The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 187: This Fine Evening II

A sense of deja vu washed over Soleia as she stared into the emerald eyes of the man who so resembled her husband. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, inhaling deeply through her nose as she fully turned around.

"I could say the same for yourself, Prince Raziel," she returned fairly, albeit with a smile that she tried to muster. Ralph didn’t like the Raxuvian princes, and while she acknowledged that they were indeed dangerous men, Prince Raziel wasn’t nearly as dislikable as his older brother.

"For all the talk of my brother being uncomfortable in a foreign bed, I had not accounted for the fact that I would be as well," Raziel said, coming down the stairs only to stop right in front of Soleia. "It is unfortunate, but it seems like I may not be getting my rest tonight after all."

Soleia’s smile turned a little awkward. They were indeed very lucky― all of the rooms had been taken up in this estate, and it was just two days ago that one was freed. The man staying there had to be away for work, and as such, Prince Ricard and Prince Raziel could be housed under the large roof. Otherwise, she would bet that Ralph would be more than happy and guiltless to send them on their merry way.

"Perhaps some tea might help?" she offered, gesturing to the couches.

Raziel’s eyes sparkled. "If it’s no trouble."

"Not at all." Soleia turned and hurried off into the kitchen.

She tried to take as much time as possible, gathering the tea leaves and boiling a fresh kettle of water. But it didn’t take long before she had to leave the kitchen and return to the living room, where Raziel patiently waited.

From where he sat, Soleia was able to clearly look over his shoulder. He had picked up a book from who-knows-where and was intently reading it, deeply engrossed in the text that he hadn’t even noticed Soleia’s presence.

She stood there for a good second as she read the passages, squinting so that she could catch the lines in the dim lighting.

’The Silent Stone: Selenite & Magic’s Undoing’

Soleia gulped. Where did this book come from?

"Ah, Princess Soleia," Raziel said, snapping the book shut.

Soleia jumped when her name was called, the pot wobbling on the tray she held, causing some hot water to spill forth from the spout. She hissed in pain when it scalded the back of her hand, and quickly, Raziel rose from his seat to take the tray from her hands.

He helped to place the tray down on the coffee table before leading Soleia to the couches, looking at her hands without touching them.

"I apologize for scaring you," he said, studying the quickly reddening skin before raising his gaze to look into her eyes. "If you would like, I can heal it for you."

"No, it’s fine," Soleia said, pulling her hands back. She winced when even the slightest movement caused her hand to sting. She could wait for Ralph to return― he would be able to heal her quickly enough. But that would depend on when he would even come home.

Raziel stared at her thoughtfully. After about a moment’s worth of silence, he said, "If you’re looking for Sir Ralph, he might not return till morning comes." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"I wasn’t―"

"It’s fine to miss your new husband, Your Highness," Prince Raziel said. He raised an eyebrow, and one corner of his lips was slightly tilted upward in a slight smile. "I think every maiden would understand your current position."

Then, his gaze landed on her scalded hand again.

"But the longer you wait, the more this will hurt you. He may be able to heal you, but it won’t lessen the pain you’ve felt between the time the wound is inflicted and the time it’s gone."

Soleia squinted ever so slightly before slowly moving her hands in Raziel’s direction.

"In that case," she said, "if I could just trouble you again, Prince Raziel."

Prince Raziel’s words had a different meaning to them, she was sure. The conversation was no longer just about a scalded pair of hands or some form of injury. He knew that Ralph wasn’t in bed, and it seemed like he knew where exactly Ralph was too.

Raziel smiled a little brighter this time. "It’s no trouble."

He hovered his hand over the burns, and slowly, the red ear studs he wore pulsed to life. Magic flowed from his fingertips, and if Soleia concentrated hard enough, she could even feel it seep into her bloodstream.

She chanced a glance at Raziel, only to see that he was calmly focusing on the red mark on her hand without a single change in his expression. It took a little longer than she would’ve liked, but eventually, the redness was gone and so was the pain. Raziel withdrew his hands as quickly as Soleia did, and smiled gently at her as she checked her hands.

"Wonderful, isn’t it?" Raziel mused. "Healing magic can be so helpful at times. Although, as a prince, I do often resent the fact that my powers aren’t quite as offensive as that of my brothers."

"Brothers?" Soleia asked. She pursed her lips.

Raziel chuckled. "I see that you have a question to ask," he said. "Feel free to let me know what’s on your mind."

"I heard that you have a lot of siblings," Soleia slowly said. "Are you the only one without the ability to manipulate blood?"

"Oh," Raziel said with a small shake of his head, "quite the contrary, Princess Soleia, but I am just like most of my siblings. Most of us only have the ability to heal, though I would like to think that I am the most proficient at it. Blood manipulation is an ability only two of my brothers have, as well as my father."

He continued, shrugging.

"There’s Ricard, as I’m sure you know. And as for the other... Well, we don’t talk about him much."

Soleia slowly and slightly tilted her head.

"Why is that?" she asked. Something told her she wouldn’t like his answer.

True enough, Raziel’s smile made her heart skip a bit― and not in the same heart-fluttering way that Ralph’s did. If anything, this smile made her skin crawl in fear and dread, even if she didn’t know why she was feeling this way.

"He’s an illegitimate son," Raziel said. "His mother had him out of wedlock before my father eventually made her his concubine. As such, Rafael has never been close to us growing up, especially since my father will soon be choosing his heir."