Pin drop silence engulfed the King's study. Solanine remained standing at the door with a frizen expression on her face, while Roderick lowered his head with a smile. Sylvan stared fixedly at Solanine, his lips parting to defend his point but no words came out even after a few seconds.
A lopsided smile cracked Solanine's features, her eyes turning cold as she drew in a long breath, her grip on the doorknob tightening then loosening as she dropped her hands on her sides.
Her eyes turned to look at Roderick and she uttered in a slightly cold voice, "She will be coming to you after she's done with Katherine. I don't think it'll take long."
Her gaze stayed locked on the king's face, though she could Sylvan's gaze on her face.
"Alright, you can leave," dismissed Roderick, an amused smile still tugging on his lips.
At his words, Solanine turned around without glancing at Sylvan and left the room, gently closing the door behind her.
Silence descended the room once again, until Roderick's subtle chuckle broke the silence. "You have some explaining and coaxing to do," he teased, and Sylvan groaned in response. His lips twitched and he raked a hand through his hair, then blew out some air from his mouth.
Deciding to push Solanine at the back of his mind, he started tapping his fingers on the surface of the desk again. "Will I need to parade around the towns with her? At least you can spare me that."
Roderick dropped the papers in his hands, a sigh leaving his lips. "I seriously don't understand what language I need to use to make you understand," he said, his voice low and dragged.
"It's a whole another thing to sit in carriage for an entire day like a piece of art in exhibition," Sylvan complained, his voice slightly rising from the frustration he was feeling. The thought of sitting in carriage for so many hours made him want to lash out already, let alone sitting with a woman supposed to be his wife.
"Well, you will have to do it. Adeline is your wife, and you're her husband," Roderick stressed out in finality, his gaze piercing to pass the point to Sylvan that it was the end of the discussion.
He picked up the papers again and started going through them, acting as if Sylvan had already left the room.
Sylvan could only grumble under his breath, still not satisfied with how things were going, and most of all, how his father was planning out everything for him.
Picking up his coat, he stood up and made his way out of the study, almost colliding with a woman's petite frame. He almost thought ut was Solanine and his hand subconsciously grabbed her upper arm, but the next instant, his eyes turned cold and a frown formed on his lips.
"S–sorry," uttered Adeline as she lowered her head and stepped out of the way. But even after some time had passed, there was still no movement from Sylvan so she raised her head quizzically, only fir her breath to catch in her throat when she met Sylvan's cold stare.
His lips were curled disdainfully, his eyebrows slightly pinched over the bridge of his nose, forming subtle creases on his forehead. His eyes were deep as usual and cold, so cold that Adeline could almost feel a shiver running down her spine.
She gulped softly, wondering what she had done.
While she was lost in his ethereal eyes, she heard him scoff and her eyes slightly widened, the little sound snapping her back to her senses. She blinked once, her brown eyes darting between his. Sylvan's gaze slowly raked her appearance from top to bottom, making Adeline squirm uncomfortably on the spot, then his eyes travelled back to her face and she saw the muscles at the back of his jaw clenched before he turned around and walked away.
Adeline was left standing there in a trance, her mind still trying to process what just happened. Sylvan's retreating figure was in her peripheral vision and she turned around, her lips parting before she could think.
"Wait," she called out and his steps slowly came to a halt, but he didn't turn around.
Adeline darted her tongue out to wet her lips then wrung her fingers, before bracing herself and walking towards him.
Standing in front of his tall frame, he towered over her with all his majestic glory, making her all the more nervous, but this time she tried to compose her expression.
From the way his lips kept twitching and his fingers tapping impatiently against his trousers, Adeline could tell that Sylvan was in a bad mood. But this was the first he was without Solanine and she just needed to get some things out of the way without feeling another piercing gaze on her.
"I wanted to talk to you," she started, her eyes staring up at his cold ones. She didn't know if she expected him to say or do anything, but all she got was a raised eyebrow.
'Uh…' What was she going to say? Her hands suddenly turned clammy and her eyes darted around.
"Tsk," Sylvan sighed, a flicker of annoyance passing his face as he pocketed his hands.
"I wanted to ask you if we're going to stay like this for… uhm, as long as the marriage lasts?" She asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.
Sylvan quietly processed every word she said, his eyebrows furrowed.
Adeline waited anxiously, but the next minute, his eyebrows relaxed and his lips tugged slightly, amusement dancing in his eyes.
'What is he smiling at?' Adeline wondered, her eyes still searching his face.
Meanwhile, Sylvan's mood lightened as he thought of how good it was that this woman was still self aware. 'As long as the marriage lasts'. Even she knew that it was not forever.
"Like what?" He asked back, the irritation she had read earlier no longer there.
"Like…" Adeline trailed off, trying to find the right word. "... like strangers," she mumbled under her breath, almost inaudibly.
"And –"
"Yes, yes, I know we're strangers," she cut him off before he could finish his statement and Sylvan's eyebrows rose. "But we're married now. I'm your wife and you shouldn't be so distant," her voice lowered with each word she said.
Sylvan remained silent, his eyes peering into her expectant brown ones. He could tell without trying that she was anxious, and for a moment, he was tempted to concede and say alright, but he snapped back to his senses before he could, and it was like a mask washed over his features again. Adeline watched, her pulse quickening in nervous anticipation.
"There's no need to form attachments, as you know, this is only temporary," her responded coldly, then walked around her.
Adeline was again left rooted to the spot as if in a trance. Her mind raced to comprehend what he just said and a deeo frown marred her forehead.
This was temporary? She only said that at the spur of the moment, but Sylvan's words left her stunned. What did he mean by that?
"Adeline, dear," Roderick's warm voice interrupted her thoughts and she glanced towards the study door.
"Oh, Your Majesty," her voice came out small as she tried to pull her thoughts from Sylvan, and it was then that she remembered she was here to meet the King.
Hurrying her steps, she smiled back at the smiling King and he gestured for her to get in, holding the door open for her.
Roderick took his seat and Adeline followed suit, sitting opposite him with her hands on her lap.
"How are the lessons going? I heard you're quite curious about the history of Darkfrost," he started, clasping his hands together on top of the desk, then he added with a drawl, "Or is ut the Lowells you're curious about?"
Adeline didn't know if she imagined it, but following that question, the king's eyes seemed to have a red glint which disappeared as soon as it appeared, mako her blink in wonderment. What was that? Also, despite the warm smile on his lips, Roderick's tone was somewhat unusual.
"Uh… I love reading a lot, and about the history of the Kingdom, well I was just curious. It is good to add some knowledge after relocating, don't you think?" She replied calmly, tossing the question back at the King which made his smile widen.
"It is, indeed," he said, leaning back on the backrest of the chair. "But to be honest with you, it is really not necessary. You have all the time in this palace to learn anything you want," he ended his words with a light chuckle.
Adeline smiled, one that didn't quite reach her eyes but she didn't notice the borrowed behaviour because the gears inside her head were now turning, her mind trying to ponder on the king's words.
Since she showed interest in learning the history of Darkfrost and the Lowells, all she was getting was barriers. First it was the lack of reference books, then it was these talks trying to pry her away from the topic. It was unusual for a king to discourage his daughter-in-law, a queen to be, from learning. Their behaviours only fuelled her suspicion.