The carriages were ready and the Royal family had seen Heinrich and his family off. Heinrich had taken the carriage with Killian whereas Teresia and the Princess had taken the other carriage.
The Princess was sitting with Heinrich's wife for the first time. She looked calm and elegant. She wasn't even looking at the Princess with a suspicious gaze. She probably knew that it was a lie.
After some time, she finally looked at the Princess, "How old are you?" She asked an unusual question.
The Princess was confused, "21?" She said,
"21 what?" Teresia continued to ask.
"Years…" The Princess specified in confusion.
"You are too young yet." Teresia was surprised, "Does he want children?" She asked.
The Princess widened her eyes, "Um… Ma'am, that was not true."
"What do you mean?" Teresia asked, "The Great Father told me himself that you are his mistress."
…
Were they supposed to continue their facade? The Princess was confused and she didn't know how to answer.
"Yes, but… It has not gone that far yet." The Princess murmured.
"Oh." Teresia nodded. "What will you do if he wants children?" She asked as if it was a life and death situation.
"What did you do…?" The Princess asked.
"I bore him children, what else?" Teresia said bluntly. "But I am his wife so I was expected to do so. He has never had a mistress before and I am curious to see if the rules would be the same for you or not."
"Rules?" The Princess asked. She didn't know that Heinrich's wives had to abide by a set of rules like the servants as well.
"You have not read the rules yet?" Teresia asked. "Strange." She held her chin with her hand in suspicion. "Either way, I am glad you are being treated differently so far. What is better than seeing a lady from our creed happy and fulfilled?"
"Thank you." The Princess was confused but she still managed to express her gratitude and pass a smile.
Teresia made it sound like Heinrich wasn't a good husband. The fact that his wives had to follow some sort of rules made it sound like the Royal Palace. Well, Heinrich did stand higher than any other person so maybe it was necessary.
Maybe things would have been different for the Princess had she been his actual mistress. He might've shown her the rules or asked for children. But since she wasn't his actual mistress, it was different. And for some reason, the Princess couldn't seem to complain.
In the other carriage, Killian stared at Heinrich with blood-drenched eyes. He had so much to say to the man but his status kept him from saying a single word. His eyes darted toward Heinrich instead.
"Would you stop staring at me like that?" Heinrich asked, expressing his discomfort.
"I wish I could." Killian expressed his disgust.
Heinrich chuckled, "Are you jealous I called her my mistress in front of everyone?" He asked playfully.
Killian was taken aback for a while. He wondered if this was the actual reason he felt hatred toward Heinrich; jealousy. He shook his head. There was no way he was in love with his owner!
"I see the part of you that Her Royal Highness fails to see," Killian said.
"Hm?" Heinrich raised an eyebrow, "I must say that I am one of the most human-looking people out there."
Killian narrowed his eyes and looked away. He hated engaging in conversations with Heinrich. After seeing him walking with the Princess, hand in hand, all night, he felt more disgusted than before.
"Why did you lie?" Killian asked.
"Who is to say I lied?" Heinrich asked as he shrugged.
Killian frowned, "Stay away from Her Royal Highness."
Heinrich exhaled, putting his leg over his other leg. "Killian Schneider, was it?" He tried to remember his full name, then nodded to himself. "You keep forgetting that you are living under my ceiling. I get to decide what happens to you and her."
"Then let us go," Killian said fearlessly. "We will live on our own."
"Once in my house, you can only leave if I want you to leave." Heinrich said, "I am nice enough to accept your request, so you can leave." He added, "She cannot leave though."
Killian frowned and clenched his fists shut, "Why are you doing this to us?"
"Us?" Heinrich raised an eyebrow, "You are her bodyguard, are you not? Act like one. Stop trying to associate yourself with her."
Killian was furious. He knew that his status was causing Heinrich to look down at him. And he also knew that there was nothing he could do about it. The Princess wanted to earn Heinrich's favor. By arguing with Heinrich like this, he was defying the Princess's orders and wishes. He zipped his lips shut, trying not to let his anger get the best of him.
The carriages stopped at a rest area. Everyone left the carriages for a meal.
"Great Father," Teresia called him during the meal.
The rest area wasn't crowded at all. They were the only people present, along with their chauffeur who was busy feeding the horses outside.
"Yes?" Heinrich replied.
Teresia held the Princess's hand out of the blue, "Will your mistress bear you children?" She asked.
Killian looked at Teresia, then at Heinrich with confusion. The Princess was just as confused.
Heinrich raised an eyebrow, "Let her hand go, Teresia." He said calmly.
Teresia gulped and let her hand go, her own hands trembling.
"Have you skipped your night medicine?" Heinrich asked, "If you have, you should know better to stay quiet in front of children."
"That is why I brought this up!" Teresia said, "Sofia is just 21, Great Father. Please be mindful of her age. She is just a child at the moment."
"And?" Heinrich raised an eyebrow. "I do not remember asking you to access her."
The air was somewhat thick. The Princess was surprised in many ways. He was stern. She didn't remember him being this stern with her. Why was he like that toward his wife? It sent chills down her spine. And Teresia's expressions weren't calm anymore. She looked like she had seen a ghost!
Heinrich stood up and walked outside without hearing or saying anything more. Killian felt only more hatred toward him whereas the Princess was left in confusion. There was so much they didn't know about him; so many unanswered questions.