“Don’t say such nonsense.” He narrowed his eyes and resumed his work.
His reaction was quite normal. Audrey had never once looked for him or shown any signs of affection towards the Crown Prince. To the Crown Prince, her request was rather suspicious.
“Then it’s okay for me to leave this empire right? Since I am not actually your fiancee?”
Prince August looked up again and glared.
“If you’re going to keep me here, at least treat me like an actual fiancee. My reputation is in tatters, and only you can save it from worsening.” She walked closer and tapped the surface of his desk impatiently, even daring to sit on the edge. Audrey folded her arms and smiled slyly.
The Crown Prince had spent the past 7 years with her father and respected him as an elder. If he were to break off their “engagement,” it would be a direct insult to the general and destroy his greatest alliance. Recently, Audrey had heard that the Crown Prince privately pleaded the Emperor to finalize their engagement and was met with no success. The documents required the Emperor’s approval and physical acknowledgement, yet Emperor Michaelis had not officially named Audrey as a fiancee despite his promise to the general.
The general was not aware of this ordeal and expected Audrey to be announced as the Crown Princess very soon. This had placed a heavy burden over Prince August, who did not know why the Emperor promised such an arrangement if he wasn’t planning on fulfilling it in the first place.
When Caleb relayed the news, Audrey could guess why the Emperor would be reluctant to make her a future Empress. At first, she believed that Michaelis wanted her to enter the harem as his concubine instead. After meeting with the general, Audrey realized that the Emperor was aware of her mother’s infidelity and most likely didn’t want an illegitimate daughter to stain the throne. This would explain why the Emperor was willing to break his promise with the general.
Because he knows that the general hates me.
Her mother’s unfaithfulness had been covered up thoroughly and forgotten over time. While Audrey was a newborn baby, the general had killed the nobles who had stoned his wife. Because her father had secretly silenced everyone who knew of his first wife’s betrayal, the scandal was soon forgotten.Audrey only discovered this after studying the records closely and finding a group of affluent nobles who had mysteriously passed away around the time of her birth.
Therefore, the Crown Prince was not aware of the lack of love Audrey received from her father and proceeded to form a political marriage alliance with the general’s daughter.
Should I just tell him? Audrey wondered. I should probably tell him because he will let go of our engagement then.
As Audrey had expected, the Crown Prince was also not aware of the epidemic spreading outside of the palace because he soon ended up agreeing with her request.
“We will go once I am ready.” He spoke cautiously, and became distracted by his pile of work again.
Audrey quietly watched him finish his paperwork and felt rather awkward. She stood still and observed his swift movements, admiring his flawless character. Prince August was truly hardworking and placed his country first. If he didn’t have a concubine or harbor ill feelings towards Audrey, she could picture herself falling in love with this seemingly wise prince.
What would happen if he found out what his father was hiding? She pondered over his reaction.
After some time had passed, Prince August had finished up his work and called for a servant.