The Hidden King's Stolen Wife-Chapter 46: Better Than Yuletide

Rafael doubted Soleia was truly in the woods as Elowyn and Orion claimed, but he had no way to prove it. However, their little ice shelter was deserted, and the crystals they buried together were still undisturbed.

As such, Rafael made his way into the woods, tracking Soleia’s whereabouts from her footsteps. Mentally, he reminded himself to use his powers to create something he could track Soleia with later on. He couldn’t risk having her safety in jeopardy, not when she was the answer to all of his problems.

Soon, he stumbled upon the clearing where the attack must have happened. Orion’s men had removed most of the corpses, but there was nothing that could have hidden the variety of blood splatters decorating the snow.

Rafael gritted his teeth, and there was a terrible pulse in his chest as he imagined the gory sight. Soleia’s body, ripped to shreds by hungry thornhounds who feasted on her flesh, leaving behind nothing more than bloodstained clothing, too little for a proper funeral.

He snarled and twitched his fingers, sending the blood-soaked snow flying.

"Ouch!"

Rafael paused. Wait a minute... That voice...

"Princess Soleia? Is that you?" Rafael called out cautiously. He whipped his head around to look for Soleia, and he guessed she must have taken shelter behind a particular tall piece of rock. " I have food and other supplies for you."

He wondered if she was upset with him. He wouldn’t blame her if he was.

There was a shuffling noise before Soleia’s blonde head emerged from the side. She shook her head free of the snow, and her eyes brightened when she caught sight of him. "Sir Ralph! You’ve returned!"

In her eyes, Rafael could not spot any resentment or anger. Princess Soleia was simply happy to see him, despite all the trouble he had caused her.

That thought made him even more ashamed of his own failings.

"My apologies for taking so long to return. I heard that you’ve suffered a mighty scare because of my absence," Rafael continued, his head hung low in chagrin. "It’s my fault for being negligent with my duties. I should have been there to accompany you."

"Don’t be ridiculous― it wasn’t as though you sent the thornhounds after me," Soleia pointed out, bemused at a depth of Sir Ralph’s remorse.

She walked towards him, still clad in Orion’s cloak. Her eyes were drawn to the huge sack slung over Sir Ralph’s shoulder.

Hopefully, he had a new dress inside the sack, but Soleia knew that was highly unlikely. Still, there was nothing wrong with hoping. She reached out her arms, wordlessly asking him to open it.

"It was inconvenient to do my business alone, but no one could have predicted their presence. Besides, how can I expect you to be at my beck and call at all hours? It’s simply unrealistic. Now hand me the bag," Soleia added when it seemed like Sir Ralph was going to kneel at her feet and beg for forgiveness, instead of letting her have the supplies.

There was a wretched, despondent look in his eyes that reminded Soleia of a husband begging his wife for a second chance. That thought made her snort with laughter.

In comparison, Rafael could not find anything to laugh about. Not only was Soleia attacked at such a vulnerable moment, but she was still alive because of sheer dumb luck. She could have died with her knickers around her legs!

And it would be his fault. In his bid to keep his identity hidden, Rafael had taken too long to reconvene with his men just to ensure that she wouldn’t be suspicious over how he got the goods... and she nearly lost her life in the process.

Just the very thought made Rafael clench his jaw. What use did dresses, gloves, and capes have for a corpse? What could a dead person do with grilled meat?

Of course, he also felt supremely irritated by the sight of Orion’s cloak around her shoulders. In the end, it was Orion who swooped in in the nick of time, protecting her when Rafael had failed. It was Orion who was now keeping her warm with his cloak.

Suddenly, he wanted― needed her to change into the clothes he got her.

"I tried my best to get you some clothes on such short notice. I hope you don’t mind― they might not be what you’re used to," Rafael said. More accurately, he gave his men orders to scour the nearest towns for suitable clothes and used the identity of ’Sir Ralph’ to purchase them. Rafael hoped his men had sense.

"I’m sure it can’t be all that bad― oh look, gloves!" Soleia exclaimed excitedly as she began to rummage through the sack.

This was better than Yuletide and her birthday put together, as nearly every single thing was useful. There were socks, a new pair of boots, a thick cloak that seemed to be lined with the fur of an exotic beast... and even two exquisite new dresses!

There were also several sets of undergarments. Soleia’s face reddened as she pulled them out, and Sir Ralph hurriedly coughed.

Internally, Rafael wanted to curse as he caught sight of all the gifts. Oh, his men had great taste alright― they were all perfect gifts for a princess, but those were gifts Rafael Biroumand would gladly give his wife, not ’Sir Ralph’, the poor knight! His men really had no discretion at all!

And how could they buy her undergarments! Did they not think about how awkward it would be for him to explain matters? Did they assume he had already slept with Soleia? Was he such a prince in their eyes?

Quickly, he wracked his mind to think of an explanation for how he could afford a cloak lined with brackenbear fur from a simple rural town. And why he got her undergarments. And how he guessed her sizes.

Hopefully, Princess Soleia would not notice the inconsistencies or slap him.

However, Soleia was more concerned about the cost. She took a second, closer look at all the items, and a worried frown crossed her face. Their workmanship was stellar, and the materials didn’t look cheap.

"How did you get the money for this?" Soleia asked.

"If I tell you, I’d have to kill you," Rafael jibed.

Soleia stared back at him expectantly without laughing.

"Fine, I may have gone a little overboard with the purchases. But I don’t want you to show up in the palace wearing outfits commoners would wear. You’re a princess! You can’t let Elowyn show you up in front of your family," Rafael quickly said.

Soleia’s heart warmed at his words. She didn’t even think that far, but Sir Ralph had considered all possibilities and tried his best to help her.

"Thank you, I’ll pay you back when we return to the estate. I can’t accept this for nothing," Soleia said gratefully, taking off Orion’s cloak to put on her new one.

"Don’t be ridiculous, you don’t owe me anything," Rafael parroted Soleia’s words. Whoever heard of a wife repaying her husband the money he spent on her?

Never mind that Soleia wasn’t his wife yet.

She would be. Eventually.

"I do have some capital on my name to splurge."

Then, Rafael froze again, for another reason. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Under the cloak, Soleia’s dress had been ripped to pieces!