𝓐𝓶𝓫𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓓𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝔂

👑Chapter Forty-one👑

⟪I walked out with hundreds of questions swirling in my mind. He didn't seem like the type of person who would escort a lady to the theatre, so why did he agree to them?⟫

Curiosity ate her inside, she couldn't resist the need to ask about his real intentions. She paused in the middle of their way and began, "Thank you for accompanying me," Annie began, trying to break the ice. "Though I must admit, I'm curious why you agreed so readily."

William turned to her, his sharp eyes focused on hers. "I could ask you the same thing," he replied.

Annie found herself a bit taken aback by his response. "I had no choice," she replied, with a hint of defensiveness in her tone. "But you, on the other hand, had an opportunity to reject the Duke's request. So why didn't you?"

For William, the answer was straightforward. He needed to find out if Annie was the woman with a significant role in the palace, as this would help him secure his position and navigate the royal archives to uncover the dark secrets surrounding his mother's execution. And this could be achieved by forming an alliance with her.

"If you finished complaining, let's walk!" he replied, a hint of dryness in his tone.

She forced a smile, not trying to curse him, and said, "But I answered your question, it's your turn."

"I don't recall asking you any questions or expecting answers. It's all in your head," he said, pointing at his head.

Annie bit her tongue to stop a sharp remark from escaping her lips. "Fine," she said after taking a deep breath to calm herself. "We can't even have a normal conversation, so I don't see the point in going to that play or spending any time together," she complained.

"Fine," he replied, his tone nonchalant. "If you insist, I have better things to do than quarrel with you."

⟪I let him go, but after a few minutes, I realised I did not know the way back, so I reluctantly followed him hastily before he disappeared from my sight since he had long legs ⟫

⟪My neck ached as I marvelled at the building, its towering pillars stretching into the sky, each one intricately carved with detailed motifs. The long, grand steps leading up to the entrance appeared to be designed for giants; their immense size made me feel small. The sight got me motionless; I forgot completely to move ⟫

William paused in his steps, noticing that Annie had fallen behind. He turned around to find her standing motionless, gazing up at the grand building with wide eyes.

He couldn't help but smirk at the sight, shaking his head slightly.

"Have you finished being impressed, or can we move on?" he called out, his voice carrying a hint of mockery beneath his stoic face.

Annie scowled at his comment. Without bothering to look at him, she preceded him, storming inside in a way that made William chuckle slightly.

************************************⁂************************************

Marchioness Sophia looked at the duke over the teacup she was sipping. Upon placing her cup on the saucer, she smiled politely and led the conversation. "I must say, Your Grace, my approval was not based on blind trust. We all know that the Duke's actions are calculated, so this excuse of 'getting to know each other' is not convincing to me. You weren't called a venomous snake for no reason."

A venomous snake was the nickname he was given after not standing up for his wife or even trying to clear her reputation.

Duke Philip couldn't help but smirk at her quick-witted response. 'Hearing you mention the rumours really hurts my heart,' he remarked, not appearing hurt, which provoked the Marchioness.

She raised her eyebrows, indicating, "As if I don't know you didn't come to the kingdom to enjoy the kingdom's pleasant weather."

"There is no need to discuss such matters in public; we shall see each other quite frequently."

"If you say so."

The Marchioness was well aware that the Duke was up to something and knew of his strained relationship with his son, William. However, seeing them together led her to suspect that the Duke was using his son in exchange for some information William needed, to commence his investigation for personal gain.

"I must convince William as soon as possible to form an alliance with me; otherwise, his father will take advantage of the situation, this snake!"

"As far as I know, Lord William does not particularly enjoy spending time with young noble ladies... I'm quite impressed by how you managed to change his mind," the Marchioness stated.

The Duke chuckled softly and slowly swirled the red wine in his glass, a calm and composed expression on his face. "The allure of a beautiful woman can captivate even the most level-headed man."

The Marchioness chuckled at the Duke's response, her eyes studying him carefully. She took a sip of her tea before reacting. "Indeed," the Marchioness replied, her voice laced with subtle irony.

"I do not doubt they are relishing a delightful time watching the theatrical performance."

But the Duke was totally mistaken. They struggled to find a decent place to sit because they hadn't reserved seats in advance. Hopefully, William could afford the box seats.

Before taking her seat, she was handed binoculars for a better view. She rested her elbows on the railing and started watching, choosing not to sit next to William, who stayed in his chair, showing no interest.

The boxes were private areas for couples, with the chairs inside inches apart, which Annie found uncomfortable.

"It is a tragic musical about a young nobleman who falls for a poor maid because of her beauty and kindness, challenging the social hierarchy. I have to admit, the play I attended with Felix was more enjoyable, even though the actors' clothes were old and the place was simple; they still managed to draw in a real audience. I bet the wealthy people who empathised with the poor maid in the story wouldn't act the same way in real life. However, the suffering of common people is considered entertainment for the noble class."

"Isn't that the kind of devotion people crave in romance?" William stated this, breaking the silence.

Annie lowered the binoculars, turning to face him. "Hmm?" Her expression was questioning.

"A foolish man who took his own life despite having the option to marry any girl, simply because his beloved chose not to be with him and married someone from her own class," William elaborated, his tone laced with a touch of disdain.

"Their love is genuine and deep, a beautiful connection, even though fate kept them apart."

William scoffed, his voice sharp. "Wealthy characters in tragic plays are typically portrayed as victims to garner sympathy. They flaunt their suffering while clinging tightly to their privileges."

He narrowed his eyes and continued, "What kind of 'love' drives him to suicide and compels her to run off with someone she doesn't even like? It's nothing short of madness. In this world, love as we know it simply doesn't exist."

Annie's eyebrows furrowed in challenge. "What do you know about love? I bet a cold-hearted man like you has fallen for someone or experienced it at some point." She did not pay attention; her voice was nearly a shout.

He approached quickly, placing his hands tightly on the railing, trapping her between his arms. His amber eyes held her in place.

He leaned in, his voice low and measured. "You seem more experienced; I don't mind if you teach me!"

⟪At that moment, I didn't want to appear defeated or weak in front of him, so I kept my gaze locked on his, refusing to look away. Despite this, I could feel the tips of his hair tickling my forehead.⟫

As she took a few steps back, her elbow accidentally nudged the binoculars resting on the railing before toppling over the edge, plummeting down towards the rows of seats below.

Annie's eyes widened as she glanced at the scene; the sound of the crash echoed, drawing attention to them.

Martino of Valois, the son of one of the kingdom's prominent five families, was startled when the binoculars grazed his head, narrowly missing him. Although it wasn't forceful enough to cause any serious pain, it still came as a shock.

Annie felt a rush of embarrassment and concern. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene, especially in front of nobles.

William stepped back, sliding his hands inside his pockets. "Well, that's one way to make an impression," he muttered under his breath, his tone dry but edged with annoyance.

Martino looked up, his expression a mix of confusion and irritation. Seeing the source of the disturbance, his eyes narrowed when they landed on Annie.

Annie felt a cold shiver run down her spine as his gaze met hers, but Martino's facial expression softened, and he grinned at her. Annie remembered that she had to apologise.

Trying not to disturb the audience any further, she said, 'I'm sorry,' her voice almost a whisper as she leaned slightly over the railing to address Martino. 'It was an accident!'"

Martino chuckled as he read her lip sync, but before Annie could receive his response, William blocked his view, covering her with his back.

"Let's leave," William ordered with a low voice as he glared at Martino over his shoulder.