The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 190: The Mysterious Duke I

"Are you sure you won’t want to come with us to the palace?" Prince Ricard asked with an overexaggerated pout. "We’ve got a much better mode of transport―" he gestured to the carriage behind them, waiting out on the road, "―and the loveliest sort of company." He then placed a hand on his own chest.

Even Prince Raziel rolled his eyes at that statement, slightly shaking his head.

"Yes, I am sure," Soleia firmly said, mustering what she thought was a firm but polite smile, when in reality, she looked as though she had just bitten into a moldy lemon. "My husband and I just got married yesterday. We would like to take some time off to just... relax."

"The palace can be quite relaxing," Ricard immediately said without missing a beat, only for Soleia to bark out in laughter.

"With all due respect, Your Highness, we both know that’s far from the truth," Soleia answered. Her eyes went to look at Prince Raziel, lingering for a second too long before her gaze returned to Ricard. "I am not sure if the other princes and princesses would be too elated to have guests around."

Ricard raised an eyebrow in amusement, pausing for a brief while before he said, "Some might be." He then tried to peer behind Soleia, asking, "Speaking of which, where is that husband of yours?"

"In bed," Soleia said. "Asleep."

Thanks to his late-night escapade, Ralph was completely knocked out. Either that or he was purposely pretending to be asleep so that he need not send the two princes off. Soleia had tried to wake him up earlier when she rose out of bed, but he barely even acknowledged her attempts. She gave up shortly after.

There was no point trying to wake up a person who was pretending to be asleep.

"Shame," Ricard said with a shrug. "Oh well, I am sure we will have other opportunities to meet in the future. Until then," he bowed, "so long, Princess Soleia."

With a sleazy grin, Prince Ricard turned on his heel and made his way to the carriage, swiftly climbing in. Prince Raziel only gave Soleia a mere dip of his head before he followed after his elder brother, entering the carriage as well. The door was closed, and Soleia watched as the carriage drove down the dirt path before eventually disappearing past her eyes.

Once she was sure they were gone, Soleia’s polite smile fell. Her expression hardened as she turned and walked in the opposite direction, away from their little house and toward town.

Duke Kinsley was rather free-spirited. Soleia wasn’t sure if she would be able to find him easily, if at all. However, she had a good place to start with, and that was Duke Kinsley’s supposed history in this town. He had a nice house― surely there would be people who could remember him?

With that in mind, Soleia entered the town.

As it was still the early hours of the morning, most of the villagers were still asleep. Some early risers were starting to set up their stores, be it bakeries selling fresh bread or grocers selling their fresh produce. Slowly but surely, the market was slowly coming to life.

Bits of the event from yesterday still lingered, such as the flower garlands that hung from the lamp posts and the stage that was yet to be dismantled. But no one paid those things mind as they busied about with their lives.

Soleia’s eyes went to the spot where she had seen the crystals placed. Some of the clear quartz crystals were still left on the ground where the musicians played last evening. She coldly huffed before turning.

"Excuse me," she said, gathering the attention of a few maids who were gossiping amongst themselves, a basket in each of their hands.

When they heard Soleia’s voice, they turned their heads in surprise. Recognition flitted across their faces when their eyes landed on Soleia, and bright smiles bloomed across their faces.

"Why, if it isn’t Miss Leia," one of them, Mariam, if Soleia remembered her name correctly, said. "Congratulations on your marriage with Ralph! You’ve got a lot of girls green, especially that Evangeline. She has been eyeing the spot of Mrs. Byrone for who knows how long!"

Soleia could only give an awkward laugh.

"Thank you," she said. "I suppose I am truly a lucky girl."

The three women she was speaking to nodded, looking back and forth between themselves. Soleia cleared her throat, catching their attention once more.

"Actually," she said, "I do have a question I would like to ask. It’s about the house I am staying in right now. Do you happen to know anything about it?"

"It’s luxurious," Miriam said.

"Coveted after," another woman, Edith, agreed with a nod. She looked around before lowering her voice, "A few greedier folk have tried to rob it over the last few years, but mysteriously disappeared after their attempts."

"Never gotten anything good out of it too," the last woman, Gretchen, added. "Not sure how they got caught, since the estate is almost always empty."

"Empty?" Soleia asked, trying to control her expression as best as she could.

"Yes," Gretchen said. "People only started living in it about a week before you moved into town. Before then, everyone thought that the land was haunted."

"Nothing good ever came out of nearing that place, at least!" Miriam said. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and the look she exchanged with the other two women seemed a little more unsure and guarded this time.

"I guess we got lucky that there was a room available for us then," Soleia said, smiling. She tried her best to keep her tone lighthearted so as to not alarm the women, and when they noticed her smile, the creases between their eyebrows smoothened out as well.

"Truly," Edith said, laughing.

"I have a different question," Soleia piped up before the other women could say anything. "What do you know about Duke Kinsley?"