Evangeline walked into her bedroom, closing the doors behind her. Richard saw her mood and walked over to her, holding her hand.
"Did something happen?" Richard asked while he kissed her hand.
"Nothing, I'm fine. I'm just tired," Evangeline replied with a lie. She walked to the bed and lay down. Her mind was on the letter she had found in Dominic's office. She hid her emotions about the letter and acted normal in front of him.
Richard joined her, lying beside her. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, which made Evangeline smile. She pulled him closer and kissed him on the lips, then grabbed a pillow to sleep.
"I'm going to have a picnic tomorrow. Will you join me?" she asked Richard as she rested her head on the pillow. Richard nodded.
"Alright," she said and fell asleep. Richard removed his shirt, lay beside Evangeline, hugged her, stroked her hair, and fell asleep.
The next morning, Evangeline and Richard woke up together. Richard walked to the window and looked out. The servants came into Evangeline's room, cleaned up, and went to prepare her bathtub. After they were done, she asked them to prepare her picnic before they were dismissed.
After the servants left with her clothes to wash, Evangeline took a bottle of wine and two cups from her drawer. She grabbed Richard's hand with her other hand and led him to her bathroom. She asked him to remove her clothes, and he did. She set the bottle and cups beside the bathtub, dipped herself in the water, and beckoned Richard to join her. As he removed his clothes, she looked at every detail of his body, from head to toe. Her cheeks flushed red, and she turned away. He could be her muse for her next artwork. He got into the bathtub and swam towards Evangeline. His heart was beating fast as he saw her naked again, this time all wet with water droplets on her skin. He then grabbed her and kissed her, and she kissed him back. He carried her to the edge of the bathtub, spreading her legs, and kissed her again while still in the water. She wrapped her legs around him. He then caressed her thigh and breasts, kissing her neck while his hand was at the back of her head as they both breathed heavily.
Dominic's vehicle arrived at the location of the conference meeting, and he walked into the building with Caleb. He was welcomed by other nobles and politicians of the country, who wished him a successful marriage. After that, he walked to the conference seat and found two empty seats. He sat down with Caleb, waiting for the meeting to begin.
Dominic leaned his elbow on one of the seat handles, with his ringed finger on his temple. Some men passed him and Caleb, whispering about his wife's affair on the news, but Dominic ignored it and smirked. He lowered his head and thought about the slap Evangeline had given him yesterday and her angry face, which made him chuckle. Caleb saw this and was concerned.
"Dominic, is anything the problem?" Caleb's voice brought him back to his senses.
"Ah, it's nothing, Caleb, no worries," he replied, rubbing his eyes tiredly while holding some papers in his hand.
Prince George walked in with some papers and went to the stage to represent his father as the politicians and monarchs greeted him respectfully.
"Sorry for the inconvenience, everyone. My grandfather has been sick for a while, so I'm representing him for now." Prince George was a tall man with brown hair and green eyes. He was the grandson of the king and one of the heirs in line for the throne. He was younger than Adrielle and older than Evangeline, his relative, and a little older than Dominic. He was handsome and was nicknamed Apollo because his eyes resembled those of the god, according to rumors. He saw Dominic, his in-law, and waved at him. Dominic nodded slightly.
"Since Adrielle died, a lot of things have gone downhill, and inflation has affected the country. My grandfather was affected by this as well, and now we have a new governor and Viceroy." George read through the documentation in his hand. "He made an excellent strategy for solving the economic problems and pricing of items in the market, also making taxes affordable for every citizen, regardless of class." A lot of whispering enveloped the room with gossip, and some were despising him because of his family background. George took the gavel and hit it on the sound block at the conference table.
"Silence!" he commanded, and everyone was silent. He smiled. "Now that I have everyone's attention," he started to read the plans on how to solve the crisis and balance taxation.
They are as follows:
"Establish a Temporary Economic Council: Create a temporary economic council comprising experienced economists, financial experts, and government officials to provide immediate advice and stability. Conduct an immediate assessment of the current economic situation, including fiscal deficits, public debt, and the overall economic outlook."
This idea shocked everyone in the conference room except the monarchs who attended. A few smiled, and the gossip began again. An old man from the crowd stood up and pointed at Dominic.
"How can a matrilocal husband know how to solve this crisis or have any idea of how this business works? I'm sure his wife taught him, and he's stealing her idea! He's just like his family, criminals!" His accusation against Dominic made others agree with him.
Dominic felt humiliated, and George wasn't comfortable with the accusations and agreement, tightening his grip to the paper in anger.
Another man in his 40s stood up. "Don't you dare accuse the young man just because he's a Brusward. This is unlike anything I've seen at his age. Adrielle was good, but he is better." Some politicians agreed with the man, complimenting Dominic. The room was filled with ups and downs. Dominic had gotten used to the humiliation because of his family's background. Also, he's the youngest among them.
George hit the gavel in annoyance. "Anyone who slanders Mr. Brusward will be executed by royal law," George warned seriously. He took a deep breath as he ordered the guards to draw out their weapons, causing everyone to keep quiet. "Dominic is like your brother. We should treat him as an equal, not as a criminal. I'm sure Azielle had her reasons for marrying him to Evangeline and why my grandfather approved the marriage."
He turned to Dominic. "I'm sorry for what happened, Governor," he apologized to Dominic and faced the audience. "Can I continue?" George asked.
Back in Evangeline's bathroom, Richard and Evangeline kissed deeply. She wrapped her arms around his neck, coming closer to him, moaning while she was being touched everywhere by him. They accidentally slipped and both fell into the water. They raised their upper bodies, their hair wet, and laughed at each other.
"That was close," Evangeline giggled, covering her mouth with her hand gracefully.
"You don't want to be late for your picnic," Richard said, grabbing her waist while staring into her eyes. He kissed her chest.
"Oh right... Also, I need new jewelry. I couldn't get them earlier because of the poisoning. A lot of things need to be done, and I need to check on Magdalene." She walked out of the bathtub, and Richard followed her. But he carried her in his arms back to the room.
~CHAPTER END~