Second Arc (His Art of War) - 92. Inappropriate!
"Your Majesty, may I ask for an explanation?" asked Artheur as he held back his anger. His eyes looked at Angel sharply. Even though he knew he didn't have any relationship with Rose, he couldn't hold back his emotions anymore.
Angel turned to Artheur and gave him a smirk.
"What explanation do you need?" He knew Artheur would be angry about this incident but he must not back down. He still had to show that he liked Rose as well as her.
"What happened last night? Why was Princess Rose in your room?" Artheur asked straight to the point, he even did not care about manners anymore and got rid of the fact that Angel was a king who had conquered his kingdom.
"As you can hear. We were just chatting in my room," replied Angel in a casual tone.
"A man chatting with a woman in his room at night is inappropriate for a royal family!" Artheur said in a high voice. The atmosphere around them turned tense. Frost and the Euphorion troops immediately focused their attention on Artheur, their hands moving closer to their weapons. While Angel remained calm.
King Eudon and the Fallensoar family noticed it. Queen Thea gripped Artheur tightly, asking him to stop his recklessness. Artheur took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing in a calmer voice.
"Even with the servants around. A royal family should pay attention to his reputation."
Angel let out a slight evil chuckle.
"Prince Artheur, I think you misunderstand me. I never have any servants in my room. It was just two of us." Again, he replied in a relaxed tone, as if he didn't mind if everyone knows this scandal.
At his words, Artheur's anger raged. His feet stepped to Angel and his hands were clenched into fists, he even released her mother's hand from him. Frost and the Euphorion troops immediately withdrew their weapons. But before they could aim it at Artheur, King Esteve stepped forward and blocked Artheur. King Esteve's eyes glared at Artheur, giving him a warning to keep his manners.
"You don't have any relationship with her now. Besides, she already accepted my invitation. Do you have a problem with it?" said Angel with a smirk.
"Hmph!" Artheur snorted in annoyance.
"I'm sure you must have forced her." Even though King Esteve blocked him, Artheur's anger was clear in his eyes.
Angel turned to one of his guards who escorted Rose back to her chamber last night.
"Tell me. Did I force Princess Rose to come?"
The guard bowed and answered.
"No, Your Majesty."
"Did she look sad last night?" he asked again.
"No, Your Majesty."
Angel just opened his mouth again to ask, but Artheur interrupted him.
"He is your guard. He could be lying," said Artheur sarcastically.
He turned his head at Artheur in a relaxed expression.
"Then can you explain why she accepted my blazer last night?" He knew last night Rose had no choice but to accept his blazer to cover her clothes. It would be even stranger if she came out from Angel's room with wet clothes.
Artheur pressed his lips as he held back his anger. He knew that if a woman accepted a blazer from a royal family, whether it was a king or a prince, it means that she accepted his feelings. After all, a royal family should not lend his blazer carelessly.
"You must have forced her," he tried to come up with an excuse.
"Forced her?" Angel's smirk widened and his hand moved to unbutton his blazer.
"You can check it yourself," he said as he held out his blazer to Artheur.
Artheur took a glance at his blazer in front of them and frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Take it, then you will understand," he said again.
Artheur took it reluctantly. His eyes widened as a fresh scent that indicated that the blazer had just been washed tickling his nose.
Seeing his reaction, Angel added again.
"Now tell me. If she's forced to accept it, why did she clean it up before returning it to me?" He could have guessed that Rose would have cleaned his blazer before returning it because her wet clothes must had soaked his blazer too. And according to etiquette, she would order the maids to wash it and dry it immediately.
Artheur's eyes trembled in emotion, disappointment in his eyes. Meanwhile, Angel took back his blazer in Artheur's hand and put it on. He knew Artheur's feelings were the same as when he didn't find Rose five years ago, but he had to do it.
"You were after her from the start." From his voice, it was clear that Artheur was holding back his disappointment.
"From the start?" Angel smirked evilly.
"I even didn't know she is a princess." He took a few steps closer to Artheur.
"But her courage made me want to know more about her." Even though it seemed like he was talking in secret with Artheur but he did not lower his voice. He wanted everyone to hear it.
King Esteve and King Eudon immediately noticed this oddity and concluded that he was planning something. While Artheur was holding back his anger desperately, he did not realize it because his heart was already filled with anger and rage.
"May I know what you mean?" asked King Eudon in a calm voice. But despite his voice, he looked at him curiously. He knew very well what Rose was like.
Angel turned to him and realized that King Eudon had already noticed his plan, as did King Esteve.
"I want to talk to you. Shall we have breakfast together?"
Realizing that Angel wanted to explain about this, King Eudon agreed.
"Fine."
He turned to King Esteve.
"I hope you can come with us." He also planned to explain his plans to King Esteve and asked his help to prevent Artheur from committing a stupidity that would have ruined his plans. He was sure that King Esteve would help him since King Esteve and King Eudon relationship was quite close, after all, if Artheur did something stupid it would cost him too.
"Fine." King Esteve agreed even though he didn't know what Angel wanted to talk about but he guessed Angel wanted to explain why he made this scandal.
"Allow me to come with you," said Artheur. Anger was still in his heart, he didn't know what Angel wanted to talk about. But judging that Angel succeeded in changing Rose's thinking in just one conversation overnight, he guessed that Angel would do the same to his father and King Eudon.
"You're still seriously injured. Get some rest, I'm sure your father can handle it," he replied. He knew that Artheur's emotions were unstable, Artheur could not think straight now. If Artheur came with them he might end up messing things up.
"Princess Rose took good care of me yesterday. I already feel better now," Artheur insisted. He deliberately mentioned this in order to counter Angel's words.
Angel held back his jealousy as he remembered what he saw through his spell but rather than an expression of anger, he smirked.
"It's the kings' conversation, Prince Artheur. You can't join us."
Artheur's anger rose again. Unconsciously his feet took a step.
"You!" But King Esteve immediately got in his way.
"Artheur, go back to your room," said King Esteve in a stern tone.
Artheur gritted his teeth, his eyes still glared at Angel. But his father had ordered him and he did not want to embarrass his father by going against his orders.
"Yes, father." Without further ado, he turned around and left with Queen Thea. He didn't even greet Angel and King Eudon anymore.
"Thank you for your cooperation," said Angel to King Esteve.
"Don't get me wrong. I did it for Artheur, not for you," replied King Esteve.
"Of course I know." He let out a sigh.
"It's still early, but I think we should start our breakfast now." He walked towards the dining hall followed by the others.