The Masked prince
Chapter 34: Evelyn’s Fears

Chapter 34: Evelyn’s Fears

Hannah did not like the somber atmosphere. She clapped her hands with a bright smile on her lips to break the silence as she sat down on a chair around the round table and asked

"Ah...you are playing without me?"

The words made Miri glare at Hannah as she said

"We don’t want to play with you, right Ami?"

Ami nodded her head in agreement making Hannah look at her friends with wide eyes that were full of confusion.

"Why?"

She asked with a face full of innocence. The expression made Miri tsk as she said

"First tell us, where did you go?"

And Hannah fell silent.

Her silence only made Miri and Ami more dubious as they looked at each other and then at Hannah.

It was Ami who placed her hand on her hip and said to Miri

"See! I told you that this girl is hiding something from us. I have been telling you for a long time but you just wouldn’t believe me."

Indeed, Miri had not believed Ami but now looking at Hannah’s face, she believed Ami.

Hannah smiled nervously as she heard her friends’ words. She looked at Evelyn indicating that she needed some help but Evelyn only looked at her in silence.

Miri and Ami were her old friends...older than her. She didn’t want to help Hannah in this and make them feel as if she was trying to side Hannah and take her away from them.

Evelyn understood the delicacy of friendship...especially when she was just a new person in their group.

"It is nothing like that."

Hannah whispered nervously.

Miri and Ami only looked at her silently. But this couldn’t continue for long as soon Martha stepped inside the kitchen and said

"Girls! You are still playing. You could have started making arrangements for the meal at least."

Ami, Miri and Hannah immediately stood up and moved towards the vegetables.

"Madam doesn’t need to worry. The dinner will be prepared in a few minutes."

Miri assured Martha who only looked at her but didn’t say anything.

Evelyn saw how Ami, Miri, and Hannah didn’t feel afraid of Martha. Although Martha seemed to be scolding them for being lazy and playing, her words were never harsh.

She more seemed like a mother who was scolding her children for being lazy.

Since she didn’t have anything to do, she decided to help them with dinner. Forgetting all the grudges between them, the three girls even tried to learn from Evelyn new things.

They had seen her preparing a different kind of dish for the lunch. Though they didn’t taste it, they could tell from the aroma that the dish was very delicious.

The four girls engaged in talking as they prepared the meals.

Martha did help them from time to time but she never stopped them from talking. In fact, she smiled from time to time when Miri made some kind of joke, scolded Hannah for being so outspoken sometimes, and asked Ami to use the knife a little slowly.

Apparently, Ami had the habit of doing everything in hurry and then getting injured. This thing always makes everyone around worried for her.

The atmosphere inside the kitchen was something that Evelyn was feeling for the first time.

Her heart was filled with a different kind of emotion.

Was it peace?

She wondered.

How many days it had been since she had been beaten last, since she was starved, and since she had felt scared!

It was almost a week now since she had stepped inside Alfaros. And somehow Alfaros had given her everything that Zamorin had taken away from her.

Her life was livable.

Now there was only one fear that resided in her heart.

Fear that this peace would also be taken away!

And she wished that such a day would never come.

.

.

.

When the dinner was ready, Evelyn took the tray and was ready to go to the prince’s chambers. However, just before she could leave the chambers, Miri stopped her and said

"Evelyn, come to the garden in the back if you got free early after all this. We all will gather here."

Behind Miri, Martha tsked when she heard her words and couldn’t help but say

"Don’t taint that girl’s mind with your dirty talks."

Ami and Hannah giggled while Miri rolled her eyes. Evelyn only looked confused but nodded her head before she left.

However, when she left, Martha looked at the girls with a serious expression on her face and said

"If you want to befriend her, you can. However, I must warn you not to put her in any compromising situation. His Highness, Prince Rex had especially warned me that there can be dire consequences if she got hurt!"

"Ah...."

The three girls looked at each other in confusion. They wondered what was the reason behind such serious words.

However, Martha herself didn’t know about any such reason. She could only look at the girls and asked strictly

"Do you understand?"

Martha’s strict voice meant that she was very serious and immediately the three girls straightened their backs and nodded their heads vigorously.

"Yes, yes. Madam."

Martha nodded her head in satisfaction and finally left the kitchen.

While Hannah, Miri, and Ami looked at each other and started to whisper...all imaginations about what could be the reason for such a serious warning given by Prince Rex.

On the other hand, Evelyn was inside Regan’s chambers now. She noticed that Rex was also present there. Her eyes went to the dishes on the plate.

Was it enough for four people?

Regan stepped out of the bathroom after getting freshened up and saw her standing at the door.

Behind his mask, he frowned and asked

"Why are you standing there? Come inside."

Evelyn thought for a moment before she walked inside. She could just go back and have her dinner in the kitchen after serving the three men.

After Rex and Regan had taken their seats, Elias eagerly took his seat.

Regan frowned again when he saw that Evelyn was not sitting down on the fourth chair but was putting all the dishes on the table.

"Take your seat."

He said as he picked up one of the plates that had some meat.

"Your Highness should have it first. I will go back to the kitchen and have my dinner there."

Regan looked at the hesitant expression on Evelyn’s face and seemed to realize what she was thinking.

He looked at Rex knowing very well that throwing his brother out of the chambers was next to impossible.

So his cold eyes went to Elias a moment later who was eagerly picking up the plate to start eating.

"Elias"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Go and bring meal for yourself.

"Huh?"

It took Elias a few moments to register what was being said to him. But when he did, he felt aggrieved.

He had just cleaned the whole room. It was such a boring task. He was tired and wanted to have a good meal. Does his master need to be so cruel to him?