CH 274

“Why the face?” Amethyst asked. She was reunited with Count Lohikin and now have joined her husband.

“What face?” Alexcent looked at her.

“What is that you don’t understand?”

“Yeah, I don’t. You have no blood relation with him.” Alexcent reminded her.

“That’s not true. I do have a blood relation,” Amethyst said. “He does have something to do with me. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have met you. I want to keep a good relationship with his family as I do with mine. Alec, do you remember our promise? We’ll treat each other’s family well.”

“I do.”

“It doesn’t have to be a blood relation to be a family. You can think of it like adopting.”

“All right. If that’s what you want.” Alexcent seemed to understand. Amethyst smiled brightly and hugged him. “Now it is time to enjoy the party. My Lady.” Alexcent bowed and offered his hand politely.

Amethyst laughed. “No. I can’t dance.”

“You were completely fine at the annual ball.”

“I hosted that party,” Amethyst replied. “It didn’t matter what anyone said, but this is different.”

“Everyone has already seen your skill in dancing, so don’t worry.” Alexcent took her hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor. Amethyst pretended to give in. She wrapped her hand around his waist and looked into his warm eyes as they danced.

***

“I don’t want to!” Amethyst said.

Alexcent looked shocked for a moment.  She didn’t want to? It wasn’t that she can’t, but she didn’t want to do it with him.

“I haven’t done anything yet,” Alexcent said, as he climbed into bed.

“You want to do it and I don’t feel like it today.”

“Why?”

“I just don’t feel like it.” She always seemed to reject him during a certain time every month. This was that time. He had learned his lesson, that he should leave her alone when she was like this.

“Well, then good night, Ash.” Alexcent kissed her and lay down right next to her. Then slowly he creeped his hand towards her breast. When she didn’t react to the touch, Alexcent’s hand slowly headed downwards.

“Really! You can sleep alone if you keep doing that! I’ll go to your room and sleep.” Amethyst slapped his hand away.

“No, never! I just want to hold your hand and go to sleep. Don’t worry!” Alexcent backed off. Today was not the day to anger her and really didn’t want to sleep alone.

Alexcent was in a bad mood, when Pon saw him the next morning. He made a mental note to warn the rest of the servants to be cautious around the master. He always seemed to get in these moods, every month around this time. Most of the servants seemed to know why. Pon approached the duke cautiously to go over the day’s schedule.

“Good morning, master. I have a luncheon scheduled for today. A celebratory meal for ma’am’s safe return from studying abroad. She felt a light luncheon was in order.”

“I had forgotten that was today. Ash should feel better after seeing her parents for the first time in a while.” If she said they are her family, he had to accept it.

“I agree. Also, the Empress sent a message saying she will be attending as well.” Alexcent wondered what the reasoning was behind Belice attending.

“This will be the first formal luncheon we have hosted in a while, so please make sure that everything is up to standard,” Alexcent instructed.

“I will do so,” Pon agreed.

***

“Father! Mother!” Amethyst joyfully greeted the Lohikin couple. They may not be her biological parents, but they were still her parents. She took care of them as if she had lived with them her entire life.

“Wow! Amethyst, you’ve become so pretty!” Mrs. Lohikin said, smiling as she embraced her daughter. She looked much better, after becoming ill from hearing the vicious rumours that had been spread around. After her husband returned from the ball with the good news, she recovered quickly.

“I worried so much when you went to study abroad,” Count Lohikin said, taking his turn to embrace his daughter. “I can finally rest knowing you are well.”

“Father, I’m sorry for making you worry. I still had much to learn, so I needed to be away for a while.”

Her father laughed. “Yes, it’s good to learn as much as you can.” Count Lohikin held on to Amethyst’s hand and caressed it, as if he was afraid to let it go.

“Why don’t we go make ourselves comfortable,” Alexcent mentioned.

“Yes. I know you are a busy man, so thank you for joining us. I’m honoured that you’re being so considerate.” Even though Count Lohikin was smiling, there was a bit of tension in his voice. Though he was glad for the return of his daughter, he was still angry that Duke Skad had ignored him all this time.

Alexcent, though, was very considerate, as per Amethyst’s instructions. “Please do not even mention it. You’re my wife’s father, and the highest rank of her family. Just think of me as a son.”

Count Lohikin chuckled hesitantly. Though he was happy at Alexcent’s words, in the back of his mind he still felt troubled.

“Welcome, Count Lohikin,” Belice said, as she entered the sitting room.

“Your Majesty!” The Lohikin couple stood up in surprise, and quickly bowed in formal greeting.

“I was informed on this luncheon and thought I would join. I hope that I am not interfering in any way?”

“Not at all!” The couple eagerly agreed.

“If you knew, you shouldn’t have come, Your Majesty,” Alexcent said. Amethyst and her parents did not know how to react to his words. “I’m sure the Lohikins are uncomfortable enough, getting to know a new son-in-law. Having Her Majesty here might make this meeting even more awkward.”

“No, Your Majesty!” the Lohikins protested. “Not at all! It’s an infinite honour for us to meet you in person.”

“They say it’s an honour,” Belice said, glaring at Alexcent.

“Belice, you can’t even distinguish someone being polite to what they really mean.”

“Then what about you? Can’t you think that you’re the one who’s making the atmosphere much worse?”

“Are you two really going to be like this?” Amethyst was beside hers. “I’m going to kick both of you out!”

Alexcent realized what he had been doing and turned red in embarrassment. “Please have a seat, Your Majesty,” he caved.

As the Lohikins saw Amethyst taming both the empress and the duke, they felt relieved of the worry of their daughter being married into such a high-class family

“It seems like there should be good news soon, seeing how close you two are,” Count Lohikin said. “Won’t it be great when the heir to the Skad family is born. As these two seem to have such a good relationship, I don’t think there should be a worry that it won’t happen soon.”

“That’s true. There would be nothing better,” Belice agreed.

“I’m sure they’ll have a baby that looks just like the duke,” Mrs. Lohikin said, smiling.

“Oh my! I was hoping the baby would look more like duchess!” Belice said.

The Empress and the parents laughed over their predictions. To them, this was entertainment. However, Alexcent had gone silent. And Amethyst felt her entire body freeze. She just sat there and listened with an awkward smile on her face.

It wasn’t like she didn’t like children. She was just scared. She thought it would be best to change the subject. “Oh my, look at me. I forgot to bring out the snacks. I’ll be right back.”

“No need, dear,” Amethyst’s mother said. “The luncheon should start soon, so I don’t think snacks are necessary.”

Despite all her efforts, she was trapped. However, there was one person who appeared to feel the same way she did. The person who she least expected to be affected by this discussion. But she should have known, as he was always in tune with her feelings. It was Alexcent.