The Alpha Prince's Purchased Maid
Chapter 392: Sharing Him

Chapter 392: Sharing Him

Deep and dark emotions welled up in my chest and then my temple started to throb in pain. I didn’t want to believe that something like this was about to happen to me and the prince. Most of all, it hurt me so much to be reminded that I was responsible for all the pressure that Prince Leonard was facing. Since the prince had always been by my side and had helped me with virtually everything, even offering Selena a second chance at life, I felt even more devastated when I realized that there wasn’t anything that I could do for him. Even that one thing that I was supposed to be able to do, I had failed so miserably and so publicly. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me and I knew that they were looking down at me.

They didn’t just doubt my ability to conceive, they were certain that there was no way that I could become pregnant within three months. Although they had framed it as giving me one last chance, I knew that it wasn’t a chance at all. If anything, it was a chance for them to pin the blame on me that I was the one who had failed to deliver on my end of the bargain when the three month mark arrived.

“Can I have more time?” I asked in a shaky voice.

“How much time do you think you will need? Haven’t we already waited long enough?” One of the committee members asked quite sternly.

I had already known since before I opened my mouth to ask for more time that my request wouldn’t be granted.

“We don’t want to be harsh on you, but you do realize that we have already waited for such a long time. On top of that, we’re not sure if waiting any longer is going to necessarily change the outcome,” another member of the committee explained while trying to sound reasonable.

I hated it even more that his words seem to make sense to me. I could see things from their view and also understand their desperation. In the end, it was my fault for failing to conceive and he was right that the outcome might not change even if they were to give me more time. I hated the fact that if I were in their shoes, I would probably have decided to do the same thing.

“Even if Prince Leonard decides to keep you by his side, we cannot have him shrinking from his duty. It is clear that you have failed to conceive, and because of that we need to make sure that the prince starts to mate with other women again,” another member of the community jumped in to explain.

“If you ask me, I think that it is more than good enough already that we are allowing the prince to have his way and continue his relationship with you,” the head of the committee surmised seriously as he stared at me from his seat.

“That maid losing Prince Darius’s child was unfortunate and only adds more pressure to the situation. We can’t wait any longer,” another man commented with a disappointing shake of his head.

I felt a shiver run down my spine, and I realized that his words had angered me because he had disrespectfully and insensitively referred to Selena. He probably had no idea just how devastated Selena was after losing her child so suddenly. I wish that I could say that there were many things that I could say in my own defense or words that I thought could dissuade them from the decision that they had arrived at.

Unfortunately, I understood their point of view while I fully acknowledged that the arrival of this conclusion was purely my fault. Because of that, I found myself at a loss for words as shame and guilt overwhelmed my senses. All I could do was look down and nod my head silently as I resigned myself to my fate.

“We will let Prince Leonard know of our decision, if you have nothing left to say. Do not worry, we will deal with the rest,” the head of the committee said to end our meeting.

...

I couldn’t bring myself to tell Prince Leonard that I had been summoned by the committee and the verdict that they had given me. Since the head of the committee told me that he would inform Prince Leonard of the decision himself, I decided to take the easy way out and stay silent. For the most part, I felt too ashamed to raise this issue to the prince. Although it killed me on the inside, I tried to tell myself that this was the right solution and that I should be less selfish. I kept on staring at Prince Leonard as he sat opposite me at the dining table while we were having dinner. I knew that I was selfish in trying to keep the prince all to myself when he had a duty to fulfill.

Even though I knew that it would hurt, I had decided that I would somehow get through and get used to sharing the prince with other women. The only optimistic aspect was that I might still be able to stay by the prince’s side if he would allow me. I would still have the luxury to spend time with him and live with him even if I did not have exclusivity in mating with him.

“Mila...” the prince suddenly called my name.

I blinked rapidly as I snapped out of my thoughts.

“Yes?” I answered while I realized that I sounded a little panicked.

“What are you thinking about? You’re unusually silent,” Prince Leonard asked as he stared at me observantly from across the table.

I was so tempted to honestly tell him what had happened while he was out, but I decided to remain silent and show him a smile instead.

“Nothing. I was just thinking that maybe we should go on a date outside of the palace sometimes, that is if you’re free...” I replied while trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea. Let me know where you want to go and I’ll make sure to take you. I will definitely have some time off this weekend,” the prince replied before smiling charmingly at me.

–To be continued...