Married To The Enemy Kingdom's Illegitimate Prince-Chapter 55 — Royal Banquet (2)

Hearing Cynthia chuckle, Lucian sighed.

"What’s funny? This is a serious issue. Well... it’s not like you can understand politics, given that you have probably stayed inside the palace for most of your life, enjoying parties like other noble ladies."

Cynthia rolled her eyes, walking behind him. He didn’t need to know that she was the one who had planned the battle strategies, nor did he need to know that she had asked Arlot and Edric to seal the sinkhole of magic stones with a forbidden spell that would be difficult for even powerful magicians to break.

It might take months to undo it, costing them their lives. Closing the sinkhole had caused Arlot and Edric to fall ill for weeks, but she had used the magic stones she obtained from the commoners who had once lived there in exchange for their protection. free𝑤ebnovel.com

She had given a stone to Arlot and Edric, and they had managed to recover their mana quickly, although the stone had since worn out and was no longer useful.

"It’s nothing," she smirked, satisfied by her actions, even if they might seem selfish from someone else’s perspective, given that she had put two people’s lives in danger.

But it didn’t matter to her as long as they didn’t die because of it. She needed to preserve those mana stones no matter what.

In her past life, people had used them constantly without knowing when to stop, leaving very few when demons began to appear throughout the kingdom. She needed to keep them safe to protect everyone she loved—

Wait, who do I even love apart from my brother Alistair and Vincent? I wish to protect Edric and Arlot, but apart from them...

"We have arrived," Lucian’s voice snapped Cynthia out of her thoughts, and she lifted her gaze to find herself in front of a large golden door.

She grinned, causing Lucian to frown. He didn’t like the smile she constantly flashed his way—a fake smile. It made him feel even more repulsed by her.

Ah, but it doesn’t matter if she shows her true feelings to me or not. Eldorians are all the same.

The guards standing before the door announced their arrival.

"Grand Duke Lucian Von Gwyndor of Erion and Grand Duchess Cynthia Von Gwyndor of Erion have arrived!"

The large doors creaked open, revealing a crowd of nobles in the chamber. All eyes shifted toward the couple standing at the entrance, their eyes scanning their every move.

Cynthia walked inside, moving elegantly despite the glares directed her way.

Lucian, unfazed by the piercing gazes that followed him, was too focused on examining his wife’s calm demeanor. It was supposed to be her first time—

"But even in her country, everyone must look at her with hatred because of her past behavior," he thought, trying to explain her composed demeanour despite the irking eyes glued on her.

That thought caused him to feel a fleeting sympathy for her.

[But she deserves to be hated. Have you forgotten how she used to behave just a few months ago? Do you think a person can change drastically overnight? She is an Eldorian! She can fool anyone! Are you softening towards her?]

Hearing Keal’s voice, Lucian chuckled, placing his hand on his mouth to cover his curving lips. He couldn’t let people think he was a madman who chuckled for no reason.

[Why are you laughing?]

"Thank you for reminding me. I forget at times why I hate her," he muttered.

Keal remained silent for a moment before responding, [... You’re welcome.]

The dark shadow circled around Lucian, quietly observing him. It seemed he was slowly faltering from his own promises because of that woman.

"Keal," Lucian sighed in a low voice.

[I’m not thinking about anything wrong.]

"Good evening, Your Highness," a few nobles approached the couple, greeting them.

"Good evening," Cynthia and Lucian responded, both maintaining a distant yet faint smile on their faces.

"Your reception banquet was quite a... surprise..." a woman said, hiding her sneer behind her red fan.

"We should go greet the king and queen first. We don’t want them to think we are rude, right, Your Highness?" Cynthia wrapped her arm around Lucian’s, surprising him, and dragged him toward the throne.

"What is this rudeness?" Lucian glared at her, his voice a soft murmur yet the fury was evident in his voice tone.

"I’m sure you don’t want to stay with these people all day, right? It’s better to see your family."

"Family," Lucian thought, a scoff escaping him.

Cynthia turned to face him for a moment before looking back at the throne once she heard the king cough. She didn’t realize the throne wasn’t that far away.

"Ah, King Valerian, the same as always..." Cynthia thought, her gaze cold and distant as she stared at the older man.

"I greet Your Majesty, King of Selvarys, Queen of Selvarys, and Crown Prince of Selvarys," the couple announced, bowing before the royal family.

The king sneered, pleased to see the young woman who had dared to talk back to him now bowing down, especially in her elder brother’s absence. Though he would have loved to keep her head lowered, he needed to ask them to raise their heads, or the nobles might spread rumors that could cause him trouble later.

"You may rise," he said, forcing a grin as his gaze locked with Cynthia’s.

The couple lifted their heads, looking up at the three people seated on their respective thrones, each adorned in luxurious attire, setting them apart from the other nobles in the crowd, except for Lucian and Cynthia.

He didn’t lie when he said he could afford the luxury I had as a princess, did he?

Cynthia thought, recalling what Lucian had told her before—she was free to use the Grand Duke’s funds as much as she pleased. Although she hadn’t asked for a dress for the banquet, Philip had brought her a stunning red dress with green embroidery and a few white pearls placed at the center.

"The Grand Duke asked me to bring you a dress for the banquet. He ordered it a couple of days ago, urgently, for you."

Philip’s words could make it seem like Lucian cared, but Cynthia knew deep down that he didn’t. He was merely fulfilling his duty as a trusting husband as per their deal. He was doing his part, and she had to do hers—maintain his trust and become a dignified Grand Duchess worthy of her name.

"I already want to leave this place. Looking at these people sickens me," Cynthia sighed, muttering in a low voice.

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