In the evening, the corridor hummed with conversations as some of the students made their way towards the dining hall. The rich scent of roasted meat and herbs drifted through the air. Ruelle heard Hailey sighed beside her,

“I’m not certain I recovered from the dance lesson, Rue. My toes escaped unharmed, but Sawyer dances like he was trying to summon a storm. I was only there to be flung along with it.”

“I am sorry about it. But I am glad you didn’t fall,” Ruelle patted her friend’s back with a smile.

“That could have been embarrassing,” Hailey thought grimly before noticing a stain on her sleeve. She pulled out her handkerchief and began dabbing it while mindlessly asking, “How about you? Did Lucian glare at you?”

“Actually, it was the opposite,” Ruelle replied with a small smile. Contrary to what people believed, Lucian was thoughtful even if he wasn’t loud about it.

Hailey opened her mouth to respond when a royal guard stepped in front of them, blocking their path. Hailey’s hand went defensively near Ruelle’s arm. The guard announced with a bow,

“Miss Ruelle Belmont. His Highness, Crown Prince Edward, demands your presence for dinner this evening.”

Ruelle blinked. “Dinner… with the prince?” she repeated faintly.

Every conversation near them stopped and heads not so subtly turned in their direction. A hushed murmur began to spread around the corridor.

“A chaperone has already been arranged,” the guard added smoothly, as though the whispers were beneath his notice. “So that the chaperone will ensure proper conduct. You need not concern yourself with impropriety or speculation.”

“May I ask why?” Ruelle asked carefully.

“His Highness did not share his reasons. Only that he does not want to be kept waiting,” the guard replied. He continued, “If you would follow me now, Miss Belmont.”

Ruelle glanced at Hailey. Her friend squeezed out a smile. This was something one couldn’t refuse and it wasn’t every day humans like her were invited to have a meal with the royal family member.

“I’ll go ahead to the dining hall,” Hailey whispered, leaning close. “Kevin should be waiting.” Then, she said reassuringly, “You’ll be fine. Tell me everything later!” she winked.

Ruelle followed as the guard turned. Her footsteps fell quietly behind his, echoing against the polished marble floor and the hushed murmurs dimmed out. She clasped her hands together in front of her to keep them from fidgeting. They walked past the tall windows lining the corridor and when she took a peek outside, the sky looked starless.

The guard led her to a wide balcony. Two guards stood at the entrance and beyond them, lamplight glowed warmly. A long table was set near the railing, where one could view the academy grounds and the horizon.

“Miss Belmont has arrived, Your Highness,” the guard announced.

Prince Edward sat comfortably at one end of the table, dressed as if this were a soiree.

“If only you had longer legs, you would have come sooner and spared me from waiting for you. I am famished,” Edward shook his head in disappointment.

Ruelle offered him a tight smile and a bow. The chair opposite to him was pulled out for her. She asked him cautiously,

“Your Highness…is there a reason why I have been invited here?”

“Well, I am here. What better reason do you need?” Edward looked genuinely perplexed. He gestured lazily to himself up and down with his hand like the answer was so obvious it pained him to explain it. “It looks like you are slow, but that’s alright. Sit down.”

Ruelle didn’t know what Prince Edward’s intentions were, and that alone unsettled her far more than she wished to admit. Having dinner with a prince should have been a blessing. A privilege. Something young women whispered about with awe. Instead, it felt like she had stepped onto thin ice without knowing where it would crack.

But this was…this prince. And she didn’t want to plunge into cold water.

“It is a shame we didn’t get to speak more during the ballroom lesson,” Edward sighed dramatically, as if fate itself had personally wronged him. He then frowned, “They changed the song without telling me. Once I have learnt this one, we shall dance again, Ruelle.”

“So I thought,” he went on proudly, “what better solution than to have you sit with me? I am very generous like that.”

Servants arrived with the food. A roasted bird on a platter was set before her, which had a golden, crispy skin. The prince finally noticed her silence and remarked,

“You have turned far too quiet.” He looked displeased by the lack of enthusiasm from her.

“That might be easier,” Ruelle murmured softly, “if you didn’t threaten execution so frequently.”

“I am quite reasonable. I have barely executed anyone,” Edward countered without shame and he ran his fingers through his hair. “It is but a modest number.”

“One hundred and twelve,” Hermes corrected gently from behind. Ruelle nearly choked on her breath.

Far away from the balcony that was arranged upon Prince Edward’s word, in the dining room candles and the fireplace burned warmly. Hailey hurriedly stepped inside before taking a seat at the Groundlings’ table next to Kevin.

“They prepared pumpkin soup with broth and cream. You ought to taste it,” Kevin remarked, tapping the empty rim of his bowl with his spoon. He glanced around the table once. Then again. He asked, “Where is Ruelle?”

Hailey hesitated a heartbeat too long before she said in a lowered voice, “She was summoned to have dinner.” She didn’t say with whom, as she felt the dining hall didn’t need more gossip.

Kevin blinked once before giving her a polite nod. He murmured, “I see.” His hand, however, tightened around his spoon.

Hailey watched him from the corner of her eye and she asked, “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” he replied with a smile that didn’t quite make it to his eyes.

“Kevin,” Hailey turned fully toward him, her voice gentler now, “you should tell her how you feel.”

“Talk about what?” Kevin tried to laugh it off, but Hailey only rolled her eyes. After a pause he responded, “What chance does someone like me have when there’s a prince—”

Hailey’s expression softened. She stated, “You know Ruelle. She doesn’t fall for titles. She always notices kindness. If you keep your feelings locked inside, you’ll never know where you stand… and you’ll keep hurting like this.”

Kevin stared at his empty bowl.

Across the hall, laughter rose from the Elite tables. Lucian sat among them, listening to nothing. His gaze swept across the hall and stopped at the empty seat next to the Groundling with whom Ruelle usually sat.

“She was summoned to have dinner.”

And his lips settled into a thin line, as if he already knew who had summoned her.

Back on the balcony, footsteps approached from behind and Ruelle turned instinctively. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Mr. Henley, who bowed to the prince. For a heartbeat, relief flickered through her in the thought that someone familiar was here.

“Ah! Your chaperone has arrived,” Edward declared brightly. “I heard you have an uncle here, Ruelle, so naturally I thought who better to stand guard over something important?”

Uncle? Ruelle’s gaze slipped to Ezekiel and noticed him tighten his jaw.

“Though his lateness irritates me,” Edward added with a sigh, “I shall be generous and overlook it this time. Especially when he is old. His bones must creak. Hermes, you may applaud me.”

“Exceptionally generous, Your Highness,” Hermes responded in a serious tone.

The smile on Ezekiel’s face did not reach his eyes. When he’d been summoned, he had not expected to find Ruelle seated beside the prince. He corrected the prince’s assumption through clenched teeth while trying to be civil,

“Not uncle, Your Highness. But brother-in-law.”

“Oh?” Edward blinked and studied the Halfling. He frowned. “Really? You look considerably older than what you say. Ah. That explains things.”

Ezekiel asked, “Explains… what?”

Feeling her throat dry, Ruelle picked up a glass of water.

“Why you’re poor,” Edward said casually. “It startled me at first. Old and unable to afford Ruelle’s freedom. But—” a pleased light sparked in his eyes, “—one man’s failure is another man’s opportunity.”

Edward’s words hadn’t just struck Ezekiel’s nerves, but it was as if they had been stomped on. The Halfling repeated softly, “Opportunity?” He hoped the prince wasn’t talking about what he feared.

“Well, yes. Ruelle can simply become my mistress,” Edward replied cheerfully.

Ruelle had just taken a sip of water, only to spit it out, coughing violently as humiliation began to sink into her. She wanted the wind to pick her up and throw her off the balcony. Or maybe she could do it herself.

“I’m sorry, what?” Ruelle asked in shock. “I do not want to be your mistress.” The air in her throat thinned, as if humiliation had wrapped its fingers around it. It was as if what Hailey had said in the morning had come half true.

Edward stared at her blankly before he turned offended.

“Why ever not? I’m improving your life,” he said, completely earnest. “I have already sent word to my father. You should be grateful. You will have luxury, endless wealth and servants at your feet. I am saving you.”

Saving her. As if she were something pitiful to collect. Her hand clenched under the table as her ears rang. She saw the prince’s mouth moving but she didn’t register a word that he uttered.

Ruelle had come here to eat, not to be… Her thoughts spun in frantic circles. She had expected a small conversation. Perhaps another ridiculous statement about executions.

She shouldn’t have helped him this morning. In fact, she should have rolled him back into another pit of the glue trap!

“You cannot do that,” Ezekiel spoke immediately before adding, “Your Highness…” And one might have believed it was coming from a familial place of wanting to protect Ruelle.

Edward’s calm expression turned into a glare at the audacity and refusal. He narrowed his eyes and demanded,

“Who are you to deny me, Halfling? Don’t forget your place. Ah…right. You. Since you are family, I will reward you too.” He waved a hand dismissively. “I shall elevate you to a position in the Higher Court you mentioned. See? I am generous to your household.”

Ezekiel stood very still. Only his eyes moved between the prince and Ruelle.

For years, he had worked towards a position of power. And this spoiled brat not so casually dangled it before him. It had been years of swallowing pride, bending his spine and smiling when he wished to tear throats.

If he took it, Ruelle would not exist in his orbit anymore. He clenched his teeth at the thought. For a fleeting second, a future flickered before him that carried position and power, everything he had dreamed of.

“Well?” Edward turned impatient with his foot tapping on the ground. “You may kneel and thank me later. For now, simply agree.”

Ruelle returned from her messy thoughts and glanced at Ezekiel, who looked like he had sand in his mouth. She noticed a flicker of something… as if he was torn. But then his eyes met hers. She heard him say,

“Your Highness, I think these decisions should—”

“Why don’t I see you on your knees?” Edward tilted his head in question. “I am growing upset with every passing second now.”

Ruelle could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The uneasiness that had disappeared earlier that day returned in full force. She began,

“Crown Prince Edward—”

“Ah, seems like you are finally agreeing to it, Ruelle!” Edward chuckled without hearing her fully as if he knew he had offered her the right things. “They won’t release you from Sexton right now because of their absurd rules. But the royal seal changes everything. Once my father approves, Sexton will have to hand you over to me.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep