Rosie's Games

Chapter 294: What a Waste

"Your Blessedness," King Marlin smiled as he bowed towards Ena Thun and the man next to her. "Thank you so much for blessing us with your presence."

"It is nothing," Ena said, her eyes landing on the calm Duke behind the King. "Duke Rothley…" she held her hand out towards the Duke for him to kiss the back of her palm. She expected the Duke to fully cooperate knowing that there were other people behind them.

Sadly, the Duke was simply too stubborn. Instead of kissing the back of her palm, he held her hand and just shook it.

"Your Blessedness…" Lucas greeted.

"Ah, it has been a while."

"It is."

"I expected the Duke to actually join the fight in Rakha…"

"And leave Wugari?"

"Well—"

"Are you saying that my Wugari is less important than Rakha, Your Blessedness?" Lucas asked.

"I— I was not saying that," Ena gave an awkward laugh. "Although, I understand your concern, considering that you now have a bride."

Lucas nodded in response. "I do not understand. Why would I go to Rakha when even the Blessed families seemed unconcerned about the beast tide?"

"Ehem— shall we go ahead and go to the palace?" the King immediately offered to try to appease both parties.

"Of course," Ena smiled. "I know we did not give you too much time to prepare. I apologize for the inconvenience that our visit has caused."

"Please, it is not a problem. The Blessed families are always welcome to visit the North and fight against the beasts out here," the King said. By now, their horses were already moving toward the palace.

"Ah… I have missed this place. I remember the last time that I visited, it was more than five years ago. The Duke was… still young then," Ena smiled. She took a deep breath as if she was savoring the smell of the North. "It was such a great time."

Not long after, the group finally arrived at the palace where a feast had been prepared. However, the thick fragrance of roasted meat and various delicacies that the King prepared in advance was not enough to hide the current suffocating atmosphere inside the grand hall.

None of the guests seemed to appreciate the lavish silk that was used to decorate the walls and the table.

"This toast is for the Duke…" Ena said as she got up. "For his marriage and his future wives!"

The King awkwardly looked at Lucas who was acting calm despite Ena's words. "Your Blessedness, it is still too early to tell if the Duke is going to accept other brides," the King said.

"What are you talking about, Your Majesty? Why waste this precious opportunity? When I heard that the Duke was about to marry and declare an official Duchess, I was ecstatic. So, I immediately picked a few females that might attract the attention of the Duke. One wife is enough but we all know that the majestic Duke of Wugari deserves two or more. Do you not agree, Your Majesty?"

"Your Blessedness—" King Marlin was speechless. It was very clear now that Ena Thun was trying to provoke the Duke. 'Why?' The King asked inwardly. He could only hope that Lucas would not fall into the woman's trap!

"Send them…." Ena instructed one of the knights that escorted her. The knight immediately complied and came back with five women dressed in white, sheer clothing. One look and you could immediately see the flesh beneath their clothes. josei

If this was not a provocation… what was?

"This is the first time that a Blessed family has tried to intervene…." Lucas said. Instead of paying attention to the women or to the smirk on Ena's face, he was staring at the wine in his hand. He let the scarlet liquid swirl as it reflected the candles from the chandelier that lined up to create a beautiful ceiling that resembled the skies. "My marriage has nothing to do with the Blessed families."

"Your Grace, how could you say no to her Blessedness Ena?" Hayle Gliss, who had kept his mouth shut until now, joined in. "Her Blessedness is only thinking about the Duke's welfare. The Rothley Family has always had one child. Perhaps it is time that we break the customs and tradition."

To everyone's surprise, Lucas did not answer. He maintained his silence for a few seconds before he got up.

"It seems that I have more important things to attend to. Please excuse me. I needed to fight on the walls." Lucas started walking towards the large doors.

"What about them?" Of course, Ena Thun took the opportunity to poke fun at the Duke. If the Duke did something offensive, Ena would easily claim that the Duke bullied her and then declare war against the Kingdom. If he refused her gifts, they could claim that the Duke was very disrespectful and use this opportunity to create a ruckus inside the Kingdom.

To be honest, Ena expected the Duke to either confront her or insult her. However, instead of his usual attitude, the man had been acting very docile tonight. It was as if he was holding back. Naturally, Ena could not help but wonder if this is because of the Duke's woman.

If that is the case, then it seemed that the woman's influence on the Duke was quite strong. Ena was not going to waste this opportunity.

"Let them follow me," said the Duke, who did not stop walking.

"Eh?" King Marlin was surprised when he heard the Duke's words. Even Ena and Hayle seemed surprised too. The Duke was very well known for his dislike for women and marriage. In fact, all the Dukes before him acted like that.

"What are you waiting for… follow His Grace!" Ena said with a smile on her face. She could not wait to take advantage of this situation for her own personal gain.

However, just as the women started walking towards the door, the palace walls suddenly shook.

Out of nowhere, a large chandelier full of candles fell from the ceiling and straight onto the women.

A loud crash followed.

Ena's eyes were wide as she watched the woman that she had painstakingly selected burn in front of her. As the surprise sat in, she turned her attention towards the Duke who was now standing by the door watching everything unfold with a smirk on his face.

"What a waste," Lucas said.

....

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