His Highness's Second Wife
His Highness’s Second Wife Chapter 23

It took them a good half an hour to go over the internal makeover of the brothel, and Raena couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction. She had brought the contractors who worked in the restaurant to do the job, and they didn’t disappoint.

The crumbling walls and peeling paint outside had disappeared, giving way to a smooth white and gold coat. They had changed the windows and the door facing the street and the whole place looked like the house of a rich noble. Semi-transparent curtains hung in front of the windows, hinting at what pleasures one might expect inside. The walls had been soundproofed too.

The interior was almost ready since it didn’t require the intricate paintings and decoration then restaurant did. The first floor was painted in dark tones – red and black, with a sprinkle of gold for subtle decoration, with heavy curtains for the private corners. The bar was upgraded and painted black, throwing a stylish gleam as the lights of the chandeliers reflected on it.

The waiting room, as Marden called it, was furnished with velvet chairs and couches to accommodate even the snobbiest of nobles. There was a smaller room too, for less important clients.

Raena had suggested making the place a tad more exclusive, but for the first time, he reminded her that this was his place of business, so she should leave the handling to him.

“The bedrooms are currently being furnished, but as you suggested, we’ve turned some of them into a more specific type of chambers for specific kinks. I’m off tomorrow to look for more women.”

“And men,” Raena added.

“And men,” Marden sighed. “But all in all, I think this place will be ready even before the opening of your restaurant. Are you sure I can’t open the brothel before then? The sooner we start making money, the better.”

“No, keep it closed and just let the word out.

This would build anticipation. People must have noticed the new look already and are probably wondering what is going on,” she said. “We’ll make it exclusive, at least for the first night. I’ll bring you some very important people to mark the start of your success.”

Marden raised an eyebrow curiously, but didn’t ask.

“I’ll be gone for the rest of the week, so if you need anything, ask Arissa,” Marden explained, rubbing the back of his head. He glanced at Zen standing right behind her, his smile turning sour.

You may want to get rid of him once the restaurant opens or he’ll scare all of your male customers away. Who knows, if one of them steps too close, he might go and slice them to pieces.”

“Great job on the place,” Raena said, changing the subject. “We’ll be off then, it’s already late and I am tired. See you in a week!” She turned around, giving the place one last look before heading for the exit. Zen fell into step with her, opening the door before the two of them stepped into the warm night. The weather had changed its mind again, and the past few days had been warmer than usual.

As they rounded up the street, Raena put her hood on. She kept her veil in place as they walked in silence, ignoring the curious glances people threw their way.

The carriage waited for them in the usual place, a few streets away from the restaurant. Raena had paid the coachman a hefty amount to not ask any questions and forget their faces the moment he left them in the third prince’s residence. So far he barely looked at them and he was always on time – she suspected his fear of Zen kept him so sharp and loyal rather than the gold in his pockets.

Just before they reached the rendezvous point, Raena slipped off her veil and shoved it in the inner pocket of her cloak. She glanced at Zen only to realize that he had already put away his black wig and was now scratching his head. As they turned the corner, the coachman jumped from his seat, greeting them with a nod before opening the door of the carriage.

Zen helped her inside, then followed silently. A few seconds later, they were already moving toward the third prince’s mansion. Raena glanced at her guard as she took off her cloak and pulled the bag she had prepared, rummaging through it in search of the soft towel and the concoction she had mixed to help her take off her makeup easier.

“You’re awfully quiet tonight. Did you run into any problems?” she asked, rubbing her eyes gently as she set to clean her face. Unlike Raena, Lydia’s appearance required heavy makeup on top of all the different clothes and the veil. She couldn’t let people make the connection this early, so making Lydia and Raena the exact opposites was a must.

She couldn’t see him for a minute until she was done, and he continued to be silent, which unnerved her. When she was done cleaning her face, she looked at him again.

“What happened?”

“l apologize,” he sighed, staring at his hands that were balled into fists. A cold chill ran through her body as she stared at his serious expression.

“What did you do?” She breathed, only then realizing she was whispering. Zen lifted his head, meeting her eyes. His expression was so serious and angry that it made her wonder if he had killed somebody. She waited with her heart in her throat. willing him to answer faster.

“I was late and I allowed that bastard to touch you,” he replied quietly, lowering his gaze to her hands, to the finger Marden had bitten playfully. Raena blinked a few times before bursting into laughter.

“Zen, it’s fine!” she said in the end. “He just touched my hands. I don’t mind that much.”

“I do,” he said sharply, looking up again. ” I didn’t like seeing him touching you.”

“Why? Are you jealous?” Raena laughed, unable to hold back anymore.

“Yes,” he replied, holding her gaze. Raena’s laughter died on her lips, and her smile froze as she studied his face, trying to determine if he was serious or not. There was no amusement in his expression, no hesitation or shame, ” I know l am just a lowly servant and a former slave, but I am not ashamed to admit my feelings. I thought you already knew since I haven’t been trying to hide them, but I guess not.”

“Are you serious? You like me?” Raena laughed awkwardly, unable to look away from him. He tilted his head, his expression softening.

“Even a blind fool would fall in love with you, Miss Raena. You’re beautiful, smart and caring. Most people don’t see that, but I am both Raena’s servant and Lydia’s bodyguard, so I can grasp the full picture,” he said, finally looking away as if suddenly conscious of what he was saying. “Don’t worry, I have no expectations. It’s just that after today I started thinking… if you get lonely and you’re looking for someone to embrace you, I’d rather have that be me than that arrogant lowlife. No matter what clothes he wears and how much he tries, he is too filthy for you. You never know what his hands have been touching before.”

For the first time since she woke up in this place, she was having a hard time finding the right words. Dealing with the characters she already knew was relatively easy since they were familiar and predictable – she knew their backstories, she knew their future and their triggers. But Zender wasn’t part of the original story, or at least not part of what she had read before abandoning the book.

Yet here he was, confessing to her.

What could she do? Her plan was to get rich and get out of the Empire. She wasn’t really thinking beyond that. But then what? She had discussed finding husbands with Kara, but it had been mostly a joke- at least that’s what she thought. Yet Zen was right in front of her – handsome, smart, capable of protecting her from trouble, and as a bonus, he was already in love with her. Marriage might be an overreach, but if she wasn’t already married, she could have tried her luck with him.

“Zen..”

l said I didn’t expect anything, Miss Raena.

Don’t think too much,” he said quickly, still not looking at her. Raena grimaced.

“What I meant to say is that you’re sweet and caring and I also like you. But I am married,” she sighed. At the last word, he looked back at her, his eyes flashing with a hungry spark.

“ls this the only obstacle?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Kassian is a powerful man,” Raena said carefully, intertwining her fingers in her lap. “Even though our marriage is not treated like a normal marriage, I am still bound to him. And if he finds out l have that kind of relationship with some other man, I don’t think he’ll take it well.”

Zen continued to stare at her with a calm, thoughtful expression, as if contemplating her words. Then he suddenly moved, leaning forward and propping his elbows on his legs. Their knees were almost touching, which made her realize just how close he actually was. He didn’t try anything just continued to stare at her face.

“Alright,” he suddenly said, sitting back in his seat as the carriage came to a stop and the driver tapped on the wood panel to announce their arrival.

Zen got up and stepped outside, looking around before offering her his hand. Raena stared at it for a second, wondering if it was just her imagination or his ‘alright’ sounded like Alright, I’ll wait!’ instead of the ‘Alright, I give up!”.

She let him help her out, pulling her hood as glanced over the familiar segment of the path where the driver usually left them. With the roads as they were around the North Palace, it was impossible for a carriage to pass there and neither of them wanted to bring the prince or the first wife’s attention to themselves. So the carriage always left them close to the Concubines’ Palace, where it was easier to stay out of sight.

Zen pushed the door of the carriage closed and the driver drove off without a word, disappearing along with all the sounds disturbing the quiet of the late hour. Raena looked at her guard when she sensed Zen’s fingers intertwine with hers instead of letting go as usual.

“This way,” he said, pulling her by the hand. “Stay close and be quiet.”