The Villainess Wants To Retire-Chapter 369: Twenty Minutes

I slid out of bed, carrying Rael, who refused to let go, and walked to the door. A guard snapped to attention as I opened it.

"Please summon Prince Rael’s caretaker," I instructed.

"At once, Your Majesty."

We waited in the doorway. Rael’s head was heavy on my shoulder, his breathing finally leveling out. But when footsteps approached, it wasn’t the caretaker. It was the same guard, his face flushed and his eyes darting nervously. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Where is the caretaker?" I asked, a frown deepening on my face.

"Your Majesty... she is currently nowhere to be found ."

"Then summon King Caelen," I said, my patience fraying.

The guard looked even more miserable. "His Majesty is also... unavailable at the moment, Sire."

"Unavailable? What does that mean? He’s a guest in this palace, not a prisoner. Where is he?"

"He is currently... engaged in a duel, Your Majesty. With Emperor Soren. In the training yard."

I stared at him. A duel. Of course. Two men with too much pride and too many secrets, swinging steel at each other in the middle of a blizzard.

"Fine," I snapped. "I’ll take him myself."

I wrapped Rael in a thick wool blanket and threw a heavier robe over my shoulders. We walked through the corridors, the silence of the palace punctuated by the whispers of servants we passed. They were all talking about it. The King and the Emperor.

As we turned the corner toward the South Wing, a figure emerged from the opposite direction.

It was Caelen.

He looked roughened up, worse than I’d ever seen him. His hair was damp and matted with melting snow. His face was a map of exhaustion and lingering pain.

"PAPA!" Rael shrieked, his entire body brightening as he reached out.

We met in the middle of the drafty corridor. Caelen took Rael from my arms, his touch gentle despite his obvious weariness. He hugged the boy close, closing his eyes for a long moment as if Rael were the only thing keeping him upright.

"He had a nightmare," I said, my voice flat. "He woke up crying."

Caelen pulled back, stroking Rael’s hair with a hand that shook slightly. "Another one?" he asked softly.

Rael nodded against his shoulder. My stomach did a slow, uneasy roll. Another one?

"You don’t seem surprised," I noted, watching them.

Caelen met my eyes. "He has these dreams sometimes. It’s nothing serious, Eris. Just... nightmares. Children have them."

"He was terrified, Caelen. He thought I was dying."

"He’s fine," Caelen said, his tone turning dismissive. Not cruel, just... final. He was closing the door on the subject. "They pass. You don’t need to worry about it."

Something felt off. A mother’s instinct, or perhaps just the lingering distrust I had for almost everything and everyone.

"Alright," I said slowly. "I’ll take your word for it."

I prepared to turn away, but Caelen’s gaze caught me. It was a look I recognized, a hungry, desperate longing that made my skin crawl. He looked at me as if I were a ghost he was trying to summon back to life. It wasn’t love; it was a haunting.

I stepped back, the discomfort prickling at the back of my neck.

"Well. I should go," I said quickly.

"Mama! You’re leaving?" Rael called out, his lower lip wobbling.

I turned back, softening immediately. I walked over and kissed his forehead, his cheeks, and his nose until he giggled. "I have to go, my love. But I promise we’ll spend more time together later. I promise."

"Okay," he whispered, smiling now.

I turned and walked away, my pace quickening. I didn’t look back. I could feel Caelen’s eyes on my spine the entire way, a heavy, silent weight of regret and pain that I refused to carry for him.

I returned to the imperial chambers and threw the door open. Soren was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking like the cat that had swallowed the canary.

He was flushed, his cheeks a healthy pink, and his hair was damp. But unlike Caelen, he didn’t look defeated. He looked energized, his eyes glowing with a vibrant, restless light. He grinned the moment he saw me.

"You had a duel with Caelen," I said, crossing my arms.

"Oops," he said, his grin widening. "You found out quickly."

"The entire palace is talking about it, Soren. Was there a reason for you two to be trying to kill each other before dinner?"

He shrugged, looking far too pleased with himself. "Just two friends dueling it out. Nothing serious. A bit of exercise."

"As long as no one is dead," I sighed, walking closer.

"No one’s dead," he laughed. "Caelen’s pride might be wounded, but he’ll survive."

I studied him as I reached the foot of the bed. He didn’t look like he had just fought a king. He looked like he’d just woken up from the best nap of his life.

"You look suspicious," I said. "You look like you’re about to burst with energy."

"Maybe I’m just that good," he said, reaching out and snagging my waist. He pulled me between his legs, his hands sliding up my thighs with a slow, deliberate cold that quickly turned to heat.

His fingers traced the under-curve of my ass through the silk of my dress, his touch teasing and heavy.

"Or maybe," he whispered, looking up at me with those sapphire eyes, "I’m just happy to see you."

He leaned up, his lips inches from mine. I put a hand on his chest, stopping him. "We should..."

I stopped. Should what? Talk about the nightmares? Talk about the way Caelen looked at me?

Soren waited, his expression softening into that patient, devoted look that always managed to dismantle my defenses. I exhaled, the tension leaving my body.

"Nothing. Never mind."

I removed my hand. Soren grinned and pulled me down into his lap, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

"Good," he mumbled against my skin. "Because I missed you."

"I was gone for twenty minutes," I whispered, my fingers finding the damp locks of his hair.

"Twenty minutes too long."