His Highness's Second Wife
His Highness’s Second Wife Chapter 50

Raena took a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm herself. The garden stood quiet and lonely and it reminded her of that night, so she made sure to take only the paths that kept her close to the castle and avoid water, no matter how shallow. To make things worse, she couldn’t get rid of the sense of alarm after that bizarre conversation with Rissen. The very fact that he was all smiles and his words were sweet and endearing as he asked her about the restaurant… it bothered her more than the thought of drowning.

She didn’t like how he held her when they danced, either – too close and too familiar, almost as if they were more than distant acquaintances. Or so people would have thought while watching them. She doubted he, suddenly developed a pleasant personality, so he had to be up to something. Were they trying to make her look like an easy woman? That had no relation to her successful business, so it was of little help to them.

Maybe they found Madam Lydia’s true identity and planned to somehow unmask her? But if the Empress did it herself – or Rissen in her stead – Raena could just spill the beans before her credibility was ruined. So if that was their plan, the Empress wouldn’t go for her openly. She’d have someone else do it.

Still, if that wasn’t her plan, then what was it? Not Knowing made her nervous. She had told Kara she’d figure it out, but that was mostly so that her friend wouldn’t worry. She actually hoped not to meet with the Empress at all tonight.

A soft blow of the evening wind made her shudder, and she pushed away one of the curled strands of hair that was falling in front of her face. Kassian had seen her leave the hall – what was taking him so long?

She wished she had taken Marden with her. Despite everything, having someone to watch her back felt oddly reassuring. Yet she couldn’t. If she did, Kassian would never talk to her openly. She needed to test the waters and see if there was any chance of her stirring his affections. She also needed to replace out what made him request a private meeting. Had he found something about her already? She had been very careful, but there was no guarantee no one would talk when a sufficient amount of money was involved.

She heard steps behind her and forced herself to turn slowly. He paused when he realized he had been spotted, raising his hand and pushing away the low branch that blocked his path.

He was wearing a dark blue, almost black set of pants and tunic that fit him perfectly, accentuating all his finest attributes. He looked even taller somehow, and much more dignified, with the Imperial sash showing his rank hanging across his chest. His jaw was firmly clenched as if he was holding back from speaking while the turmoil in his mind, which was now showing on his face, ended.

He stopped a few steps away as if not to scare her, and continued to stare. Raena decided to take the first step and curtsied, raising her head slightly to see his reaction.

“Good evening, Your Highness,” she said, trying to sound as confident as Madam Lydia should be. “You’re as handsome as ever. I was extremely happy to hear you want to meet with me. Privately.” He seemed to notice her stress on the last word because his eyes narrowed.

He took a couple of steps closer and Raena had to admit that she felt intimidated as he stared at her with half a frown. She hadn’t seen him smile or look happy even as he met her as Raena, but being looked at with cold calculation was definitely not pleasant. She decided not to push her luck so early in the game. “What does His Highness need from me?”

“I would like to know what’s your connection to my wife,” he replied after a short pause, eyes still locked on hers. He was close enough to rip the veil off her face. If he had done that, it would have all been over. With her identity exposed, she’d have no choice but to tell him the truth – or at least the parts he might believe – and face the consequences, whatever they might be. For a moment, that didn’t sound that bad at all.

Still, he didn’t move, nor did he try to approach her. He had lowered his voice to0, which made her realize he only came this close to make it hard for anyone else to hear.

“You mean Lady Raena?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. So this was what he wanted to talk about. It was a matter of time before they found that, but it was still a few weeks sooner than she thought. Blaine had to be one hell of a hard worker. “I guess the cat is out of the bag if you are asking me that. She is my employer as you probably already know.”

“Is she really?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She is. I bet you were really surprised.”

“How long have you known each other?” he asked again, eyes flashing with contained excitement. He really was extremely bad at hiding his emotions, so bad that it was refreshing. She remembered his face the first time he came to the North Palace – the wide eyes and slightly parted lips, the way his Adam’s apple bulged as he swallowed with effort and licked his lips before speaking. She wasn’t sure he was even aware of how expressive his face was. “Did you approach her, or did she approach you?”

“Why are you asking me this, Your Highness?” Raena countered. “Why not ask your wife? I am but a humble servant.”

“Answer!” he barked sharply and Raena let out an exasperated sigh, raising her hand to push away a strand of hair that the evening wind had blown in front of her face again. Once she tugged it behind her ear, she returned her attention to the prince.

“We’ve only met recently through a mutual acquaintance. Soon after, she asked me to look after her restaurant and handle its affairs,” Raena replied with the well-practiced explanation she had prepared. “Which I am doing quite well, don’t you think?”

“How did she come up with the idea?” Kassian asked, ignoring her attempt to change the subject.

“Do you really think your wife could actually come up with a business idea?” Raena raised an eyebrow. “I happened to cook for her one of my special dishes and she liked it so much she said I should cook for everyone.

So I suggested we do that. Her maid seemed to understand the concept and explained it to her with words she could understand. A few days later, they showed up again with the deed of the building and proposition for the restaurant.”

“So what you’re saying is that you took advantage of a naive girl to realize your own goals?” Kassian frowned, crossing his arms. The muscles under his shirt budged, stretching the fabric to the brim. Raena stared at them in appreciation, then looked back at his face.

“Not at all,” she said, throwing her hands in the air. “Does it matter who came up with the idea if it was successful? Besides, Lady Raena is the sole proprietor of the restaurant and the biggest part of its earnings go to her. I get but a meager sum to get by in return for renovating the place, teaching the cooks, hiring the staff, nd turning the place into a success. If anything, your we*t wife is the one taking advantage of me. I haven’t even seen her face since we opened. A certain handsome someone keeps grounding her so she can’t leave. Are you the jealous type, Your Highness?”

“That is none of your business,” Kassian replied with a hint of annoyance.

“Ask. Has anyone ever told you, Your Highness, that when you’re dealing with the fairer s*x, honey works better than a stick? Unless the lady is into that, but that’s another conversation.” Kassian stared at her with a stunned expression before relaxing his face and letting out a sigh. He glanced down for a moment, letting his hands fall by his sides, which made him look slightly less threatening.

“l apologize if I came off as rude or threatening,” he said with a much milder tone and even mustered a small smile. Raena almost laughed as she watched him- that stupid man really didn’t know what a powerful weapon his face was. “l just wanted to make sure she was not taken advantage of by someone dangerous. You’re not someone dangerous, are you, Madam Lydia?”

“I am but a feeble woman who likes to wear pretty things and cook!” she chuckled, spreading her arms as if to show just how defenseless she was. She felt one of her straps slide off her shoulder and she was just about to adjust it in place when she noticed Kassian’s eyes dart toward her naked shoulder.

“Where are you from, Lydia? Is it alright if l call you Lydia?” he asked suddenly and Raena raised an eyebrow, surprised by his sudden forwardness. His voice sounded deeper and not at all cold this time; even his smile seemed to have turned more confident and genuine. It was almost like he was… flirting.

“Sure,” she replied, wondering if she was the one being played with right now. “I’m from the capital – born here, spent my life here. An orphan with no parents or relatives that I know of.”

“How convenient,” he mumbled, barely loud enough for her to hear.

“I bet a lot of orphan children out there would disagree with you,” she retorted, allowing her voice to turn bitter.

“That’s not what I meant.” He laughed awkwardly. “!

“Shall we walk?” she interrupted, touching his arm.

He stared down at her fingers with surprise, then turned around abruptly as a burst of laughter revealed the appearance of a giggling couple. The man pulled his partner lose, then locked her between his body and one of the trees by the path, saying something in her ear which made her giggle. Kassian turned to Raena and nodded.

For a few minutes, none of them said a word, both staring forward as they walked slowly.

“May I ask you a question as well, Your Highness?” Raena finally broke the silence.

“You may.”

“Why do you care what your wife is doing in her free time?” Raena asked, watching him from the corner of her eyes. “The business is legal, she is not in danger or slandering your nanme or the Imperial honor. I mean, a woman can have a hobby.”

“Are you really going to pretend like you don’t know?” he asked, turning his head to look at her. Raena gave herself a confused expression as she met his eyes.

“ls it by any chance because you love your sweet, pretty wife?” she asked playfully, but when he didn’t reply at once, something in her chest fluttered. Raena hushed down the feeling, focusing on his face instead. This was her chance to poke hard into his guilt. “You are aware of her condition, right? A girl like her can never give you what you want. And if you decide to take it yourself, who knows what that would do to her fragile mind.”

His jaw tightened, and he looked away from her, toward the empty garden path that zigzagged between trees and flower bushes, ponds, and long stretches of perfectly cut grass that glistened with dew. They had walked a lot further than she realized, almost ending up close to where she had initially started after leaving the ballroom.

“I have one more guestion,” he said, his tone sounding tense again. Raena turned her head to look at him, but he was still staring ahead. “What is your relationship with the second prince?” Raena licked her lips, pondering over the right words.

“The second prince and ..”

“Your Highness! Madam Lydia! Here you are!” Raena turned, her eyes stopping on the palace attendant that had brought her the note earlier. He bowed down, his chest rising and falling as if he had been running for a while. When he straightened up, he cleared his throat before speaking again.

“Please follow me. Their Majesties will receive your greetings now.” Raena felt her stomach twist, but nodded to the servant, then turned toward Kassian.

“It was a pleasure speaking to you, Your Highness. Let’s do it again sometime,” she said as sweetly as she could before turning back toward the attendant. “I’m ready, let’s go.”

“My apologies, Madam Lydia,” the attendant said, looking between the two. “l was actually talking to the both of you. Their Majesties will see you together.”