enjoying his wife’s company to even come down for a proper meal." Once the words left her mouth, she realized how caustic it sounded. Celestina shot Soleia an apologetic glance. "Apologies, Sister, it must be hurtful."

"It’s nothing new, don’t worry about it," Soleia said quietly, keeping her eyes on her plate. "If I see them eating here, I might get indigestion."

The rest of the meal continued in silence until it was broken by a new presence in the dining hall.

"Your Highness, you should have told us you were coming down!" the head servant exclaimed, his tone panicked.

"I’m fine! I can walk!" A high childish voice echoed through the air.

Soleia whirled around to see a young boy who came to the height of her waist. He had a head full of blond hair, and Soleia was briefly reminded of a dandelion puff that would be easily blown away by the wind.

"Reitan?" Soleia’s mouth fell open and she automatically stood up, causing the chair to make a loud screeching noise.

The boy flinched at the sound, his bright blue eyes watering. Soleia’s heart raced; this was Reitan!

"Sister!" Reitan called out in delight, running towards her. However, his limbs were uncoordinated and shaky, and he tripped over the hem of his own trousers.

Soleia and her sisters let out horrified shrieks, all of them trying to catch him before he fell flat on his face, but it was Sir Ralph who caught him in time.

"Close one, Your Highness." Rafael smiled reassuringly at Reitan. "Are you alright?"

Reitan froze as he caught sight of Rafael’s face. "You..."

"Reitan, how are you?" Soleia asked, rushing out to check over him. She clutched his shoulders with her hands, frowning as she noticed how thin they were. Reitan seemed to shake himself out of shock, and he reached out to embrace Soleia.

"Sister! I’ve missed you!" Reitan cried out.

"No guesses as to who is his favorite sister. The two of us are practically air to him," Celestina complained to Bellaflor, but without any heat.

"I missed you too," Soleia said warmly, noting the cold hands around her neck. Why was Reitan’s body so cold?

As she reluctantly pulled away to take a closer look, worry welled up within her. Soleia hadn’t seen Reitan in two years, but he didn’t seem to grow any taller. In fact, he seemed scrawnier than before, his limbs mere twigs, and his cheeks were strangely sunken for a young boy of eight.

Suddenly, she felt a strong, unwavering hatred for her father.

"Sister, can we go play together like before?" Reitan asked pleadingly, holding onto her hand. "You can bring your husband along too." He pointed to Sir Ralph.

Soleia sighed. It seemed like everyone was doomed to misunderstand their relationship.

"That’s not my husband, Reitan," Soleia corrected him gently. "That’s my husband’s best friend, knight commander Sir Ralph Byrone."

"Oh," Reitan’s mouth fell open in surprise. "But then I saw... never mind. Sister, let’s go to my room! I need to show you something!"