MASKS TO UNVEIL CHAPTER 17: Secret
"W-wife, look at me…" Naxzi gently slapped Sencha's face which was red due to the alcohol that she drank without stopping. From the looks of it, she wouldn't stop drinking if he didn't meddle. No, he can't tolerate this anymore.
"Hmm? W-why is your fa-face two? There are t-two of you? *gasp* Husband…. Why are there two…"
She pointed at his face and blinked her eyes as if it would clear her vision. She uncharacteristically wiped her eyes and even Sanc was suppressing his laughter from a distance. Sanc was looking at Naxzi as if feeling pity that he had to go through such a thing after only two days of his marriage. This kind of trouble is really entertaining.
Sanc couldn't imagine what would happen after one month of their marriage. Would it be this entertaining and promising? He couldn't help but smile at how their relationship progressed faster than he imagined.
"Wife, stop moving or you'll fall. Hmm? Listen to me."
He helplessly looked at her and breathed out. He grabbed both of her arms and restrained her from moving too much. She rolled her eyes and laughed as if a crazy woman while trying to cover her mouth. She literally looked like a clown, trying to make her audience laugh. He gazed at her and let out a soft chuckle. Even how desperate he felt, he can't just stop himself from laughing at how funny she looked. He didn't know that this is how she makes people laugh. It was effortless.
"H-husband, hiccup, husband… woooow~, hiccup, y-you… you look. So enchanting. Ahhh, my heart~~"
She suddenly brushed his hands off her arms and then touched her chest where her heart is, while the other reached out for his face. Her eyes got bigger when she touched his face and smiled like a fool.
"Wooow, there a-are two of you…"
"... Wife…."
He haplessly blurted out and pressed his temples. She's funny but maybe it's too far? She's the crown princess. She must maintain her dignity and reputation. If outsiders saw her like this, what would they say? They would only judge how unethical her behavior was.
"Hus-husband, hiccup, hiccup, you look handsome~ Teehee~" She hiccuped then he pulled her close and carried her on his lap. He covered her face with his huge hand and then twirled his wheelchair around. Sencha was still mumbling as she slept on his chest peacefully. Looking down at her, he unconsciously curved the corners of his mouth. She looked adorable.
Sanc bowed at him, "Your Highness, at your service."
Naxzi looked at him. "Make sure no one will get a word of what happened here to her."
Sanc shifted his eyes to Sencha for a tad minute then chuckled a bit, teasing Naxzi, "Master, I know you can deal with her. All my support may be with you."
".. Stop it."
"H-husband, hiccup, handsome, hiccup.."
Naxzi closed his eyes. He felt that a sudden headache was surging from within. Haa, what should he do about this woman? Does she know how dangerous her attitude is? How dangerous her carefree personality is, he knows how it is too dangerous.
He touched her cheek and then signaled Sanc to push them into their chambers.
"Your Highness, you have arrived. Is there anything you want to order me?"
Naxzi looked at Sencha's sleeping unkempt. He covered her eyes and slowly stood up from sitting.
"My legs are having cramps…" He muttered and Sanc looked at the two being low-key lovey-dovey.
When Naxzi finished settling Sencha in the bed, he turned to Sanc and demanded. "Where is that maid who hurt my wife?"
"You mean, the maid named Jana whom you ordered in front of the room?"
"Mhm, exactly. Where is that maid?"
"Your Highness, you're thinking of not killing her? She knows many things about Her Highness and she is one of the witnesses of what happened yesterday. If we don't silence her now, she might take someone's side."
Sanc was concerned that the maid would only climb up higher.
"No, why would we kill her? That would be heartless of me. Don't you think so?"
"Then… what would you like to do with her?"
"Attend Sencha."
".. Your Highness? Are you saying that you want to pose her as a maid of the crown princess?"
"Absolutely wise, Sanc."
Sanc stepped forward and tilted his head. His master is getting more and more unreadable as days go by. Is it the effect of having someone by his side? He doesn't know.
"Your Highness, I know you're a very kind-hearted person. But if people who keep hurting you will be kept secured and protected by us, isn't it inappropriate? As someone who has been guarding you since then, it's not safe if we keep them here. Please order me to kill her, including the guards whom you spared, Your Highness."
Naxzi smiled at him and sat on the wheelchair calmly. "I understand your concerns, Sanc. However, do you know the saying, ' Keep your enemies closer than your friends?"
"But, master, she is one of Loushin's people.. What if Loushin finds out?"
"Ahh~ so you mean that woman. Let her know."
"Your Highness, you sped up your plans without telling our team. Is it because of Her Highness, your wife?"
Naxzi looked back at him and asked seriously, "Isn't speeding up what you want to?"
Sanc bit his lips. "I know, Your Highness. But her Highness might get involved. Do you want to put her into an unknown path of the future, Your Highness?"
Naxzi looked at his hands calmly and breathed out. "Sanc… my wife is my wife."
"Does that mean that you haven't moved on?"
".. Sanc, your brain sometimes impresses me. It works so quickly that I want to hit you."
Sanc bowed, "Forgive me, Your Highness. I won't question you again. I was just merely worried about Her Highness."
Naxzi smiled. "I know. You wouldn't be worried if she's not my first love."
Sanc felt proud. "Of course, Master. It is my keep you safe and your family after all."
Naxzi sighed then watched Sencha. He felt that she is obsessed with sleeping because it hasn't been three hours since she woke up, and she was sleeping already again?
"The guards that were owned by Loushin, kill them," Naxzi said and gritted his teeth.
Sanc finally felt at ease when he heard him and went away in a rush. Naxzi reached out to Sencha's face then stopped midway.
***
After seven hours, it was already nighttime when Sencha woke up from being drunk.
She sat up and then groaned a bit. She wiped her eyes and opened them.
"... Huh? I-it's night. Already?"
She looked at the person beside her and breathed out. She felt dizzy and remembered that she had drunk the wine earlier. She regretted it and then carefully went down from the bed.
Because she slept for a long time, she doesn't feel sleepy at all now. She touched her head and limped as she walked to the terrace near the window. The wind gushed inside which woke Naxzi. He immediately turned his head to check Sencha and when she was not in sight, he panicked and looked ahead.
He was almost sitting up when he saw the back of her body before his eyes. She was at the terrace alone, looking up at the sky. He furrowed his eyes and stared at her.
She's supposed to be still dizzy because of the intake of alcohol. But he couldn't say anything as he was afraid that he would disturb her peacetime alone. Rather than interrupting her, he laid his body back and watched what she would do.
Sencha, whose hands were on the railings, looked down at her hands and opened them. She looked at how her Blue and Lavender powers were fighting each other and she had an ugly expression. It was painful since she couldn't control her Lavender power. She didn't know what happened but something inside her body kept her Lavender power intact and didn't blow out of nowhere compared to what she experienced a few days ago.
The foreign object in her body was the one who helped her recover so fast that even some of her old wounds have been patched up. Her Blue Power even surpassed two levels because of it. What is the sudden foreign object in her body? If it's not an object, then… could it be the power of someone?
After mulling it over, she turned her head back but saw that Naxzi was sleeping peacefully. He must have had a hard time dealing with her drunk self earlier. She put her Blue and Lavender power after a minute of struggle and heaved a sigh of relief.
That night, Naxzi found out the secret she was hiding. Why would she hide something so incredible? If her family finds out about this, would they be able to accept her fully? It feels ridiculous and uncanny to see how their destiny crossed each other again. Both of them were the same.