The King's Unbreakable Wife-Chapter 169: Disturbed (4)

Hazel sat alone, overthinking Tobias’s words while she waited for Mary. She was eager to be intimate with him again, but now it was evident that it wouldn’t be like their first time. It made her nervous as she tried to think about his plan.

Tobias sitting in front of her with a gaze fixated on her and a smile that would not go away did not make this any better. His fingers tapping against the chair arm as he counted down Mary’s arrival was the only thing Hazel heard.

"Nervous?" Tobias asked, enjoying how frazzled Hazel was. He wasn’t going to take back his words to calm her mind as he meant what he said.

"How could I not be when you are staring at me so intently? That must be Mary," Hazel said after a knock was heard. "I will get it."

Hazel hurried to the door before Tobias could make any attempt to beat her to it.

"I shall be waiting in our bedroom," she heard him.

Hazel opened the door for Mary and found her picking up a tray from the ground. "I’m sorry to have disturbed you."

"Don’t be," Mary replied. "It is my job."

Hazel made way for Mary to enter and then closed the door.

"I am sorry to say this right away. When I was walking around the palace, I heard the queen’s maids laughing about something that concerned you. That the prince is not here," Mary said, revealing what she overheard.

Mary wanted to approach the women to silence them but she could not as she feared Hazel getting in trouble. Since her arrival at the palace, Mary learned that the queen let the women around her do as they pleased.

Mary spotted the prince going up the stairs and smiled as those women could shut their mouths now.

"I see. They were making fun of me being alone today," said Hazel. Of course, the queen’s people would find it funny. "It is fine."

"One of the maids that tended to you was with them. You were right that the maids around you are the queen’s followers. They spoke of how you must be crying and ready to apologise to the queen. That you got a taste of what the queen told you. I don’t know what that means," Mary said.

Hazel knew what it was as Tabitha had told her not to fall in love with Tobias since he would be busy and had no time for her. It must have been fun for Tabitha to learn that already Tobias was not by her side on a day they were to be alone.

Hazel expected to hear about this the next time she would be face-to-face with Tabitha.

"I was spotted by the maid who is always near the queen. She tried to take me with them but I said I was to return to my room. That group of women scare me," Mary confessed. She wasn’t welcomed because she was an outsider brought into the palace by Hazel. "It isn’t the first time they have tried to speak to me."

"Do you think it is to take you to the queen to betray me?" Hazel asked.

Mary was the only one Tabitha couldn’t fish secrets about her from. It had to upset Tabitha that she still had Mary around.

"I think it is that. They spoke of the gifts they get from the queen and how I might be able to sell them to no longer work as a maid. I have declined many times but they keep coming. I don’t know where they wished to take me, but seeing them laugh, I imagine that it wouldn’t have ended well for me," Mary said, worried for her life.

It was fun to serve the future queen, but Hazel wasn’t strong enough to go against those who had been in the palace for a long time. Hazel was safe thanks to her marriage, but Mary knew that herself was not.

Hazel picked up that there was more Mary wanted to say. "You can be honest with me, Mary. What is on your mind?"

"I think...I think that my time is coming to an end serving you here. You need someone who has been here long and would be able to put up a fight against the queen’s ladies. I am a mere maid who worked for your parents. I am sorry," Mary apologised for her incompetence and wanting to run away. "I understand if you are angry."

"I am not. You were only to be here for a short time till I was able to pick other maids. I’ve come to depend on you longer than I should have. I can’t keep you where you don’t feel safe and I know the others are missing you. You can leave when you are ready," Hazel said, not the slightest bit bothered by this.

"Since you are worried about the queen’s maids, you can remain here. Just stay away from the second floor," Hazel warned, taking the tray from Mary as she spoke.

"You are a kind woman, Princess Hazel. You shall make a fine queen," said Mary. Hazel was a special lady to serve and Mary hoped there would be a maid well-suited for Hazel to soon come.

"Thank you. Now, I mustn’t keep him waiting. Excuse me," Hazel said, parting from Mary to go to Tobias. She was going to miss having Mary around but it was time she made allies with those in the palace as Mary said. She had become too reliant on Mary and did not search for other maids who had years in the palace.

"I must make note of the things I said I needed to do. The wedding has distracted me," Hazel said, realising her mistake. The group of maids she was going to take to her side now that she would have the power to pick was not put together.

"Lost in thought again," Tobias said. He leaned on the wall before their bedroom door watching Hazel speak to herself. "Did she bring bad news?"

"Something like that. She will soon be leaving the palace so I must find a maid to replace her. I will decide when we return inside the palace," Hazel said, putting her attention back on Tobias.

Tobias took the tray of food from Hazel so she could open the door.

"Mary has not left so whatever you plan to do must not involve leaving this room," Hazel warned as she would like to be able to face Mary again.

Tobias entered the room first thanks to Hazel holding the door for him and put away the food that wasn’t needed now on a table. He had waited long enough to be alone with Hazel again. She should be better from last night’s activity and ready to do more now.

"You scoundrel. Could you not show that you are eager to continue?" Hazel asked, moving to close the space between them.

"Says the woman opening my buttons. Admit it, Hazel. You are just as eager as I am. It is fine to share it with me as I will not judge you," Tobias said, his hands not touching Hazel yet as she worked to take off his shirt.

"You will need to try your best efforts to get that confession out of me," Hazel replied teasingly.