The King would occasionally come to watch the princes‘ archery and riding competitions, but the timing was never fixed–he’d just show up randomly.
Sometimes, he’d even hide in the distance to observe, so the princes had no clue he was there.
Dorian was the most playful among them, finding repetitive practice super boring.
He’d sneaked out before–sometimes caught by Luciana, other times dragged back by his attendants. Only a few times did he actually
succeed, and luckily, the King never found out.
Today, he thought the same–no way he’d get caught, especially since Luciana had promised not to interfere anymore.
Yet, his luck would be this bad. The King actually found out so soon.
The guard answered nervously, “His Majesty is furious and searching everywhere for you, Your Highness. But luckily, you’re here with
Princess of Latymer. Let’s go in and ask her for help.”
“What help can she offer?” Dorian glared, full of anger.
‘Other than bossing me around, what had Luciana ever done for me? All these years, I’d suffered under her control. Just now, she even said
she wouldn’t interfere with my business anymore.
‘But why am I still feeling wronged? Ugh, maybe I’d been oppressed for so long I couldn’t tell good from bad anymore.
‘Juliette didn’t wait for me–she was still mad, which was totally understandable,‘ he thought to himself.
Before even solving the problem, Dorian had already sorted out his inner turmoil.
The guard insisted, “How is she not helpful? Last time you ran off, Princess of Latymer rushed to the palace and took all the blame herself. That’s why you didn’t get punished. Otherwise, you’d have been scolded for sure.”
Turned out, Luciana knew about those few times he’d successfully sneaked out.
“Last time?” Dorian was clueless.
The guard tried to pull him inside, but Dorian refused. “Let’s head back to the palace first. You can explain on the way.”
After a few steps, he suddenly remembered Edmund in the corner.
the Faulkner family was framed–this guy couldn’t just die out here.
“Find him a place to stay. Keep it hidden, and don’t let anyone know,” Dorian whispered.
On the way back, the guard filled him in on “last time” and “the time before that“.
Not every sneaky escape led to the King catching him–only twice, and both times, Luciana took the fall.
This was the third time. He’d have to face it himself.
Dorian focused on the present, ignoring Luciana’s kindness. He didn’t want to regret anything.
He’d hated her for so long–no way he’d admit he’d been an ungrateful jerk all along.
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Chapter 15
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After being scolded by the King, it was already two hours later. First, he was accused of sneaking out, then his recent studies were criticized, and finally, the King ordered him to reflect on his actions and kneel until midnight.
It was only after the Queen pleaded for him that he was allowed to return before dark.
Exhausted and hungry, he was still happy inside. He thought that when he got back, he’d get to eat the food Juliette had sent into the palace.
Juliette had promised that whenever he studied late into the night, if she knew, she’d send him a midnight snack.
This time, since he was punished–and it was for Juliette that he snuck out–she must’ve known.
But he didn’t rat her out. Instead, he just said he ran off because he was bored.
The maids and servants brought out the pre–prepared dishes. Dorian froze–why didn’t he recognize any of these?
Even after he ascended the throne in his previous life, Juliette had never made these dishes for him.
“What’s this?” he asked the servant beside him.
The young servant stammered, “The chef’s cooking, Your Highness. Perhaps have a taste? See what you make of it?”
Dorian glared at him unhappily. Just as Juliette had said, the people around him had been keeping things from him.
This had to be Luciana’s doing–deliberately hiding it from him.
If he hadn’t been given a second chance, he’d still be in the dark this lifetime, only realizing Juliette’s kindness over a decade later.
Dorian let it slide–no point arguing when the food was gonna go cold. It wouldn’t be worth eating then.
He took a bite–the flavor was off…
Not his usual preference, and these weren’t even dishes he liked.
Juliette knew his tastes–for a long time–and always sent food to his preferences.
So why was it so bland this time?
The servant beside him watched his expression darken, heart pounding in his throat.
Then Dorian reconsidered–maybe he was misremembering. At her age, it was normal for Juliette not to fully grasp his tastes yet.
Not wanting to upset her, he forced himself to eat it.
Seeing that he didn’t complain or lose his temper, the servant let out a relieved sigh.
As the young servant stepped out of the room, several others crowded around, asking urgently, “Well? Did His Highness say anything?”
“Nothing. Let’s keep it for now.”
In Dorian’s villa, there was a personal canteen–suggested by Luciana–just in case he stayed up too late and got hungry at night, so he wouldn’t have to settle for whatever was available.
The chef was also handpicked by Luciana, but yesterday she took him back. Left with no choice, they had to go to the Royal Kitchen and ask the head chef to temporarily assign someone else.
They figured Luciana’s anger at Dorian wouldn’t last more than a few days.
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ཟ་དང་་
ས ས
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Chapter 15
Yesterday, Dorian was still fuming, and today he got punished, so no one dared bring it up.
Anyway, it was just a chef. The imperial chefs were the best of the best–nothing could go wrong.
Sure, the imperial chefs were skilled, but the one Luciana specially picked for him definitely suited his taste better.
ARer getting the chef back, he rested at the princess‘ estate for a night and resumed duty today. Luciana was absolutely delighted with the meal.
“Keep him. We have to keep him,” Luciana declared, putting down her spoon and picking up a bowl of almond pudding.
Donovan hesitated before stepping forward, gently stopping her. “Princess, you’ve already had four bowls today–all cold.”
Luciana retorted, “Nonsense! I haven’t tasted this one yet.”
Each of the four bowls had a different flavor–this one was new to her.
“Then maybe have him make more tomorrow?” Donovan handed her a warm, damp towel.
After a moment’s thought, Luciana reluctantly set the bowl aside. “Fine, no more tomorrow. His injuries aren’t fully healed yet. I’ll pass.”
Four unique flavors–she was just curious and wanted to try them all.
With that, she gave the almond pudding one last longing glance, even licking her lips.
Donovan sighed and handed the bowl back. “I’ll have him make some hot stuff tomorrow.”
“That’s too much trouble.”
Donovan looked at her seriously. “No trouble at all. He’d be thrilled.”
Four bowls a day? If Luciana told him to stay, he’d crank out forty bowls daily.
Though Donovan wasn’t keen on having an outsider in the residence, Samuel’s skill with desserts made him far more useful than Edmund.
And since Luciana loved his cooking. Keeping him around was a win.
“Let him recover first,” Luciana said. The day she saved him, she’d seen his injuries–they’d take a while to heal. Anyway, health came first.
Seizing the moment while Luciana was in a good mood, Donovan updated her on Edmund’s situation.
Dorian had arranged for him to stay at an inn, so at least he wasn’t left homeless.
“Juliette didn’t take him back?” Luciana was surprised.
Donovan shook his head “No Princess of Camoy left in a huff–didn’t even wait for Prince Dorian.”
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