The Princess' Harem -
Chapter 153: Warmth in the Middle of Trauma
Chapter 153: Warmth in the Middle of Trauma
In the small garden of Elysia Palace, sunlight peeked through the trees, gently shining on Viana, who sat quietly on a bench. Her face was still pale, and the scratches on her arms and legs had just begun to heal.
Still, she had started smiling again, especially when Sina, ever talkative, began telling stories about Cooper’s funny antics during the festival.
Joel and Reyes stayed close to her side. So did Prince Rayne, who sat beside her, gently holding her hand from time to time or making sure her tea stayed warm.
He was sweet and attentive. Viana often caught him glancing at her, checking if she was doing okay.
She noticed the extra care he gave her, and also the jealousy in Joel and Reyes’ eyes. But she pretended not to see it. She let Rayne take care of her, let herself feel his warmth, hoping it would help push away the image of Lazarus—the face that haunted her from a life before.
Joel and Reyes tried to stay professional as Royal Guards, but it was obvious they were uneasy. Joel’s hand kept brushing the hilt of his sword, and his eyes often flicked toward Rayne, especially when the prince gently adjusted the scarf around Viana’s shoulders.
Reyes, usually quiet, kept shifting his eyes toward the trees. His legs wouldn’t stop moving, like he wanted to speak up but held himself back. Viana noticed, but she just smiled slightly. She didn’t want to complicate things, as their Love Percentage bars were increasing.
Sina and Cooper, oblivious to all this, continued running around serving Viana or chasing butterflies while chatting non-stop.
"Princess, you need to rest more," Sina said as she knelt in front of Viana, and holding her hands. She looked up at her, her eyes were wide in pleading.
"Yeah, Princess! The festival’s still going on, but you don’t need to rush back. We can bring you food from there!" Cooper added as he came holding a flower crown he’d just made.
Viana chuckled at his handmade crown. "This is for you, Princess," Cooper said, handing it to her. Rayne gently took it and placed it on Viana’s head.
Everyone began praising her, making Viana laugh. "Alright, alright... say whatever you want."
Her laughs made everyone following along in laughters.
Suddenly, Arden appeared at the entrance of the garden, looking hesitant. His face seemed tense, like he had something important to say but wasn’t sure if now was the right time.
Viana noticed him and called softly, "Arden, come in. What’s going on?"
Rayne frowned, clearly annoyed. "Viana, you need rest. Work stuff can wait."
Viana slowly shook her head and replied gently but firmly, "Rayne, I’m fine. My responsibilities don’t stop just because of... what happened."
Rayne sighed in defeat. He clearly didn’t like it but couldn’t argue. "Alright," he mumbled, leaning back on the bench with his arms crossed.
Arden stepped forward and gave a respectful bow to both Viana and Rayne, who just snorted in annoyance. Viana motioned for Arden to ignore it, letting out a soft laugh.
"Your Highness, since I’m temporarily in charge of your kidnapping case, we’ve increased security at the city gates and planted spies at the northern border to monitor Count Lazarus. We also received reports of suspicious carriages leaving the valley last night, possibly his men."
He paused, glancing at Rayne, who now seemed more interested though he tried not to show it.
"We’ve also tightened security at the festival to prevent any incidents."
Arden glanced at Rayne again, who eventually stood and walked away, settling on another bench. He understood there were things he wasn’t supposed to hear.
Once Rayne was out of earshot, Arden continued. "I also brought financial and trade reports, Your Highness. The royal treasury is stable, but revenue from the ruby mines in the Ardenia Mountains has dropped 10 percent due to bad weather. Mining’s been slowed down. Trade hasn’t picked up much either."
Viana listened carefully, though her eyes blinked tiredly now and then. "Thank you, Arden. You really are the best at what you do."
Arden blushed at the praise. He always tried to be someone useful to the Princess, even if he wasn’t good with a sword.
"As for trade with the southern kingdom of Teandra, there are reports of smugglers trying to sneak in goods without paying taxes. We’re currently investigating," he added, still looking bright.
Viana paused to think, then responded, "Tighten checks at the southern border and keep me updated. Also, get me Sir Arthur’s reports on the warehouses in western Elysia."
Just as Arden was wrapping up his reports, a loud voice came from the garden entrance.
"Let me in! I need to see the Princess!" shouted a voice that everyone in the garden recognized. The guards at the entrance were holding back Kaley, the young priest from Elysia’s temple.
As soon as Kaley saw Viana, he shouted, "Princess!"
The guards reached out to stop him from entering, but Reyes’s voice rang out. "Let him through."
The guards stepped aside. Kaley hurried into the garden, his long silver-white hair swaying as he moved quickly.
He dropped to one knee in front of Viana, full of energy. "Your Highness! The High Priest sent me to give you a holy blessing, to protect you from further danger."
Without waiting for a reply, Kaley stood and began praying. His hand gripped the sun-shaped pendant on his chest. A soft glow rose from him, wrapping Viana in warmth.
There was even a faint floral scent in the air. Viana felt calm, truly at ease for the first time in a while. She smiled. "Thank you, Kaley."
Kaley beamed at her words, clearly overjoyed.
Everyone watched the scene with stunned faces and quiet awe, thankful for the temple’s blessing. Everyone except Rayne, who looked grumpy.
He was clearly unhappy that Viana wasn’t resting and was now busy again, first with Arden’s report and now Kaley’s blessing. With arms crossed, he turned his head away, trying hard to stay calm.
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