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“But from the looks of it, she seems quite devoted towards me. She’s sent me several of Kyle’s paintings.”
Gillian responded, “Isn’t that a good thing? Why would that make you unhappy?”
Helen’s eyes narrowed as she snapped, “Of course, it makes me unhappy! When you accept someone’s gifts, it softens your stance. She’s already made the first move, offering kindness and gifts, and she even elevated my standing. How am I supposed to keep her in lines.
Gillian chuckled. “That’s a separate matter altogether. Keeping her in line is still necessary. After all, what daughter-in-law doesn’t have to follow the rules when she enters the household?”
Helen nodded in agreement. “You’re right. It’s only natural for me to make sure she follows the rules. No matter how many gifts she gives me, the rules must not be broken.”
She cast another glance around the newlywed suite, her frustration evident. “In a few days, I’ll go pick out some more furniture. The chaise lounge in my room is uncomfortable. It should be made of cherry wood for it to be the best.”
“Then we’ll replace it,” Gillian replied with a smile, accompanying Helen out.
Whatever Helen wanted, they would buy. After all, even if Helen didn’t have the money, it was only natural to spend her son’s money.
Gillian had entered the palace with Helen to serve her. In truth, Gillian had been Helen’s nanny. To put it bluntly, she saw Helen as her daughter. Gillian had no family to return to, so spending her life with Helen suited her just fine. Besides, she couldn’t rest easy without watching over the younger woman.
In Gillian’s heart, even though Helen was now a mother-in-law, she was still the same baby she had once cradled in her arms.
Suddenly, Helen stopped in her tracks.
“Gillian!” she called out. “Do you think it’s possible that the woman Rafael truly loves is Sophie?”
She had been suspicious for some time now, especially after seeing the grandeur of this wedding. It was far from the casual marriage Rafael had claimed it would be. He might have downplayed it, but everything had been carried out to the highest standard. The new residence was as luxurious as it could be.
Even the betrothal gifts had outshone those given when the king married the queen. Of course, back then, the greatest gift in marrying the king was the status of becoming the crown princess and eventually the queen. Material things were of much less importance compared to that title.
Gillian responded, “If that’s true, then it’s even better. At least the prince would be marrying the one ha truly loves.”
But Helen shook her head, her worry deepening. “That might not be good. If she’s the one Rafael cherishes most, won’t he end up protecting her in everything once she’s through the door? What authority will I, as the mother-in-law, have left?”
Gillian tried to reassure her. “We’re only guessing here, so let’s not jump to conclusions. If she were truly the one he loved, why would he have allowed her to marry Blake in the first place?”
Helen thought it over, and realized that it made sense.
Even though Rafael was on the battlefield at the time, if he had truly wanted to stop the marriage, it shouldn’t have been too difficult, right?
But she failed to consider the vast distances involved. Even if Sophie had married and had children, Rafael might not have known about it. She also didn’t realize the dangers he faced on the battlefield, where he was focused on winning the war. He had assumed Melanie would keep her promise, so he didn’t worry about it and only wanted to secure victory and return to the capital as quickly as possible. Unaware of these details, Helen simply felt that having Sophie as her daughter-in-law was a blemish on her otherwise perfect life. Her emotions were conflicted. She was happy that her son was getting married, but unhappy that he was marrying Sophie.
Meanwhile, preparations were also underway at Valor Estate and Silverstone Estate for tomorrow’s grand event.
This would be Blake’s third marriage, but his feelings about marrying Viola were vastly different from those he had experienced in his previous marriages.
When he married Sophie, he was overjoyed. He felt that to have someone as pure and graceful as her as his wife was a blessing he had earned over three lifetimes. Even on their wedding day, when he received the orders to go to war, his heart was still full of happiness. But that happiness was mixed with an even greater sense of reluctance. When he lifted her white veil and saw how stunning Sophie was in her wedding attire, his heart nearly melted.
At that moment, his promises were sincere. He vowed never to let her down.
But, unfortunately, he missed his chance with Sophie.
When he married Freya, he believed he had found his true love. Their connection felt spiritual. Although Freya had once sent a letter asking him to withhold half of Sophie’s dowry, which made him uncomfortable, it didn’t diminish his hopes for their future together.
But this time, his marriage to Viola was arranged.
He had only met Viola once. Though she was slightly older, she was more attractive than Freya but still could not compare to Sophie. Most importantly, there was no emotional connection between him and Viola. Even when he looked at her, he felt nothing.
Moreover, his last marriage to Freya had nearly drained his finances. This time, even after spending the hundred gold coins granted by the king, he still couldn’t give Viola a proper wedding.
Fortunately, even though the Earl of Silverstone’s family was gradually declining, it still retained a considerable amount of wealth. Moreover, his brother-in-law Oliver had become the commanding general of the Hell Monarch Army, earning widespread praise and flattery.
As a result, the festivities at Silverstone Estate were far more lively than those at Valor Estate.
However, their wedding clashed with the wedding of Rafael and Sophie.
This created a dilemma for many officials who, in their efforts to please both sides, had to attend two separate weddings. But honestly, most people came out of respect for Oliver, not for Blake.
This left Blake feeling deeply frustrated, so much so that he even considered calling off the wedding. The frustration was overwhelming, to the point where he started to question the very purpose of it all.
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Freya’s mood also required careful handling. If she caused a scene on the wedding day, things spiral out of control and he would become a laughingstock in the capital.
So, Blake went to Freya’s quarters. She sat quietly in a chair, her demeanor eerily similar to when he had informed Sophie of the king’s edict for their marriage. But in hindsight, he realized that Sophie had always remained calm, with only a hint of mockery in her expression.
Freya, however, looked at him with nothing but resentment.
Blake sat across from her, trying to calm himself, intending to have a sincere conversation.
“I know you feel wronged,” he began. “I made promises to you that I haven’t kept. But Mrs. Murray made it clear that this marriage is by the king’s order. Since the king once granted a marriage between us with an edict, he can’t do so again with another one. It’s his will, and I cannot defy it.”
Freya looked up, her gaze sharp and mocking. “Is this what you told Sophie when you sought to marry me?”
He shook his head. “No. Back then, I was direct. I told her that the one I loved was you.”
A sudden, unsettling smile spread across Freya’s face. Without her vell, the smile combined with her scars looked dark and sinister. “And now? Who is the one you love?” t
Blake remained silent for a long moment, unable to answer her question.
Freya seemed to know the answer in her heart, but she remained unsettled and unwilling to accept it.
“When you loved me, was it just a momentary infatuation?” she asked.
Blake remained unable to answer. He didn’t know.
His feelings for Freya were genuine at the time, but whether they were merely a passing fancy, he couldn’t clearly say.
Because after marrying Freya and divorcing Sophie, he felt a pang of regret. He remembered telling Solomon that he hoped Sophie wouldn’t regret her decision, but in truth, he knew that he himself had begun to regret it.
Didn’t he love Freya then? He certainly did.
But couldn’t a man’s heart hold space for two women?
How many men take multiple wives and concubines? Sophie couldn’t accept it, and perhaps he was angered by his own broken promises. In any case, with Melanie now dead, he no longer needed to answer to the Duke of Northwatch’s family for his promises.