Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 225: An Unexpected Invitation I

Chapter 225: An Unexpected Invitation I

"How dare you slander Princess Drusilla!" Duke Ferguson demanded hotly, from his spot on the floor. "She is twice the woman you’ll ever be!"

Cordelia rolled her eyes to the high heavens. "Yes, yes, and I bet your beloved princess farts roses and her sweat shimmers like diamonds glistening in the sun. Spare me your lovesick drivel. That woman hates you."

She then turned to Daphne and said in a tone loud enough for Duke Ferguson to hear, "Didn’t she call him fat and ugly?"

Daphne could only nod in agreement, hiding her growing smirk behind her handheld fan. She did, however, raise an eyebrow at the familiar line. It didn’t seem like the first time she heard someone describe farts as having the smell of roses, but she just couldn’t place her finger on when and where she had heard such a thing.

"Why, I never!" Duke Ferguson nearly leaped up with outrage, but Daphne noted with amusement that he made sure to stand further from Cordelia’s legs, and his hands were hovering over his crotch.

Seeing that Cordelia was unfazed by his words, he switched his target to Daphne.

"Queen Daphne, I only mean the best for you and for Reaweth, which is why I must say this. Are you sure Princess Cordelia has your interests at heart? She could be trying to seduce the king right under your eyes on your wedding night!"

Daphne and Cordelia met eyes and started laughing.

"Been there, done that," Cordelia said. "If you want me to do it a second time, I might only try if you have a bowl of aphrodisiac to offer me. That and a few barrels of your strongest alcohol."

"Oh please, even if I gave you an entire tub, you wouldn’t be successful," Daphne retorted playfully. "Aren’t you immune to aphrodisiacs?"

"I can also out-drink my uncle," Cordelia cheekily replied, and they both laughed even louder.

Duke Ferguson was very confused. Queen Daphne was clearly inept if she couldn’t sense the threat Princess Cordelia posed to her marriage.

"Queen Daphne, I’m trying to warn you!" Duke Ferguson tried again. "Princess Drusilla had already informed me of Princess Cordelia’s licentious behavior. Do not be hoodwinked!"

"I’m not the one that caused a moonstone sheen to turn into a rainbow," Princess Cordelia said dryly.

While Cordelia could brush off Duke Ferguson’s comments with nary a sweat, Daphne was less calm about it. Who knew what sort of lies Drusilla was spreading behind her back, while she was safely ensconced in Vramid?

"May I know what my dear sweet sister has been saying in my absence?" Daphne asked politely.

"Oh, she has been very worried about you," Duke Ferguson said, and Cordelia snorted loudly. "Will outsiders kindly back away from this private conversation?"

Cordelia raised her eyebrow and wordlessly asked Daphne if she needed any help dealing with this man. Daphne gave a minute shake of her head, indicating she had it handled. So Cordelia, trusting her friend’s abilities and newfound bloodthirstiness, shrugged and backed away.

"I’ll be at the snack bar, stealing the hors d’oeuvres. Holler if you need me," Cordelia said. "Sir Jonah, you’re with me."

"I am?" Jonah asked, but he didn’t get a chance to protest as Cordelia all but dragged him away. Someone had to hold the platter for her, and she didn’t want to waste her energy.

Cordelia believed a mere duke shouldn’t pose too much of a problem for Daphne. After all, she had heard rumors of what the Vramidian queen had done to that haughty Marchioness Seibert just a few days ago. If this duke knew any better, he would run away back to Reaweth before he stepped on Daphne’s tail.

Or worse. Her husband’s.

"Now, what did my sweet sister say again?" Daphne prompted, and the Duke immediately began to regale a woeful tale.

"Oh, she has spent multiple sleepless nights worried about you! When the both of you parted, there was still an escaped criminal on the loose."

Atticus snorted. And how would this man know whether or not she was sleeping?

"You seem to know quite a bit about this escaped criminal," Atticus commented, raising an eyebrow as he folded his arms across his chest. "Mind telling us more?"

Duke Ferguson’s eyes snapped over to King Atticus; Daphne did not miss the way the duke’s eyes widened with surprise. He must’ve completely forgotten that the king was still there. After all, he had kept silent this entire time even though they were discussing the topic of him possibly having an affair with the Nedish princess.

"K-King Atticus..." Duke Ferguson stammered.

"Well, go on," Atticus prompted. "Stop wasting our time. Unless you truly have nothing of value to say and are just wasting our time?"

With that said, Atticus’s expression darkened, causing Duke Ferguson to visibly gulp. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, beads of perspiration slowly gathering at his temples and forehead as he was continuously stared down by Atticus. Standing next to the king of Vramid was practically like standing right next to a frost giant!

"It’s the famed assassin," Duke Ferguson explained. "It is said that... that... Jean Nott had been spotted recently in Reaweth."

"How would you know?" Atticus asked, huffing. "No one knows what Jean Nott looks like. Not until he showed his face in Raxuvia. Even then, only members of royalty saw him."

"Princess Drusilla said that Jean Nott is actually Viscount Eugene Attonson of Vramid," Duke Ferguson explained. "And there have been sightings of the viscount."

"If he’s in Reaweth, I don’t see why my dear sister would be so worried about me," Daphne said, her voice cool. "I am safely in Vramid. She should be more worried about herself if Jean Nott truly is in Reaweth right now."

"That brings us to the primary agenda of my attendance tonight," Duke Ferguson said. He dug in his coat pockets, pulling out a crisp envelope that was sealed with wax. It bore the Reawethen royal crest. "His Majesty sends word, Princess― I mean, Queen Daphne. He requests for your return home."

"My father?" Daphne asked. She took hold of the envelope that Duke Ferguson held out, curiously peeling open the wax seal to have a look at its contents.

How curious. Daphne had not heard a single peep from her father ever since her carriage had gone missing and she was wedded off to Vramid. That was because her father — like the rest of Daphne’s family — did not care for this particular daughter of his. He probably wouldn’t even spare a second thought for her life and death.

And yet, now he was asking for her to return back to Reaweth?

What did the old man have up his sleeves this time?

"Yes," Duke Ferguson said with a nod. "He requests you bring your husband, King Atticus, with you."