MASKS TO UNVEIL! CHAPTER 23: I Hate You
"Your Highness, we have arrived." Sanc politely said and Naxzi let go of Sencha's hand, which he held throughout the trip back home. In the end, they didn't get to sightsee in the capital. She must have felt down now that he broke the promise.
Sencha didn't look back at him. She went out and didn't wait for him. She doesn't want to see that he was pretending to be paralyzed when he wasn't. That fact actually made her feel so betrayed.
Kijhy looked at her. She felt that something had happened in the carriage. Kijhy also sensed that when she was fighting with Sanc, Naxzi and Sencha didn't come out. Kijhy thought that either of them would come out but no one did. Did something happen in the wagon?
Naxzi frowned when he saw that Sencha left him inside the carriage. He turned to Sanc, who was confused and asked him, "Your Highness, did you make Her Highness mad? What did you do?"
Sencha hasn't been here for a long time yet almost all of his people have come to like her. Maybe it was because she has a carefree attitude that even his shadow guards told him that they make a good couple.
"Sanc…"
"Yes, Your Highness. At your service."
Naxzi stopped. He looked down and was wondering seriously. On the contrary, Sanc saw that he was sad and heartbroken. He concluded that Naxzi must have felt sad that Sencha left him here alone when she was always the one who attentively helped him out of the carriage.
"I'm giving you an order."
Sanc opened his eyes slightly. Naxzi has never given him an order. This must be a serious one. Sanc was prepared to kill anyone Naxzi would say. Even if it's the emperor or official Yen, he is willing to kill them all as long as Naxzi could grant him the ownership of the Magic tower for him.
"I don't care if you used the books and all the knowledge you acquired when you were a mage…"
"Absolutely, Your Highness. What do you want me to do?"
"I'll give you a rise."
"Your Highness?"
"As long as you tell me what girls like. You have this day to report back to me."
"... Your… Highness?"
"Did you not hear me?"
"Yes."
"Go to a physician and help me out of the wagon."
Sanc was stunned. Did the crown prince just say that he could use anything he needs but make sure that he knows what girls like? And he was planning to give him a rise if he was successful? Oh, wait, aha! It must be because of his wife.
Surely, a gentleman won't miss the opportunity of trapping a beauty under his arms. Sanc smiled when he thought that Naxzi had fallen deeply in love. The same man who claimed that he didn't like Sencha is now making moves towards her. Life is full of unpredictable occurrence.
Kijhy, who arrived at her master's bedroom asked,
"Your Highness, did something happen back earlier? You didn't come out."
Sencha looked at her then turned to the mirror in front of her. She touched the reflection of her face and blinked.
"The crown prince…"
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"What do you think of him?"
Kijhy blinked and examined what Sencha's expression was. She thought that a grin or an in love expression would be there, but there were only expressionless and unmoving eyes which were fixed on her face in the mirror.
Kijhy frowned. She wanted to know what had occurred so she would know how she could answer Sencha to her heart's content but she didn't want to force her master, who was sulking after going out of the wagon.
"... Your Highness, honestly, I think he's a good man. All these days, he never raised his hand to you. He feeds you well and he also treats his people as his family. A man like him shouldn't be taken for granted. In my opinion, that is. Why did you ask, Your Highness?"
"Good man? Not taken for granted? Are you sure?"
"Your Highness, that was purely based on my evaluations and all the observations I did. I do not know him well like you, Your Highness. Please pardon me."
"That's the point. Even I don't even know him."
"... Your Highness, what is it that is bothering you? Is it because of His Highness?"
Kijhy was good at making people let out what they are really thinking. But Sencha felt that she didn't want to reveal anything to Kijhy, since she might see Naxzi badly.
"..."
Sencha was silent.
Kijhy let out a breath and continued, "If you had a fight with your husband, sulking won't solve anything. Please communicate with him so you can both understand each other better."
"But we can't understand each other."
"That's why communication in marriages exists, Your Highness. If you converse with him, you'll know the reason why communication is important."
"..."
Kijhy smiled when Sencha said nothing, and was about to leave when she asked,
"Ah, right, Your highness. His Highness told me to invite you to a meal that was already served. He's waiting for you."
Sencha turned to her then shook her head. She wants to be alone right now. Seeing Naxzi while eating might make her unable to stomach the food. It's better not to eat rather than forcing herself to eat.
"Yes, Your Highness. I shall inform him. Have a good rest here."
Kijhy then left completely.
***
All while she was alone, she thought about things and reminisced about the things that happened to her so far. She also remembered her father. She couldn't help but cry. The tears on her eyes were sad. She was down because her father hasn't visited her ever since she married the crown prince. Does he really hate her that much?
Visiting wouldn't be too hard. Even though she was afraid of him, she still sees him as her father. When was the last time her father smiled at her? And when was the first time he slapped her? She couldn't understand. It was too long ago.
What she could only remember was the thing that she did when she was young. After that, her father despised her from that day onwards. Did he never love his first daughter? If her mother was here, would she feel better?
"... Wife…"
Unconsciously, she turned her head to him. He was still on his wheelchair. Looking at her, he frowned and stood up. With that, she opened her eyes and madly looked at him. It was because of him that she was feeling these different emotions.
"Go away."
She said and hiccupped. She didn't notice it before, but he was tall. When she looked at his wheelchair, she pouted. He played with her.
His long legs and well proportioned body makes her feel strange. She also feels shy for some reason. Without saying anything, he reached out to her and wiped her tears. She slightly felt uncomfortable and wanted to pull her face out of his grasp, but his eyes told her that he wouldn't hurt her so she remained sitting there wordlessly.
He smiled at her and knelt with one of his knees, holding her hand.
"Wife, please scold me."
"... What?" She rolled her eyes and fidgeted her hands, which she pulled out from his grasp, in front of her. She lowered her head when she saw that he was staring at her. It made her blush.
"I made you cry. Look, you don't even want to look at me. Come on, scold your bad husband, wife."
She bit her lower lip and bravely stared into his eyes. When she was about to open her mouth and nag him all she wanted, she stopped because his eyes were so pretty and his face was so sincere. Hearing him say 'wife' made it hard for her to say anything to him.
"..."
She couldn't say anything.
"Will you really stay silent? Your husband is waiting for you, wife."
She wanted to say anything but he… he…. He was so annoying that she couldn't say anything! Just why, just why can't her heart stop thumping?!
"Wife?"
He made it difficult for her to say anything! Just why did she fall in love with him?
"I hate you."
She said and wrapped her hands around his neck, embracing him.
"... W-w-wife?"