“Prepare breakfast here in the reception room. His Highness will come straight here, so ensure the preparations are seamless,” Eugene instructed.
“Yes, Your Highness,” the maid acknowledged.
Eugene gave additional directions to the other maids. “Inform Count Oscar that I will see her this afternoon.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
She turned to another maid and said, “You, go to the chamberlain now and retrieve the reports. You don’t need to bring them yourself; I will call for them when I need them.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
As the preparations for breakfast neared completion, the king arrived. Eugene welcomed Kasser with a warm smile but soon realized, a little too late, that she had momentarily forgotten her external position, which required her to show respect when they met alone.
Eugene quickly adjusted her posture, lowering her head, but Kasser approached her without hesitation. He naturally enveloped her waist with his arm and planted a tender kiss on her cheek.
“Did you sleep well last night?” he inquired softly.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” she replied, her voice composed.
As she answered, Eugene discreetly scanned the room and noticed the palace attendants standing with their heads respectfully lowered.
“You must still be tired from the journey. Why did you wake up so early? Are you feeling comfortable? Can you eat breakfast?” Kasser inquired further.
“I’m comfortable, Your Majesty,” Eugene replied.
Eugene playfully mouthed the words “Stop it” and lightly jabbed him with her elbow. Kasser, finding her cute, released her and proceeded to his designated seat, a silent smile playing on his lips. He couldn’t resist the urge to tease her a little more.
Soon, the servants arrived with the breakfast dishes. Kasser observed the plates placed in front of Eugene with keen interest. It became apparent that their breakfasts differed.
Eugene’s meal consisted of a vegetable and fruit salad, accompanied by whole grain bread—a hearty breakfast for the morning. She had been eating this during her journey to the capital. To Kasser’s eyes, her meal appeared somewhat inadequate.
He had heard that some people suffered from morning sickness so severe they couldn’t even swallow water. While he felt relieved that Eugene’s condition wasn’t as dire, he couldn’t help but worry about her sustenance.
I should ask Marianne to find a solution. If she can’t have proper meals, we may need to find alternative ways to supplement her nutrition.
Throughout the meal, Kasser’s thoughts were preoccupied by this concern. Events like the morning encounter with Mara seemed less significant than ensuring Eugene’s well-being.
Upon finishing the meal, Kasser dismissed the assembled company.
“Eugene, Aldrit has arrived,” he revealed, a mix of surprise and joy flitting across her eyes. When she had prepared a bag for Aldrit before his departure the last time, she had feared it might be their final farewell.
“Is he here in the palace?” Eugene inquired.
Kasser shook his head. “Not yet. He didn’t come alone.”
In truth, Kasser had been wrestling with thoughts all night. If Mara had arrived, he knew that Mara would undoubtedly insist on seeing Eugene. He had heard that the early stages of pregnancy were the most critical. Given that she had endured a long carriage journey without proper nourishment, he believed her health was currently at its lowest.
A part of him wanted to keep her in the dark, to protect her like a delicate greenhouse plant. A voice in his mind urged him, “Conceal it. Don’t tell Eugene.” However, the words he had once spoken to her acted as a restraint.
“You have to trust me.”
Lying to her and her discovering the truth would erode their trust, and the thought of failing to gain his wife’s trust, mirroring his father’s mistakes, filled him with dread.
“Aldrit requested to see me first, so I went out early in the morning,” he explained.
Kasser proceeded to relay the entire conversation he had had with Mara. Eugene’s lips parted slightly as she gazed at Kasser with widened eyes. She wore a bewildered expression for a moment, lost in thought. Eventually, her features settled into an expression of calm determination.
“We can’t meet him inside the palace. I don’t want that monster in our home,” she declared firmly.
Eugene’s enthusiasm had initially led Kasser to believe that she would insist on meeting Mara immediately, so her response caught him off guard.
“Then, how…” he began, but she interrupted gently.
“I think it would be best if we arrange to meet outside, similar to how you encountered Aldrit. However, not right away. Perhaps tomorrow or the day after? I need some time to go through the notes that Sir Pides exchanged.”
She admitted she hadn’t read the notes yet. Her improved condition aside, she still couldn’t comfortably read in a moving carriage. She had tried to read a few sentences, but the queasiness had overwhelmed her, forcing her to close the cover.
“Those notes might contain valuable information. Please inform Aldrit that we’ll meet the day after tomorrow. Of course, you’ll accompany him,” she instructed.
Eugene locked eyes with Kasser, silently conveying her unspoken question: “Why?” Kasser chuckled softly and shook his head. Amidst the complex emotions churning within him, the phrase “our home” that she had mentioned resonated deeply, lifting his spirits more than any sweet words ever could.
“Eugene, promise me one thing. Your safety is my top priority in any situation,” Kasser affirmed.
Eugene nodded in agreement.
“And I, too, won’t hesitate to act if I believe you’re in danger, regardless of the consequences, even if it means disrupting important plans that were close to fruition, even if it means you might resent me for it.”
Despite the absence of any strange feelings in Kasser’s gaze, Eugene felt an inexplicable tension ripple through her body. She averted her eyes and responded quietly.
“Yes, understood.”
