His Highness's Second Wife
His Highness’s Second Wife Chapter 46

Raena let out a tired sigh as she allowed her smile to drop and locked her eyes on the beautiful garden stretching everywhere around her. More lamps had been brought in for the occasion, and the gardeners had made sure there wasn’t even a single leaf or a flower out of place. The weather was nice and warm too, without a single cloud in the sky overhead.

She had snuck out of the party a few minutes ago, tired of playing the fool and laughing without reservation while people gave her compliments or asked her questions about her husband or her father. Her brother had been dragged away by other nobles and forced to socialize, so she could no longer use him as a shield to avoid conversations. She had spotted Lara looing at, her, so she thought it prudent to get out of there before that woman tried to talk to her. She wasn’t in the mood for her backhanded compliments.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of Lara. Even if the concubine was the one behind those assassination attempts, she didn’t lok stupid enough to do something in the open. It was just that tonight of all nights, Raena didn’t think she could handle her innocent smile and mockingly respectful tone.

Raena froze, looking around, only to confirm she was sitting all alone on the bench with the only sounds coming from the party in the distance. On second thought, coming by herself here didn’t sound like such a smart idea. Somebody would probably hear her if she screamed, but if there really was an attack, screaming would be no help since she’d be dead by the time anyone came.

‘Don’t be stupid. Nobody is going to attack you in the third prince’s mansion during his party’ she scolded herself. Getting poisoned was one thing, anyone could slip something in the food or drinks and disappear. But getting attacked while there was a grand celebration nearby was close to impossible. The guards checked everyone for anything that could pose as a weapon and the servants were handpicked by the first wife; there were even soldiers patrolling everywhere. She was just still shaken up by what had happened a few days ago and was now seeing danger where there Was none.

She was just about to get up and return to the party when she heard steps drawing near. She turned around just as a lone fiqure appeared from the path between the bushes, walking with an easy gait.

“Oh, I thought this place would be empty,” a male voice, distantly familiar, spoke, and a few moments later its owner stepped into the dim light of the nearby lantern. Raena let out a quiet sigh of relief as she recognized the crown prince and hurriedly smiled at him.

“Do you mind if l join you? I am trying to escape talking to people.”

“Sure.” Raena nodded, scooting to the end of the bench. “Are they boring you too? Everything they talk about is so hard to understand.”

“Oh, yes. More than you can imagine.” Yulien chuckled as he sat down, stretching his legs. Raena allowed herself a quick look- he didn’t seem drunk this time, and his demeanor was much calmer and more collected than before. His long hair was falling over his shoulders and every time the wind picked up, it would send it flying like he was a model in some fancy shamþoo commercial. Between him and Kassian, he was probably the prettier of the two, since his lines were softer and his expression was gentler, while Kassian exuded danger and strength just by standing still. The author must have really liked unrealistically handsome men.

“Do I have something on my face?” he suddenly asked, touching his cheeks. Raena flinched- she hadn’t realized she was openly staring at him for that long.

“No, Your Highness is just very handsome,” she said with a bright smile, and Yulien laughed.

“More handsome than my brother?” he asked with a playful glint in his eyes. Raena hesitated, then nodded.

He laughed again, shaking his head. “Well, that’s good to know. But please don’t tell him you think that.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s probably going to punch my handsome face.” Yulien winced, rubbing his jaw as if he could already imagine the pain of being punched. Raena paused, wondering if there was indeed something that, would make Kassian punch his beloved brother.

“Alright, I’ll keep it a secret,” she said, turning away from him. She had to get back to the party and find an excuse to leave. She didn’t like how sharp Yulien’s eyes were when he watched her, like he was seeing through her pretense. She couldn’t believe she was even thinking it, but right now she preferred the drunk crown prince to the sober, perceptive one.

“Good girl,” he said with a smile, his eyes still locked on her. “Have you been well, dear sister-in-law? I heard a maid of yours got sick not long ago. You’re not sick, are you?”

“Sick? Now that is a nice way to put it,” thought and almost snorted at the thought, but somehow held back her reaction.

Raena

“I’m not. Kara said she sent the maid away to get better,” she replied quickly, still not looking at him.

“Hmm. What a good maid you have,” he murmured and this time Raena glanced at him, only to find him watching her while rubbing his lips with his fingers. His smile grew as their eyes met, and then his gaze switched to her hands. “Do you like alcohol, sister-in-law? Alcohol is not good for you, especially if you’re young and pretty.”

What was it with him calling her ‘sister-in-law’ so much? He obviously knew her name, but he was not using it as if drawing some invisible line between them.

Not that she complained, she had enough attention on herself as it was. Was it because she was Kassian’s wife? That didn’t stop him from going after Elene in the original storyline, but then again, Kassian had already been executed for treason before the crown prince started pursuing her…

Raena looked down at the wineglass she was holding, just now remembering she had grabbed it before coming here. After a short consideration, she decided not to drink it. After what had happened, even drinking water made her heart race.

“Um, no. My brother told me just to hold it,” she said quickly. “Do you want it?” She offered it to him and for the first time, he hesitated. Raena almost laughed. “Oh, right. There might be poison in this.”

She moved the cup aside and slowly poured its content into the grass, watching as the dark liquid soaked into the ground. She looked back at Yulien, who was staring at her with that same piercing gaze as before. For a moment, she thought she had messed up and acted out of character, but when he chuckled, she relaxed a little.

“What a smart girl!” he said with his charming smile, eyes moving to the sky. “Who do you think would do it? Put poison in your drink.”

“I don’t know,” she said after a short pause. Someone who doesn’t like me.”

“Do you know someone who doesn’t like you?” he asked, still not looking at her. Raena stared at his profile, searching for the right words. For some reason, this conversation felt like a test. After a short deliberation, she concluded that, despite his smile and charming disposition, talking to the crown prince was actually very difficult. At least for someone who knew that behind the goofy exterior hid a razor-sharp mind and a person who wouldn’t hesitate to order one’s traceless disappearance.

She had to think of something. She had to throw him off and get out of there. She…

“Yes,” she said and his eyes moved to her at once.

He held his smile, but his expression was one of keen interest. He waited patiently for her to continue, so she lowered her gaze to her hands, feigning fear.

“It’s alright, you can tell me,” he said gently, touching her shoulder. “I promise I won’t tell anyone and I’ll protect you. Who do you think doesn’t like you?” Raena held another long pause, then sighed loudly.

“Your brother.”

She kept her face down while the silence deepened, fighting the temptation to look up.

“Kassian?” he asked as if to confirm he understood correctly. Raena nodded. “Why do you think so?”

“He locked me up in the North Palace and he was mean to me, even though I had done nothing wrong.” She said, pouting her lips. She grabbed onto her skirts, her fingernail scratching over the fabric.

“I see,” he said, his voice laced with a mix of amusement and disappointment. “I’m sure my brother likes you very much. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have married you, right?” Raena wanted to roll her eyes, but she stopped herself, shrugging instead. “In fact, I think..”

“Oh, my. What a coincidence! I didn’t think there would be anyone here.”

Raena looked up at the same time the first prince turned over his shoulder. A tall, slender woman was standing next to the closest lantern, holding a folded fan in one hand and a half-empty glass in the other. It took Raena a second to recognize Lara in the darkness and this time she failed to hold back her sigh. A gorgeous smile blossomed on the concubine’s face as she raised a hand to push a strand of hair that had fallen from her hairdo.

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” she said as she curtsied, not moving from her spot. “l apologize for interrupting. I’ll go back.”

Raena gritted her teeth. If she went back now, who knew what kind of rumors would be circulating by tomorrow. There wasn’t a single doubt in Raena’s mind that the ones from before were her doing, although she had no actual proof. Raena was just opening her mouth when Yulien spoke first.

“Lady Lara, what a delight to see you! Come join us. It must be tiring conversing with so many people. Rest awhile.” His voice was the epitome of charm, Raena had to give it to him. He could easily put her in his pocket with her arsenal of smiles and polite compliments. Lara hesitated, bowing her head in gratitude. feet.

Before she could reach the bench, Raena rose to her.

“I’m actually hungry,” she said, forcing a smile on her face. “Now that you have somebody to keep you company, Your Highness, I’ll go find my brothe.”

Yulien stared at her for a second, but then nodded his dismissal. Raena and Lara passed each other, their eyes meeting for a moment, before Raena continued forward, letting her smile drop. With Lara staying alone with the first prince now, if she decided to open her mouth, she’d be digging her own grave as well. Raena would have hated to resort to spreading rumors, but if that was the game that damn woman wanted to play, she’d play it.

Raena continued down the path as the sound of voices and quiet music grew louder and louder. She didn’t look forward to mingling with the guests, but it was much preferred than staying with those two.

She stepped on one of the small decorative bridges that ran over the biggest pond in the garden, too tired to walk around the whole thing. Her heels clicked loudly on the wood, making every other sound fade into the background. A quiet rustle anda loud flop made her stop and look around wearily. She could see no one around, but for some reason, a cold chill ran down her spine.

Another Flop! followed, and this time she was sure it came from the water below. She stepped toward the parapet of the bridge, peeking over it into the dark waters dotted with the bright reflection of the stars. She saw nothing at first, then suddenly the water surface broke and a small orange fish jumped with a soft swoosh! Into the air, falling back into the pond.

Raena let out a relieved chuckle, feeling her tension drain away. The pond was big and it veered left and right with several more bridges, so of course they would put fish in them. There were probably other animals too, like ducks and swans. She was pretty sure she saw a swan in the garden once as she walked with Kara.

“Stupid,” she murmured, shaking her head. She picked up her skirts again, throwing the dark waters one last look before resuming her walk. She hadn’t made more than two steps when suddenly she was sent sideways, losing her balance and hitting the parapet.

Before she knew it, she was tipping over it, hands reaching out for something to grab onto, but grasping only empty air instead.

Raena screamed as she flew toward the water, closing her mouth only after it filled with cold water. She tried to kick and swim to the surface, but the skirts of her dress had firmly wrapped around her legs and her hands were quickly getting tired of doing all the work by themselves. She looked down toward the bottom of the pond, expecting to be just a few steps away, but all she could see beneath her was darkness.

Panic gripped her mind as she resumed her struggle, reaching toward the moon and the bright stars, but with each passing second, they grew dimmer and dimmer until her strength completely left her and she felt her body relax, surrendering to its fate.