Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 431: Rude Reminder

Chapter 431: Rude Reminder

"We should head back inside," Nereus said. "The night is cold for your body. You might fall sick like this."

"Just a little while longer," Daphne murmured, her head tilted up as she faced the sky.

The moon was full tonight, bright and beautifully luminous. Its silver beams lit up the gardens around her, and with the perfume of flowers, it felt as though she was home. Xahan was surprisingly cold some of the nights, even though the days felt scorchingly hot. With the low temperatures, it felt like she was still in Vramid, surrounded by the everlasting winter.

"Your husband wouldn’t be back so early," Zephyr said, huffing as he leaned against a tree. He played with a fallen leaf, blowing at it and watching it sway in the air.

"I know," Daphne said. "I just wanted to stay out a bit more."

She wasn’t waiting for Atticus― or at least, she was trying to convince both herself and the others that she wasn’t. She knew that he wouldn’t return this early into the night. More often than not, the sun would already be peeping through the horizon before she would feel him snuggle in bed with her, freshly washed.

Now, it was just a few hours past midnight.

Daphne yawned, raising her hand to shield her mouth as she did. She continued to stare at the silver moon in the sky. It was mesmerizingly bright, capturing Daphne’s attention as she basked in its silent beauty.

A strong gust of cold wind blew at their faces, causing Daphne to raise her arm so that she could shield her face. Some of the sand had been blown up along with the wind, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut.

"Oh, how nice. A welcome party just for me."

One voice was all it took for Daphne’s eyes to snap open. She gathered her magic in one hand, the aquamarines on her ring thrumming with magic. Wordlessly, she threw out a splash of water in the direction of the sound without wasting a breath. Her magic, however, didn’t land on its target.

She sucked in a breath of cold air as the blast of water immediately crystallized into ice right before it could blast the man square in his face. Behind that newly formed ice orb was a grinning face, familiar but unwelcomed.

Zephyr and Nereus quickly reacted. They rushed forward, sandwiching Daphne between them so that she was blocked from Jean Nott’s direct view.

"I thought you would be smarter enough than to come back," Daphne said through gritted teeth.

By her side, her hands quickly shimmered in wisps of blue, magic gathering at her fingertips. She could feel the cool touch of water trickling against her palms, the drops of dew gathering as she watched Jean Nott’s every move.

"What can I say?" Jean Nott said with a shrug. "There’s someone I miss here in the palace. Someone I am willing to cross into enemy territory for."

His gaze then fell on Daphne’s stomach; time seemed to stand still. His forehead crinkled gradually, lines deepening like furrows in freshly plowed earth, as a shadow crept over his face. The corners of his mouth, previously upturned in a lighthearted smile, tightened imperceptibly, and the ease in his expression surrendered to the subtle weight of contemplation.

Daphne’s hands immediately dispelled themselves of magic before coming to wrap around her stomach protectively. She wasn’t showing that much yet, just a small bump that could be easily covered by looser dresses. Besides, this was something Jean Nott was already well aware of― he made that quite clear the last time he visited.

She wasn’t sure what exactly he was frowning at but she didn’t like the way his gaze lingered on her like a predator waiting for its prey to mess up.

"You’re keeping the child?" Jean Nott asked, his gaze not once leaving Daphne’s belly.

"That’s none of your concern," she retorted.

Zephyr and Nereus moved to stand a little closer together, keeping Daphne tightly out of view. Only then did Jean Nott raise his gaze to meet their eyes once more.

"Ah, right," Jean Nott said with a sigh. "I forgot that we were joined by the bodyguards tonight. How are you two gentlemen?" His lips stretched into a coy smile. "My guild is always open to new members. Interested in joining?"

Nereus remained silent, tight-lipped and glaring daggers at the man. If he had both his eyes, Daphne had no doubt that he would’ve immediately blasted Jean Nott right out of the palace grounds with water, if not drowned him right then and there.

Zephyr, on the other hand, jumped hotly. "You have quite the nerve!" he yelled, pointing his finger right at Jean Nott’s nose. "After what you’ve done, how dare you show your face in front of Daphne again?"

"She told you everything?" Jean Nott asked. He placed a hand on his heart, smiling fondly. "How sweet."

"You disgusting, disturbing, mongrel!" Zephyr yelped. "Wait till that annoying king comes back. He will rip you from limb to limb!"

"Tut tut," Jean Nott shook his head as he clicked his tongue, "You’re still depending on King Atticus to come save you all? Come on, men, where are your spines?"

A sadistic, mocking grin curled upon Jean Nott’s lips like a venomous serpent. The corners of his mouth lifted with an unsettling satisfaction, revealing a calculated cruelty in the glint of his eyes. It was a perverse expression, a blend of malevolence and taunting amusement that seemed to revel in the discomfort written across Daphne and Zephyr’s faces as they came to a realization.

Atticus had been so nice the last few weeks that Daphne had almost forgotten― he couldn’t truly be trusted.

While Prince Nathaniel’s new findings had brought around an interesting theory, Daphne had yet to confirm it. And even if Atticus was doing all this for her, she couldn’t forgive him for reaping Nereus’s eye as though he was a farm animal.

Nereus’s remaining eye widened with realization just as Jean Nott’s smirk grew. He pointed to the kelpie’s good eye.

"Speaking of which," Jean Nott said, "mind if I have your other eye?"

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