Wrong Marriage and Sweet Love

“Tell the attendant to bring the meal and place it at the door,” Clint ordered. “You wait outside the hall.”

“Yes,” the attendant bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Joyce squinted and remarked, “So, you’re Rohomes’ crown prince, Clint. Is this… the palace?”

Clint shrugged lightly. “Yes, that’s right. This is East Palace, my residence. Are you satisfied?”

Joyce tilted her head slightly and almost chuckled. “So, you’re a crown prince. My apologies for not recognizing your status earlier. I had no idea that you, such a noble figure, would be working in my small company and living in the single dormitory downstairs. How did you endure such a great inconvenience, and what value or ability do I have that would compel someone of such noble status to approach me in this way? Should I feel honored or humiliated?”

Every word she spoke was laced with irony.

Though she didn’t know how Clint had brought her from South Island to here, the truth was that he had succeeded. To the victor belong the spoils, and now she was a prisoner, a fact she understood very well.

Clint could, of course, discern the sarcasm in her speech. He smiled and lowered his head. “No matter, I’ve had my fill of delicacies. It’s nice to have a change of taste. I miss the days back in Khebury.”

“Haha, Clint, I was really careless. There were many details that should have alerted me to be cautious. You feigned amnesia and didn’t remember your identity. But a person’s habits are the hardest to change. You are picky when it comes to food and appreciate luxury. So, I was aware that you aren’t an ordinary person. I just didn’t expect you to be royalty.”

Joyce sneered. “It turns out I wasn’t mistaken. You do have a habit of driving on the right side. I should have noticed that earlier.”

“Yes, you are the most perceptive woman I’ve ever met. It’s not easy to deceive you.”

With that, Clint coughed lightly and his face grew pale.

Joyce noticed. “Are you feeling unwell? From spending too much time in the seawater?”

Clint stiffened. In reality, she wasn’t wrong. To bring her to East Palace, he had personally gone to South Island. The sea was too cold, and coupled with his weak constitution, he hadn’t recovered even after two days of recuperation. He had caught a cold and coughed. His heart didn’t feel quite right either.

His gaze turned cold. He detested it when anyone mentioned his weak health and frequent illnesses.

Joyce observed him and knew she had guessed correctly. The last time she had pulled him out of the sea, he had been sick for some time. It was precisely because he looked frail that she had been careless, sympathized, and ultimately fell into his trap.

At that moment, there were two soft knocks at the palace entrance.

Clint diverted the topic, brushing aside the matter. He flicked his sleeve and walked to the entrance.

The door opened gently, and Senior Advisor Kondo respectfully presented a lacquered red food tray containing an array of exquisite dishes, as well as a bowl of medicine.

“Your Highness, you should take your medicine,” Senior Advisor Kondo said respectfully, her head lowered almost level with the tray.

Joyce stood at a distance and couldn’t see the attendant’s face.

“Leave,” Clint received the tray.

As Senior Advisor Kondo departed, she closed the door behind her.

Clint carried the tray and went to Joyce’s side. He placed the tray on a low table, then sat on the floor.

He gestured to the cushion in front of him and said to Joyce, “Sit.”

“Crown Prince, may I ask why you brought me here? What is your intention?” Joyce sat down in front of Clint.

She glanced at the meal in front of her, beautifully prepared with various uncommon ingredients, sushi, high-end pastries, steaming brown rice tea, and a hot bowl of porridge with finely chopped ingredients and topped with shredded seaweed, accompanied by several side dishes.

Clint didn’t reply. Instead, he picked up the medicine in front of him and drank it without so much as a furrowed brow. It seemed he was already accustomed to it.

“You were unconscious for two days, so you must be hungry. Eat first and then we’ll talk,” he said calmly, elegantly reaching for a napkin and dabbed it at the corners of his mouth.

Back in East Palace and dressed in elaborate clothing, he exuded the air of nobility. He was inherently elegant and refined.

Joyce furrowed her brows. As a member of royalty herself, she thought of Reuben; he wasn’t like Clint. Reuben was more casual and rebellious, evident from his silver hair color.

She picked up her fork and began to eat without ceremony. She was indeed very hungry, and now she needed to regain her strength. Escaping from him wouldn’t be easy, so at present, the most important thing for her was to eat well, conserve her energy, trap him with her words, and then figure out the next steps.

“Joyce, why are you sitting so far away from me? It seems like we’re strangers,” Clint said, looking at her. “You used to be so close to me back in Khebury.”

“Times change, and circumstances too. How can things be the same?” Joyce swallowed and continued eating in silence.

“I see you get along quite well with Reuben. Doesn’t seem as awkward as it does with me,” Clint remarked with a touch of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

Joyce looked up. “You seem to know a lot about me. It seems you’ve inquired about me quite thoroughly. I have only a passing acquaintance with Reuben. I didn’t bring him to the company or home because of any close relationship.”Têxt © NôvelDrama.Org.

After hearing that, Clint strangely felt much better.

He sat beside her, watching her eat.

Every now and then, he picked up a dish and placed it in her bowl. “Try this, it’s authentic. You couldn’t get this in Khebury.”

Joyce finished her meal and felt her strength returning.

She set her fork down and wiped her lips with a napkin. “Let’s not beat around the bush. You brought me here. You have to tell me what your purpose is. What do you want, and when will you let me go?”

Clint stood up. His voluminous kimono made him look exceptionally noble. He leaned over and looked down at Joyce.

Suddenly, he chuckled.

“I helped you safely deliver your child and ensured a smooth marriage. I think you should have no regrets. So, for the rest of your life, you’ll stay here.”

Joyce was stunned and then astounded.

What? Stay at East Palace for the rest of her life? What did that mean?