Chapter 180

How to Tame My Beastly Husband — Chapter 180. Maids (2)

The Crown Prince’s Palace was as quiet as ever. It was a lonely place, where it seemed time did not pass. Annette looked around as she followed Celestine. The palace guards had come to greet Celestine, and escorted them to the audience hall.

“Pardon me, but you are required to wait in the antechamber under our supervision,” said one of their escorts, indicating Annette and Railin. “It is for the safety of the Crown Prince.”

They had expected this. Visitors to the palace were not permitted to meet members of the royal family if they brought escorts, to prevent assassination attempts.

Annette went with Railin to wait, but as soon as they entered the adjacent chamber, Railin suddenly grabbed at his stomach, as they had planned beforehand.

“Oh, dear, I have a bit of a digestive complaint…is there a privy?”

“…this way,” said the guard, looking at Railin with sorrow. This beauty had such a vulgar problem? “Follow me.”

Beautiful women always hid some tragedy.

Railin, who was hunched tensely as if he were experiencing actual distress, winked at Annette as he exited the room. Accustomed by now to his bizarre behavior, she accepted it with a silent nod.

All she had to do was wait.

Suddenly, there was a strange sound from the fireplace, a grinding noise like a piece of heavy furniture being pushed. Then the fireplace rotated open, revealing a hidden entrance. It was a secret passage that connected the antechamber to the audience hall.

Ludwig’s shining silver hair appeared from the darkness.

“This is quite heavy,” Ludwig said, pushing the fireplace open further and crawling through the narrow passage. Annette waited uneasily as he approached, wondering. Would he recognize her, even in her disguise?

Ludwig finally stood before her, and then looked at her, puzzled.

“…who are you?”

There was a flash of alarm in his face. He truly did not recognize her. He had only come because Celestine told him Annette was waiting, and then he found an unknown servant waiting on the other side.

It made her sad, after they had spent so many years together. As if the past ten years had never happened.

“Your Highness,” she said, going straight to the point. But her disappointment was temporary.

“Annette?” Ludwig’s eyes lit up. “Is that you?”

“How did you recognize me?”

“No matter what you try to do to your voice, I know your tones. Your voice has a very special resonance,” Ludwig replied, brushing ash from the fireplace from his hands. If Raphael had the instincts of a beast, Ludwig had a musician’s ear. His skill with the lute was innate.

It moved her a little, that he knew her so well. Ludwig automatically nudged a chair into position for her, eying her curiously. Annette was startled by the look in his eyes.

“Do I look pretty?”

“You always look pretty,” he said warmly.

Silence fell. Annette tucked a lock of hair from her wig behind her ear.

“…I heard that you agreed to support me, Your Highness.”

“Yes. Marquis Carnesis must have told you the truth of our meeting.”

Ludwig did not trust Raphael. Annette hesitated and then decided to let that go. It had no bearing on the present.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” She asked carefully. “I am very grateful, but it means you will be opposing your father the King. It may be…painful.”

“Should I worry about that now, when your life is in danger?” He asked incredulously. “Celestine told me. The King bribed your doctor to poison you!”

“Yes. Fortunately, I discovered it in time.”

“I am familiar with such tactics,” he said. “But I never thought they would be used against you…”