Looking for a Husband to Confine Me - Chapter 46.2
Chapter 46.2
“I see. Thank you, Rettie. Things have been much easier.”
“Don’t mention it. What are sisters for?” Rettie replied casually. Our conversation, taken at face value, would paint us as the most devoted of siblings.
“By the way, Amelia…” She uncrossed her legs and leaned closer, glancing at the letters on the table.
“Yes?”
“Did you hear from Prince Haroon again? You didn’t get much of a chance to talk that day because of the beast.”
That day, they’d been invited as a gesture of gratitude for saving Bashar from the poisoning attempt. However, the appearance of Pazl and the subsequent chaos had cut their conversation short. After Pazl’s capture, the sudden argument between Bashar and Haroon had prevented me from speaking properly with any of the princes, including the Crown Prince.
Just before I boarded my carriage, Ray Kewind had relayed a message: “His Highness, the Crown Prince, wishes to extend another invitation to discuss both the previous poisoning incident and today’s events, My Lady.”
Rettie had been unconscious at the time. I recalled her sprawled inside the carriage. Perhaps she’d regained consciousness sooner than I thought.
“I did receive a message…” I trailed off, and Letty’s eyes lit up.
“Really? So, this time…!”
“Unfortunately, it was from His Highness, the Crown Prince. He wishes to meet again, since we didn’t have a chance to speak properly last time.”
“…What about Prince Haroon?”
“I wouldn’t know.” Rettie’s shoulders slumped visibly, her disappointment evident.
As Ray Kewind had said, the message was indeed from Crown Prince Aven. He would likely be accompanied by the Kishan princes. But I kept that to myself. The Crown Prince’s letter hadn’t mentioned Harion or Bashar, so technically, I wasn’t lying. ‘I can’t have her tagging along this time.’ There were certain conversations I couldn’t have with Rettie present. I intended to go alone.
***
By the time I returned to my bedroom, the sun had set, and the sky outside my window was dark. I closed the door behind me and took a few steps forward. A subtle rustling followed, and a cool sensation brushed against my ankle.
“Back already?” I asked, a smile playing on my lips. The cool object swiftly moved up to my shoulder, and a small head popped out, bobbing enthusiastically.
“[Yes, yes! I missed you, Amelia!]” Slinky chirped excitedly, greeting me as if we’d been separated for decades, not merely a day. I gently patted its head.
“So, how are my parents? Rettie said they met with Vivian.”
“[That’s right! They went to see Vivian Ewill today. I heard they asked her for more money?]”
“I see. Just as I suspected.” I listened as Slinky relayed the day’s events and the information gathered by the other snakes. Slinky primarily acted as my informant, collecting intel from the others.
“So, everything Rettie said was true?”
“[Yes!]” Rettie Hazel hadn’t always been forthcoming with information about the Count and Countess. She’d even fabricated stories in the past, so I’d learned to take her words with a grain of salt. However, this time, perhaps because her goal was so ambitious, she’d been surprisingly honest.
“How are the others? Is everyone alright?”
“[They’re all fine! They evacuated as soon as everything went dark, so don’t worry!]” Slinky puffed out its chest, assuring me everything was under control. I hadn’t taken the snakes inside the Kishan princes’ residence last time, but they’d been hiding nearby, just in case, and could have been caught in the encroaching darkness. Fortunately, the quick-witted snakes had escaped in time.
“Good work. You’re all so clever.”
“[Hehe, of course! I’m special!]” Slinky wiggled its tail, clearly pleased with my praise. It swayed back and forth, almost as if it were dancing.
“[Is it true, though? That Snowy isn’t a snake like us?]” Slinky told me that Snowy’s true nature was the current hot topic among the snakes, and that most of them were in disbelief. Apparently, a few had even been traumatized.
“I’ve told you this almost every day. It seems Snowy is some kind of magical creature, not a snake. I’ll have to look into it further, but…”
“[Not a snake? Not a snake…!]” Slinky kept repeating the phrase, still reeling from the shock. This conversation, too, had been ongoing for a week. It seemed the revelation that Snowy wasn’t a snake had deeply affected them.
“Is it really that surprising…?” I murmured, carefully placing Snowy on the windowsill. I’d been surprised when I learned about Snowy, but not to this extent. Since Snowy looked just like them, the revelation must have been particularly jarring for the snakes.
“I suppose I’d be shocked too if I found out Tepine wasn’t human, but a magical creature.” It was likely the same for Slinky and the others. I’d decided to discuss Snowy with Ronen later. For now… I nudged Slinky, who was still writhing in apparent confusion. “Snap out of it. It’s time to fetch Snowy.”
It was time to find Snowy, who was likely trailing someone.
