Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 175: Happy Life

Chapter 175: Happy Life

She knew that she should just take the apology but she couldn’t help it. Not when she was attacked like that so mindlessly. True, Atticus wasn’t talking about her but it still applied to her situation. It still struck too close to home.

"Frankly, I just dislike Prince Nathaniel as a person," Atticus admitted. "And I will take any and every chance available for me to make a dig at him. However, I was thoughtless and failed to consider the implementations of my words."

He gently released his hold on her, his arms loosening but never failing to maintain contact. Atticus spun Daphne around so that he could meet her gaze as he spoke.

"The lack of magic doesn’t make you a lesser person," Atticus said. "In fact, unlike that little worm of a crown prince―"

Daphne rolled her eyes at his words but otherwise didn’t say anything.

"―you’ve grown up with the world knowing about your inability to use magic. Yet, you’ve come out strong in your own ways. Besides," Atticus braved a grin, though it was filled with uncertainty, "you are, by far, the greatest pyromancer I have ever come across. Your brothers and sisters have nothing on you and they’re all considered prodigies."

"You’re only saying that so that you’ll be forgiven faster," Daphne said.

"Perhaps," Atticus admitted with a shrug. "But it’s true, isn’t it? Heaven favors the determined. Your tenacity and love for life is what blessed you with this gift."

Daphne’s heart warmed.

"Consider yourself forgiven," she said. "But, if you say anything like that again, you’re not getting away with just an apology or the cold shoulder!" She huffed. "Don’t you forget it, I am a proper magic practitioner now and I can very well flame you to hell and back."

"Of course," Atticus said. This time, that smile of his finally reached his eyes. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Daphne’s. "Happy wife, happy life, right?"

"And you better not forget it!" Daphne chuckled. Then, she jumped a little in place, pulling away when she suddenly remembered. "Right, I have something to give you."

Atticus furrowed his eyebrows.

"What is it?" he asked.

Daphne held out her hands, presenting what she had been looking at previously.

"I suppose it’s my turn to apologize," she said.

Atticus stared blankly at the bracelet, the beads of seeds glistening whenever Daphne moved even just the slightest.

"I didn’t know what the seed bracelet had meant when I accepted Prince Nathaniel’s gift," Daphne said remorsefully. "I was out with Princess Cordelia for tea when she saw the bracelet. She was the one that explained the Raxuvian wedding tradition of grooms giving their brides seed bracelets before the wedding as an engagement gift of some sort."

She reached forward for Atticus’s hand, peeling his fingers open so that his open palm faced upward. Daphne gently placed the long seed bracelet into his hand before curling his fingers back so that he now held the item.

"I shouldn’t be keeping another man’s gift, especially if it was on par with a wedding ring. It’s not right," she said. "But I heard that the seeds of the Temporal Elderwood Tree can be very useful for herbal remedies."

Daphne looked up so that she could meet Atticus’s gaze. He was shocked, frozen, and standing completely still as he observed Daphne’s actions wordlessly.

"Perhaps you should keep this, Atticus." Daphne let go, taking a step back and away. Only then did Atticus’s line of sight finally tear away from her to eye the bracelet that sat in the palm of his hand. "You’ll have better use of this than I will, with your medicinal knowledge and all."

Atticus’s thumb rubbed the seed lightly, nothing more than just a gentle graze, as though he was worried that too much force would ruin the seed.

The seeds of the Temporal Elderwood Tree were rare — if not impossible — to come by. Even in the black market, Atticus had scoured every crevice and corner but it never came up, no matter what price he was willing to pay for it. Not even the Gibbous Auction House carried this item despite the number of requests by a multitudinous list of people.

With all due right. The seeds were protected by a maximum security force field deep in the heart of Raxuvia’s royal palace. No one could get in― even if they could, there was no saying they would get out.

Yet, there it was, a whole string of them that the prince had used for a mere trinket for his would-have-been bride. Atticus could only laugh at the incredulity of it all.

"You seemed pleased," Daphne stated, watching the wide smile that was quickly spreading across Atticus’s face when what had happened finally registered in his brain. "Did you really think that I would’ve accepted this gift knowing what it meant? Even though I was already married to you and, on top of that, wearing the wedding ring that you gave me?"

"Huh?" Atticus looked from the bracelet to Daphne, repeating the action a few times. When he finally snapped out of it, he cleared his throat, stuffing the bracelet into his pocket after wrapping it with a handkerchief.

"If not, why were you so jealous and upset?" Daphne asked.

"I wasn’t..." Atticus tried to deny, only pausing his words when he caught the look of disbelief Daphne shot him. "Fine, maybe I was a little bit jealous," he admitted. "But I knew that you didn’t understand the underlying meaning of that bracelet, which was why I didn’t pursue the case. That little snake wouldn’t have explained it to you. If you knew, I was sure you wouldn’t have accepted it."

"Of course not!" Daphne hotly piped up. "That would’ve basically been accepting his proposal!"

"But you still didn’t return it," Atticus pointed out.

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to?" she asked, scoffing as she glanced at the pocket which now held the bracelet. "You seem to have kept the bracelet quite eagerly."

"Now, it would be rude to return a gift that is already gifted, isn’t it?" Atticus cooed sweetly.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "For whatever it’s worth, this was already clarified between me and Prince Nathaniel. It’s just a meaningless gift, nothing more. A souvenir, if you will."

"There’s no need to explain it to me," Atticus said. "I trust you. I know you’ll not fall for that slimy snake’s petty schemes."

"You should really stop calling him that," said Daphne. "It wouldn’t be good if someone heard―"

She was rudely cut off with a hand placed over her lips. Atticus leaned in, their lips only separated by his warm hand. However, the sudden close proximity was still enough to send Daphne into a bashful fluster. Her cheeks scorched even after he withdrew, their foreheads now leaning against one another.

With how close they were, Daphne could practically count the strands of eyelashes Atticus had. It was unfair how beautiful he was.

"No one is going to hear us," he said. "And if we did do anything else in the room, no one is going to hear us either."

His sudden innuendo did not go unnoticed. Daphne pulled away, picking up the pillow on the chair right next to the window before flinging it at Atticus. Even though he could’ve caught it easily, he still allowed it to hit him square on the face, his shoulders quaking with laughter.

"Pervert!"

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