The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 191: The Mysterious Duke II

"Duke Kinsley?" Miriam echoed before she turned and looked at the other two women. They both shook their heads and shrugged, and Soleia felt her heart drop from her chest to her stomach.

"You know," Soleia said with an awkward laugh, "the man who helped organize the festival yesterday? He was one of the judges for the dance."

"Duke Kinsley... is a reserved man," Edith carefully said, her eyes still glued on Miriam and Gretchen even though her words were meant for Soleia. "He usually keeps to himself."

"But that’s before he and Dorothy had something going on― hey!" Miriam yowled in pain when her friends jabbed her, causing her to stop in her sentence.

"Who’s Dorothy?" Soleia asked inquisitively, her eyes practically sparkling. She may not be the most extroverted person, but the town was small but friendly. She had learned almost every name available here, and none of them rang a bell.

"Dorothy is..." Gretchen said hesitantly, chewing her bottom lip. "Well, she is an eccentric soul."

"She was always wandering off to the borders, especially the lakes and rivers," Miriam added, purposely evading the gazes her friends shot at her as she spoke. "She is also one of Duke Kinsley’s only friends."

"That’s wonderful," Soleia said, clasping her hands together. "Where may I find her?"

"You can’t," Edith answered with a sigh. "She’s missing. Has been for years."

"Duke Kinsley... supposedly went missing with her all those years ago," Gretchen muttered under her breath. She spoke so softly that if Soleia hadn’t strained her ears, she wouldn’t have caught it.

"We’ve said too much," Edith said hurriedly. She looked at Miriam and Gretchen before grabbing those women’s hands, and pulling them away. "Have a good day now, Miss Leia! We best be off!"

Before Soleia had the chance to say anything in response, those three women were gone, their bodies blending in with the morning crowd.

Soleia didn’t have the chance to even thank them for the chat, but truthfully, she didn’t know if she had the strength to do so. Her heart felt heavy, and even though she didn’t have the exact answers she had been looking for, her suspicions were pretty much piecing together, the puzzle pieces slotting themselves into place.

Duke Kinsley had not been seen in years, along with his only friend, Dorothy. And the house that they were staying in had been empty for a long time, up until one week before Soleia moved in with Ralph.

While the stories did match up enough to say that this estate could indeed be Duke Kinsley’s, who was to even say for sure that the Duke Kinsley she knew was indeed the real Duke Kinsley? Prince Ricard’s remark was still fresh in her memory, and the suspicion she had of Ralph quickly grew.

Soleia returned to the house a lot more confused than when she left. She looked at the gates, where Coco sat on the stone wall fence, patiently waiting. When Soleia walked past, the cat raised its head and softly meowed before burrowing its face back into its paws to sleep. Soleia merely pursed her lips as she walked past and into the house.

When she entered, the first thing she smelled was the scent of bacon and eggs in the air. The greasy aroma wafted out from the kitchen, and the further in Soleia walked, the more she could hear the sound of merry whistling mingled with the sizzling of the food.

At the sound of her footsteps, the man in the kitchen peered out, a bright smile hanging on his features when he caught sight of Soleia standing there, just watching him expressionlessly.

"Where did you go?" Ralph asked, a bright smile still on his face.

He plated the bacon he was frying before emerging from the kitchen with two plates of food, placing them down on the table. Then, he leaned in and kissed Soleia’s cheek naturally, leading her rigid body to the chairs.

"Duke Kinsley dropped by earlier with some spare ingredients," Ralph said. "Said this was a belated wedding present, given the short notice―"

"Ralph," Soleia said, cutting him off, "do you know a woman named Dorothy?"

Ralph paused in his tracks, his eyebrows rising to the top of his forehead in his surprise.

"Can’t say that I do," Ralph said, wiping his hands on the kitchen towel before flinging it over his shoulder. "Why?"

"I just heard of the name while in town," Soleia slowly said, watching Ralph’s reaction carefully. "I didn’t know that Duke Kinsley was married."

Ralph’s expression didn’t change. He faltered for only half a second, but if Soleia had not been prepared to watch him like a hawk, she would’ve never caught it. He caught himself so quickly and effortlessly, sliding down into the other seat right next to Soleia, grabbing the fork and knife as he prepared to dig into breakfast.

"Oh, you mean Dottie," Ralph said. "I’ve not heard from her in ages, not since she and Duke Kinsley got married. I was in Vramid too during that time, either way."

"When did they get married?"

"I can’t remember," Ralph said. "We aren’t that close."

"And this house used to be hers?" Soleia pressed on. She was randomly making up stories as she went, observing Ralph’s reaction every time she added a random detail.

Ralph sliced a piece of bacon before placing it in his mouth. He chewed, swallowed, and turned to look at Soleia with a sorry smile.

"I don’t know the specifics, honestly," he said. "Is there something wrong, Princess?"

Soleia took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she lowered her head. She counted to five in her head before she slowly peeled her eyes open once more.

"Where were you last night, Ralph?"

"I told you," he said. "I was checking on the crystals in town."

Slowly, he placed his utensils back down on the table before he reached for Soleia’s shoulder, gently moving her so that she faced him. Soleia, however, refused to meet his eyes.

"Princess, is there something wrong?" Ralph asked, his eyebrows furrowed together in concern.

"I went to town, Ralph," Soleia said, finally looking up. Her eyes were glistening― they weren’t really filled with tears, no, but the frustration that bubbled inside her was enough to make her feel like crying out loud. "The crystals were still there. They weren’t moved at all."

Ralph’s expression instantly stiffened, and his hand fell from her shoulder back onto her lap. Soleia shook her head. She felt like laughing at herself as she stood to her feet, the legs of the chair scratching against the floor as she did.

"How much longer do you plan on lying and keeping me in the dark, Ralph?" she asked, a single tear slipping from her eye. "Or should I even call you that, Your Highness?"