My child 12

 Chapter 12. A Shiver of Exhilaration Ran Through My Body

    ****

 

   "Ah, Princess, Crown Prince! Forgive me!"

    Helena begged for forgiveness, but it was too late.

    Instead of answering, I shook my head heavily. My ears caught the words of another.

    "I didn't see it that way, but she was a very redeeming young lady."

    "Well, well, well. I thought she was a true lady......."

    These were the words of the Duke and his wife.

    "Princess Riley. Don't be so hurt. It was Lady Helena  who was the bad one."

    These are the words of Lady Vanessa.

    "We believe that to break a bad habit, a corporal punishment is in order. Lady Helena needs to know the gravity of her offense against the royal family."

    And these were Francis' words. 

    "I, I feel wronged!" (Helena)

    "Let her air her grievances to the inquisitor."

    Francis was usually on the finite side, but when it came to the royal family, he was relentless.

    His tone was reminiscent of my father's.

    I curled my lips inward, threatening to burst out laughing.

    A shiver of exhilaration ran through my body like nothing I had ever felt before.

    ****

    The palace's largest hall was lavishly decorated.

    The artisan-made chandelier, the fine carpet on the floor, the antique-looking table, the expensive candlesticks that adorned it.............

    I stared at them numbly.

    Perhaps it was because the wedding was not scheduled to take place, or perhaps it was because I had no hopes for the wedding, but nothing in the hall captured my heart.

    What's more, it wasn't my first marriage.

    I thought back to my wedding to Henderson.

    We were married in a small shrine, not a fancy hall. I looked at them blankly, for this was the marriage my father had opposed.

    Our wedding was small and quiet. We had very few guests.

    But I was so happy then.

    I didn't need anyone to bless me, just Henderson and our child by my side.

    If only I had the warm hands of my family to hold my hand.

    "...."

    I cringed suddenly.

    I wasn't sad that I couldn't marry Henderson again.

    It made me sad to realize that I could never go back to that happy time.

    I couldn't bury those days as just fond memories............... because the memories were too vivid.

    I want to forget, I thought.

    "......Riley. Do you like it?"

    It was my father who asked the question.

    My father was planning my wedding, and I was taking matters into my own hands. It was so different from the past.

    I shook off my thoughts of the past and stared up at the chandelier.

    "Yes, father. I want the lights to be more colorful. Please replace them with something more expensive and beautiful."

    My gaze dropped to the carpet.

    "What is this carpet? One would think I were marrying a man from a Baron family."

    Finally, I looked up at my father's face.

    "This is my wedding to a man with a good background, which is what you wanted, so please spend more money."

    The more extravagant the wedding, the greater the disappointment when it didn't happen.

    My father was not offended by my outburst.

    "I'll do that. I'll place another order today."

    "Thank you."

    ***

    Another week passed from the day I punished Helena.

    She claimed her innocence, but the nobles at the tea, the witnesses I had arranged, all sided with me.

    Helena was found guilty of contempt of the royal family. The punishment she received was five years' probation.

    She was left to fend for herself in the provinces, without the patronage of her family.

    Honestly, I could have taken her life if I wanted to.

    I could have used my brother or my father, playing the wounded woman, playing the pitiful victim.

    But I didn't do it because I didn't want to be like her, a murderer.

    I didn't want to take someone's life in such a heinous way.

    If I  killed her, I might earn the hatred of another.

    Revenge was important, but my life with Eddie was more important than anything else.

    I didn't want anything to get in the way of our life together.

    Now that I'd gotten even with Helena, it was time to decide what to do with Henderson.

    I was sitting on the couch in my room, thinking about Henderson, when I heard Matilda's voice.

    "Princess, you have a visitor."

    "Who is it?"

    "Duke Henderson Graham."

    I sat up slowly on the couch, my body tensed.

    "Henderson............."

    His name leaked from my lips.

    Why was he here now, looking for me?

    I debated whether or not to meet him.

    ***

    Henderson had thought of her every day for the past few weeks.

    He thought it was fate.

    She had appeared out of nowhere, shedding herself and leaving a trail of.............

    He even tried to look her up, but it wasn't easy.

    For one thing, Henderson didn't know the nobility of the Lopez Empire.

    He'd spent so much time away from home before he became a duke, and he rarely went to banquets or gatherings afterward.

    Not only did he not enjoy nightlife, he didn't like the unpleasant stares he received.

    "A duke of illegitimate birth."

    "A duke of low birth."

    He didn't want to hear the backstory.

    He didn't want to be born illegitimate either, and sometimes he wanted to scream.

    He couldn't understand why he was being criticized when he didn't control his birth.

    And he couldn't remember her face clearly. The room was too dark.

    Just before he fell asleep like an anesthetic, he complacently thought he would talk to her after daylight.

    He didn't want her to vanish like smoke.

    All he knew was that her hair was the color of cotton candy pink, her eyes the green of midsummer green.

    All he knew was that she was small enough to fit in his arms.

    The Princess Riley was the most famous of all such women, but he didn't think she would spend the night with him, even though everyone wanted her.

    He secretly hoped the ghostly woman would find him first.

    But there was nothing as if she'd forgotten he existed, and he still dreamed of the same person coming forward.

    The dreams he'd had of her, the wife who loved him, the child who died, the wife who eventually came to hate him.

    Each time he had the same dream, it became more vivid than the last.

    Now he could hear her and his voice clearly.

    "Henderson. Didn't you ever love Eddie?"

    "Maybe you don't love me anymore................"

    The words were usually his dream wife's own.

    "Eddie.”

    For some reason, he couldn't get that familiar name out of his head.

    And in his dreams, he was standing on the deck of a ship, whispering someone's name in a sad voice.

    "Riley............."

    It was a strange thing. He dreamed that a faceless princess had suddenly become his wife. Then he heard some interesting news.

    "Helena Moore has been sentenced to probation for insulting the royal family.”

    The rumor had spread far and wide in the capital.

    It was not rumored how or which imperial family she had insulted, but a chance encounter with Duke Bernard led to an unexpected story.

    "Lady Helena has insulted Princess Riley with her gossip about the masquerade ball, much to the displeasure of His Highness the Crown Prince."

    Duke Bernard, who loved to talk even when he's not asked, has been spouting off unasked questions.

    The Duke even explained what the 'rumor' was. Princess Riley had entered a room with a man.

    In that moment, Henderson was convinced that Riley was the woman he'd met at the masquerade ball.

    He also realized that the rumored man was himself.

    The rumor was true.

    ****

    To donate for extra chapters for my series or to tip me visit my personal kofi page 

    https://ko-fi.com/doradora 

    Join my discord to get notifications for updates     https://discord.gg/KftaxqanE4

    (If the link is expired, message me for a new link)