Chapter 65 - Drunk Prince Part 2

"But both the Angles are in pain now...." Alan said as he tightened his grip.

Irene wasn't able to understand a thing he was saying, she looked at Alfred who was avoiding her gazes.

*Sigh* "Can you tell me...why are they in pain?" Irene asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"...Because, people are calling her a....witch...they are calling her as a witch who sold her soul to the devil....everyone is trashing her name..." Alan said as he bit his lower lip.

Irene was shocked to hear that she knew he was referring to the empress but it was all too sudden and unimaginable to her,

She looked at Alfred, his expression darkened after hearing what Alan said.

"And then another Angel was hurt because of me...I let out my frustration on her....she was just trying to make me feel better but I only made her cry...I am a bad person...*Sniff* *Sniff*" Alan continued,

Irene was now at loss for words, so instead of saying something that might worsen the mood she chose to be silent and let Alan fall asleep.

After Alan fell asleep she called Alfred to another room,

"Please have a seat."She said as she offered him a glass of hot chocolate.

" Yes, thank you." He said as he sat on the sofa and drank a few sips of hot chocolate.

"Today....the reason behind your highnesses cold behaviour was this...." Irene asked as she played with her fingers.

"....Yes....the lady is correct..." Alfred said as he kept the glass on the table.

"...But why?... I mean why did you try to hide this from me...Is it because you thought I might spread the rumours or is it because you don't trust me at all..." Irene said as she clenched her fists.

"Lady winter....that... it's none of what you are thinking... it's just that we didn't want you to worry and get involved since it may even harm your reputation but.....things got out of our hands and we messed up...." Alfred said as he clenched sighed.

Irene looked at Alfred with tearful eyes, "Then does that mean, the princes don't find me annoying right...." Irene asked as she looked at the second prince.

"No, not at all!! Why would you even think like that! We adore you!" Alfred said with a flustered face.

"Hahaha, It's good to know that...." Irene said as she laughed, "...Then what about lady winter...do you think that mother..." Alfred wasn't even able to complete his sentence and Irene suddenly cut him in between,

"No, I don't believe a word of whatever the rumours say.....She the saintness and she will always be..at least for me." Irene said as she smiled.

"How can you be so sure of it?" Alfred asked as he looked at her with desperate eyes as if he was looking for someone to tell him that ' It's all wrong'

and Irene understood that "Because she has a magical sensation around her which I have felt many times...Moreover, all the time I have spent with her always made me feel as if I am in the clouds. With her, even the earth felt like heaven to me...so leave calling her a witch, I can't even think of it!" Irene said as she crossed her arms.

The second prince stayed silent for a while until he bust out laughing,

"Pfftt!!! Lady winter you always surprise me!!.... But also make me feel glad cuz you are my friend..." Alfred said as he smiled at her warmly.

"Well, at least you consider me as a friend or else I thought I am just being played between the two princes and their mood swings," Irene said jokingly.

"Please not even dreams we will think of something like that....especially Brother....and you must have already seen it today for brother as well as me...lady winter is precious," Alfred said as he giggled.

"Yes...I know that...seeing him cry and throwing a tantrum was something I never saw before...He must be very sad and frustrated...to become like this..." Irene said as she touched her hair.

"He must be.... since it's also my first....seeing him show so many emotions or else he was just a nice prince who was more like a statue than a real person. And it all happened thanks to you.." Alfred said as he looked at the moon shining outside.

"I see.....but that still doesn't explain as to why such rumours about the empress start and how come he drank wine?" Irene asked as she looked at the prince with hopeful eyes.

"Hah, brother might scold me for telling you all this but since you helped us so much...I will just tell you..." Alfred said as he singled Irene to come close.

And then he started explaining how people started to take the empress illness as a chance and started to pressurise the emperor to remarry but since the emperor didn't listen to any of them, the nobles started playing even dirtier tricks.

They started the rumour that the empress being uncurable is probably because she is a witch and is being punished by God for her deeds.

The emperor thought that no one would listen to such nonsense but he was wrong...

The people started to act crazier and now and then they would send their daughters to the king chambers to seduce him...

Thou every time they only return empty-handed or without hands.

Some of them even tried to poison the empress but luckily everything they got discovered by the knights or the workers.

He also told her that today was no exception, which is why they were in a bad mood and somehow it all went out on her.

After that the crown prince felt burdened and guilty so to ease himself he drank some of the emperor wine and came here looking for her.

"That's a lot of mess....no actually how in the world do such people exist....did they forget about the sacrifices the empress made for their protection! Like how can they be so selfish....trying to kill her...Hah...poor empress...how heartbroken she must be..." Irene said as she clenched her dress tightly, her anger could be easily heard in her voice.

"Hah, people are just greedy....they can go to any height just for power and money.....I bet lady winter knows that too...." Alfred said as he looked at Irene.

"Yes...I do thanks to some I don't want to remember people..." Irene said as she closed her eyes.

"Haha, that's some unique way of addressing people," Alfred said as he laughed.

"Then how does your highness address such people?" Irene asked as she looked at him.

"I call them sh**ty people!" Alfred said with a proud smile on his face.

Whereas, Irene sat there dumbfounded, checking if her ears are working or not?

"Pardon can you repeat what you said just now?" Irene asked as she bought her ears near his face.

"Okay, I said...I call then Sh**ty People!!" Alfred said with his bright and cheerful smile.

Irene looked at the prince and blinked twice before cracking up laughing.

"...Prince...who taught you such words?" Irene asked as she tried to control her laugh.

"Huh, no one did I heard them from Brother and father!" Alfred said proudly.

The naivety of the second prince made her laugh even more, and she was almost in the blink of tears whereas the prince kept looking at him.

Feeling embarrassed she somehow stopped herself and looked at the prince.

"Please don't mind me...I wasn't laughing because I look down on you and all... it's just that the prince is quite funny...but still, if I somehow hurt your feelings then please forgive me." Irene said as she bowed her head Slightly.

"I am not angry and all...I just thought that Lady winter looks very pretty when she smiles." Alfred said as he looked at Irene with warmth in his yellow eyes.

Irene was stunned after hearing that, it's not that she never received a compliment like this but....it was the second prince himself who was complimenting which never happened before well at least not when they are alone like this, and with that look on his eyes...I was the same look as of that day when she first meet him.

"I...I am thankful for the compliment...how about we return to the room, the prince must be awake by now." Irene said as she rose from her seat.

"Yeah sure let's go, behind you," Alfred said with his usual smile.

"Hehe, then follow me." Saying that Irene moved towards the door, whereas Alfred looked towards the moon once and then touched his heart, "You are crazy." He said as he left the room.. But little did he knew walls have ears too.