READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 5 - Family meeting
“Well, how cruel!” My mother exclaimed upon hearing the whole story upon returning home.
She embraced me with warmth and tenderness as soon as I stepped off the carriage and entered the foyer of our townhouse in the royal capital. Once in the living room, my mother enveloped me in a gentle hug, replacing my father’s embrace.
While my father’s hug felt sturdy and encompassing, likely due to the difference in physique between men and women, my mother’s embrace was soft, warm, and carried a pleasant scent.
I couldn’t recall the last time I had received hugs from both my father and mother.
After the royal family’s invitation, I was relocated to a room in the royal palace. Although it was a luxurious room befitting a future queen, it made returning home nearly impossible. The crown princess’s education, and by extension the queen’s, was rigorous and covered a broad spectrum of topics. My schedule was meticulously planned out minute by minute, a routine I had followed since I was ten years old.
“Onee-tama~. I’m so happy to see my sister after such a long time~.”
“We are too, Onee-tama. Please don’t be sad~”
My twin siblings, Elmer and Alma, who were five years my junior, attempted to console me in their endearing manner.
Given that they were born after I was summoned to the castle as a fiancée, they weren’t accustomed to interacting with me frequently. Our interactions were limited to occasional visits home. However, they readily accepted and attempted to comfort me. Under the guidance of our parents, they were growing into honest and kind-hearted individuals. Perhaps my sister had overheard my ordeal.
──Our family consisted of the five of us. With our grandparents having passed away, we were a relatively small family compared to most aristocratic households, comprising only parents and children.
“Mom, Dad, aren’t you going to scold me?”
“Why would we scold you, Anne? I’ve heard your story, but has His Highness the Crown Prince truly reconsidered? Moreover, impregnating a young lady from another country? There’s nothing to reproach you for. Besides, despite the hardships, His Highness the Crown Prince… It was commendable of him to ensure it was his decision alone. That alone could alter the course of events.”
My mother responded calmly to my query, commending me for seizing the moment.
“‘True love’, huh? It’s hard to believe I’ve experienced it already.”
My mother, who appeared composed at first glance, chuckled softly, concealing her flushed cheeks with her robe sleeve.
“You ought to handle such matters discreetly and skillfully without resorting to theatrics. That’s the prudent approach. In truth, many nobles have done so. This grand display… it’s a foolish scheme, lowbrow, nothing but child’s play. It’s disheartening that he’s the future king.”
“Listen here. It’s because you’re so mischievous that he acts so foolishly.”
My father echoed my mother’s sentiments, while she delivered an even harsher rebuke.
Although my father held the esteemed position of prime minister, my seemingly gentle mother was not someone to cross. After all, she hailed from a ducal family with close ties to the royal lineage. She was wedded to this country by Her Majesty Queen Alexandra, her aunt. A true aristocrat, she embodied elegance and grace, distinguishing between her public and private personas.
However, her parents fell victim to assassination during the political upheaval under the Red Queen’s reign. Rumors circulated that it was Her Majesty Queen Alexandra who orchestrated the deed, a notion my mother shared.
Consequently, my mother and Her Majesty Queen Alexandra maintained a strained relationship. Though they refrained from open conflict, my mother was incensed when my engagement was arranged.
──Yet to us children, she was nothing short of a nurturing mother.
“Still, the prospect of him ascending the throne fills me with concern for the country’s future. I don’t know what to make of Alexandra, and I’m reluctant to continue serving as prime minister while protecting such an imbecilic son. What should I do?”
My father sighed. Interestingly, he wasn’t born in this country. Recognized for his abilities, he ascended to the position of prime minister through Her Majesty Queen Alexandra’s patronage, despite lacking his own domain. Hence, perhaps out of habit from his student days, he occasionally referred to Her Majesty without the customary honorific.
This is somewhat unrelated, but let me elaborate on how it transpired.
TLN : Hope you guys are enjoy the novel so far.
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