🦋M.o.m.m.y V.i.l.l.a.i.n.e.s.s🦋

Chapter 192

Marianne shook her head. "If we turn down the royal princess's request, she'd only be suspicious of us."

Right now, they were in their room while having tea.

She made tea for her husband who looked very anxious at the moment. Of course, she felt the same way. But she knew that panicking wouldn't bring them anywhere.

"Can't we use your pregnancy as an excuse?" Maverick asked. "I don't really think that accepting the royal princess's offer is the wisest choice."

"I don't want to be anywhere near the royal princess, too," she said. "But if I avoid her, she'll definitely realize that I already know what I am. We can't underestimate her even though she's just a child."

"Marianne, the royal princess might kill you right away."

"She won't," she assured her husband. "If Her Royal Highness wants to kill me right away, then she would have done it as soon as she found out that I'm a Fire Mage. But if she wants to get closer to me, it means she needs something from me."

"Marianne…" He let out a frustrated sigh. "I called Morgan a while ago. He told me that running to Oakes will put us in more danger."

She nodded in agreement. "Lord Morgan is right. This isn't the right time to run away."

Her husband didn't respond this time but she could see in his face how worried he was.

"I will find out what Her Royal Highness wants with me and our baby," Marianne said, then she put her hand on top of her husband's hand. "Maverick, please trust me."

"I will talk to Morgan again to understand Fire Mages better," Maverick said, then he held her hand and brought it close to his lips. "I will protect you with all that I have, Marianne." He kissed the back of her hand. "You and our baby."

***

"NIA."

Nia stopped admiring the Moonflowers in her garden when Aku arrived. She turned around to face him, then she smiled and bowed to him. "Greetings, Your Royal Highness."

"Why are you being so formal?" Aku complained. "You can talk to me casually, Nia."

"You're the crown prince of the empire, Your Royal Highness," she reminded him with a smile. As the royal princess, she was raised perfectly as a beautiful doll who was supposed to only smile at the crown prince. "I can't speak casually to you."

He scowled at that. Then, he turned to all the servants and knights around them. "Leave us alone," he said sternly. "I need to speak with the royal princess in private."

The servants and the knights looked hesitant to leave.

But as soon as Aku glared at them, they all bowed their heads and scrammed.

A tyrant in the making, I see.

"Nia, why do I feel like you're being distant to me?" Aku said while they were walking around the luxurious garden to admire the Moonflowers. "Did I do or say something to make you upset?"

Her brother had been away for almost a year.

As far as she knew, Aku went to the North for his "training." But she knew her brother went there for a different reason.

"I'm sorry for leaving you for that long, Nia," Aku said, then he gently patted the top of her head. "Don't worry. That will be the last time that I will make you feel alone."

She just smiled at his promise that she really didn't care about. "How was your trip to the North, Brother?"

"It was fun," Aku said with an unusual bright smile. "I found a really cute baby there."